My friend Stacey and I had a lovely tea party this week -- eating, swimming and watching our children play together. Stacey brought our tea selection, a deliciously smooth coconut chai by Zhena's Gypsy Tea.
Our Tea Menu
Tropical Chicken Salad Served on a Bed of Field Greens
Fresh Strawberries, Pineapple and Grapes
Lemon and Banana Nut Muffins
Colby-Jack Cheese Cubes with Wheat Crackers
Coconut Chai Tea
Homemade Lemon Ice Cream with Whipped Cream
Tropical Chicken Salad
Meat from whole lemon-pepper rotisserie chicken, shredded
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons pickle juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
8-ounce can pineapple tidbits, drained
15-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1/2 cup chopped green onions
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and refrigerate until serving. To serve, mound the chicken salad on a bed of field greens. If desired, drizzle a little raspberry-walnut vinaigrette dressing over the salad to moisten. Serves 6.
Lemon Ice Cream
I first discovered this recipe just out of college while working as an editorial assistant at Christian Woman magazine. I accompanied the graphic designer to the photo shoot for recipes using lemons and loved this ice cream so much, I went right out and bought an ice cream maker so I could try this recipe myself. All these years later, it is still a perfectly refreshing treat on a hot summer day.
8 lemons
3 cups sugar
1 pint whipping cream
1 quart milk
Slice two lemons paper thin (do not peel the lemons, and it is important they be paper thin). Cut the slices into halves, then fourths. Set aside. Juice remaining lemons. Dissolve the sugar in the juice. This much can be done ahead and refrigerated until time to complete making ice cream. Combine the lemon-sugar mixture with the whipping cream and milk. Add the two lemons you set aside earlier. Stir well, and pour it into freezer can. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Serve with whipped cream. Note: I cut the lemon slices into smaller sections. My children liked the ice cream, but did not care for the lemon pieces. Next time, I plan to try zesting, then juicing, the two lemons instead of slicing them.
