A holiday month gathering of the “Thoroughbroads”always meant you went home with a few goodies. At this April event, we would enjoy a small Ball jar with a fabric lid cover in pastel colors full of homemade carrot jam, a beautiful recipe card for skillet roasted carrots, a bowl of IBC root beer glazed carrots to enjoy warmed up at home, an Easter card with a personalized note and a carrot cake cupcake to enjoy for our dessert.

We met at Scarlett’s home where the dining room was the perfect setting for a spring Easter luncheon. Antique dining furniture placed against a soft pastel floral wallpaper and a table setting of light blue bordered Lenox china, sterling silver flatware and large crystal goblets full of a banana slushie suggested we would enjoy a great meal. A large pressed glass cake stand held the cupcake gifts to enjoy later over coffee. The centerpiece was a collection of vintage Easter cards with ribbon intertwined among them which made it easy to talk over.

The talk was centered around a new show on television that featured Regis Philburn and Kathie Lee Gifford. They poke fun at one another over their personal lives. The fact it was not overly produced and the entire show not scripted made it enjoyable to watch. Turns out their onstage relationship started in 1985 and lasted 15 years, more than some of the Thoroughbroad marriages!

In honor of the show, we enjoyed Chicken by Regis and Kathie Lee as our main course along with biscuits with the carrot cake jam and roasted carrots. Everything was delightful, including our adult beverage which helped us ring in the month of the Easter Bunny. Many smiles and stories of our childhood Easter egg hunts, new dresses and the Easter meals we enjoyed in the 50’s and 60’s were shared. Looking back on those simpler times than now, our events wrapped around family and what the holiday actually stood for. It was an occasion to spend quality time with one another on a Sunday made for memories.

The recipes follow below:

Chicken by  Regis and Kathie Lee

2/3 cup long grain rice

2/3 cup thin spaghetti

1/3 cup olive oil

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup broccoli flowerets

1 cup chicken, julienned

¼ tsp crushed thyme

½ cup green onions chopped

¼ cup chopped walnuts

¼ cup diced red peppers

Heat olive oil in a large pan, add rice and spaghetti and sauté 5 min. Add chicken broth and brig to a boil then add remaining ingredients and cook covered for 15 min on med to low heat.

Carrot Cake Jam

1 ½ cups Carrots skinned then pulsed in processor making pulp

1 ½ cups ripe Pears skinned and pulsed in to pulp

1 can unsweetened pineapple chopped small

3 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground cloves

1 pkg Fruit pectin powdered

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

6 ½ cups sugar

In a 6 – 8 quart sauce pot, combine the first seven ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the pears are tender. Stir occasionally so nothing sticks to the pan. Remove from the sauce pan from the heat, and stir in pectin.
Bring mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Slowly stir in the sugar and return to a full rolling for 1 minute, making sure to stir constantly to avoid boiling over. Remove from heat and skim off any foam with a metal spoon. Ladle into small sterilized Ball jars and let cool before you screw on the lids. Makes great gifts.

Skillet Roasted Carrots

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 lb of rainbow small carrots trimmed and cut on the bias

Kosher salt to taste

¼ tsp black pepper

3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2Tbsp honey

1 tsp fresh thyme

If carrots are thoroughly scrubbed clean no need to peel them.

Heat olive oil in skillet over med heat. Add carrots and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook stirring occasionally until they are browned but tender crisp (6-8 min).

Add vinegar, honey and cook stirring until bubbly. Remove from heat and sprinkle with thyme leaves and serve.

Banana Slushies

4 cups sugar

 6 cups water

1 46 oz can pineapple juice

1 46 oz can orange juice

 5 mashed bananas

½ cup lemon juice

5 Qts ginger ale chilled

Serve over crushed ice