Food for After the Tennis Match

Last week I made some snacks for after the tennis match.

I made a big platter of pinwheel sandwiches with a small bowl of olives in the middle. A pinwheel or two is the perfect size snack for after a tennis match.

I also put a handful of chips into a sandwich bag with the fold over flap instead of the zipper top bag and tied it with a ribbon and placed them in a basket. This is a nice way to serve chips.

Perfect for after the tennis match or to serve during football or baseball games. We are excited that the Angels are in the play offs!

Tennis Themed Granola Bars

I wrapped some scrapbook paper around some granola bars and added a little tennis ball tag for a good luck treat for the team.

For this project you will need:

Granola bars

Scrapbook paper (solid yellow and two patterns)

Circle cutter

Scalloped circle cutter

Tape

White Sharpie pen

Scissors

I used some Kashi Granola Bars.

Using one of your patterned papers - cut a pattern to wrap around the granola bar.

Tape the scrapbook paper around the granola bar.

Cut out the yellow tennis ball circles and draw the white line with the Sharpie pen. Cut out a scalloped circle. Tape the tennis ball to the scalloped circle.

Simply tape the tennis ball tag to the granola bar. I always keep granola bars in my tennis bag. It is so easy to grab a quick bite on the change overs.

This is a cute treat to make for any sports team! Soccer, baseball, basketball, softball would all be cute to make with this project.

Granola bars come in so many fun flavors! I like the Kashi and Luna bars.

Maraschino Cherry Bread

This time of the year I am usually making pumpkin or apple bread - but we are experiencing  an unbelievable heat wave in Southern California. And I felt like making something fresh and light. So instead I woke up early and made this Maraschino Cherry Bread.

I love Maraschino Cherries!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup oil

1 egg

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 tablespoon salt

2 jars (10 ounces each) maraschino cherries

Glaze:

2  1/2cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons melted butter

1/3 cup maraschino cherry juice

1/2 teaspoon almond extract


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9" x 5" loaf pan with a non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl stir together the sugar, milk, oil and egg. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

Drain the maraschino cherries. reserve the juice to make the glaze and some Shirley Temples. Coarsely chop the cherries and gentley fold the cherries into the batter.

Pour the bread batter into the loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread should come out clean. Allow the bread to cool for at least a half hour and tuen it out on a wire rack.

Place some foil or wax paper under the wire rack. Combine the powdered sugar, melted butter, cherry juice and almond extract. Sttir until a thick glaze forms and spoon it over the Maraschino Cherry bread.

 Let the glaze set and then slice the bread.

This is a wonderful bread to serve as an after school snack with a big glass of milk or a Shirley Temple!

Tennis Themed Lollipops - A Good Luck Treat for the Team

Today I made some tennis themed lollipops - a good luck treat for the team. I was going to make another treat like a homemade granola bar. But today was so hot - there was no way I could turn the oven on!

Fortunately - I had everything I needed to make tennis ball lollipops.

For this project you will need:

Yellow lollipops

Yellow scrapbook paper

Circle punch

White Sharpie pen

Green scrapbook paper

Scalloped circle punch

Double stick tape

I bought my yellow lollipops at Party City.

Then cut out yellow circles and green scalloped circles.

On the yellow circles - I used the white Sharpie pen and made the white line.

Using the double stick tape - tape the yellow tennis ball to the green scalloped circle.

Then tape the yellow tennis ball to the green scalloped circle. Now tape the circles to the lollipop.

This is such an easy project and I have made these lollipops to look like with both baseballs and basketballs.

These lollipops would also make cute place cards by writing the players name on the tennis ball for a tennis banquet or luncheon.

Tennis Ball Cookies - Dessert for the Team

I make these all the time - sometimes I also sprinkle the frosting with yellow sugar. But today I was running out of time.

Using your favorite sugar cookie mix - roll out the dough and cut out some 2-inch circles.

Then I frosted the cookies with melted white chocolate tinted with yellow gel food coloring.  Once the yellow chocolate has set add the white line with some melted white chocolate in a zipper top bag with a small corner sniped off.

Once the chocolate has dried on the tennis balls - they can be placed on a serving platter.

Here is my serving platter - I placed them on a large white oval platter.

These would be fun to make for your child's tennis team or to serve to the parents while watching tennis matches.

Fresh Fig Jam

Tomorrow I am going to Fig & Olive for a girlfriends birthday lunch. I wanted to make a small party favor. Lately I have been bringing flowers in repurposed tin can vases and sachets for party favors. So today I decided to do something different and make small jars of Fresh Fig Jam.

I love figs, in my childhood home we had a fig tree in our backyard.

All summer I have seen fresh figs at Trader Joe's, Sprouts and Whole Foods. When I researched fig jam all the recipes were all about the same - fresh figs, sugar, water and lemon juice. I had sugar and fresh lemons but everyone was out of figs.

 However, when I went (as a last resort) to the produce store next to Trader Joe's and asked them if they had figs - he said sure we have "June figs" and they are with the berries.  These "June figs" are smaller and very sweet.

Ingredients:

4 cups chopped fresh figs

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

Wash the figs and trim off the stems.

Chop the figs into small pieces and throw them into s saucepan with the sugar and water. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Then reduce heat and simmer for about an hour until the mixture has reduced and thickened. Add the lemon juice and simmer for an extra minute or two.

Let the mixture cool and carefully spoon the fig jam into the sterilized jars and seal with the lids.  Once the jars have cooled place them in the refrigerator.

While the mixture is simmering - you should prepare your jars and lids by sterilizing them in boiling hot water. Set the sterilized jars on a clean dish towel. I used small 4 ounce jars. And this recipe filled 5 small jars. I bought these jars at Target. They have a great jar selection in the kitchen section.

Isn't this fig jam beautiful? I love the color.

Since I made these little jars for a party favor I added a little piece of scrapbook paper on top of the lid and a small piece of coordinating ribbon around the lid.  I am hoping to make little birthday labels in the morning.

This jam can be used on toast, English muffins or scones. It can also be used as a condiment on a cheese and crackers tray. It is wonderful on ice cream!

And of course it would be fantastic in a sandwich with brie and argula or even a pizza with the fig jam and argula.  I think my friends will love this party favor.

Happy Birthday Kim!