Making memories: an engaged couple prepare to embark on their new life together with an intimate and international-flavored celebration.

There is an old story of a young newlywed couple with much love for each other but little money. The new bride has always loved emeralds, but the young groom can only afford a gold band. As they share their lives, becomes something of a ritual for the man to hand his wife a handful of peanuts at ballgames and say, "I wish these were emeralds." The story continues through children and grandchildren until one night at a ballgame when the wife opens her hand and the husband drops in a handful of emeralds and says "I wish these were peanuts." We should all fill our lives with peanuts to cherish and share,

Stewart Young of Jackson and Mahiely Zurita of Coppell, Texas, are beginning their own life of memories, the first begun in Washington, D.C. when they met at a National Youth Leadership Forum on Defense, Intelligence, and Diplomacy in the fall of their senior years in high school. They visited each other for senior proms, and then both decided to attend Southern Methodist University for college.

When Stewart decided to ask Mahiely to marry him, he surprised her with an airline ticket and a suitcase packed by her mother to visit friends in the Washington area on the third anniversary of their first meeting. On a dinner cruise on the Potomac, while viewing the National Mall, Stewart, on bended knee, asked the question that begins a life of shared memories.

To announce their engagement, friends and family planned a special celebration at the home of Ruth and J.D. Fly of Jackson, dear friends of the Young family. The beautiful and eclectic home, situated alongside a lake, was the perfect setting in which to entertain guests both indoors and outdoors and to enjoy a special evening of fellowship, Julie Levanway of Jackson prepared the delicious menu that was served to more than 100 guests. The open plan of the Flys' home afforded several areas for people to mingle and sample different fare. A massive dining table arrangement, created by Carl Young of Jackson using lilies, Gerber daisies, roses, birds of paradise, and hydrangeas in shades of coral, yellow, and lime green, echoed the inviting colors of the dining room, while artfully displayed dishes of pork and ham rolls, vegetables, and dips encouraged guests to savor the evening. Desserts including Espresso-Caramel Brownies, Raspberry Jewels, and Lemon Curd Tartlets with fresh strawberries and kiwi offered their own temptation on the sideboard. A glass-topped table in the garden room was a favorite spot, offering Cuban Black Bean Salsa served in a large cabbage and Tortilla Roll-ups with Citrus Salsa and chips. Julie chose to serve Cuban and Mexican dishes to honor the native countries of Mahiely's parents.

The delightful evening was another memory to add to the many that Stewart and Mahiely and their families are enjoying along the way. They were married in a small family ceremony at the Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe in Dallas, Texas, in December.

Julie Levanway shares her festive engagement celebration menu and recipes, but you must provide the peanuts.

LAYERED ITALIAN TORTE

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
4 ounces feta cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded, divided
1 cup sun-dried tomato pesto, divided
1 cup Kalamata olives, chopped
1 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup marinated artichoke hearts,
  drained and chopped
1 cup roasted red peppers, chopped

Combine cream cheese, feta cheese, butter,
and Italian seasoning in a food processor until
mixed thoroughly. Set aside.

Line a mold with plastic wrap, and layer (in
order) 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup sun-dried
tomato pesto, 1/3 of cream cheese mixture,
olives, green onions, 1/3 of cream cheese
mixture, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup sun-dried
tomato pesto, artichokes, roasted red
peppers, and 1/3 of cream cheese mixture.

Fold plastic wrap over the top of the mold,
press gently to compact the layers, and put
in refrigerator until firm. Unmold, and serve
with crackers. Yield: 25 servings.

CITRUS SALSA

2 cups fresh orange sections, chopped
2 cups fresh grapefruit sections, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
I/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Dash cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate for
2 hours. When ready to serve, adjust
seasonings as needed. Yield: 20 servings.

TORTILLA ROLL-UPS

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese,
  softened
1 1/2 packages Hidden Valley Ranch
  dressing mix
3 (4-ounce) cans chopped green chilies
2 small cans chopped ripe olives
10 flour tortillas
Salsa

Mix together first four ingredients
until well-combined. Spread on tortillas,
and roll up. Wrap in plastic wrap,
and put in freezer. When you are ready
to serve, slice and serve with Citrus
Salsa or your favorite salsa. Yield: 40
servings.

CUBAN SANDWICHES

Soft rolls or French bread
Durkee Famous Sauce (mustard sauce)
Smoked ham
Pulled pork
Swiss cheese
Dill pickle slices

Cut each roll or sandwich-size piece
of French bread in half, and spread
both sides with Durkee Famous Sauce.
On bottom half of bread, place (in order)
ham, pork, 1 slice Swiss cheese,
and 1 pickle slice. Top with second
half of bread. Heat thoroughly, and
serve warm. Yield: varies (use more or
less of each ingredient as needed).

HOT ARTICHOKE-BACON DIP

1 stick butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
3/4 cup bacon, crumbled
4 cans artichokes, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Over medium
heat, melt butter and saute onion
until wilted. Add garlic, and saute until
fragrant, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle flour
over mixture, and stir until well-incorporated.
Whisk half-and-half slowly into
pot until smooth. Add cream cheese,
and stir until smooth. Add remaining
ingredients, and stir until thoroughly
combined.

Pour into a 3-quart round Pyrex dish
sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Bake
until bubbly, about 25 minutes. Yield: 3
quarts (20-25 servings).

CUBAN BLACK BEAN SALSA

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can whole-kernel yellow corn, drained,
  or 1 (1-pound) package frozen corn,
  roasted
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons pickled jalapeno peppers,
  chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
to taste

Combine first 8 ingredients, and
taste. Add salt and pepper as needed.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Yield:
20 servings.

SPICY CORN DIP

1   stick butter
1   cup red onion, diced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2   cups heavy cream
8   ounces cream cheese, softened
1   (7-ounce) can chopped green chilies
1   (10-ounce) can Rotel tomatoes
1   (32-ounce) package frozen corn,
    thawed and roasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter
in a saucepan, and saute red onion
over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add
flour, and whisk until smooth. Pour in
cream slowly, whisking until well-combined.
Add cream cheese, and cook
until slightly thickened. Add green chilies,
Rotel tomatoes, and corn. Pour into
a 5-quart baking dish sprayed with cooking
spray, and bake for 30 minutes. Yield:
30 servings.

ESPRESSO-CARAMEL BROWNIES

4     squares semisweet chocolate
1 1/4 cups butter
2 1/2 cups sugar, divided
5     eggs, divided
1     teaspoon vanilla extract
3     tablespoons instant espresso powder
      (or instant coffee)
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose
      flour, divided
1     (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/8   teaspoon ground cinnamon
1     container The Caramel Factory
      caramel icing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large
microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate
and butter on high for 1 1/2 minutes.
Stir until chocolate is fully melted. Stir 2
cups sugar into chocolate mixture until
well-combined. Add 4 eggs, vanilla extract,
and espresso or instant coffee. Mix
well. Add 1 1/2 cups flour. Stir until well-blended.
Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan
with foil; spray with nonstick cooking
spray. Spread batter into pan.

In the same bowl, using a hand-held
electric mixer, combine cream cheese,
cinnamon, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar,
1 egg, and 2 tablespoons flour. Spoon
over chocolate batter. Swirl with the tip
of a knife. Bake for 40 minutes or until a
toothpick comes out clean. Cool.

Heat caramel icing, and pour over
brownies in pan. Let stand until icing is
thoroughly cooled. Remove from pan.
Cut into serving-size pieces. Store in an
airtight container. Yield: 18-24 servings.

Note: To order caramel icing from The Caramel Factory, located in Drew, see www.caramel factory.com.

RASPBERRY JEWELS

2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
10 ounces raspberry preserves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a
large bowl, combine all ingredients
except preserves. Beat with a mixer on
low speed, scraping bowl often, until
mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 1/2 cups
crumb mixture.

Press remaining crumb mixture on the
bottom of a greased 8- or 9-inch square
baking pan. Spread preserves to within 1 1/2
inch of edge. Crumble reserved mixture
over preserves. Bake for 40-50 minutes or
until lightly browned. Cool completely;
cut into bars. Yield: 12 bars.

LEMON CURD TARTLETS

1/2 cup butter, melted
  1 cup sugar
  Grated rind of 2 lemons
  Juice of 2 lemons
  2 eggs
  2 egg yolks, well beaten
 60 tartlet shells (party cups or mini
    fillo shells)
  Fresh blueberries for garnish

In the top of a double-boiler, blend
butter, sugar, lemon rind, juice, eggs,
and egg yolks. Whisk until well-blended.
Place over simmering water, and stir with
a wooden spoon until mixture coats the
back of the spoon. Remove from heat
and allow to cool slightly. Cover, and
refrigerate. When ready to serve, spoon
into shells. Garnish each tartlet with a
fresh blueberry. Yield: 60 tartlets.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RON BLAYLOCK