Cooking Spree

I'm on a roll! When I was on Pinterest, I found a whole treasure trove of recipes to pin. Hurray!

On Saturday, I made Snickerdoodle Apple Bread. One word: Yummy! Oh and the smell of the house while it was baking. . . . Delightful!

Snickerdoodle Apple Bread

(http://cookiesandcups.com/snickerdoodle-apple-bread/)

Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1 Granny Smith Apple, finely chopped

Cinnamon sugar topping
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with baking spray. Line bottoms and up the ends with a strip of parchment paper (for easy removal) and spray again. Set aside. Whisk together salt, baking powder, and flour. Set aside. In a bowl beat butter, both sugars and cinnamon for 2 minutes on medium speed with an electric mixer., scraping sides as necessary. Add in both eggs and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth, again scraping sides as necessary. Turn mixer to low and add in flour mixture and milk alternating additions, starting and ending with flour. Mix until just combined. Finally add in apples and stir until just combined and pour batter into prepared pan. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon for topping and sprinkle on top of batter. Bake for 50-55 minutes until bread is set and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

(I did it again! The kids can be quite distracting while cooking. I forgot to add the cinnamon to the sugar/butter mixture. Ha ha ha! I am bound to get a recipe complete right one of these days! I didn't realize it until I was typing up the recipe. That explains why I had a 1/2 tablespoon sitting on the counter unused. Ha ha ha!) 

Cooking Therapy

I accomplished one of my "self" goals for February- trying at least one new recipe that sounds good. 

I find cooking fun and relaxing, but I just have not had the time and fortitude to do much lately. There are two major reasons: 1) During the school year, we spend a lot of time in the evenings doing homework. If I wasn't a working mama, then I probably would have more time to prep for dinner before picking the kids up from school. As it is hubby much rather attempt to cook, than be stationed at the homework table. So we have been having quite a bit of fast food, hot dogs, cheese toasties, cereal, and pizza for dinner. I usually get a chance to cook on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings. 2) I just celebrate 11 weeks with the "boot of doom" (aka walking boot). I found out in mid-February that the problem is that I seriously messed up two ligaments in my ankle. Thankfully no surgery, but more time in the boot. I go back to the foot doctor in about a week and a half. Maybe I will graduate from the boot, maybe I will be sentenced to more time. Hopefully once I graduate, I will have some PT to strengthen my ankle since it has be immobilized for an extended period. Needless to say, I have been doing a lot of sitting on a stool when attempting to cook in the kitchen.

Back to the food, I was looking around on Pinterest and found some yummy recipes. Last night I experimented with two new recipes: One Pan Greek Chicken and Garlic & Herb Cheese Bombs. Both turned out fairly well. I will probably tweak a few things next time I fix them, but definitely keepers. I have included the link to the original recipe, but have made my changes and notes to the recipes below.

One Pan Greek Chicken

(http://damndelicious.net/2015/05/30/one-pan-greek-chicken/) 

Ingredients 
1 1/2 pound small red potatoes, quartered
1 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons light olive oil
Freshly ground salt & black pepper, to taste   

For the marinade:
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1/4 cup light olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon oregano
Freshly ground, salt & black pepper, to taste

Instructions
In a gallon size ziploc bag, combine chicken, oil, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper. Marinate for 20-60 minutes, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade, discarding the marinade. While chicken is marinading, preheat over to 400 degree F. Lightly oil backing sheet or coat with nonstick spray. Place potatoes and green beans in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and paper, to taste. Top with chicken in a single layer. Place into the oven and toast until the chicken is completely cooked through, about 25-30 minutes. Serve immediately. (Note: I had about half of the amount of green beans. Unfortunately, there was not a good selection of fresh green beans at the store. I also forgot to add the oregano to the marinade.)

Garlic & Herb Cheese Bombs

 (http://www.lovebakesgoodcakes.com/2014/08/garlic-herb-cheese-bombs.html)

Ingredients (20 bombs)
2- 7.5 ounce cans refrigerated biscuits
4 ounce Mozzarella cheese, cut into 20 cubes
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Separate biscuits. Place on cube of cheese in the center of each biscuit. Carefully wrap the biscuit dough about the cheese and seal. Place seam side down about an inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown and the cheese is melted. While the biscuits bake, mix the butter, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder together and set aside. Remove the biscuits from the oven and immediately brush with butter mixture. Serve warm. (Note: Place cheese bombs on the middle rack of the oven. The bottoms get a bit crispy if on the bottom rack while cooking the chicken recipe above. No matter how long you have been cooking, you can always learning something new. Ha ha ha!)

Have you made any new recipes lately that you would like to share? 

Spring is Around the Corner

We have been keeping ourselves busy lately.

Blessings
- Pumpkin's class had achievement testing last week, so as a result an entire week of NO homework.  Yay!!!!!
- We have spent quality time with family and friends.
- I received an amazing and uplifting letter this week.
- We splurged and went out to eat at a nearby restaurant and were surprised that it was a kids eat free night. 
- The days are getting warmer!

Projects
- Hubby put the kids' birthday presents from grandpa together this past week.
- I cleaned the homework table off this week and have been trying to keep it clear.
- I would like to try to tackle and organize the great room during the month of April.

Wildlife
- We have seen sholvers, mallard ducks, great blue heron, kingfisher, grey fox, white tailed deer, cardinals, dark eyed juncos, Canada geese, raccoon, and green sunfish in the yard this week.
- Pumpkin and Princess encountered a crawdad (crayfish) in the creek today.  Unfortunately it gave them quite a fright and they had to be rescued by Daddy.
-  Out and about, I have seen green winged teal, turkeys, red bellied woodpecker, cooper's hawk, red eared slider, turkey vulture, sea gulls, and so much more.

Reading
- Pumpkin has been enjoying listening to Roscoe Riley Rules: Don't Swap Your Sweater for a Dog by Katherine Applegate.
- Hubby just finished reading Watchers at the Pond by Franklin Russell.
- I have been reading Unmending The Veil by Lisa Heaton on the Kindle.  I just started reading The Get Yourself Organized Project by Kathi Lipp yesterday. 
- Princess has been listening to a variety of books too.

Cooking
- The brussel sprouts were yummy!  

Garlic Parmesan Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients
fresh brussel sprouts
sea salt
cracked pepper
garlic salt
2 tablespoons light olive oil
fresh parmesan

Instructions
Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Wash and quarter brussel sprouts.  Toss with olive oil and spread on baking sheet.  Season with sea salt, cracked pepper, and garlic salt to taste.  Bake for 15-18 minutes.  Add parmesan and bake for additional 2 minutes.

- Tonight we tried garlic butter asparagus.  Yum again!  Can you tell that we like garlic?!?

Garlic Butter Asparagus

Ingredients
1 bunch asparagus
4 garlic cloves
1/2 stick butter

Instructions
Dice garlic cloves and cube butter add to a skillet on medium high heat.  Add cleaned asparagus spears (I removed the bottom 1/2 inch of the stalk) to the skillet once the butter is melted.  Saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Snow Day

Oh the weather outside is frightful.

But the fire is so delightful.

And since we've no place to go.

Let it snow!  Let it snow!  Let it snow!

And snow it has!  I have heard anywhere from 8 to 10 inches of snow.  So, we had a snow day today!  

View from our garage door.

That dark blob between the two trees to the right is one of our yew bushes out near the road.  

Just past the bushy blob is the sidewalk then the roadway.

The kids spent the day playing and I spent about three hours shoveling snow.  Thankful, I had some help for our very long, long, long driveway.  A nice gentleman stopped to see if we needed the driveway plowed and I politely told him that I did not have any extra money to spend and thanked him for stopped by.  We have actually never splurged to have our driveway plowed.  I am sure that it would cost an arm and a leg since it has to be at least 100 feet in length if not more.  The nice gentleman decided to plow a path from the garage to the road for free.  What a wonderful blessing from God!  I made sure to note the business on the side of the truck, so hopefully in the future if we need a handyman he will be on the list to call.  Hubby finished shoveling after he got home from work this evening.  I have a feeling that I may have overdid it on the shoveling, so ibuprofen will most likely be my friend tomorrow.

Last night we made and sampled our first snow ice cream.  We filled a bowl with fresh snow.  Then mixed in white sugar, a touch of vanilla extract, and milk until it was the consistency of ice cream.  Hubby and I liked it.  Princess thought it was too cold and Pumpkin did not like it one bit.

Princess has been sick for over a week now.  She had the stomach flu early last week, then had a high fever for four days spreading over this past weekend.  We saw the pediatrician on Monday.  She is on antibiotics and eye drops.  Monday afternoon was the last of the fever.  Thankful, no one else has fallen to illness yet in the household.

We have had the kids birthdays spread in the mix since the last post.  I am reserving my comments on all of festivities until after we have their joint birthday party.  It does look promising for sledding though!

Stir Crazy

We have been home since Friday evening.  Sigh. . . . A bit too long if you ask me.  We did go outside and play on Saturday a few times.  The kids went out for just a bit yesterday morning, but the kids have not left the house today.  School, daycare, and my workplace were closed today.  I did got outside long enough to make sure my car started, but that was it.  Hubby's truck will not start, so he got a lift into work with his dad this morning. 

The kids cheered when one of the guys from grandpa's farm came into town and plowed our driveway.  Whew!!  We had about 7 inches on top of the snow from last week that had partially melted.  There was a lot of drifting during the storm, so some areas of the driveway were bare whereas other areas had about three to four feet of snow.  The forecast is calling for more snow on Wednesday.  Oh joy!

We woke up this morning to -16 degrees Fahrenheit.  Weather.com said it felt like -35 degrees Fahrenheit.  Definitely happy that the kids and I did not have to go out.  This is the coldest that I have ever remembered it getting around here.

Oh, I did finish reading a book today- The Gift of ADHD by Lara Honos-Webb, Ph.D.  It is an interesting tool book that I may be able to apply to our lives.  We will see.  On to the next book!

When it gets a bit warmer outside, but before the snow melts I want to try a new idea with the kids.  A couple of years ago, I saw that a friend posted on her Facebook page that her children drew in the snow with food coloring in squirt bottles.  I got some clear plastic condiment bottles over the summer.  All I need to do is mix up some colored water and send my kids out to color the snow! 

Ack . . . thinking about the cold weather now has me cold.  I am going to make a nice warm cup of Vanilla Dream.  Stay warm!!!

Vanilla Dream

Pour milk into a coffee cup, about 1 cup milk.  Stir in 1-2 spoons of white sugar.  Stir in 1-2 drops of vanilla extract.  Warm in the microwave or on the stove top in a pan to desired temperature.  Makes 1 serving.

Love At First Bite

Yesterday I made the most wonderful fall treat . . . . 

APPLE PIE MUDDY BUDDIES!

Oh my!!!!  How wonderful do they taste!

I found the recipe on the blog A Pumpkin and A Princess.  Ha ha ha!  Funny that the blog name is similar to the one you are currently reading.  Great minds MUST think alike!  (wink, wink)

Well without further ado . . . . Here is the wonderful recipe.  It includes my modifications & short cuts.

 

Apple Pie Muddy Buddies

Ingredients
1- 13.8 oz box Apple Cinnamon Chex cereal
1 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 + cup unsalted butter
generous sprinkle of cinnamon sugar
generous sprinkle of nutmeg

Directions
1) Melt chocolate chips and butter in microwave as directed by the chocolate chip package.  I also mixed in the cinnamon sugar and nutmeg at this time.  (This was my first attempt and the melted chocolate had a consistency of whipped cream cheese.  I used Ghirardelli Classic White Chip, maybe next time I will try different chips to see if it makes a difference.  So I added an additional 2 Tablespoons of butter to thin it out. )  2)  Mix the cereal and melted chocolate in a large stock pot until well coated.  I mixed the chocolate in 1/3 of a batch at a time.  3)  Put powdered sugar in a gallon sized ziplock bag and add cereal.  Seal and shake to coat cereal.  4) Spread on a wax paper covered cookie sheet to let cereal set.  5)  Enjoy and share with friends and family!

Well . . .

. . . It has definitely been a bit since my last post.  When I think about a post, the computer is either off or I am no where near a computer.  Plus I have been under the weather since Sunday.  I think the plants are making up for last years drought by an over abundance of pollen this year.  My car is coated in a layer of pollen thick enough that I could write "Wash Me" on my car.  Ha ha ha ha!  Now if I could just kick this darn cough that keeps me from a full night's sleep, I think I will have turned the corner.

Now, it is apparent to me that I will need to schedule a series of posts to play catch up.  Events like the last day of school, my new orthotics, and our new dandelion legend probably need their own post devoted to them.  So watch in the coming days for these posts and more.

For today, we have not accomplished much.  The family reunion pool party was canceled due to the weather, so the only time the kids and I have left the house was for grocery shopping.  There are more family reunion activities tomorrow, so we will probably catch some of it then.   

The kids helped me make rice crispie treats this evening.

Earlier in the day I also made fruit salad. 

Luscious Fruit Salad

 

 

Ingredients

1 pkg. vanilla pudding mix
1 12oz. can crushed pineapple

1 8oz. can mandarin oranges

Strawberries

Red grapes

Raspberries 

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix pudding mix with crushed pineapple (including juice).  Next add drained mandarin oranges, halved grapes, sliced strawberries, and whole raspberries.  Chill for at least 2 hours prior to serving. 

Note: Any variation of fruit can be substituted including apples, cherries, peaches, etc.  For variety marshmallows and nuts can be added.

Well I'm off . . . I need to head out into the rain and secure the garage can with the new bungee cord that I purchased today to detour the raccoons from their newly found nightly playground called our trash can.

Corn & Chicken Fed

We had one of my favorite dishes this evening, chicken cordon bleu with corn on the cob on the side.  I discovered this recipe a few years ago, it is super easy, and fell in love at first bite.  Enjoy!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

 

Ingredients:
1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
1/4 - 1/3 cup spreadable chive and onion cream cheese
4 thin slices deli ham
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves 
( I use boneless skinless chicken tenderloins)
4 slices swiss cheese

Directions:
On an ungreased baking sheet, separate dough into four rectangles; seal perforations.

 
Spread 1 tablespoon (I spread a touch more) cream cheese lengthwise down the center of each rectangle.

Place ham widthwise over dough.

 
Arrange chicken in center of each rectangle.  Wrap ham around chicken.

 
At each long end, pinch dough together around chicken, forming points.

 

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. 

Top with swiss cheese; baking 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and pastry is golden brown.  Makes 4 servings.

 
Don't forget to boil the corn!

Just Another Saturday

I'm getting a bit bored with my blog.  I think it is time to update it again.  So hopefully in the next few weeks you will see changes occurring here and there.  Of course, it is also dependent on the amount of time I have available.  Which at times can be slim to none, Ha ha ha ha.  So I'm going to start doing some dreaming, hanging out on Pinterest, and surfing the web to find some ideas that inspire me.  I am sure to learn quite a bit along the way.

Anyway back to reality, we have not done much this weekend.  Hubby has been under the weather, so he stayed home from work today.  The kids and I went shopping with grandma A this morning.  I cooked a new recipe for supper (see below).  Yummy!!!!  

I introduced the kids to the movie "Annie" this afternoon.  It brings back memories of a childhood friend that I have lost contact with when she moved out east after she graduated.  During part of my childhood we lived with my grandparent's and she lived just a few houses down.  Well may be one of these days, I will bump into her again.

I have been reading a series of books by Kathleen Morgan on my kindle the last few weeks.  I have gobbled down "Daughter of Joy", "Woman of Grace", "Lady of Light" and am currently reading "Child of Promise."  I have really enjoyed this series.  It is Christian fiction and is set in the late 1890s to early 1900s near Colorado Springs, Colorado.  Each book has a major theme with smaller themes intermingled within.  The first book is about faith, listening, and courage.  The second book is about forgiveness, love, and peace.  The third book is about discovery, pride, and trust.  I am only on chapter one of the fourth book, but cannot wait to see what adventures are hidden inside.

Oh, without further adieu . . . tonight's new recipe.

Perfect Winter Beef Stew

Kraft Foods

Ingredients
3/4 cup Italian Dressing ( I made homemade)
2 lb. beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch chunks
6 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 lb.sliced fresh mushrooms ( I used canned)
1 large onion, chopped
6 carrots (about 1 lb.), sliced ( I used baby carrots)
1-1/2 lb. red potatoes (about 5), peeled, cut into large chunks
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) beef broth

Instructions
Pour dressing over stew meat in resealable plastic bag.  Seal bag; turn to evenly coat meat with dressing.  Refrigerate 30 minutes to marinate.  Cook bacon in large saucepan on medium heat 5 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally.  Use slotted spoon to remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan; drain bacon on paper towels.  Add mushrooms and onions to reserved drippings; cook on medium-high heat. 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.  Remove stew meat from marinade; add to saucepan with carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, broth, and bacon.  Discard bag and marinade.  Bring stew to boil, stirring occasionally; cover.  Simmer on low heat 1-1/2 hours or until beef is done and stew is thickened, stirring occasionally and uncovering for the last 15 minutes.

I'll post the Italian Dressing recipe soon.  I managed to misplace my dry mix recipe, but did figure out how to hydrate it. 

Oh What A Delight!

I just realized that I forgot to post the new cookie recipe that we tried during the Christmas season.  Oh what a delight it is to eat!  Besides Christmas, it would also be great for Valentine's Day.

Chocolate Chip- Almond- Cherry Cups

(recipe from Pillsbury cookbook)
 

Ingredients
1 roll (16 ox.) refrigerated chocolate chip cookies
1/2 cup almond paste, crumbled
1/2 cup dried cherries
1 jar cherry preserves
1 cup powdered sugar (plus a tad-bit extra for dusting)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
4 to 5 teaspoons milk

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.    Grease 48 miniature muffin cups with shortening; lightly flour.  In large bowl, break up cookie dough.  With hands, knead in almond paste and dried cherries.  

Divide dough into 48 pieces. (I pressed the dough flat into bowl and cut into 8 sections, then made 6 balls per section)  Shape each piece into ball; place in muffin cup.  With thumb, make indentation in center of each.  (If you have a large thumb like me, use your pointer finger)  

Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are golden borwn.  Cool in pan on cooling rack 5 minutes.  Run knife around edge of cookie to loosen; cool 1 to 2 minutes longer.  Remove from muffin cups; place on cooling rack to cool.  

Spoon 1/2 teaspoon preserves into each cooled cup.  

In small bowl, mix powdered sugar, almond extract and enough milk for desired drizzling consistency; blend until smooth.  (I think I'll forgo the almost extract next time, was a bit too strong)  Drizzle over cookies; let stand until set, about 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Capsicum-Free Chicken Stir Fry

I concocted a new recipe this evening and it is ALL GONE!  As a side note: Neither of my children would touch this, but they are not fond of trying new foods.  And my hubby and I probably should not of ate it all, but oh it was so good!

Anyway, I switched doctors and yesterday afternoon I was talking with the physicians assistant that I now see.  She mentioned stir fry while we were talking and the wheels started turning in my head.  Hmmmm. . . . stir fry sounds good, how can I make it without peppers and capsicum laced products?

I did some internet research and concocted the below recipe.  Enjoy!!!

Capsicum-Free Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2/3 cup water
3 tablespoons soy sauce ( I used San-J Tamari Soy Sauce, reduced sodium)
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
3 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 container fresh sliced mushrooms
1/2 floret broccoli, cut into small chunks
1/4 head cauliflower, cut into small chunks
8 baby carrots, cut into short slivers
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups hot cooked wild rice (I used Rice Select Royal Blend Rice)

Directions
Make stir-fry sauce by whisking together first six ingredients in a bowl and set aside.  Prepare the chicken and vegetables as instructed in ingredient list.  Start cooking in the rice according to packaging instructions (takes 20 minutes, but great flavor).  Now to the actually cooking . . . . Cook chicken in a large skillet with about 2 tablespoons canola oil on medium-high heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add vegetables and stir-fry sauce, cover until stir-fry sauce comes to a boil stirring occasionally.  After sauce comes to a boil remove lid and stir occasionally until the sauce is thicken and the vegetables are to preference (crunchy or a touch softened).  Serve the stir-fry over the warm wild rice.

Nothing Says Fall Like . . .

. . . Acorn squash.

So to celebrate fall we are having apple stuffed acorn squash, peas, and ham steak for supper tonight.  Oh, we can't forget the chocolate chip banana bread (see recipe archive page above) for dessert.  Yummy!

Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

1 large acorn squash
2 medium red apples, diced
1 handful pecans
2 large spoonfuls of brown sugar (sorry did not measure)
1/4 cup melted stick butter

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Clean the outside of the squash.  Carefully cut the squash in half length-wise.  Scoop out the seeds and strings, discard.  Place the two squash halves cut side up in a 9x13 baking dish with about 1/4 inch of water in the dish.  Bake for 30 minutes.  

While squash is cooking prepare apple stuffing in a bowl.  At the 30 minute mark pull the squash out of the oven and fill with the delicious stuffing.  Pop it back into the oven for another 30 minutes or until tender.  Pull it out of the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes to cool.  Enjoy!!!! 

Additional Notes:
To hurry the acorn squash along in the cook process (before you bake in the oven).  You can cook both halves face down in a skillet with water over medium heat for about 15 minutes.  Keep a careful eye on the acorn squash and make sure that the skillet does not boil dry.  (Burnt acorn squash in skillet is NOT fun to clean out.  Hence, I do not alway use this step.)  If you use this method, you will have to play around with the cooking times mentioned above.

It's Hot! Hot! Hot!

Whew, it is still hot!  The temperatures today was forecasted to reach 103 Fahrenheit (39.4 Celsius).  I really am not sure how hot it got, but it was toasty!  Thankfully we are suppose to get a reprieve starting tomorrow.  Maybe we will even be lucky enough to receive some rain, but alas it will come too late as local water restrictions started this week.  The crops look terrible, the ground cover in the deciduous forest look terrible, and lawns are brown.  Not a typical summer around here.

On a lighter, we have been having a very busy summer.  Tomorrow night we will be finishing the summer reading program.  Yay!  Each of the kids will get a paperback book as a reward for completing the summer program. I cannot wait to see what type of book they may choose.

I meant to keep on top of things and post the books I read and the favorites of my kiddos, but it just did not happen.  Well, there is always next summer!  

Oh, I tried a new recipe earlier this week: Zucchini Cheddar Biscuits.  They were pretty good.  I might tweak the recipe a little here and a little there.  We had them with left over cold ham and fresh hot green beans.

We have a few more projects in the works, but those will have to wait for another time.  Time to round up the kiddos and get them settled for the night.

I Have Re-Discovered . . .

. . . cold food! 

This summer has been HOT!  The temperatures have been setting records.  Earlier today it was 105 degrees on our outdoor thermometer (40.5 degrees Celsius).  Needless to say we have spend most of the day in the house.  Which lead this story to the kitchen, unfortunately none of the windows in the kitchen have window coverings.  In recent days our kitchen has been over 90 degrees with the air conditioning run.  Yuck!  Hot!  Not even going to turn the oven on!  So grandma came over today with a thick length of cloth that we folded over and pinned to cover the south facing window.  It is much better in the kitchen this evening.  

Last night I made a tomato-basil salad and this evening I tried something new with the cucumbers that grandma brought over.  I have eaten cucumber and I am definitely not a fan.  I enjoy pickles which are made from cucumbers, but I think I found a non-pickle way to fix them that makes them more tolerable.  Thankfully the quick topping I used is the same dip that I make for sugar snap peas.  Yummy!!

Tomato-Basil Salad

Ingredients

2 medium ripe tomatoes

2 green onions

Handful of fresh basil leaves

salt

pepper

Greek vinaigrette

Instructions

Slice tomatoes into medium-thin slices and arrange on a plate.  Slice green onions into thin strips and sprinkle over tomatoes.  Chop fresh basil leaves and sprinkle over tomatoes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Lightly sprinkle with Greek vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Cucumber Dill Rounds

Ingredients

Cucumber

Cream cheese

Dill

Garlic Salt

Instructions

Scoop out a few spoonfuls of cream cheese into a bowl.  Sprinkle with dill and garlic salt to taste.  Mix well.  Cut cucumbers into medium-thin slices and top with the cream cheese mixture.

Yummy In The Tummy

In honor of the 4th, here are some recipes that we have cooked up the last few months.  Have a happy & safe holiday!

Pumpkin Blossoms

Ingredients

pumpkin blossoms         2 eggs, beaten

2 tbsp. water                  salt

pepper                           1 cup bread crumbs

cooking oil for frying

Instructions

Remove center stem of pumpkin blossoms.  Wash blossoms gently in large basin of salted water.  Pat dry on paper towel.  Beat together egg, water, salt and pepper.  Place bread crumbs in separate bowl.  Dip blossoms in to egg mixture and then into bread crumbs.  Saute in hot oil until golden, turning once.

Simple Personal Pizzas

Capsaicin Free Potato Salad

  

Ingredients

3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

3/4 cup Hellmann's mayo

1 tsp Plochman's yellow mustard

6 cups cubed cooked red potatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

Mix mayo, mustard, salt, and pepper in large bowl.  Add celery, peas, and onions, mix.  Then add potatoes and eggs and mix lightly.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Grilled Reuben Sandwich

Ingredients

4 slices rye bread

1/2 lb. corned beef, sliced

1/2 cup sauerkraut, well drained

2 slices swiss cheese, halved

1/4 cup thousand island dressing

4 tsp. butter, softened

Instructions

Cover 2 slices of bread with layers of corned beef, sauerkraut, cheese and dressing; top with second bread slice.  Spread both sides of the bread with butter.  Cook in skillet on medium heat for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown on both sides.

Stay cool & enjoy!!!!!!