Taking Advantage of my FREE day!

Today I ‘technically’ have NOTHING scheduled except my special needs group tonight – YAY! I just went over my emails and decided to totally FLUSH a good 100+ recipe emails – got all the way back to Easter. That might not sound like much, but I get at least 12-15 emails a day from various recipe sites – some I read right away, some I type up & save to use here on my blog and some I just get rid of. A person can only save SO many – right? I just kinda closed me eyes and let them go – they won’t be missed if I didn’t read them in the first place, I hope.

A little later today I have to mail the next newsletter for special needs group (should have done it Monday, but I was lazy – I’m still ‘early’, as they’re not due until first day of July). Also on my agenda is stopping by the local baseball batting cages to purchase a card for older grandson’s birthday. Ordered him a “Minecraft” (game) t-shirt and need to order a on-line gaming ‘card’ that he can download for game time (I pay, he uses the card to pay for gaming time on line). He will be 11 this Friday but they’re not having a party until some time in July, so I still have time to get it all together.  “Was” supposed to watch both grandsons yesterday, but older grandson was at his Mom’s, so it was just baby & me – he was really good. He’s just discovered his “HIGH PITCHED” voice – we had a grand time SHRIEKING at each other – such fun! (didn’t take any photos, sorry). It’s hard to believe on Saturday he will be FOUR months old already!

================

Peanut Butter Pudding Dessert

1 C. flour
1/2 C. cold butter, cubed
1 1/2 C. chopped cashews, divided
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/3 C. creamy peanut butter
1 C. powdered sugar
1 (12 oz) tub Cool Whip,
thawed/divided
2 2/3 C. cold milk
1 (3.9 oz) pkg. instant vanilla
pudding mix
1 (1.55 oz) milk chocolate candy
bar, coarsely chopped
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
In food processor place flour &
butter; cover & process until
mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add 1 C. cashews; pulse a few times
until combined. Press mixture into
bottom of 9 X 13″ baking dish – spread
evenly. Bake 25-28 minutes until golden.
Cool completely on wire rack
–
In small bowl beat cream cheese, peanut
butter & powdered sugar until smooth.
Fold in 1 C. Cool Whip & spoon over cooled
crust.
In another bowl whisk milk & both pudding
mixes 2 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes until
soft-set then spread over cream cheese layer.
Top with remaining Cool Whip & sprinkle top
with chopped candy bar & remaining nuts.
Cover & refrigerate at least 1 hour before
serving. Serves 12-16

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
———————————-
Blender Salsa

1/2 medium red onion, divided
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded
juice from 1 lime
3 cloves garlic, crushed
5 Roma or Plum tomatoes, halved/
seeded
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
handful of chopped cilantro
–
Place half of onion, jalapeno,
lime juice & garlic in blender &
pulse several times to break up.
Add rest of onion, tomatoes, salt,
sugar & cilantro – pulse until
desired consistency is reached.
Refrigerate several hours for best
flavor – or serve immediately
if desired. Store in airtight
container in fridge up to 3 days.
Makes 2 cups

(recipe: momontimeout.com)
———————————

Zucchini Quiche

Crust: (or use 10″ store bought)
1 1/2 C. flour
4 T. butter, cold/cubed
4 T. vegetable shortening, cold
3 T. ice water
kosher salt/ground black pepper,
to taste
(uncooked beans – for weighing
down crust)

Filling:
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 C. milk (or 1 C. milk, 1/2 C.
heavy cream)
1 C. sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
1 white onion, chopped
2-3 small zucchini, rinsed/chopped
2 T. olive oil
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
kosher salt/ground black pepper,
to taste
mixed herbs, garnish-optional
–
Preheat oven 450 degrees F.
Spray pie pan with nonstick spray.
In food processor pulse flour with
very cold cubed butter, cold
shortening & salt until mixture is
pebble-like in texture. While
pulsing, slowly drizzle ice cold water
until dough ball begins to form. Turn
dough onto counter & roll into a ball.
Wrap ball in plastic wrap & refrigerate
30 minutes.
Remove from fridge, roll out on lightly
floured surface. Fold dough in half &
carefully transfer to 10″ pie pan. Spread
dough out gently in pan & trim off excess
overhang. (Dough should be rolled out
1-2 inches larger than size of pie plate)
Cover crust with sheet of parchment paper
or foil & weigh down with beans. Bake
10 minutes – remove beans & bake,
uncovered, another 5 minutes. Remove
from oven & reduce oven temperature
to 350 degrees F.
Heat 2 T. oil in large pan over medium-
high heat. Cook zucchini until softened,
8-9 minutes. Add onion (& more oil if
necessary) – cook until translucent,
stirring occasionally, 5-7 minutes. Drain
any excess oil & season with salt/pepper.
In medium bowl mix milk (& heavy cream,
if using) with beaten eggs. Add nutmeg &
a pinch of salt/pepper. Spread veggies out
evenly in crust & slowly pour egg mixture
in. Cover top with mixed cheeses & herbs,
if using. Bake 35-40 minutes until crust
is golden brown & cheese is bubbly. Let
cool 10 minutes before cutting. Serve
warm. Serves 6-8

(recipe: 12tomatoes.com)
————————————

Pineapple Punch

2 tea bags
2 C. boiling water
2 lemons, halved/juiced
1 C. sugar
3 C. water
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (46 oz) can Dole Pineapple
juice
sliced lemons & fresh mint-garnish
–
Brew tea accordg. to pkg. directions
in boiling water. Place lemon halves
(not juice), 3 C. water & 1 C. sugar in
saucepan – bring to simmer. Continue
simmering until sugar has dissolved;
remove from heat, discard lemon halves.
Stir in vanilla & lemon juice. Combine
tea, lemon mixture & pineapple juice
in large pitcher. Chill & serve over ice.
Garnish with sliced lemons & fresh
mint, if desired. Serves 8

(recipe: momontimeout.com)
———————————
Smothered Steak
(copycat Applebees recipe)
NEED grill or grill pan

Potatoes:
1 head garlic
1 T. olive oil
2 lb. potatoes (Yukon Gold or
New Road)
1/2 C. milk
1/4 C. cream
3 T. butter
salt/ground black pepper,
to taste

Onions & Mushrooms:
1 large yellow onion
8 oz. white button or
creminin mushrooms
2 T. butter
salt/ground black pepper,
to taste

Steak:
1 T. olive oil
2 1/2 lb. sirloin steak, 1 inch thick
8 slices mozzarella cheese
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Cut garlic crosswise & lay on a
piece of foil. Drizzle cut edges
with oil & wrap tightly in foil.
Bake 30 minutes. Reserve oil
in packet & squeeze the head
to produce softened cloves.
Mash with salt/pepper. (can
be done ahead).
Cut potatoes into 1-inch pieces
& place in large pot. Cover with
water & bring to boil. Lower heat
to medium & cook 20-25 minutes
until potatoes are soft when tested
with tines of a fork. Drain well &
place potatoes in large bowl of
elec. mixer. On Low speed, mash
potatoes. Slowly add milk, cream,
butter then olive oil/garlic mixture
until fluffy & smooth. Cover & keep
warm until ready to serve.

While potatoes are boiling, place
olive oil in medium nonstick skillet
over medium-low heat; cook onions
until slightly softened, stirring
frequently about 15 minutes. Add
mushrooms & read heat to medium,
stirring frequently another 10
minutes. Keep warm until ready to
serve.

Cut steak into 4 serving-sized
pieces. Rub steaks with olive
oil on all surfaces. Heat a grill or
stovetop grill pan & grill steaks
4 minutes per side for medium-
rare, or longer, as desired. After
first 4 minutes, turn & top each
steak with mozzarella slices – cheese
will melt as steak finishes cooking.
Serve steaks with potatoes &
topped with some of onion/
mushroom mixture. Serves 4

(recipe: allfreecopycatrecipes.com)
———————————-

Crockpot Meatloaf-stuffed Onions

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 C. pork rinds, crushed (or bread-
crumbs or oatmeal)
2 large eggs
1/3 C. tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 T. dried parsley
1/2 C. Parmesan cheese, grated or
shredded
1/4 C. yellow onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 (16 oz) pkg. bacon
6 large onions – as large as you
can get
–
Spray insides of crockpot with nonstick
spray. Mix all ingredients (except large
onions & bacon) in very large bowl.
Peel onions – cut top & bottoms off &
separate 2 layers from rest of onion (the
layers will be put in the meatloaf). Shape
meatloaf meat into the same number of
balls as you have 2-layer onions – place
both on a sheet pan. (If you have any
leftover onion sections, you can use them
in another recipe). Take one meatloaf ball
& wrap with 1 slice bacon & cover with
the onion – carefully set into crockpot;
repeat with rest of meatloaf/bacon/onions.
Cover & cook on Low 6-8 hours or High
4-5 hours. (You will want to use a meat
thermometer to make sure the temperature
reaches 160 degrees F. Remove onions with
tongs when fully cooked. Serves 8

(recipe: crockpotladies.com)
—————————————-

Best 5-Cup Fruit Salad
(8 hour or overnight recipe)

1 C. sour cream
1 C. shredded coconut
1 C. miniature marshmallows
1 C. pineapple tidbits, drained
1 C. mandarin oranges, drained
–
Mix sour cream, coconut, marsh-
mallows & pineapple together in
a bowl. Smooth top & garnish
with mandarin oranges. Cover with
plastic wrap & refrigerate 8 hours
or overnight.

(recipe: allrecipes.com)

======================

I noticed yesterday that our gas prices
have REALLY dropped! Now at $2.16/9 –
that’s GREAT!

Hope you’re having a GREAT day!

Hugs;

Pammie

And so my Summer schedule begins!

Today is the start of baby/grandson sitting BOTH grandsons; was kinda hoping for an ‘easy’ day of maybe 2-5 p.m. but looks like it’s more like 11 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.; we’ll see how this goes. Last night found me out to dinner with oldest son & his little family (minus older grandson) – it was my birthday dinner. Originally I picked “Olive Garden” but this is the Executive Chef son and he had a fit – “NO! We’re not eating there!” (he listed off a bunch of reasons, mostly that they don’t have a chef on hand to COOK their food, they warm it up & it all comes frozen – surprising. I’ve never eaten at one, their commercials just make their food look really good.) We ended up at the same place we ate for Mother’s Day. It’s a medium-priced  place with a relaxed atmosphere. Since my husband was also coming I had to kind of pick a place that wasn’t (in his words) “fancy-schmancy”. This place had good food; I had fried calamari for appetizer & cedar plank salmon, grilled asparagus & baby red skin potatoes – yummy.  Husband had the same and seemed pleased with his food (Yay). Tonight is also Knit Night so I’m really hoping I’m not totally exhausted when it’s time to go to that. I chose to watch both grandsons at THEIR house because then the (almost 11 yr old) grandson would have all his games/toys/friends right there and (hopefully) not be as bored as he would be at our house – we’ll see how this works out.

=====================

Banana Split Dessert (Lasagna)

Crust:
2 C. crushed graham crackers
1/2 C. (1 stick) butter, melted
2 T. sugar
kosher salt

Cream Filling:
12 oz. cream cheese, room
temp.
1/4 C. sugar
1 (8 oz) tub Cool Whip, thawed

Fruit Layer:
3 bananas, thinly sliced
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple,
well drained
1 lb. strawberries, finely chopped

Additional Toppings:
8 oz. tub Cool Whip, thawed
1/2 C. walnuts, chopped
chocolate syrup
rainbow sprinkles
maraschino cherries
—
Spray 9 X 13″ baking dish with
nonstick spray.
Crust:
In medium bowl add gr. cracker
crumbs, butter, sugar & pinch of
salt; mix until evenly combined
then press into baking dish. Place
in fridge at least 15 minutes, to set.

Cream Filling:
In large bowl beat cream cheese &
sugar until fluffy, 5 minutes. Fold in
Cool Whip & spread mixture evenly
on crust.

Cream Layer:
Add even layers bananas, pineapple &
strawberries. Top with Cool Whip &
sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
Refrigerate at least 4 hours up to
overnight.

When ready to serve, garnish with
chocolate syrup, sprinkles & maraschino
cherries.
Serves 12

(recipe: delish.com)
—————————————
Chicken & Summer Squash
(crockpot)

3 lb. boneless skinless chicken
breasts
2 (10.5 oz, ea) cans cream of
chicken soup
4 small summer squash, sliced
(poster used yellow squash)
16 oz. sour cream
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 1/2 C. Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 T. butter, room temp.
1 C. bread crumbs
dried parsley, optional garnish
paprika, optional garnish
–
hot cooked rice or pasta to
serve 8
–
Spray insides of crockpot with
nonstick spray. Place chicken
breasts in bottom of crockpot. In
large bowl mix soup, sour cream,
onion, cheese, garlic salt, pepper
& butter. Fold in sliced squash &
mix well to coat – pour over
chicken. Sprinkle bread crumbs on
top. Cover & cook on Low 8 hours
or High 4-5 hours. (chicken should
be fully cooked when it reaches
165 degrees F. using a thermometer).
Serve over hot cooked rice or pasta
& garnish with dried parsley and/or
paprika. Serves 8

(recipe: crockpotladies.com)
——————————–

Deviled Egg Macaroni Salad

1 lb. elbow macaroni
6 hard cooked eggs, chopped
1 C. chopped celery
3/4 C. sweet pickle relish,
drained well
2 C. mayonnaise
2 T. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
paprika, for sprinkling on top
–
Cook macaroni accordg. to pkg.
directions; drain/rinse & let cool.
In large bowl combine cooked
macaroni with remaining ingredients
(except paprika) – mix well. Sprinkle
top of salad with paprika & cover.
Refrigerate 1 hour until ready to
serve. Serves 10

(recipe: mrfood.com)
———————————

Shrimp Linguine

1 lb. cooked large shrimp,
(thawed/tails removed)
2 T. butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes*
pinch crushed red pepper
salt/pepper
2 tsp. light brown sugar
1 C. Half & Half
3 T. fresh parsley (or 1 tsp.
dried parsley)
1/4 C. (heaping) fresh
grated Parmesan cheese
(plus extra for topping)
8 oz. cooked linguine
–
Place butter in large skillet
over medium heat; add garlic
& saute 2-3 minutes. Add
canned tomatoes**, crushed
red pepper, pinch or 2 of
salt & brown sugar – cook
about 5 minutes. Add Half &
Half & parsley; bring to slow
boil then immediately turn
heat to medium-low. Cook
5-10 minutes, stirring
occasionally until mixture
reduces by a third. Cook
linguine accordg. to pkg.
directions. Add shrimp,
Parm. cheese & black pepper;
cover & simmer 3 minutes until
shrimp are heated through &
cheese is melted. Add cooked/
drained linguine & simmer
3-4 more minutes. Serve
topped with more Parm. cheese
& fresh black pepper.

*poster said she used the canned
tomatoes with basil, garlic & oregano

**poster said she broke up the
tomatoes using a food processor
to make them smaller

(recipe: americantimesfood.com)
————————————

Mexican-style Coleslaw

1 (14 oz) bag coleslaw mix
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded/
diced
1/2 orange bell pepper, seeded/
diced
3/4 C. mayonnaise
1/3 C. sour cream
1 (13.75 oz) can black beans,
drained/rinsed
1 (13.75 oz) can corn, rinsed/
drained
1/3 C. fresh cilantro, minced
1/4 C. lime juice
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded/
minced
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix (dry)
–
In medium bowl whisk together
mayonnaise, sour cream, lime
juice & dry taco seasoning mix
until combined. Refrigerate until
ready to use. Combine all other
ingredients in large bowl. Toss
with taco seasoning mixture until
thoroughly coated, then top with
more cilantro, if desired. Serves 8

(recipe: 12tomatoes.com)
——————————

Easy Mini Sausage Quiches
(appetizers)

1/2 lb. bulk hot Italian sausage
(or mild, your choice)
2 T. dried minced onion
2 T. minced chives
1 (8 oz) tube refrigerated
crescent rolls
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 C. (8 oz) shredded Swiss
cheese
1 C. (8 oz) cottage cheese
1/3 C. grated Parmesan cheese
paprika
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Spray mini muffin cups with
nonstick spray.
In large skillet brown sausage &
onion over medium heat 4-5
minutes until meat is no longer
pink; drain. Stir in chives. On
lightly floured surface, unroll
crescent dough into one long
rectangle; seal seams & perforations.
Cut into 48 pieces. Press onto
bottom & up sides of prepared
muffin cups. Fill each with about
2 tsp. sausage mixture. In a large
bowl combine eggs & cheeses;
spoon 2 tsp. over each muffin
cup & sprinkle tops with
paprika. Bake 20-25 minutes
until a knife inserted into center
comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes
before removing from pans to
wire rack. If desired, sprinkle
tops with additional minced
chives. Serve warm.
Makes 4 dozen

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
———————————

Homemade Won Ton Soup

1 bunch green onions, cut into
1/2 inch pieces, divided – reserve
1 T.
6 fresh mushrooms, sliced – reserve
1 T.
1 lb. ground pork
1 T. sesame oil
1 T. soy sauce
1 egg
1/4 C. dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 (16 oz) pkg. wonton wrappers*
8 C. chicken broth
16 uncooked medium shrimp,
peeled/deveined (optional)
1 medium head bok choy,
torn into 2-inch pieces
16 snow pea pods
1 dash soy sauce (or to taste,
optional)
1 dash sesame oil (or to taste,
optional)
–
Finely chop reserved 1 T. green
onions & mushrooms – place in
a bowl with ground pork, 1 T.
sesame oil, 1 T. soy sauce, egg,
bread crumbs, salt/pepper – stir
to thoroughly mix. Spoon about
1 T. mixture onto center of each
wonton wrapper. Use your finger
or a pastry brush, lightly moisten
edges of wrappers with water. Fold
one corner of wrapper over filling to
opposite corner to form a triangle.
Press edges together to seal. Moisten
the two long ends of triangle, fold
them together & press to firmly seal.
In large saucepan over medium heat
bring broth to a boil. Drop filled
wontons, one at a time, into broth &
cook 3-5 minutes until they float to
surface. Reduce heat to simmer &
gently stir in shrimp, bok choy &
reserved sliced mushrooms. Let
simmer 2 minutes until shrimp turn
pink then drop in snow pea pods.
Garnish with remaining green onions
& dash of soy sauce & sesame oil.
Serve immediately. Serves 8

*you can find won ton wrappers in
the fresh veggie section at the grocery
store

(recipe: allrecipes.com)
——————————-

No-Bake Strawberry/Banana
Pudding Twinkies Cake

10 Twinkies, individually
wrapped (unwrap them)
4 C. whipped cream
2 C. strawberries, diced
2 C. strawberries, sliced
1 (3.4 oz) box Jell-O instant
banana cream pudding mix
1 C. heavy cream
1 C. whole milk
2 T. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
–
Rinse strawberries; pat dry.
Slice 2 C. strawberries & mix
with powdered sugar. Place
diced strawberries in separate
bowl (cake topping).
Place unwrapped Twinkies in a
medium casserole dish. Mix
pudding mix with milk, vanilla &
heavy cream – pour over Twinkies.
Top pudding with sliced straw-
berries & top with strawberries
with whipped cream. Last, place
diced strawberries on top of
whipped cream layer. Cover with
plastic wrap & refrigerate 3 hours.

(recipe: americantimesfood.com)

=====================

Our weather has cooled off a bit, had a few
thunderstorms to help that; scattered
showers & high of 74 today.

Not much else new on the horizon except
this coming Sunday is our “one day” Log
Cabin Day – that event crept up on me.
I know that it’s always the last weekend
in June but this time it seemed to come
earlier! Hope we have good weather for
our ONE day event (still can’t get used to
it being only one day now . . . ).

Hope you are having a good start to your
week. Stay healthy!

Hugs;

Pammie

Help! I’m Lost on “PINTEREST”!

If you’ve read my blog for very long you know I LOVE knitting – especially if it’s challenging (Why? I’m not sure!). There is a wonderful site on line that’s free; it’s called PINTEREST and it has all kinds of ideas for almost anything you can think of: crafts, cooking, fitness, home improvement, fashion, building, inspirational sayings, tips on how to raise foods/yard plants, etc. – if you think it – it’s probably on that site!

http://pinterest.com

They have a HUGE area for all things knitting and, in particular: Lace Knitting. I have recently learned that I love the challenge of lace knitting. It doesn’t have to be a doily (which most of you are probably thinking of when you hear lace knitting) – almost all of the baby blankets I have knit lately have been lace patterns. For example, the picture above is a lace knitting pattern (one I’ve bookmarked for a future baby blanket). There is really only ONE problem with Pinterest: once you start looking you get MESMERIZED! You can lose entire hours just looking at all the various things there! Sometimes you end up seeing a lot of the same thing; for example, I was looking at a particular site that just dealt with lace knitting – there were probably at least 12 patterns with the same photos repeated over & over & over! Why? Not really sure – you just learn to kind of skip/skim over them. If you have some extra time give Pinterest a try – I’m sure there’s something on there you would find interesting! (even recipes!)

=============

Hotel Rice Pudding

1/4 C. (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 C. sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 pint sour cream
1 C. raisins
1/3 C. chopped maraschino
cherries
3 C. cooked long or whole-
grain rice (not instant)
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
spray a 1 1/2 quart casserole
dish with nonstick spray. In
large bowl cream butter &
sugar. Using elec. mixer, beat
in eggs, one-at-a-time. Add
remaining ingredients & mix
well. Pour mixture into
prepared dish & bake 45-50
minutes until center is set.
Serves 8

(recipe: mrfood.com)
——————————-

Bacon & Egg Macaroni Salad

1 lb. elbow macaroni
8 hard cooked eggs, chopped
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked/crumbled
1 C. chopped celery
1/2 C. finely chopped red onion
2 C. mayonnaise
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. black pepper
–
Cook macaroni accordg. to pkg.
directions; drain/rinse & let cool.
Place cooled macaroni in large
bowl; add remaining ingredients &
mix well. Cover & refrigerate at
least 1 hour before serving.
Serves 10

(recipe: mrfood.com)
———————————–

Crockpot Chicken & Mushrooms

1 1/2 lb. chicken
2 T. oil
1 (16 oz) pkg. crimini mushrooms,
sliced
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt/pepper, to taste
1/4 C. fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 C. chicken broth
2 T. cornstarch
–
Cooked rice or pasta
–
In medium skillet add oil & chicken; cook
on medium-high heat & sear until brown;
flip & brown on other side. Place in crockpot.
In same skillet add onion & saute until
tender; put in crockpot. Place mushrooms,
garlic, & parsley in an even layer over chicken;
pour in broth & add salt/pepper. Cover &
cook on Low 4 hours. Remove chicken &
add cornstarch to juices & mushrooms in
crockpot. Whisk until smooth then return
chicken to crockpot. Cover & cook until
gravy is thick, about 20 minutes. Serve
over cooked rice or pasta.
Serves 4-6

(recipe: 12tomatoes.com)
———————–

Crockpot Garlic/Lemon/Butter
Artichokes

6 qt. or larger crockpot
–
3 medium artichokes (or 2 large)
salt
pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lemon
1/4 C. butter
1 C. water
–
Cut bottoms off artichokes so they
sit flat; cut very tops off (about
half inch). If you have trouble
getting the chokes to fit, peel off
a few of the outer leaves; place
them in crockpot. Sprinkle salt/pepper
then add garlic. Squeeze lemon
juice over them. Cut butter into
slices & place on top. Add water
to bottom of crockpot. Cover &
cook on High 3 1/2 hours without
opening lid during cooking time.
Serve with melted butter (or
mayonnaise, if that’s your thing)
Serves 8

(recipe: themagicalslowcooker.com)
——————————-

BLT Panzanella (Bread) Salad

1 lb. bacon
1 T. olive oil
1/2 loaf French or Italian bread,
cut into 1-inch squares
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
4 C. chopped romaine lettuce
4 C. chopped iceberg lettuce
1 C. fresh basil leaves
2 large tomatoes, cored/cut ito
bite-sized pieces
–
Dressing:
2 T. fresh lemon juice
zest from 1/4 lemon
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. whole grain mustard
1 T. mayonnaise
1 T. sour cream (or creme fraiche)
1/2 tsp. honey
few drops sriracha or other hot sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
few grinds fresh ground black pepper
2 T. bacon fat
3 T. olive oil
1 T. basil, finely chopped
–
Cut bacon into 4 pieces each;
cook until crisp in large skillet.
Drain on paper towels & reserve
1 T. in pan & 2 more for dressing –
total of 3 T. reserved.
Add oil to 1 T. bacon fat in skillet &
heat to medium high. Add bread,
salt & pepper – toss continuously
until toasted on all sides, about
10 minutes.
Cut romaine & iceberg lettuces into
bite-sized pieces – place in large bowl.
Add whole basil leaves, tomatoes,
cooked bacon & toasted bread – toss.

Dressing:
Place all dressing ingredients (except
bacon fat, oil & basil) into a blender –
blend & slowly add bacon fat & olive
oil. Toss in basil & pulse a few times
to combine. Serve dressing drizzled over
salad & tossed to coat – or on side, if
desired.
Serves 4-6

(recipe: afamilyfeast.com)
—————————–

Cantonese Orange Ribs
(oven & crockpot methods)

1 slab meaty pork baby back
ribs, cut into serving pieces

Glaze: (for both methods)
1 C. orange marmalade
3/4 C. water
1/3 C. soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
–
OVEN directions:
Preheat oven 450 degrees F.
Place ribs, meaty side down, in
a shallow roasting pan. Roast
30 minutes; drain fat. Turn
ribs meaty-sides up, reduce
oven temp. to 350 degrees &
continue roasting (uncovered)
60 minutes longer.
=========
CROCKPOT directions:
Place ribs in a 5-7 qt. crockpot.
Add 1 C. water & 1 T. soy sauce.
Cook on Low 6-8 hours.

Glaze:
 Place all glaze ingredients in a
small saucepan; bring to boil
over high heat. Reduce heat
to medium-low & reduce by
50% (should be like thick syrup).
Heat a gas grill OR broiler on
High heat. Generously glaze ribs
with glaze. Grill each side
approximately 5 minutes –
watch them carefully so they
don’t burn – just get bubbly
on the surface & slightly crisp.
Serves 4

(recipe: bakeatmidnite.com)
——————————–

Pecan Pie Bars

Crust:
1 1/4 C. (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted
butter, room temp.
6 T. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 C. flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
–
Topping:
2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 C. light corn syrup
1 1/2 C. light brown sugar, packed
2 T. heavy cream
1 lb. pecans, chopped
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.

Crust:

Beat butter & gran. sugar in bowl
of elec. mixer fitted with a paddle
attachment until light, about 3
minutes. Add eggs & vanilla; mix
well. Sift together flour, baking
powder & salt. Mix dry ingredients
into batter with mixer on Low
speed just until combined. Press
dough evenly into ungreased
9 X 13 inch baking sheet,
making an edge around edge like
you would a pie crust. (It will be
very sticky; sprinkle dough &
your hands lightly with flour)
Bake 15 minutes until crust is
set but not browned; let cool.

Topping:

Combine butter, corn syrup &
brown sugar in large, heavy-
bottomed saucepan. Cook over
Low heat until butter is melted,
using a wooden spoon to stir.
Raise heat & boil 3 minutes;
remove from heat. Stir in heavy
cream & nuts; pour over crust,
trying not to get the filling
between the crust & pan. Bake
25-30 minutes until filling is set.
Remove from oven & allow to cool.
Wrap in plastic wrap & refrigerate
until cold. Cut into bars & serve.
Serves 18

(recipe: theslowroastedItalian.com)

=========================

Today is another busy day so I’m taking
a little time to relax here on my computer
as well as knitting a few rows on both
baby blankets. Among my purchases at
WalMart yesterday were two very large
balls of yarn: one a bright, cheery
yellow and a bright blue – sometimes
it’s hard for me to CURB my desire to
start another project when I see a really
cute pattern or nice baby yarn. Ah, the
‘fun’ of being a bit ADHD (Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) – No,
I don’t actually have ADHD (my middle
son does) – basically you get easily
distracted by almost anything! I’m not
that bad, but when it comes to yarns,
knitting & new patterns – I’m there!

Hope you’re having a GREAT day!

Hugs;

Pammie

Out ‘Shoppin’! (or – subtitle: I LOVE A GOOD BARGAIN!)

Today found me out & about – first trip was to the Salvation Army looking for a chest of drawers for middle son. Didn’t find one BUT found two very nice long ‘church’ skirts ( 99 cents each!), some yarn (of course) and three very lovely hand knit baby blankets (each around $3.99). I have learned to search for these (if they’re a good price and in almost new condition) – they get added to the many blankets & items we donate to the Detroit Veteran’s Baby Shower in September. For $3.99 I couldn’t MAKE one so these were a really good find. Next was WalMart (no, I don’t shop there often but when I do…look out!). Best deal? a VERY large black forest ham/Swiss cheese/lettuce sub sandwich for $3.29! Why so low a price? It was made yesterday – normal price: $4.99! It was large enough for me to have a quarter of it and husband had the rest – VERY big lunch and very reasonable, too!

Tomorrow night is my special needs group’s last Gym Night until Fall – we’re doing Bingo. Our kids love this as we have small prizes for winning (and, of course, enough for everyone to win at least one thing). Some of the other leaders have already found some nice small items so it was my turn. Let me tell ya – trying to find something small & reasonably price for a GUY is not easy! I ended up buying four key chains that have foam ‘floats’ on them (in case you drop them in the water when boating or swimming) – weird, I know – but I was desperate! Bought 2 big boxes of the ‘theater candy’ (99 cents each) – I kind of gave up. I’m pretty sure there will also be individual bags of chips as prizes, so we’ll be ‘good’.

=============

Chocolate Caramel Poke Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix
3 eggs
1 1/3 C. milk
1/2 C. (1 stick) butter, melted
2 C. chocolate chips
1 C. caramel sauce
1/2 C. (from a can of vanilla
prepared frosting)
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray 9 X 13″ baking dish with
nonstick spray. In bowl beat dry
cake mix, milk, eggs & melted
butter until fully combined & smooth;
pour batter into prepared dish.
Sprinkle top of batter with chocolate
chips & press them down slightly.
Bake 30-35 minutes until a toothpick
inserted into cake comes out clean.
Let cake cool 30 minutes.
Spray  long fork tines with nonstick
spray: using fork, poke holes all over
top of cake. Pour caramel sauce on
top. Let cake stand 1 hour to allow
caramel to soak into cake. Microwave
prepared frosting about 15-30 seconds
until it is thinned out & easy to drizzle.
Drizzle frosting on top of cake before
serving. Serves 12-15
Store leftovers, covered, in refrigerator

(recipe: ourtableforseven.com)
———————————-

Bacon/Cheeseburger Casserole

1 uncooked pie crust
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
5 slices bacon, chopped
1/3 C. panko bread crumbs
1 tsp. yellow mustard
3 T. BBQ sauce
1 T. ketchup
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 egg
1/4 C. milk
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Brown ground beef, onion & bacon
until no pink remains; drain well.
Remove from heat & stir in bread
crumbs, mustard, BBQ sauce, ketchup,
Worc. sauce & pepper – place mixture
into pie crust. In small bowl combine
cheese, milk & egg – spread over
meat mixture. Cover edges of pie
crust with foil (or a pie shield) to
prevent over browning of crust edges.
Bake 15 minutes, remove foil & bake
an additional 15 minutes.

NOTE: you can also add diced pickles
to the dish, omit them or serve them
on the side.

(recipe: tasteerecipe.com)
———————————

Greek Pasta Salad

1 (12 – 16 oz) box curly pasta
(radiatore or ruffles)
1 (10 oz) bag fresh spinach,
rinsed/drained/coarsely chopped
1/2 lb. (8 oz) feta cheese, crumbled
1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 C. pitted Kalamata olives, drained
1 C. bottled Greek salad dressing
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
–
Cook pasta accordg. to pkg. directions;
drain, rinse & drain again. In large bowl
combine remaining ingredients; add
pasta & toss gently until evenly coated.
Serve or refrigerate until ready to
serve. Serves 8

(recipe: mrfood.com)
———————————
Hawaiian Party Salad

8 oz. elbow macaroni, cooked/
rinsed in cold water
1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks,
drained (reserve 1/4 C. juice)
2 C. cooked/cubed ham
1/2 C. shredded carrot
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 C. mayonnaise
1/4 C. sour cream
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
–
In large bowl combine cooked
macaroni, pineapple chunks, ham,
carrots & onions. In small bowl
whisk reserved juice, mayonnaise,
sour cream, vinegar, sugar & salt –
pour over pasta mixture & mix
until evenly coated. Serve or chill
until ready to serve. Serves 6

(recipe: mrfood.com)
————————————

Crockpot Green Beans

4 (14.5 oz, ea) cans green beans,
rinsed/drained
8 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked/
crumbled (reserve 2 T. drippings)
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 C. ketchup
1/3 C. brown sugar, packed
1/3 C. BBQ sauce
1/4 C. honey
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
kosher salt/black pepper, to taste
–
In large bowl combine ketchup, brown
sugar, BBQ sauce, honey. Wors. sauce &
cayenne until combined – season with
salt/pepper. Heat 2 T. reserved
bacon drippings in large pan or skillet
over medium-high heat. Saute onions
until softened & translucent – season
with salt/pepper & red pepper flakes –
remove from heat. Spray crockpot
insides with nonstick spray; place green beans
& onions (including remaining bacon
grease) in crockpot. Pour BBQ/ketchup
mixture over beans. Mix together then
top with crumbled bacon. Cover & cook
on High 2-3 hours or Low 4-5 hours.
Serves 6-8

(recipe: 12tomatoes.com)
———————

Sweet Honey-Mustard Chicken
(crockpot & freezer meal)

4 chicken breasts (or 10-12 thighs)
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 C. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 C. honey
1/4 C. (4 T.) butter
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
salt/pepper, to taste
–
Crockpot:
Spray insides of crockpot with nonstick
spray. Place all ingredients in crockpot.
Cover & cook on High 3-4 hours or
5-6 on Low. Remove rosemary sprigs
(discard) & shred chicken. Place chicken
back in crockpot – stir.
Serve over buttered rice, mashed
potatoes or noodles.

Freezer Meal:
Combine all ingredients & place in
freezer ziplock bag; label & freeze flat.
The day before you plan to cook, place
in fridge to thaw overnight. Next day
follow above directions for crockpot
cooking.

(recipe: auntbeesrecipes.com)
————————————–

Simple Caesar Salad for a Crowd

2 bags romaine lettuce
2 bunches green onions, sliced
1 C. shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 bottle (good quality) Caesar
salad dressing
(toasted croutons, if desired)
–
Place both bags lettuce in large
salad bowl. Scatter sliced green
onions on top & sprinkle Parm.
cheese on top – toss well.
Drizzle salad dressing, a little
at a time, over mixture & toss
well as you add dressing.
Sprinkle a little more Parm.
cheese on top (& add croutons,
if using).

(recipe: lifeinmyemptynest.blogspot)
—————————-

Triple Chocolate Punch Bowl Cake

Cake:
1 1/2 C. hot brewed coffee
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
(finely chopped – or use chips)
3 large eggs
3/4 C. vegetable oil
1 1/2 C. buttermilk*
3/4 tsp. vanilla
3 c. granulated sugar
2 1/2 C. flour
1 1/2 C. cocoa powder (regular,
not Dutch)
2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. salt
–
Pudding:
2 (3.4 oz, ea) boxes instant
chocolate pudding mix
3 C. milk
1 C. cream
–
Whipped Cream topping:
2 C. heavy whipping cream
6-8 T. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
(fresh berries – optional)
–
CAKE:
Preheat oven 300 degrees F.
Place chocolate in heat-proof bowl;
pour hot coffee over chocolate & let
stand, stirring occasionally, until
chocolate is melted. Beat eggs (using
elec. mixer) until thick & lemon-colored.
Slowly add oil to eggs, then slowly add
buttermilk – then vanilla. Add chocolate
mixture slowly & beat until well combined.
In another bowl, sift sugar, flour, cocoa, soda,
powder & salt – add gradually to liquids &
beat on medium speed just until combined.
Spray 8 or 9″ baking pans with nonstick spray.
Pour batter into pans & bake 40-60 minutes
(until center is set – do not overbake).

PUDDING:
Place pudding mix, milk & cream in large bowl
& whisk until mix is totally dissolved, 2-3
minutes. Chill until ready to assemble cake.

WHIPPED CREAM:
Place all ingredients in stand mixer with
attachment & beat until firm peaks form.
(NOTE: the amount of powdered sugar just
depends on personal preference)
——————-
TO ASSEMBLE:
Break up baked cake into bite-sized pieces.
Place about 1/3 of cake in bottom of large
punch bowl or trifle bowl. Add 1/3 of pudding
(in even layer) then 1/3 of whipped cream (evenly).
Repeat these steps 2 times, ending with whipped
cream. Top with fresh berries, if desired.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serves 16

*If you don’t have buttermilk:
Pour 1 T. lemon juice or vinegar into
a 2-Cup measuring cup. Pour in enough
milk to read 1 1/2 Cups. Stir then let
set 5 minutes – now you have 1 1/2 C.
buttermilk!

(recipe: neighborfoodblog.com)

======================

My ‘car saga’ yesterday worked out, finally –
they were able to finish all the work by 4:45 p.m.;
by then my husband was home & could drive me
back to the dealership. I was able to leave there &
make it to my special needs group a little early.

Thanks for your suggestions/ideas on
how to fix my car! You know me & my
ability to ‘pick up people’? While sitting
in the dealership waiting room a lady
came over & asked what I was knitting
so I explained about the charity baby
blankets. She mentioned she belongs
to a group in a nearby city that provides
clothing for needy families; the one thing
they don’t seem to be able to get is:
BABY HATS … you guessed it, she asked
for my business card and was interested
in whether I would be able to knit some
for their group. (You know me & a good
cause – guess I’ll be switching ‘gears’ for
awhile & knitting baby hats for them.
I think I’m not the only one knitting baby
hats for our local hospital so they can
be put on hold for awhile. Hey – IF I can
fill a need for a good cause – I’m there.

I’m truly grateful for air conditioning as the weather
has turned really hot (in the high 80’s/90’s).

Gas prices are now down to $2.26/9 – dropped
another 3 cents – YAY!

I’m sitting here enjoying my ‘off day’ from
babysitting & other appointments; feels
nice to know that I don’t have to GO anywhere
later on. Dinner is Enchiladas – easy & lasts
more than one meal – YAY!

Have a GREAT Day!

Hugs;

Pammie

Some days ya just gotta be FLEXIBLE!

Today was “take my van in to the dealership for fluid changes’ day. Also on that agenda was ‘please check out WHY my right front tire has a continual slow leak!” and – why my electric side doors sometimes decide they don’t want to open/close – only sometimes! I was prepared: took 2 knitting projects and my latest book. Drove myself there, got some free coffee and commenced knitting. About half hour later nice young man from Service comes over & tells me that I have more issues than I thought: #1 they can’t find reason for electric door problem (why am I not surprised?), #2 all FOUR tires have issues (they ARE older tires) #3 something else I don’t remember now needed fixing. When I asked grand total of TIME for fixing all this they said: FIVE HOURS! Oh MY! Today is husband’s class reunion in another city so he’ll be gone a good 3+ hours, tonight is special needs group – what to do? Nice guy suggested they DO have a shuttle AND I’m just within their radius for using it -now I’m home sitting at my lovely computer, it’s almost 11 a.m. Husband ‘should’ be home in time to drive me back to dealership later. As I was getting out of the shuttle the driver said: “Hope they get your vehicle done today!” OH MY – never thought of the “What if they don’t? scenario! Mentioned to husband that he might need to drive me tonight to special needs – his response: “Won’t be the first time!” Ah, life – it’s great IF you’re flexible! Yesterday while watching the baby (just before Mom left for work) she asked if I was available TODAY to watch him – I had to say No. I texted her a little earlier explaining my plight and saying that IF she still needed, I could watch him until around 4:30 BUT she would have to pick me up; turns out her Dad will watch the baby so I’M FREE – WOW, what a concept!

=============

Easy Strawberry Cake

1 (16.25 oz) box white cake mix
1 (.3 oz) box strawberry Jell-O
4 egg whites
1/3 C. canola oil
1 C. frozen unsweetened
strawberries, thawed
1/2 C. water
1/3 C. butter, softened
2 1/3 C. powdered sugar
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Grease & flour two 9″ round
cake pans. In large bowl combine
cake mix & Jell-O; add egg whites
& oil; beat using elec. mixer until
well blended. In small bowl or
food processor, mash strawberries
in their juice – set aside 3 T.
mashed berries for icing. Add
water & remaining berries to
batter & mix; pour into pans.
Bake 20-25 minutes until a toothpick
inserted into center of cake comes
out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes;
remove cakes from pan to wire
racks & cool completely.

Icing:
Combine butter & reserved berrie
mixture in small bowl. Gradually
beat in powdered sugar until light &
fluffy). Place one cake on serving platter
& top with half of icing; top with second
cake & repeat, spreading icing evenly
on top.

(recipe: julieseatsandtreats.com)
————————————-

Chicken Burrito Skillet

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken
breasts, cut into 1 1/2″ pieces
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
2 T. olive oil, divided
1 C. uncooked long grain rice
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
& rinsed
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes,
drained
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. chili powder
2 1/2 C. chicken broth
1 C. shredded Mexican-blend cheese
1 medium tomato, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
–
Sprinkle chicken with salt/pepper.
In large skillet over medium-high
heat, heat 1 T. oil. Saute chicken
until browned, about 2 minutes-
remove from pan. In same pan, heat
remaining oil over medium-high
heat. Saute rice until lightly browned,
1-2 minutes. Stir in beans, canned
tomatoes, seasonings & broth – bring
to boil. Place chicken on top (do not
stir into rice). Simmer, covered, until
rice is tender & chicken is no longer
pink, 20-25 minutes. Remove from
heat; sprinkle top with cheese. Let
stand, covered, until cheese melts.
Top with tomato & green onions.
Serves 6

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
————————–
Mexican Corn Bread Salad

1 (1 oz) pkg. dry Ranch
dressing mix
1 C. sour cream
1 C. mayonnaise
6 corn bread muffins
2 (16 oz, ea) cans pinto
beans, drained/rinsed
1 green bell pepper,
chopped
1 (16 oz) pkg. frozen corn,
thawed
3 large tomatoes, chopped
10 slices bacon, cooked/
crumbled
2 C. (8 oz) shredded Mexican
cheese blend
6 scallions, sliced
–
In small bowl combine dressing
mix, sour cream & mayonnaise.
Crumble 3 corn muffins in large
glass bowl or trifle dish. Place a
layer of beans over muffins, then
bell pepper, dressing mixture,
corn, tomatoes, bacon, remaining
corn muffins (crumbled), cheese &
scallions. Cover & chill at least
2 hours before serving. Serves 8

(recipe: mrfood.com)
——————————-
Freezer Slaw

1 1/4 C. sugar
3/4 C. cider vinegar
2 (10 oz, ea) pkgs. shredded
angel hair cabbage slaw
1 large carrot, peeled/shredded
1 small green bell pepper,
diced
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. mustard seeds (optional)
–
Bring sugar & vinegar to a boil in
small saucepan, stirring until sugar
dissolves; cool. Combine cabbage
slaw & remaining 4 ingredients;
pour vinegar mixture over cabbage
mixture & toss to coat. Place in a
large heavy-duty ziplock bag or an
airtight container & freeze up to
3 months. Thaw in fridge before
serving. Serves 8

NOTE: If you don’t need to make
this dish in advance, prepare dish-
cover & chill at least 2 hours before
serving.

(recipe: mrfood.com)
————————————

NO-bake “Baked Potato” Salad

8 medium potatoes (about 3 lb)
scrubbed & cut into 1-inch chunks
1 T. salt
1 (16 oz) tub sour cream
1/4 C. real bacon bits
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. black pepper
–
Place potatoes in large pot with
enough water to cover them. Add
salt & bring to boil over high heat.
Cook potatoes 10-15 minutes until
fork-tender; drain well & allow to
cool slightly. In large bowl combine
remaining ingredients; mix well.
Add potatoes & mix until well
combined. Serve warm or cover &
chill until ready to serve. Serves 6

(recipe: mrfood.com)
————————————

No-cook Roll-ups
(appetizers)

1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen
chopped spinach, thawed &
well-drained
1 C. mayonnaise
1 (8 oz) tub sour cream
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 (.4 oz) envelope Ranch-
style salad dressing mix (dry)
1 (3 oz) pkg. bacon bits
9 (10 inch) flour tortillas
–
In large bowl combine all
ingredients except tortillas;
stir well. Spread mixture on
tortillas, distributing evenly.
Roll up, jelly-roll fashion;
wrap each in plastic wrap.
Chill 4-6 hours then cut into
1/2 inch thick slices & serve.
Makes 6 dozen

(recipe: mrfood.com)
—————————–

Crockpot Honey-Garlic Chicken Thighs

4 skinless boneless chicken thighs
1/2 C. soy sauce
1/2 C. ketchup
1/3 C. honey
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried basil
–
Lay chicken thighs in bottom of
crockpot. Whisk soy sauce, ketchup,
honey, garlic & basil together in a
bowl & pour over chicken. Cover &
cook on Low 6 hours. Serves 2

(recipe: allrecipes.com)
———————————-
Crockpot Peachy Pork Chops

4-6 whole very ripe peaches, peeled/
pitted (can use frozen that have
been thawed or canned-in-water,
not syrup)
1 small onion,
2-4 lb. boneless pork chops
1/4 C. ketchup
1/4 C. honey BBQ sauce
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. soy sauce
pinch salt
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
–
Using blender or food processor,
place peaches in device & process
until smooth adding a small amount
of water, if necessary. Puree should
be smooth & not chunky. Place a
small amount of olive oil in large fry
pan heated to medium-low heat.
Place some of pork chops in pan &
cook 3-5 minutes per side until
chops are slightly browned on each
side but still pink inside (work in
batches until all are semi-cooked).
As chops are browning place finished
ones in a bowl, coat each chop with
some peach puree & place in crockpot.
When all chops are cooked/coated,
mix remaining peach puree, ketchup,
BBQ sauce, brown sugar, salt, garlic
salt, soy sauce & ground ginger in a bowl
& mix well to combine. Drizzle mixture
over top of chops. Cover & cook on
Low 5-6 hours or High 2-3 hours.
Test chops for doneness to make sure
they are no longer pink inside or when
a meat thermometer reads 145 degrees F.
Serves 6-8

(recipe: crockpotladies.com)
————————–

Pineapple Pie

1 1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. butter, softened
1 C. crushed pineapple
3 T. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 unbaked pie shell
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Beat all ingredients together
(except pie shell) & pour into
unbaked pie shell. Bake until
pie sets & is brown.

(recipe: tastyrecipes/facebook.com)

=====================

Weather-wise we’re now DEFINITELY into SUMMER;
high 80’s & low 90’s – thank heavens for air conditioning!

Gas prices are really good: $2.29/9! YAY!

Depending on whether I need to go back & fetch my
vehicle today or not, dinner “might” be enchiladas.
We love them but it takes about 40+ minutes to make
them, then about an hour to bake them – we’ll see,
dinner just might be ‘catch-as-catch-can’ (meaning
eat what you want, I’m not cooking!)

Hope you’re having an OK day!

Hugs;

Pammie

and so begins the HEAT!

Yesterday around 5 p.m. I happened to glance out at our thermometer on the garage IN FULL SUN – it read: 119 degrees F! WOW – car thermometer read 92, so you know it was a HOT one! Today it’s another fully sunny, slightly  breezy day – I’m ‘staying in’ with the air on – yep, enjoyin’ the summer INSIDE!

Checking my calendar for this week, it’s another busy one: babysitting Tues & Fri. 2:30 – 5:30/6, Wed. take my van in for routine work in the morning & special needs group in evening, (Think I might have Thurs. free, not sure) then babysitting again Friday. I don’t mind when it’s not totally FULL, gives me a chance to do the little things (like grocery shopping, getting gas, trip to drug store – that stuff) without making me feel totally frazzled. (got to add another cute Sandra Boynton cartoon here – couldn’t resist her humor:)

Now you know the difference, right?

================

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

4 C. fresh rhubarb (1″, diced –
4-5 stalks)
4 C. fresh strawberries, hulled &
halved (if large)
1 1/4 C. granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. grated orange zest
1 T. cornstarch
1/2 C. fresh squeezed orange juice
1 c. flour
1/2 C. light brown sugar, lightly
packed
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. quick-cooking oats (not instant)
12 T. (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted
butter, diced
–
vanilla ice cream, for serving
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Toss rhubarb, strawberries, 3/4 C.
gran. sugar & orange zest together
in large bowl. In measuring cup
dissolve cornstarch in orange juice
then mix into fruit. Pour fruit
mixture into a 8 X 11″ baking dish
& place dish on a sheet pan lined
with parchment paper.

Topping:
In bowl of elec. mixer fitted with
paddle attachment, combine flour,
remaining 1/2 C. sugar, brown sugar,
salt & oatmeal – mix at Low speed
then add butter & mix until dry
ingredients are moist & mixture is
in crumbles; sprinkle topping over
fruit in dish, covering top completely.
Bake 1 hour until fruit is bubbling &
topping is golden brown. Serve warm
with ice cream. Serves 6

(recipe: foodnetwork.com)
———————————–

Citrus Broccoli Salad

1/2 C. mayonnaise
1/4 C. orange juice
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
dash black pepper
3 C. coarsely chopped broccoli
florets (about 8 oz)
1 C. orange, peeled/cut into
bite-sized chunks
3/4 C. sweetened dried cranberries
1/3 C. roasted salted sunflower seeds
2 T. sliced red onion
–
In large serving bowl mix mayo,
orange juice, sugar, salt/pepper.
Add remaining ingredients & toss
until well coated. Store covered,
in refrigerator.

(recipe: facebook – Mike Suddaby)
—————————-

Crockpot Tuscany Pot Roast

& Veggies

1 (3.5 – 5 lb) beef chuck roast
5-6 carrots, cut into chunks
5-6 medium russet potatoes,
peeled/cubed
1 (12 oz) jar beef gravy
1/2 C. white vinegar
1 packet dry Italian salad dressing
mix
–
Place roast in crockpot, add carrots
& potatoes. In medium bowl mix
beef gravy, white vinegar & dry
Ital. salad dressing mix – pour over
roast. Cover & cook 8 hours on Low.
Remove roast & veggies to platter
& serve. Serves 4-6

(recipe: southerplate.com)
———————————-

Bacon/Egg Salad Lettuce Cups

3 T. mayonnaise
1/2 C. plain Greek yogurt (non-fat)
2 T. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. honey
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
pinch salt
8 hard cooked eggs, cooked &
placed in an ice bath
4 slices bacon, cooked/crumbled
8 leaves butter lettuce
–
In small bowl add mayonnaise, yogurt,
mustard, vinegar, honey, garlic powder &
salt – stir until well combined. Chop eggs
& place in bowl; fold until well combined.
Serve salad on a leaf of butter lettuce &
top with bacon crumbles. Serves 4

NOTE: Mixture will thin after sitting in
fridge for a few hours – mix then use.

(recipe: thecreativebite.com)
———————————

Macaroni Picnic Salad

1 (16 oz) pkg. elbow macaroni
3/4 C. extra sharp Cheddar cheese,
cubed small
1 C. bread & butter pickles, chopped
1 (12 oz) pkg. frozen peas, thawed
1 red bell pepper, seeded/chopped
6 green onions + tops, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled/chopped fine
1 lb. bacon, fried  & chopped
5 hard cooked eggs, chopped
–
Dressing:
1 pkg. dry Ranch salad dressing mix
1 C. real mayonnaise
1/3 C. sugar
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 C. sweet pickle juice
2 T. mustard
(2 tsp. Tony Cachare’s Creole seasoning)
generous amount ground black pepper
–
Cook pasta accordg. to pkg. directions;
cool. Combine all salad ingredients;
combine all dressing ingredients –
mix both together & chill until ready
to serve. Serves 8

(recipe: chindeep.com)
——————————-
Juicy Watermelon Salad

8 C. cubed seedless watermelon
(about 1 medium)
1 small red onion, cut into rings
1 C. coarsely chopped macadamia
nuts or slivered almonds, toasted
1 C. fresh arugula or baby spinach
1/3 C. balsamic vinaigrette
3 T. canola oil
1 C. (4 oz) crumbled blue cheese
(watermelon slices – optional)
–
In large bowl combine watermelon &
onion; cover & refrigerate until cold,
about 30 minutes. Just before serving,
add nuts & arugula to mixture. In small
bowl whisk vinaigrette & oil; drizzle
over salad & toss to coat. Serve over
sliced watermelon, if desired. Sprinkle
top with cheese. Makes 10 servings.

NOTE: TO toast nuts: Preheat oven 350
degrees F. Place nuts in shallow pan &
bake 5-10 minutes
(OR) cook in a skillet over Low heat until
lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
——————————

Potato Pancakes

4 C. cold mashed potatoes
5 slices bacon
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
–
Place bacon in large, deep skillet on
medium-high heat. Cook bacon,
turning occasionally, until evenly
browned & crisp, about 10 minutes.
Remove bacon, crumble & set aside.
Leave drippings in pan & mix mashed
potatoes, eggs, onion powder, salt/
pepper in a bowl. Stir in crumbled
bacon & cheese – form into 8 patties.
Heat drippings to medium heat &
pan-fry patties in drippings until crisp
on each side, about 4 minutes per
side.

(recipe: Mike Suddaby – Facebook)
—————————————-

Peach-Pineapple Dump Cake

2 T. flour
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple
1 (21 oz) can peach pie filling
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 C. water
1 1/2 C. chopped walnuts
1 stick butter (8 oz) cut into
16 cubes
–
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray 9 X 13″ baking dish with
nonstick spray – dust with flour
to coat. Pour Pineapple (& juices)
and peach pie filling into prepared
dish – swirl fruit using a spoon to
combine, but don’t over mix. Pour
dry cake mix on top, evenly. Scatter
nuts on top of cake followed by
cubes of butter, dotting them all
over cake top. Place baking dish
on a cookie sheet (to prevent spills
in oven). Bake 1 hour – check cake:
it should be golden brown & bubbly.
Remove from oven & serve warm
topped with a scoop of vanilla
ice cream.

(recipe: tootsweet4two.com)

====================

Health-wise I’m finally almost back to
my regular health; I ‘braved it’ yesterday
and sung in choir (and practice, later).
I was very happy to find that my voice
was OK (chewed a cough drop just before
we were to sing the choir number, just to
make sure I didn’t cough – it went well.)
Allergies – not very cool; haven’t had them
my entire life and now I do? Not cool.

Looking at the calendar for the rest of the
month I was almost surprised to see that
Log Cabin Day is in 2 weeks! WOW that
crept up fast! I love participating in that
event – you meet such nice people, get
to be outdoors (under a pavillion), enjoy
doing your craft of choice (knit/crochet)
in a early 1900’s setting – lots of fun. This
year they are scaling down the event due
to lack of helpers which is sad – really
hoping that doesn’t effect the entire event.
(used to be 2 full days 9-5, now it’s one day
10-4). We’ll see –

Hope you are in (relatively) good health
and able to enjoy this summer weather.

Hugs;

Pammie

PS: LOTS of summer recipes – having trouble
choosing which ones to post and not
overwhelm you with recipes!

National KNIT IN PUBLIC Day!

Seven lovely ladies participated today – we sat outside on Panera Bread’s patio (roasting in 74 degrees & sunny). I was there, also, but not in the photos; our youngest member (Katie) is in the third photo along with her younger brother. Her Mom brought all 4 kids plus their 2 puppies – interesting day! I only managed 2 hours in the heat – was just happy we had a turnout (considering I really didn’t know if anyone WOULD show up!).

==================

S’Mores Ice Cream Cake
(8 hour – overnight chill time)

Crust:
10 graham crackers, divided
3 T. butter, softened

Ice Cream Layer:
5 oz (or 3/4 C.) bittersweet chocolate
or chocolate chips
1/2 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed
milk (reserve rest for whipped topping
layer)
3/4 tsp. vanilla

Marshmallow Layer:
2 C. mini marshmallows

Whipped Cream Layer:
2 C. heavy whipping cream
reserved 1/2 can sweetened
condensed milk
3/4 tsp. vanilla

S’More Layer:
1/2 C. mini marshmallows
2 Hershey chocolate bars,
broken up
1-2 graham crackers, crushed
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Line bottom of 8″ springform pan
with parchment paper. Using food
processor, pulse 10 graham crackers
until finely ground; add butter &
pulse until blended (or crush crackers
in ziplock bag using rolling pin). Add
graham cracker crumbs/butter to a bowl
& use fingertips to mix all well. Press
mixture into bottom of prepared pan;
bake 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
Let cool 25 minutes.

Ice Cream Layer:

Melt chocolate in microwave;
let cool slightly. Using elec.
mixer, beat chocolate, half can
condensed milk & vanilla in
large bowl until combined. Add
1 C. heavy cream & beat on High
speed until thick; medium peaks
forming. Spoon mixture on top of
cooled crust & spread evenly.

Marshmallow Layer:

Sprinkle marshmallows on top &
gently pat down into chocolate
filling.

Whipped Cream Layer:

Using elec. mixer, beat remaining
cond. milk, vanilla & heavy cream until
thick; medium – stiff peaks forming,
3-5 minutes – spread on top of
chocolate layer.

S’More Layer:

Break remaining 2 graham crackers into
tiny pieces; sprinkle crumbs/broken
chocolate bars & marshmallows on top
of whipped cream layer. Cover & freeze
until firm, at least 8 hours & up to 2 weeks.

When ready to serve, unmold & transfer
to a platter. Let stand 5 minutes before
slicing. Serves 12

(recipe: thebakingchocolatess.com)
————————————

Easy Layered Taco Salad
(overnight recipe)

1 lb. ground beef
1 small can green chilies, (undrained)
1 head iceberg lettuce, outer leaves
removed (all other lettuces will wilt)
1 pkt. dry taco seasoning mix*
1 C. Ranch Sour Cream mayonnaise **
1 (15 oz) can your favorite beans, drained/
rinsed well
1/2 can (about 7 oz) sweet corn kernels,
drained well
1/2 C. chopped red or green onion (more
for garnish)
8 oz. your favorite tomato salsa
8 oz. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 (3.8 oz) can sliced black olives, drained well
1/2 lb. bacon, fried crispy/crumbled
2 jalapeno peppers, sliced
1 Roma tomato, seeded/chopped
ripe avocado chunks (optional)
tortilla chips – for topping
–
Cook ground beef, canned chilies &
taco seasoning in skillet until beef
is browned & liquid from chilies
has evaporated. Refrigerate &
allow to chill until completely cold.
When chilled, place in bottom of
9 X 13″ glass cake pan. Top with a
double layer of lettuce leaves (half
the head), 1/2 C. Ranch/sour cream
mayo (smoothed evenly), beans,
corn, onion, another double layer
lettuce (press down gently after
placing lettuce), 1/2 C. Ranch/Sour
cream mayo, salsa, cheese, olives,
bacon, jalapenos, tomato & more
onion. Cover with foil & refrigerate
12-24 hours before slicing. Break up
tortilla pieces on top & slice. You can
also top with avocado chunks, extra
tomato chunks & hot sauce.
Serves 8-12

*You can also use mixture of cumin,
chili powder & garlic powder

**Ranch Sour Cream Mayonnaise
3/4 C. real mayonnaise
1/4 C. sour cream
3-6 T. dry buttermilk ranch salad
dressing mix
–
Mix ingredients together well.

(recipe: chindeep.com)
——————————————-

Mama’s Chicken Rollups

2 large chicken breasts
1 can crescent rolls
1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken
soup
1/2 (soup can) of chicken broth
from cooking chicken*
1/2 (soup can) milk
1 T. flour
6 oz. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
pinch salt & pepper
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Place chicken breasts in large
pot & cover with water; bring to
boil & cook on Medium heat
until no longer pink inside. Remove
chicken from pot & let cool enough
to handle – shred chicken. Add soup,
milk, flour, salt/pepper to broth &
stir to combine. Spray 9 X 13″ baking
dish with nonstick spray.
Unroll crescent rolls & separate into
triangles. Put a little cheese on dough
& a good heaping of chicken at large
end of triangle. Roll up & place in
prepared pan – continue with rest
of dough & filling. Pour broth
mixture around & on top of each
roll. Bake 25 minutes then top
with cheese – bake 5 minutes more.
Let stand a few minutes before
serving with soup mixture.

(recipe: 77easyrecipes.com)
—————————-

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

1/2 C. packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. ketchup
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 C. milk
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
2 eggs
3/4 C. finely crushed saltine
cracker crumbs
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray 5 X 9″ loaf pan with
nonstick spray. Spread brown
sugar in bottom of pan & top
with ketchup (spread evenly).
Mix rest of ingredients in large
bowl then shape into a loaf;
place loaf in pan on top of
ketchup. Bake 1 hour.

(recipe: 77easyrecipes.com)
—————————–

Crockpot Smothered Chicken
w/Bacon & Onions

8 slices center cut bacon,
cut into 1″ pieces
2 onions, cut lengthwise in
half, then sliced crosswise
1/3 C. flour
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/4 C. chicken broth
8 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
4 C. egg noodles, uncooked
1 (8 oz) tub cream cheese spread
2 T. milk
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
–
Cook in stir bacon in large skillet
on medium heat until crisp; remove
bacon from skillet using slotted
spoon & drain on paper towels.
Drain all but 2 T. drippings from
skillet; add onions & cook 15-18
minutes until golden brown,
stirring occasionally. For the last
minute of stirring add flour, pepper
& half the bacon – whisk in broth
until blended (mixture will be
thick). Add chicken to crockpot &
cover with onion  mixture. Cover &
cook on Low 4-5 hours (or High
2-3 hours). About 15 minutes before
ready to serve, cook noodles accordg.
to pkg. directions, omitting salt. Drain
noodles & place on a platter. Top
with chicken, reserving onion mixture
in crockpot. Mix cream cheese spread,
milk & garlic powder in a bowl then add
to ingredients in crockpot & stir until
blended. Spoon mixture over chicken;
top with parsley & remaining bacon.
Serves 8

(recipe: kraftrecipes.com)
—————————-

Santa Fe Rice Salad

2 C. cooked/cooled rice
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans,
drained/rinsed
3 ears fresh corn on the cob
(about 1 1/2 C. kernels)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 C. minced onion
2 T. white vinegar
2 T. vegetable oil
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded/
minced
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar
–
In medium bowl combine rice,
beans, corn kernels & onion. In
another small bowl whisk remaining
ingredients; pour over rice mixture &
mix well. Cover & chill 2-3 hours to
allow flavors to blend. Stir before
serving. Serves 4

(recipe: mrfood.com)
——————————–
Cold Sesame Noodles

1 lb. linguine or spaghetti
1 C. peanut butter
6 scallions (green onions),
thinly sliced
2 T. vegetable oil
2 T. soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar
2 T. sesame oil
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
1/2 of a red pepper, cut into
strips
–
Cook pasta accordg. to pkg.
directions; drain. In large
bowl combine remaining
ingredients; mix well. Add
pasta & toss to coat evenly.
Cover & chill at least 1 hour
before serving. Serves 4

(recipe: mrfood.com)
——————————–

Gazpacho (cold summer soup)

1 (46 oz) can tomato juice
1 C. diced cucumber
1 C. diced green bell pepper
1 C. sliced green onions
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 T. white vinegar
4 T. olive or vegetable oil
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
hot pepper sauce, to taste
–
In large bowl combine all ingredients;
mix well & serve chilled. Serves 8

Note: you can also add fresh chopped
tomato, thyme, rosemary,oregano,basil
or dill.

(recipe: mrfood.com)
—————————–

Grilled Cabbage Steaks w/Bacon &
Blue Cheese

6 slices bacon
1 pkg McCormick Grill Mates Smoky
Applewood Marinade
3 T. vegatable oil
2 T. cider vinegar
2 T. maple syrup
1 head green cabbage, cut into
3/4″ thick slices (about 6 ‘steaks’)
1/2 C. crumbled blue cheese
2 T. thinly sliced green onions
–
Cook bacon in large skillet on medium
heat until crisp; reserve 1 T. drippings;
crumble bacon. Mix Marinade Mix,
oil, vinegar, maple syrup & reserved
bacon drippings in small bowl until
well blended. Place cabbage steaks
in large ziplock bag or glass dish; add
marinade & toss to coat well.
Refrigerate 30 minutes (or longer)
for extra flavor. Remove from
marinade & reserve any leftover
marinade.
Heat grill to medium heat & grill
cabbage ‘steaks’ 5-6 minutes per
side until tender-crisp, brushing
with leftover marinade. Serve
steaks topped with blue cheese,
crumbled bacon & green onions.
Serves 6

(recipe: mccormick.com)
——————————–

Summertime Fluff

1/2 (16 oz) box orzo pasta
1 (20 oz) can pineapple tidbits,
drained (reserve 1 C. juice)
1/3 C. sugar
1 T. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3 T. egg whites
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 C. vanilla Greek yogurt
1 1/2 C. miniature marshmallows
1/2 C. maraschino cherries, cut in
half
1 (15 oz) can mandarin oranges,
drained
2 C. Cool Whip, thawed
–
Cook pasta accordg. to pkg. directions;
drain. Rinse under cold running water;
drain well. In saucepan over medium
heat combine reserved pineapple juice,
sugar, flour, salt & egg whites; cook
until mixture thickens & is smooth,
stirring constantly. Remove from heat
& stir in lemon juice – let cool.
In large bowl combine pasta, pineapple
juice mixture & yogurt. Stir in pineapple
tidbits & marshmallows; fold in mandarin
oranges, cherries & Cool Whip. Serve or
refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serves 12

(recipe: mrfood.com)

======================

It’s a gorgeous Summer day out – sunny with
a slight breeze; it’s 83 degrees F. now & supposed
to get up to 86 – WARM!

Gas prices are in the ‘decent’ range: $2.33/9 –
I read in our local paper that gas prices around
here are the lowest they’ve been in many years.
YAY!

Right now I’m happy I’m home in my nice
air conditioning with no particular plans for
the day other than making dinner later.

Enjoy your day;

Hugs;

Pammie

Time to ENJOY LIFE!

It’s looking like another beautiful day here – in the mid 70’s & sunny! So far this week my babysitting has been rather easy (I say that quietly – I’m happy with seeing the little guy but rather enjoy a LITTLE sitting rather than 8+ hour days, back to back). The other grandfather is currently in the hospital as of Saturday – they think he had another stroke but can find no signs of it so they’re running tests. I feel really bad for the grandmother & daughter (my oldest son’s girlfriend & Mom to the baby) – they have enough stress in their lives so this just added more. Grandfather has had a history of strokes and has been losing weight (15 lb. in a little over a month) so they think he also has a slow bleed somewhere, hence why they’re keeping him at the hospital for testing. I only babysat Tuesday 2:30 – 5, so that was easy and the baby was in a great mood. Tuesday was Knit/Crochet Night, last night was special needs group. THIS SATURDAY the knit group talked me into arranging something new for us; this Saturday is NATIONAL KNIT IN PUBLIC DAY! We’re going to meet on Panera Bread’s patio at 10 a.m. and just do what we all love – KNIT (and I included our crocheters, too). Not sure just how many we’ll have (I’m guessing maybe 3?) and I’m not planning on staying long (maybe an hour?) but it’s all open-ended, so we’ll see. Currently still plodding ahead with the blue ‘Tassel stitch’ baby blanket and started another multi-color blue/white/lime green blanket in the stitch I did last (It’s from the Linus Project – another charity that collects blankets and, NO-I only borrowed their pattern, not joining another charity project group – that would be a little too much for me). I’m ‘trying’ to get my knit items delivered – need to take 40 baby hats to local hospital and about 5-6 blankets to Crisis Pregnancy Center’s mobile unit (they are a little hard to coordinate delivery times for – they are a mobile unit that travels all over; we’re looking at next week some time).

===============

Hawaiian Cheesecake Salad

8 oz. cream cheese
1 (3.4 oz) pkg. instant cheesecake
pudding mix (unprepared)
1 C. International Delight French
Vanilla (coffee) Creamer
1 lb. strawberries, hulled/sliced
4 mandarin oranges, peeled/
sectioned
1 (20 oz) can pineapple tidbits,
drained
3 kiwi, peeled/cut into half moons
2 mangoes, cut into bite-sized
chunks
1 banana, cut into circles
juice of 1/2 lemon
–
In medium (tall) bowl-poster
uses 8 C measuring cup) using
elec. mixer, whip cream cheese
until smooth. Add dry pudding
mix – beat until well combined.
With mixer on Low, slowly add
creamer to cream cheese mix –
about a tablespoon at a time –
mix until it becomes smooth &
all of creamer has been combined
into cream cheese – repeat until
all creamer has been used – whip
until smooth. In large bowl,
combine strawberries, oranges, pine-
apple, kiwi & mango. Add cheese-
cake mixture to fruit & gently
fold together. In small bowl combine
banana & lemon juice – toss until
well coated, draining any excell
lemon juice. Gently fold banana
into cheesecake salad. Chill until
ready to serve or serve immediately.
Serves 16

NOTE: Do not pour all of creamer into
cream cheese mixture at once – it will
get clumpy & no matter how long you
beat it, it will stay that way.

Recipe can be made ahead: Prepare
cheesecake mixture & refrigerate in
bowl. Mix all of fruit in large bowl &
refrigerate. Before serving, drain any
excess liquid from fruit then fold into
cheesecake mixture.

(recipe: theslowroasteditalian.com)
———————————

Asiago Chicken Pasta w/Sun-dried
Tomatoes & Spinach

1/3 C. sun-dried tomatoes (with oil)
2 T.) (comes in a jar)
1 lb. chicken breasts, sliced in half &
chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt
paprika
1 C. Half & Half
1/4 tsp. salt
1 C. asiago cheese, grated
8 oz. box penne pasta
2 C. fresh spinach leaves
–
If sun-dried tomatoes are too big,
chop into smaller bites. Heat 2 T.
olive oil with tomatoes & garlic in
skillet over medium heat. Add
chopped chicken – generously
season chicken in skillet with salt &
paprika – cook until chicken is cooked
through completely. To skillet add 1 C.
Half & Half & 1/4 tsp. salt – bring to boil.
Add grated Asiago cheese & stir about
30 seconds to melt cheese. Reduce heat
to simmer & continue stirring to make
sure all cheese melts. If sauce is too thick,
add another 1/3 C. Half & Half & stir.
Taste sauce – add more salt, if needed. Cook
pasta accordg. to pkg. directions – drain/
rinse. Add past to sauce. Add spinach & mix
well. On Low simmer, cover with lid & let
pasta sit to allow spinach to wilt. After
spinach has wilted, stir everything together
to combine – taste & adjust seasonings if
needed. Serves 4

(recipe: yummly.co)
—————————————-

Taco-stuffed Zucchini Boats

4 medium zucchini, cut in half
lengthwise
1/2 C. mild salsa
1 lb. ground turkey
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. kosher salt, to taste
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 small onion, minced
2 T. bell pepper, minced
1 (4 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/4 C. water
1/2 C. Mexican-blend shredded
cheese
1/4 C. chopped scallions or cilantro,
for topping
–
Bring large pot of salted water to
boil.
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Place 1/4 C. salsa in bottom of
large baking dish. Using a small
spoon or melon baller, hollow out
centers of zucchini halves, leaving
1/4 inch thick shell on each. Chop
scooped out flesh into small pieces
& set aside 3/4 C.  to add to taco
filling (squeeze excess water out
using a paper towel) – discard
rest of flesh or using in another
recipe. Drop zuccini halves in
boiling water & cook 1 minute –
remove from water. Brown turkey
in large skillet, breaking up pieces
while cooking; when meat is no
longer pink, add spices & stir well.
Add onion, bell pepper, reserved
zucchini flesh, tomato sauce & water-
stir then cover & simmer on Low
20  minutes. Using a spoon, fill
hollowed zucchini ‘boats’, dividing
filling equally, about 1/3 C. per
half, pressing mixture into boats
firmly. Top each with 1 T. shredded
cheese. Cover with foil & bake 35
minutes until cheese melts &
zucchinis are cooked through. Top
with scallions & serve with salsa
on the side. Serves 4

(recipe: skinnytaste.com)
——————————
Garlicky Shrimp Alfredo Bake

10 oz. penne pasta
3 T. butter, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. medium or large shrimp,
peeled/deveined
3 T. chopped fresh parsley, divided
2 T. flour
3/4 C. milk
1/4 C. chicken broth
1 C. shredded mozzarella cheese,
divided
1/4 C. plus 2 T. freshly grated
Parmesan cheese, divided
fresh ground black pepper
2 large tomatoes, chopped (about 1 C.)
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
In large pot salted water cook pasta
accordg. to pkg. directions for al dente;
drain & return to pot. In large oven-
proof skillet over medium heat, melt
1 T. butter; add garlic, shrimp & 2 T.
parsley – season with salt. Cook until
shrimp is pink & no longer opaque,
2 minutes per side. Transfer shrimp
to a plate (keep juices in skillet)
Add remaining 2 T. butter to skillet
& let melt; add flour & whisk until
golden, 1-2 minutes. Add milk &
chicken broth – bring to simmer.
Stir in 3/4 C. mozzarella & 1/4 C.
Parmesan cheese until creamy –
season with salt/pepper. Return
shrimp to skillet; add tomatoes &
cooked pasta – toss until combined.
(add more milk if mixture is too
thick). Sprinkle with remaining
1/4 C. mozzarella & 2 T. Parmesan
& bake until melty, 5-7 minutes.
Place under broiler 2-3 minutes
until top is golden (watch carefully
so it doesn’t burn). Garnish with
remaining T. parsley & serve.
Serves 4

(recipe: delish.com)
——————————-

Farmers Market Summer Crockpot Stew

1 (2 lb.) beef chuck roast, cut into
1/2 inch cubes
1/3 C. flour
3 T. olive oil
2 C. sliced carrots
3 ribs celery, diced
3 C. russet potatoes, diced into 1/2
inch pieces
1 large onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
4 C. water
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 T. minced fresh parsley
salt/pepper, to taste
–
In large bowl combine beef cubes & flour,
mixing well to coat. In medium saucepan
over medium-high heat, saute beef in oil,
stirring occasionally until beef is slightly
browned, 5-10 minutes (beef will not be
entirely cooked). Place beef in crockpot;
add carrots, celery, potatoes, onion, garlic,
tomatoes, water, vinegar & seasonings –
stir to combine. Cover & cook on Low
5-6 hours. Season with salt/pepper before
serving. Serves 8-10

NOTE: Stew will keep, refrigerated, up
to 4 days

(recipe: wholeandheavenlyoven.com)
—————————————-

Loaded Macaroni Salad

8 oz. shell macaroni
4 eggs, hard-boiled/chopped
4 sweet pickles, chopped
2 oz. pimento, diced
6 oz. black olives, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 T. balsamic vinegar
1 C. mayonnaise
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 T. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. paprika
–
Cook macaroni accordg. to pkg.
directions; drain & rinse under
cold water. Place cooked macaroni
in large bowl with eggs, pickles,
olives, pimentos & onion. In small
bowl mix vinegar, mayonnaise, salt/
pepper, paprika & mustard – pour
over macaroni mixture & mix
thoroughly. Chill at least 1 hour
before serving.

(recipe: recipelion.com)
———————————-

Chicken Alfredo Roll Ups

9 lasagna noodles
1 (14.5 oz) jar Garlic Alfredo
sauce
1 lb. cooked, shredded chicken
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. garlic salt
2 C. shredded Mozzarella cheese
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray an 8 X 8″ baking pan with
nonstick spray. Pour 1/2 C. Alfredo
sauce on bottom of pan & spread
out. Cook lasagna noodles until
al dente (do not over cook them
as they will be baked, also). Drain
& rinse noodles with cold water.
While they are cooking mix 1 C.
Alfredo sauce, 1 C. Mozz. cheese,
chicken, garlic salt & oregano in
a bowl. Lay out cooked noodles &
blot water off with paper towel.
Spread 1/9 of chicken mixture on
a noodle – roll up  & place, seam
sides down in pan – repeat with
remaining noodles & sauce. Pour
rest of Alfredo sauce on top &
top with remaining cheese. Bake
30 minutes. Serves 4-5

(recipe: julieseatsandtreats.com)
——————————–

Mini Muffin Tin Lasagnas
(appetizer)

1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 (15 oz) carton ricotta cheese
2 C. shredded Italian cheese blend,
divided
1 T. olive oil
24 wonton wrappers*
1 (24 oz) jar garden-style pasta
sauce
minced fresh parsley (optional)
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
In bowl mix egg, ricotta cheese &
1 1/4 C. Italian cheese blend.
Generously grease 12 muffin cups
with oil; line each with a wonton
wrapper. Fill each with 1 T. ricotta
mixture & 1 1/2 T. pasta sauce. Top
each with a second wrapper, rotating
corners & pressing down centers.
Repeat ricotta & sauce layers. Sprinkle
tops with remaining cheese blend. Bake
20-25 minutes until cheese has melted.
If desired, sprinkle tops with parsley.
Makes 6 servings.

*You can find wonton wrappers in most
grocery stores in the refrigerated section
of the vegetable/fruit aisle

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
——————————–

Pineapple Sunshine Cake

1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 C. oil (poster used vegetable)

Frosting:
1 (8 oz) tub Cool Whip, thawed
1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple with
juice
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray 9 X 13″ baking pan with
nonstick spray. In large bowl
combine cake mix, eggs, oil &
crushed pineapple with juice;
mix well & pour into prepared
pan. Bake 25-30 minutes until
a toothpick inserted into center
of cake comes out clean. Allow
to cool completely on wire rack.
In medium bowl fold Cool Whip,
pudding mix & crushed pineapple;
spread over top of cooled cake.

NOTE: Poster reserves a small
amount of pineapple to sprinkle
on top of frosting at the end

(recipe: belleofthekitchen.com)

===================

Not much else new around here, gas
prices are staying the same ($2.49/9).

Hope you are enjoying a lovely day –

Hugs;

Pammie

Nice Day!

Our sweet, pudgy 3 month old grandson; he DOES have hair, it’s mostly in the back by his neck!

 

My days, now, are filled with figuring out which days I’ll be babysitting the above young man. He’s a very good, easy-going baby so most days are a breeze.

Looking over my many recipes, it’s time to give you more CROCKPOT recipes (plus more Summer ones, too):

==============

Tropical Jell-O Pretzel Salad

Crust:
2 C. crushed pretzels
3/4 C. melted butter
3 T. sugar

Filling:
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple,
undrained
1 (3 oz) box Coconut Cream instant
pudding mix
1 (8 oz) tub Cool Whip*, thawed

Topping:
1 (3 oz) box orange Jell-O
1 C. boiling water
3 (11 oz, ea) cans mandarin
oranges, drained
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Spray 9 X 13″ baking pan
with nonstick spray. In prepared
pan combine crushedpretzels,
sugar & melted butter; gently
stir to combine & spread around
pan evenly. Bake 10 minutes &
cool completely. Pour entire can
of crushed pineapple & juices
in medium bowl; sprinkle coconut
pudding mix on top & stir until
completely well mixed – fold in
Cool Whip. Spread mixture on
top of completely cooled pretzel
crust making sure mixture reaches
all of edges. Place pan in fridge to
keep cool while mixing Jell-O.
Combine 1 C. boiling water with
orange Jell-O in a bowl; stir until
Jell-O is completely dissolved;
pour into refrigerated pan on
top of pineapple/whipped topping.
Arrange mandarin orange slices to
completely cover surface of salad.
Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate
at least 3-4 hours, until salad is
completely cooled & set. Cut into
squares & serve; store leftovers
in fridge.

*If you don’t have Cool Whip, you
can substitute 2 C. homemade
whipped cream.

(recipe: butterwithasideofbread.com)
—————————————-

Crockpot Creamy Herb Chicken

1 lb. boneless chicken breast
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 C. milk
1 envelope Garlic & Herb Pasta (dry)
mix
1 tsp. ground thyme
1 tsp. parsley flakes
–
Cooked rice or egg noodles for 4-6
–
Place chicken in crockpot. In a bowl
whisk milk, soup, dry sauce mix,
parsley & thyme until smooth &
combined – pour over chicken. Cover
& cook on Low 4 hours until chicken
is cooked through. If desired, cut or
shred chicken before serving. Serves
over cooked rice or egg noodles.
Serves 4-6

(recipe: ourtableforseven.com)
——————————–

Crockpot Easy Italian Sausage &
Pepper sandwiches

6 Italian sausage links, mild
or spicy
2 medium green bell peppers,
seeded & sliced
1 medium yellow onion,
peeled/halved/sliced into strips
1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce
–
6 Submarine sandwich rolls
–
Place sausages in bottom of
crockpot. Add sliced peppers &
onion. Pour jarred marina
sauce over everything. Cover &
cook on Low 6-8 hours. Serve
on submarine rolls. Serves 6

(recipe: crockpotladies.com)
—————————–

Crockpot Peachs ‘n Cream Dump Cake

1 (21 oz) can peach pie filling
1 box white cake mix
1/2 C. butter, melted
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese
1/4 C. sugar
–
In a bowl mix cream cheese & sugar
until smooth. Pour pie filling in bottom
of crockpot & top with cream cheese
mixture. Sprinkle dry cake mix on top
& spread evenly. Place 6-8 regular-
sized paper towels on top of crockpot
opening & cover with lid. Cook on
High 1-2 hours. Serves 4-6

(recipe: recipesthatcrock.com)
——————————-

Crockpot ‘Hillybilly’ Beans

1/2 lb. ground chuck
1/2 C. chopped onion
1 1/2 C. BBQ sauce
1/3 C. packed light brown sugar
1/2 C. water
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans/drained,
rinsed
1 (15.5 oz) can butter beans, drained
1 (15.5 oz) can pork & beans, not
drained
1/2 C. cooked, crumbled bacon
–
Combine all ingredients in 5 qt
crockpot; mix well. Cover & cook
on High 4 hours or Low 6 hours.
Serve immediately. Serves 8

(recipe: mrfood.com)
———————————-

Crockpot Rustic Potatoes

1 (30 oz) pkg. frozen country-
style hash browns
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of potato
soup, undiluted*
1 1/3 C. milk
1 T. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1 C. (4 oz) shredded sharp Cheddar
cheese
–
Spray insides of crockpot with
nonstick spray. Combine all
ingredients (except cheese) &
pour into crockpot. Cover & cook
on Low 5 hours; stir in cheese &
serve immediately. Serves 8

*you could also substitute
cream of celery or mushroom

(recipe: mrfood.com)
————————————–
Crockpot German Potato Salad

3 onions, thinly sliced
3 (20 oz, ea) pkgs. refrigerated
potato wedges
1/3 C. flour
1/3 C. sugar
1 T. dry mustard
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. celery seeds
1 tsp. black pepper
2 C. water
1 1/4 C. cider vinegar
3 slices bacon, cooked/crumbled
–
Place onions in crockpot; top with
potatos. Stir flour & next 5 ingredients
in large saucepan; gradually whisk
water & vinegar into flour mixture;
stirring well. Cook, whisking constantly,
over medium-high heat until slightly
thickened – pour over potatoes. Cover &
cook on Low 6-7 hours; sprinkle with
bacon & serve warm.
Serves 14

(recipe: mrfood.com)
————————————–

Crockpot Peanut Butter Fudge Cake
(use medium-sized crock, not large)

3/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 C. milk
1/2 C. peanut butter
1 T. coconut oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 T. cocoa powder
1 C. boiling water
–
vanilla ice cream
–
Spray insides of crockpot with
nonstick spray.
In bowl combine 1/4 C. sugar, flour &
baking powder. In another bowl combine
milk, peanut butter, oil & vanilla; whisk
until smooth. Combine milk mixture with
dry ingredients (makes a thick batter.)
Spread batter evenly into crockpot.
In microwave, heat 1 C. water to boiling
(about 3 minutes) then add in remaining
sugar & cocoa powder; whisk to dissolve
sugars. Pour this directly over cake
batter in crockpot. Cover & cook on High
1 1/2 – 2 hours until spongy & springs back
to the touch, it will not be firm. Spoon
into bowls while warm; top with vanilla
ice cream, if desired.

(recipe: thetaylor-house.com)
———————————–

Pasta in Tomato-Basil Sauce

3 (14.5 oz, ea) cans diced tomatoes,
partially drained
1 onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C. olive oil
3 T. dried basil
1 (16 oz) pkg. angel hair pasa,
uncooked
Garnish: grated Parmesan cheese
–
In large saucepan over medium heat
combine all ingredients except pasta
& Parm. cheese – bring to boil. Reduce
heat to Low; cover & simmer 20 minutes,
stirring occasionally. Cook pasta accordg.
to pkg. directions; drain. Serve sauce
over cooked pasta; sprinkle with cheese.
Serves 6-8

(recipe: gooseberrypatch.com)
—————————–

Strawberry Punch

1 (46 oz) can pineapple juice,
chilled
2 1/4 C. water
3/4 C. pink lemonade concentrate,
thawed
3/4 C. sugar
1 quart strawberry ice cream
2 1/2 quarts ginger ale, chilled
1 pint fresh strawberries
–
In large punch bowl combine first
4 ingredients. Add ice cream, stir
gently. Add ginger ale, stir gently.
Cut fresh strawberries & add to
punch. Serve immediately.
Makes 6 quarts

(recipe: Facebook: My Foodies)
———————————–

No-Bake Berry Icebox Cake

19 oz. graham crackers
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese,
softened
2 (3.4 oz, ea) pkgs. vanilla instant
pudding mix
2 1/2 C. cold milk
1 (12 oz) tub Cool Whip, thawed
3 C. fresh strawberries, sliced
1 1/2 C. fresh blueberries
2 oz. white chocolate chips
–
Beat cream cheese & dry pudding
mixes in large bowl using elec. mixer
until blended; gradually beat in milk.
Reserve 1/2 C. Cool Whip – gently stir
rest of Cool Whip into mixture. In
bottom of a 9 X 13″ baking dish spread
a thin layer of Cool Whip just to coat
bottom of pan. Layer 5 graham crackers
across center of the pan, then 2 more,
breaking as needed to fit around the
top & bottom edges. Spread a layer
of pudding mixture over grahams &
top with a layer of blueberries &
sliced strawberries. Place graham
crackers on top of berries, then
pudding mixture, then berries again.
Repeat layers one more time.
Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight
until graham crackers have softened
completely.
When ready to serve, melt white
chocolate chips in a bowl as directed
on pkg. & drizzle over top of dessert.
(You can use a spoon to drizzle it
over tops of berries or you can put
it in a small ziplock bag & snip off
bottom corner of bag & use as a
piping bag – pipe over top.
Serves 12-16

(recipe: cakescottage.com)

========================

Today I finally got to go back to church
after missing two weeks – it was very
nice to be back however I chose NOT
to even attempt to sing (don’t remember
ever having to do that before) but didn’t
want to start coughing/choking/gagging.
Told the choir director that next Sunday,
Lord willing, I’ll be there in my regular
spot – we only have two more Sundays
to sing before the choir takes the summer
off! (Our church will be celebrating 50
years this coming August and the choir
is singing for that so I’m sure there will
be a few practices beforehand, but for
the most part, we’ll be ‘off’ for the
Summer & start up again in September.

Hope you are enjoying a really nice,
relaxing day!

Hugs;

Pammie

I HAD FUN!

Yesterday was an all-day babysitting (9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.) but it was also the opening day of a friend’s new restaurant. My oldest son (the chef) has a close friend/neighbor who decided to open a restaurant in Keego Harbor, MI. ;my  son’s girlfriend (and  grandbaby’s Mother) is the head bartender at this place, also. Son & girlfriend invited my husband & I to said opening (my husband said No – he’s not really fond of large gatherings) so my son said: “Come on, Mom – I’ll pick you up at 6:30 – we’re going!” You see the title of this blog – the place was PACKED with people, all wait staff was hopping – the menu is a little different than I’m used to (more ‘modern’ – for example they had ‘deconstructed crab cakes’ – read that as crab DIP! – we ordered it – it was ‘ok’). The interior is ‘laid back 50’s decor’; we (Son, 10 1/2 yr old grandson, myself & the baby) ordered appetizers: Crab DIP, nachos & grandson ordered bacon-wrapped shrimp (with jalapeno inside & maple/sriracha dip) – crab dip I already commented on, shrimp was tasty but the nachos came on a HUGE plate, heaping with really tasty nachos! Son said they make the chips themselves using won ton wrappers they cut into wedges & deep fry – they were light, very thin & tasty! We stayed 2 1/2 hours; girlfriend was REALLY hopping, her parents came, too; our friend the new owner had about 30 family there – a great evening! Middle son & his girlfriend (& her girl friend) also came just about when we were leaving – lots of people/music/food – hoping it really makes a go of it there. (I noticed when we left there is an Italian restaurant right next door – son said it’s more upscale, so no competition but directly across the street is ANOTHER restaurant, about the same venue – we’ll see where this goes.) Guess I should list the name of the new restaurant: Doc & June (I know, weird name plus the sign is written really strangely – told son they might have trouble with people understanding just WHAT it is by their sign). I should also explain: the DOC is the back part of the restaurant – they will (eventually, as soon as all gets DONE) make that into a little ‘store’ where you can pick up quick sub sandwiches, veggies, breads, etc. The owner/friend said that there really isn’t any place close by for people to grab quick fresh foods so hope that part ‘goes’ well, also.

Babysitting again today, but only for a few hours; I’m really anxious to hear the ‘war stories’ from last night (from the baby’s Mom). Both oldest son & his girlfriend have been having TONS of work trouble: staff coming in late or leaving early (or just plain not coming at all), yesterday the main computer at son’s restaurant went down hence no way to (quickly) get customer’s bills/room orders, etc. – since son is Exec. Chef, that also meant all restaurant/bar orders had to be hand-done, then backed up on another computer, etc. Crazy stressful! Both son & his girlfriend have been working horrible amounts of hours for the past 2 weeks, really hoping this calms down SOON! They were able to get away for 2 days to her parent’s cabin over the weekend so that helped son (and baby behaved beautifully!).

On the health end, I’m kind of getting better – not quite so fatigued – YAY! Throat is not as sore, but still at any given moment when I go to speak, I’m suddenly totally out of breath & coughing up a storm. (I can see I won’t be singing any time soon – that makes me sad, as our church choir only has 3 more Sundays to sing before we take 2 months off for Summer). Oh well – you do what you have to do (or in my case, what you CAN do, right?)

================

Pineapple Fluff Salad

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened
condensed milk
1/4 C. lemon juice
2 (20 oz, ea) pineapple tidbits,
drained
1 1/2 C. multicolored miniature
marshmallows, divided
1 (8 oz)  tub Cool Whip, thawed
1/2 C. chopped nuts
1/3 C. maraschino cherries, chopped
–
In large serving bowl beat cream cheese,
milk & lemon juice until smooth.
Add pineapple & 1 C. marshmallows;
fold in Cool Whip. Sprinkle top with
nuts, cherries & remaining marsh-
mallows. Refrigerate 1 hour (also
refrigerate any leftovers).
Serves 16 (1/2 C. each)

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
——————————-

Hawaiian Garlic Butter Shrimp

1 lb. (26/30) shrimp, deveined/
shell on
2 T. olive oil
2 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 C. flour
8 T. unsalted butter, cut into
1″ pieces
10 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T. dry white wine
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 T. chopped parsley
–
For Serving:
cooked white rice
lemon wedges
pineapple
–
In large ziplock bag place shrimp, oil,
paprika, cayenne, salt/pepper & toss
well to coat, making sure all shrimp
are evenly coated. Seal bag & refrigerate
at least 30 minutes/up to 24 hours.
When ready to prepare, remove from
fridge. Add flour to a shallow baking
dish; dredge shrimp on both sides
in flour. Heat a large saute pan on
medium heat; add butter & melt.
Add garlic & saute 30 seconds then
add shrimp. Cook 3 minutes per side
until cooked through. Add wine &
lemon juice; stir to combine. Continue
to cook 1 minute; remove from heat
& garnish with parsley.
Divide shrimp among 4 plates &
serve immediately with side of rice,
lemon wedge pineapple.
Serves 4

(recipe: cookingwithcocktailrings.com)

————————————

Ramen Noodle Summer Salad

3 pkgs. ramen noodles, uncooked
3 C. finely shredded cabbage
1/2 C. thinly sliced celery
1/2 C. finely shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 C. diced carrot
1/4 C. vegetable oil
2 T. white vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. white pepper
paprika, to garnish
–
Prepare ramen noodles according to
pkg. directions but do not add spice
packets, drain. In large bowl combine
noodles, cabbage, celery, cheese & carrot.
In small bowl blend oil, vinegar, sugar,
seasoned salt, dry mustard & pepper;
stir in add to noodle mixture – toss to
coat. Chill thoroughly. Toss gently before
serving & sprinkle with paprika before
serving. Serves 8

(recipe: recipelion.com)
—————————————-

Creamy Tortellini Skillet
(with or without sausage)

12 oz. turkey sausage
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. canola oil
1 (19 oz) pkg. frozen tortellini
1 1/2 C. spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 C. chicken broth
3/4 C. Half & Half
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
–
Slice sausage into coin-sized pieces.
In large skillet over medium heat add
canola oil, garlic & sausage; cook until
brown. Pour in spaghetti sauce, chicken
broth & Half & Half, stir to combine
well. Add frozen tortellini & stir to mix.
Increase heat to boil then reduce heat
& cover with lid. Cook 12-15 minutes
until pasta is tender. Sprinkle top with
Parmesan cheese before serving.
Serves 6

(recipe: ourtableforseven.com)
—————————

Cracker Barrel Sunday
Homestyle Chicken

oil for frying
4 boneless, skinless chicken
breasts
2 C. flour
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 C. buttermilk*
1/2 C. water
–
Pour 3-4 inches of oil into a deep
fryer or large pot – preheat oil
to 350 degrees F.

Seasoned flour:
Combine flour, salt/pepper in
a bowl – stir to combine well.
In another bowl mix buttermilk &
water. (NOTE: if your chicken breasts
are not fairly uniform in size, place
them between 2 slices of waxed paper
& gently pound them out with a meat
pounder until they are more uniform in
size – this helps with even cooking times)
Pat breasts dry with paper towel. Season
chicken with salt/pepper then dredge in
flour, dip in buttermilk, then dredge again
in seasoned flour. Deep-fry chicken in hot
oil, turn breasts during cooking to make
sure both sides are golden brown (about
7-8 minutes for each one). Drain chicken
on a wire rack. Serves 2

*If you don’t have buttermilk:
Pour 1 T. vinegar or lemon juice in a
1-cup measuring cup & fill cup to
1 cup with milk. Stir & let stand
5 minutes – now you have buttermilk!

(recipe: copykat.com)
————————————-

(Copycat) KFC Coleslaw

2 heads green cabbage, chopped
fine (approx. 20 C.)
1 C. chopped fine carrot
2 C. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 C. buttermilk*
1 C. whole milk
2 C. real mayonnaise
1/4 C. white vinegar
2 T. fresh lemon juice
–
In very large container (note: Poster
uses a 8 quart container), mix cabbage
& carrots until well blended. In large
bowl combine sugar, salt, pepper,
buttermilk, whole milk, mayo, vinegar
& lemon juice – whisk until well blended
& smooth – pour over cabbage/carrot
mixture & mix very well. Cover & chill
at least 2 hours prior to serving. When
ready to serve, stir once again, very well.
Serves at least 20

*If you don’t have buttermilk:
Pour 1 T. lemon juice or vinegar into
a 2-cup measuring cup – fill rest of
cup to 2 cup mark with milk – stir & let
stand 5 minutes – now you have
buttermilk!

(recipe: chindeep.com)
——————————

Pecan Cobbler Dump Cake

6 T. butter (no substitutes)
1 C. pecans
1 1/2 C. self-rising flour
1 1/2 C. granulated sugar
2/3 C. milk (more, if needed)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 C. packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 C. hot water
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Add butter to a 9 X 13″ baking dish &
melt in oven. Swirl butter around in
pan to coat bottom then sprinkle
nuts over butter. In a bowl mix flour,
sugar, milk & vanilla – stir to combine
but do not over mix. Pour batter over
butter & nuts – do not mix. Sprinkle
brown sugar evenly over batter – do
not stir. Carefully pour hot water over
mixture – do not stir. Bake 30-35
minutes until golden brown.

(recipe: callmepmc.com)
———————————–

Fresh Tomato & Cucumber Salad

1/4  C. lemon juice
1/4 C. olive oil
1 T. minced fresh basil (or 1 tsp.
dried)
1 T. white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. minced fresh mint (or
1/4 tsp. dried)
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
4 plum tomatoes, seeded/chopped
2 medium cucumbers, chopped
1/2 C. Greek olives, sliced
2 C. torn mixed salad greens
3/4 C. crumbed feta cheese
1/4 C. pine nuts, toasted
–
In small bowl whisk first 8 ingredients.
In large bowl combine tomatoes,
cucumbers & olives; drizzle with half
of dressing & toss to coat. Arrange
salad greens on large serving plate;
spoon tomato mixture over top. Sprinkle
top with cheese & pine nuts then
drizzle with remaining dressing.
Serves 6

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
——————————–
Colorful Corn  & Bean Salad

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained/
rinsed
1 (13 oz) jar corn relish
1/2 C. canned kidney beans (rinsed)
1/2 C. quartered cherry tomatoes
1/2 C. chopped celery
1/4 C. chopped sweet orange bell
pepper
1/4 C. sliced pimiento-stuffed olives
2 tsp. minced fresh parsley
–
In large bowl combine all ingredients.
Cover & refrigerate until serving
Makes 12 servings (1/2 C. each)

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
——————————–

Bacon-Cheddar Chicken &
Potatoes

1/4 C. Ranch salad dressing
6 large bone-in chicken thighs,
skin & fat removed
4 slices bacon
1 1/2 lb. red skin potatoes (about
5) cut into 1″ chunks
1 onion, cut into 1/2″ chunks
1 C. (Kraft) shredded Triple
Cheddar cheese
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
–
Marinade:
Pour salad dressing over chicken
in a shallow dish & refrigerate
30 minutes.

Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Cook bacon in large skillet on
medium heat until crisp; remove
from skillet, reserving 1 T. drippings
i skillet. Drain bacon on paper towels.
Add potatoes & onions to skillet & cook
6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove
from heat & crumble bacon – add to
potato mixture & mix lightly. Spoon
into 9 X 13″ baking dish. Remove
chicken from marinade (discard
marinade) – place chicken over potato
mixture & bake 55  minutes to 1 hour
until potatoes are tender & chicken is
fully cooked (165 degrees F. ). Top
with cheese & parsley. Serves 6

(recipe: kraftrecipes.com)
——————————-

Crockpot Elvis Pudding Cake

1 (3.4 oz) pkg. instant banana cream
pudding mix
3 C. cold milk
1 pkg. yellow cake mix (regular size)
1/2 C. creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 C. peanut butter chips
1/2 C. chocolate chips
–
Optional toppings:
Whipped cream (or Cool Whip),
sliced fresh bananas
–
Spray insides of crockpot with nonstick
spray. In medium bowl whisk pudding mix
& milk 2 minutes – let stand another
2 minutes until soft-set – pour into crockpot.
Prepare cake mix accordg. to pkg. directions,
add in 1/2 C. peanut butter; pour cake
batter over pudding. Cover & cook on Low
3-3 1/2 hours. Sprinkle peanut butter chips &
chocolate chips on top. Cover crockpot but
turn it off. Let stand 15 minutes to partially
melt the chips. Serve warm with optional
toppings. Serves 12

(recipe: spicysouthernkitchen.com)

=====================

Our weather has been very nice- mid 70’s
most days & sunny (can’t beat that!). Hope
you are beginning to enjoy this upcoming
Summer.

Enjoy your day!

Hugs;

Pammie