Welcome to SUMMER!

The sun is shining brightly (very little breeze) and we’re supposed to get up to 90 degrees F. today! I was out in it earlier – trip to library, Krogers & Gordon Food Service and am happily ensconced in my nice air-conditioned house writing to you!

Was a bit shocked to see that our gas prices are up, again: $2.75/9 (last time I checked they were in the $2.50 range – sigh).

While shopping I was ‘thinking’ about buying some pork spare ribs – saw a BIG package of them for $101.00!!! (now that I think about it – I believe they were beef, not pork – but really – WHO has that kind of money to buy those??? . . . guessing, obviously SOMEBODY does or they wouldn’t have them for sale, right?) Whew! Now THAT’S what I call Sticker Shock! Our local Krogers is going through an entire store re-do which makes shopping almost twice as long as you attempt to find items you ‘used’ to know where they were! I ran around many aisles just trying to find cookies, paper towels and dried cranberries (yes, I know – weird assortment, but hey! we needed them!). Finally found the cookie aisle moved WAY up by the checkout – sigh (will have to remember that for future reference). While they are doing this re-model they moved SOME of the fruits to the very front of the store (where ALL of the produce used to be) . . . mind you, LAST week they had the fresh fruits (strawberries/blueberries/blackberries, etc) up front. Today they moved the entire BAKERY to that area! Go figure! I just sort of thought: “Check off that area as I’m never going there again!” Sigh…they moved the bread/buns aisle by the veggies/produce – WHY? What kind of logic is THAT? Their logic is way beyond me . . . I know when Meijers first opened they offered customers maps on sheets of paper so you could FIND what you were looking for – think I might just send a suggestion to Kroger.com for that very thing. I saw a LOT of frustrated customers attempting to find what they USED to buy and KNEW where it was. Change – I’m not one for much of that…

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No-Bake Peach Chiffon Pie

1/4 C. water
1 pkg. peach Jell-O
2 (6 oz, ea) tubs peach yogurt
1 (8 oz) tub Cool Whip, thawed
1 C. peaches or oranges, diced
6 peach slices, for garnish
1 graham cracker pie crust
–
Mix water & Jell-O in glass bowl
& microwave on High 1 minute.
Whisk in yogurt & Cool Whip; stir
in diced peaches then pour into
crust. Refrigerate until set. Top
with peach slices before serving.
Serves 6

(recipe: realhousemoms.com)
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Crockpot Honey Buffalo Turkey Breast

1 (3 lb) turkey breast, bone in, skin on
1 C. Franks Red Hot (original)
1/4 C. honey
1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 tsp. melted butter
–
Place turkey breast in crockpot. In
small bowl combine Frank’s Hot sauce,
honey & pepper – stir until smooth. Pour
half of sauce over turkey (save remaining
sauce in fridge). Cover & cook on Low 5
hours. Heat remaining sauce in microwave
until warmed. Remove turkey breast &
remove skin & bone. Slice & serve with
warmed sauce. Serves 6

(recipe: themagicalslowcooker.com)
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 Garlic Butter Salmon

5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C. grated Parmesan (plus
more for serving)
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
4 T. melted butter
kosher salt
3 zucchini, cut into half moons
2 T. olive oil
4 (6 oz, ea) salmon fillets
ground black pepper
torn fresh parsley (garnish)
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
In medium bowl mix garlic, Parm.
cheese, Italian seasoning & melted
butter – season with salt.
Parchment Packets:
Cut four sheets of parchment; place
1/4 of zucchini in middle & drizzle
with 1/2 T. olive oil. Place salmon
on top & brush with garlic butter
marinade; season with pepper.
Bring two sheets together & fold
down over salmon then tightly roll up
sides-repeat until you have four packs.
Place packs on a baking sheet & bake
15 minutes, until salmon is cooked
through. Open packs, garnish with
parsley & Parmesan cheese. Serves 4

(recipe: delish.com)
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5 Gallon Party Punch

5 gallon drink dispense
1 (12 oz) can frozen lemonade
concentrate
1 (12 oz) can frozen orange juice
concentrate
1 (12 oz) can frozen pink
lemonade concentrate
1 (46 oz) can pineapple juice
4-6 pkgs. Peach Mango Kool-Aid
4 C. sugar
3-4 pkgs. Orange Crystal Light
water
1 (regular size) pkg. ice
2 (2 liter, ea) bottles Sprite or 7-Up
–
In bottom of drink dispenser place
frozen lemonade, frozen orange
juice, frozen pink lemonade, Kool-Aid,
4 C. sugar, pineapple juice & 3 pkgs.
Crystal Light. Pour 1 pitcher full of
water over top & stir well, allowing
frozen concentrates to melt &
incorporate. Add ice – stir to combine.
Add enough water to fill to 4-gallon
marker (on inside of dispenser) or
until there are about 5 inches of space
remaining in container. Add Sprite or
7 UP & stir well. Taste & add another
pkg. of either Kool Aid or Crystal Lite
if it’s not a potent as you would like.
Cover container & serve.

(recipe: jamiecooksitup.net)
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Zucchini Cheddar Puff Casserole

2 lb. zucchini or yellow squash (sliced
1/4″ thick) 7 Cups
1 C. sour cream
2 egg yolks, beaten
2 T. flour
1/2 tsp. onion salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
3 egg whites
4 T. seasoned bread crumbs
2 tsp. butter
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray a 9 X 13″ baking dish with
nonstick spray.
In medium saucepan cook squash,
covered, in a small amount of water
3-5 minutes. Drain well & spread evenly
prepared dish. In a bowl, combine sour
cream, egg yolk, flour, onion, salt/pepper;
stir in cheese. In another bowl beat egg
whites until fluffy, stiff peaks form; fold
into sour cream mixture – spoon onto
squash in dish. Mix bread crumbs & butter
& sprinkle over top. Bake 20-25 minutes.
Serves 4-6

(recipe: simply-gourmet.com)
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Pork Chop Casserole with Rice

1/4 C. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
4 (1-inch thick) boneless pork chops
2 T. vegetable oil, divided
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced (about 2 C)
1 C. finely chopped onion
2 T. chopped fresh basil
salt/pepper
1 (14.5 oz) can beef broth
1 (10.5 oz) can golden mushroom soup
1 1/2 C. rice mix*
—
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Lightly spray 9 X 13″ baking dish
with nonstick spray. Place flour,
salt/pepper into zip-lock bag & shake
to mix. Add chops & shake to lightly
coat. In large heavy skillet (big enough
to hold all of chops) heat 1 T. oil over
medium-high heat until oil shimmers.
Add chops & brown about 3 minutes
on each side until golden brown. Remove
from pan to a plate & add remaining oil
to pan; saute onions & mushrooms until
onions are translucent & mushrooms begin
to brown, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with
additional salt/pepper & fresh basil. In a
bowl, mix broth & soup until well
combined – microwave 2 minutes on
High until hot. Place rice in baking dish &
pour soup mixture over. Arrange chops on
top & spoon mushroom mixture over &
around chops. Cover with foil & bake 45
minutes until rice is tender & has absorbed
most of liquid. If there is too much liquid,
remove foil & return to oven, uncovered,
10 minutes. Serves 4

*Any type of rice will work but poster
prefers a mixture of long grain & wild
rice for color/flavor/nutritional value

(recipe: allfreecasserolerecipes.com)
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Creamy Dill Corn-on-the-Cob
(crockpot)

4 ears corn
1 C. whipping cream
1/4 C. fresh dill, chopped
2 T. butter, melted
1/4 C. water
salt, to taste
–
Chop each ear of corn into 3 sections &
place in crockpot. Combine melted
butter & water together & pour over
corn. Cover & cook on High 1 1/2 hours
or Low 3 hours. In a bowl combine
cream & dill; mix well. When corn is
cooked, pour cream/dill over corn-
stir cobs around to coat completely.
When serving, sprinkle with salt, to
taste.

(recipe: just2sisters.com)
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Garden Pea Salad

2 cans very young early peas, drained
very well
1/4 C. chopped onion
2 hard boiled eggs, crumbled
2-3 T. mayonnaise
chopped pimento (optional)
–
Place peas, onions, eggs & mayo
in large bowl & stir to combine.
Season to taste, add pimento,
if using.

(recipe: Paula Dean)
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Mozzarella Stick Onion Rings

2 large white onions
3-4 slices mozzarella cheese
2 C. flour
5 eggs
2 C. bread crumbs
oil, for frying
–
marinara sauce – for dipping
–
Peel & cut onions into rings, then
separate rings. Slice cheese into 4
even strips & place a smaller onion
ring in center of a larger one. Fill the
gap between the rings with strips of
cheese – repeat with remaining rings/
cheese & freeze them 1 hour.
Place flour, eggs & bread crumbs in three
separate shallow dishes (pie plates work
well). Dip each frozen ring into flour, then
egg, then breadcrumbs then back into egg
and one last time into breadcrumbs. Repeat
with remaining rings.
Heat oil in large pot over high heat. Fry rings
until golden brown, being careful not to fry
them too long as cheese may ooze out
completely. Drain rings on paper towels &
serve with marinara. Makes 9-12 rings

(recipe: buzzfeed.com)
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Frozen Desert Treat

1 large box strawberry Jell-O
1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen strawberries
1 (15 oz) can crushed pineapple,
drained
1 (8 oz) tub Cool Whip, thawed
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 bananas, sliced
1/2 – 1 C. chopped nuts, optional
–
Mix all ingredients together in a large
bowl; pour into 9 X 13″ baking dish.
Place in freezer for a few hours or
overnight.

(recipe: Vicki Suddaby-Facebook)

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On the subject of ‘change’ – I have never been
one to have patience when it comes to learning
something new (well – except in the area of
crafts) . . . today I was perusing the Kroger ad
for groceries and noticed they had devoted the
entire inside/center pages to a ‘new’ thing: a
Kroger coupon “app”. I mentioned it to middle
son (who LOVES delving into anything techie)
and he said: “Oh, yeah Mom – that’s real easy!”
I (of course) ask for his help and he gets me almost
set up – (I had to go to the ‘app’ store on my phone
and set up an account there & get that synced
with my Kroger account. THEN you’re supposed
to click on the coupons you want to use that
day and when you’re in the checkout – you
show the cashier your phone ‘app’ and it
automatically applies those coupons to your
account – DIDN’T THEIR OLD system do that
just using your Kroger card? GOOFY! I did a few
coupons-to-phone then thought about it: I am
NOT one to remember WHICH coupons I loaded
onto the phone LET ALONE remember to go TO
the app. & then show it – FORGET IT! Yep, I’ll
admit it – I’m TOO OLD for this stuff! I’ll just be
happy using my PAPER/I-CLIPPED-THEM-MYSELF
coupons, thank you! (You can now officially
call me an “OLD FOGIE’! (sp?) For the few cents
I’d save using my phone app – I’ll just pass,
thank you.

Hope you’re having a GOOD, STRESS-FREE day!

Hugs;

Pammie

Shopping – Shopping!

Today found me making another trip to the grocery store (second this week) – it seems we were really low on Chicken Noodle Soup. Husband is down with what we think is Bronchitis (he helped his cousin with his phones in cousin’s basement; husband said that the basement smelled moldy). While shopping at our local Meijers I was in the soup aisle and happened to look at the boxed soups/broths. I make a really zippy/tasty Chinese Hot & Sour Chicken Soup using Swanson’s Hot & Sour Chicken broth BUT . . . I just noticed they also have a Mexican Tortilla-flavor-infused broth – that got me thinking! On the back of the box is a recipe for Mexican Tortilla Soup – guess what WE’RE having for dinner tonight! I figure – it will be a little spicy and hot which should help husband feel a little better – we’ll see! (I’ll add the recipe, below). Husband made a comment last night when getting out my very old 2 qt. saucepan – “These are getting REALLY ratty – you should think about getting some new ones!” (I have 2 – they both are circa “My Aunt” – let’s see – she died around 1970??? Yep, they’re OLD! While at Meijer I wandered down the pots & pans aisle where I found two VERY NICE, heavy 3 qt saucepans ON SALE! Regularly: $29.99 – I got them for $17.00 each! When I got to the checkout I noticed that one rang up as $17 and one as $18 – so I mentioned it to the cashier. He said “You’re right – same pot! Let me find a department here” and he started typing into his register. “There!” he said – and promptly gave me a $2.00 off ‘discount’ in the SPORTING GOODS DEPARTMENT! HA! Works for me!

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Mexican Tortilla Soup

1 tsp. cooking oil
1 C. diced onion
2 large jalapeno peppers/
seeded & chopped (about 1/2 C.)
2 T. tomato paste
1/2 C. whole kernel corn (can be
frozen)
1 C. black beans, rinsed/drained
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes,
undrained (or 3 small tomatoes,
diced)
1 (32 oz) carton Swanson Mexican
Tortilla flavor infused broth
2 C. shredded, cooked chicken
–
tortilla chips or strips
–
Heat oil in 6 qt saucepan over
medium-high heat. Add onion &
peppers; cook 2 minutes until tender-
crisp, stirring occasionally. Stir in
tomato paste, corn, beans, tomatoes,
broth & chicken – heat to boiling.
Reduce heat to Low; cook 5 minutes,
stirring occasionally. Serve topped
with tortilla chips or strips.
Serves 8 (1 cup each)

Suggested toppings:
diced avocado
sour cream
chopped fresh cilantro
lime wedges

(I plan on changing this up a bit:
instead of the jalapenos I’m going
to add some medium salsa and
using some flour tortillas, spraying
them with nonstick spray – slicing
them into strips & broiling them
to crisp them up. Also using
canned corn (not frozen). My
family really likes this kind of
soup so I’m going to double the
recipe. Also bought Fajita chicken
strips (frozen) to put in the soup.

(recipe: Swansonbroth.com)
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Creamy Cucumber Salad

1 lb. English cucumbers (about
1 medium) sliced 1/8″ thick
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 C. sour cream
3 T. mayonnaise
2 T. finely chopped fresh dill,
chives or both
1 T. white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. white sugar
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black
pepper
–
Place a colander or fine-mesh strainer
over a large bowl. Add cucumbers &
1/2 tsp. salt-toss to combine. Let set
at room temp. 1 hour.
–
Under running water, rinse cucumbers
removing all excess salt. Line a work
surface with 1 layer paper towels. Using
your hands, remove cucumbers from
strainer & arrange in a flat, even layer
on paper towels. Top with another
layer of paper towels & gently press
to absorb any moisture. Discard
liquid in bowl & wipe dry. Combine
sour cream, mayonnaise, herbs,
vinegar, pepper, sugar & remaining
1/4 tsp. salt in bowl. Add cucumbers &
stir to evenly coat. Serve immediately
or refrigerate in an airtight container
up to 24 hours. Serves 4

(recipe: allfoods.com)
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Creamy Zucchini & Spinach Rigatoni

3 C. (1/2 of 16oz. pkg) rigatoni pasta,
uncooked
1 tsp. oil
1 zucchini, sliced
1/2 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. flour
1/4 tsp. each:
dried basil
oregano
crushed red pepper
1 C. chicken broth
4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1 (6 oz) pkg. baby spinach leaves
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 C. mozzarella cheese, divided
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Cook pasta in large saucepan as
directed on pkg. omitting salt. Heat
oil in large skillet on medium heat;
add zucchini, mushrooms & garlic.
Cook & stir 3-4 minutes until
zucchini is crisp-tender. Add flour &
seasonings, cook & stir 1 minute.
Stir in broth & cook, stirring, 2-3
minutes until thickened. Add cream
cheese, cook & stir 2-3 minutes
until melted. Drain pasta, return to
pan. Add zucchini mixture, spinach,
Parm. cheese & 1/2 C. mozzarella;
mix lightly. Spoon into 2 qt.
casserole dish sprayed with nonstick
spray. Top with remaining mozzarella.
Bake 10 minutes until cheese is melted.
Serves 6 (1 1/3 C. each)

(recipe: Kraft recipes)
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The Best ‘No-Bake’ Bars Ever!

1 C. peanut butter
1/2 C. honey
1/2 C. unrefined coconut oil*
2 C. dry oats (not instant)
1 C. shredded coconut
1/2 C. chopped walnuts (optional)
1 1/4 C. dark chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla
–
Melt peanut butter & coconut oil over
medium-low heat. Once melted, remove
from heat & add oats, shredded coconut,
choc. chips & vanilla; stir until chocolate
is entirely melted. Pour into a 9 X 13″
pan & cool in refrigerator. When set,
cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

*BE SURE to use unrefined for coconut
flavor

(recipe: goingfabulous.com)
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Savory Spinach Chicken
(one person recipe)

1 boneless skinless chicken breast
half (5 oz)
4 T. Italian salad dressing, divided
3 C. fresh baby spinach
dash salt
1 slice Provolone cheese
–
Place 3 T. salad dressing in large
ziplock bag; add chicken. Seal bag
& turn to coat. Refrigerate at least
2 hours. Drain & discard marinade.
In small skillet, brown chicken on
each side; remove & keep warm.
In same skillet saute spinach,
remaining salad dressing & salt until
spinach is wilted; drain.
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Place chicken in shallow baking dish
sprayed with nonstick spray. Top with
spinach & cheese & bake, uncovered,
18-22 minutes until juices run clear.
Serves 1

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
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Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

1 1/4 C. butter, softened
1 1/2 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 C. flour
3/4 C. baking cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. plain yogurt
1 C. grated zucchini
1 C. grated carrots
1 (16 oz) can chocolate frosting
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
In large bowl cream butter & sugar
until light & fluffy. Add eggs, one-at-
a-time, beating well after each
addition. Stir in vanilla; combine
flour, baking cocoa, baking powder,
baking soda & salt – add to creamed
mixture alternately with yogurt, beating
well after each addition. Fold in zucchini
& carrots. Fill paper-lined muffin cups
two-thirds full. Bake 18-22 minutes until
a toothpick inserted near center comes
out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan before
removing from pans to wire racks to cool
completely. Frost cupcakes. Makes 21
cupcakes.

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
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Sloppy Joe/Tater Tot Casserole

1 T. oil
1 1/4 lb. ground beef
2 tsp. steak seasoning
1 medium onion, chopped
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 C. tomato sauce
2 T. tomato paste
1/4 C. brown sugar
3/4 tsp. vinegar
1 bag tater tots
salt/pepper
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray 9″ X 9″ baking pan with nonstick
spray. Add oil to skillet; heat over medium
heat. Cook ground beef, brown sugar &
steak seasoning. Add Worc. sauce & onion;
cook until onions are translucent then add
tomato paste, tomato sauce & vinegar.
Stir & cook 5 minutes. Place a single layer
of tater tots on bottom of prepared pan.
Pour meat mixture on top; season with
salt/pepper. Bake 30-45 minutes until
tater tots are golden brown & mixture is
bubbling up the sides.

(recipe: everydaymadefresh.com)
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Bacon-wrapped Chicken Roll-ups

3 large chicken breasts (about 2 lb)
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened*
22 strips pre-cooked bacon, divided
4 green onions, minced
3 mushrooms, minced
3/4 tsp. granulated garlic
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 T. dried parsley
salt/pepper
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Place one chicken breast in large
gallon-sized ziplock bag; seal &
pound chicken out flat. (you want
it to be as flat as you can get it,
about 1/4 inch thick). Cut in half
using kitchen scissors; repeat with
rest of breasts. In medium bowl
mix cream cheese*, green onions,
minced bacon & mushrooms. Add
granulated garlic, onion powder, parsley
& salt/pepper – stir well to combine.
Sprinkle a bit of salt & pepper over each
chicken breast then spoon about 2 T.
cream cheese mixture onto each breast.
Roll up chicken & wrap 2-3 pieces of bacon
around each one** . Spray a 9 X 13″ pan
with nonstick spray and place chicken rolls
in it. Bake, uncovered, 30-40 minutes until
insides of chicken are cooked through & no
longer pink. Remove from oven & cover with
foil. Allow to sit 5 minutes, then serve.
Serves 6

*If cream cheese is hard, place on a plate
& microwave about 30 seconds to soften
it up – makes it much easier to work with

**If bacon is hard to manipulate, place

on a plate & heat in microwave about

20 seconds to make it more pliable.

(recipe:jamiecooksitup.net)
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Gas prices today – SHOCKER! They went from
$2.19/9 yesterday to $2.39/9 overnight! YUCK!
(glad I filled up Tuesday!)

Grabbed some variegated pink/blue/white baby
yarn today – Hey! A girl’s gotta have a passion,
right? Sewing the crocheted squares together
today – we’ll see when I have time to crochet
the border on.

Weather is STILL SUPER NICE! 80’s & sunny with
a slight breeze – MY KIND OF WEATHER!

Have a great day!

Hugs;

Pammie

Love me some Bargains!

Stopped at JoAnn’s today and found these – both discontinued boucle – (normally around $9-10) for $4.50 each – I will probably be able to get about 4-5 men’s scarves out of them combined with the donated yarns I already have. The one on the left is shades of grey & black, the one on the right is shades of dark browns – I hadn’t planned on buying any yarn BUT was really hoping to find some boucle – YAY! (These skeins are the thinner boucle – the stuff they’re putting out now is MUCH thicker – not what I wanted – so glad to find these. Yes, I ‘could’ have bought more but decided I was just fine with just two!).

Stopped at Office Depot for printer ink for the next special needs group’s Sept/Oct, 2015 newsletter and was able to get a good bargain on printer paper: $3.00 a pkg./400 sheets each. I LOVE when the stores start putting out school supplies – normally printer paper runs about $5.00 a pkg. so when it’s on sale is when I stock up. Got a little 2-hole manual pencil sharpener (for my eye brow pencil) for a penny and a roll of clear heavy-duty packing tape for $1.00. The ‘score’ of the day was when I turned in 5 empty printer cartridges and the gentleman said that (since I’m enrolled in their “Max Perks” program) I will be getting a $10.00 gift card in September for turning in all my empty cartridges – Double YAY!

Left there and stopped at “Wally – World” (WalMart) – I rarely go there, it’s about 20 minutes from my house and I don’t usually have a need to go but thought I could pick up a few groceries – and I did. Mountain Dew 2 liters was $1.49 (that’s pretty good) – ended up getting a few IMPULSE buys (I was hungry!) – like a tub of already made up Red Potato Salad (has dill – really yummy!) and a tub of Mustard Potato salad (also pretty good), a tub of Black Olive hummus (another of my snack foods with a few crackers – yummy AND good for you – protein!). They had a really nice loaf of French bread with garlic & various herbs/seeds marked down for $.50 so that will become Garlic Bread to go with spaghetti for dinner tonight. All-in-all not a bad shopping trip today!

I noticed that my local Clark gas station has dropped their prices to $2.82/9 a gallon – keep it up – keep DROPPING!

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Orange Molasses Pork Chops

2 lbs (6 chops) thick-cut pork chops
1/4 C. molasses
1/4 c. orange juice concentrate
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 T. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. vegetable oil
–
Marinade:
Stir together molasses, orange
juice, apple cider vinegar, Dijon
mustard, garlic powder & salt.
Place in a zip lock bag & add chops –
seal tightly. Refrigerate at least
2 hours (or longer, if desired). When
ready to cook: head 2 T. veg. oil in
large, heavy skillet over medium-
high heat. When oil is very hot
(it may look wavy in pan) add chops.
Cook about 7 minutes on each side
& marinade has reduced to a thick
sauce. (No need to pour all of
marinade into skillet – the amount
that comes off the chops when cooking
will be plenty to make a nice sauce)
Discard extra marinade from bag.
Serve chops hot.

(recipe: Courtney Luper – Facebook)
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Warm Peach Delight
(per serving)

3 large fresh peaches, cut in half
3 tsp. butter
6 tsp. brown sugar, divided
1 tsp. slivered almonds (optional)
sprinkling of ground cinnamon, to taste
6 T. Cool Whip (thawed) or whipped
cream
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Place cut peaches, skin sides down,
in baking dish. Place 1/2 tsp. butter
in center of each peach & top each
with 1 tsp. brown sugar; sprinkle
with cinnamon & slivered almonds.
Bake until peaches are tender, about
30  minutes. Broil tops then top
with Cool Whip or whipped cream.
Serve warm.

(recipe: Courtney Luper – Facebook)
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Summer Corn Chowder

8 ears corn, fresh sweet yellow
3 T. butter
5 slices bacon, cut into 1/4 – 1/2″
pieces
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/4 C. flour
1 clove garlic, minced
5 C. water
1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into
1/2″ pieces
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
salt/fresh ground black pepper
1 C. Half & Half
1 T. honey
2-3 T. chopped fresh chives
shredded Cheddar cheese, for
serving (optional)
–
Melt butter in large pot over medium
heat; add onion & bacon – cook,
stirring frequently, until onion has
softened & just started to brown around
edges, about 8-10 minutes. Add flour &
garlic; cook 1 1/2 minutes. Using whisk,
slowly pour in 5 C. water; bring to a boil,
stirring constantly. Stir in corn kernels &
potatoes. Add thyme & bay leaf; season
with salt/pepper, to taste. Bring to light
boil; reduce heat to medium-low & simmer,
stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender,
about 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf then
transfer 2 1/2 C. to a blender & blend until
smooth. Stir mixture back into pot & stir
in Half & Half and honey. Sprinkle each serving
with chives & Cheddar cheese, if using.
Makes 6 servings

(recipe: cookingclassy.com)
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Apple Pecan Crisp

1 C. brown sugar
1 C. rolled oats
1 C. flour
1/2 C. butter, melted
4 C. apples peeled/cored/
chopped
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 C. sugar
1 C. chopped pecans
–
Caramel ice cream syrup, for
drizzling
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Lightly grease two 8 inch round
cake pans. In large bowl combine
brown sugar, oats, flour & butter;
mix until crumbly. Place half of
mixture in each pan; spread
apples over mixture. Mix together
1/4 C. sugar & cinnamon; sprinkle
over apples then top with remaining
crumb mixture. Sprinkle chopped nuts
on top & bake 40-45 minutes until
golden brown. Drizzle caramel on top
before serving.

(recipe: Courtney Luper – Facebook)
——————————-

Baked Cod with Lemon Butter

6 T. melted butter, divided
4-6 oz cod fillets, about 1 1/2″
thick
salt/pepper
1/2 C. Panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
2 tsp. fresh or dried chopped
parsley
fresh lemon juice
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Pour 4 T. melted butter into 2 qt.
casserole dish. Season both sides
of fish with salt/pepper & place
in dish on top of melted butter.
In small bowl stir bread crumbs,
lemon zest & parsley then drizzle
in remaining 2 T. melted butter. Toss
with a fork until bread crumbs are
evenly coated in butter. Divide
crumbs evenly over top of fish.
Bake 18-20 minutes until cod is cooked
through & flakes easily when pierced
with fork. Remove from oven & transfer
fish to serving platter. Add a few drops
of lemon juice to butter remaining in
baking dish & season to taste with
salt/pepper; drizzle over fish & serve
immediately. Serves 4-6

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

Skillet Parmesan Zucchini

1 small red pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
4 small (1 lb) zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 C. spaghetti sauce
3/4 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
–
Cook & stir peppers & onions in large
nonstick skillet sprayed with nonstick
spray on medium heat 5 minutes. Add
zucchini; cook & stir 2 minutes. Stir in
spaghetti sauce; cover & cook 8 minutes
until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring
occasionally. Sprinkle with cheeses; cook,
covered, 1 minutes until mozzarella is
melted. Serves 4 (about 3/4 C. each)

(recipe: Kraft recipes)

——————————————

Lemon Zucchini Loaf

2 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 C. canola oil
2/3 C. sugar
1/2 C. buttermilk*
2 T. lemon juice (or juice of 1 lemon)
zest of 1 lemon
1 C. grated zucchini
–
Lemon Glaze:
1 C. powdered sugar
juice of 1 lemon (or 2 T. lemon juice)
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Grease & flour one 9 X 5″ loaf pan.
In large bowl mix flour, baking powder &
salt. In another medium bowl beat 2
eggs well then add oil & sugar; blend well.
Add buttermilk, lemon juice & zest; blend
well. Fold in zucchini & stir until evenly
distributed into mixture. Add mixture to
dry ingredients in large bowl & blend
together but don’t over-mix.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 45
minutes until toothpick inserted into
center comes out clean (check after
40 minutes. IF YOU MAKE THIS IN A
8″ X 4″ inch pan, baking times may
be 5-10 minutes longer. Cool in pan
10 minutes then remove to wire rack
to cool completely.

Lemon Glaze:
Mix powdered sugar & lemon juice until
well blended then spoon over cooled loaf.
Let glaze set up before slicing.

*Buttermilk: If you do not have buttermilk,
pour 1 T. lemon juice or vinegar into a 2-cup
measuring cup. Add milk to make 1/2 C.; stir
with fork and let stand 5 minutes – now you
have buttermilk!

(recipe:caramelpotatoes.com)

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

Our weather is still ‘typical Michigan August’ –
HOT & MUGGY! It’s 85 & sunny; really glad
we have central air in the house.

Finally got word from middle son that he
won’t be moving THIS week (this is his last
week as a busser at the restaurant) – ‘the
move’ was supposed to be today – SO GLAD
it isn’t as I really don’t feel like lugging stuff
in this heat. Ah well – there’s always “later”,
right???

Bought all the needed ‘supplies’ for the church
fun fair face painting this coming Saturday. I’ve
done facepainting for many years, just not in
‘recent’ years so I decided to just ‘do it’ and buy
new tubs of paint rather than worry that my old
supplies might be dried up. There will be another
lady from the church to help; she said she’s done
face painting before, so that’s good. We ‘did’ have
three people as of Sunday but when I called the
third person she had to respectfully decline as
she’s got out of state relatives coming in overnight.
My other helper will be a little late getting there,
so for the beginning it will just be me – hopefully
the kids will be so enthralled in all the other things
they can do (3 different bounce houses, games, etc)
that face painting will be not the first thing on their
lists – we’ll see . . . sigh.  It won’t kill me – it’s only
3 hours, total, for the fair.

I’m down to just TWO BABY HATS left to knit
for the local hospital – YAY! After I get them done
I’ll start on another homeless knit scarf using the
new boucle yarns – gotta make things interesting
for myself, ya know –

Have a GREAT day – enjoy the last of your
Summer!!!

Hugs;

Pammie

Of Cops and Coupons

Today was my day for getting things done; started by baking 2 loaves of gingerbread and a dozen blueberry muffins (for our 3 neighbors) – that went well. Next was a trip to Kohl’s – a store I rarely shop. They have great deals and I still needed a few more presents for the guys so I went. I always make sure I (1) know where I parked and (2) always – ALWAYS lock my car! The shopping took about 45 minutes plus a good 35 minutes just standing in line to check-out. Got all done, walked out to the parking lot and couldn’t find my car! I knew EXACTLY where I parked – walked the entire lot twice, praying all the way: “Lord, please find my car!” (Side note here: husband & I spend about 2 1/2 – 3 hours yesterday moving all of middle son’s belongings from his apartment – almost all of that ‘stuff’ was in the back of my car – believe me, I was more panicking for HIS belongs than my car.) Finally I called my husband who told me to go inside the store and wait for him; meanwhile he called the local police for that area. I waited a good 20 minutes, easy – no husband, no police. Husband had called me back to say that the dispatcher asked if I knew where my car was, “Are you sure she didn’t go out another exit?” (I was SURE – I KNEW where I parked it!). While just standing and waiting a thought kept inkling in my brain: “Are you REALLY sure?” Finally I asked the next woman who came through the doors if the road out front was M-59? She said, No and pointed to the right – OH BROTHER! Believe me – I sprinted around the corner of that store and hit the PANIC button on my car (I had done this numerous times before and not heard that beep,beep from my car – that’s why I was sure it was stolen!) Yep – you guessed it: “Beep! Beep!” Oh my goodness was I embarrassed. I spotted the police car in front of the store and he was walking up to me while I was walking up to him. I yelled: “I found it!” He said; “I found it, too!” Of course, I apologized tons to him – he said they get numerous calls every day from people who do that – go out another exit of a store and can’t find their car. What a relief, though! You better believe I told the Lord TONS of times how grateful I was.  Crazy – eh? (husband arrived after the policeman had left, so we sat in husband’s car while I de-stressed (read that: cried/bawled my eyes out in relief), then we both headed for home. All I could think (at the time) was this has been a very stressful Christmas time already with son in hospital, but to add a stolen car & contents to it – impossible!

After calming down I took a trip to Walgreen’s drug store; I know I’ve told you before how visits to drug stores can reap you bargains in grocery items (today peanut butter, Miracle Whip, garbage bags). Finished up almost all of the stocking stuffers; because this year has been so stressful and I’ve been a little more scattered than normal, I found out I totally forgot 4 of my ‘teen helpers’ for my special needs group! I usually get them something little, just as a thank you; I was glad to pick up some nice things at Walgreen’s to finish that off (I already told them that I’ll give them their presents when we return to the group January 7th).

How are your gas prices lately? Earlier today I drove by my regular Clark station and their lowest price was $2.19/9 – about 2 hours later I drove by again and it’s at $2.14/9! Pretty nice! Add the low gas prices to our weather really being great and those are two blessings I’m very happy to receive since we’re driving back & forth to the hospital every other day (about 60 miles, one way).

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

Spiced Pudding Squares

1/2 C. butter, melted/cooled
1 egg
1 (2 layer) pkg. spice cake mix
1 (3.4 oz) pkg. vanilla instant pudding mix
1 C. cold milk
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 C. Cool Whip, thawed
2 T. toffee bits
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Mix first 3 ingredients just until blended;
press onto bottom of 9 X 13 pan sprayed
with nonstick spray. Bake 15-17 minutes
or until toothpick inserted into center comes
out clean; cool completely. Beat dry pudding
mix, milk & spice in medium bowl with
whisk 2 minutes. Stir in Cool Whip until
blended; spread over crust. Refrigerate
2 hours. Sprinkle top with toffee bits
just before serving. Makes 24 servings

(recipe: Kraft foods)
——————————————

Crockpot Queso Dip

3/4 lb. ground beef or sausage,
browned/drained
2 lb. block Velveeta cheese
2 chopped tomatoes & jalapenos*
1 (7 oz) can diced roasted chiles,
canned or fresh
diced onions
diced green peppers (optional
–
Corn chips, tortillas, etc. for
serving
–
Saute onion & green peppers in
a little oil in a skillet until lightly
brown; spoon into bottom of (mini)
crockpot or dish you will prepare
dip in. Spoon cooked meat into
crockpot. Cut Velveeta into large
cubes; add to crockpot. Top with
chopped tomatoes, jalapenos &
cook on Low heat until cheese has
melted & ingredients are well
combined – stir occasionally.

*Ro-Tel works well for this

(recipe: myfridgefood.com)
———————————

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Cookies

1 can seamless crescent rolls
1 (8 oz) block cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

With your hand mixer, beat sugar, cream cheese and
vanilla together until smooth in a medium sized bowl.
Unroll the crescent roll sheet. Stretch dough out slightly.
It should be in the shape of a rectangle. Spread cream
cheese mixture over the top of the crescent sheet,
leaving a gap at the edge about 1/2 inch. Sprinkle
chocolate chips on top of cream cheese. Roll the
crescent sheet up tightly and wrap in cling wrap.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

When chilled preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper to prevent
sticking. Slice the crescent roll into 1/4″ slices. Bake on
prepared cookie sheet for 12 -14 minutes until crescent
roll appears golden brown.
Transfer to wire rack; eat warm or room temperature.

(recipe: Facebook)
———————————————-

Mock Pizza Casserole

2 lb. meat: ground beef, Italian sausage,
ham, pepperoni (your choice)
2 (24 oz, ea) jars spaghetti sauce
24 oz. PLUS – Mozzarella cheese (how
ever much YOU want)
1/3 C. Parmesan cheese
Veggies: green pepper, onion, olives,
mushrooms, spinach,or your favorite
pizza toppings
1 (1 lb) bag noodles (bowtie, macaroni,
etc. your choice)
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Boil noodles to al dente. Cook all meats
(except pepperoni). Grease a 9 X 13 baking
dish. Divide cooked noodles, sauce & cheeses
into thirds. Layer #1: noodles, sauce, cheese,
1 meat & veggie Layer #2 noodles, sauce, cheese
1 meat & veggie Layer #3 noodles, sauce, cheese,
1 meat & veggie. Bake 40 minutes; let rest 15
minutes to set up, then serve. Serves 8

(recipe: Mary-justapinch.com)
———————————————

Cranberry-Orange Pork Roast
(crockpot)

2 T. oil
1 flat boneless pork loin roast (4 lb)
1 (14 oz) can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 C. Catalina salad dressing
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. cornstarch
1 tsp. zest and 1/4 C. juice from 1 orange
–
Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat.
Add meat; cook 4-5 minutes on each side or
until browned on both sides. Transfer meat to
crockpot. Mix cranberry sauce, dressing & soy
sauce; pour over meat & cover with lid. Cook
on Low 4-5 hours. Remove meat from crockpot,
reserving liquid. Cover meat to keep warm. Whisk
remaining ingredients in small bowl until blended;
stir into liquid in crockpot. Cover & cook on High
10 minutes or until liquid is thickened. Slice meat;
place on platter. Drizzle lightly with sauce and serve
with remaining sauce. Serves 16

FOR BEST RESULTS: Do not cook meat on HIGH
setting.

(recipe: Kraft foods)
—————————————
Coconut Balls

14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1 stick butter
14 oz. coconut
2 C. chopped nuts
2 lbs powdered sugar

Ghirardelli Chocolate Candy Making Block
(or your choice) (I only melt half at a time)

Mix all ingredients except chocolate. Chill
& roll into balls. Let stand 1 hour in refrigerator
after rolling into balls. Dip each candy into
melted chocolate.

(recipe: Facebook)
——————————————–
Braised Paprika Chicken

3 1/2 lb. bone-in chicken thighs/
drumsticks/and, or breasts) skin
removed*
3/4 tsp. coarse salt, divided
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
2 T. cooking oil
1 T. butter
4 C. finely diced onions
pinch of sugar
1 C. diced red bell pepper
2 T. tomato paste
2 T. sweet paprika (Hungarian)
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. dried marjoram
1 c. chicken broth
1/2 C. sour cream
1 T. flour
2 t. finely minced fresh parsley, dill and/or
chives
–
Pat chicken dry with paper towels; season with
1/2 tsp. salt & pepper. Heat oil & butter in large,
heavy casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add onions & sprinkle with sugar; cook, stirring
frequently, until onions are very soft & light brown,
10-15 minutes. Stir in bell peppers, tomato paste,
paprika & crushed red pepper. Add chicken & stir
gently into onion mixture. Sprinkle with marjoram &
add broth. Cover with tight-fitting lid & simmer over
medium-low heat until chicken is very tender, about
50 minutes. Just before chicken is done, whisk sour
cream, flour & remaining 1/4 tsp. salt into a small bowl
until smooth. When chicken is done, remove to a plate.
Stir sour cream mixture into sauce; return to simmer &
cook, stirring, until sauce coats the spoon. Reduce heat
to low, return chicken to sauce & reheat, about 1 minute.
Serve garnished with parsley, dill and/or chives, if desired.

* If you are using a combination of thighs, drumsticks and
breasts, cut each breast in half crosswise to make pieces
about the size of a thigh. And if you buy whole legs,
separate the drumsticks & thighs. When pieces are about
the same size, they’ll cook at about the same rate.

NOTE: You can prepare this ahead of time. Prepare through
to “JUST BEFORE CHICKEN IS DONE, cool to room temperature
& refrigerate up to 1 day. Finish recipe before serving.
Serves 6

(recipe: diabetic connect/Facebook)
—————————————-
Cheesecake-Stuffed Strawberries

1 lb. large strawberries
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
3-4 T. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
graham cracker crumbs
–
Rinse strawberries & cut around tops;
remove tops & scrape out part of
insides (some may already be hollow
inside) – to hold filling. In a mixing bowl,
beat cream cheese, powdered sugar & vanilla
until creamy. Add mixture to a piping bag or
ziplock back with corner snipped off. Fill
strawberry insides with cheesecake
mixture. Once they are filled, dip top
of berry in graham cracker crumbs.
NOTE: If not serving immediately, refrigerate
until serving.

(recipe: Peg – Marys Recipe Exchange)
——————————–
3-Ingredient Lemon Crumble Bars

1 box yellow cake mix
1 (1/2 C.) stick unsalted butter,
softened
1 can lemon pie filling
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray 9 X 13 pan with nonstick spray.
In a bowl, combine softened butter with
dry cake mix; mix until crumbly. Measure
out 1/2 C. of mixture; set aside. Using rest
of mixture; press into bottom of prepared
pan. Spread it out evenly and pack down
with your hands. Spoon lemon pie filling
onto crust; spread out evenly. Sprinkle
reserved crumb mixture over top. Bake
20-25 minutes; top will start to turn very
light golden brown. Cover & store in
refrigerator.

(recipe: the countrycook.net)
——————————————–

Turkey Meatball/Spinach Tortellini Soup

Meatballs:
10 oz. ground turkey
2 T. seasoned breadcrumbs
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
2 T. chopped parsley
1 large egg
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. kosher salt

Soup:
1/2 T. unsalted butter
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled & chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 (14.5 oz, ea) cans chicken broth
1 small Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (optional)
9 oz. refrigerated spinach cheese tortellini
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
3 C. loosely packed baby spinach
fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for
topping
–
Combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg,
parsley, garlic, salt & Parmesan in bowl.
Using your hands, gently mix all ingredients
well until everything is combined. Form into
small meatballs, about 1 T. each – it will make
about 20-22 meatballs. In large nonstick pot or
Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat.
Add celery, onion, carrot & garlic; cover & reduce
heat to low; cook 8-10 minutes until vegetables
begin to soften. Add chicken broth & parmesan
rind; increase heat to medium-high & bring to
boil. Season with black pepper, to taste. Reduce
heat to medium & gently drop in meatballs; cook
about 4 minutes. Add tortellini; simmer until cooked
accordg to pkg. directions, about 7 minutes. Once
cooked, remove Parm. rind (if using) & add baby
spinach. Stir to combine & serve topped with
freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Serves 6

(recipe: skinnytaste.com)

———————————————-

Breakfast Biscuit Bake

10 eggs
1/2 C. milk
1 (16 oz) tube refrigerated breakfast
biscuits (Pillsbury flaky)
4 green onions, chopped
1 C. shredded extra sharp Cheddar cheese
4-6 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled
(and/or cooked sausage, crumbled)
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Mix eggs & milk in large bowl. Cut each
biscuit into fours (use kitchen shears); add
to bowl.* Add all other ingredients to bowl;
mix well; pour into greased 9 X 13 pan.
Bake 30 minutes.
*poster adds biscuits to bowl while cooking
meats, to let biscuits absorb more egg/milk.

NOTE: Can be made the night before; leave
mixture in bowl, refrigerated & covered with
plastic wrap. Morning of serving; stir well,
then pour into prepared pan & bake.

(recipe: Facebook)

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

Well, that’s my tales for today – crazy,
happy and everything in between. Our
son is still improving – today he started
on milkshakes! It is all in the Lord’s hands
and He’s healing him day-by-day.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Hugs;

Pammie

PS: Always remember to keep in mind
that there might be more than one
entrance to a store! Hehehehe!

 

Beautiful Fall-like Day!

Woke up early today to a nice, brisk morning – lots of sunshine and a mild breeze. Had a few errands to run (Walgreen’s had some good sales on food again!). Chose to make a quick stop at one of our little grocers near our house – JUST FOR A LOAF OF BREAD! (Ever do that? JUST ONE THING!) And you come out with BAGS FULL!!! Yep, got some plain yogurt, really nice-looking spareribs, some marked down veggies which gave me the idea for tonight’s dinner: NACHOS! I/WE love them but I don’t make them very often because once you’ve purchased all the fresh veggies plus the Nacho Cheese Doritos, it tends to be a bit pricey – at least in my mind, anyway. They had tomatoes, green peppers & lettuce marked down – YAY! We will be FEASTING tonight!

I’m getting LOTS of great-sounding recipes in my inbox so I just HAVE to share – right?

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

(Not my recipe, but thought it fit:)

Turkey Taco Nachos

2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 lb. ground turkey
1 T. taco seasoning
2 handfuls corn tortilla chips
1 C. shredded cheese (your
choice)
chopped tomato
chopped red onion
chopped pickled jalapeno
peppers
Greek yogurt
–
(other toppings:
black beans
chopped avocado
–
Heat oil in medium skillet;
add turkey & cook until
lightly browned. Add taco
seasoning & 1/4 C. water;
cook until liquid evaporates,
stirring meat. Place chips on
a plate in a single layer; top
with taco meat. Sprinkle
cheese on top & microwave
1 to 1 1/2 minutes until cheese
is melted.* Top with tomato,
red onion & a dollop of Greek
yogurt. Serves 2-3

* or bake in 375 degrees F. oven
until cheese is melted.

(recipe: jeanetteshealthyliving.com)
——————————

Tomato-Basil Pizza Dip

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 T. finely chopped fresh
basil, divided
1 tsp. sugar
salt & pepper, to taste
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese,
softened
1 C. shredded mozzarella
cheese
1/2 C. chopped roma tomatoes
1 T. Parmesan cheese
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
In small saucepan combine tomato
sauce, garlic, 1 T. basil, sugar, salt &
pepper; heat on medium heat 3-4
minutes. Spread cream cheese on
bottom of a 9″ pie plate that has
been sprayed with nonstick spray.
Pour sauce on top; top with
mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, 1
T. basil & Parmesan cheese. Bake
20 minutes. Serve immediately
with crackers.

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

Caramel Oatmeal Bars

1 (14 oz) pkg. caramels, unwrapped
3 T. milk or cream
1 C. oatmeal
1 C. flour
3/4 C. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 C. maragarine
1 C. chocolate chips
1/2 C. chopped walnuts
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Melt caramels & milk in
microwaveable bowl for
approx. 2 minutes. Cool. In
separate bowl mix together
oatmeal, flour, sugar, soda,
salt & margarine until you
have a crumb texture. Pat
1 C. of crumb mixture into a
greased 9 X 13″ pan. Bake
10 minutes. Remove from
oven & spread chocolate
chips, nuts & caramel
mixture on top. Sprinkle
the remaining cup of crumbs
on top & bake an additional
15 minutes. Let cool before
serving. Cut into 18 bars.

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

Tex-Mex Chicken
(crockpot)

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts,
cut into 1″ wide strips
2 T. taco seasoning mix
2 T. flour
1 each: green & red bell pepper,
cut into 1″ wide strips
1 C. frozen corn
1 1/2 C. thick & chunky salsa
2 C. hot, cooked long-grain white
rice
1 C. Mexican-style finely shredded
four cheese (Kraft)
2 green onions, sliced
–
Toss chicken with taco seasoning
& flour in crockpot. Stir in vegetables
& salsa; cover & cook on Low 6-8
hours or High 3-4 hours. Stir just
before serving. Serve over cooked
rice, topped with cheese & onions.
Serves 4

(recipe: Kraft foods)
———————————–

Grilled Italian-stuffed Peppers

1 3/4 C. water, divided
1 1/2 C. instant brown rice, uncooked
2 C. cooked hamburger
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 1/2 C. spaghetti sauce, divided
1 1/2 C. shredded mozzarella cheese,
divided
1 large each: red, yellow & green
bell peppers, halved lengthwise &
seeded
–
Heat grill to medium-high heat.
Bring 1 1/2 C. water to boil in medium
saucepan. Add rice; cover & simmer 5
minutes. Remove from heat & let stand
5 minutes. Stir in hamburger, zucchini,
Ital. seasoning & 1 C. each spaghetti
sauce & cheese; spoon into peppers.
Top with remaining sauce & cheese.
Place each filled pepper-half on center
of a 12 inch square sheet of heavy-duty
aluminum foil. Bring up foil sides. Spoon
1 T. remaining water onto bottom of each
foil packet. Double fold top & ends to seal
packets, leaving room for heat circulation
inside. Grill 20-25 minutes or until filling
is heated through & peppers are crisp-
tender. Serves 6

(recipe: Kraft foods)
——————————————

Cheesy Squash Casserole

1 T. vegetable oil
6 medium yellow summer
squash, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 T. butter
1/2 C. grated Parmesan
1 C. shredded sharp Cheddar
cheese
1/2 C. sour cream
salt & pepper
1 sleeve crackers, crushed
medium to fine (recommend
Ritz)
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Grease a 2 qt. casserole dish. Heat
oil in large skillet over medium heat.
Saute squash, onion & butter until
soft; transfer to a bowl & stir in
Parm., Cheddar & sour cream. Add
salt & pepper, to taste. Place mixture
in prepared dish & sprinkle cracker
crumbs evenly over top. Bake 20
minutes or until top is golden &
bubbly.  Serves 6-8

(recipe: allfood.recipes)
—————————–

Country-fried Potato/Veggie
Medley

6 medium potatoes, diced/peeled
2 medium zucchini, sliced/diced
2 medium yellow squash, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 large jalapeno, diced
dash salt/pepper
dash garlic powder
1 tsp. all seasoning spice
4 T. olive oil
–
(will need large skillet with lid)
Heat skillet with olive oil. Once
oil is hot, add veggies & brown
about 10 minutes; add seasonings.
Place on lid & cook 20 minutes.*
Serves 4-6

*time depends on how large or
small the veggies are diced. You
want them to be brown when
fully cooked.

NOTE: Poster serves this with
gravy.

White Gravy
3 T. butter
1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. black pepper
up to 4 C. milk
–
Place butter & flour in skillet;
Heat & stir until brown & thickened,
then add milk gradually until you
reach desired thickness. Add pepper
before serving.

(recipe: Cheryl-justapinch.com)
———————————-

Bacon Breakfast Cupcakes

1 (20 oz) bag refrigerated shredded
hash brown potatoes
2 T. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
6 eggs
2 T. milk
3/4 C. crumbled crispy-cooked
bacon
3/4 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
(3 oz)
Sriracha sauce (optional)
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Line muffin cups with foil liners
then generously spray with nonstick
spray. In large bowl, mix potatoes,
oil, salt & pepper – pour into prepared
cups, press lightly. Bake 45-55 minutes
or until golden brown. In medium bowl
beat eggs & milk. Stir in bacon & cheese.
Firmly press potatoes into muffin cups
using the bottom of a 1/4 C. measuring
cup. Top each with slightly less than 1/4
C. egg mixture. Bake 13-16 minutes or
until knife inserted in center of egg comes
out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Serve with
sauce. Makes 12

(recipe: Facebook)
———————————–

Grilled Zucchini

5 zucchini
1/2 C. zesty Italian salad dressing
olive oil
salt & pepper
–
Wash zucchini, cut tops off. Slice into
three equal strips, lengthwise; place
in a gallon ziplock bag. Pour about
1/2 C. Italian dressing in bag; seal
bag tightly & shake to coat all
zucchini with dressing.

Preheat grill 400 degrees F.
(Marinate zucchini 10-15 minutes)
Spray grill with nonstick spray then
lay zucchini slices over grates. Close
lie & allow to get some nice grill
marks on them; flip over to other
side. Watch carefully, so they don’t
burn. Should take about 5 minutes
per side. Remove from grill into a
bowl. Drizzle slices with olive oil &
sprinkle with salt & pepper.
Serves 6-8

(recipe: jamiecooksitup.net)
——————————————

Peanut Butter Pudding Pie

1 C. powdered sugar
1 C. heavy cream
1 T. granulated sugar
1 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1 small pkg. instant chocolate pudding
2 3/4 C. milk
2/3 C. dry roasted peanuts, chopped
1 C. flour
1/2 C. unsalted butter, cold
1 C. creamy peanut butter
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
–
Garnish: peanut butter kisses
chocolate sprinkles
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Combine peanuts & flour; cut in butter &
press into a 9 X 13 pan. Bake 20 minutes;
set aside & cool completely. Place crust in
fridge to cool further.
Cream peanut butter, cream cheese &
powdered sugar together; carefully spread
on top of crust layer; refrigerate.
Whisk puddings together; add milk &
whisk about 2 minutes or until pudding
begins to thicken. Carefully spread on top
of peanut butter layer, taking care not to
disturb the peanut butter layer; refrigerate.
Whip heavy cream on medium-low speed
until it begins to thicken. Add sugar, increase
speed to medium-high & whip until soft
peaks form. Carefully spread over pudding
layer, taking care not to disturb the pudding
layer. Sprinkle toppings on top. Refrigerate
1 hour before serving.

(recipe: allfood.recipes)
=====================

It’s one week until the turn-in date for my
Knit group’s baby afghan donations. Since I
started knitting the baby headbands, it’s
been another ‘fun’ project. My dear friend
Mary (Momma) was right – she knew I
couldn’t just knit four! AND I don’t like odd
numbers, so later on tonight I’ll round out
my donation of them to 8. They ARE fun to
knit and take about 1 hr 10-15 minutes,
depending on how long it takes me to
crochet the flowers.

Nothing much going on around here;
it’s now 5:30 p.m. and it’s 75 degrees out-
still sunny & breezy. I’m going to hang onto
these last Summery days, knowing full well
that colder weather’s a comin’, for sure!

Enjoy your day!

Hugs;

Pammie

Weekend Recipes!

And so it begins – the LAST Summer holiday (coming Monday) – have you made any plans for the weekend, or the day? Around here we’re not much into holiday get togethers, so it will be ‘life as usual’ for us BUT I’ve got LOTS of great holiday/Summer recipes still left to share with you!

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

Tomato/Onion/Cucumber Salad

5 medium plum tomatoes, halved
lengthwise, seeded/thinly sliced
1/4 red onion, peeled, halved
lengthwise & thinly sliced
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise
& thinly sliced
generous drizzle olive oil, about 2 T.
2 splashes red wine vinegar
coarse salt & black pepper
–
Place sliced veggies in large bowl.
Mix together olive oil, vinegar,
salt & pepper; drizzle over veggies
in bowl. Let stand about 20 minutes;
re-toss & serve. Serves 4

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

Watermelon Gazpacho
(cold soup)

1 large tomato, pureed
1/2 serrano chile
2 C. cubed fresh watermelon
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 C. olive oil
2 T. minced red onion
1/2 cucumber, seeded/minced
2 T. minced fresh dill (more for
garnish)
kosher salt & ground black pepper
1/4 C. crumbled feta cheese
–
In blender, puree tomatoes, chile
& 1/2 of watermelon. Pour in
vinegar & olive oil; pulse. Add
onion, cucumber & dill, season
with salt & pepper; Puree until
smooth. Pour into chilled bowls
& sprinkle tops with dill, feta &
remaining watermelon. Serves 4

(recipe: Foodnetwork.com)
———————————
Crunchy Avocado Salad

2 ripe avocados, peeled/pitted
& diced
2 ripe beefsteak tomatoes,
diced
1/2 C. pitted black olives,
roughly chopped
1 C. canned chickpeas,
drained, rinsed & drained again
2 T. roughly torn flat-leaf parsley
1/4 C. champagne vinegar
1/4 C. olive oil
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 oz. blue corn tortilla chips
–
Gently toss avocados, tomatoes,
olives, chickpeas, parsley, vinegar,
olive oil, cumin, paprika, salt &
pepper in large bowl. Crumble
chips over top & serve. Serves 4

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

Blueberry Crumb Cake

2 large eggs
3/4 C. sunflower oil
1 C. plain or Greek yogurt
1/4 tsp. salt
2 T. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. lemon zest
1 1/4 c. granulated sugar
2 C. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
2 C. fresh or frozen (unthawed)
blueberries

Topping:
1/2 c. ground almonds (or
rolled oats)
1/3 C. PLUS 1 T. brown sugar,
firmly packed
1/3 C. flour
3 1/2 T. cold butter, roughly chopped
–
Preheat oven 325 degrees F.
Grease a 10 inch round cake pan;
line with baking paper. In large
bowl, mix eggs, oil, yogurt, salt,
lemon juice,lemon zest & sugar.
Add flour & whisk until all is
incorporated. Fold in blueberries &
mix gently with a spoon. Pour into
prepared pan.
Topping:
Combine almonds, brown sugar, flour
& butter (can do by hand or use a food
processor) & sprinkle evenly over top
of cake batter. * Bake 1 hour 20 minutes
or about 1 hour if using thawed
blueberries. Cake is done when a wooden
toothpick inserted into center comes out
clean.

*To get larger crumbs, squeeze topping
with your fingers & sprinkle evenly
over cake batter.

(recipe: kitchennostalgia.com)
————————

Crockpot Crab Rangoon Dip

2 (8 oz) pkgs. cream cheese
2 (8 oz) pkgs. imitation crab
(or 6 oz cans) crabmeat, drained
1 can cream of shrimp soup
1 green onion, chopped
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
(optional: 2 T. sugar)
–
Combine all ingredients in 3-4 qt.
crockpot. Cook on Low 2-3 hours.
Serve with crackers.

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

Easy Chicken Fried Rice

1 (12 oz) pkg. frozen mixed vegetables
1 T. olive oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
4 T. sesame oil, divided
3 (8.8 oz,ea) pkgs. ready-to-serve
garden vegetable rice
1 lb. skinless chicken breasts, cooked &
shredded
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
–
Prepare frozen vegetables accordg. to
pkg. directions. In a large skillet heat
1 T. olive oil over medium heat & pour
in eggs. Cook eggs, stirring frequently,
until eggs are scrambled & cooked
through. Remove from pan & place in
bowl. Heat 2 T. sesame oil in skillet &
remaining olive oil, over medium heat.
Add rice to skillet; cook 10-12 minutes
or until rice is just beginning to brown.
Stir in chicken, salt & pepper to rice.
Add eggs & vegetables; heat mixture
through. Serves 6

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

Chicken “Club” Salad

4 slices center-cut bacon or turkey bacon
2 T. mayonnaise
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
6 oz. cooked/roughly chopped skinless
chicken breast
1/2 C. halved grape or cherry tomatoes
1/4 C. diced cucumber
2 T. diced red onion
dash black pepper, to taste
–
In medium bowl, combine mayonnaise &
mustard; stir well. Add all other ingredients;
mix well. Makes 2 servings.

(recipe: Richard-Marys Recipe Exchange)
——————————-

Macaroni Salad
(no mayonnaise, so it can be
served room temperature!)
–
1 lb. small elbow macaroni, cooked
1/4 lb. genoa salami
1/4 lb. boiled ham
1/2 can black olives
3 stalks celery
1 large cucumber
3 medium tomatoes
1 medium purple onion
2 pkgs. Good Seasons Italian
salad dressing mix, made according
to pkg directions
—
Rinse cooked macaroni in cold water.
Dice all ingredients into very small pieces;
add prepared dressing, mix well & refrigerate.
NOTE: Recipe is best if made the day or night
before and served room temperature. Poster
says she doubles or triples the recipe then
puts all ingredients in a large white kitchen
trash bag & tosses. As she says: “Makes for
easy tossing & storing in refrigerator.”

(recipe: Elaine-justapinch.com)

——————————-

Raspberry Vanilla Pudding Cake
(crockpot)

2 C. white or brown sugar
2 C. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 C. milk
4 T. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 (6 oz, ea) containers fresh raspberries
1 T. instant vanilla pudding mix
1 3/4 C. boiling water
–
vanilla ice cream or whipped cream
–
In a bowl, hand mix sugar, flour, baking
powder, salt, milk, butter & vanilla.
When well mixed, fold in raspberries
very carefully. Spray insides of crockpot
with nonstick spray. Gently scrape batter
evenly into bottom of crockpot. Sprinkle
instant pudding mix on top of batter; do
not stir in. Carefully pour boiling water over
top of batter & pudding mix. Cover with lid
& cook on High 2 hours. (Cake should be
cooked & have risen to the top. Pudding will
be on the bottom of the cake.) Scoop down
deep to get a layer of cake and some pudding.
Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Top with additional raspberries, if desired.
Serves 8-10

(recipe: 365daysofcrockpot.com)
————————————-

Seafood Gazpacho

2 small cans chopped clams, drained
2 small cans baby shrimp, drained
2 small cans crab meat, shredded
1 onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, sliced thin
1 cucumber, peeled/seeded & chopped
2 quart jars clamato juice (or regular
tomato juice or V8 or spicy V8)
juice of 2 limes
–
Add all ingredients & mix well;
serve chilled.

note: Poster said she sometimes
uses Bloody Mary mix for juice

(recipe: Rhonda G-Marys
Recipe Exchange)
———————————-

Zucchini/Potato Bake

2 medium zucchini, quartered, cut into
large pieces
4 medium potatoes, peeled/cut into
large chunks
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded/chopped
1 clove garlic, sliced
1/2 C. dry bread crumbs
1/4 C. olive oil
paprika, to taste
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
In medium baking pan toss zucchini,
potatoes, bell pepper, garlic, bread
crumbs & olive oil. Season with paprika,
salt & pepper. Bake 1 hour, stirring
occasionally, until potatoes are tender
& lightly browned.

(recipe: Mary Free-Marys Recipe Exchange)
——————————-

Breakfast Casserole w/Tomatoes &
Spinach (Crockpot)

1/2 C. quinoa, rinsed well & uncooked
1 1/2 C. milk
6 large eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 C. frozen cut leaf spinach (or a
handful of fresh)
3/4 C. grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 C. shredded cheese (colby, Monteray
Jack, Cheddar, etc., your choice)
1/4 C. shredded Parmesan cheese
–
In large bowl whisk eggs until beaten; add
quinoa, milk, salt & pepper – whisk until
combined. Gently mix in spinach, tomatoes
& 1/2 C. shredded cheese. Spray crockpot
well with nonstick spray. Add egg & quinoa
mixture to crockpot; top with Parmesan
cheese. Cover & cook on High 2-4 hours until
eggs are set & edges are lightly browned.

(recipe: crockpotgourmet.net)
——————————–

Creamy Chicken

6 thin sliced chicken breasts
1 container of green onion cream
cheese, softened
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 Large package of sliced mushrooms
1 small bag fresh baby spinach
Sprinkle of Weber Herb and Garlic Seasoning
Sprinkle of pepper
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
In a 9×13 pan lay out chicken in single layer; top with
spinach and mushrooms, then sprinkle seasonings
over the top. Whisk olive oil and chicken broth into
softened cream cheese in a bowl; pour over chicken
mixture. Lay piece of foil over the top but do not seal.
Bake 20 minutes, remove foil and bake,
uncovered,another 20-25 minutes, then sprinkle
mozzarella cheese on top . Bake uncovered for another
10 minutes or until starting to brown.
Let cool for 10 minutes and serve.
====================

 I still have more summer recipes for
you – will just have to keep posting
them until I run out (or the weather
gets much colder!)  Today it’s overcast
and 83 degrees which makes all the
right ingredients for a very muggy day.
Just ran the special needs group
newsletters to the post office; that’s
one job done! Stopped at Sears to
pick up another pair of bedroom
slippers (I do this every 6 months –
they’re really the only close store
around that carries Isotoners, they
have just the right amount of
cushioning under my feet). While
there a little girl in front of me in
line was going through a bin of
discount jewelry and she asked her
grandmother if she could have this
rather delicate pair of pierced
earrings (black jet dangles) – Grandma
said “I don’t think your parents will
let you wear dangly earrings” so she
put them back. Of course, I picked
them up (after they were at the
counter going through their order)
and discovered they used to be $8.00
but were marked down to $4, so I took
them up to the counter. Turns out they
were further marked down to $2.49;
the sales lady asked if I’d like to check
my Sears rewards points so I said “Yes”.
(little drum roll here) Turns out I had
just enough to get the earrings FREE
AND  $1.00 off the slippers, too! YAY!
Sometimes being frugal works! (Sure
didn’t plan on getting earrings when
I went into the store.

Hope you have a GREAT weekend –
I might post more Summer recipes
in the next few days.

Hugs;

Pammie

Friday Fun – sort of

First off, Radiology doctor check up – came out FINE! Double mammogram came out clear – THANK YOU, LORD! Good news – see him in 6 months just to ‘check in’ and next mammogram in A YEAR! YAY! Stopped at the local Salvation Army and found a really nice medium tan colored crocheted vest which will go really nicely with my brown skirt & cream colored long-sleeved turtle neck this winter; also got a pair of black dress slacks on 1/2 price – SCORE! More running to Office Max for printer cartridges, then to the Post Office for stamps for the special needs group newsletters I’m printing as I type! 65 copies this time; hopefully I’ll be able to get them all printed, stapled, folded, stuffed into the envelopes, stamped & ran to the Post Office before tonight. (being we’re going into a 3 day weekend, I’d like them to go out in tomorrow’s mail, if possible, as Sunday is the last day of this month!) Can you believe it – there went AUGUST! Sigh . . .

In my travels I noticed that gas prices jumped from $3.44/9 a few days ago to $3.66/9 today – NOT GOOD, as I only have half tank right now! Why did I think that they’d stay LOW for awhile? Silly me.

We’re still working on all the nice fresh produce I bought earlier in the week. Made Zucchini casserole with corn on the cob for dinner; yummy dinner (good thing the doctor didn’t ask for a blood test, as rice AND corn really spike my diabetic numbers!) Still working on leftovers – only have a chicken breast & 1 hash brown potato patty left – not bad! That might be my lunch, just to get them out of the fridge! Tonight will probably be a repeat of last night’s dinner, as I still have lots of casserole and 4 more ears of corn. Still up on the menu is BLT’s – with only two of us eating dinners, it takes much longer to gt it gone! (I shouldn’t complain – there are people who are going hungry, right?)

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

Glazed Strawberry Bars

2 1/4 C. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese,
softened
3/4 C. butter, softened
2 C. sugar, divided
2 tsp. vanilla
1 (3.4 oz) pkg. vanilla
instant pudding mix
3/4 C. milk
1 C. Cool Whip, thawed
1 (3 oz) pkg. strawberry
Jell-O mix
2 T. cornstarch
1 C. water
4 C. fresh sliced strawberries*
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Combine flour & baking soda.
Beat cream cheese, butter, 1
C. sugar & vanilla in large bowl
using elec. mixer until blended.
Gradually beat in flour mixture,
mixing well after each addition.
Press on bottom of 15 X 10 X 1
inch pan. Bake 15-17 minutes until
lightly browned; cool completely.
Beat pudding mix & milk in medium
bowl with whisk 2 minutes (pudding
will be thick). Stir in Cool Whip until
blended. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Mix dry Jell-o, cornstarch & remaining
sugar in medium saucepan. Gradually
stir in water & bring to boil on medium-
high heat, stirring constantly. Cook &
stir 2-3 minutes or until thickened.
Cool 10 minutes.
Spread pudding mixture over crust;
cover with strawberries. Drizzle with
Jell-O glaze. Refrigerate 4 hours.
Serves 36

*can substitute raspberries, blueberries
or kiwi

(recipe: kraft foods)
———————————

Creamy Burrito Casserole

1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 (1 1/4 oz) pkg. taco seasoning
6 large flour tortillas
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
2-3 C. shredded taco cheese (or)
2-3 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom
soup
4 oz. sour crem
jarred hot sauce, if desired
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Brown meat & onion, drain fat. Add
taco seasoning & stir in refried beans.
Mix soup & sour cream in separate
bowl. Spread half sour cream mixture
in bottom of a casserole dish. Tear up
3 tortillas & spread over sour cream
mixture. Put half meat/bean mixture
over top & add a layer of cheese. (you
could add hot sauce now if desired)
Repeat layers. Sprinkle cheese on
top & bake, uncovered, 20-30
minutes.

(recipe: Mary Free-Marys Recipe
Exchange)
—————————-

 Watermelon Salad

4 C. watermelon, cubed
1 large cucumber, seeded/diced
1/2 red onion, minced
1/4 C. crumbled feta cheese
8 pitted Kalamata olives,*
quartered (optional)

Dressing:
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. lime juice
zest of one lemon & one lime
(optional)
1/2 C. chopped fresh parsley
1/3 C. Greek or regular plain yogurt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
–
Mix dressing ingredients in small bowl;
refrigerate. Toss all other ingredients
together; keep chilled until ready to
serve, then gently fold in dressing.
Serves 6

*can substitute raisins or fresh blueberries
for olives.

(recipe: Connie-justapinch.com)
———————————–

Easy S’Mores Dip

1 1/2 C. milk chocolate chips
3 T. milk
5 1/3 C. miniature marshmallows
graham crackers, for dippers
–
Pour chocolate chips, milk & 1 1/3 C.
marshmallows in medium saucepan.
Heat over medium-high heat, stirring
constantly until melted; pour mixture
into a 9 inch pie plate; smooth surface.
Sprinkle remaining marshmallows in
plate over chocolate; place under
broiler until marshmallows are golden
brown – watch, as they can burn quickly!
Use graham crackers as dippers.
Serves 6-8

(recipe: jamiecooksitup.net)
——————————————

Cheesy Ranch Potatoes
(crockpot)

2 lb. small red potatoes, quartered
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of potato soup
1 envelope Ranch salad dressing mix
1 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
–
Place cleaned & quartered potatoes in
(2 qt) crockpot. In a bowl beat together
cream cheese, soup & salad dressing mix.
Stir in shredded cheese, pour over potatoes
in crockpot & stir. Cover & cook on Low 8
hours or until potates are tender. Serves 5

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

Beef & Broccoli – crockpot

2 lb. your favorite beef sliced thin*
2 C. beef broth
1 C. soy sauce
1/2 C. brown sugar
3 T. sesame seeds
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 T. cornstarch
2-3 lb. broccoli florets
–
cooked rice
–
In small bowl combine broth,
soy sauce & brown sugar until
dissolved. Place beef in crockpot
& pour sauce over. Add sesame
seeds & minced garlic. Cook on
Low 6-8 hours. Mix cornstarch with
4 T. of liquid from crockpot in a bowl.
Stir well & add mix back into crockpot;
stir gently. Add room temperature
broccoli to crockpot & cook on High
40 minutes or until broccoli is cooked
through. Serve over cooked rice or
your favorite fried rice recipe.
Serves 8-10
*poster used round steak

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

Chinese Honey Garlic Chicken

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken
breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
salted & peppered, to taste
3 T. oil
1/2 C. corn starch

Sauce:
2 tsp. garlic
1/3 C. honey
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar (or
white vinegar)
1/2 C. water
1 tsp. soy sauce
(optional: 1/2 tsp. crushed red
pepper flakes)

Corn starch slurry: 2 T. cold water
& 1 T. corn starch
——-
(optional: chopped scallions, sesame
seeds, cooked white or brown rice,
or fried rice)
–
Heat oil in large pan or skillet over
medium heat. Toss chicken pieces in
corn starch; cook 6-8 minutes in pan,
stirring occasionally to ensure even
cooking until chicken is cooked
through & crisp on outside. In small
saucepan, whisk together all sauce
ingredients (except corn starch slurry).
Add to boiling sauce; reduce to simmer
& allow to cook 2-3 more minutes until
thick. Add sauce to chicken & stir to
coat. Serve with rice & optional items
listed above. Serves 4

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

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

1 lb. pasta
3/4 C. Ranch salad dressing
3/4 C. sour cream
1 C. frozen peas, thawed
1 C. shredded carrot
1/2 C. real bacon bits
–
Prepare pasta accordg. to pkg.
directions; rinse with cold water
& drain well. In large bowl
combine all other ingredients;
stir in pasta & combine well.
Chill 2 hours before serving.

(recipe: julieseatsandtreast.com)
————————————

Cherry Fluff

2 cans cherry pie filling
1 (8 oz) tub Cool Whip, thawed
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
–
In large bowl combine Cool Whip &
condensed milk until smooth. Mix
in cherry pie filling & drained
pineapple. Mix well, cover &
refrigerate 1 hour.

NOTE: also good with chopped
walnuts mixed in.

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

Zucchini Bars with Brown
Butter Frosting

1 1/2 C. granulated sugar
1 C. vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 C. shredded zucchini (about
3 medium)
1 1/2 C. chopped pecans

Frosting:
6 T. butter
6 C. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
8 – 10 T. milk
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Grease 15 X 10 X 1″ pan. In
medium bowl, add flour, baking
powder, salt & cinnamon; mix &
set aside.
In mixer bowl, add sugar, oil & eggs;
mix until smooth. Add dry ingredients
to wet ingredients until incorporated.
Stir in zucchini & chopped nuts; spread
evenly in pan – cook 30-40 minutes or until
toothpick inserted into center comes out
clean. Let bars cool completely.

Frosting:
Heat medium saucepan to medium heat;
add butter & whisk until it turns brown. Add
powdered sugar, vanilla & milk; stir together
until smooth & spread over cooled bars.
Serves 24

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

Parmesan Bread Sticks

1 (1 lb) loaf French bread
3/4 C. melted butter
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
–(a
Preheat oven 425 degrees F.
Cut bread loaf into 5 pieces, each
about 4 inches long. Cut each piece
lengthwise into 6 sticks. After brushing
sides with melted butter, sprinkle sticks
with Parmesan cheese & place on ungreased
jelly roll pan. Bake about 8 minutes, or until
golden brown.

(recipe: Rhonda G-Marys Recipe Exchange)
=======================

Spent the entire day yesterday playing
Rollercoaster Tycoon with my grandson;
we’re talking from around 8 a.m. until
almost 6 p.m. – the boy is insatiable!
We still have until Aug. 31st to see if
I won the 3-disc set on Ebay (so far
the bid is still $3.65 – my top bid is
$10, so I’m really hoping we get it
for the lower price!) He even asked me
if I would be playing it after he went
home! Love that boy – next Tuesday
he starts school, 3rd grade if I’m not
mistaken. His dad asked if he wanted to
be in flag football this year (yes) – that’s
GREAT! Last year he was in touch football
and it was too far away for us to go see
his games, so this will be great as it’s in
flag football is in our area.
Guess I’d better close here – having
all kinds of ‘fun’ with the printer – sometimes
I’m actually able to print the entire 65
copies with NO TROUBLE, but then there
are other times (like now) when I keep
getting “Paper Jam” – ugh!!! (It must
know I’m not paying full attention to
the printing!)

Enjoy your day;

Hugs;

Pammie

PS: the weather is still very UN-August like: right now it’s 69 and chilly, overcast. Where did our summer go!???

Got my Runnin’ shoes on!

It’s Monday and it’s also ‘lots of places to go’ day! Just got home from 7 various jaunts: Bank, Walgreen’s, Library, Fruit/Veg. stand, Gordon Foods, CVS and Huron Foods. I’m SO glad my dear husband has me call ahead – he lugs the groceries, etc. from the car to the house for me. Sometimes I think just doing that after all the running around is pretty exhausting (let alone putting away all the stuff, too!). I’m sitting here nice & comfy sipping a big, tall glass of ice water and feeling the antioxidants just coursing through my body. At Gordon Foods they had a really big box of fresh blueberries for $1.69 – been eating handfuls of them. Today was a sort of ‘wake up’ call: remember you need to eat HEALTHY! Got fresh strawberries, a cantauloupe, corn on the cob, some gorgeous tomatoes for BLT’s, some zucchini for Zucchini Casserole, the fixin’s for coleslaw (for some reason, this summer I’m craving coleslaw!). Got a nice big fryer chicken for the crockpot for around $6.00 – happy with all my ‘deals’ – coupons & all. I know I’ve mentioned this before but it’s worth repeating: did you know that you can get some really great buys at DRUG STORES? I’m talking groceries! Got 2 jars of Jif creamy peanut butter for $4, a nice sized jar of honey-roasted peanuts for $1.99 – at WALGREEN’S! I’m a BIG fan of checking all the ‘in the mail’ fliers from CVS, Walgreens, KMart – they all have some pretty good GROCERY deals, if you just look! Walgreen’s is pretty good about selling canned salmon for a really great price – with coupon; I like it for making salmon patties.

My cousin wrote from Iowa yesterday that they were going through some really muggy days; I wrote him back that we were in the mid-70’s and breezy – no muggy . . . I spoke too soon. Today it’s 80, very sunny and VERY muggy (thank heavens for Air conditioning!).

Gas prices have stayed relatively good: yesterday my favorite place (Clark – little station – nothing fancy) had el cheapo (lowest grade) gas for $3.49/9 – today it’s down to $3.43/9 – that’s great!

They are still, periodically, working on our road but it’s not as bad (the only BAD thing is figuring out just WHEN they WILL be working on it). Saturday was a nightmare of constant clogged traffic in front of our house- they had narrowed down the usual 5-lanes to 2, right next to each other – no turn lane – lovely . . .When it’s like that it’s easier to go all the way around the block just to get in my driveway without  a big mess. This, too, shall pass . . .

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

Chocolate Eclair Cake

Cake:

2 pkgs (1 oz, ea) Jello Cheesecake
pudding mix (sugar free)
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
2 1/2 C. milk
12 oz Cool Whip, thawed
1 box graham crackers (14.4 oz)

Frosting:
1 tub sugar free chocolate frosting
–
Mix pudding mix with milk, using a whisk.
Beat about 2 minutes by hand. Fold in
crushed pineapple & Cool Whip, set
aside. Layer a 9 X 13 baking pan with
one layer of graham crackers. Top with
half pudding mix. Repeat layers with
grahams, remaining pudding & top
with one more layer grahams. Take
lid off frosting, remove metal cover &
place in microwave. Microwave about
45 seconds, until frosting is liquid and
pour over grahams – spread out evenly.
Cover &refrigerate 2 hours before serving.

NOTE: This recipe can be made using
sliced strawberries, or raspberries,
or blueberries. Use 1 pint hulled & sliced
strawberries. Place berries on after 1st
layer grahams & pudding mix & repeat
in that order for next layer.

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

Old Fashioned Potato Loaf

3 T. butter
3 T. flour
1 C. Half & Half
salt & pepper, to taste
5 medium cooked potatoes,
cooled & chopped
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
chopped green onion, to taste
1/2 C. (or more) shredded Cheddar
cheese
–
Melt butter in saucepan, gradually
stir in flour. Slowly add Half & Half,
stirring constantly simmering until
thickened; season with salt & pepper.
Gently add potatoes, parsley &
green onion to sauce; simmer 2
minutes longer. Pour mixture into
a well-oiled 9 X 13 pan; press down
firmly. Chill several hours.

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
One half hour before serving time,
place loaf in oven-proof pan. Sprinkle
with cheese & bake 20-30 minutes
or until golden brown. Serves 6

(recipe: Martha-justapinch.com)
———————————

Crockpot Asian-style Beef

4 green onions
2 T. oil
1 boneless beef chuck or blade
roast (2 1/2 lb), trimmed & cut
into 2″ pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C. teriyaki sauce
2 red bell peppers, coarsley
chopped
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 T. cornstarch
1/2 C. (Kraft) Asian Toasted
Sesame salad dressing
2 C. snow peas, cut diagonally
in half
1/2 C. cashews, chopped
–
cooked rice
–
Slice onions, keeping sliced
white bottoms & green tops
separate. Heat oil in large
skillet on medium-high heat.
Add meat; cook 5 minutes or
until evenly browned, stirring
occasionally & adding garlic for
last minute. Stir in teriyaki sauce,
bell peppers, crushed pepper &
white onion slices; pour into
crockpot, cover with lid. Cook
on Low 5-6 hours or High 3-4
hours. Mix cornstarch & dressing
until blended; pour into crockpot
along with snow peas & nuts;
stir to combine. Cook, uncovered,
10 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Top with green onions slices when
serving. Serves 12

(recipe: Kraft foods)
——————————-

Homemade Peach Cobbler

2 1/2 lb. ripe, juicy peaches (about
4 C., sliced)
3/4 C. sugar
4 drops almond extract
pinch cinnamon
2 T. butter
biscuit topping, recipe below
–
vanilla ice cream or whipped cream
–
Preheat oven 425 degrees F.
Peel peaches by dipping into boiling
water about 1 minute, then slip off
skins. Slice into wedges, discarding
pits. Place in shallow 6 C. baking
dish or casserole; sprinkle tops with
sugar & almond then dot with butter.
Cover with biscuit dough for top.

Biscuit Top:
1 C. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 C. butter or shortening
1/2 C. milk MINUS 1 T.
–
Whisk flour, salt & baking powder;
cut in shortening using a pastry
blender or two knives or your
fingertips. Stir in milk, all at once,
stirring with a fork until dough clings
together. Pat or roll out dough to
1/4″ thickness & place over peaches.
Trim edges, crimp or flute to seal.
Cut a hole in top center for steam.
Bake 425 degrees F. 15 minutes then
reduce to 325. Bake an additional
10-15 minutes or until peaches are
cooked & top is golden. Serve warm
with vanilla ice cream or whipped
cream.

(recipe: Rhonda G-Marys Recipe
Exchange)
————————————

Crockpot Parmesan Ranch
Mushrooms

2 (8 oz) pkg. fresh mushrooms
1/2 C. butter, melted
1 oz. Ranch dressing mix
2 T. Parmesan cheese
(or more, if desired)
–
Place mushrooms in crockpot;
melt butter in a bowl & add
salad dressing mix. Mix well &
pour over mushrooms. Sprinkle
with about 2 tsp. Parmesan
cheese (or more). Cook on Low
4 hours.  Serves 4

(recipe: food.com)
———————————–

Sausage & Cheese Crescent Squares
2 tubes refrigerated crescent
dinner rolls
1 lb. pork sausage (hot or mild)
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese
2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
–
Preheat oven 375 degres F.
Unroll one tube of rolls into 2
long rectangles; place in ungreased
9 X 13 baking dish. Press rolls
over bottom & 1/2 inch up sides to
form crust. Cook sausage over
medium heat in skillet, stirring
frequently until no longer pink.
Remove from skillet, discard grease.
Add to skillet cream cheese & cook
over Low heat until melted. Add
cooked sausage; stir to coat. Spoon
mixture evenly over crust in dish;
sprinkle top with cheese. Unroll
second tube of rolls onto a work
surface. Press rolls to form a 9 X 13
rectangle for top crust. Firmly press
perforations to seal then carefully
place over mixture in dish. Bake
21-26 minutes or until golden
brown. Let cool 15 minutes then
cut into small squares.

(recipe: justapinch.com)
——————————

Chicken & Dumplings Casserole

2 chicken breasts, cooked/shredded
2 C. chicken broth
1/2 stick butter
2 C. Bisquick
2 C. whole milk
1 can cream of chicken soup
3 tsp. chicken granules
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt (or more, to  taste)
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Layer #1:
In a 9 X 13 pan, melt butter. Spread
shredded chicken over butter; sprinkle
with pepper & sage; do not stir.
Layer #2:
In small bowl, mix milk & Bisquick;
slowly pour over chicken; do not stir.
Layer #3:
In medium bowl, whisk chicken broth,
chicken granules & soup; once
blended, slowly pour over Bisquick
layer; do not stir.
Bake 30-40 minutes or until top is
golden brown.

(recipe: Facebook)
—————————–

Southern Ambrosia

1 C. sweetened coconut
1 C. pecan pieces
1 T. butter, melted
1/2 C. Heavy cream
1 T. sugar
1/2 C. plain Greek yogurt
3 C. miniature marshmallows
1 (15 oz) can mandarin oranges,
drained well
1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks,
drained well
1/2 C. maraschino cherries,
drained well – stems removed
–
Place coconut in shallow pan with
pecan pieces & butter; toast until
coconut is light brown; cool
completely. Whip heavy cream &
sugar until it forms stiff peaks; fold
in yogurt, being careful to not break
down the cream too much. Gently
fold in marshmallows, oranges,
pineapple chunks & cherries.
Refrigerate at least 2 hours (overnight
is better) to let flavors mix.
Serve with more fresh whipped cream
& top with a cherry.

(recipe: ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com)
————————————-
Grilled Corn Salad

3/4 C. zesty Italian salad dressing,
divided
1/4 C. yellow mustard*
4 ears corn on cob, husks &
silks removed
1/2 lb. fresh green beans,
trimmed/quartered & cooked
1 jicama, peeled, cut into 1/2′
cubes
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1/2 C. chopped fresh basil
–
Heat grill to Low heat.
Mix 1/4 c. salad dressing &
mustard in shallow dish until
blended. Add corn; turn to
evenly coat. Transfer corn to
grill, reserving dressing mixture
in dish. Grill corn 15-20 minutes
or until tender, turning &
occasionally brushing with
reserved dressing mixture; remove
corn from grill; cool. Cut corn from
cobs; place in large bowl. Add beans,
jicama, tomatoes, basil & remaining
dressing; mix lightly.
Makes 16 servings (1/2 C. each)
* For a flavor boost, substitute
Dijon mustard for yellow

(recipe: Kraft foods)
—————————-
Cucumber Dill Greek Salad

2 large cucumbers
1 T. Greek (plain) yogurt
1 T. sour cream
1 T. lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. fresh dill, chopped
salt & ground black pepper,
to taste
–
Peel & finely slice cucumbers.
In salad bowl, mix yogurt with
sour cream, lemon juice, garlic &
dill; season with salt & pepper. Add
cucumber & toss until well
combined. Refrigerate at least
1 hour before serving. Serves 4

(recipe: kitchennostalgia.com)
——————————
Quick Taco Salad

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 (1 oz) pkg. taco seasoning mix
1/4 C. water
10 C. loosely packed torn romaine
lettuce
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
2 C. tortilla chips, coarsely crushed
1/4 C. Ranch salad dressing
–
Brown meat with onions in large
nonstick skillet over medium-high
heat; drain. Add seasoning mix &
water; mix well & bring to boil.
Simmer on medium-low heat 3
minutes. Divide lettuce among
4 plates; top evenly with meat
mixture, tomatoes, cheese &
crushed chips; drizzle with
dressing. Serves 4

(recipe: Kraft foods)
————————————-

Lemon-Garlic Chicken

1/2 C. Italian-style bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. lemon pepper
1/4 C. lemon juice
2 T. cooking oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
(about 4=1 lb.)
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Spray shallow baking dish with nonstick
spray. Combine bread crumbs, garlic salt &
lemon pepper in ziplock plastic bag. Combine
lemon juice & oil in another ziplock bag. Add
chicken to lemon juice bag; toss to coat. Place
each breast in bag with crumb mixture, toss
to coat. Place coated chicken in single layer in
prepared pan. Sprinkle any remaining crumbs
over chicken, if desired. Spray tops of chicken
with nonstick spray. Bake 20-25 minutes or
until chicken is no longer pink in center
(165 degrees F.) Serves 4

(recipe: readyseteat.com)
============================

 Haven’t quite decided what to make for

dinner tonight; there’s either bratwurst

(cheese-stuffed for me & beer marinated

for husband), or Potatoes O’Brian

(hash brown potatoes with onions,

green & red peppers, sliced mushrooms,

ground beef & topped with shredded

extra sharp Cheddar cheese -sort of like a

casserole – YUMMY!) – those, so far, are my

2 choices. This week, fortunately, is not

(so far, anyway) AS busy as the past

2-3 have been. No knit group tomorrow,

just grandson all day. Wednes-day is

special needs group (that’s all – I hope),

Thurs. is grandson, again but not as

long, Friday is free – I HOPE )forgot

Radiologist appointment first thing).

Amidst all that ‘fun’ is getting together

the next issue of the special needs group

newsletter; if I’m not mistaken this will

be issue #76. That means I’ve been

doing this now since Sept., 2001 – as my

husband would say: “It keeps her on

her toes”!

That’s about ‘it’ on this weeks ‘hit parade’; finished
another chemo cap (that makes 3 this time) for
delivery this Friday. I try to take in a few each time I
have to go there for a check up. The GOOD THING,
this time, is the Radiologist said that if my latest
mammogram is clear (and it was), I start only
coming in once A YEAR! YAY! (There’s still the
Oncologist  – main cancer doctor, and I’m pretty
sure he won’t let me get off that easy (right now
it’s every 3 months, just like my main family
doctor – saw him last Friday – all’s good there!).
Ah, the ‘fun’ life of a cancer survivor – but the way
I look at it: IT COULD BE MUCH WORSE! Just going
in to hear ‘all’s well’ is no big deal!

I hope you have a GREAT day – filled with just
enough events to keep you busy, but not too busy,
and relaxing enough to keep you stress-free.

Big Hugs;

Pammie

 

PS: Sorry about all the various font sizes – still don’t

know WHY my browser does that!

Look who came to visit!

Baby bunny in front yard!

Lately I’ve been a bit concerned about our ‘bunny population’ – every year we have two rabbits who make their home in our ‘briar patch’ in the backyard (wild black raspberry bushes) and we usually see their offspring in mid summer. This year we saw the rabbits, but then we spotted a big, mangy UGLY cat lying on our picnic table and began to suspect where our rabbits went. Haven’t seen a rabbit in about 2 weeks – until today! Husband got back home from a quick doctor’s office (routine) visit, came in and said; “COME HERE – YOU’VE GOT TO SEE THIS!” Here was this BABY bunny – he was on the grass about 3 feet from my van – husband walked right by him and he didn’t move! I ran & got my camera,  still he didn’t move, only munched on clover! Either he was totally scared or ONE VERY BRAVE BABY BUNNY! It just made me super happy to see him – even IF he was in the front yard instead of the back (our front yard, remember, is on a MAJOR highway – not very safe for animals, for sure!).

Woke up to rain and a wee thunderstorm last night – temperatures are cooler today (64 degrees F.) and cloudy/grey – good for staying home & knitting or reading a book! (I’m working my way through another ‘quilter’ book by Jennifer Chiaverini (she writes the Elm Creek Quilts series); no, I’m NOT a quilter (all thumbs when it comes to sewing) but I really enjoy the way she weaves a story. Very much like the Debbie Macomber knitting series about Blossom Street – both are very enjoyable reads. The book I’m reading now is a compilation of the first 3 books in the series, so it’s not only very thick, but VERY HEAVY! Still, I’m partial to reading a BOOK (as opposite reading a tablet – just sayin’).

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

Watermelon/Mozzarella Salad

3 C. cold watermelon bite-sized
balls or cubes
1 C. bite-sized fresh part-skim
mozzarella balls or cubes
2 T. honey
2 1/2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 T. freshly chopped mint leaves
pinch salt
pinch crushed red pepper
–
Place watermelon & mozzarella in a
serving bowl. In separate bowl, whisk
together honey, lemon juice, chopped
mint, salt & crushed red pepper. Pour
dressing over melon & cheese/toss to
combine & serve immediately.
Serves 4

(recipe: Grishma-justapinch.com)
——————————-

Crockpot Taco Dip

2 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed
2 (13 oz, ea) cans chili
2 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1-2 pkgs. Taco seasoning mix
2 T. chili powder
Tabasco sauce, to taste
–
Brown ground beef & onions;
drain. Add to crockpot with
remaining ingredients. Cook,
on Low, 2 hours or until
Velveeta is melted.

(recipe: Crockpotladies)
———————————

Chocolate Cherry Bars

Brownies:
1 pkg. Devils Food Cake mix
1 can cherry pie fruit filling
1 tsp. almond extract
2 eggs, beaten

Frosting:
2 C. sugar
8 T. butter
1/2 C. milk
1 1/4 C. chocolate chips
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Grease & flour 15 X 10″ jelly roll
pan. Mix cake mix, cherry pie filling,
almond & eggs together; pour into
pan. Bake 20-30 minutes or until a
toothpick inserted in center comes
out clean. Boil sugar, butter & milk
in a saucepan 1 minute then add
chocolate chips; stir until chips
are melted then spread on warm
bars.

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

Summer Cherry Chicken
(crockpot)

2 1/2 lb. bone-in chicken (leg quarters)
2 C. whole cherries pitted & chopped
1/4 C. sugar
1 small onion, halved/sliced
salt, pepper & garlic powder, to taste
–
Place chicken in crockpot; sprinkle
with spices. In a bowl mix cherries,
onions & sugar; mix & pour over
chicken. Cook on Low 7-9 hours or
High 3 1/2 – 4 1/2 hours.

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

Three Cheese Stuffed Zucchini

6 zucchini ( 3 1/2 lb)
1 c. shredded mozzarella
1 (4 oz) pkg. crumbled feta cheese
2 tsp. oil
1 onion, chopped
3 arbol chilies, stemmed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 T. grated Parmesan cheese
–
3 C. hot, cooked long-grain brown rice
if desired, as side dish)
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Cook zucchini in boiling water in
large saucepan 5-7 minutes or until
tender; drain, reserving 1 C. cooking
liquid; cool zucchini. Cut thin slice off
stem end of each zucchini; carefully
scoop out centers, leaving 1/4″ thick
shells. Chop removed zucchini; combine
with mozzarella & feta cheeses. Heat oil
in medium skillet over medium heat. Add
onions, chiles & garlic; cook & stir 3 minutes
or until onions are crisp-tender, remove
from heat. Add half onion mixture to
zucchini mixture; spoon into zucchini shells.
Place in greased 9 X 13 pan. Blend reserved
water, tomato sauce & remaining onion
mixture in blender until smooth; pour
over stuffed zucchini shells. Cover & bake
25-30 minutes or until heated through.
Sprinkle tops with Parmesan & serve
with rice (if desired). Serves 6

(recipe: Kraft foods)
———————————-

Crisp Refrigerator Pickles

1 C. white vinegar
1 C. granulated sugar
1 C. water
1-2 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. salt
3 C. sliced cucumbers
3 small onions, thinly sliced
–
Place sliced cucumber & onions in a
large container or bowl*. In a separate
bowl, stir vinegar, sugar, water & salt
together until dissolved; add celery
seed. Pour mixture over cucumbers &
onions & refrigerate.
Makes about 6 Cups.
–
*in photo, mixture was put in a glass
canning jar.

Poster notes that they taste
best after 1-2 days in fridge. Keeps
for 2-3 months.

(recipe:savoringtimeinthekitchen.
blogspot.co.uk)
————————————–

Grilled Asparagus

1/4 C. Balsamic vinaigrette
salad dressing
1 lb. fresh asparagus spears,
trimmed
1 t. grated Parmesan cheese
–
Heat grill to medium-high heat.
Pour dressing over asparagus in
shallow dish; turn to evenly
coat asparagus with dressing.
Remove asparagus, reserving
dressing in dish. Grill asparagus
5 minutes or until crisp-tender,
turning & brushing occasionally
with reserved dressing. Serve
topped with cheese. Serves 4

Note: Thicker spears are better
for roasting or grilling; the bigger
the spears, the longer they take to
cook & the more grilled or roasted
flavor they will have.

(recipe: kraft recipes)
———————————
Spaghetti Casserole

1 envelope onion soup mix
1 pkg. angel hair pasta
1 1/2 qt. boiling water
1 lb. ground beef
1 can tomato sauce
1 T. parsley flakes
1 tsp. sweet basil
1 C. grated Cheddar cheese
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
In large saucepan, combine onion
soup mix & spaghetti with water;
cook until pasta is tender, DO NOT
DRAIN. In large skillet, brown meat,
stir in tomato sauce & paste, parsley
& basil; add to spaghetti; heat through.
Place in casserole dish; top with cheese &
bake 20 minutes. Serves 6

(recipe: Heather-justapinch.com)
——————————————–

Tortellini/Sausage Soup
(crockpot)
–
1 lb mild bulk Italian sausage
2 garlic cloves,minced
1 cup water
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp basil
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
8 oz frozen tortellini
1 cup chopped onion
5 cups beef broth
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 tsp oregano
1 medium green pepper, chopped
–
Brown sausage and drain grease. Place sausage,
onions, garlic, broth, water, tomatoes, carrots,
and tomato sauce in slow cooker. Cover; cook on
LOW for 6 hours. Add basil, oregano, zucchini,
green pepper, and tortellini to slow cooker.
Cover; cook for another hour on HIGH or until
tortellini are done. Makes 8 servings.

(recipe: Facebook)
—————————————

Skinny Shrimp Salsa

16 oz. cooked/peeled shrimp, diced fine
4 vine-ripe tomatoes, diced fine
6 T. red onion, diced fine
3 T. jalapenos, diced fine (more or less,
to taste)
2 T. minced cilantro
juice of 2 limes (or more, to taste)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
–
Combine onion, tomatoes, salt &
lime juice in a large non-reactive bowl;
let stand 5 minutes; add remaining
ingredients; taste for salt & adjust as
needed.Refrigerate to let flavors
combine at least 1 hour before serving.
Serves 8

(recipe: skinnytaste.com)
——————————

Cake Mix Apple Cobbler
(crockpot)

1 box yellow cake mix
1 (20 oz) can apple pie filling
6 T. butter, melted
–
Place pie filling in bottom of crockot.
Spread cake mix over top then spoon
butter onto cake mix; DO not mix.
Cook on High 4 hours.
VERY GOOD with vanilla ice cream!

(recipe: sixsistersstuff.com)

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

Lately it’s been nice & quiet around here, so I’ve been
catching up on knitting; still have the rest of the ‘big ball’
of yarn before the (pain in the neck) baby afghan is done.
I like the way it looks, it’s just that (and I chose this pattern!)
it’s ‘fussy’ – every other row is constant counting of each
stitch – by the time you’ve done the four-row pattern, you’re
ready to put it down for a LONG time! I’m determined to get
it done before the Vet’s Baby shower delivery (hoping that’s
Sept 16th – still awaiting a solid date). Worked on my shawl
some – since it’s just knit & purl, it goes quickly AND since it’s
not due until NEXT June, I’m taking my sweet time on it. Knit
another baby hat yesterday, just to keep ‘in the loop’. I’ve
been ‘thinking’ about crocheting another baby blanket before
September – but, mind you – just ‘thinking’ at this stage. Yes,
I know – I’m NUTS! Don’t know WHY I like challenging myself
to get something done with a very short deadline – guess I
just like the thrill of the chase! Maybe . . .

Last night youngest son came home extremely frustrated –
it seems his (old) truck’s brakes totally failed just as he
was coming up our driveway (foot to the floor, no brakes)
and he ‘gently’ drove into the fence – no big deal, no dent
to truck or fence. He/WE have been pouring $$$ into this
vehicle ever since he got it; he still owes us $ for previous
repairs – I was at a quandary, so asked husband. He said:
Let’s just get it done – call a tow truck in the morning and
take it to Belle Tire and get it checked out – he needs the
vehicle and I need the peace.” End of story – Ah, the ‘fun’
of parenthood – right? (I was thinking, last night, of how
many times we’ve been this ‘route’ with the other two
sons and their vehicles – too many times to count. Life –
sometimes it’s struggling to keep your head above water
and others it’s maintaining the ‘dog paddle’ – either way,
it’s got to be done! Son was lamenting that it seems that
he never ‘gets a break’ so I gave him the ‘Mama’ story
about how I VERY WELL remember being VERY broke at
his age – at that time, I remember as a treat to myself,
attempting to save up enough $ to be able to buy a
Burger King Whopper – that was ALL I could afford, as a
treat! Back then (1969) Kraft Macaroni & cheese was
19 CENTS a box and I lived on the stuff – IF I had enough
$, it was made with milk, if not – water (not very tasty, but
I survived.) I was living with my best friend in a small
apartment and IF we had a little extra $, we added a
cooked, cut up hotdog to the mix – that was “LIVING!”
BUT – moral of the story: I SURVIVED JUST FINE!

Today is VOTING DAY in our area; husband & I are
going in a few minutes. It’s mostly local issues, but
I really want to vote on maintaining our Police/Fire
Millage. The way I see it: those guys put their lives
on the line EVERY DAY for us – we need to support
them any way we can.

Have a GREAT DAY! Remember to smile a little,
maybe listen to some music that makes you happy,
or just go take a nap! YOU are IMPORTANT –
remember that!

Big Hugs;

Pammie

Thursday Already!

My, how time flies when you’re ‘having fun’! Here it is Thursday already- I feel like I missed part of the week – spent most of yesterday ‘playing around’: knit some on the shawl, some on the blue/green baby blanket, knit 2 Premie hats, and crocheted on the ‘quickie’ baby blanket. (I would have read, but ran out of books – need to go to the Library soon). I really felt like a Lady of Leisure! Last night was my special needs group Music/Birthday night – we had a good crowd: 31 kids (plus caregivers & family members – probably around 47 people?). It was really nice to see some of our members return; one lady hasn’t been to the group in a good 6 months (she is a former cancer patient – it was SO good to see her own hair has now grown back!), several kids returned from camp – a good night was had by all. (I ended up bringing home 9 frosted cupcakes – we had extras; one was my breakfast this morning – grin!).

Today is a beautiful, but cool, day – right now, at 10:40 a.m. it’s only 64 degrees. Last night husband fiddled with our thermostat – it seems to show it’s working, but it’s not turning on the furnace – sigh. We had some trouble with it in the winter and the guy who came out sort of ‘jury rigged’ it to work, saying we needed to go to the hardware store and buy a new one (husband never did). We’ll see how long this goes –

Last night, upon coming ‘near’ my house while driving home my one student, I discovered that I would NOT be able to come my usual route – the county was going to be working on the road AGAIN. They had completely blocked off my side of the street (they did this before, but you could DRIVE to my house – this time NO WAY!). That put me in a conundrum – how would I be able to get in my driveway?  I ended up driving up our side street – doing a bunch of quick looks left & right then DRIVING THE OPPOSITE WAY DOWN THE ROAD TO MY HOUSE! (Hey, what was I supposed to do?) Luckily no road workers saw me – they weren’t out yet and there was NO traffic on that side of the street. I can just imagine people on the other side of the street wondering what I was doing going the WRONG way! Who cares – I made it home OK. A little later that night I looked out my front windows to see that they had a huge spotlight (on a trailer) pointed at my house while two workers just sat on the curb – don’t know what they were waiting for or WHAT they were going to do! Weird. Later, while on my computer, I heard a man’s voice on a bull horn saying: “NO – DRIVE ON THE OTHER SIDE!” (glad it wasn’t me he was yelling at!) Whew – got up this morning and you would never know all that transpired – road back to normal, big barrels sitting on the sides of the road, not bothering anyone. I’ll certainly be GLAD when they finish whatever they’re doing! (I noticed they have black mesh under all the manholes – husband said they put that there to keep out the cement pieces/bits from falling into the holes – interesting).

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Blue Cheese ‘n Bacon Salad

2 medium sized ripe tomatoes,
sliced & chopped
2 medium cucumbers, chopped
1 small onion, peeled & sliced
1 pkg. Italian salad dressing,
prepared (Good Seasons)*
4 T. cooked/crumbled bacon
4 T. crumbled blue cheese
–
Prepare Good Seasons salad
dressing as directed on pkg; set
aside. Place veggies in a bowl; add
Italian dressing & toss. Cover &
refrigerate at least 1 hour before
serving. Divide mixture into 4
bowls; sprinkle top of each with 1 T.
bacon & blue cheese. Serves 4

*or – I would just use bottled
Italian salad dressing

(recipe: Babz-justapinch.com)
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Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffeecake

Cake:
2 1/2 C. flour
1 C. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 C. butter, softened
3 eggs
2/3 C. buttermilk*
1 tsp. almond extract

Filling:
2 (8 oz, ea) pkgs. cream cheese,
softened
1/2 C. granulated sugar
1 egg
1 (21 oz) can blueberry pie filling

Crumb topping:
1/2 C. sugar
1/4 C. flour
3 T. butter, melted

Icing:
1 C. powdered sugar
1-2 T. milk
–
Preheat oven 325 degrees F.
Grease 9 X 13 baking dish; set
aside. In large bowl, beat flour,
sugar, baking powder & baking
soda until combined. Add butter &
beat until crumbly. Add in eggs,
almond extract & buttermilk; continue
to beat until mixture is light & fluffy.
Pour half of mixture into prepared
pan, spreading evenly. In separate
bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar &
egg until combined & fluffy. Pour
over batter & spread evenly. Top with
blueberry pie filling; spread evenly
over cream cheese mixture. Top
with remaining batter, spreading
evenly. Mix ingredients for crumb
topping; sprinkle over batter. Bake
50-60 minutes or until golden brown &
tests done; cool completely.
Once cooled, mix icing ingredients
together – it should be thick but thin
enough to drizzle. Drizzle over top
& serve. Makes 20 pieces.

*You can make buttermilk by pouring
1 T. lemon juice or vinegar into a 1 Cup
measuring cup, then pouring in enough
milk to come to the 2/3 measure. Stir &
let set 5 minutes – now you have
buttermilk.

(recipe: julieseatsandtreats.com)
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Potato Bacon Casserole

4 C. frozen shredded hash brown
potatoes
1/2 C. finely chopped onion
8 oz. bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 C. (4 oz) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Grease 8″ square baking dish. Layer
1/2 potatoes, 1/2 onion, 1/2 bacon &
1/2 cheese in dish; repeat layers. Combine
evaporated milk, egg & salt in small
bowl; pour evenly over potato mixture.
Cover & bake 55-60 minutes. Uncover &
bake an additional 5 minutes. Let stand
10-15 minutes before serving.

(recipe: Rhonda G-Marys Recipe Exchange)
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Easy Garden Bake

1 C. chopped zucchini
1 large tomato, chopped (1 C.)
1 medium onion, chopped (1 C.)
1/3 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 C. Bisquick mix
1 C. milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Grease 9 inch pie plate. Layer
zucchini, tomato, onion & cheese
in plate. Stir remaining ingredients
until blended & pour into pie plate.
Bake 35 minute or until knife inserted
into center comes out clean. Cool 5
minutes. Serves 6

(recipe: Rhonda G-Marys Recipe Exchange)
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Italian Chicken Packets

4 C. frozen broccoli cuts
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes,
drained
1/2 C. Italian salad dressing
4 boneless skinless chicken
breasts
–
Preheat oven 450 degrees F.
Combine broccoli, drained
tomatoes & dressing in medium
bowl. For each packet, lay two
20 X 12 inch sheets of regular
aluminum foil on top of each
other. Place 1 chicken breast on
each foil packet. Spoon broccoli &
tomato mixture equally over each
chicken breast. Bring up short
sides of each foil packet & double
fold top. Double fold both ends to
seal each packet, leaving space for
steam to gather. Place packets on
baking sheet; bake 20-25 minutes or
until chicken is no longer pink in
centers (165 degrees F.). Carefully
open ends of packets to allow steam
to escape before fully opening.
Serves 4

(recipe: readyseteat.com)

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Lazy Cookie Cake Cookies

 1 box yellow or white cake mix
2 eggs beaten
5 T melted butter
2 C mini chocolate chips
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Mix together, refrain from eating it raw,
put in a greased 9×13 pan and bake 20 min

(recipe: momsgotink)
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Crockpot Beef & Broccoli

1 lb. boneless beef chuck roast,
sliced into thin strips
1 C. beef consomme
1/2 C. soy sauce
1/3 C. brown sugar or honey
1 T. sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. cornstarch
2 T. cooled sauce from crockpot,
after being cooked
fresh broccoli florets (as many
as desired)
hot, cooked rice
–
Place beef in crockpot. In small bowl
combine consomme, soy sauce, brown
sugar/honey, oil & garlic; pour over beef.
Cook on Low 6-8 hours.
After cooking:
In a cup, stir cornstarch & sauce from crockpot
stir until smooth.Stir well to combine. (If
sauce is not thickening, try bringing sauce to
a boil on stovetop with corn starch mixture. Boil
until desired consistency is reached.) Add broccoli
to crockpot; stir to combine. Cover & cook an
additional 30 minutes on High (sauce has to boil
to thicken). Serve over hot, cooked rice.

(recipe: Facebook)
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Biscuits & Gravy Casserole

1 lb sausage
1 1/2 oz pork gravy mix ( or 1 package
Pioneer Brand Peppered Sausage Gravy Mix )
1 C. Cheddar cheese, shredded
6 eggs
1/2 C. milk
salt, to taste
black pepper,to taste
1 (8 oz) can biscuits ( 1 can
Pillsbury Grands Biscuits )

Preheat oven to 350 degree’s.
Spray a 9 X 13 pan with nonstick spray.
Take biscuits and cut into 1″ pieces; line
bottom of pan with them. Brown sausage;
scatter over biscuits. Sprinkle with Cheddar
cheese. Whisk eggs & milk with a pinch of
salt and pepper; pour it over the pan.
Prepare gravy mix per package directions;
pour over casserole. Bake 30-45 minutes.

(recipe: Facebook)
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Chicken & Peppers Stir Fry

1/2 C. soy sauce
2 T. sesame oil
1 T. ketchup
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts,
cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow pepper, chopped
cooked rice*
–
In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce,
oil, ketchup & garlic; heat mixture
in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Add chicken; cook & stir 3 minutes.
Add peppers; cook & stir 5 minutes, or
until chicken is cooked through. Serve
over hot rice. Serves 4

(recipe: Rhonda G-Marys Recipe
Exchange)
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Fresh Apple Cake

1 C. vegetable oil
2 C. sugar
3 eggs
3 C. flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 C. chopped pecans
3 C. peeled and chopped apples
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees.
Grease a 9 x 13″ pan. Combine oil, sugar,
and eggs. Stir in flour and baking soda.
Add vanilla, pecans, and apples. Spread
in prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes.
Cool for 2 hours. Then prepare frosting.

Frosting:

1/2 C. butter
1 C. brown sugar, packed
1/4 C. evaporated milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Boil all ingredients in a small saucepan for
2 minutes. Set pan in bowl filled with ice
water. Beat icing until of spreading consistency.
Spread over top of cake.

(recipe: Facebook)
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It seems a bit strange not anticipating
our grandson tomorrow; not that I’m
complaining, just seems different. Not
sure what I’m doing for the rest of the
day – I am going to ‘attempt’ to re-create
a dish I formerly purchased at Gordon
Foods: Spinach/cheese stuffed chicken
breasts. They were very tasty, but to my
estimation, a bit pricey for 4 chicken
breasts (ran about $11.50 for 4). I’m going
to use frozen spinach, shredded mozzarella
& skinless chicken breasts. Am going to slice
each breast 3/4 way through, stuff with the
spinach & cheese, roll in beaten egg then
in Italian bread crumbs & bake 350 degrees
about 45 – 60 minutes. This is all ‘me’ – I’m
taking a guess on it all – we’ll see how it comes
out. (I’m guessing it will be messy – the cheese
will melt & probably ooze out – will line the
cookie sheet with foil, just in case.)

Hope you’re having a good, RELAXING day.
Enjoy the lovely sunny weather while you
can, we only have about 1 1/2 months of it
to go then FALL descends – ugh. Mind you,
I LIKE Fall – at the beginning when the air
just starts to turn a bit nippy and the leaves
are starting to turn, but then (as we all know)
not far behind is the COLD of winter – ugh!)
AGAIN, I say: ENJOY THE WARM WEATHER!!!

Big hugs;

Pammie