A little late posting here . . . sorry

Been a bit busy with babysitting, knitting and FINALLY getting up the courage to schedule an appointment with a orthopedic surgeon to get my right hip replaced. I’ve had problems with my hips for many years but just recently it’s gotten MUCH worse to the point where I’m missing sleep. At the recommendation of a friend I saw the surgeon Tuesday. After x-rays he agreed surgery would be the best treatment. I’m now schedule for August 19th!!! YAY! A little scary but happy to finally get this done. (I’ll be getting the newer type hip surgery:  Anterior Approach which is much less invasive, less painful and quicker recovery – Win-Win!).

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

Apple Pie Bread

1 box yellow cake mix
1 C. self-rising flour
1 can apple pie filling, mashed
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 medium chopped apple
–
1 T. cinnamon
4 T. sugar
=
Preheat oven 325 degrees F.
Spray 2 loaf pans with nonstick
cooking spray.
In large bowl whisk together all
dry ingredients; mix in wet
ingredients & fold in apples. Pour
batter into prepared pans & sprinkle
tops with sugar & cinnamon.
Bake 35-45 minutes. Makes 2 loaves

(recipe: 1strecipes.com)
———————————

Pimiento Cheese Mac Salad

1 (16 oz) box macaroni noodles
1 (12 oz) pkg. pimiento cheese
1/2 C. mayonnaise
1 1/2 C. cooked/diced ham
1/2 C. diced green onion
salt/pepper, to taste
–
Cook macaroni accordg. to pkg.
directions; drain & rinse under
cold water. Drain well & pour into
a large bowl. Stir in pimiento
cheese, mayo, diced ham,
green onion, salt/pepper – mix well
taste & adjust seasonings to taste.
Chill 1 hour before serving.
Serves 8

(recipe: thecountrycook.net.)
——————————-
Gazpacho (cold summer soup)

1 long English cucumber (about 12 oz),
halved lengthwise & seeded, cut into
large dice (about 2 C.) don’t have to peel
2 red bell peppers, cored/seeded, cut
into large dice, about 3 C.
4 plum tomatoes, large dice, 2 C.
1 small red onion diced, (1 C.)
3 cloves garlic, minced fine (about 2 T.)
3 C. tomato juice
1/4 C. white wine vinegar
1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
–
Sour cream – garnish
=
In food processor pulse cucumber
until coarsely chopped (do not
over-process – you want some
texture) Pour into a very large bowl.
Repeat for each vegetable, one veg
at a time – pour into bowl w/cucumber.
Add garlic, tomato juice, vinegar,
olive oil, salt/pepper to bowl – mix well.
Remove about 3 C. & pour into food
processor – process until pureed – pour
this bowl & mix again. *
Chill a few hours before serving.
When ready to serve, spoon into a soup
bowl & dollop sour cream on top (if
desired). Serves 6-8

*You can leave your gazpacho chunky
if you like.

(recipe: afamilyfeast.com)
—————————–

Greek Cucumber Salad

2 C. cherry or grape tomatoes,
sliced in half
3 cucumbers, peeled/chopped
1/2 red onion, sliced
1/4 C. olive oil
1 T. lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt/black pepper, to taste
1 C. crumbed Feta cheese
=
In large bowl combine tomatoes,
cucumber & onion, Add oil, lemon
juice, oregano, salt/pepper – stir
well to combine. Cover & refrigerate
several hours for flavors to mingle.
Before serving, top with Feta.

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
———————–

Deli-style Crab Salad

1 lb. imitation crab meat, flaked
1/2 C. celery, finely chopped
4 T. red onion, finely chopped
1 T. fresh dill, chopped
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 C. mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. paprika
salt/pepper, to taste
–
Optional garnish: chopped dill
=
In large bowl combine crab, celery,
onion, dill, paprika, salt/pepper – stir
to combine well. Add mayo & lemon
juice; stir to combine well. Cover &
refrigerate up to 1 hour before serving.
Garnish with more chopped dill, if desired
Serves 4-5

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

Crockpot Cilantro/Lime Chicken

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts;
can use frozen
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 bunch cilantro torn apart
1 lime
1 T. chili powder
1 T. ground cumin
garlic salt, or powder – to taste
salt/black pepper – to taste
=
Cooked rice to serve 6
=
Place chicken in crockpot; place
in seasonings including cilantro.
Squeeze juice from lime. Pour
tomato sauce on top. Cover &
cook on Low 6-8 hours (or) High
3-4 hours.*
Remove chicken & shred – return
to crockpot & stir into sauce.
Serve over cooked rice – top with
some fresh cilantro. Serves 6

*If you need to cook longer than 8
hours, add 1/2 soup can water

NOTE: This can be served in warm
corn tortillas

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

Bundt Pan Roast Chicken & Potatoes
(10-Cup nonstick Bundt pan)
–
READ recipe before preparing for
refrigerated times

1 whole chicken (3 1/2 – 4 lbs)
2 tsp. herbes de Provence
kosher salt/ground black pepper
5 T. unsalted butter (4 at room temp,
1 melted) plus more melted for pan
1 1/2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into
1/2 inch cubes
4 cloves garlic, 3 smashed/1 finely grated
zest of 1 lemon/ juice of half
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 T. roughly chopped fresh Italian
flat-leaf parsley
=
Rub chicken all over, including
cavity, with 1 tsp. herbes de
Provence, 1 T. salt & 1/4 tsp. pepper.
Refrigerate at least 2 hours, up to
overnight. Bring chicken to room
temp 30 minutes before cooking.
=
Preheat oven 425 degrees F.
Arrange oven rack to lower third
of oven.
Butter sides & bottom of bundt
pan. Cover the tube hole in middle
of pan with 6″ piece of foil. Place
potatoes in bottom of pan with
3 smashed garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp.
salt & few grinds pepper. Toss with
1 T. melted butter & roast 20 minutes.
–
In small bowl mix lemon zest, paprika,
remaining 4 T. butter, 1 tsp. herbes de
Provence & grated garlic. Pat chicken dry
& spread a little of butter mixture under
skin of breasts & thighs. Rub the rest all
over the chicken – sprinkle with a little more
salt/pepper. Place chicken over foil-covered
tube of bundt pan so that chicken is sitting
upright on top of potatoes.
Cook 50-55 minutes until an instant-read
thermometer inserted into thickest part of
chicken reads at least 165 degrees F.
Transfer chicken to a cutting board & let
rest 10 minutes before carving.
–
Transfer potatoes using a slotted spoon, to
a serving dish. Strain liquid in pan into a
small saucepan & heat until just warmed
through. Squeeze in lemon juice & stir in
parsley; pour liquid over carved chicken &
serve with potatoes on the side.
Serves 4

(recipe: foodnetwork.com)
———————————

Orange Cheesecake Bars

Crust:
2 C. flour
1 C. sugar
1 C. unsalted butter, softened

Filling:
2 (8 oz ea) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1/4 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (20 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained

Topping:
2 C. unsweetened, shredded coconut
2 T. butter, melted
=
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Combine all crust ingredients &
press into 9 X 13″ baking dish.
Bake 20 minutes until golden
brown – cool completely.

In large bowl using elec. mixer,
beat cream cheese until smooth.
Add sugar, eggs & vanilla – mix well.
Fold in mandarin oranges & spread
evenly over cooled crust.

In medium bowl combine coconut &
melted butter – sprinkle over top of
filling. Cover with foil & bake 20
minutes. Remove foil & bake another
20 minutes until top is brown. Cool
& slice. Serves 12

(recipe: thebutteredhome.com)

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

Knit-wise I’ve finished most of my projects;
working on crocheting a border on a simple
baby blanket. Almost done with the ‘charity’
fancy mohair/silk shawl – need to knit the bottom
border (will photo when done). Decided to start
another baby blanket yesterday (we’re talking
‘attempting’ on less than 4 hours sleep – while
babysitting . . . sigh). Was doing (I thought) very
well – had a good foot knit when the circular
cable separated from the needles (My fault –
I had said I would tighten them LATER then
forgot). That little ‘fun’ thing made a huge
mess I will have to correct later today – ripping
out a good 4-6 rows, at least – sigh. This one
will be a lime green/white – love the yarn!
It’s called Ice Cream Yarn – I knit another
baby blanket with it in a bright pink/white.

Weather-wise we’re in the 80’s most days &
sunny. We really NEED rain but have only had
a few light rains during the night – not enough
to help the grass/flowers/and peoples gardens!

Gas prices sitting at $2.09/9 = been that way for
about 2 weeks now – that’s OK. (as my husband
would say: “better than FOUR DOLLARS a gallon!”
He thinks I’m nuts constantly watching the gas
fluctuations).

Hope you’ve been staying healthy and are able
to enjoy part of this summer NO MATTER WHAT
we’re going through. My knit group has been meeting
in a local park every Tuesday evening and we’re all
happy with that. I told them if we have to, when the
weather turns cold, we could go to ZOOM meetings.
Can’t wait for this virus to be GONE!!!

Hugs;

Pammie

Another Saturday

Lovely summer day outside: 87 degrees F., slightly cloudy but still nice. Looks like the coming week will be more 80’s & 90’s but a few thunderstorms – we need the rain; the grass is a dull tan/brown.

I babysat Thursday from 1 – 10:30 p.m. which gave me lots of time to knit and finish projects.

This is donated mohair & wool yarns: hat & matching scarf

This is the mohair & sequins scarf (finished it Thursday)

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

Since I finished those projects and the heavy blue/green/white baby blanket that got me to thinking of “What next?” In the donated yarns there was a small bag with 2 balls of very fine black mohair & silk yarn that has a very tiny silver thread running through it. What to make with that? I have some blues/greys wool yarn that would go well with it, so I’m on my way to knitting a shawl.

The top of the shawl will be the black w/sparkles; the body of the shawl will be the blue toned yarn. This one will take me awhile but I’ve got until the end of the year to turn it in. (This is more of the donated charity yarn I mentioned in another post).

==========

The Best Zucchini Brownies

1 1/2 C. diced zucchini
1/4 C. vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C. flour
2/3 C. sugar
2/3 C. unsweetened cocoa
powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 C. mini chocolate chips
(optional: chocolate frosting)
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Line a 9 X 9″ square baking dish
with parchment paper. Using a
food processor, add diced zucchini,
veg. oil, eggs & vanilla – blend until
smooth. Pour mixture into a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk flour, sugar,
cocoa, baking powder & salt. Add dry
ingredients to wet & mix just until
combined. Fold in choc. chips – pour
batter into prepared pan. Bake
25-30 minutes. Remove from oven &
allow to cool about 1 hour then top
with frosting, if desired. Serves 9

(recipe: thecountrycook.net)
——————————

Crockpot Taco Pasta

1 lb. ground beef, cooked/crumbled
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 T. taco seasoning mix
1 1/4 C. water, divided
2 C. pasta shells (measured dry)
4 oz. cream cheese, softened to
room temp & cut into cubes
2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 C. diced green bell pepper
1/2 C. diced onion
–
In 5-6 qt. crockpot combine cooked
beef, tomatoes, taco seasoning &
1 C. water; stir. Cover & cook on
High 1 hour.
Partially cook pasta shells in salted
boiling water about 6 minutes; drain.
To crockpot add:
cream cheese, partially cooked shells,
1 C. shredded cheese, onion, bell
pepper & 1/4 C. water. Stir, cover &
cook another 2 hours on High.
Serve with remaining 1 C. shredded
Cheddar cheese on top.
Serves 4

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

Shrimp & Pasta Toss

1 (12 oz) pkg. penne pasta, divided
2 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1 lb. uncooked medium shrimp,
peeled/cleaned
1/4 C. fresh parsley, chopped
1 (4 oz) pkg. crumbled feta cheese,
divided
–
Measure out half pkg. of pasta, reserving
rest for another recipe. Cook 1/2 pkg. per
pkg. directions/drain. In large heavy
skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add
onion; cook until tender; stir in tomatoes &
juices, red pepper flakes & oregano – cook
until boiling over high heat. Reduce heat
to medium; cook until slightly thickened,
stirring occasionally. Stir in shrimp; cook
2-4 minutes until pink. Remove skillet
from heat; stir in parsley & 1/2 C. feta.
Add cooked pasta to skillet & toss to
coat. Use remaining cheese to top each
serving. Serves 4

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

Beer & Cheese Ranch Dip

2 (8 oz, ea) pkgs. cream cheese,
softened
2 T. Hidden Valley Ranch dry dressing/
seasoning mix
8 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 C. beer *
–
Suggested dippers:
crackers, pretzel rods or fresh
veggies
=
In bowl of elec. mixer using paddle
attachment, mix cream cheese, ranch
mix & cheese on medium speed until
well combined, about 2 minutes. Add
a small amount of beer & mix on Low
until combined. Continue to add beer
until you’ve reached desired thickness
of dip. Serves 4-6

*Amber ale is recommended

(recipe: hiddenvalley.com)
——————–
Homemade Tartar Sauce

1 C. mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
2-3 T. sweet pickle relish, drained
1-2 T. minced onion
1 T. lemon juice (optional – can
use fresh or bottled)
1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
1/8 tsp. black pepper (or to taste)
1/4 tsp. salt (or to taste)
–
Mix all ingredients together &
refrigerate a few hours (or overnight
before serving. Makes 1 Cup

(recipe: thesouthernladycooks.com)
——————————

Vanilla Wafer Cake w/ Caramel
Sauce

2 sticks butter (or marg.)
1 3/4 C. sugar
6 eggs
1/2 C. evaporated milk (can use
regular milk)
11 oz. box Vanilla Wafers, crushed*
1 1/2 C. coconut
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 C. nuts of your choice
=
Caramel Sauce:

1/2 C. granulated sugar
1 C. brown sugar
4 T. butter or margarine
2 T. corn syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C. milk
=
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray a Bundt pan with nonstick
cooking spray.
In large bowl using elec. mixer,
cream butter & sugar;
add eggs – mix well. Add milk, vanilla
waters & coconut – mix until well
blended – fold in nuts. Pour into
prepared pan & bake 1 hour to
1 hour 10 minutes until center is done.
Cool 15-20 minutes in pan before
removing.

Caramel Sauce:
Place all sauce ingredients in
a saucepan (except vanilla).
Bring to boil: boil 1 minute.
Remove from heat & add vanilla;
mix. Let cool to consistency you
like then drizzle over cooled cake.
(it will harden as it cools)
=
*Place cookies in ziplock bag,
seal & crush with a rolling pin (or
use a canned item)

(recipe: thesouthernladycooks.com)

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

Hope you are all doing well and adjusting
to life with Covid: wearing masks, washing
hands, etc. So far my family has been
fortunate to stay clear of it – here’s hoping
you are doing the same.

Hugs;

Pammie

Crazy Shopping!

Today I went to our local Kroger for our weekly shopping trip. To start, they had closed all doors into/out of the store except one. That was unusual – I ended up shopping ‘backwards’ – started at the opposite end of store I normally would. As per usual, I had a written list of items including their weekly ‘sale’ items. Strange is putting it mildly – there was a TON of people in the store, very little ‘social distancing’, lots of EMPTY aisles – I was shocked! I had shopped there maybe two weeks ago. NO paper towels, No chicken on sale, no Miracle Whip on sale, just to name a few (good thing I didn’t really NEED those!) I got so flustered with it all I totally forgot to look down at the floor to see which direction I was ‘allowed’ to go! Came home with a huge headache – don’t think I’ll be going there again for awhile.

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

Pecan Pie Cake

First Layer:

1 1/2 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large egg
2/3 C. sugar
1/2 C. canola oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C. milk
1 C. chopped pecans

Second Layer:

1/4 C. butter, melted
1 large egg
1/2 C. milk
1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. corn syrup
1 C. chopped pecans
=
Vanilla ice cream – for
serving
=
Preheat oven 325 degrees F.
Spray an 8 X 8″ baking dish
with nonstick cooking spray. In
a bowl whisk flour, baking powder &
salt (set aside 1/3 C. of mixture for
second Layer)
In another bowl whisk egg, sugar, oil &
vanilla – mix well. Add in flour mixture
& milk, alternately, scraping sides of
bowl as needed. Fold in 1 C. nuts –
pour batter into prepared pan &
bake 20 minutes.
=
In small bowl whisk reserved 1/3 C.
flour mixture, melted butter, egg,
milk, sugar, corn syrup & nuts – mix well.
Pour this mixture as evenly as possible
over cake just after it has baked. It
will sink to the bottom – that’s ok.
Bake, again, 45 minutes until center
of cake is set.
Serve warm cake with vanilla ice cream
and/or whipped cream. Serves 9

(recipe: thebestscakerecipes.com)
—————————-
Roasted Zucchini & Vegs in Oven

1 large zucchini, cut into chunks
3-4 medium red potatoes, cut into
chunks (poster doesn’t peel them)
2 large carrots, scraped, cut into pieces
1 lb. smoked sausage, cut into pieces
1 onion, quartered (optional)
3 T. olive oil
2 T. butter, melted (optional)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 T. chopped fresh basil (or 2 tsp. dried)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
=
Preheat oven 425 degrees F.
Place potatoes & carrots in microwaveable
bowl – microwave on High 5 minutes. In large
bowl whiskolive oil, melted butter, garlic powder,
basil, black pepper & salt. Add micro. potatoes/
carrots, zucchini, onion & smoked sausage to
olive oil mixture & toss to coat. Cover a
rimmed baking sheet with foil & spray with
nonstick cooking spray. Spread all vegetables
on sheet in even layer. Bake 25-30 minutes.
Serves 6-8

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

Fiesta Corn Chip Salad

2 (15 1/4 oz. ea) cans whole kernel
corn, drained
2 C. shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
1 C. mayonnaise
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 (9 1/4 oz) pkg. chili-cheese flavored
corn chips, crushed (Fritos)
minced fresh cilantro, optional
–
In large bowl combine corn, cheese,
red pepper, mayo, salt/pepper. Chill
until ready to serve.
Just before serving: stir in corn chips.
If desired, sprinkle with cilantro.
Serves 10

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
—————————
Sheet Pan Pineapple/Chicken
Fajitas

2 T. coconut oil, melted
3 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 lb. chicken tenderloins,
halved lengthwise
1 large red or sweet onion,
halved, sliced (about 2 C.)
1 large sweet red pepper, cut
into 1/2 inch strips
1 large green pepper, cut into
1/2 inch strips
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 T. minced, seeded jalapeno pepper
2 T. honey
2 T. lime juice
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas, warmed
–
Optional toppings:
Pico de Gallo
sour cream
shredded Mexican cheese blend
sliced fresh avocado
lime wedges
=
Preheat oven 425 degrees F.
Spray two 15 X 10 X 1″ sheet
pans with nonstick cooking spray.
In large bowl mix first 5 ingredients.
Stir in chicken. Add onion, peppers,
pineapple, honey & lime juice – toss
to combine. Spread evenly into
prepared pans. Roast 10 minutes,
rotating pans halfway through cooking.
Remove pans from oven; preheat broiler.
=
Broil chicken mixture, 1 pan at a time,
3-4 inches from heat until vegetables
are lightly browned & chicken is no
longer pink 3-5 minutes.
Serve in warmed tortillas, with
toppings & lime wedges, as desired.
Serves 6

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
—————————–

Crockpot Garlic Butter Chicken

2 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken,
(poster used thighs)
4 T. butter
1/2 C. chicken broth
3 cloves garlic minced
salt/pepper to taste
–
Place all ingredients in 4 qt crockpot.
Cover & cook on Low 4-5 hours until
chicken shreds easily with a fork. Remove
chicken from crockpot & shred using 2
forks; return to juices to serve. Serves 6

NOTE: can be eaten ‘as is’, or in casseroles,
sandwiches, wraps, salads or tacos. Broth
from this makes great soup.

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

Grilled Vegetable Medley

2 bulbs garlic, peeled*
1 (8 oz) pkg. fresh mushrooms
1 red onion
2 small sweet red peppers
2 small sweet orange peppers
10 stalks asparagus
olive oil
salt/pepper
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
==========
Roughly chop all vegetables EXCEPT
garlic. Heat grill to medium-high heat
(temp. 350 degrees F. approx). Then,
turn temperature down to Low.
Line grill with long piece of heavy duty
foil, turning edges of foil up a bit to catch
juices. Drizzle foil with olive oil. Carefully
place all veggies on foil & drizzle them
with more olive oil; sprinkle salt/pepper
on top. Cover grill & cook about 10
minutes, stirring occasionally. When
veggies are cooked through (onions
should be translucent & garlic should
be golden brown) use a metal spatula
to remove them from foil – place in a
large bowl. Squeeze lemon juice on
veggies & sprinkle cheese on top –
toss to coat. Taste & adjust salt/pepper,
to taste. Serves 4-6

*grilled garlic becomes very mild in
flavor when roasted

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

Crockpot Salted Caramel
Apple Spoon Cake

2 (20 oz, ea) cans apple pie filling
1 (16.5 oz) box white cake mix
1 (12 oz) bag salted caramel bits*
1/4 C. butter, sliced
–
Spray insides of crockpot with
nonstick cooking spray. Pour pie
filling in bottom of crockpot &
spread out evenly. Sprinkle dry
cake mix on top & spread out.
Top with salted caramel bits &
dot edges with butter slices.
Place 6-8 paper towels over
opening of crockpot, cover with
lid & cook 2-3 hours on High.
Serves 8

*If you can’t find salted caramel bits,
regular caramels will work

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

Strawberry Lemonade Poke Cake
(overnight recipe)

1 box lemon cake mix (plus ingredients
to prepare cake)*
1 small box strawberry Jell-O
1 C. prepared lemonade
1 tub Cool Whip, thawed
–
sliced strawberries for topping
(optional)
=
*Prepare cake accordg. to box,
baking in 9 X 13″ pan. Allow to
cool completely. Using a wooden
skewer, poke holes all over cake,
making sure to reach all the way
to the bottom of pan.
Prepare Jell-O: Use 1 C. water to
boil + 1 C. lemonade, still cold. Pour
mixture all over top of cake, allowing
it to seep into cake through holes.
Refrigerate overnight.
Frost with Cool Whip & top with
sliced strawberries.

(recipe: recipelion.com)

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

Our weather has been typical July: 80’s & 90’s,
sunny. Our knit group moved to a new location
as of yesterday and I’m happy to say we had 21
people show up! This is the same group that used
to meet at Panera Bread; long story, I’ve tried to
find a suitable location for us to meet OUTSIDE
where we could ‘social distance’ and still be able
to chat/knit/crochet together. The location we were
at is also the annual location of a farmer’s market
stand/tent. I contacted them and was notified they
would be coming July 20th, so I had to find another
great spot. We are now back at the location of our
‘former’ Log Cabin Day’s event which is a historical
park. I’m happy, the ladies are happy (one of the big
deciding factors was bathrooms – they didn’t want
port-a-potties). I’m still working on the gold scarf
with sequins – almost done. This was using donated
yarns – the ladies all think it looks great – I’ll just be
glad when it’s done.

Hope you are all in good health and able to enjoy
this Summer to the best of your abilities!

Hugs;

Pammie

 

and now it’s JULY!

It’s going to be a very warm week (in the 90’s) but it’s sunny so I’m glad. Went out in our backyard yesterday and picked some wild black raspberries. My oldest grandson loves them (they are away right now) so I picked/washed & froze them for him- he likes them with Cool Whip on top.

Not much going on; like everyone I read on FaceBook I was wondering if there were any fireworks left after all we heard for the last 3-4 days! We had a quiet holiday staying home in the air conditioning.

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

Peanut Butter Icebox Cake
(6 hrs. or overnight chill)

1 box chocolate graham crackers (8
sheets)
3 (16 oz, ea) tubs Cool Whip, thawed
1 box Nutter Butter cookies (about 30)
reserve 2 cookies for later
1 pkg. Oreo cookies (about 30),
reserve 2 for later
1 C. milk
10 miniature chocolate peanut butter
cups, coarsely chopped
chocolate syrup – for drizzling (optional)
–
Line the bottom of a 9 X 13″ baking dish
with the choc. graham crackers (break
to fill in any gaps, if necessary). Carefully
spread a layer of Cool Whip (about 2/3rds
of tub) over crackers. Dip each Nutter
Butter cookie quickly in milk then lay in
an even layer on top of Cool Whip. Cover
with another layer of Cool Whip (about 2/3rds
of tub) in an even layer. Dip each Oreo cookie
in milk before laying in an even layer on top
of Cool Whip. Cover with Cool Whip until
completely covered. Cover with plastic wrap
& chill 6 hours or overnight.
–
Before serving:
Top with chopped choc. peanut butter cups,
coarsely chopped cookies & a drizzle of
choc. syrup (if using). Serves 12

(recipe: iwashyoudry.com)
——————————

Sausage & Rice Casserole

1 1/2 lb. hot breakfast sausage
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 1/4 C. uncooked rice (jasmine or
regular long grain)
1 1/4 C. cream of mushroom soup
2 C. chicken stock
3/4 C. shredded Colby Jack cheese
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray a 2 1/2 qt. baking dish
with nonstick cooking spray.
In large skillet brown sausage over
medium-high heat; drain. Add onion,
celery & pepper – cook 5 minutes. Add
rice – stir to combine. In a small bowl
whisk soup & broth – pour into skillet;
stir to combine well. Stir in cheese &
pour into prepared dish. Cover tightly
with foil & bake 1 hour. Serves 6-8

(recipe: justapinch.com)
————————–
Ranch Chicken & Potato
Casserole for Two

1 large chicken breast, diced
2 large potatoes; peeled/diced
1 small onion, diced
10 slices bacon, cooked, chopped into
small pieces
3/4 C. Ranch salad dressing
1 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
dash salt/pepper
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray a 9″ casserole dish with
nonstick cooking spray.
Boil diced potatoes 5 minutes.
In small skillet saute chicken 5
minutes. Add all ingredients
except cheese to prepared dish;
mix in ranch dressing.
Bake 45 minutes. Remove from
oven & top with cheese – can
return to oven or broil until
cheese melts. Serves 2-3

(recipe: justapinch.com)
———————–
Citrus Asparagus Stir Fry

2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, minced or grated
1 T. olive oil
1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded/
sliced thin
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed/thinly
sliced on a diagonal about 1/2″
pieces
1 T. soy sauce
3 T. lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons)
1 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 C. fresh cilantro leaves with
tender stems (about 1/2 bunch)
2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
salt
=
Heat a large, dry skillet over
medium-high heat until a drop of
water sizzles on the surface. Add
jalapeno, garlic & olive oil, stirring
constantly, until garlic just begins
to turn golden, about 2 minutes.
Add asparagus; sprinkle lightly
with salt & cook, tossing occasionally,
until asparagus begins to brown around
the edges, 2-3 minutes. Add soy sauce &
2 T. lemon juice. Cook, stirring constantly,
until asparagus is coated in sauce but still
crispy, about 1 minute. Add minced garlic,
lemon zest, remaining 1 T. lemon juice &
ginger. Toss to combine & cook, continuing
to toss 1 minutes until ginger is fragrant.
Remove pan from heat; transfer to a platter &
toss with cilantro & sesame seeds.
Serves 4

(recipe: The Oakland Press, July 5, 2020)
——————————-
Grilled Corn-on-the-Cob
(no husks/no foil)

6 ears corn, shucked & silks
removed
salt
butter-flavored cooking spray
–
(salt & butter for serving)
=
Heat grill to medium-hot.
Spray each ear with cooking
spray & place directly over heat.
Rotate when dark spots appear
& kernels deepen in color
(usually 2-3 minutes) until ears
are uniformly cooked (about
10-12 minutes). Ears will be
speckled with char spots. Add
salt & serve with butter.
Serves 6

(recipe: food.com)
————————–
Avocado, Tomato & Corn Salad/Salsa

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (OR)
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1 lime, juice & zest
1 T. olive oil
1 T. chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado, diced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 C. frozen corn, rinsed
1 1/2 C diced tomatoes (grape,
cherry/cut in half)
salt/pepper, to taste
=
In large bowl mix first 5 ingredients.
Add avocado, onions, corn & tomatoes –
toss to coat. Season with salt/pepper.
Let stand 30 minutes – toss & serve.
Serves 6-8

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
————————-
Chicken Waldorf Salad

2/3 C. mayonnaise
2 T. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 C. diced, cooked chicken
2 red apples, cored/diced
2/3 C. sliced celery
1/2 C. chopped walnuts
1/2 C. sliced seedless grapes
=
In bowl combine mayo, lemon
juice, salt/pepper. Add chicken,
apples, grapes & celery – toss to
coat. Cover & chill. Sprinkle top
with walnuts just before serving.
Serves 4-6

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
————————

3-Ingredient Raspberry Lemonade Pie

1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
6 oz. frozen raspberry lemonade
concentrate, thawed
1 ‘Nilla Wafer pie crust
=
Optional toppings:
fresh raspberries
Lemon zest/twists
=
In a large bowl stir softened ice
cream & thawed lemonade together
until completely mixed – pour into
wafer crust. Cover & freeze until
firm. Slice & serve with optional
garnishes. Serves 8

(recipe: iwashyoudry.com)

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

I’m halfway done knitting the ‘sequin & fuzzy yarn’
cowl. I’m beginning to think it ‘might’ be a scarf
but we’ll see. It’s NOT an easy knit b/c I have to
keep track of this very fine (sewing thread fine)
‘string’ with sequins on it plus 2 other strands of
yarn. It will be pretty when it’s done and I’ll be
GLAD when it’s over. The ladies who were giving
me advice kept saying “try to keep the sequins
on the right side of the scarf” (because sequins
can be scratchy if they’re close to your skin). Well,
that didn’t turn out well; I ended up getting out
the tweezers and pulling most of them to the
front side of the scarf/cowl – I will probably do
that again when it’s done but it’s pretty much
almost impossible to keep them all on one side –
they are just TOO close together! Oh well – it’s
for a charity . . .

Hope you are having a good start to your week.
In a short while I’m going to our local library
and doing a ‘parking lot pick-up’ of some books
I had on hold. Since the virus our library is still
not open but you can check out books on hold
and pick them up upon request in the parking
lot so that’s not too bad.

Hugs;

Pammie

Another beautiful Sunday!

The sun is shining, there’s a slight breeze and it’s 79 degrees F. (with an expected of 85!). A gorgeous Sunday, for sure! Nothing lately on our agenda; oldest son & youngest grandson dropped by yesterday. Son spend many hours using a wood chipper to reduce the many branches he & other grandson cut down last week. Husband & I kept the 3 yr. old amused – he’s good, just feed him & make sure he has something to drink & he’s good!

Still working on several knitting projects & 1 crocheted baby blanket. Getting pretty close to finishing the ‘donated’ alpaca/mohair yarns – it will be a scarf when I’m done. Our local library hasn’t opened yet; you can bring back books you rented (OR – put books on hold & pick them up there, after calling to let them know you’re coming – all ‘library work’ is done in the parking lot for now). I’ve run out of books to read – I ‘could’ raid my stash upstairs; I did that last month – we’ll see.

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

Easy Fruit Pizza

Cookie Crust:
1 2/3 C. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 C. sugar
10 T. butter, room temp.
1 large egg, room temp.
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract

Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
1/3 C. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Fruit Topping:
2 C. strawberries, sliced
2 kiwi, peeled/sliced
1/3 C. blueberries
1/4 C. mandarin oranges, drained
=
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
LIghtly spray a 12″ pizza pan
(without holes on bottom) with
nonstick cooking spray.

Cookie Crust:
Whisk flour, baking powder, & salt
in small bowl. In another bowl using
elec. mixer, beat sugar & butter until light
& fluffy. Add in egg, vanilla & almond
extracts & beat until combined. Scrape
down sides of bowl as needed. Add in
dry ingredients & beat until soft cookie
dough forms. Press dough out into
prepared pan. Bake 11-13 minutes until
center is set. Let cool completely on
wire rack.

Frosting:
In a medium bowl using elec. mixer,
beat cream cheese, sugar & vanilla
until smooth & creamy. Spread evenly
over top of cooled crust.

Decorating:
Arrange fresh fruit over top of frosting
in a pattern you like.

(NOTE: if you like, you can mix 1 tsp.
honey with a little water to create a
nice glaze you can brush over fruits
so they look shiny)
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Serves 12

(recipe: iwashyoudry.com)
——————————–

Chunky Tomato-Avocado Salad

1 avocado, pitted/peeled & cubed
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/4 C. sweet onion, chopped
1 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
2-3 T. lemon juice
–
In bowl gently stir ingredients together.
Cover & refrigerate overnight. Serves 4

Serve with corn chips or ‘Scoops’
for dippers

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

Crockpot Zesty Italian Beef Sandwiches

3 lb. beef chuck roast, quartered
1-2 T. oil
1 (2 oz) pkg. zesty Italian salad dressing mix
1 (12 oz) can beer
1 onion, chopped
6-7 pepperonicini peppers, chopped
–
6-8 sandwich buns, split
=
In a skillet over medium heat, brown roast
on all sides then place in crockpot. Sprinkle
dry dressing mix on top; pour beer over
roast. Add onions & peppers. Cover & cook
on High 5-6 hours until beef shreds easily
with a fork. Shred beef & serve on
sandwich buns. Makes 6-8 sandwiches.

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

Grilled Basil/Garlic Chicken Breasts
(4-12 hour marinade)

4 large boneless skinless chicken
breast halves (10-12 oz ea)
3 T. finely minced garlic
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 C. chopped fresh basil
1/4 C. olive oil
–
olive oil, salt/ground black pepper for skin
=
In small bowl mix garlic, 1 tsp. salt, basil &
oil. (add additional oil if necessary) Mash
garlic to a paste (poster used a mortar & pestle).
Smear mixture on both sides of chicken breasts
being careful to leave skins intact.
Gently place breasts in a gallon ziplock bag &
marinate, refrigerated, 4 hours up to 12 hours.
=
When ready to grill:
Remove chicken from bag, wipe skin side
free of marinade*. Brush on olive oil &
sprinkle on salt/pepper. Over a medium fire
place chicken skin-side down to crisp skin,
about 8-10 minutes, turning 90 degrees half
way through to get cross hatch marks. Once
skin is crisp, flip each piece over & move to
a cool side of grill – cook 8-10 minutes with
cover closed. (try to maintain an internal
grill temperature of 425 degrees F. by adjusting
burners on or off to keep that temperature.)

Remove chicken when internal temperature
reaches 155 degrees F using a probe thermometer.
Cover loosely with foil & allow to rest 5 minutes
before serving. Serve either whole or sliced.
Serves 4

*Wiping the skin helps the skin to brown without
burned basil pieces

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

Panzanella Salad

4 C. rustic Italian-style bread
cut into 1″ cubes
2 T. olive oil
1 English cucumber, halved,
seeded & sliced
1/3 C. red onion, thinly sliced
3 C. tomato, cut into 1″ pieces
3/4 C. yellow bell pepper, cut
into 1/2″ pieces
2 T. capers
1/2 C. basil leaves, sliced

Dressing:

2 T. lemon juice
1 T. Dijon mustard
3 T. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
2 T. finely minced shallot
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 C. olive oil
salt/black pepper, to taste
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Place bread cubes in a bowl;
add 2 T. olive oil & toss to coat.
Place bread on a sheet pan &
bake 10-15 minutes until dry &
lightly browned then place in a
large bowl with cucumber, onion,
tomato, bell peppers & capers.
–
Dressing:

Place all dressing ingredients in a bowl
& whisk until smooth. Pour dressing over
bread/vegetables & toss to gently
combine. Cover & chill at least 30
minutes or up to 6 hours. Stir in basil
& serve. Serves 6

(recipe: dinnerathezoo.com)
—————————

Country Tomato/Bacon Pie

2-3 tomatoes, sliced
1 (9 inch) deep dish frozen pie crust,
baked accordg. to pkg. directions*
1/2 C. green onions, chopped
1/4 C. basil, chopped
1/2 C. cooked/crumbled bacon
ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 C. mayonnaise
1 C. shredded cheese (poster used
Mozzarella/Cheddar)
=
*If using a frozen pie crust, defrost
on counter about 10 minutes. Prick
with a fork & bake accordg. to pkg.
directions. (usually 400 degrees F.
10-12 minutes) Cool crust slightly.
=
Turn oven temp down to 350 degrees F.
Layer slices of tomato in bottom of pie
crust – season with black pepper; top
with green onions, basil & crumbled
bacon.
In a bowl combine mayo & shredded
cheese – spread on top of pie.
Bake 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
–
NOTE: If edges of pie crust are becoming
too brown while baking, place some strips
of foil around edges over crust during
baking time. Serves 6

(recipe: thecountrycook.net)
——————————

Crockpot Glazed Coffee Cake

3 1/2 C. Bisquick baking mix,
divided
1 1/2 C. sugar
1 C. vanilla yogurt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 C. brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 C. powdered sugar
3 T. milk
=
Spray insides of crockpot with
nonstick cooking spray. Cut a
piece of parchment paper to fit
the bottom of crockpot – place
paper in crockpot & spray top
with nonstick spray. In a bowl
mix 3 C. baking mix, sugar, yogurt,
eggs & vanilla.
In another bowl mix remaining
Bisquick mix, cinnamon & brown
sugar. Spread half of batter in bottom
of crockpot  – cover with half brown
sugar mixture. Spoon rest of batter on
top of sugar mixture – end with
remaining brown sugar mixture.
Place 2 paper towels under lid of
crockpot; cover & cook  on High
1 1/2 to 2 hours until a toothpick
inserted into center comes out clean.
Let stand 10 minutes.
Use a spatula to run around edge of
cake to separate cake from crockpot.
Flip cake onto a serving plate &
remove parchment paper from cake.
In a bowl mix powdered sugar & enough
milk to make a drizzle – drizzle glaze
over cake. Serves 10-12

(recipe: recipesthatcrock.com)

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

Hope you are all in good health and able to enjoy

this lovely summer weather!

PS: Gas Prices are currently: $2.15/9

Hugs;

Pammie

My New ‘Normal’ is slowly coming together!

This past Saturday was National Knit in Public Day – above is me (bundled in a heavy sweatshirt jacket, using my knitting project to keep my knees warm!) It was a ‘balmy’ 63 degrees, sunny with a very strong wind. We had 18 ladies in attendance which made me happy! The general consensus was: we were having such a good time – why not do this regularly? I just finished officially scheduling our “Panera” knit group meeting for tomorrow 4-6/7 p.m. in the above park! (Panera is still at 50% capacity seating and 6′ distancing of people so it would not work for 18+ of us to try to cram in there at this time). I’m looking forward to scheduling events again! Slowly but surely my ‘new normal’ is coming into view. The ‘fun’ thing about this ‘new normal’ for my knit group is: we are now incorporating BOTH of my knit groups together!

One of the ladies in my groups began a new project for those who wanted to participate. It seems a friend gave her 2 very large garbage bags full of very expensive yarns with the stipulation that said yarns would be used to create items which could be sold to benefit CHARITIES. These are yarns I’m not familiar with – various strange textures, weights, etc. My friend divided the yarns up into projects, with a pattern (should you need one) for various items to knit/crochet. I was timid at first, choosing 2 bags. Saturday she brought the remainder of the yarns (altogether she created 44 project bags!). I now have 4 bags: one I’m working on in various shades of browns/tans/rust – it’s eventually going to be a cowl. I think the yarns are ugly but that’s just me: one is Alpaca – reminds me of knitting with dog hair! Another will be fingerless gloves – these are in a bright teal with white top & bottom; the other 2 bags are currently without an ‘idea of what to make out of them’. My friend has asked that we complete the projects by December so I’ve got time. (and I thought I was going a bit over my normal number of projects with 2 baby blankets & some baby booties! Now I’m at 2 baby blankets, knitting baby headbands for the Sept. Vet’s baby shower, baby booties and ‘the bags’!) Oh well – keeps me busy & out of trouble, right?

The ‘build a new garage’ project is still in the works; we’re awaiting a quote from another builder, not exactly sure when he’s coming over – that’s 2 builders/2 quotes – we’ll see where this goes.

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

(DISCLAIMER: the recipes I feature on this blog are not my recipes – see the recipe sites listed under each recipe)

Apple Pie w/ Peanut Butter Crumble

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell (poster
used Pillsbury frozen pie crust)
1 C. sour cream
1/2 C. sugar, divided (3/4 & 1/4)
2 tsp. vanlla
4 C. apples, peeled/sliced (or chopped)
Poster used 5 small Red Delicious but
you can use any baking apple)
1 C. rolled oats (can use quick cooking oats)
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 C. peanut butter ( poster used extra
crunchy – you can use regular if you like)
2 T. butter or margarine, softened
=
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
In large bowl whisk sour cream, 1/4 C.
sugar, eggs, 1/4 C. flour & vanilla. fold
in apples – toss to coat then pour into
pie shell. In a bowl mix oats, 3/4 C. flour,
1/4 C. sugar & cinnamon.
Either in microwave or on stovetop,
melt peanut butter & butter together
until smooth. Add to oat mixture &
sprinkle over apples.
Bake 50-55 minutes until golden brown
& center is set. Serves 6

NOTE:  Leftover pie should be refrigerated

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

Crockpot BBQ Country-style
Pork Ribs

5 lb. country-style pork ribs
1 C. chopped celery
2 C. chopped onions
1/2 C. chopped green bell pepper
1 C. ketchup
1/2 C. yellow mustard
1 C. BBQ sauce
1 C. water
3 T. dark cider vinegar
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
=
Suggested serving sides:
cooked white rice to serve 6
baked beans to serve 6
cole slaw
toasted garlic bread
=
Place ribs in large deep pot – cover
with water & boil 20-30  minutes to
decrease fat.

In a large bowl mix all other ingredients
& stir to mix well.
Place pork in crockpot, adding sauce as
you go, until you get about an inch from
top of crockpo. Use as much sauce as you
can (it will be needed later to put over rice)
Mix all well. Cover & cook on High about
5 hours. (You can keep it longer on Low
to keep it hot) Serves 6

(recipe: food.com)
———————————-

Tomato Salad

5 C. tomatoes, cut into 1″ pieces
1 C. bocconcini (mozzarella balls)
1/4 C. red onion thinly sliced
1/3 C. small basil leaves
1/4 C. olive oil
1 1/2 T. red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. fresh minced garlic
salt/black pepper, to taste
–
Place tomatoes, mozz. balls, red
onion & basil in large bowl. In a
small bowl whisk olive oil, red
wine vinegar, sugar, oregano, garlic,
salt/pepper (to taste). Pour dressing
over tomato mixture & gently toss
to coat evenly. Serve immediately
or cover & refrigerate up to 2 hours.
Serves 6

(recipe: dinneratthezoo.com)
————————

Bruschetta Chicken
(Grill recipe)

4 thin-cut boneless skinless
chicken breasts
1/4 C. olive oil
2 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Italian seasoning*
1/2 tsp. black pepper
4 slices mozzarella cheese
2 T. balsamic glaze
–
Topping:
1 1/2 C. tomatoes, diced
1/2 tsp. garlic, finely minced
1 T. olive oil
1/4 C. thinly sliced basil leaves
salt/black pepper, to taste
2 T. red onion, minced
=
In large bowl or ziplock bag mix olive
oil, lemon juice, salt, Ital. seasoning &
black pepper. Place chicken in bag &
marinate at least 30 minutes or up to
4 hours.
====
Preheat grill or grill pan to medium high.
Remove chicken from bag (discard bag).
Place chicken on grill. Cook 4-5 minutes
on each side (or until fully cooked).
Place mozz. cheese slices on top of chicken;
cover grill & cook until cheese melts, 2-3
minutes.
(While chicken is cooking prepare topping)
Topping:
In medium bowl combine tomatoes, garlic,
olive oil, red onion, basil, salt/pepper – let
stand 10 minutes. Spoon bruschetta
mixture over chicken. Drizzle with balsamic
glaze & serve. Serves 4

*If you don’t have Italian seasoning:
Mix 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. dried oregano,
& 1 tsp. dried basil

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

Lemon Garlic Smashed Potatoes

6 medium potatoes (Yukon Gold or
Carisma)
3 T. melted butter (or 2 T. olive oil)
4 cloves garlic, crushed (or 2 if you
like a milder flavor)
2 tsp. dried oregano, divided
salt/black pepper, to taste
(optional: 1/2 tsp. semolina –
for crispy potatoes)
=
Preheat oven to Broil (or grill
to medium-high (about 200 degrees F/
400 degrees F)
Place potatoes in large pot of salted
water; cook, covered 30-35 until
fork-tender; drain well. Lightly spray
a large baking sheet or tray with nonstick
cooking spray. Arrange potatoes on sheet &
use a potato masher to lightly flatten the
potatoes in one piece (don’t mash too hard).
In a small bowl mix butter, lemon juice &
garlic – pour over each potato. Sprinkle tops
with half of oregano, salt/pepper. Lightly
spray with cooking spray & sprinkle tops
with semolina, if using.
Broil or grill until golden & crispy, about
15 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle
tops with remaining oregano.
To serve: season with a little extra salt &
pepper, serve immediately.
Serves 6

NOTE: For even crispier potatoes, remove
from oven half way through cooking;
spray with a little extra cooking spray &
continue broiling/grilling until golden
brown.

(recipe: cafedelites.com)
————————————

Southwest Chicken Coleslaw

2 C. cooked/chopped chicken
2 C. coleslaw mix
1/2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 C. grape or cherry tomatoes,
quartered
1 1/2 T. fresh lime juice
1/2 C. buttermilk Ranch salad dressing
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. sugar
=
In large bowl add chicken, coleslaw,
cheese & tomatoes. In smaller bowl
mix lime juice, ranch dressing, chili
powder, cumin, pepper & sugar until
combined – pour over coleslaw mix &
stir to combine. Refrigerate at least
one hour prior to serving.
Serves 6-8

NOTE: Also great served on a
spinach or tomato tortilla as a wrap

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

Orange Meringue Pie

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
3/4 c. sugar
1/3 C. cornstarch
1 pinch salt
1 C. orange juice
1/2 C. lemon juice
1/4 C. water
4 eggs, separated
4 T. butter or margarine, cut into
pieces
2 tsp. grated orange zest
1/2 C. diced orange segments
1/2 C. sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
=
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Line unbaked pastry crust with
foil & a layer of pie weights or
dried beans. Bake in preheated
oven until edge of crust is golden,
about 10 minutes. Carefully
remove foil & weights; bake
about 5 minutes more.
In small saucepan stir 3/4 C. sugar,
1/3 C. cornstarch & salt. Mix in
orange & lemon juices & water.
Whisk in egg yolks. Cook over
medium heat, stirring frequently,
until thick & bubbly, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat & stir in butter
& orange zest. (If desired, stir in
orange segments) Pour into pie
crust; cover with plastic wrap & set
aside to cool.
==
(When pie has cooled to room temp)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Preparing Meringue:
In large glass or metal bowl
beat egg whites until foamy.
Gradually add 1/2 C. sugar &
cream of tartar, continuing to
beat until stiff peaks form. Lift
beater or whisk straight up – the
egg whites should form a sharp
peak that holds it’s shape. Spread
meringue over pie, making sure
it completely covers the filling &
meets the edges of the pie crust.
Bake in preheated oven until
meringue topping is golden
brown, about 15 minutes.

(recipe: Facebook)

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

Our weather has been kind of ‘iffy’ – one day sunny
& in the 60’s, next in the 70/80’s. Today it’s supposed
to have a High of 76 degrees F. tomorrow High of 86!
Thurs. high of 90, Friday high of 92! WOW!

Gas prices jumped a bit lately to $2.04/9; not a big
jump.

Hope you have a GREAT day – stay healthy!

Hugs;

Pammie

PS: You can’t really see it very good – but the project on my lap is the White/Pink Chevron baby blanket – I’m very close to being done with it.

I FINALLY DID IT!

I WENT SHOPPING!!! Our state is finally out from under the ‘stay at home’ order; we picked up my van at the dealership yesterday (needed a new Air Conditioning compressor – under warranty – yay!). Today I decided I would GO OUT! Stopped at Walgreens & picked up my instant coffee on sale (they offer it about every 3-4 months on sale) then stopped at CVS to pick up more things on sale (and to use my $10 off coupon that would expire soon). After that I drove to a nice little park where 12 of my knit ladies were meeting (6 feet apart) to knit/crochet for an hour outside! It was SO NICE to get out and really SEE people in person instead of on the Zoom meetings! One lady brought me a bag of white yarns; said “I thought you might be able to use these.” Turns out she was absolutely right! I really needed exactly that! (I use a lot of white yarn in the baby blankets). PERFECT! Without going into great detail, we’re going to do this again tomorrow (there’s a free yarn/knit project thing going on so the intent is for us to pick up the yarns, knit/crochet something with it then give it back to the lady who will give it to a charity for them to sell in their gift shop.

(a 80+ yr old woman died & she had a stash of VERY EXPENSIVE yarns – her daughter gave us the yarns with the intent that we would use them for charity only. (one of my ladies is keeping track of it all). I took 2 bags – we’ll see how this goes. Am planning on knitting either a cowl, fingerless gloves or a scarf with it – we’ll see – I promised I wouldn’t knit a baby blanket! HA!)

I’m going to try to go grocery shopping tomorrow – we’ll see how that goes (and if I have the courage to do so – today found me almost in a panic attack after leaving the first store – weird! I’ve been looking forward to this for 3 months!)

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

Cherry Coffee Cake

1 1/4 C. flour
1/2 C. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
8 T. butter (1 stick/ 1/2 C.), melted
1/2 C. milk
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (20 oz) can cherry pie filling
1 tsp. lemon extract
==
Crumb Topping:
1/2 C. flour
2 T. butter, melted
—–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray 9 X 9″ baking dish with
nonstick cooking spray.
In large bowl whisk flour, sugar,
baking powder/baking soda.
Stir in melted butter, milk, egg &
vanilla – mix well & spread into
bottom of prepared pan. In a
medium bowl mix lemon extract
with pie filling & spread over
flour mixture.
In a small bowl mix together Crumb
Topping ingredients & sprinkle on
top of pie filling.
Bake 55-60  minutes until topping is
brown & bubbly. Serves 9

NOTE: If you would like a glaze on top,
combine 1/2 C. powdered sugar & a few
tablespoons milk – drizzle over cooled cake.

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

Chicken Tortilla Bake

3 C. cooked, shredded chicken
2 (4 oz, ea) cans chopped green chilies
1 C. chicken broth
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom
soup undiluted
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken
soup undiluted
1 small onion, finely chopped
12 corn tortillas, warmed
2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
–
Optional toppings:
Sour cream
chopped green onions
=
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray 9 X 13″ baking dish with
nonstick cooking spray. In large
bowl combine chicken, chiles, broth,
soups & onion. Layer half of tortillas
in bottom of sprayed pan, cutting to
fit if desired. Top with half of chicken
mixture & half of cheese – repeat
layers.
Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes until
heated through. Serves 8

NOTE: Freezer option:
Cover & freeze unbaked casserole
To use: partially thaw in fridge overnight.
Remove from fridge 30 minutes before
baking. Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Bake 30 minutes, increasing time as
necessary to heat through & a
thermometer inserted in center
reads 165º.

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
———————-

Crunchy Taco Cups
(appetizer)

1 lb. ground beef, cooked/drained
1 envelope taco seasoning (3 T.)
1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes &
green chilies, drained
1 1/2 C. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
(OR) Mexican blend cheese
24 wonton wrappers*
——————-
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Generously spray a 12 – cup muffin
tin with nonstick cooking spray. Combine
cooked meat, taco seasoning & Ro-Tel
in a bowl; stir to combine. Line each
muffin tin with a wonton wrapper; add
1 1/2 T. meat mixture & top with 1 T.
cheese – press down & add another layer
of wonton wrapper, meat mixture & a
final layer of cheese – repeat.
Bake 11-13 minutes until cups are heated
through & edges are brown. Makes 12

*You can find wonton wrappers in the
chilled fruits/veggies section of
grocery stores

(recipe: yummly.com)
—————————–
Deep-dish Ham & Asparagus Quiche

1 9 inch pie crust (refrigerated)
3 T. olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 T. water
12 oz. cooked ham, cubed
1 small bunch asparagus, trimmed/
cut into small pieces
6 oz. shredded Swiss or Monterey
Jack cheese
7 eggs
3 C. heavy cream
salt/pepper, to taste
–
Coat large skillet with olive oil; add
onions & water – cook over medium-low
heat, stirring occasionally about 30 minutes,
until caramelized. Add ham & cook,
stirring occasionally about 5 minutes. Add
asparagus; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat.
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
In large bowl combine eggs, heavy cream, salt/
pepper – whisk to combine. Place about 2/3rds
ham mixture into crust – top with 2/3rds cheese.
Pour 2/3 egg mixture on top – repeat with remaining
ham/cheese/egg mixtures. Filling should be about
1/2″ from top of pie crust. (If you have extra
ingredients, save for scrambled eggs the next day).
Cover quiche loosely with foil. Bake about 90
minutes. Remove foil & bake another 20-30 minutes
until quiche is set but juggles just slightly.
Remove from oven, let cool on wire rack 30-45
minutes before serving. Can be served room
temp, cold or warm. Serves 12

NOTE: If making the day ahead, let cool to room
temp. on a cooling rack. Cover & refrigerate.
Remove from fridge about 45 minutes before
planning to serve.

(recipe: momontimeout.com)
————————–

Crockpot Creamy Nacho Chicken Dip

1 (16 oz) can refried beans
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (12 oz) can chicken, drained/shredded
1 (16 oz) jar chunky salsa
8 oz. shredded Mexican-blend cheese
–
tortilla chips or tortillas for dipping
=
Spray insides of 4 qt. crockpot with
nonstick cooking spray. In small bowl
mash/stir cream cheese until smooth.
Layer ingredients in crockpot:
refried beans
cream cheese
chicken
salsa
cheese
Cover & cook on High 1 hour (or Low 2 hrs)
Serve either on top of chips or use chips/
tortillas as dippers.  Serves 12

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

Fried Boneless/Skinless
Chicken Breasts
(overnight recipe)

2 lb. boneless/skinless chicken
breasts
2 C. buttermilk*
2 C. flour
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika
3 whole eggs
3 T. whole milk
2 T. hot sauce (your choice)
Enough shortening (or lard) to
come 2 inches up side of a large
cast iron skillet
=
Place chicken breasts in a large zip
lock bag; cover with buttermilk &
let stand in refrigerator overnight
or at least 12 hours. When ready
to cook; drain chicken/discard
buttermilk.
=
In large bowl whisk flour, salt/pepper,
garlic powder & paprika. In a shallow
(pie) pan beat eggs, milk & hot sauce.
Place chicken, 2 pieces at a time, in
flour mixture, then egg, then back
into flour, pressing each time to coat.
Breading should be rough & shaggy:
the shaggy parts will crisp up as they fry
& give a nice crunchy crust. As you bread
each piece, place on a platter or plate.

Place a rack over a sheet tray (set aside).

In a large heavy-bottomed skillet, melt
shortening & heat to 325 degrees – no
higher**. Add all chicken at once, piece by
piece. If they don’t comfortably fit all at
once, you will need to cook in 2 batches.
The temperature of the oil will drop below
300 degrees F. when you place the chicken
in; if oil is too hot, the outsides will get too
dark before the insides cook. Fry for a total
of about 15 minutes, carefully turning each
piece every few minutes for even browning.
(Insert a probe thermometer into one piece
& remove from fryer onto prepared rack when
internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F.
The chicken will continue to cook to a safe
165 degrees F.) Be careful when handling
the chicken so the cooked breading stays on.
Serve immediately. Serves 4

*If you don’t have buttermilk: In a 1-cup
measuring cup add 1 T. lemon juice or
vinegar. Pour enough milk in cup to reach
1-cup. Stir & let stand 5 minutes – now you
have ‘sour milk/buttermilk’.

**Poster used a candy thermometer to
reach temperature

(recipe: afamilyfeast.com)
———————————–
Roasted Broccoli with Garlic

1 bunch broccoli (about 1 1/2 lb.)
cut into bite-sized florets
3 T. olive oil
1/2 C. fresh garlic cloves (more or
less, to taste)cut in half or thirds
if especially large
salt/black pepper, to taste
=
Preheat oven 450 degrees F.
Spray a rimmed baking sheet
lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
In large bowl toss broccoli with
oil, garlic, salt & pepper – spread
in single layer on prepared sheet.
Roast about 20 minutes until
broccoli is bright green & edges are
starting to brown. (do not let garlic
get too brown or it will taste bitter)
Serve hot.  Serves 4

(recipe: kalynskitchen.com)
————————–

Brownie-bottom Cheesecake

1 box brownie mix
2 (8 oz) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/2 C. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
–
=
Chocolate ice cream topping
=
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray a 9″ springform pan with
nonstick cooking spray.
Mix brownie mix accordg. to pkg;
spread in prepared pan.
Bake 8-10 minutes.
In large bowl mix cream cheese, eggs,
sugar & vanilla – beat until smooth &
spread on top of brownie.
Bake 30 minutes.
Reduce heat to 325 degrees F.
Bake another 15 minutes.
Cool completely before removing
from pan. Serve with chocolate
sauce drizzled on top, if desired.
Serves 8
(does not need to be refrigerated
before serving)

(recipe: simplystacie.net)

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

Since all of my ‘usual’ activities have been
put on hold b/c of the virus, I’ve been watching
TV in the evenings. Have been ‘binge watching’
NCIS Los Angeles lately, think I have 3-4 more
episodes before I’m done with the season (at
least all the ones that are ‘free’). I enjoy the
interaction between the characters; we also
love NCIS and NCIS New Orleans for the same
reasons.

I spoke to the other leaders of my special
needs group and we’ve come to the decision
that we plan on starting up in the Fall. Hopefully
by that time things will have settled down a bit
as to churches being open, larger groups of
people meeting together – we’ll see. My group
averages about 15-17 students and about 8
or so adults. It’s such a strange world when you
have to plan out how far apart each person will
be from another person!  With that said, at
least now I know that my summer will be free.
Not sure yet when oldest son will have me start
babysitting my 3 yr old grandson again. He’s
checked with his big boss about when the hotels
will plan on re-opening their restaurants; still
not getting a definite answer – that’s hard to
plan when you don’t really know!

Hope you are all well and coping OK with all
the changes.

Hugs;

Pammie

and, FINALLY, we’re done!

Yesterday the Governor of Michigan issued a end to her “Stay At Home” Order. Amazing – she originally had it scheduled for June 12th – not sure just why she changed it but there you go! My husband & I took my car to the dealership yesterday to get the air conditioning fixed so guess what!? The FIRST day I can actually GO OUT I don’t have my van! (Yes, I ‘could’ drive my husband’s Jeep, but that thing is like a TANK – very rough ride). Guess I’ll be ‘home’ for today and part of tomorrow (dealership said they should have it fixed by Weds. – let’s hope so!). Good thing is: it’s under warranty – YAY!

The weather is beautiful – sunny & breezy 73 degrees F. (supposed to get up to 84!). I decided yesterday, before hearing about the lifted order, that I really needed to knit something different (other than baby blankets) so I knit a pair of tiny baby booties; today I’m working on a baby/toddler headband for the baby shower in September. Sometimes you just need to change things up a bit!

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

Aunt Norma’s Rhubarb Muffins

2 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C. buttermilk*
1 1/2 C. diced rhubarb
1/2 C. chopped walnuts
1 T. melted butter
1/3 C. granulated sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
=
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray 2 (12 C, ea) muffin tins
with nonstick cooking spray
or use paper liners.
In medium bowl mix flour,
baking soda, baking powder &
salt.
In a large bowl beat
brown sugar, oil, egg, vanilla &
buttermilk using elec. mixer,
until smooth. Pour dry
ingredients into wet & mix
by hand just until blended.
Stir in rhubarb & nuts – spoon
into muffin cups, filling almost
to the top.
In a small bowl stir melted
butter, gran. sugar & cinnamon –
sprinkle about 1 tsp. on top of
each muffin.
Bake 25 minutes until tops spring
back when lightly pressed. Cool
in pans at least 10 minutes before
removing. Makes 24 muffins

*If you don’t have buttermilk:

Pour 1 T. lemon juice or vinegar
into a 1-cup measuring cup – pour
enough milk into cup to come to
the 1 cup mark. Stir & let stand
5 minutes – now you have ‘sour
milk’/buttermilk.

(recipe: allrecipes.com)
————————–

Spinach-stuffed Chicken

4  boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 T. olive oil
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt, divided
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
2 T. mayonnaise
1 1/2 C. chopped fresh spinach
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
=
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Place chicken on cutting board and,
using a sharp knife, cut a pocket
into the side of each chicken breast.
In a small bowl mix paprika, 1/2 tsp.
salt, garlic & onion powders; sprinkle
evenly over both sides of the chicken.
In a small bowl mix cream cheese, Parm.
cheese, mayo, spinach, garlic, red pepper
& remaining 1/2 tsp. salt  – stir to combine.
Spoon  mixture into each chicken ‘pocket’
evenly. Spray a 9 X 13″ baking sheet with
nonstick cooking spray & place chicken
on sheet. Drizzle each breast with olive
oil. Bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes
until chicken is cooked through.
Serves 4

(recipe: thatlowcarblife.com)
————————————

Loaded Red Potato Casserole

16 small red potatoes (about 1 3/4 lb)
1/2 C. milk
1/4 C. butter, cubed
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese,
divided
1/2 C. cooked/crumbled bacon
1 C. sour cream
2 T. minced fresh chives
=
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray 3 qt. baking dish with
nonstick cooking spray.
Place potatoes in a 6 qt. stockpot &
cover potatoes with water – bring to
a boil. Reduce heat, cook, uncovere,
15-20 minutes until tender. Drain &
return to pot. Mash potatoes, gradually
adding milk, butter, pepper/salt – spread
into prepared dish. Sprinkle top with
1 C. cheese & bacon. Dollop top with
sour cream & sprinkle with chives
& remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered,
until heated through & cheese is melted,
20-25 minutes. Serves 8

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
————————–

Garlic Butter Shrimp & Pasta

8 oz. pasta, cooked al dente*
3 T. butter, divided
1 lb. medium shrimp (31/40 count),
peeled/deveined/ patted dry
1/4 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. Creole or Cajun seasoning,
(optional)
juice of 1/4 lemon (plus wedges for
serving, if desired)
1 C. chopped red bell pepper
1/2 C. sliced green onions
3 T. minced garlic
1/4 C. white wine
1 C. chicken stock or broth
1 T. dried parsley
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
–
*reserve 1 C. pasta water. Drain pasta.
In large skillet heat 2 T. butter over high
heat. Add shrimp; sprinkle with seasonings;
cook, stirring, 3-4 minutes until shrimp are
cooked. Use a slotted spoon to remove to
a bowl, leave drippings in skillet. Squeeze
lemon over shrimp. Add remaining butter
to skillet & cook bell pepper, green onion &
garlic, stirring occasionally until slightly
softened, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to
medium-high; add wine & chic. broth; bring
to boil – boil 5 minutes. Add pasta, shrimp,
parsley & red pepper flakes – toss until
warmed through, adding reserved pasta
water, a little at a time, to moisten, (ONLY
if needed). Taste & adjust seasonings.
Transfer to a serving bowl. Serves 4-6

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

Bacon/Cream Cheese Dip
(also known as Heaven on
a Cracker)

12 slices bacon, cooked/crumbled
2 (8 oz, ea) pkgs. cream cheese,
room temp.
2/3 C. mayonnaise
8 oz. Monterey Jack or Swiss
cheese, shredded
2 green onions, sliced
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
=
Dippers: tortilla chips, crackers or
corn chips
–
In a bowl blend cream cheese &
mayonnaise. Fold in shredded
cheese & onions – spread in a
microwave-safe dish. Combine
crumbled bacon & cracker
crumbs & sprinkle on top.
Microwave on High 2-3 minutes
depending on your microwave
wattage. Serve with tortilla chips,
crackers or corn chips, for dippers.
Makes about 6-8 servings.

(recipe: deepsouthdish.com)
———————–

Crockpot Taco Casserole

1 lb. ground beef, browned/
drained
1 envelope dry taco seasoning mix
1/2 C. water
1 (15 oz) can pork & beans (can
substitute chili beans)
1 (11 oz) can mexicorn, drained (can
substitute regular whole kernel corn)
1 (10.75 oz) can Cheddar cheese
soup, undiluted
1 C. milk
2 C. shredded cheese (poster
recommends mozzarella)
–
2 C. Chili Cheese Fritos, crushed
(can use crushed Doritos or even
a buttery cracker, crushed)
=
In small bowl mix water & dry
taco seasoning mix – pour over
cooked ground beef; pour into
crockpot. Top with pork & beans,
mexicorn, evenly. In a bowl mix
soup & milk – pour on top.
Cover & cook on Low 5-6 hours.
Top with cheese & turn on High
15 minutes. Top with crushed
chips & serve. Serves 8

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

Mexican Grilled Corn

6 ears fresh corn, shucked/fibers
removed
2 T. mayonnaise
3 T. sour cream
1/2 C. grated or shredded Parmesan
cheese (OR Mexican Cotija cheese)
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 C. cilantro, chopped
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges
–
Heat grill over medium heat – spray
rack with nonstick cooking spray.
Grill ears of corn, turning frequently
so they don’t burn, until corn is
slightly browned & heated through,
8-10 minutes.
In a small bowl combine mayo & sour
cream – whisk until smooth. In another
small bowl combine chili powder,
salt/pepper. Using a cooking brush,
slather hot grilled corn with mayo/
sour cream mixture then sprinkle
with chili powder mixture. Coat in
Parm. cheese & sprinkle with chopped
cilantro. Serve with a lime wedge (use
lime to squirt juice over corn).
Serves 6

(recipe: iwashyoudry.com)
—————————

Strawberry Short Cake

1 1/2 quarts fresh (or frozen) strawberries;
cleaned/sliced*

Shortcake:
2 C. flour
3/4 C. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 stick butter or margarine (1/2 C/8 T.)
1 C. buttermilk**
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
=
Whipped cream for topping
=
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Spray a round 9 inch cake pan (or
9 X 9″ square pan) with nonstick
cooking spray.
In large bowl whisk flour, sugar,
baking powder, salt & baking soda.
Cut in butter until it resembles
coarse crumbs. Add buttermilk,
eggs & vanilla – stir with a spoon
until all ingredients are wet. Pour
batter into prepared pan & bake
25-30 minutes, checking for
doneness. Let cool 10 minutes &
remove from pan to a plate. (you
could slice this in half & put
strawberries in the middle & on
top & add whipped cream to entire
dish (OR) slice individual pieces in
half & add strawberries/cream.
Serves 8-10

*You can make this with strawberries,
blueberries, blackberries, peaches or
any fruit.

**If you don’t have buttermilk:
In a 1-cup measure, pour 1 T. lemon
juice or vinegar. Add enough milk to
reach the 1-cup measure. Stir & let
stand 5 minutes – now you have
‘sour milk/buttermilk’

(recipe: thesouthernladycooks.com)

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

The interesting thing about our Governor’s change of
order is that she’s opening up bars and restaurants!
So far, it will be 50% capacity, tables/chairs 6 feet
apart but also allowing outdoor/patio serving. I
texted my son (the chef) who’s out of state right now
& told him, asking if he’d heard anything from his boss.
Answer: no, not at this time. His boss originally had
planned on opening July 1st, bringing back employees
a week earlier to get set up. Ought to be interesting
to see where this goes. She opened pools (but not
in my area – guess that’s under a local ordinance
right now), gyms, exercise classes, etc. but still
NO HAIRCUTTING/BARBER/SALON/NAIL facilities!
(I don’t go to them but I know a LOT of people
are really upset about that)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you’re having a good week!

Hugs;

Pammie

Another beautiful Saturday!

It seems so strange the way the days are flying by. I’m sure, once our ‘quarantine’ is lifted, we will wonder just how we survived without going bonkers (for those of you who haven’t been working through this). It’s a sunny/balmy 66 degrees F. Yesterday I decided I really needed to find another baby blanket pattern – as if knitting 2 wasn’t enough . . . bumped into a pattern that I’d done many years ago. This time I decided to change it up a bit; I’m starting with white and a federal blue then will see where this goes. I don’t think I have enough blue to complete the blanket so am thinking of changing it up by using various colors, interspersed with white – we’ll see. The fuzzy pink/white blanket is almost done; the multi-colored/scalloped blanket has a long way to go.

In the ‘kinda bored’ area, I decided we needed to spice up dinner so I made a Taco Salad the other night. (ordering groceries through Kroger-they didn’t have 1,000 Island salad dressing so I went with Catalina – DON’T DO THAT! TOO SWEET!) Needless to say, it’s all gone – sweet or not! Last night I made a Meat & Potato Pie (basically it’s a big meatloaf made in a 9 X 13″ baking pan, topped with mashed potatoes & shredded Cheddar Cheese (melted); it’s one of my husband’s favorite meals. I still have to roast the turkey – it’s been my ‘staple quarantine’ food since this started. I kind of felt like I knew that I had that in the freezer so we wouldn’t totally run out of meat! (fowl, to be more specific). I don’t know about your area, but here meat/chicken especially/hamburger are pretty scarce in the stores. I tried ordering Pork Chops from Kroger last time since they were advertised on sale that week but didn’t get them in my order. According to the calendar for my state
Michigan; our Stay-At-Home Order expires June 12th. Am REALLY hoping this will be the END of the ‘can’t go out no matter what’ if you’re considered in the older age group/diabetic, etc. I try not to complain, but there’s only SO MUCH you can try to convince yourself you’re not totally BORED!

A few days ago my oldest son & his 2 sons (ages 14 & 3) showed up at our house to cut down some trees in our yard & take out part of a chain-link fence. I knew SON was coming but didn’t expect our grandsons (well – the 3 yr old, anyway). We’ve seen son & older grandson at a distance since this started but have not been close to the 3 yr old. Let’s just say the 3 yr old is VERY ADVENTUROUS (to say the least). I ended up bringing him in the house & watching various DVD’s with him to keep him amused – it was a VERY LONG afternoon! (wrote on the calendar the date just in case I end up sick in 2 weeks – sure hope not!) Husband was outside helping do the work; the yard looks great.

I also found out lately that two events I take part in every year will still be held: our County Historical Society’s Ice Cream Social end of July (where I wear my costume & my ladies & I knit/crochet outside under a sycamore tree for the day – this year it’s going to be 2 days; they will be celebrating the BiCentennial for the County. Our end of September knit/crochet donations for the Detroit Veterans Hospital Baby Shower is also a ‘go’, but they will have to do a ‘drive in/pick up’ for the ladies, rather than a sit-down shower/party. I will have to work out the details of how the lady in charge of Women’s Affairs will pick up our donations, but that will be at a later date (maybe we’ll have to do a parking lot pick-up, too!).

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

Crockpot Raspberry/
Chocolate Lava Cake
(using 2 1/2 qt. crockpot)

1/2 C. butter, sliced
2 (1 oz, ea) squares unsweetened
baking chocolate
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 C. sugar
1/3 C. seedless raspberry jam,
divided
6 tsp. seedless raspberry jam,
divided
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 C. flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
=
Optional garnishes:
fresh raspberries
ice cream
whipped cream
=
Spray insides of crockpot
with nonstick cooking spray.
In a saucepan on Low heat,
melt butter & chocolate. Remove
from heat & stir in sugar, 1/3 C.
jam, vanilla & eggs. Add flour
& baking powder – combine
well & pour into crockpot.
Dot top with remaining
teaspoonfuls of jam evenly.
Cover & cook on High 2-3 hours
until cake is set (it will be a
spoonable consistency)
Serve warm with fresh raspberries
& ice cream or whipped cream.
Serves 6

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

Parmesan-Roasted Carrot Fries

2 lb. carrots, peeled/sliced into
1/4″ thick ‘fries’
1 T. oil
salt/pepper, to taste
1 C. Parmigiano-reggiano (Parmesan)
cheese, grated
=
Preheat oven 425 degrees F.
In a large bowl gently toss carrots in
oil, salt/pepper – sprinkle on cheese;
mix to coat. Spread in single layer on
a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Roast 16-20 minutes, mixing halfway
through. Serves 6

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

Brown Sugar Baked Beans

10 slices bacon, halved
1 yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
(54 oz) pork & beans
4 T. ketchup
1/4 C. molasses
2/3 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. cider vinegar
2 tsp. dry mustard
–
Preheat oven 325 degrees F.
Spray 9 X 13″ baking dish with
nonstick cooking spray.
Cook bacon about half way done;
drain on paper towel.
Place oven rack to lower-middle rack
position. In deep skillet heat about
2 T. bacon grease (or butter)over medium
heat. Add diced onion & green pepper –
saute about 5 minutes until softened.
Add remaining ingredients & stir to
combine – simmer about 1 minute.
Pour beans in bottom of prepared dish;
lay semi-cooked bacon on top. Bake
2-3 hours (depending on your desired
consistency). Let beans stand 5
minutes before serving.

(recipe: allrecipes.com)
—————————-
Sheet Pan Panko Shrimp

1 1/2 lb. jumbo (10/15 count)
Wild American shrimp, preferably
Gulf Shrimp, peeled/deveiend
zest of 1 lemon (reserve juice)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. olive oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. Creole or Cajun seasoning
1/4 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. paprika
2/3 C. panko breadcrumbs
3 T. unsalted butter, melted
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/2 T. dried parsley flakes, plus
more for garnish
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with
foil & spray with nonstick cooking
spray (or brush lightly with olive oil)
Pat shrimp dry using paper towels &
place in large bowl. Toss with
remaining olive oil, salt/pepper, Cajun
seasoning, Old Bay, pepper flakes &
paprika. Add lemon zest & garlic,
spread on prepared pan in single layer.

In separate bowl mix panko crumbs,
butter, cheese, black pepper & parsley –
sprinkle half over shrimp & press lightly;
repeat with remaining crumbs. Bake 10-12
minutes (depending on size of shrimp)
until shrimp are cooked through &
crumbs are lightly browned. Squeeze
lemon juice on top & sprinkle with
parsley before serving. Serves 4

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

Cucumber Cream Cheese Spread
(overnight recipe)

1/2 cucumber, peeled, cut into chunks
3 green onions, sliced thinly
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. salt
—
Dippers: crackers, toasted bagels
==
Cut off roots from gr. onion; place
onions in food processor – add
cucumber. Pulse until coarsely
chopped (do not over process – you
want chunks not water). Add cream
cheese, Worc. sauce & salt – Cover &
pulse until smooth; transfer to a
medium bowl. Cover & refrigerate
overnight for flavors to blend.
(this recipe NEEDS to be refrigerated
overnight before eating).
Serves 4

(recipe: thecountrycook.net)
——————————

Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad

2 C. orzo pasta
1 C. grape tomatoes, quartered
1 C. diced cucumber
5 T. olive oil
1 lemon
2 T. chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. dried oregano (optional)
salt/pepper, to taste
–
Cook pasta until tender (about 10
minutes) – do not over cook or it
will become mushy. Rinse with cold
water & drain. Zest lemon to get
1 T. lemon zest. Juice the lemon to
get 2 tsp. lemon juice.
In large bowl mix parsley, tomatoes,
cucumbers, lemon zest. Mix in oil
& seasonings; stir in drained pasta &
combine. Serve immediately or chill,
covered. Serves 8

NOTE: refrigerate leftovers for up to
5 days

(recipe: noplatelikehome.com)
—————————
Red Beet Eggs

12 hard boiled eggs, shelled
2 cans sliced or whole beets
2 C. beet juice from cans (add
water to make 2 C., if needed)
2 C. white vinegar (equal to
amount of beet juice/water)
1/4 C. sugar
–
In a saucepan heat beet juice/
water to very hot but not boiling.
Add sugar & vinegar – stir & allow
to cool a little.
In a large gallon glass jar add eggs
& beets; pour liquid over beets &
refrigerate for at least 4 days.

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

Crockpot Bacon Cheddar Potatoes

1 (12 oz) pkg. bacon, cooked crisp/
crumbled
6 potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
Optional garnish: chopped green onion
=
Line crockpot with aluminum foil so
that it will be able to fold together
over top of potatoes. Spread half of
crumbled bacon evenly on bottom
of crockpot – cover with half sliced
onions. Top with half of potatoes;
repeat layers. Fold foil to create
a packet over potatoes. Cover &
cook on Low 4-6 hours.
ONE half hour before serving:
add cheese & stir gently. Cover &
heat through. Just before serving
top with chopped green onion,
if using. Serves 6

(recipe: recipesthatcrock.com)
————————-
Crockpot Easy Peach Crumble

9 C. frozen peaches & any juice
in the bag, thawed
3/4 C. brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 T. cornstarch
1 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C. old fashioned oats
1/4 C. flour
1/4 C. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 C. cold butter, cubed
=
Spray insides of crockpot
with nonstick cooking spray.
In a bowl mix peaches, 1/2 C.
brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon
juice & extracts; add to crockpot.
In another bowl mix remaining
ingredients using 2 forks or a
pastry cutter until crumbles form.
Sprinkle crumbles over top of
peaches. Cover & cook on High
90 minutes. Serves 8

(recipe: recipesthatcrock.com)

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

Hope you are all in good health & enjoying this weather!

Hugs;

Pammie

Holiday Weekend Coming Up!

Hope you are having a good day – any plans for this coming holiday weekend? For us, it’s ‘business as usual’ – we don’t really do anything special. Our weather here in Michigan is heating up – it’s supposed to be in the 80’s for 3-4 days (after which comes more rain). Am currently working on the two baby blankets; here are the two I just finished:

           Crocheted ‘flower’ squares using up bits of baby yarns

 

        Knit blanket similar to “Feather & Fan” but without all the ‘holes’

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

Easy 3-Ingredient Lemon Crumble Bars

1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick salted butter (1/2 C.) softened
to room temp.
1 (22 oz) can lemon pie filling
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray 9 X 13″ baking dish with
nonstick cooking spray
In large bowl combine softened
butter with dry cake mix; mix until
crumbly. Set aside 1/2 C. mixture
for topping.
Press rest of mixture into bottom of
prepared pan – spread out evenly
& pack it down using your fingers.
Spoon lemon pie filling onto crust &
smooth out. Sprinkle reserved crumb
mixture on top of pie filling.
Bake 20-25 minutes.
Top will start to turn a very light golden
brown. Slice & serve. Serves 12

(recipe: thecountrycook.net)
———————————-

Crockpot German Potato Salad

4 C. potatoes, peeled/cubed
6 slices bacon, cooked crisp/crumbled
PLUS 2 T. drippings reserved
3/4 C. onion, chopped
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1/4 C. water
2 T. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. sugar
black pepper/dried parsley – to taste
Garnish: chopped fresh parsley
=
Place cubed potatoes in large pot
with water to cover & boil over
medium heat until tender; drain &
cool.
Saute onions in reserved bacon
drippings in skillet over medium-high
heat until tender. In a large bowl mix
soup, water, cider vinegar, sugar &
pepper. Add bacon & onion – mix well.
Pour cooked/cooled potatoes & parsley
in bowl & mix well & place in crockpot.
Cover & cook on Low 4 hours.
Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
Serve warm. Serves 4

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

Ham & Cheese Macaroni Salad

2 C. uncooked elbow macaroni
2 T. white vinegar
2 C. cooked, chopped ham
1 (12 oz) pkg. frozen peas, thawed
1 (8 oz) block mild or medium Cheddar
cheese, cut into small cubes
1/2 C. very finely chopped onion
–
Dressing:
1 C. mayonnaise
1 T. white vinegar
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
=
Cook macaroni accordg. to pkg.
directions; drain well & place in
a large bowl. Toss with 2 T. vinegar.
Stir in cubed cheese, ham, peas &
onion. Set aside to let noodles
absorb the vinegar.
Prepare dressing in a small bowl;
whisk mayo, 1 T. vinegar, sugar,
salt & pepper & pour over macaroni
mixture – stir until well combined.
Cover & chill at least 1 hour before
serving.
(OR) chill overnight to allow flavors
to fully meld. Serves 10-12

(recipe: thekitchenismyplayground.com)
————————
Hot Turkey & Cheese Party Rolls

1 (8 oz) tube crescent roll dough
12-16 slices sliced turkey
12 slices Colby Jack cheese
1 stick butter (1/2 C.) melted
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 T. chopped parsley
1 tsp. Poppy seeds
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray 9 X 13″ baking pan with
nonstick cooking spray.
Roll out dough & cut into 4 rectangular
shapes – press seams together. On
each rectangle place 3-4 slices turkey,
top with cheese slices & press
together seam gently (you will have
4 rolls at this point). Slice each roll
into 3 pieces (total 12 rolls) – place
in prepared pan. In small bowl combine
melted butter, garlic powder & parsley –
brush over tops of rolls & sprinkle with
poppy seeds. Bake 12-15 minutes until
just starting to turn brown. Makes 12

(recipe: passionforsavings.com)
—————————

Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad

1 (24 oz) bag breaded chicken breast
chunks (fully cooked)
6 C. chopped romaine lettuce
3 C. shredded cabbage
1 C. shredded carrots
3 green onions, chopped
1 (2 oz) pkt. slivered almonds
1 (11 oz) can mandarin oranges,
well drained
1/3 C. crunchy rice or chow mein
noodles

Dressing:

1 C. mayonnaise
1/4 C. rice wine vinegar
6 T. honey
3 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. sesame oil
—
Preheat oven 425 degrees F.
Place chicken chunks on a foil-
lined baking sheet (or spray with
nonstick cooking spray). Cook
15-20 minutes. While chicken is
cooking, prepare salad:

In large bowl combine chopped romaine
& shredded cabbage. Toss in shredded
carrots, green onions & slivered almonds.
Top with mandarin oranges & crunchy
rice noodles/chow mein noodles.

Dressing:
In a bowl whisk all dressing ingredients.

Once chicken is cooked, remove from oven
& add to prepared salad. Pour dressing
over top (or you can keep dressing on side)
Serves 6

NOTE: Sesame oil is very strong in flavor –
do not overdo it

(recipe: thecountrycook.net)
—————————-
Sloppy Joe Bake

1/2 T. cooking oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 medium green bell pepper,
chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 lb. ground beef
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. hot sauce (or to taste) optional
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1/4 C. ketchup
salt/pepper, to taste
3 C. grated cheese, divided
4 hamburger buns
4 T. butter, melted
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Spray a 9 X 13″ baking dish
with nonstick cooking spray.
In large skillet heat oil over medium
heat. Add onion, bell pepper & celery-
cook until softened but not brown. Add
gr. beef & garlic – cook until meat is no
longer pink, breaking up into chunks.
Drain & stir in Worc. sauce, hot sauce,
tomato sauce & ketchup. Simmer 15
minutes or until mixture begins to
thicken. Add salt & pepper, to taste.
Spoon into prepared dish; sprinkle
2 C. cheese all over top. Butter the
buns & place on top, cut sides up.
Sprinkle tops of rolls with remaining
cheese. Bake 20-25 minutes until
browned on top. Serves 4-6

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

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Pie

Crust:
3/4 C. graham cracker crumbs
1/4 C. granulated sugar
2 T. brown sugar
4 T. melted butter

Filling:
1 1/2 C. heavy cream
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 C. granulated sugar
1 C. creamy peanut butter
1 T. vanilla
1 C. mini chocolate chips
—
Crust:
In large bowl combine graham
cracker crumbs, gran. sugar,
brown sugar & melted butter –
press mixture into a 9″ pie plate,
covering bottom completely &
pushing crumbs about 1-2 inches
up sides of plate. Place in freezer
while making filling.

Filling:
Whip heavy cream until it holds
stiff peaks – refrigerate while making
rest of filling.
In large bowl using elec. mixer beat
cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar
& mix until blended. Add peanut
butter & vanilla; mix well. (scrape sides
of bowl to insure ingredients are fully
blended). Fold whipped cream into
peanut butter mixture, blending well.
Fold in choc. chips until evenly
distributed through filling – pour
filling into prepared crust & place
into freezer until firm.
=
NOTE: If serving pie more than half-hour
after freezing, store in freezer. Thaw 20
minutes before serving for a frozen, ice
cream-like consistency.

IF you are having trouble cleanly removing
pie crust from pie plate, submerge the
very bottom of the dish in some hot tap
water – about 1/2 inch, in your sink to
loosen crust, being careful not to get
water in pie itself. (OR) thaw longer in
fridge for a gooey, soft pie.
Serves 8-10

(recipe: afamilyfeast.com)

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

Hope you are all staying healthy!

Hugs;

Pammie