Lunch Salad

I'm not going to include amounts here, just ingredients, because it's all really just according to your taste....

Cooked chicken, chopped
Chopped celery
Chopped walnuts (toasted)
Diced, fresh pineapple
Mayonnaise

Season Salt

This is a great lunch salad for the week, with crackers or rustic bread or in a pita pocket!

A Summer Supper

Zucchini Pasta and Fried Okra - a great supper for the hot days of summer!

Pasta:

Boil 3/4 lb spaghetti according to directions.

Grate zucchini (3-4 cups) and Parmesan cheese (3/4 cup), and chop fresh mint (2 T), and mix this with 4 T butter in with the pasta while still warm.

Fried Okra:

Place canola oil in cast iron skillet and heat over med-high about 10 minutes...

Buy fresh okra and slice thinly (1/4 inch slices).  Place in a bowl and toss with a generous amount of yellow cornmeal.  Using a slotted scoop, gently shake loose excess cornmeal, and place okra into hot oil - not crowding the skillet.  Fry until golden brown, remove with same scoop and drain on paper towels -  sprinkle with kosher salt.  Keep frying in batches until done. (Test oil by dropping in one slice of okra - it should sizzle immediately).

Pasta Salad that Travels

Found this salad on line, and made it for a picnic.  It makes a lot and travels well!

Broccoli-Cheddar Pasta Salad Cook 1 pound rotini, adding 4 cups broccoli to the water during the last 4 minutes; drain and rinse. Toss with 2/3 cup diced smoked cheddar, 1 pound diced tomatoes, 1 minced shallot, the juice of 1/2 lemon, and salt and pepper. (I think it needs a bit extra juice and seasoning!)

3 for a Picnic

I'm LOVING picnics this summer, and so any cute bowls/dishes I find, I want them!  Look at these cute bowls that have two sides, one for dip and one for chips or fruit! And the stainless steel retro trays are cool, too! And what a cute basket to store condiments and hang your paper towels!

 I've ordered from this Lakeside  Collection site before and been pleased with everything I've gotten...

Double Dippers

Stainless Steel Plates

paper towel organizer

Cherry Almond Cobbler

I bought a big bag of fresh cherries because they looked so darn good, and then searched for a recipe to make with them - and found this great cherry almond cobbler!  Easy and very good - with ice cream of course!

Pecan Chewies

Still enjoying my new cookbook Honey from the Hive - recipes with honey.

These pecan chewies are so delicious and the only sugary flavor ingredient is the honey!  They cookies have lots of good stuff in them, and they are nice and chewy and flavorful!

Fruit Tray for a Party

We have a party to attend and I was asked to bring a fruit tray.  There are lots of ways to make one, but this is the one we arranged this time...

One large metal tray (I got this one at Walmart) - just $7.94!
Strawberries, watermelon, honeydew melon, green and red seedless grapes, pineapple
Butter leaf lettuce
One ramekin


Arrange the lettuce leaves around the edge of the tray so that they make a border. Place a shallow ramekin in the center.  This will  keep your fruit from sliding to the center.  Arrange all of your fruit in sections around tray.  Cover and keep in the fridge until you serve.

Just before serving, slice off the top of a pineapple and place on the ramekin for your center height.  (Slice and add the pineapple to the tray or just eat later).

Corn Quesadillas

I found this recipe in my Taste of Home Magazine, and not only was it easy to mix up, the flavors were incredible... here's my take on it:

1 1/2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese

1 cup fresh corn off the cob

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 T sour cream

1 T minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

4 flour tortillas

1 tsp canola oil

avocado

lime

Mix the first six ingredients together.  Lightly brush the tops of two tortillas with 1/2 tsp oil, turn over and top with mixture, then remaining tortillas, and brush those tops with remaining oil.

Place a large nonstick skillet on med heat, cook quesadillas 2 min per side til golden brown and cheese melts.

Mix the avocado with lime juice, S & P - serve alongside.

5 for $40

World Market - one of my favorite stops - and today their scarves and necklaces are buy one/get one free!  And their seaside decor is 40% off. AND...if you belong to their club you should have a $10 reward in your email inbox!

All that to say, I got these five items for under $40! A great candle holder, two necklaces, and two scarves.  I know it's hot, but hey - AC is cold - so scarves it is - even in the summer.

Run out before the day is over to get yours... :)

Salad with Peach Dressing

I love summer salads to pack in lunches, and take on the go...This one has peach dressing for the mix-in, and beautiful color for the salad!

Dressing:

3 T red wine vinegar
1 T chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp sugar
1 ripe peach, peeled and finely chopped
6 T extra virgin olive oil

Combine first four ingredients in a bowl with a whisk, let stand 15 minutes, stirring some.  Add oil slowly and blend.

Salad:

1 cup of the peach dressing
1 med english cucumber
2 lb multicolored heirloom tomatoes sliced and quartered into 1/3 in pieces
3/4 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1/2 cup small basil leaves divided
1 tsp kosher salt divided
3/8 tsp fresh ground pepper

place dressing in a large bowl.  peel cucumber in stripes, halve lengthwise, remove seeds and slice diagonally.  add cucumber, tomatoes, onion, 1/4 cup basil, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper to the dressing, toss, and let stand 3 minutes.  arrange salad on a platter and sprinkle basil, and salt over top.

Isn't it pretty?

Blender Bread

I'm loving my retro Blender Cookbook by Better Homes & Gardens!  Today I tried blender white bread, and it turned out to be so easy and smelled up the whole house - and tasted so very good!

Here's the recipe and photo...It only took about 35 minutes to bake - so check your oven and don't overbake.

3 Day Weekend?

If you live in Central Texas, or are visiting here for a summer trip, I'm sharing with you a 3-day trip idea for families.

We started on Friday morning by meeting for breakfast at Bribery Bakery in the Mueller area of central Austin - a unique bakery with some awesome rich delicious breakfast fare.  It was cool enough to sit out on the patio, to begin our day!

Our first stop after breakfast was the Austin Zoo - a rescue zoo - small but nice - where we walked around about an 1 1/2 hours looking at animals - it was quite nice.  They even have a train that we rode and enjoyed!  Stayed there until about 1pm.

We had heard of our lunch stop in Dripping Springs, Pieous, and it lived up to its fame!  The pizza was super tasty, and next door they have a coffee shop/deck called Pie-a-Tea - so cute!  Definitely worth the stop!

Made it to our destination - The Exotic Zoo - in Johnson City - not more than 1 1/2 hours from Austin - where we rented the Bear's Den and the Ostrich Nest - the names of our two cabins.  They each had two queen beds, small fridge and microwave - so not the best for cooking.  Best to bring your food pretty much all made and prepared - but you can grill outside - which we did!  All linens provided- pretty nice room - and a good price!  Outside the cabins was a kiddie pool, a bigger pool, a playscape, petting zoo, and fire pit - all part of the beauty scenery where animals roamed just the other side of the fence - including kangaroos, deer, pigs, and camels!   We relaxed and swam all afternoon before we grilled chicken - for nachos and jalapeno poppers! 

We also decided to do a "halfway to Christmas" party where we made ornaments and gave little gifts - it was great fun.

The next morning we went on the safari tour of the zoo (part of the cabin package price) - we hopped aboard a tractor pulled wagon and they took us all over the property, where animals roamed and came to our hands to feed!  This was SO MUCH FUN!  This safari is worth experiencing, even if you don't stay in the cabins!

After our tour, we drove into Johnson City (super close) and had lunch at Pecan Street Brewing - delicious - but there was a wait for a table!  

We drove back and enjoyed another afternoon of swimming and relaxing, and even feeding the camel that showed up just before dinner - tonite it was grilled burgers and Chuy's dip (we made and brought with us!)

Our final day we enjoyed breakfast again on our deck (we just brought muffins, scones, and fruit for each day) and checked out, and drove into Blanco (not far, either!) for lunch at Redbud Cafe (except some got a coffee at Bean & Biscuit first).  The cafe was delicious - I had a Mediterranean wrap.  We sat on the picnic table on the square afterwards and played a jelly bean game - crazy disgusting!  Then we recorded and sang our annual family song!

We ended our trip with the Buggy Barn Museum down the road, still in Blanco, where we listened to a tour guide show us buggies used in movies, then he took us for a buggy ride!

It was not an expensive trip, and with some planning, it turned out to be a success - all being together for fun, sun, and animals!!!

Bags, Bags, Bags

Target has had some REALLY cute bags lately, and these roomy ones are great for travel:

Love the fringe accessory!

Love these colors and patterns!

The cars on this bag make me want it!

Double Decker Picnic

Anyone who knows me well knows that I LOVE picnics!

Look at this cute tote/cooler/bag with a pouch on the top where a blanket resides!  And it's available in several styles/colors!

It's from World Market!

1-2-3 Tostada!

I roasted veggies earlier this week, I had corn tortillas in the fridge, and Pepper Jack Cheese...

This tostada with these three ingredients turned out to be delicious!

In a bit of oil in a pan, fry the corn tortillas, one at a time, turning and crisping on both sides (this doesn't take very long!) Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with kosher salt.

On a baking sheet place the tortillas, top with the roasted veggies and grated pepper jack - heat in the oven - and you're done!

(To roast veggies, just cut up whatever veggies you like and toss with olive oil, season with S&P and anything else you like, roast at 400 degrees about 30-45 minutes, turning once.)

Delish!!!

Totes so Cute!

I found these today at World Market, and they're on line too!    They were hanging in different spots all over the store, and they're only $2.99 right now.  They're super roomy, have nice handles, and zip up.  The bag itself is sort of a plastic/fabric material.  I bought three!

Encyclopedia for Parties

Published in 1963, this book is over 50 years old, and I can't tell you how many times I've used it as a resource for games, ideas for themes, and even recipes - for parties.  It's out of date, it's hilariously old-fashioned, it's not even in publication with this jacket any more, and it's still completely awesome.

You can find it - different cover and all - on Amazon here.

Lentils in June

Sometimes...the best recipes are on the package!  On my package of lentils, there was a recipe to  add flavor by adding in, along with the seasoning packet:

1/4 pound fried ham cubes (I got deli ham sliced thick and fried it in olive oil about 3  minutes)
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 can diced tomatoes with juice

I also added S&P, lemon pepper, lemon juice and butter, at the end...

And of course, we had cornbread with it! And even though it's summer and hot outside, this was great for a scratchy throat...

Colorful Side Salad

I needed a side dish for a picnic and this one ended up tasting even better than it looks - and it looks amazing!  It was super easy, too. (I doubled it)

Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil
3 T red wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 garlic clove minced
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp pepper

Salad:

2 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium yellow pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 T chopped fresh basil

In a bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients, then add salad ingredients and gently toss to combine.

It makes a great side for burgers, instead of chips!

Walnut Dill Chicken Sandwich!

A great picnic sandwich - SO delicious - and SO tasty

You'll need:

a rotisserie chicken deboned and meat shredded
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp sugar
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 small bunch dill
1/4 cup walnuts
1 small glove garlic
1/3 olive oil
2 sliced tomatoes
1/2 head lettuce
8 thick slices country bread lightly toasted
kosher salt and ground pepper

combine onion, lemon juice, sugar, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and set aside.

put the dill, walnuts, and garlic in food processor and pulse til coarsely chopped.  with motor running, slowly add olive oil, transfer the pesto to large bowl and stir in lemon zest and 1/2 tsp each S&P.  add the chicken and toss to coat.

drain the onion and squeeze dry, drizzle tomatoes with olive oil S&P.  Divide lettuce and tomatoes among four slices bread, top with the chicken salad, onion and another slice of bread.

Peach Salsa

This is the perfect summer accompaniment for a summer picnic!  It's fresh and tastes so good with chips!

Place these ingredients in food processor and blend:

2 peeled and pitted peaches
1 seeded tomato
1/3 cup chopped sweet onion
1/4 cup cilantro
1 sliced garlic clove

Add 1 can chopped chiles
        2 tsp cider vinegar
         1/2 tsp lime juice
         1/8 tsp pepper

Pulse til blended!

Raspberry Almond Scones

There are the easiest scones to make, and they're so rich in flavor and pretty, too!  We are having them with our company coming this weekend, for a morning breakfast outside!

1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup almond flour
4 T sugar
6 oz fresh raspberries
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
2 tsp almond extract
3 T sliced almonds

In a large bowl whisk flours and sugar.  Add raspberries and toss to coat.  In a small bowl, mix cream and extract, then stir into the flour mixture.

Spoon 8 equal mounds onto parchment lined baking sheet and top with almonds.  Bake at 400 degrees about 25 minutes til golden - makes 8.

Tostadas Verde Style

Fry some corn tortillas in olive oil (1 min per side) and drain on paper towels - these will be your base.  Lay them on a baking sheet.

In a skillet, place 2 T olive oil, add in 3/4 cup chopped onion, 2 cloves chopped garlic, one chopped jalapeno (I took out the seeds) and 1 tsp cumin.  Stir and fry til onions are tender.

Add 3/4 cup water to the mixture and heat over low until it reduces to about 1/4 cup.  Drain and rinse two cans black beans, a handful of cilantro and a few dashes hot sauce.  Heat through, about 2 min.  Season with salt, reduce heat to low.

In a food processor, husk, rinse and add 6 tomatillos, 1/4 chopped onion, 1 clove garlic, another jalapeno (no seeds), a handful of cilantro tops, five large mint leaves, and 2 T lime juice, and 2 T water.  Pulse till almost smooth, transfer to bowl and season with salt.

Finally, puree half of the bean mixture with 2 T lime juice into a paste.

Preheat the broiler.

Layer the paste of beans, the whole bean mixture, shredded pepper jack cheese and broil til cheese melts.  Top with the green salsa verde you just made, and chopped lettuce.

That's it!

Blender Beans

Still using and old cookbook I have for recipes using the blender...

These beans in this burrito are amazing...

Place one can kidney beans with juice in the blender, along with six sliced cooked bacon plus 2 T of the bacon drippings, along with 1/2 tsp salt.  Blend til thoroughly combined.

Return beans to your skillet where you fried the bacon, drain a second can of kidney beans and add to the skillet, mashing slightly.

Cook over low heat until bean mixture thickens, about 10 min.

For the burrito, I rolled up seasoned ground beef, the bean mixture, and cheese in a flour tortilla.

Serve with smashed avocado (with lime juice and S & P), and homemade salsa.

You'll LOVE these!

Off the Kabob

This recipe is from Bubba's Beez Cookbook again, using honey as a star ingredient, but it called for skewers and a grill.  I had time for neither tonite, so I made it off the kabob, tweaked it a bit and it was delish:

4 chicken breasts cut into cubes, 1 large onion cut into 2 inch pieces, 1 red bell pepper seeded and cut into pieces and 2 cloves garlic chopped - marinated in 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1/3 cup honey, 1/3 cup soy sauce, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper - for about 30 minutes.

I heated a skillet and added all of the above, and let it cook, flipping around once or twice, until chicken and veggies were tender and cooked through.  Be careful - honey can burn easily.

This would be great with rice, but we had it with potatoes...and the flavor was great!

Scarf for Summer

This scarf caught my eye for two reasons - it's thin (for summer's warm temps) and it has this cute laced leather piece that brings it together!  It is from Strut, a store in my hometown - Austin TX.  If you're not local, you can totally make this yourself with a thin scarf, a piece of leather, and a string or lace!

Summer Hats

Shopping at an outdoor mall today, I stopped in Claire's to get a gift and found these really cute hats - I bought one!  These top two are on line, but the one I bought is only in the store - on clearance $5!!!

Cute Lanterns

Found this cute lantern on the shelves (in other colors too!) at Target for $7.99 - it's actually a camping lantern.  I like it for the patio and we will take it with us on outings and picnics! It has a dimmer switch, so you can have it shine brightly or very subtly....

Honey Granola Bars

Yet another winner from my new honey cookbook Bubba's Beez.  These granola bars bake up so nicely and cut into pieces without falling apart, AND they taste delicious.  They even taste nutty, but there are no nuts in them!

Here's the recipe:

And here are the bars: (be sure not to burn them!)

For the 4th

Spotted these on the aisle at Target - $5 each - great for picnicking, toting toys, carrying books - super cute for summer and 4th!