With the tang of lemon, the rich creaminess of the filling atop a thick crust, finished with butter crumbles Lemon Ooey Gooey Bars is a baker’s reward! Since it makes 16 servings, it is a good dessert for a potluck or serving a large group. It always disappears quickly. It takes about 20 minutes to make this and another 35 to bake. Cooling is the hardest part. Restrain yourself for a couple of hours and you will be so happy you did. Just not burning your tongue is a good thing, but the real favor you’ve done yourself is the enjoyment of the flavors and textures on that unburned tongue. Store overnight in the refrigerator and the flavor deepens and is even better. It will keep up to three days in the fridge – assuming it doesn’t disappear before that. To go along with the ... [Read More]
Potluck
Fruit Salad with lemonade dressing
Fruit Salad with lemonade dressing makes a huge salad to feed a crowd. It will serve 25 people easily. Children love it -- and so do their moms! Add it to the menu at your next big potluck. A buffet dinner or casual potluck, this healthy dish will shine! Sometimes called Punchbowl Salad, this Fruit Salad can be made ahead with the fruit refrigerated in separate zip bags. I took it to a recent family reunion a couple of hours away in a cooler filled with ice. I was a little concerned that the fruit would be squashed with the weight of the other fruits AND the ice, especially since the cooler would set overnight before the actual dinner. No problem. I assembled the salad in a punch bowl quickly at the site, added the dressing and it was on the table quickly! It would work ... [Read More]
Chicken Spaghetti
Chicken spaghetti is a versatile dish. 1) It can easily handle add-ins, like a 10 ounce package of frozen mixed vegetables or 8 ounces of sauted mushrooms 2) Can be wrapped and frozen for up to six months for make ahead meals, before or after baking. 3) Can be made ahead and kept covered and refrigerated for two days before baking – great for making in advance when you’ll have guests. 4) It’s perfect for a potluck – creamy, cheesy chicken and spaghetti will please everyone 5) Bake in disposable pans for a take in meal when someone is sick or in need. 6) Package in individual serving sized microwavable containers for a weeks worth of lunches or to warm when the family schedule is crazy. A hardworking dish that everyone loves. Serve with vegetable salad for a complete meal. Chicken ... [Read More]
Wicked Good Simple Sweet Slaw
My mother’s Sweet Coleslaw recipe. I could eat it twice a day at least four days a week. Crunchy, creamy and the perfect accompaniment for anything. I’ve never seen another recipe for coleslaw this simple – and no vinegar. I don’t consider myself a picky eater by any means – just please, please, please don’t give me coleslaw with vinegar in it. Who wants vinegar when we can have sweet and creamy, I say! I’m sure Mom’s recipe started out with one medium head of cabbage, sliced very thin to make approximately four cups. You can do that. You can also shred cabbage very nicely with the food processor. I prefer packaged shredded cabbage – at least until garden season with our own fresh cabbage. Mom was also a flexible cook (where do you think I got that???) so she would adapt. ... [Read More]
Four Bean Salad
Four bean salad! It has onions, beans for fiber and protein, lots of vitamins and minerals, healthy oils for necessary fat, vinegar (shown to help control blood sugar). It is filling. Plus it makes quite a bit and keeps well so it will work for several meals. It’s good with almost anything. It is almost a complete light meal by itself. It’s a recipe from my mother in law – changed (of course) to add the black beans. I mentioned yesterday that Wheels had surgery recently. Articles from the Cleveland Clinic mention the importance of protein, fiber and certain vitamins and minerals that aid in the healing process. Four Bean Salad meets the requirements and Wheels loves it. It can also be jazzed up by adding 1/4 cup each diced green and/or red or orange peppers without ... [Read More]
Chicken Cheeseball
Chicken Cheese Ball is a highly evolved recipe. Or so one would think looking at the notes I have made on this recipe. I think you will agree it was worth the persistence! It started out with 4 packages of cream cheese. Well and good for a crowd. But usually what I want is enough for 10-20 for one event. So I decided to halve the recipe once upon a long ago. Okay, two packages of cream cheese – 8 ounces each – one fat free and one regular just to cover all the bases. Later, I needed to know how much chicken was in two chicken breasts because I didn’t have whole breasts. I had chicken breast tenders instead. I got google involved and noted a measurement that is heavily marked out. Another note says “1 chicken breast equals 6 ounces” (apparently google again) and 12 oz cooked ... [Read More]
