Chilled Orzo and Tomato Pasta Salad is a great way to keep cool on a hot day. This delicious side dish tastes even better after the flavors have melded, so make it a day or two in advance for your next picnic or family get-together. So I read while looking for new pasta salads to serve this summer. This recipe sounded intriguing – except for a couple of ingredients. The recipe calls for a couple of tablespoons of capers though I also remembered olives could be substituted for capers. Now somewhere I also remember reading that only the super intelligent like celery and olives. Well, I am half way there. (Does that make me a half wit??) I like celery. Olives, not so much. And capers, even less. Just not a fan of vinegary, salty, acidic, or such flavor bursts. But one of them ... [Read More]
summer
Toffee Butter Brickle Ice Cream
Toffee Butter Brickle Ice Cream – a perfect way to celebrate almost anything. This year it was the star of the ice cream spread on Independence Day. Every July 4, sister Bee and family host a Big Bash. Family, friends, neighbors start trooping up the drive in early evening laden with food and drinks. Pete has a pile of things for the grill and plenty of fireworks on hand. Then a friend roars up with another pickup load in his specially made fireworks launcher. The neighbor across the street is in competition with them both. After potluck dinner, they will be lighting up the sky for hours. Until 11:55. Everything comes to a halt, brooms and containers roll out of the garage and everything is cleaned spick and span before midnight. It is truly a festival! Somewhere in the ... [Read More]
Buttery Apple Crisp
Nate the Great's Mommy set the dessert on the table. MMMMMM Apple Crisp. One bite and it was wow! Light and buttery, cinnamony, and just right sweetness. This apple crisp just whispers in your ear and wraps you in warm apple flavor kissed with butter and cinnamon. Where did you find this recipe, I asked. (just for you, of course!) In grandma's community cookbook, she said. Of course. Every cook who knows someone from that little town has a fat orange covered spiral bound cookbook on the shelf or in the kitchen drawer. Apparently even those who weren't even in kindergarten yet when it was published! How could I have missed it? Granted there are 7 apple crisp recipes in the book, including one with marshmallows, one with eggs and one with raisins. Interestingly they all call ... [Read More]
Overnight Oatmeal
Add pizzazz to your breakfast with Overnight Oatmeal! It’s healthy, nutritious and delicious! I had a bowl of hot oatmeal every morning with raisins and walnuts for a very long time. When I heard about oatmeal made overnight in the refrigerator and eaten cold I was pretty skeptical. But we needed something to go with scrambled eggs (protein!) and the idea of a basic dish with lots of variations kept leading back to Overnight Oatmeal. Sauted apples were the first version we tried. Peel, slice and dice an apple and saute it with a tablespoon of butter in a small frying pan. Layer the hot apple with the cold oatmeal --- ummm, heavenly. Great for a leisurely morning. But there are lots of add-in and topping options. Enough to keep your tastebuds excited for a very long time. ... [Read More]
Buttery Brownie Bark
For a brownie lover, brownie bark seemed a no brainer. Who wouldn’t go for that rich chocolate brownie taste in a different form? Especially with toffee on one pan full and slivered almonds on the other. Turns out Bytes was not a fan. He had his mouth set for the rich chocolate flavor, but also for the fudgy texture. What he got was crisp and crunchy. He felt cheated. I didn’t care because I got chocolate and crunch, both of which are high on my list. Wheels will eat anything that looks good so both the toffee topped bites and the ones with almond slivers disappeared in short order and without discrimination. That was the first time I made brownie bark. The second time I made them, I found a better buttery recipe. I made one batch just a bit thicker when spreading the batter in ... [Read More]
Mexican Layered Salad
Mexican Layered Salad is a southwestern twist on an old classic. Make it ahead of time and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight to give flavors time to develop and meld together. Add the tortilla chips and cheese just before serving. Mexican Layered Salad is a colorful addition to a pot luck, picnic or buffet dinner. Disappears quickly – you’ve been warned. Romaine lettuce is the usual base, but you can use any head lettuce of your choice. Google “sturdy lettuce” -- as in “can remain crispy and hold its shape while being shoveled out of the bowl to the plate and then in to the mouth” -- and romaine heads the list. It generally has more flavor and is a deeper color than other head lettuce. Leaf lettuce is “sturdy” lettuce’s more delicate and flavorful cousin. I did ... [Read More]
