~*~ Creamy Fruit Salad ~*~

Ingredients:
1 (15 oz) can pineapple chunks, drained (save juice)
1/2 c. sugar
2 T. flour
1 egg, beaten
3 bananas, sliced
2 (11 oz) cans mandarin oranges, drained (save juice)
3 medium apples, chopped (unpeeled)
1/2 lb. red seedless grapes, halved
pecans (optional)

Directions:  Place reserved pineapple juice in a small saucepan; add sugar, flour and beaten egg.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth and thickened.  Allow to cool.  In a large bowl, combine pineapple chunks, bananas, orange segments, apples and grapes.  Pour cooled dressing over the fruit mixture; toss gently, making sure everything is well coated. Add pecans to the top and chill before serving.  ~ Chef ~

~ Squash, fresh from the Garden ~

How is everyone's garden coming along?

Picked my first (and only) squash.

There are more on the vine just slow growing.

Tomatoes are not doing very well.

Cucumbers - they'll bloom, grow then dry up.

Nothing much to do with ONE squash,
 except ... pray for more.

~ Chef ~

~ Wordless Wednesday ~

~ Chef ~

~Mountain Mama Oatmeal Raisin Cookie~

Ingredients:

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup raisins

2 teaspoon pure vanilla 

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups oats

3/4 cups toasted pecans, chopped

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Directions: Combine beaten eggs, raisins and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for one hour. *DON'T SKIP THIS STEP* Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. In a small bowl, sift the flour, salt, cinnamon and soda together; set aside. Cream the butter and both sugars together. Add flour mixture to butter and sugar and mix well. Dough will be stiff. Slowly add the egg/raisin mixture and mix until fully incorporated. Stir in oats and pecans. Bake cookies on cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely. This recipe sounds AMAZING! Can't wait to try it. Recipe and photo courtesy of Mountain Mama Cooks. ~ Chef ~

~ Salsa Burgers ~

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground chuck

1/2 onion, grated

3 Tbsp. Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise

3 Tbsp. Worchestershire Sauce

1 Tbsp. chili powder 

1/2 cup Salsa

8 hamburger buns
 

Directions:  Combine ground chuck, onion, Hellmann's, worchestershire sauce and chili powder in medium bowl. Form into 8 patties. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill patties to desired doneness. Top with salsa and your favorites (lettuce, tomato, onion, etc.) and serve on buns. Great for 4th of July grillouts. ~ Chef ~

~ Squash - Zucchini Fritters ~

Ingredients:
1 c. of grated zucchini
1 1/2 - 2 c. of grated squash
1 tsp. of salt
1/2 tsp. of pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp. of dried thyme
a pinch of grated garlic
1/4 c. of bread crumbs
vegetable oil and butter, for frying

Directions:  Squeeze the grated squash and zucchini to remove excess water. This will prevent the fritters from turning soggy. The best way to do this is to place the grated vegetables in a piece of cheesecloth and wringing the cheesecloth.  If you don’t have cheesecloth, just take the grated vegetables in your hand and squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can.  Place the squeezed vegetables in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients, except the vegetable cooking oil and butter. Now heat 2 T. of cooking oil and 2 T. of butter. Form the zucchini and squash mixture into patties and fry.  Flip when the underside is nicely browned and crisp, about three minutes. Cook the opposite side until browned and crisp as well. Add more vegetable oil and butter to the pan as needed.  These go well with any meal or as an appetizer.  Enjoy!  ~ Chef ~

~ Too Hot to Cook ~

Too Hot to Blog.

Stay cool, if you can.

~ Chef ~

~ Stuffed Tomato Salad ~

Ingredients:1 big red tomato

1 ounce cubed ham

1/8 cup sweet peas

1/8 cup chopped red onion

1/8 cup chopped pickles (dill or sweet)

1/8 shredded mozzarella cheese

1 tbsp Hellmann's mayo

a dash of salt and pepper

Directions:  Cut off the top of a tomato and dig the center out so that you have a hallow shell.  Mix together the ham, peas, onion, pickles, cheese, mayo, salt and pepper.  Stuff the tomato with the ham mixture and presto you've got lunch.  ~ Chef ~

~ Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins ~

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 pint fresh blueberries -

rinsed, drained and patted dry
2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray the top of a muffin pan with non-stick coating, and line with paper liners. If you make large muffins the batter will come up over the sides and stick if you don't grease the top, if your muffins are smaller feel free to skip this step. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, 1 1/4 cups sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix together 1 3/4 cup of the flour and baking powder. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated. Mix blueberries with the remaining 1/4 cup of the flour and fold into the batter. Scoop into muffin cups. Sprinkle tops lightly with sugar. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 12 large muffins ~ Chef ~

~ Need I Say More? ~

If it matters ... they are apple.

~ Chef ~

~ooOoo~ Cold Lime Punch ~ooOoo~

I am sure all of you have this recipe in your collection

and have made it many times

but I thought it would be a refreshing treat

for these hot summer days.

Ingredients:

1 container (2 quarts) Lime Sherbet

1 (46 oz) can Pineapple Juice

1 (2 liter) bottle Ginger Ale

Directions: 

Place the sherbet in a punch bowl.

Pour in the pineapple juice .

Now pour in the Ginger Ale.

Let sit until most of the sherbet melts.

Stir and serve.

~ Chef ~

~ Frozen D-e-l-i-g-h-t ~

Ingredients:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2 cups crispy rice cereal

2 cups chocolate-flavored crispy rice cereal

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened

1/2 to 1 cup Spanish peanuts, coarsely chopped

Garnish: chocolate syrup

 

Directions:  Blend together the peanut butter and corn syrup in a large bowl.  Once combined add the cereals.  Make sure you get them coated well.  Press into the bottom of an ungreased 13"x9" baking pan. Spread ice cream over cereal mixture; sprinkle with peanuts. Swirl chocolate syrup over top; if desired.  Cover with aluminum foil; freeze at least 4 hours before serving. Cut into squares.  Cold, cold, cold goodness.  ~ Chef ~

~ Southern Chicken Salad ~

Ingredients:
2 to 2 1/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 large eggs
3 to 4 ribs celery (2 cups diced)
1 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise -or- Miracle Whip (your preference)
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon finely ground black pepper

Directions:  Place chicken in a 4½-quart Dutch oven and add just enough cold tap water to cover it. Place eggs in a 2-quart or larger saucepan and add enough cold tap water just to cover them. Cover both pots and bring to a boil over high heat.  When eggs come to a boil, uncover the pot and boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 20 minutes or up to 1 hour.  When chicken boils, immediately remove from the heat and let pot stand, covered, 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center. Immediately remove chicken from pot. Reserve broth for another use.  While chicken and eggs stand, rinse and dry celery. Cut into ¼-inch dice.  Shredded the chicken breats either fine or cubes, however you prefer.  Pour the meat into a 3-quart or larger bowl.  Peel the eggs and dice them into the chicken.  Now add the celery, mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip), salt and pepper. Stir very well until all chicken is coated with the mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip). Serve at once or refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 24 hours.  Great for a hot summer day!  ~ Chef ~

~ Vinegar Pie ~

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter (not margarine) melted and cooled

2 T. flour

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 T. pure vanilla

2 T. white vinegar

3 large eggs

Directions:  Place the flour and sugar into a large bowl.  Slowly add the melted butter until the flour and sugar are mixed well.  Now add the vanilla and vinegar.  In a seperate bowl crack your eggs making sure there are no shells.  Add these one at a time until everything is completely mixed together.  Pour the mixture into a unbaked 9-inch pie shell and bake at 325 degrees for 35-45 minutes.  You tell when it is done as the center no longer shakes.  This recipe is alot like a true Southern Chess Pie only it uses flour instead of cornmeal.  Enjoy!  ~ Chef ~

~ How Is Your Garden Growing? ~

We've got a dozen or so tomatoes about the size of tennis balls.  Cucumbers are getting tall enough to run and the squash are blooming with a few about the size of your thumb.  So it shouldn't be long before we have fresh veggies out of the garden.  Hope your garden is growing too.  Let me hear from you.  ~ Chef ~