Independence Day is upon us! Many of you will be hitting the lake or the beach for the holiday weekend. Or maybe you’ll attend a family get-together, fireworks display, or other celebration. The recipe below is for a quick and easy dip that will be the hit of any July 4th gathering!
Corn Dip
3 (11 ounce) cans Mexican-style corn
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies, drained
5 green onions, chopped
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
¾ cup mayonnaise
10 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
In a medium size mixing bowl, combine Mexican style corn, green chilies, green onions, sour cream, jalapeno pepper, mayonnaise, and cheddar cheese. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.Frito Scoops go great with this Corn Dip. You can also serve with crackers. Happy Independence Day!
**Weekly Tip: I am always looking for meal preparation shortcuts. In doing so, I often find myself using the seasoning packets that are found at any grocery store. I use them for spaghetti, meat loaf, tacos, Chinese stir-fry, guacamole, and sometimes even gravy. They are inexpensive, and with a few additional ingredients, the seasoning packets can help you cook a yummy meal in no time!
It’s official…SUMMER IS HERE! And I can’t think of a better dish to help beat the heat than a cool summer salad. So today you are getting a “two-fer”…or a “two for one.” I’ve got two delicious summer salad recipes to share with you. And a bonus salad idea in the “Weekly Tip” portion of this blog. Enjoy!
Zesty Slaw
1 package cabbage slaw
1 package broccoli slaw
¾ cup green onions, chopped
Sunflower seeds (shelled)
Almonds, sliced
1 package Ramen Noodles (chicken flavor)
Mix first five ingredients well and sprinkle mix from noodles over slaw. Add broken noodles and toss well.
Dressing: 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup cooking oil
Mix the above and bring to a boil to dissolve sugar. Pour desired amount over slaw and mix well. Let set several hours before serving.
Garden Pasta Salad
1 (16 ounce) package uncooked tri-color spiral pasta
½ cup thinly sliced carrots
2 stalks celery, chopped
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
½ cup cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
2 large tomatoes, diced
¼ cup chopped onion
2 (16 ounce) bottles Italian-style salad dressing
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling water until al dente. Rinse under cold water and drain. Mix chopped carrots, celery, cucumber, green pepper, tomatoes, and onion together in a large bowl. Combine cooled pasta and vegetables together in large bowl. Pour Italian dressing over mixture, add Parmesan cheese and mix well. Chill one hour before serving.
The Zesty Slaw is always a big hit anytime I make it. Pair it with pretty much anything. However, it goes especially well with barbeque or fried fish. The Garden Pasta Salad is one of my favorite salads. The fresh, raw veggies give the dish a lot of flavor! It’s versatile and you can easily incorporate other ingredients, such as black olives, mushrooms and other vegetables.
**Weekly Tip: Fresh produce is abundant this time of year. Take advantage and serve a fresh “Summer Salad” with any meal. Mix together any fresh vegetables you have on hand: tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, onions, peppers, black olives, carrots, celery, mushrooms, etc. Add salt and pepper to taste. You could even add garlic power, lemon pepper or other spices for a different flavor. Then add Italian dressing or vinegar (regular or balsamic) and oil (vegetable, olive, etc.). Refrigerate and serve!
Father’s Day is on Sunday, which is a time when we take pause to recognize all the dads out there. My dad has been gone almost three years now, which makes the holiday bittersweet for me. However, there are other reasons to celebrate in the coming days for my family. My brother and sister, who are twins, will celebrate their 25th birthday on Saturday. And my brother and sister-in-law will celebrate their second wedding anniversary on Monday. So in memory of my dad and in honor of the other occasions, today’s recipe is for Chocolate Chip Cookies. There are many variations of this recipe, but the one below is one of my favorites.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 sticks margarine
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar, packed
2 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips (you can add an additional half cup or full cup if you prefer)
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease cookie sheets. Place in large bowl and mix margarine, eggs, and vanilla. Add and blend granulated sugar and brown sugar. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into small bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough from teaspoons onto greased cookie sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool on wire racks.
Chocolate chip cookies were one of my dad’s favorites. In fact, he would have them for breakfast with is coffee many mornings. When I picked up the same habit in junior high, it drove my mom crazy. But she didn’t say much about it because I was following my dad’s example…I think it was more of a “choose your battles” thing at the time as well. So when I seek the comfort of a warm chocolate chip cookie, I always think about dad. Happy Fathers Day!
**Weekly Tip: I enjoy making casserole-type dishes, such as chicken spaghetti, lasagna, and enchiladas, on a regular basis. However, those recipes generally serve six, eight, ten or more. So what I usually do is place half of the casserole in a small dish and bake it for that day. Then I place the other half in a small dish and freeze it. When I’m ready to prepare the portion that was frozen, I typically let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then bake according to the original directions. You can also place the frozen dishes directly in the oven. It just takes a little longer to cook. If you choose this option, I would recommend keeping it covered with foil until the last 30 minutes or so of baking.
With the hot temperatures we’ve experienced lately, it appears that we may be in for a long, sweltering summer. I can’t think of a better way to stay cool than with a cold, refreshing beverage. The next recipe I’d like to share is for Italian Lemonade. I know…I was a bit skeptical at first when I read it. Who’s ever heard of flavoring a drink with basil? I definitely hadn’t! However, I was hosting an “Italian themed” Pampered Chef party at my house not long ago and wanted a drink that matched the fare. So I began researching online and found the recipe below on The Food Network’s website. I served the drink at the party and it was a HUGE hit. So here it is…
Italian Lemonade
2 cups lemon juice, about 12 to 15 lemons (I use bottled lemon juice rather than squeezing all those lemons)
2 cups Basil Simple Syrup (see recipe below)
2 cups cold or sparkling water
Ice
Lemon twists, for garnish
Mix lemon juice, Basil Simple Syrup, and water together in a pitcher. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Pour over ice filled glasses and garnish with a lemon twist.
Basil Simple Syrup:
1 bunch fresh basil, washed and stemmed
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
In a saucepan combine basil, sugar, and water and simmer until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Cool, strain the simple syrup, and store in the refrigerator.
I would highly recommend using sparkling water over regular cold water. It gives the drink an extra zing! If you wish to forgo the “Italian” in the lemonade, prepare the recipe as directed above, but omit the basil. And, if you’re feeling frisky, add your favorite vodka to the beverage for an extra treat! **Weekly Tip: I like to always keep a box of Bisquick baking mix on hand. I make pancakes and biscuits from the recipes on the box on a regular basis. They are always consistent and tasty. I also have a Bisquick cookbook, and there are a plethora of recipes that can be prepared from the mix, including one of my favorites, chicken pot pie. And, I like to use half Bisquick and half flour when I am chicken-frying anything. It makes the crust more flavorful, flakey, and golden-brown.
For my first cooking blog post, I have decided to highlight a recipe that is very fitting for the month of June…Blueberry Muffins. Now is definitely the “season” for blueberries, in East Texas anyway. Most grocery stores carry them this time of year. And several farms in our area provide opportunities for individuals to pick their own. There is even a Blueberry Festival held in Nacogdoches the second Saturday in June to pay homage to the fruit!
Blueberry Muffins
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup margarine
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk
Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease muffins tins, or line cups with paper liners. Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour over blueberries, and stir to coat berries thoroughly. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, cream margarine, and gradually mix in sugar. Beat eggs, and stir into creamed mixture along with vanilla. Stir in milk alternately with flour mixture, mixing well after each addition. Fold in berries. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 25 minutes.
These muffins are great for breakfast. Serve them warm with butter. They also make a yummy dessert. Enjoy!
**Weekly Tip: I like to always keep some sort of frozen oven-ready bread in the freezer. Whether it is yeast rolls, garlic bread, biscuits or Texas toast, bread makes a nice addition to any meal. And when it’s frozen, you can heat however many servings you need in a short amount of time.
Independence Day is upon us! Many of you will be hitting the lake or the beach for the holiday weekend. Or maybe you’ll attend a family get-together, fireworks display, or other celebration. The recipe below is for a quick and easy dip that will be the hit of any July 4th gathering!
