Saturday, July 18, 2009

Easy, Eggless Strawberry Ice Cream

Ice cream can be made from just a few ingredients--cream, milk, eggs,
sugar, and flavorings. This recipe is made without eggs, the ingredients
for this divinely creamy strawberry ice cream are a snap to mix and
freeze in a ice cream maker. There is something extra-special about
homemade ice cream.

INGREDIENTS

* 2 cups whole milk
* 2 cups heavy cream
* 1 cup white sugar
* dash of salt
* 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 cups mashed fresh strawberries
* 2 drops red food coloring (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, combine the milk, cream, sugar, salt, vanilla, strawberries,
and food coloring. Pour the mixture into the freezer bowl of an ice cream maker,
and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. If you have a small ice cream
maker use 1/2 the mixture.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Strawberry shortcake, which originated from the Native Americans who baked
crushed strawberries into a cornmeal cake. strawberry shortcake is a dessert
to round out light summer meal.

Strawberry shortcake

* 3 pints fresh strawberries
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 4 teaspoons baking powder
* 2 tablespoons white sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/3 cup shortening
* 1 egg
* 2/3 cup milk
* 2 cups whipped heavy cream

1. Slice the strawberries and toss them with 1/2 cup of white sugar. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease and flour one 8 inch round cake pan.
3. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, 2 tablespoons white sugar and the salt.
With a pastry blender cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Make a well in the center and add the beaten egg and milk. Stir until just combined.
4. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 15 to 20
minutes or until golden brown. Let cool partially in pan on wire rack.
5. Slice partially cooled cake in half, making two layers. Place half of the strawberries on layer and top with the other layer. Top with remaining strawberries and cover with the

Shortcake though it's most commonly a rich biscuit, shortcake can also refer simply to a The classic American shortcake is a large, sweet biscuit that is split in half, then filled and with sliced or chopped fruit (traditionally strawberries) and softly whipped cream.
If it's to hot to bake, you can buy some shortcake, but it's hard to fine, try angle food cake or pound cake. It's not shortcake but it's makes a taste dessert.
On hot summer days, homemade strawberry ice cream is both refreshing and fun.
Marinated strawberries in balsamic vinegar create a surprisingly delicious and sophisticated. The best dessert for a hot summer day for my family is Strawberry, These berries aren’t just delicious, strawberries are rich in nutrients, like other bright-fruits and vegetables They’re a great source of vitamin C.
When selecting strawberry biggest berries aren’t always the best tasting. At the market,look brightly colored strawberries that are smaller but still plump; their flavor will be more and delicious. Try my reciepe for a great summer dessert.

JULY SYMBOLS

July's birthstone is the ruby which symbolizes contentment.
The flower is Larkspur or the Water Lily.
The horoscopes are Cancer and Leo.
The dessert of choice for my family is Strawberry shortcake
and homemade strawberry ice cream.

Friday, July 10, 2009

RAINBOW PASTA SALAD

INGREDIENTS
1 (16 ounce) package pasta
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped roma tomatos
1/2 cup chopped cucumber (remove the seeds),
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 (8 ounce) bottle zesty Italian salad dressing

DIRECTIONS
Cook pasta according to package directions drain and place in a large bowl; add remaining ingredients and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Try
1 (6 ounce) can black olives, drained and sliced
1 cup of shrimp, or crap

MACARONI AND TUNA SALAD

This recipe is easily multiplied for a crowd. Everyone in my family asks me to bring this to our functions in the summer.

INGREDIENTS
1 (16 ounce) package macaroni
3 cans tuna (drained)
11/2 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon mustard
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped sweet pickle raises
1 green bell pepper, chopped (or 1/2 red & 1/2 green bell pepper)

DIRECTIONS
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain, and rinse. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise, and mustard . Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
In a large bowl, combine pasta, celery, onion, sweet pickles, and green pepper, . Stir in dressing, and mix well.
Refrigerate until you ready to serve.

This can be served as meal or a side.

HOW TO MAKE PERFECT PASTA FOR YOUR SALAD

To make the Perfect Pasta for your Salad, Cook 1 pound of pasta. Select a 16-ounce box or bag of bite-size pasta. I recommend farfalle (bow ties), fusilli (corkscrews), penne, ziti, rotelle (wagon wheels), macaroni or my favorite small shells. Cook the pasta in a gallon of boiling water seasoned with 2 tablespoons of salt (that's right, 2 tablespoons!) until just tender. Drain but do not rinse the pasta. Instead, dump it onto a large-lipped cookie sheet to cool and dry. Don't worry if the pasta sticks together. The dressing will break it up.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

CUCUMBER SALAD

Cool, delicious cucumber salad. For a pretty salad, peel only half of each cucumber, leaving strips of skin on each.

INGREDIENTS
4 or 5 cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 small white onion, thinly sliced
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried dill, or to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Toss together the cucumbers and onion in a large bowl.*
2. Combine the vinegar, water and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil.
3. pour over the cucumber and onions. Stir in dill, cover, and refrigerate until cold.

This can also be eaten at room temperature, but be sure to allow the cucumbers to marinate for at least 1 hour.

*Don't make the vinegar solution first and then chop the cucumber because it's important that the vinegar solution be hot to ensure proper flavoring.

SWEET AND TART STRAWBERRY SALAD

This is a delightful, and unusual strawberry salad. Pepper and vinegar enhance the sweetness of fresh berries.

INGREDIENTS
3 pounds fresh strawberries, rinsed and sliced
1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, toss berries with sugar and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and pepper. Pour over berries and toss to coat. Divide berries among 8 serving bowls and serve. Enjoy!

FRUITED CHICKEN SALAD

INGREDIENTS
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 red apple, diced
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, juice reserved
1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup chopped pecans
fajita seasoning to taste or your house seasoning

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add chicken and cook until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink inside, approximately 20 minutes. Drain, cool and chop.
In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, apple, onions, relish, mayonnaise, celery, pineapple (with just a little juice for flavor), cilantro, pecans and fajita seasoning to taste. ENJOY

Try grilled chicken or a whole rotisserie chickens

Monday, July 6, 2009

HOW TO PICK A RIPE WATERMELON

How do you know when your watermelons are ripe?
The best method? Look for the curly tendrils on the stem near where the fruit is attached to turn brown. If they look half dead, it's ready for picking.
You can also check the underside of the melon. A ripe fruit will have a cream- or yellow-colored spot from where it sat on the ground while ripening in the sun.

Did you know? Thumping on the fruit and listening for a "hollow" sound isn't particularly accurate. Sometimes, that hollow sound actually means the melon has turned to mush inside.

History of Watermelon

One of the tastiest ways to keep cool in summer is to munch on ice cold watermelon. No summer picnic is complete without watermelon. There's more to this fruit than its sweet, red center.

Watermelons are in nature an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and B6. They are also a great source of potassium, and extremely low in sodium. Watermelons are a great snack for both children and adults, for the reason that they contain
practically no fat. Historians say watermelons first grew in the middle of the Kalahari Desert. They were a source of water for thirsty traders, who began to sell the seeds in cities along the ancient Mediterranean trade routes.
Cultivation of watermelon spread throughout Africa and, by the 1600s, watermelon made its way to Great Britain, Spain, China and beyond. Watermelon arrived in North America courtesy of European colonists from African slaves.
During the Civil War, the Confederate Army boiled down watermelons as a source of sugar and molasses.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

HOW ABOUNT SOME SUMMER SALADS

If there's one food that really captures the essence of summer, it's salad. All kinds of beautiful, ripe produce are overflowing from gardens and orchards. When fruits and vegetables are at the peak of their season, there's no need to do anything fancy with them - they're just begging to be tumbled into a salad bowl and enjoyed in their raw, natural glory. Let's share some of my salad recipes for July.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

EASY GRILLED LEMON CHICKEN

I know everyone loves Ribs for the 4th, but I always BBQ some chicken give my Lemon Chicken a try, you will need to double the recipe I found everyone loves Chicken.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

DIRECTIONS:

Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels. Stir together the lemon juice, soy sauce, ginger, and black pepper in a bowl; pour into a large, resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken breasts, seal the bag, and massage to evenly coat chicken with lemon juice mixture. Place in refrigerator to marinate at least 20 minutes, or up to 24 hours
.
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat. Lightly oil grill grate.

Drain and discard marinade from the bag, and place chicken on preheated grill about 4 inches from heat source for about 6 to 8 minutes on each side Cook until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear,

OLD-FASHIONED LEMONADE

This is great for a BBQ, I double the recipe and use a cooler and everyone can help them self, this is better than soda any day.

Old-fashioned Lemonade

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
½ cup boiling water
1 ½ cups fresh lemon juice
4 ½ cups cold water
Ice cubes
Lemon Slices

Place sugar, boiling water, and lemon juice in a 2 quart pitcher and stir vigorously with a spoon until sugar is dissolved. Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to use. Add cold water, ice cubes and lemon slices. Stir. Pour over ice cubes in a 10 to 12 ounce glass.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

WHAT'S COOKIN' POTATO SALAD

Here is my favorite recipe for potato salad. I vary
this recipe from time to time based upon my mood and what I have in the refrigerator. I encourage you to do the same.


Potato Salad


Ingredients:

10 - 12 whole russet potatoes
4 to 6 hard boiled eggs chopped
1 bunch green onions chopped
½ bunch celery chopped
¼ cup pickle relish
1 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/3 cup yellow mustard
2 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and pepper to tasted
paprika

Preparation:

1. Boil potatoes with skin on for 30 - 45 minutes. When fork can be easily inserted. Potatoes are done.
2. Pour hot water out and run cold water over potatoes to cool them off for 5 minutes.
3. When potatoes are cool, peel off skin and cut into bite sized pieces. If you overcook them, they don't really hurt
the recipe since the extra potatoes just mixes in with
the creamy portion of the mixture.
4. Stir all ingredients gently except for the paprika.
After all ingredients are well mixed, pour into a bowl.
Add the paprika across the top.
5. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve
serve 16-20

Try 1/2 cup of slice black olives or 1/4 cup of sheered carrots or 1/2 cup of chopped green or red bell pepper or dell pickles chopped in place of sweet relish.

PARTY BEANS

INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound sliced bacon
1 1/2 pounds ground round
1 (15.5 ounce) can pork and beans
1 (15 ounce) bake beans, drained
1 (15.5 ounce) can white beans, drained
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup barbeque sauce
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, crumble, and set aside. In the same skillet, cook and crumble the ground round until evenly browned. Drain.
In a large deep casserole dish or Dutch oven, combine the bacon, beef, baked beans, pork and beans, and white beans. Stir in the brown sugar, barbeque sauce, and onion soup mix until well blended.
Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour in the preheated oven.

THE PREFECT HAMBURGER

HOW TO MAKE THE PREFECT HAMBURGER
Burgers may be the basic of all picnic menus, but they needn't be boring. Jazzed up with spices and seasonings or topped with your favorite condiments, a good burger is hard to beat. From basic lettuce, tomato, and pickle to sautéed onions or bacon, the possibilities are endless. Burgers just taste better when cooked on the grill and enjoyed outdoors.

Building a better burger is easy when you follow these suggestions:
Make sure the grill is the appropriate temperature too hot, and the burgers will burn on the outside before getting done on the inside. Medium-low to medium heat is best.
Keep the lid closed while cooking. A closed lid retains heat, shortening the cooking time and thus keeping the burgers moist.
Use beef that is no leaner than 85% Fat is needed for the burgers to be moist and flavorful.
If using ground turkey or chicken, add a little broth or olive oil to keep them moist.
Use a gentle touch overworking the mixture will produce a tough burger. Mix ingredients just until combined.
Don't form patties too thick or too thin A ¾-inch thick patty is ideal for even cooking. To keep patties from swelling in the middle, make small indention in the center.
Always clean and oil the grill grate This prevents burgers from sticking, extends the life of your grate and helps put those beautiful grill-marks on your patties.
Turn burgers only once and never, ever, press burgers with the back of a spatula: the sizzling sound may be fun to make, but the pressure releases all of the flavorful juices.
Cook burgers properly for safety's sake; cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (170 degrees F for poultry).
To check the temperature, insert the thermometer into the patty horizontally for an accurate reading.

What cookin' for the fourth of July

What’s the Fourth of July with out a barbecue? You’ll love this star-spangled menu. It includes our best-ever burgers, creamy potato salad, baked beans and an eye-catching cake decorated like Old Glory - all designed to feed a gathering of 10-12

LET'S CELEBRATE THE 4TH

The 4th of July is a time for the Red white and Blue. A time for Picnics, Parades and Marching Bands. A time for Beaches, BBQs and "Bombs Bursting in Air." So pour yourself a cold one, put another "shrimp on the barbie and celebrate Independence Day the birthday of the United States of America. Founded July 4th 1776, with the signing of the Declaration of Independence, this year we are celebrating it's 233rd birthday.