Friday, July 20, 2012

Let's share some of my salad recipes for July.

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 enjoyed in their raw, natural glory.
FRUITED CHICKEN SALAD INGREDIENTS 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halve 1/2 cup seedless grapes 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 or your house seasoning to taste 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, grapes, pineapple (with just a little juice for flavor), cilantro, pecans and fajita seasoning to taste. ENJOY Try grilled chicken or a whole rotisserie chickens

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

I hope you all are having a great 4th of July

After your great 4th of July dinner let have a like dessert
Strawberry shortcake is one of the simplest low fat desserts to make. Angel food cake's light texture and sweet taste is the best choice in this recipe. Ingredients: 1 container strawberries, rinsed and sliced 1 angel food cake (purchased in rectangular shape is the best) 1 low fat container of vanilla ice 1 container low fat cool For final preparation, cut 1/2 inch of angel food cake and place on saucer. Put a scoop of low fat vanilla ice cream on top. Add 1/2 cup of strawberries, on top of ice cream. Put a dollop of low fat whipping crea

Thursday, June 7, 2012

HISTORY OF JUNETEENTH

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation which had become official January 1. One of General Granger’s first orders of business was to read to the people of Texas, General Order Number 3 which began most significantly with: The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer. Later attempts to explain this two and a half year delay in the receipt of this important news have yielded several versions that have been handed down through the years. The story often was the messenger who was murdered on his way to Texas with the news of freedom. Another is that the news was deliberately withheld by the enslavers to maintain the labor force on the plantations. A range of activities were provided to entertain the masses, many of continue a tradition today. Rodeos, fishing, barbecuing and baseball are a few of the typical Juneteenth activities. Certain foods became popular and Synonymous with Juneteenth celebrations such as Strawberry soda pop.Today the most popular traditional is barbecuing. On January 1, 1980, Juneteenth became an official Texas states holiday.

WHAT'S COOKIN' IN JUNE

What a year we are moving right along can you believe we are half way through the year. June doesn’t have a major holiday but my family celebrates June 19 with a big Juneteenth picnic. This month I will share some of my family favorite Juneteenth recipes. I would love to share the story of Juneteenth with you, it one of those story every African American should know.

Monday, April 23, 2012

HAT’S ON HAND VEGETABLE SOUP Here is a simple recipe for chunky vegetable soup using ingredients that you have on hand. This is easy to make and can be served as a starter or as a main course. Don’t worry if you don’t have every vegetable listed; this soup recipe is very flexible. Use whatever you have on hand. 1 onion, diced 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced 2 carrots, thinly sliced 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 8 cups water or low sodium or low fat vegetable stock 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 sweet potato or rutabaga, diced 1 cup green beans, cut into bite-size pieces 1/2 cup fresh peas 1 cup chopped cabbage, kale, collards, or other green 1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried herbs (thyme, rosemary, tarragon, savory, etc.) 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley salt and black pepper to taste Place onion, celery, carrots, and oil in large soup pot. Sauté 10 minutes over medium heat until onions are soft. Add water or stock, garlic, potatoes, beans, and vegetables. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes until potatoes are tender. Add remaining ingredients except parsley, and seasonings. Simmer 10 minutes until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley. Season with salt and black pepper