Watermelon Feta Salad

 

This is the opposite of complicated. It's so simple, it's not really a recipe. It's the perfect dish to bring to a summertime gathering. I just served it at our family reunion and was reminded how much people like it.

Ingredients
Half a seedless watermelon, cut into chunks
6-8 oz of crumbled feta (or blue) cheese
Bunch of fresh mint leaves, minced
Balsamic vinegar

Put watermelon chunks, cheese and mint into a large bowl and toss together. Drizzle balsamic over top if desired. You can also add strawberries to this salad if you like.

Cancer Free!!!!!! (oh and, Jeweled Black Bean Dip)

Thank you for all of your prayers, cards and virtual flowers. We have made it through cancer and out to the other side. Abigail is doing well and is gaining back weight. She is officially cancer free! She will have three years of follow up, but we couldn't have asked for a better result. I am so grateful to God, the doctors and all of our friends and family who supported us. It really DID take a village. I wish I could thank all of you who helped us, I couldn't have done it without you. Each of you said, "Oh it's nothing", but added up it was a HUGE something!

I am going to be posting very little for this year of 2014 since I have decided to enjoy the last year of my preschooling time, but I do want to record fun birthday parties and a few special recipes - mostly to keep in one place for myself!! ;)

During the dark days of chemo, so many people brought us great meals. I mean...De...lish..us! I won't ever be able to thank those of you who helped us enough. It was so amazing to be cared for.

There were meals that we received that I've made over and over. This recipe was one of them and it has become an often requested one (thank you sweet Katie). In fact, I will be making it AGAIN on Sunday for the ten year old's Super Bowl party. (YES! - we ARE back into full fledged party mode and love being able to have people over.)

Jeweled Black Bean Dip

Ingredients
2 minced cloves of garlic
3 tbsp minced onion
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 c olive oil
6 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp lime zest
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro
30 oz of black beans (rinsed and drained if you are using canned)
1 1/2 c of corn, fresh or frozen thawed
2 diced red bell peppers
1 pomegranate, seeded
2 avocados, rough chopped (do not use overripe ones)

Combine first 9 ingredients in a glass jar and shake OR put all except oil in a bowl and then slowly whisk in the oil to the rest of ingredients.

Combine beans, corn, peppers, and pomegranate seeds in a bowl and pour dressing over top. You can let this sit for a few hours or overnight. Then right before you serve it, chop the avocados and stir in gently.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Honey Wheat Seeded Bread

This is my Dad's favorite bread recipe. Because of that, it has a special place in my heart. While my father-in-law is recovering from his car accident amazingly, my Dad is not getting better. He is still in experimental treatments and wondering what will happen next. I'm so impressed with the way Mom and he are handling all of this...one day at a time. I'm grateful for whatever time we have left, but it's hard to think about what's happening inside his body. Cancer is so unpredictable...it pretty much sucks. Some of the things he loved to eat before, don't even taste good to him anymore. That's where the bread comes in.

If there is anything I can do to make Dad's life a little happier right now, I'm all for it. And this bread seems to make him happy. Sometimes it's as simple as a loaf of fresh bread. It's really all I can do.

I love you Dad.

Honey Wheat Seeded Bread

Ingredients

2 packets yeast (or two tbsp)
1 c warm water
1 1/2 c warm milk
2 eggs
1/2 c honey
1/4 c sugar
2 tsp salt
1/4 c oil
3 c wheat flour
2 c white flour (or go all wheat)
1/4 c wheat germ
1/4 c sesame seeds
1/4 c sunflower seeds
1 egg white
water

Combine water and yeast in a glass measuring cup to allow yeast to proof {For specifics on bread making and yeast, see this post.} The water should feel warm to your fingers, but not hot.

Once your yeast is proofed (or should that be "proved itself") pour it into a large stand mixer bowl. Add the milk, honey, sugar, salt and oil. Blend together. Add the wheat flour and blend together using a dough hook on the mixer. Add 1 cup of the white flour and reserve the rest of the flour. Add the wheat germ and seeds.

You want to knead the dough in the mixer for about 5 minutes until the it's smooth, adding small amounts of the remaining 1 cup of flour a little at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, forming a ball. You may not use all of the flour if it's a dry day or you may need a little more if it's a humid day outside, but you shouldn't vary more than 1/2 c more or less in what you need.

Put your dough into a greased bowl and cover it loosely with plastic wrap. Let it sit in a warm place until it doubles in bulk. This should take around 1 hour unless your kitchen is pretty cold. You can figure out if yeast bread is ready with the poke test. 

When the dough passes the poke test, you need to gently deflate it by folding it or "punching" it down. Then let the dough rest for 5 minutes or so (which means just leave it alone for a few minutes).

Cut dough into two portions and shape into loaves. Put in greased loaf pans and cover loosely again. Let rise for 30 minutes.

To make the top look pretty, brush it with a little egg white and water wash (which means use fork to mix some egg white and water). Then sprinkle on oatmeal, seeds, wheat germ. The egg wash works like glue and holds it all on the top - looking like it came from a fancy bakery.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Cool on racks.

Try giving this loaf of fresh bread to someone you love. Wait til it cools, then wrap in in plastic wrap. Then put it in a old citrus/ apple mesh bag. Tie the ends with pretty ribbon and you have a wonderful gift and you didn't spend a lot of money. Those mesh bags are also great for smoothie gifts and assorted other ideas - like homemade pot scrubbers. How do you repurpose them?

Beautiful Berry Cream-Filled Tart: My Favorite Dessert

This dessert seriously makes me swoon. It is my all time favorite dessert, ever since I was a teenager. I was that weird kid that was thrilled to see fruit in my lunch box (thanks Mom). I guess I have a special place in my heart for berries because they are so perishable and the season is pretty short. You gotta get 'em while the getting is good. Kinda like kisses from my kids - I'll take them whenever they are ripe for taking. Even the wet sloppy ones from the 2 year old!

The tart may look a little difficult because it's so showy (like the pavlova) but it's really not. Pull together the ingredients for the crust and press it into a pie pan or a tart pan (see below) and then make the creamy filling. After that, it's just a matter of piling on the berries!

Beautiful Berry Cream-Filled Tart

Ingredients

Pastry Shell

1 1/2 c flour

1/4 c sugar

1/8 tsp salt

8 tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 egg yolk, beaten with 2 tbsp heavy cream

Put flour, sugar and salt into a bowl of a food processor. Pulse to mix. Add the butter pieces and pulse. Add the egg/ cream and pulse until the dough is chunky and holds together when squeezed. (You can also do this in a bowl with a pastry cutter, it just takes more work.) Dump the dough onto was paper and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. 

Roll dough out into the shape of your tart pan. This dough makes enough for a 9" round pan. (A tart pan has a bottom that comes apart from the sides like a cheesecake pan to make serving a cutting the tart easier. You just lift the bottom of the pan out of the sides and serve the tart on the bottom. You can use a pie pan, just serve it right out of the pan like a pie.) Fit the dough into the pan and cover it with foil or parchment paper. Put some pie weights or dried beans on top of the foil to keep it from puffing up and bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, remove the weights, prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork. Bake 15-20 minutes, until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Cream Filling
2/3 c sour cream

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 c heavy cream
Beat sour cream, cream cheese, lemon juice, sugar, vanilla, and cream together in a large bowl. Spread mixture over cooled pastry shell. Arrange berries over the top and garnish with mint leaves if desired.

Chill between 1-4 hours before serving. This doesn't keep well in the fridge for more than a day, since the crust gets soggy.

 

Easter Egg Nest Cupcakes

Easter is coming!! I can't wait since we celebrate with our families at our house. I'm ready to have everyone over and celebrate. Easter brings joy and it's just what we need. I'm ever so grateful for the eternal gift I've been given through Jesus' sacrifice.

Easter time is also when our Girls are ramping up their laying! We have eggs coming out of our ears right now. I was inspired to create this cute cupcake. They are a totally fun Easter treat I made for the preschool and elementary aged kids. Super easy. Just whip up some cupcakes and top with icing. Then sprinkle on some chow mein noodles and add a few speckled jelly beans or whoppers to the top. How simple is that???

Lemon Love Note Bars - Sweet and Sour

These bars are sweet and sour all at the same time

...kinda like marriage.

I love my husband. It's true, he's the man for me. He puts up with my moods and endless chatter. He brought me flowers and a huge balloon for Valentine's Day, and the man HATES balloons. He eats everything I put in front of him. He can build me anything I ask for. He's the most supportive and encouraging person I know. He's there for me whenever I need him. (Boy, oh boy, have I realized how much I need him lately.) We are a team and a great one at that. (I'm pretty sure we could win the Amazing Race.)

However, there are definitely times when we seem to treat each other more "sour" than sweet.

Everyone has some sour moments - right? At this point in our marriage (ten years) I'm pretty sure it's normal. I mean, you are not really supposed to get along with someone every single day right?

I logically knew it wouldn't all be roses before we got married. I even engraved it on the inside of his wedding band, "Come What May". And while I don't love being in the down times, I do love the wonderful tenderness that comes after we get out of the funk.

The sour, just makes the sweet all that much sweeter.

Honey, MacGuyver, Babe, Husband....this one is for you. I love you...come what may.

Lemon Love Notes

Ingredients

1 c butter

2 c flour

1/2 c powdered sugar

1 lemon, zested and juiced

4 eggs

2 c sugar

4 tbsp flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 c powered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp butter, melted and cooled

3 tsp milk

Blend butter flour and sugar together with pastry cutter or a fork. Pat into a 9x13" ungreased baking dish. Make sure this is very flat and even. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool until you can touch the baking pan.

While that is baking and cooling, make the filling. Mix together zest of one lemon and the juice of the lemon with eggs, sugar, flour and baking powder. Pour this on the cooled crust and bake again at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool again.

Melt butter. After the bars are cooled off enough you can touch the pan again, make the icing. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, vanilla, melted butter and milk. Pour over the top of the pan. Cut into small bars because these are super rich. They will keep fresh for only a few days.

Apple Carrot Slaw

I had some carrots in the fridge that needed a home and I just didn't feel like cooking them since the weather here in GA has been so warm. It's absolutely crazy... my daffodils are trying to come up. I have really missed winter this year. I know those of you up north think I'm crazy, since you are underneath a mound of snow.

Mom and Dad were flying back from Dad's chemo treatment yesterday and were delayed with all the flights being cancelled. I was a little worried about them, but they are home, safe and sound. Dad is exhausted, but hanging in there.

On the other side of the family, my father-in-law has moved into an independent living place so we are sleeping better around here, since we don't have to worry about him on the stairs. Thank you all for the kind words and prayers.

This recipe is perfectly refreshing with a roasted chicken and homemade wheat bread. I love the addition of celery seeds. I usually add those to our cabbage slaw because that's how MacGuyver's Mom makes slaw. I never thought to add them to a sweet slaw. 

I have the perfect imitation recipe for Chik-Fil-A's carrot slaw and this recipe somewhat reminded me of that, so I left the raisins out of the original recipe to make it different to my family. Let me know what you think.

Apple Carrot Slaw

Adapted from Feast on the Cheap, check out their beautiful photo and original recipe

3 crisp sweet-tart apples, cored and cut into matchstick-size strips

3 large carrots, washed, peeled and coarsely grated

2 tbsp sweet onion, minced

3 tbsp low-fat mayo

1/3 c cider vinegar

1 tbsp real maple syrup

1 tbsp celery seeds

Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk mayo, vinegar, celery seeds, maple syrup, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside. Prep the slaw ingredients and combine in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.  

Italian Chopped Salad

It turns out that last month wasn't my last Secret Recipe Club post. Seems I was a month ahead of myself, which in my crazy, hectic life never happens.

B.K. (before kids) I was an on-the-ball kinda gal. I mean, I never forgot things, or misplaced things. I managed to remember to comb AND style my hair each morning. Really, I was pretty amazing. 

Now, not so much. Now, there are days when I never brush my hair, forget my sweet friend's birthday and simply not show up to some place where I'm supposed to be! *Gasp* I have become one of those people. 

I used to think my life was busy when I had a career, while rehabbing a house, volunteer work, bible study group, and dating. Ha!

Silly me. Now I now the truth...kids define the word busy.

For those of you out there without kids, have pity on people like me. Know that we are still in there somewhere and will (hopefully) re-emerge when the college years are upon us.

My scattered brain managed to produce another Secret Recipe Club treasure in time for today's deadline. I'm very proud not to have dropped this ball. I have unearthed a delicious chopped salad recipe. This one is very Italian and very delicious. (Sandy, you would even appreciate it.) It comes by way of Authentic Suburban Gourmet.

Lisa blogs from the sunny San Francisco Bay Area. She has a ton of delicious recipes, but what I was really intrigued about was her photography. Either she has subbed out the photography to a pro, been replaced by an alien expert photographer, or worked her tail off learning how to take better photos. I'm not sure which, but it is incredible to see the transformation of the photos on her blog. Just search "chopped salad" and you'll see some examples of what light can do for a photo. Not to mention her food styling. Her stuff just looks beautiful. Lisa blogs exemplifies how we can each improve our skills. Maybe there is hope for my mommy's brain after all.

This chopped salad recipe is from “The Mozza Cookbook” from famed chef, restaurateur and cookbook author, Nancy Silverton. I made a few changes like adding black olives and purple cabbage (because it is so much cheaper than radicchio). Be sure to check out Lisa's recipe if you like detailed instructions. And she has those beautiful photos to go with it.

The key on a chopped salad is to chop most everything in uniform sizes. That way you get a little of everything on your fork at the same time. Delicious!

Italian Chopped Salad
from Authentic Suburban Gourmet

Salad
1/2 sm red onion, chopped
1/2 sm head iceberg lettuce, cored and chopped
1 sm head purple cabbage, cored and chopped
1 pint sm sweet cherry tomatoes, halved
1 1⁄2 c garbanzo beans
1 c chopped black olives
4 oz aged provolone, chopped into sm pieces
4 oz salami, chopped into sm pieces
1/4 c banana peppers, chopped
2 tsp salt
1⁄2 c oregano vinaigrette
1⁄2 lemon juiced, plus more to taste
toasted pine nuts (see note at bottom)

Combine the onion, lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, olives, provolone, salami, and pepperoncini in a large, wide bowl. Season with salt and toss to thoroughly combine the ingredients. Drizzle 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette and squeeze the lemon juice over the salad, then toss gently to coat the salad with the dressing. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, lemon juice or vinaigrette if desired. Pile the salad on a large platter or divide it among individual plates, piling it like a mountain.

Oregano vinaigrette
2 1⁄2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
2 garlic cloves, 1 smashed and 1 grated or minced
1⁄2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1⁄4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 1⁄2 c extra-virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and shake vigorously. Use the vinaigrette or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to three days. Bring the vinaigrette to room temperature, whisk to recombine the ingredients, and taste again for seasoning before using.


UPDATE: I actually tried this salad withOUT the lettuce and it was amazing that way and keeps longer since there is no lettuce to wilt. The general consenses was that it would make an amazing pasta salad! And toasted pine nuts sprinkled on top, take this dish to the next level.

Fresh Chunky Guacamole: Only 7 Ingredients

I'm addicted.


I need this stuff at least once a week. I have been known to serve this to my family with veggies and chips and call it dinner. That can be dinner - right?? It's not wrong to wish you didn't have to feed your children is it? Especially when your air conditioning is NOT working. Ugghh. Hopefully it will be fixed today and then I'll feed my kids a real dinner...promise.

This recipe showcases the best in summer. Much like the Summer Fresh Peach-Tomato Salad (which you absolutely MUST make in July and August when the tomatoes and peaches are plentiful and just dripping with flavor.) Using what's in season makes everything better. If you haven't tried my new seasonal search categories, you need to check them out. Look down on bottom right side. Click on "summer" and you will find all kinds of delights perfectly in season right now.


I first tasted this version of guac at On the Border Mexican Restaurant. We went with my parents and my brother and sister-in-law to celebrate my Mom's birthday. I had never been there, mostly because I like Mexican food the way I make it and not out at restaurants. I have to say I LOVED the guacamole there. The kids and I were fighting over who could hold the dish!! In fact, I don't think my sister-in-law (who actually ordered the guac) got more than one chip's worth. Sorry Nadia :) The tricks on this recipe are no garlic and lots of fresh cilantro. Very yummy.

Fresh Chunky Guacamole

Ingredients
3 tbsp minced red onion
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 chopped tomato
1 tbsp minced jalapeno 
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 limes
4 ripe avocados

Put the minced onion in a medium bowl. (Hint: Mince the entire red onion and store the remainder in a baggie in the freezer for the next batch of guacamole.) Strip the cilantro from the stems and chop the leaves, add to bowl. Chop the tomato. I know many people tell you to discard the insides, but they taste the same and really, I'm just too lazy, so I chop the whole thing and add it to the bowl, just try to shake off some of the tomato juice, or blot it with a paper towel, so you won't have runny guac. Mince the jalapeno without the seeds. Wear gloves when you do this. I have a box of these kind that we use for spray painting, car engine work, and cutting fiery jalapenos. Put the 1/2 tbsp jalapeno in the bowl and if you have some left, bag that too and put in the freezer (I actually put mine in a canning jar and store in the freezer). Give the mix a little stir. If you want to take this to a party, just stop here and bring the avocados and lime with you to the party. Then continue with the steps below when you are ready to serve.

Cut the avocados in half, working your way around the big pit. Twist the avocado to separate the halves. Then cut straight down into the pit with your sharp knife and twist to remove it. Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh and dump into the bowl with the other ingredients. Squeeze the lime juice over the top of everything. Then mash with a fork. I like it chunky so I don't mash around very long. Serve immediately since the avocado will brown even with that lime juice. Ole!

Patriotic Cupcakes

Any excuse to celebrate is my motto. I am the geeky Mom who has Valentine's Day decorations, St Patrick's Day fun, we even celebrated National Doughnut Day here in Chickenville. 

Complete with a blind taste test of the top two national doughnut brands. It was Krispy Kreme by a landslide (I'm raising them right).

I'm sure one day my kids will look at me and realize I'm a little holiday crazy, but until then, I keep on celebrating.

I made these cupcakes for Memorial Day, but they would be perfect for next week on the 4th of July. I bake this Fresh Strawberry Cake and icing recipe into cupcakes. Then topped with fun marshmallow stars from Walmart.  I got the big size, but they come smaller too which would be perfect for decorating mini cupcakes or even homeschool projects like these.

Baked Oatmeal Cakes

For Father's Day breakfast I wanted to make something quick this year. Usually we go all out and cook eggs, bacon, grits, pancakes biscuits, fruit salad, sausage, jam, honey, coffee, orange juice - pretty much everything breakfast! My husband adores breakfast, so it's how we celebrate. This year we went out on a limb and changed things up. We grabbed a quick breakfast and headed to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens to enjoy this incredible weather. It has been absolutely perfect outside lately and we've taken advantage of every moment. Lucky for me, when searching for my special breakfast, I had an easy place to start. It was Secret Recipe Club time and I was assigned the food blog NYCityeats. The blogger, Lacy has tons of breakfast recipes. The girl likes her breakfast, strike that, the girl likes her food. So nice to be in good company.

I searched around the blog, but quickly decided on something with oatmeal, since I'm a little obsessed with the stuff. All you have to do is search my blog with the word oatmeal and you'll come up with all kinds of things, like oatmeal bread, oatmeal snack bars, instant oatmeal, and the ever requested "Help Yourself Oatmeal". Lacy calls these "Granola Mini Cakes" which sounds pretty fancy, but in my house we named them Oatmeal Cakes. The recipe was very simple and I actually put together the batter the night before and then baked them in the morning. I didn't make the icing from the original recipe, but I did add a little extra sugar to the batter. We scarfed them down with a few slices of bananas and some freshly picked blueberries from the backyard. This was a easy fast breakfast that the whole family enjoyed. MacGuyver was very thrilled with his Father's Day presents: a homemade birdhouse, newly stained picnic table and lawn marking spray (so we can have soccer and football games in the yard). And I think he enjoyed breakfast, although he did mention, he'd like eggs next weekend. :) I love you babe!! You are the most wonderful Daddy around.

Baked Oatmeal Cakes

from NYCityeats

Note: this only makes 6 cakes, so you may want to double the recipe

Ingredients
2/3 c flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp vanilla nonfat yogurt
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c milk 

1 egg
2/3 c oats

Preheat oven to 350. Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon & salt together in a small bowl. Mix sugars, yogurt, oil, vanilla,egg and milk in a large bowl. Stir in dry ingredients & oats until blended. Scoop 1/4 cup batter into 6, nonstick spray coated, muffin cups & bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 min. Serve immediately.


To see all of the recipes that were secretly made, click on a thumbnail below.

Toffee Nut Crunch Cookies

Life at our house these days is wonderful. The kids are playing outside in this beautiful weather with much later bedtimes. The pollen seems to have gone down here in landlocked Atlanta with all of our rain. The garden veggies seem to get bigger by the minute. I have even had time to bake just for fun. *Gasp* Usually I bake for a purpose. Something to share with others or an event to celebrate, but occasionally I bake just because. It's a walk on the wild side!

These cookies were good. No, these were GREAT. The entire large batch disappeared from our house in only a couple of days. Ok, we did share a few. I was thinking about omitting the coconut because I don't usually like bagged coconut (give me a coconut right off the tree, that's another story), but it didn't overwhelm this flavorful recipe. They are crunchy, sweet, nutty and buttery.  Really, what else could you ask for in a cookie??

Toffee Nut Crunch Cookies

from Taste of Home

Ingredients

1 c butter, softened

1/2 c vegetable oil

1 c sugar

1 c brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

3 1/2 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 c oats

1 c flaked coconut

3 c rice cereal (Rice Crispies)

1 c chopped walnuts or pecans

1 c english toffee bits or almond brickle chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixer, cream butter, oil, sugars and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well in between. In another bowl, whisk together flour, powder, soda and salt. Add flour mixture to mixer bowl on a slow mix to combine. Add in oats and coconut combine again. Remove from mixer stand and stir in the cereal, nuts, and toffee bits.

Drop by small ice cream scoopfuls or tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased sheet (lined with silicone baking sheet if you have it). Bake for 10 minutes, until light brown. Cool on wire racks.

 

Pickled Pink Onions

While I was browsing the most recent blog I was assigned for Secret Recipe Club, when I made the Spring Green Risotto, I found these beauties - Pickled Onions. Not something I had ever eaten plain or made, but intriguing and oh, so simple. Kate at a Spoonful of Thyme had whipped them up to use with her tacos and fresh made salsa, but I had another idea in mind. They just seemed the perfect little topping for deviled party eggs. {When our kids asked why they were named deviled egg, I couldn't explain, so we adopted my Aunt's name for them...party eggs. Much more descriptive I think.}

I pickled an entire purple onion, so I had plenty to go around. Some of them, I served when we had friends over for barbecue. We put them on our barbecue sandwiches, instead of the traditional pickles like I normally do. I use a slow cooker recipe that has a can of Coke in it, because I DO live in Atlanta. I will share this recipe with you next week, but here's the photo (with traditional pickles).

Anyway, after the cookout and smore's roasting, there were plenty of the lovely pickled onions left over, so I came up with the party egg idea. Notice how one of them looks like the pink breast cancer ribbon??!!  How cool is that? I'm thinking fund raising party for anyone walking to raise money.

The last few of the onions got chopped up and tossed in my favorite broccoli salad. The one with mayo, red wine vinegar and Parmesan cheese? I could eat that salad almost everyday, even without the bacon. On your next barbecue or party, whip these beauties up and see what you can use them for. I'd love to hear what you come up with.

Pickled Pink Onions

from A Spoonful of Thyme

Ingredients

1 med red (purple) onion

1/4 c apple cider vinegar

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp salt

Thinly slice the onion. Mix the vinegar, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the onion slices and let sit in fridge for at least 30 minutes. Will keep for 2 days in fridge.

In hindsight, I'm guessing you could use the pink salt liquid that is created for pretty pink pickled eggs!

Spectacular Strawberry Angel Food Cake

Do you have some of these laying around? We have been eating strawberries almost everyday and I still don't get tired of them. We most often eat them plain or with breakfast, but I do make this Fresh Strawberry Cake, and this Strawberry Vinaigrette from my friend Chris. I love to take the kids strawberry picking because those seem to be the most delicious. This year, we planted strawberries and we've had a few small ones. Hopefully next year we will have a better crop.

This simple cake looks spectacular, but it's really easy. Bake or buy an angel food cake. I used an angel food Betty Crocker mix for this one. After the cake has cooled, split it in the middle. Fill the middle with cream and macerated strawberries and then put the top back on. Add more cream on top and decorate with whole strawberries. Delicious!

Whipped Cream Delight

1 pt whipping cream

1/4 c powdered sugar

3 oz mascarpone cheese or cream cheese, softened

Put the whipping cream in a mixer with wire attachment. Beat on higher until it seems to be getting thicker. Add powdered sugar and beat until it forms soft peaks. Stir in the softened cheese.

Macerated Strawberries

1 pt strawberries

4 tbsp sugar

Slice all but four or five strawberries into a bowl. Add the sugar and stir. Keep in fridge and stir occasionally. This can be made the morning or afternoon of when you want to serve the cake. The berries will create a wonderful syrup that you can pour into the bottom half of the cake.

Carrot Kohlrabi Bake

My Sausage Boy had a playdate last week with one of his preschool pals. When I went over to their house to pick him up the mom, Amy, and I got into a discussion about her winter garden. Apparently she has a green thumb and her Dad has an emerald thumb. He can and does grow anything. He set Amy up with lettuces, broccoli, kale, and kohlrabi for her winter garden. Turns out Amy loves it all BUT the kohlrabi. Being her friend, of course I told her I would take it if she insisted. I played it cool, but I was pretty excited to get my hands on the kohlrabi. I mean it's not something you see in the local Kroger and I was having a dinner party for my family, they will eat just about anything. I figure if I screwed it up, I was still pretty safe. See I've eaten it grated raw in slaw, but I wanted to take it into my kitchen and make something with it.

This is kohlrabi in all it's glory.

I admit, it is a strange plant. You eat the bulbous part that grows just above ground. You can eat the greens too. It's a member of the cabbage family and tastes kinda like a radish, but sweeter.  I got mine home and pulled off the roots. Then I snapped off the leaves and gave those to the Girls - who were pretty excited about something new. Then I peeled the bulbs so they would not have a "woody" texture since I was baking them. Once I chopped them up, they were perfect for this recipe. I bet I could even convert Amy into a kohlrabi lover with this one. The carrots are sweet and the kohlrabi adds some bite. It's delicious and my family agreed.

Carrot Kohlrabi Bake
from Birds & Blooms

Ingredients
3 medium kohlrabies, peeled and chopped
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 c chopped onion
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1 1/2 c milk
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 c soft bread crumbs

Microwave carrots and kohlrabies in a little water on High for 10 minutes. Drain off the water.

In a small skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Add flour, salt and pepper. Stir until blended. Cook for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk a little at a time. Each time you are waiting for the sauce to thicken before you add the next bit of milk. Add about 1/4 c each time. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened again.

Pour sauce, parsley, lemon into carrot/ kohlrabi mix and stir. Dump into a greased two quart baking dish (basically a little smaller than a 9x13 pan). Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs. (See recipe below to make them.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Soft Bread Crumbs
frozen bread
food processor

I keep these on hand in a bag in the freezer. My kids don't like the ends of bread loaves so I collect them in a bread bag in the freezer. I also use my mistakes - bread that just didn't rise enough when I made it. Or rolls that are always leftover from whatever party/ holiday event was most recent. When I have enough bread frozen, I pull out the food processor. Just put the slices in and turn that baby on. Pulse it until you have large crumbs, then put them all back in the bag and back in the freezer. Easy! You can use them to top mac n cheese, or just about any casserole. You can also use them to bread fish like this. What do you put them on?