Fresh Salsa

4 c. chopped fresh tomatoes
1 tsp. salt
¼ c. finely chopped onion
jalapeno pepper, finely chopped to taste
1 T. olive oil
1 T. cider vinegar
1 tsp. ground cumin
dash garlic powder
¼ c. chopped cilantro

In a bowl, mix tomatoes with salt. Transfer to colander to drain for about 30 minutes. Combine tomatoes with remaining ingredients. Let stand for about 1 hour. It’s best served at room temperature.

Easy Cuke Salad

So very easy and yummy!
Peeled and cut cucumbers
Chopped tomatoes
Real Mayo
Italian salad dressing
Jane's Crazy Mixed-up Salt

Whisk together equal amounts of mayo and salad dressing until smooth. Add a few shakes of Jane's salt. Stir into veggies. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Hazelnuts

While at Fort Wilderness last week, Janet (food service manager) asked me to make a cake that won a challenge on the TV show MasterChef. Ben Starr's signature recipe is delicious and beautiful--too bad he was eliminated last night! I made 2 changes in the recipe: it's a 3-layer instead of 6, and I omitted the cardamom spice. The recipe is at www.benstarr.com

Fort Wilderness!

"Ultra-Continental" Breakfast is always served at Fort. Fresh fruit abounds! You'll also find waffles and sausage, oatmeal with 6 toppings of your choice, many juice varieties, and a table of fresh-baked goods. Yum!
Texas Caviar, adapted from my recipe, is a Fort favorite.
It was a "full camp"--we made 100 yummy pizzas--including alfredo--made from scratch, of course!
"When life gives you....bananas, you make....Banana Bread"--60 loaves!

I just got back from a week cooking at Fort Wilderness, a Christian camp in northern Wisconsin, near Rhinelander. I have been going to camp for 33 years and volunteering for about 17 years. If you want a beautiful and memorable vacation or retreat, check out www.fortwilderness.com They have a lot to offer for all ages. It comes highly recommended by me!---And the food is tops!!

TEXAS CAVIAR--from page 6, "Recipes for a Full-Filled Life"

My husband took Texas Caviar instead of sweet treats to work for his birthday one year! I made 5 batches, it all disappeared. Everyone wanted the recipe.

1 can (15 oz.) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. frozen corn, thawed
1¼ c. diced red and/or yellow and/or orange bell pepper
½ c. diced sweet onion
½ c. diced celery
¼ c. or more canned chopped jalapeño peppers or fresh to taste
½ c. chopped fresh cilantro, optional

Combine all ingredients except cilantro. Set aside.

Dressing:
¾ c. olive oil
½ c. apple cider vinegar
½ c. sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper

Tortilla chips for dipping.

Combine dressing ingredients in a saucepan, stir often while bringing to a boil. Cool. Pour over bean mixture; cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, add chopped cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips.

When buying apple cider vinegar, get a very good quality. The kind that has “the mother” is the most natural.

Poppy Seed Salad

This is a great salad for these very hot days! It is from page 35 in my cookbook, Recipes for a Full-Filled Life. Oops!--I forgot to sprinkle on the almonds and the dressing!--

Mixed greens or baby spinach
Sliced purple onions, optional
Drained Mandarin oranges, fresh raspberries, strawberries or dried cranberries
Sliced or slivered almonds (see below)

Caramelized almonds:
l c. slivered almonds
3 T. real butter
¼ c. brown sugar
Brown lightly over medium heat in a non-stick fry pan, stirring constantly. Transfer to a cookie sheet. Cool slightly. Break apart.

Combine desired amount of salad ingredients in a large bowl. Add dressing just before serving. Toss to combine. OR make individual salads and layer all the ingredients, and drizzle with dressing.

Dressing:
¾ c. sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/3 c. cider vinegar
1 c. olive oil
1 T. poppy seeds

Combine sugar, mustard, salt and vinegar. Whisk in oil in a slow stream. Add poppy seeds. Store leftovers in a jar and shake before using.

Optional: Sprinkle salad with sesame seeds, raw or lightly toasted, if desired.
The dressing will keep 2 weeks refrigerated.

Did you know? There are 900,000 seeds in 1 pound of poppy seeds.

Cherry Pie

Montmorency cherries are the most popular sour cherries in America and the classic pie cherry tree. They have been proven over the years to be outstanding for cooking and pie-making!
One of my husband's favorite pies, we were blessed by our son's girlfriend's parents with lots of cherries!

4 c. frozen tart cherries—with no sugar added
2 ½ T. cornstarch
dash salt
2/3 c. sugar
½ tsp. almond extract

Thaw and drain cherries. Combine the 1 c. drained juice with cornstarch, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in almond extract. Fold in cherries. Pour into unbaked 9” pie crust. Top with lattice. Cover outside edges of pie with foil to prevent excess browning. Bake 400˚ for 15 minutes, remove foil then bake 350˚ for 25-30 minutes more.
Note: You can use frozen berries that come with sugar—just omit the 2/3 c. sugar.

When a recipe for a pie tells you to “cover the edge with foil to prevent excess browning”, take a sheet of foil, about 12”x15” and fold it in half. Now fold it in half again. On the corner where the folds are, cut out a quarter-circle. Unfold the foil, (there should be a circle in the center of your sheet of foil) and place around you pie pan. The center of your pie will brown nicely, and the edges won’t burn!

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

With the hot weather we've been having, I don't always want to use my oven! Nor do I always want to eat a lot of meat! These quesadillas are light, yet simple and satisfying lunch or dinner.

2 tsp. butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 ½ c. frozen corn
1/3 c. salsa
pinch red pepper flakes
8 (8 inch) whole wheat tortillas
8 oz. shredded cojack or medium cheddar cheese

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion and cook until softened. Stir in beans, corn, salsa and pepper flakes. Mix well. Cook until heated through.

Place one tortilla in a large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle with one-fourth of the cheese; then one-fourth of the bean mixture. Place another tortilla on top, cook until golden, then flip and cook the other side. Repeat with remaining filling and tortillas.

Blueberries!

July is National Blueberry Month. This recipe is from page 60 in my cookbook.
Blueberry Muffins
l egg
½ c. milk
¼ c. oil
l c. fresh or frozen blueberries

1½ c. flour
½ c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt

Streusel topping (optional):
3 T. flour
3 T. sugar
2 T. real butter

In a small bowl, mix wet ingredients. Carefully stir in blueberries. In a larger bowl, mix dry ingredients. Combine wet and dry. Mix ONLY until flour is moistened. Do not over mix.

Place batter in paper muffin cups or greased muffin tin. Top with optional streusel topping.
For topping, combine flour and sugar. Cut-in butter.

Bake 400˚ 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
Makes 12

Did you know?
*Researchers at Tuft’s University analyzed 60 fruits and vegetables for their antioxidant capability. Blueberries came out on top, rating highest in their capacity to destroy free radicals.
*A single blueberry bush can produce up to 6,000 berries a year.
*Native American Indians used the fruit, leaves and roots of the plant to treat coughs, flavor soups, and dye cloth.
*More than 500 metric tons of blueberries are shipped to Japan from the US each year.

Butter Vs. Margarine

Photo taken at Wisconsin's Iola Old Car Show last weekend.

A quick search for this subject will give over 100,000 articles! But, in simplest terms--butter is better...by far! Margarine had a good advertising campaign!--and many believed that margarine was superior. Taste alone is enough to tell you that butter is better. I like to tell people if a product, like margarine, has a lot of ingredients that you can't pronounce, don't eat it!

I'd rather trust a cow than a chemist!

Happy 4th of July!

Even though the first Independence Day was more than 2,000 years ago, take time to thank the Lord for our precious land of America. Thank Him, too, for those who served and pray for those who now serve in our military.

Food on a Stick!!!

I did 2 segments on Fox 6 today!--Food on a Stick--enjoy!

 

 

Cranberry Raspberry Punch

This very refreshing tart-sweet punch, is featured on page 12 of my cookbook.

1 can (12 oz.) frozen cranberry raspberry juice (do not add water)
1 bottle (2 qt.) cranberry raspberry juice
1 bottle (2 liter) 7-Up

About 8 hours before punch is needed, freeze about 2 c. of the bottled cranberry juice in a gelatin or other mold.

In punch bowl, combine juices. Add 7-Up and stir only to combine, being careful not to loose the fizz.

Turn out mold from freezer and float on top of punch.

Tip: Next time you're serving a punch or juice, freeze citrus wedges and/or berries in the pitcher or carafe. It looks pretty and you won't water down the beverage.

If you want to see a cup runneth over, let a child pour his own soda!

Rhubarb Crumble Pie

When I was a newly wed, we had an 80+ year old neighbor who had a German accent. He would frequently tell me to help myself to produce from his garden--which I gladly and thankfully did! One spring, he asked me if I wanted some "pipe plant". I was confused, and did not know what he was talking about! Finally, I realized he was talking about rhubarb!--it used to be called "pie plant". Soooo, enjoy this recipe which has been shared with many and is on page 128 in my cookbook!

1 c. flour
¼ tsp. salt
1 c. quick oats
½ c. sugar
1/3 c. melted real butter

3 –4 c. diced rhubarb
½ c. sugar
¼ tsp. cinnamon
1 T. butter

Combine flour, salt, oats and sugar. Stir in butter and mix until crumbly. Pat half of the crumbs onto the sides and bottom of a greased 9-inch pie plate. Save remaining half for topping.
Arrange rhubarb on crust. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Dot with 1 T. butter. Sprinkle remaining topping over filling. Bake 350˚ 40 minutes or until rhubarb is tender.

Grandma used to set her hot baked pies on the windowsill to cool. her granddaughters set theirs on the windowsill to thaw!

Pasta Chef's Salad

This delicious salad is on page 44 in my cookbook, Recipes for a Full-Filled Life. It would be great for your summer picnic.

8 oz. pasta cooked and drained according to pkg. directions
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
½ - 1 pound diced Swiss cheese or other cheese of your choice
½ c. chopped red onion
1 can (15 oz.) baby corn, drained, corn cut in half
1 c. black olives, sliced
1 jar (15 oz.) artichokes, cut and drained, outside tough “leaf” removed
1 bunch romaine lettuce, torn

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss to combine.

Dressing:
½ c. salad oil
¼ c. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. oregano
1 ½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 clove minced garlic
Mix dressings ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid shake to combine.

Optional: sprinkle salad with 1/3 c. fresh parmesan cheese.

It's Broken!!

Just to let you know that my computer is very ill!--I have lots of great summer-time recipes to share, and will be doing so asap!!