Favorite Summer Recipe – Bobi’s Meatless Taco Salad August 11, 2010

I absolutely love this salad.  My Aunt Bobi used to make it when I was younger.  To me, it is the ultimate summer meal.  I usually serve it with baked potatoes topped with chili and cheese.

1 head iceberg lettuce

2-3 tomatoes, chopped

1-2 cucumbers, chopped

1 (15oz) can red kidney beans

1 (15oz) can garbanzo beans (chick peas)

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

1 (11 oz) bag fritos

1 (16oz) bottle Catalina salad dressing

Drain beans. Tear lettuce into desired size. Add tomatoes, cucumbers, and beans; mix. Just before serving add cheese and dressing; toss gently.  Add fritos and toss again gently.

Favorite Summer Recipe – Mom’s Strawberry Shortcake August 4, 2010

My favorite summer recipe is actually a year-round recipe…but it looks and tastes summery so I wanted to share it with you.  It’s my mom’s homemade strawberry shortcake.

I grew up having either this scrumptious cake or fresh coconut cake for my birthdays.  Because Mom and Dad didn’t have much money for gifts, she much lots of sacrificial time on our cake.  My children grew out of Barnie, 101 Dalmatian and Doll cakes into strawberry shortcake.

Now Mom’s recipe continues with her great-grandchildren.  Our oldest son Josh is pictured here a few weeks back with his one-year-old daughter, Eleanor.  The strawberry shortcake was a fitting way to celebrate her first birthday.

It’s really not as hard as it looks!  And after everyone enjoys a huge piece oozing with fresh whipped cream and strawberries, there’s not much left, believe me.

Ingredients:

2 boxes of yellow cake mix (I use Duncan Hines)

Lots of heavy whipping cream (I use one quart size and 1 pint size)

Confectioners sugar (to taste)

Vanilla (to taste)

1 dozen large fresh strawberries; stems removed; washed and dried (another half dozen sliced, optional)

2 bags (or boxes) frozen sliced sweetened strawberries (thawed; reserve juice)

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare cakes as directed on box; use 1 box of prepared cake mix to pour into cookie sheet (with edges) or jelly roll pan.  Repeat with second batch of cake mix.  Either grease and flour pans first, or line bottom of each pan with wax paper, greasing only sides, to prevent sticking. Bake for 15-20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.  Leave out for 5 minutes, then use cutting board or some other hard surface to put on top of one of the cakes to remove by flipping over.  (I use waxed paper because it’s a fool-proof way to prevent sticking.)  Leave other cake in pan.  Let both cool.

As cakes are cooling, prepare whipped cream.  I put a metal bowl and beaters into the freezer for about 10 minutes to speed the process.  Pour all the heavy whipping cream into the bowl and beat on high until it begins to thicken.  Add about 1/4 C confectioners sugar a few tablespoons at a time until sweetened to taste.  Cream will continue to thicken.  Add about 1 t vanilla (to taste) and continue beating until very stiff peaks form.

Spread one-half of thawed strawberries, including half the juice, evenly onto cake still in the pan.  Then add a little less than one half of the yummy whipped cream on top of the strawberries.  Add extra sliced fresh strawberries if desired. Carefully place the second cake on top of the whipped cream (you may need someone to help you).  If it cracks or breaks, no worries!  Your mistake will be covered up.

Add the rest of the thawed strawberries (including the rest of the juice) on top of this second cake.  Then cover with the remaining whipped cream.  Our fam loves fresh whipped cream so I use it all.  The finishing touch is the fresh strawberries. Watch your friends and fams eyes light up when you walk into the room with your masterpiece.

Yummy!

Posted by Sheree

Favorite Summer Recipe July 30, 2010

My favorite summer recipe so far this year is from a Rachel Ray magazine – it’s super yummy and refreshing!!

Watermelon Limeade
Makes 20 drinks; Prep 20 minutes

1 seedless watermelon (about 6 pounds), cut into chunks
3/4 cup lime juice (10 to 12 limes), plus lime slices for garnish
2 to 4 Tablespoons sugar
Ice
Mint sprigs for garnish

1. Using a blender, working in batches, puree the watermelon with the lime juice.
2. Pour the watermelon puree into a large pitcher, add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Dilute with water if desired. Serve over ice and garnish with lime slices and mint sprigs.

Have a great weekend, friends! We’ll be back next week with more of our favorites! And don’t forget – we’d love to hear from you on YOUR favorites!

Favorite Summer Recipe July 23, 2010

This recipe is from Southern Living’s 1995 cookbook – one of my favorite editions. It includes all the best tastes of summer and is wonderful served with grilled meats or cold salads.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups fresh whole kernel sweet corn (I use the bi-color), scraped off the cob.
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
3 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup finely chopped purple onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
1 (4-1/2 oz.) can chopped green chiles, undrained
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients, and toss gently. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or overnight. Yield: 5 cups

Posted by Debi

Ribollita – Italian Vegetable Soup November 4, 2009

I made this recipe for our anniversary dinner last year, and it was amazing!  With cooler weather coming soon, be sure to add this one to the top of your list to try.  It’s easy and oh, so yummy!

Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8

(From the Williams and Sonoma Italian Cookbook)

INGREDIENTS:
1 15 oz. can Cannellini beans
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
2 zucchini – sliced and halved
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 cup cauliflower, coarsely chopped
4 – 5 kale leaves (they recommended dinosaur kale, but you can substitute any greens, mustard or collard, etc.)
1 cup shredded swiss chard leaves (substitute spinach, if desired)
1/4 cup minced fresh herbs: italian parsley, rosemary and sage
2.5 quarts chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper
12 – 15 slices day old coarse country bread with crusts
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Drain beans and set aside.

In a large soup pot over medium high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, celery and carrots and saute’ until the onion is golden, 3 – 4 minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook, stirring frequently, until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the kale, chard, zucchini and potato (in that order) and cook stirring constantly for 5 minutes.

Add the mixed herbs and the beans to the pot. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook uncovered until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Season to tast with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Ladle enough soup into a 13 x 9 baking dish to cover the bottom. Top with 4 – 5 toasted bread slices, trimming them to fit if necessary, and then with a layer of soup. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese. Repeat the layers of bread, soup and cheese. Bake until heated through about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with olive oil.

Ladle the ribollita into warmed soup bowls and serve.

IMPORTANT NOTE: After making this last night I think I would make one change…spread olive oil on bread and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Place under broiler until browned and cheese melts. Place one or two slices in individual bowls and ladle hot soup over – serve immediately. (If anyone tries this recipe with this revision, please let us know if it works.)

Loaded Baked Potato Soup November 2, 2009

One of my husband’s favorite meals I make is the Loaded Baked Potato Soup and Cheesy Garlic Biscuits.  I got the recipe from Brandi Lenfestey originally, but you can also find it on the FoodBrag blog.  Along with many other yummy recipes.

BAKED POTATO SOUP
1 three pound bag red potatoes
1 pound Velveeta cheese
1 bunch fresh parsley
1 pound bacon
1 bunch green onion
2 T. flour
8 cups half and half (or a mixture of part milk/part half and half)
1/4 cup real butter
2 T. hot sauce
Start out by chopping the potatoes into cubes (leave on the skin), and boil them until they are semi-soft. While the potatoes are cooking, chop the parsley, onions, etc . . . and fry up the bacon which you cut up into little peices. Cut up the velveta into chunks and have it ready too.
You then need to make a rou. You will need to use a deep pan because all the ingredients end up in this pan. Melt the butter then add the flour and slowly stir in the milk. If you have any lumps, use a whisk to stir. You will want to stir this while it is heating up and just starts to get thicker (it will still be watery). Then start adding your cheese chunks slowly, and your soup will start to thicken. Then add the hot sauce, bacon, and the drained potatoes, parsley and onions.
You can serve this with extra toppings, anything you might like on a baked potato like, extra bacon, green onions, sour cream, shredded cheese, etc.
CHEESY GARLIC BISCUITS
2 cups Bisquick
1 cup shredded cheddar
2/3 cup milk
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 T. parsley flakes (optional)
Mix Bisquick, milk, & cheese to a soft dough. Stir vigorously. Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees. Melt butter then add the garlic powder and parsley flakes. Brush over the biscuits before removing from cookie sheet.
(This recipe is actually called Red Lobster Rolls and taste just like the rolls they serve at Red Lobster!)

The soup is absolutely amazing and the rolls are wonderful crumbled up in the soup. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!   It would be a perfect dish to serve on a cool evening, which I am still anxiously awaiting here in Florida!

Posted by Jaime

Scarecrow Cookies to Make with the Kids October 30, 2009

Are these the most adorable fall cookies ever?  I’m looking forward to making them with some of my grandchildren next week!  If you don’t have small children, perhaps you could consider borrowing some one day — or perhaps make a batch to distribute to some special children in your life to celebrate fall.

Ingredients

• Cookies (make or purchase them; about 2 1/2 inches in diameter)
• White frosting
• Assorted sugar wafers (about 2 1/2 inches long)
• Candy corn

• Mini chocolate chips or mini M&M’s
• Bran cereal or Shredded Wheat
• Chocolate sprinkles

Instructions

1. Frost the top of each cookie.
2. Cut a sugar wafer in half. Add a dollop of frosting to the top edge of the cookie and stick a wafer half to it for a hat top, as shown.

3. Place a whole sugar wafer just below the hat top for a brim. Use a little more frosting to decorate it with slices of candy corn or mini    chocolate chips.

4. Press pieces of bran or shredded wheat cereal hair into the frosting around the hat.

5.  For the face, press on a candy corn nose, mini chocolate chip eyes, and a chocolate sprinkle stitched mouth.

Don’t forget to take pictures! Several reviewers of this recipe said the cookies are actually this adorable when they made them.  Hey — if you do so, send us a pic and maybe we can show yours off!

Happy Fall!!

Posted by Sheree

A Florida fall…or is it summer still? October 28, 2009

What is it about that first hint of cool weather that makes me run to Starbucks for a Pumpkin Spice Latte, pull my winter clothes from storage, reminisce about the many wonderful holiday traditions that randomly pop into my mind…and begin panicking about going Christmas shopping? Of course we all know in Florida the weather is going to be sweltering again the next day but we choose to ignore this and pretend as if fall is HERE – and here to STAY! You are more than welcome to join me in pretending – I’m currently wearing a scarf to spite the weatherman…ha! 

While we’re in the pumpkin-recipe-makin’ mood, check out another fun one from my friend Jessica Britt that I can’t wait to make! If you make these, will you send me a picture of your creations?? 

PUMPKIN CUPCAKES

1 butter or yellow cake mix

1 tsp. vanilla

3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 pack (four individual cartons) of pre-made vanilla pudding

1 can of caramel apple pie filling (chopped)

1 bag of caramels

Cream cheese frosting, divided 

Follow directions on box cake mix. Add vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, pudding, and caramel apple filling. Grease Cavity Fluted Tube Pan (Wilton’s, can be bought at Wal-Mart). Fill each “hole” 3/4 full. Bake as directed. Once baking is finished, remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 –10 minutes. Remove from pan and place on cooling rack. Once cupcakes are completely cooled, frost.  

For frosting. Mold caramel (can easily be done with knife and fingers) into pumpkin stems and leaves. Ice leaves with frosting (colored green). Ice cupcakes with orange frosting. Once cupcakes are iced, place leaves and stems on each cupcake. 

And besides anything pumpkin, fall conjures up visions of caramel apples, apple pies and hot chocolate (anyone notice a running theme here?!). One of my FAVORITE fall recipes is my mom’s Cheesy Chicken Vegetable Soup. For those of you who own a copy of Metro Life Church’s Cookbook, you can also find the recipe there. 

CHEESY CHICKEN VEGETABLE SOUP

1 3-lb chicken, cooked and boned

5 cups chicken broth

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups chopped carrots

2 cups chopped celery

2 cups diced potatoes

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 bay leaf

4 chicken bouillon cubes

1 16 oz pkg processed cheese spread 

Combine chicken, broth, onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, salt, pepper, bay leaf & bouillon cubes in large stock pot. Simmer until vegetables are tender, and while you’re waiting, give your mama a quick call to let her know you love her.  Cut cheese into chunks and add to soup, stirring until melted.  Yields 8 servings of the yummiest chicken soup!           

Jennifer (soon-to-be) Fountain

A Rumbly In My Tumbly October 26, 2009

I love Winnie The Pooh, and so do my grandchildren.  He loves to eat and sweets are his choice for treats!  The song he sings whenever he’s craving something is, “There’s a rumbly in my tumbly.  It’s time for something sweet to eat!”

This week (and next) we’re going to talk about those rumblies, and what we crave this time of year.  We’ll be sharing with you our favorite Fall Recipes.  So, if you’re in need of a boost to motivate you in the kitchen, heat up some hot apple cider and cozy up to our blog.  You might find a new family favorite!

My daughter started a food recipe blog titled, My Delicious Life, and she just posted a recipe for Iced Pumpkin Cookies she calls, “insanely delicious”.  Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup cooked, pureed pumpkin (fresh or canned)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups unbleached allpurpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (heaping)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Pinch all spice
• Pinch cloves
• 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (omit)
• 1 cup raisins (omit)

Icing:

• 2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (omit)
• 1 teaspoon triple sec
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 3 tablespoons whipping cream, fresh orange juice or rum

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla and mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir into butter mixture until well blended. Add nuts and raisins. Drop by teaspoonful onto parchment covered baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake about 15 minutes, or until golden. Cool.  **Mine took 17 minutes and turned out perfect!**

Icing: Cream confectioners’ sugar and butter. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. (If icing is too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar; if too thick, add more cream, orange juice or rum.) Drizzle over cookies.

Recipe courtesy of Beth Setrakian (FoodNetwork)

Modifications by Tracy Lytle

Posted by Debi

Monday Miscellanea June 22, 2009

My husband and I recently took Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University course, and we really enjoyed it.   He recommends a web site that looks quite helpful to busy moms in all seasons;  It’s called E-Mealz and it’s founders are two busy moms just like us!  For only $5 a month they provide you with 7 meals a week that are easy to follow and kid-tested – this plan serves 4 – 6.  They also offer a 5 night plan that serves 2.  Not only do they give you the recipes they also provide a shopping list with the weekly prices from several grocery stores.  They have points only meals, low fat meals, and low carb meals for those who are health conscious.  It sounds like a great service that provides not only time savings, but money savings as well.

You can learn all about it by clicking HERE!

Posted by Debi

For the rest of the week we will be re-posting Fourth of July ideas, stories, and other fun stuff from a couple of years ago.  We hope you can use this to prepare your family to celebrate our freedom for the next couple of weeks!