Frozen Lemon Fruit

Perfect for a hot summer day...

Frozen Lemon Fruit

Boil: 4 cups water

4 cups sugar.

Add 4 cups cold water* and ¾ cup lemon juice. Freeze in glass 9x13 dish.

*Note: Place dish in freezer BEFORE adding 4 cups of cold water (otherwise it is hard not to spill

1 to 2 hours before serving remove from freezer and thaw; chop up until slushy. Stir in following:

2 packages (16 oz.) frozen raspberries

2 packages (16 oz.) frozen blueberries

1 (15 oz) pineapple tidbits drained

5-6 large bananas, sliced

Serve in cups with spoon.

Optional: may serve with lemon-lime soda and drink instead of eating with spoon.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

This is a family summer favorite.




BBQ Chicken Pizza

1 Boboli crust (you can use wheat or regular)
4 chicken breasts
1 jar Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce (or any sauce you prefer)
1 bunch cilantro chopped
1/2 cup sweet white corn
1/2 small purple onion thinly sliced
Mozzarella cheese 1-3 cups depending on cheesy preference

Boil the chicken breasts and chop into small pieces when cooled. Then marinate in BBQ sauce for at least 4 hours. Spread the BBQ sauce over the pizza crust to cover. You can add more if you like it to be "saucy". Spread cooked and diced chicken on the pizza and cover with cheese. Add purple onions and corn and bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes until the edges are brown and cheese is bubbly. Sprinkle liberally with cilantro cut and serve!

Oriental Chicken Salad

Read on for the low fat version...




Oriental Chicken Salad:
I can't emphasize enough how much we love this! We make a huge batch of chicken and marinate for 24 hours, then grill. We use it for a sunday dinner of chicken, baked potatoes and a vegetable. Then we save the rest for meals the next 2 to 3 days. For example we use the grilled chicken in things like grilled chicken caesar salad (just throw with romaine, caesar dressing, croutons, onions, tomatoes, parmesan cheese), chicken tacos, BBQ chicken pizza. It makes cooking fast and easy once the meat is ready to go.

Chicken Marinade
2 cups sprite
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup oil
1/4 Tbs garlic powder
Marinate overnight

Appleby's Oriental chicken salad
3 C Romaine lettuce
1 C red cabbage
1 C Napa cabbage
1/2 Cup shredded carrots
1 Green onion
1 TB sliced almonds
1/3 c chow mein noodles

Dressing:
3 TB Honey
1/4 C Mayo
1 1/2 TB white vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/8 tsp sesame oil

Regular chicken recipe: Whisk 1 egg and 1/2 cup milk. Dip chicken into egg, then into mixture of 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 c cornflakes, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Deep fry chicken.(I personally haven't had much success with this. It is greasy and I usually use leftover chicken from my marinade recipe).

Low fat recipe: After the chicken marinates for 24+ hours, pre-heat the oven to broil at 450. Place the chicken breasts on baking sheets. Bake 8 minutes and then turn the chicken breasts over, and bake for another 8 minutes. This is my favorite way to cook chicken breasts ~ they always turn out perfect! Let the chicken cool, and then slice up and then mix into the salad.

A special thank you to my sister-in-law, Cheryl Warnick who shared this recipe with me - it is yummy!

Bananna Bread

This recipe is fail proof! Add the ingredients, and poof! Instant perfection!

My kids LOVE the mini bananna muffins!


1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (3 to 4 medium)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts, if desired

1. Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 inches, or 1 loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches.
2. Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour into pans.
3. Bake 8-inch loaves about 1 hour, 9-inch loaf about 1 1/4 hours, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

I bake the mini muffins for 18-20 minutes. This is a favorite snack, or add a glass of juice and cut up fruit for a delightful breakfast! This is one of our favorites from the Betty Crocker Cookbook.

Grilled Corn on the Cob

The perfect side dish for your summer BBQ!




1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
2 Tbsp. Kraft 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley if you are grilling American food, OR substitute fresh cilantro if you have a Mexican menu.

1. Preheat grill to meduim heat. Husk corn, remove silk. Rinse corn. Wrap each ear in foil.
2. Grill corn 15-20 min. or until tender, turning occasionally.
3. Remove corn from grill; unwrap.
4. Mix butter, parmean cheese & cilantro.

Makes 6 servings, 1 ear of corn each.

Crock Pot Fajitas

This recipe is simple, quick, and easy...perfect for those who are super busy.  All you have to do is throw it all in the crock pot and forget about it!

Ingredients:

1 Pound lean beef steak or chicken, sliced

1/2 Onion, sliced

1 Green Bell Pepper, sliced

1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced

1 1/2 packages of McCormick Fajita Seasoning

1/4 Cup Water

combine all above ingredients in Crock Pot and cook on low for about 6 hours.  

Serve with warm tortilla, grated cheese, and fresh guacamole.

Roasted Asparagus

I only eat the top half of the asparagus... just because I can (I'm grown up now, right!)...

Roasted Asparagus

One bunch Asparagus
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Olive oil

Heat oven to 400. Cut ends off asparagus. Toss asparagus in olive oil. Spread asparagus on cookie sheet. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over asparagus and salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes.

Contributed by: Laurie Romney

Caramel Brownies

Bring your brownies to a whole new level...

Caramel Brownies

Caramel Brownies1 (14-ounce) package Kraft or Brachs caramels, unwrapped
1/3 cup evaporated milk

Melt caramels and evaporated milk together in saucepan; set aside.

1 package German chocolate cake mix
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 (6-ounce) package milk chocolate chips

Grease and flour 9"x13" pan. Stir cake mix, evaporated milk and melted butter together by hand and press half of the mixture into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 minutes. Remove from oven and pat chocolate chips into crust, then pour melted caramel over. Daub remaining half of cake mixture on top and bake for another 15 to 18 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars. Enjoy!

Take the Spa Home With You!

A great way to cool off this summer.

Try this refreshing twist on a glass of water....cut a few slices of cucumber to add with some lemon in a pitcher of water and in moments you have created an amazing drink without the fizz or calories.

Shrimp On The Grill

This is  a light, mild dish that is perfect for a summer dinner.

1 Cup Vegetable Oil

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 teaspoons Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon dried Thyme

1 teaspoon Lemon Juice

1 teaspoon Cider Vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Pepper

30 large Shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 large Green Pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks

1 medium Yellow Squash, thickly sliced

1/3 Cup Butter, melted

2 teaspoons fresh snipped Dill

Hot Cooked Rice

1.  In a large ziplock bag combine the first 7 ingredients and turn to combine. 

2.  On metal or soaked wooden skewers thread shrimp and veggies (I have found that everything cooks evenly if you thread each item onto a different skewer - all shrimp, all squash, etc.)  Place in a shallow dish and pour marinade over the top.  Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.

3.  Drain and discard marinade.  Grill kabobs, uncovered, over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until the shrimp turns pink and veggies are tender.  Combine butter and dill and baste over the skewers.  Serve over hot rice.

Makes 6 servings

Homemade Dinner Rolls

There is no better way to say "welcome home" than with the scent of a fresh batch of homemade rolls!

Alison Eckel’s Dinner Rolls

Mix and cool:
1 C. milk, scalded
1/3 C. sugar
1/4 C. oil
1 tsp. salt

In mixer, add:
3 C. flour
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp. yeast in 1/2 C. warm water

Also add cooled milk mixture. Don't knead yet. Let rise until doubled. Knead after it has risen (about 1 1/2 hours). Roll out dough into large circle. Cut like a pie, into 12 triangles. Starting at the big end, roll each triangle to the small end. Place on greased cookie sheet. Let rise 1-2 hours. Bake at 375 F for 8-11 minutes. (Can eliminate first rise.)

Ultimate Garden Salad

This is the dish my husband requested for Father's Day this year...


This is our favorite list:

Carrots
Celery
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Mushrooms
Chives
Sprouts
Snap peas
Cucumber
Bell pepper
Avocado
Baby corn
Beets
Kidney beans
Olives
Tomatoes
Purple onion
Croutons
Bacon bits
Tortilla strips
Feta cheese

Tear desired lettuce into bite size pieces. Add ingredients. Enjoy with your favorite salad dressing!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

This award winning recipe was given to me as a good-bye present when our friends moved out of state...

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
1 C butter
1 C peanut butter (Deb has been know to add 2-3 cups, depending on her mood)
1/4 C milk
2 t vanilla
2 eggs
1 t salt
3 1/2 C flour
2 T baking soda
1-3 bags milk chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 375. Mix butter, peanut butter, and both sugars until smooth. Add milk, vanilla and eggs. Mix until smooth. Add the dry ingredients, at this point I add my chips (it keeps the flour from flying all over). Mix well using a Kitchen Aide or Bosch mixer. Shape dough (use an ice-cream scoop). Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a little golden.

**This recipe was given to us with a lot of love from Deb Powell. We will never forget the Powell family, and the good times we shared.

Cobb Salad

Cobb salad was created at the Brown Derby Restaurant in Hollywood.

"One night in 1937, Bob Cobb, then owner of The Brown Derby, prowled hungrily in his restaurant's kitchen for a snack. Opening the huge refrigerator, he pulled out this and that: a head of lettuce, an avocado, some romaine, watercress, tomatoes, some cold breast of chicken, a hard-boiled egg, chives, cheese and some old-fashioned French dressing. He started chopping. Added some crisp bacon -- swiped from a busy chef.
"The Cobb salad was born. It was so good, Sid Grauman (Grauman's Chinese Theatre), who was with Cobb that midnight, asked the next day for a 'Cobb Salad.' It was so good that it was put on the menu.
"Cobb's midnight invention became an overnight sensation with Derby customers, people like movie mogul Jack Warner, who regularly dispatched his chauffeur to pick up a carton of the mouth-watering salad."
Since 1937, more than 4 million Cobb salads have been sold at Brown Derby restaurants, according to the Brown Derby Restaurant Group, which, now that the two original Hollywood restaurants have closed, is what the company calls itself. It licenses the restaurant name for merchandise (including bottled Cobb salad dressing), as well as to Disney, which opened a reproduction of the original Brown Derby in Orlando, Florida, in 1989 and, in 1990. signed a 20-year agreement for Brown Derby restaurants in Tokyo, Paris and Anaheim, California. You can read all about The Brown Derby and its glamorous customers in The Brown Derby Restaurant: A Hollywood Legend, which includes many of the Derby's recipes.
Footnote: There's also a legend about how the Brown Derby got its name: One night, Herbert Somborn, an ex-husband of Gloria Swanson, remarked -- speaking of the mood of Hollywood in the roaring 20s -- that "You could open a restaurant in an alley and call it anything. If the food and service were good, the patrons would just come flocking. It could be called something as ridiculous as the Brown Derby." Hence, a restaurant shaped like a hat opened near Hollywood and Vine in 1926.



Cobb Salad
1/2 head lettuce, about 4 cups 1 bunch watercress
1 small bunch chicory,
2 1/2 cups 1/2 head romaine,
2 medium peeled tomatoes
6 strips of crisp bacon
2 breasts of boiled chicken
3 hard cooked eggs
1 avocado
1/2 cup crumbled Roquefort cheese
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 cup (approximately) Original Cobb Salad Dressing
Cut lettuce, half the watercress, chicory and romaine in fine pieces and arrange in a large salad bowl.

Cut tomatoes, bacon, chicken, eggs, and avocado in small pieces and arrange, along with the crumbled Roquefort cheese, in strips on the greens.
Sprinkle finely cut chives over the Cobb salad and garnish with the remaining watercress.

Just before serving mix the salad with the Cobb salad dressing.Original Cobb Salad DressingMakes 1 1/2 cups
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon dry English mustard
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup full-flavored olive oil
3/4 cup salad oil

Blend all ingredients together, except oils. Add olive and salad oils. Mix well.
Blend well again before mixing with salad.
A note from the Brown Derby: "The water is optional, depending upon the degree of oiliness desired in the dressing."

Quiche

Oh Divine! This is sure to hit the spot at any gathering around the world!

Quiche

Quiche makes a great picnic at the beach dish.

1 sheet puff pastry
4 slices of bacon
1 leek
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups swiss cheese

1. Cook bacon in microwave for 4 minutes (on plate between several paper towels). Blot bacon with more paper towels and cut it into 1/2-inch slices.
2. Trim bottom and several inches of the green tops off of the leeks. Slice the leek all the way lengthwise into two halves. Holding the layers of the halves together, carefully rinse all the dirt out in between the layers. Once clean, thinly slice the leeks (about 1/8-1/4 inch slices). Sauté leeks in a little butter or a little water--steaming them until soft.
3. Combine eggs, milk, nutmeg and cayenne pepper.
4. Roll out puff pastry into 11-inch square. Fit into 9-inch glass pie plate. You can trim and reshape the edge.
5. Put bacon, leeks and cheese in pastry shell. Pour in egg mixture.
6. Bake 375 degrees for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

Oven Roasted Summer Vegetables

A sure way to absorb all the necessary nutrients...

Oven Roasted Summer Vegetables

1 eggplant
1 red pepper
2 zucchini
3-4 Tablespoons olive or grape seed oil
salt to taste

Cut eggplant in four wedges and cut wedges into thick 1/2-inch slices. Slice zucchini into 1/2-inch rounds. Cut pepper into 1 inch pieces. Toss vegetables in grape seed or olive oil and salt. Place flat in a single layer on a very large cookie sheet--or two sheets. Roast in oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until brown and soft.

Sauteed Baby Artichokes

One of life's true luxuries that we can all enjoy!

Sautéed Baby Artichokes

18 Fresh Baby Artichokes
2 lemons
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 grapeseed oil
Salt to taste

Wash the artichokes in a sink of water. Squeeze lemon juice of one lemon into a bowl of about 6 cups of water. Cut second lemon in half. Now you can begin to trim your artichokes. They turn brown fast as they are cut, so you need to have the lemon water and lemon halves handy to rub on the cut sides. Cut off the top third of the artichoke. Peel off outer leaves until leaves are very pale green to yellow. Trim a tiny bit of the bottom of the stem, and sparingly peel stem. Rub artichoke top and bottom with lemon half, then place it in the bowl of water.

Once the artichokes are all trimmed, add oil to a large surfaced pan on medium high heat. Quarter artichoke hearts quickly and add them to the pan with the garlic. Salt to taste. Sauté until tender in the center and crispy-brown at the edge.

Artichoke Chicken

Delicious! This is one of our families favorites!

Artichoke Chicken

2 lbs. frozen chicken tenders
8 oz. frozen artichoke hearts
2 Tablespoons butter
1 minced shallot
2-3 wedges of Laughing Cow Light Cheese (with or without herbs)
3 oz. shredded or sliced Gouda Cheese
1/4 cup marscapone cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Place frozen chicken and artichokes in 9 x 13 Pyrex dish. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Top with minced shallot, and small pieces of butter and cheeses. The Laughing Cow and marscapone should be in about 1 teaspoon dollops. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, or until brown and bubbly.

Teriyaki Sauce Marinade

Be sure to use Tamari or Trader Joe's brand soy sauce! The cheap-O stuff will not cut it!


Teriyaki Sauce Marinade (for Chicken)

(Is best thrown on the grill with skewered vegetables or corn on the cob.)
1/3 C Soy Sauce ~ You MUST use TAMARI brand or a Trader Joe's variety (not kikoman)
1/2 C Chicken Stalk
1/2 C Honey
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t ground ginger

Mix all of the ingredients together. Marinade 4+ hours- will do 8 chicken breasts. My friend Jennifer McLaughlin passed this recipe on to me.

CPK BBQ Chicken Salad

We have found perfection in this salad! Sure to be a crowd pleaser!


Makes 4 main-course or 8 appetizer servings.
Fried Tortilla Strips Vegetable oil for deep-frying 12 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips (about 6 cups)
Garden Herb Ranch Dressing
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cold water
2 3/4 cups mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
7 tablespoons sour cream
2 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions (greens and whites)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced fresh Italian parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoons minced fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh oregano (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh basil
Grilled Garlic BBQ Chicken
1 1/3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons salt
Four 5-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup good quality bottled sweet-and-spicy barbecue sauce

For the Salad 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, cored, rinsed, dried, and cut into 1/8-inch-wide strips 1/2 head romaine lettuce leaves, separated and trimmed, rinsed, dried, and cut into 1/8-inch-wide strips
12 large fresh basil leaves cut into 1/8-inch-wide strips
1 pound jicama, cut into 1/4 x 1/4 x 3/4-inch strips
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup canned sweet white corn kernels, drained
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 2 pounds ripe fresh tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup good quality bottled sweet-and-spicy barbecue sauce
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion greens

To Make the Fried Tortilla Strips: In a deep, heavy frying pan, heat several inches of vegetable oil to a temperature of 375 degrees F. Working in batches if necessary to prevent overcrowding, carefully add the tortilla strips to the hot oil, submerging them with a metal skimmer or slotted spoon. Fry the tortilla strips until evenly golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully lift them out with the skimmer or slotted spoon and transfer them to paper towels to drain and cool. Set aside, uncovered.

To Make the Garden Herb Ranch Dressing: In a mixing bowl, use a fork to stir together the mustard and cold water, forming a paste. Set aside for 10 minutes. Add the remaining dressing ingredients to the bowl and, using a handheld electric mixer at low speed or a whisk, blend together just until smooth, taking care not to incorporate too much air into the dressing. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

To Make the Grilled Garlic and BBQ Chicken: Preheat a stovetop grill or the broiler. In a mixing bowl, stir together the olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, and salt. Turn the chicken breasts in this marinade and leave to marinate at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Grill or broil the chicken breasts until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator. Cut the chicken breasts into 3/4-inch cubes and, in a bowl, toss with the barbecue sauce to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

To Make the Salad: In a large mixing bowl, toss together the lettuces, basil, jicama, Monterey Jack cheese, beans, corn, cilantro, dressing, and half of the Fried Tortilla Strips. Transfer the salads to chilled serving plates. Surround each salad with diced tomatoes and the remaining Fried Tortilla Strips. Top each salad with chunks of Grilled Garlic BBQ Chicken and drizzle the chicken with the barbecue sauce. Garnish with the scallion.

Contributed by: Rachel Tollestrup

CREPES

A nice change from making regular old pancakes!

Crepes can be frozen up to 3 months. Let crepes cool covered to keep them from drying out. Make 2 stacks of 6 crepes, placing waxed paper between each crepe. Wrap each stack in aluminum forul and freeze. Thaw crepes at room temperature.

1 ½ cup flour
1 T sugar
½ t baking powder
½ t salt
2 cups milk
2 T butter, melted
½ t vanilla
2 eggs

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Beat with hand beater until smooth. Lightly butter 6-8 inch skillet. Heat over medium heat until bubbly. For each crepe, pour scant ¼ cup of the batter into skillet. Immediately rotate skillet until thin film covers bottom. Cook until light brown. Run wide spatula around edge to loosen: turn and cook other side until light brown.

Stack crepes, placing waxed paper between each; keep covered. If desired, spread applesauce, sweetened strawberries, whipped cream or jam thinly over warm crepe; rollup. (Be sure to fill crepes so the more attractive side is on the outside.) Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired. I have heard that crepe makers are wonderful, but I still make them the old fashioned way, by rolling them in the pan. 12 crepes; 105 calories per crepe. This is one of our Betty Crocker favorites.