October seemed to hit and bring autumn with it all in a rush, didn’t it? The Crimson Maple out front has a tiny blush to the leaves and we have gotten massive amounts of rain. The raccoons wake me up nearly every night with all of their partying in the creek bed. I think it is time to put the flannel sheets on the beds!

The salad that I did for the church luncheon on Saturday was full of fall flavor. I used a bed of baby lettuces and arranged maple caramelized pear slices on one side and two wedges of …read more

So, as you know, this past weekend I catered a luncheon at church. It was for the North Texas Junior Bible Quiz coaches (JBQ) and if anyone deserves something special they do.  Then I must have been on a cooking roll because I topped it off by making lime blueberry muffins for the family Sunday morning and beer batter onion rings that afternoon. Whew! A couple of dozen buttermilk biscuits this morning and I am done in.

I was happy with the menu:

Grapes
Chicken Breast with Maple Chipotle Glaze and Savory Cranberry sauce
Chili Lime Corn
Dinner Rolls
Blue Corn Muffins
Double Apple Cake

I am going …read more

O.k. so when it gets to be a muggy 110 degrees and the only breeze at night comes from your husband who snores, you know you are in the South and you need a quick and easy dinner.
Summer is hot here. We don’t use air conditioning, haven’t for the several years we have lived in this house. Frankly, it is too expensive, but I also like the idea of flowing with the seasons..experiencing them rather than manipulating them. I know..I am so weird.
Nothing is worse than cooking a hot meal in a hot kitchen and serving it in a hot …read more

I am addicted to taco salad. Seriously, who ever invented this stuff was brilliant. Meat, beans, cheese, lettuce and other raw vegetables…Just add watermelon for dessert and you have all four food groups!
Back in the day, when I forst got married everyone made taco salad the same way. Doritos, canned kidney beans, cheddar cheese, hamburger, sour cream, iceburg lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and catalina dressing.  There might be a little variation on that but not much.

Well, taco salads have evolved into much more than that. They are still easy and budget friendly, but fresher and more delicous I think. If you …read more

I love eating salads in the summer. Some of it is because it just gets so hot here in Texas that you want something fresh and cold. Some of it is that I grew up eating a lot of salads. Some of it is I love the fresh produce…and I guess the rest of it is that I am just that lazy!
I like combining colors and texture and flavors. Iceburg lettuce rarely comes into our home because it is just bland and tasteless. My favorite salad base is either the Organic Baby Herbs or the Organic Baby Spinach. I don’t …read more

 
One of the best tastes of summer to me was always my mom;s tomatoes vinaigrette.  They were an awesome side dish but I loved them the best spooned on a thick hunk of sourdough as a sandwich.
Incredibly easy, this only works with fresh, ripe, never-been refrigerated tomatoes. Nothing else will do.  For best flavor make it the day before and allow it to mellow out in the fridge. Serve it icy cold with ANYTHING and you have a meal.
The hardest thing about this is waiting for it to be done…for me the other hardest thing was figuring out the measurements.  …read more

I know I have mentioned before how much I like salad dinners in the summer.  They are quick, easy, and refreshing. An added bonus is that the kitchen doesn’t  heat up!  Lately, with Marc having spent so much time in the hospital and various costs money has been tight so I am revisiting my vegetarian youth. Blessedly my kids are not fussy eaters!
 
This salad is great but do not substitute or remove the fresh cilantro. It’s fresh, earthy, warmth is necessary to the success of these flavors. Don’t be focused in on exact amounts…This is a handful of this …read more

 
Do you know I wrote my entire post, published it and found out, with 6 minutes left on the timer that it is lost in cyberspace??? GRR!
This is great…try it ..I dont have time to say more.
1 bag baby spinach
1 pint blueberries
1 pint strawberries, quartered
1 c pecans
1/2 c chopped red onion
1 c dried cranberries (optional)
1/4 c bleu cheese (my friend likes feta)
Arrange spinach on 4 plates. Top evenly with the rest of the ingredients.  Drizzle with:
Mango dressing
1 mango, peeled and diced
2 tbs honey
1/3 c lime juice
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
Blend until smooth. Check for sweetness and balance.

I like salads in the summertime because they are quick, easy and often, do-ahead. This one is from an old favorite, Moosewood Restaurant Low Fat Favorites, and is surprisingly good. I say surprisingly because I do low fat kicking and screaming. I give up sugar much easier than I give up olive oil, mayo, bacon, and avocado. :/
  The recipe calls for Quinoa but you can substitute brown rice, barley, corn, or just about anything you like…
Quinoa is a mild grain…high in protien. I believe it is related to wheat but many people who cannot eat wheat can eat quinoa.  …read more

These are great…They are perfect summer food, as you can eat them hot from the grill, or later chilled in a salad or sandwiches.  You can also broil these using the grilling directions OR bake them for about 30 minutes at 375, covered.
  (I hate writing from the library. Didn’t it used to be a quiet place??????)
Anyway.  Marinate these for 24 hours prior to grilling. You can even put them in a marinade in a freezer bag  and freeze them in the marinade and then take out at a later time, thaw and grill. Don’t you love versatility? …read more