With the current heat wave I'm having a difficult time with dinner menus.  Who wants to stand around a grill with temperatures in the high nineties?...alas we're cooking inside to cope with lack of motivation for the usual summer menu.   Tonight is pork tenderloin with fresh peach salsa, fresh creamed peas and sweet potato casserole.

Rubbing garlic on the tenderloin prior to cooking with a healthy coat of peach preserves sounds like an interesting twist.

Food and family are interesting dynamics...good food with traditions especially around the holidays and it does not matter which holiday we all have those traditions we cling to through out our lives.  With the 4th of July coming up I'm thinking smoked pork, macaroni salad, deviled eggs, baked beans and maybe some garlic bread to polish the meal off in style.

Having recently been on a family reunion the dynamics of relationships is always an interesting phenomenon.
People watching is a great way to analysis communication, gestures and body language of those we know and love...

Strawberry cake actually has jello in it?  So reading the recipe I read 1 (3 oz) package of strawberry jello and transposing in my mind (that's another reason I couldn't be an accountant) I saw 3 - 3 oz packages of jello...so I go by jello! 

Hope this tastes as good as it sounds!

Well it was not that great!  In fact I threw about 3/4 of the cake away...some recipes just do not give up the delightful taste we're looking for...!

Not sure where this recipe came from but it is delicious and my sister gave it to me

Chop NAPA cabbage
Chop 3 to 6 green onion (depending on servings)

Toast stove top small package of almonds, sunflower seeds and one package of ramen noodle in 1/2 stick of butter.

Mix one cup of oil, one cup of vinegar and 1 cup of sugar (I heat the vinegar so the sugar dissolves.

Toss together and enjoy!

Greek Salad and yes a local restaurant makes this but I want veggies cut small, no big hunks so I tried making a duplicate and it works beautifully...

1 Tomato
2 " of green pepper
1 cucumber
4 or 5 thin slices of red onion
feta cheese to taste
Kalamata olives (I use about 1/4 cup)

Buy some Cavendar's Greek seasoning...use 1/2 oil and 1/2 vinegar (you favorite brands, add 1 tablespoon of seasoning for 2/3 liquid) and a teaspoon sugar, shake well and pour over chopped vegetables, olives and feta.

If weight is not a concern slop the dressing with your favorite bread!

Yummy for summer dining.

Griddle Cookies - the cinnamon and raisins didn't actually have an amount listed on my copy of the recipe, so these amounts are what I use:


These are absolutely delicious and I've had the receipe for YEARS...a great breakfast and scrambled eggs.
Enjoy!
3 1/3 c sifted flour
1 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 c shortening
1 egg
1/2 c milk
1 c raisins

Mix dry ingredients, cut in shortening, beat egg and milk together and add to dry/shortening mixture, mix in raisins. Roll out to 1/4" thick, 2" round cutter, cook on hot griddle.

cumin...from the net

Cumin was known to the Egyptians five millennia ago; the seeds have been found in the Old Kingdom Pyramids. The Romans and the Greeks used it medicinally ...

I was thrilled to find out about the benefits of cumin...It has been used for centuries and using it in Black Bean Soup is a favorite.  One bag of beans(washed), water and boil till done.  Add several teaspoons of cumin and when serving use a dopple of sour cream and your favorite brand of tostillos. 

 

Another tidbit in doing research something from the web, nuts are good for you especially almonds! 

A family favorite any time of the year is potato soup...and for the adventurous add cheese, broccoli, caudiflower or finely chopped carrots.

5 white potatoes, peeled & chopped
1 medium onion, chopped

Saute onion in 3 tablespoons of butter, once transparent add chopped potatoes and enough water to cover, boiled at least twenty minutes.  Once potatoes are done take an old fashion masher and mash slightly.  Add 1 1/2 cup light cream.  Heat carefully.  Once heated, add 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese.  After adding cheese keep heat low to prevent stringy consistency.  Once cheese melts, enjoy!

Options:  Add other chopped and cooked vegetable for additional favor, fiber and variety.

A friend of ours says my pancakes are in a food group all by themselves...so here goes

1 cup of flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teasp baking soda
1 teasp baking powder
1/2 teasp salt
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup oil
Mix liquids together, add in dry ingredients, shred one apple and add with 1 cup of blueberries.  Cook on hot greased griddle and enjoy...great with sausage or bacon or both!

Mix your own syrup to get away from high fructose syrup and no it is not the same as regular corn syrup.

Mix 1/2 measure of honey and 1/2 measure of regular corn syrup.  If you are lucky enough to have a source for real maple syrup use that instead.

I am shocked at the amount of cyber bullying that goes on...I am not interested in my past cyber protection so opting to go with another protection provider and past on continues to send me messages.  Just because you can put a cookie on my PC does not give you permission to send me daily messages...but it does.

Hearing of cyber bullying before I did not realize the extent of it!

Any way you cut it there needs to be a stop...and start reading the labels on all food!  Especially anything with High Fructose Syrup...guess I will start making my own jelly, ketchup and everything else.  No thanks to the manufacturers that sell cheap and incorporate this toxic syrup...more bullying to make cheap sugar that is not good for people's health.  It is made from corn and is not a healthy product.  Want to stop obesity rates from rising?  Stop high fructose intake.