Watermelon salad with feta and mint brings a sweet and salty combination with cooling mint and a little spike of spiciness to make things interesting.
Picnic
Star Party Sandwiches – Cream Cheese, BLT with Basil
These sandwiches with cream cheese, bacon, tomato, basil, and avocado are wonderful for a picnic lunch or to feed a crowd. They are tasty and easy to make. You can even prep them the night before.
BBQ Chips – Smoky Barbecued Roasted Potatoes
These smoky barbecue roasted potatoes are called chips across the pond. These are easy to make on your grill. They are perfect for Memorial Day, the 4th of July, or that last Labor Day barbecue. Go out, get some potatoes, and get crackin’!
Many of us are familiar with the scene in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers:
Tabbouleh – Bright Salad for Spring and Summer
Tabbouleh salad
Tabbouleh salad is made from bulgar, parsley, tomato, mint, and onion dressed with lemon juice and olive oil. It has a wonderful bright taste and it’s great with barbecue or anything else you can think of.
Bacon Fried Chicken Fingers
Recipes in this Post
In the summer, even though it’s hot, I still think about fried chicken, and I’m not talking about that stuff at Kentucky Fried that tastes like a salt lick either. I’m talking about fried chicken like my Grandmother, Grace Boswell, used to make. She came from Texas, and she made the best friend chicken in the world, well in my opinion. Now, it’s my turn to pass on a tradition.
No Instructions, Experimentation Necessary
My Nana did not like to share her recipes, and really didn’t want anyone in the kitchen when she was cooking. She just wanted, and got, the accolades when the finished dish was on the table. The only time I saw the chicken before it got to the dining room was when there was a pan of it already fried, waiting to go to the table, which was too late. So, I’ve had to do some experimenting to get it right.
Summer Bean Salad with Lemon Mayonnaise
Hellman’s Mayonnaise in California
What!!!!! What did you say? Hellman’s Mayonnaise in California? Well, actually, no it was Hellman’s Sandwich Spread in Glendale, California.
Spane and I were at the 99 Cents Only store on our way to visit Alexandria’s Archives’s President, and stopped at the store to get a Danish or something, and I spied these jars of Hellman’s. I was amazed, and then found a jar of Bestfoods next to it. I couldn’t help take a picture, considering that I will probably never see the two brands together in the same place, unless I take it upon myself to start rock climbing or something. Don’t get your hopes up, folks, this was a jar of Hellman’s that will expire in August, 2014, just a few weeks after this post. So, no, we won’t be buying that.
I have to say I was flabbergasted when I found Hellman’s in Glendale. I told Spane that the jar was very, very far from home. Hellman’s is typically not sold west of the Rocky Mountains, where Best Foods is sold. The ingredients on both are the same, while some people prefer Best Foods because it is perceived to have a more tangy flavor, more vinegar. Wikipedia has an interesting article about the history of the popular condiment.
Mayonnaise is a great starter for sauces, including my Summer Bean Salad with Lemon Mayonnaise. It also has a host of other uses, but we will talk about those another day.
Ruby Red Grapefruit Roasted Chicken
Recipes in this Post
A few days ago, someone asked me for a different way to roast a chicken, and I have her this recipe. I haven’t made this in a long time, and it was a welcome change from the ho-hum regular roasted chicken we all know and love.
Spane and I both love grapefruit, and I was lucky to get some beautiful ruby-red grapefruit at my local corner store. Today, I’m going to go to the local farmer’s market and get some more. Did you know that grapefruit is really good for you? As a member of the citrus family, they are packed with vitamin C, have low sodium, low sugar, high lycopene, high potassium, and fat burning enzymes.
Fantasy Island Bars
Fantasy Island bars are the tropical version of the famous Magic Cookie Bars, starring Pineapple, Macadamia Nuts, and Coconut. Make sure to save one for yourself because they will be gobbled up quickly.
Rosemary Garlic Chicken Purses with Lavendar Mustard Dipping Sauce
Rosemary Garlic Chicken Purses make a great lunch or appetizer. The chicken is infused with rosemary and mixed with cream cheese, all wrapped in eggroll wrappers and deep-fried. Of course, to lower calories, they can also be baked.