Olive Garden Salad

Did I mention how much I love salads? 

I really do!  

This is another special salad I enjoy and got the recipe from my niece who makes it quite often.  When she serves this, she also serves Zuppa Soup (yum!) and breadsticks.  What a meal!

This is some of what you’ll need:

Doesn’t it look good already?!

OLIVE GARDEN SALAD

1 (12 ounce) bag iceberg garden salad (I used iceberg lettuce)
1/4 small red onion, sliced thin
6 -12 pitted black olives
3/4 cup pepperoncini pepper rings
1 -2 small roma tomatoes, sliced bite-size
1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned croutons
freshly grated parmesan cheese, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

For the dressing:

½ cup Mayonnaise
1/3 cup White vinegar
1 teaspoon Vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Corn syrup
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons Romano cheese
1 clove Garlic
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon Parsley flakes
1 tablespoon Lemon juice
1 tablespoon Sugar (optional)

In a large glass or wooden salad serving bowl, toss together the lettuce,
onion slices, olives, pepper rings, tomatoes, and croutons. Add dressing and toss to combine.

Sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese and black pepper to taste.

Serve chilled.

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Shared with

Kool-Aid Pie

I’ve been on a Kool-Aid Pie kick lately.

And why not?!  They’re so easy!

I know they’ve been around for a while but it’s a new attempt at an easy and delicious pie.

I’ve had several elderly friends to pass away lately and I was looking for something quick and easy to take to the dinner for the family.    It’s kinda hard to make a complicated recipe when you work full time.  This recipe is exactly that…easy, that is, and delicious, too! You can change the flavor depending on what kind of Kool-Aid you use.

I’ve made three flavors…Strawberry, Lemon-Lime, and Orange.

Delicious…very easy…and perfect for Spring!

KOOL-AID PIE

1 graham cracker pie crust
1 pkg unsweetened Kool-Aid powdered drink mix
1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip
1 (14 ounce) can condensed milk
In a medium bowl, mix condensed milk and Kool-aid until well combined.  Fold in Cool Whip and spoon pie mixture into the graham cracker crust. Garnish according to flavor.  Chill for 2 hours and serve.

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And for my low carb readers…
3-INGREDIENT LOW-CARB LEMON ICEBOX PIE

from Jimmy Moore’s site.  Sounds yummy!

Summer 2010

I just thought I’d share some pictures of my summer.  Most of these were taken with my cell phone camera, so please forgive the quality.

Hope you’ve had a great summer!

My daughter is all excited about Fall, so we’ll probably be sharing some photos of an Autumn project she has in mind.

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(Click on the pictures to enlarge.)

My hubby went fishing this morning.

Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy

My great-nephew enjoys the pool.

Homemade Pizza on a Low Carb Tortilla

The Pool on a beautiful day!

Purple Hull Peas from my garden

Purple Hull peas on my plate.

This was one of my mom’s favorite summer suppers…purple hull peas, fried summer squash, ripe tomatoes & cornbread.

My daughter’s cat, Angel, goes to the garden with me every day.

Pretty pepper plant.

Fresh green beans.

Fresh tomato on toasted sour dough bread sammie.

A wedding cake by my friend’s daughter…she is self-taught and a mom of 2 young children who bakes out of her home.  I don’t know how she does it!

Another cake by Jada.

(Hopefully someday to be called The Cakery Boutique.)

Chicken Club Ring

Ribs…

Our family made a trip to Lambert’s in Sikeston, Mo.  They are famously called “The Home of the Throwed Rolls”.  When you raise your hand, they’ll throw you a hot yeast roll.  The food is wonderful!

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I hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse of my summer.

I hope to be back soon with some great low carb recipes and stories that warm the heart.  Come back soon!

Smoked Turkey Salad

This is surprisingly yummy!

I say surprisingly because I wasn’t sure how it would turn out.   After my hubby smoked the turkey breast,  it was a little on the dry side and not very tasty.

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After sitting in the fridge overnight, it was better, but still dry.  I didn’t want to waste it so I got to searching for turkey salad recipes.

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First of all, I pulled out my Joy of Cooking.  Sure enough, there was a Turkey Salad recipe in there and I had all the ingredients except curry powder.   I wasn’t sure I wanted curried turkey salad anyway, so being the Queen of Substitutions, I proceeded to make my own version.

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I sliced, then chopped the smoked turkey breast into small chunks.

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I ran the turkey breast and onions through the food processor, then dumped it into a mixing bowl.

I then added mayo, honey mustard, raisins, chopped pecans, celery seed, salt and pepper.  I even threw in a dash of nutmeg.

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If only I had some leafy green lettuce to put it on!  I didn’t, so I proceeded to put it on some honey wheat bread and had some plain Lays potato chips to go with it.  Yum!

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My daughter ate it with Ritz crackers and loved it!

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(Sorry for the poor picture quality.  Time was short.)

Smoked Turkey Salad
 
2 cups chopped smoked turkey breast
2 tablespoons diced onion
3/4 cup mayo
2 tablespoons honey mustard
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon celery seed (or chopped celery if you have it)
dash of salt, pepper, nutmeg to taste
 
Mix all together in a medium size bowl.  Serve on lettuce with crackers or on a toasted bun or bread.

Note:  This was better the next day, so maybe chilling in the fridge first to let the flavors blend makes a difference.
 
* To reduce carbs, use regular or spicy mustard, remove the raisins, and if you like it a little sweeter add a small package of Splenda or sweetener of your choice.

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Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

So simple yet so delicious!

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What to to with 2 nice bunches of very ripe bananas, but bake?!  This cake is made with a recipe I’ve been using since the early 90′s.   It is very simple, with few ingredients, but it is so delicious and moist!

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I usually top it with a Brown Sugar Glaze, but since I had cream cheese, this time I decided to make a traditional Cream Cheese Frosting for the cake.

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BANANA CAKE

1/2 cup shortening or butter (I used softened butter)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup (2 med) bananas, mashed

1 1/4 cups self rising flour

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Cream shortening (or butter) and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.   Add flour to mashed bananas and mix well.  Next, add the banana and flour mixture to the cake batter.  Stir well.  Pour into greased pan.  Bake at 350º for 45 minutes or until cake is browned on top and springs back to the touch.

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***NOTE- I used a 7 x 11 glass baking dish and the cake rose to the top of the dish and was fairly thick.  The layer could be sliced and a filling added to make a 2 layer cake.

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Cream Cheese Frosting

½ cup butter
1 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese
½ teaspoon of vanilla

 3 ½ cups of powdered sugar

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In a medium sized mixing bowl cream the butter and cream cheese together.  Add the vanilla.  Slowly add the powdered sugar.  When you are adding the powdered sugar, use a low speed on the mixer.   After you have it all in, put up on a medium to high speed.   Mix the frosting until it is fluffy.

Make sure your cake is completely cooled and spread the cream cheese frosting on it. 

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The Holidays and your favorite recipes

The holiday season will soon be here. 

Thanksgiving is a very special holiday for our family and usually centers around our family dinner.  

Mom’s Southern cornbread Turkey and Dressing is the usual star of the main meal.  There are other favorites that complete our meal.  My brother has to have Chunky Potato Salad, made the same way my grandmother made it.  I usually enjoy the Sweet Potatoes and baked Ham.  

One daughter loves the Green Bean Casserole and Yeast Rolls while daughter #2 loves the Ham and Cream Style Corn.

And of course, the dessert choice wouldn’t be complete without mom’s Angel Salad on the menu.  (Pictures and recipe forthcoming)

 

 I’m a dessert eater.  Below are some of my favorites.

 

Peanut Butter Balls

 

Southern Pecan Pie

 

Chess Pie

 

Sour Cream Pound Cake

 

And if you’re watching your sugar intake…

Low Carb Mini-Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

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What special dish are you looking forward to? 

Apple Dumplings: The Ultimate Fall Dessert

What other recipe speaks Harvest Time than an apple recipe flavored with sugar, butter, and cinnamon?

Pioneer Woman’s Apple Dumplings with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Go here for this easy yet decadant recipe and enjoy the season’s bounty of  delicious apples.

3 Ingredient Cheesy Burger Skillet (low carb)

Three ingredients! 

That’s all it takes to make this delicious low carb dish. 

3 Ingredient Cheesy Burger Skillet
 
1 lb. Ground Beef, cooked and drained
1 can french style green beans, drained
4 oz.  shredded cheese
 
After browning and draining the grease off the ground beef, add the green beans; stir.  Cover and cook on low for 10 minutes or until grean beans appear tender.  Remove from heat and stir in the cheese.  Cover for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Season with salt and pepper, then serve.

*I know I’m bad, but this  is really good with Velveeta cheese, too. 

Sugar-free Oreo Blast (low carb)

Want a quick and easy treat or a simple after-dinner dessert?  What about a Sugar-free Oreo Blast?

Sugar-free Oreo Blast (low carb)
 
1 serving Breyer’s CarbSmart vanilla ice cream
1 serving Sugar Free Oreos, broken into pieces
 
Place ice cream and cookie pieces into food processor. 
Pulse until blended.  Serve in a cute ice cream dish or
small glass.  Top with 1/2 a SF Oreo. 

Now, find a nice quiet spot outside in the swing on a warm sunny day and eat slowly.

Tomorrow…an easy 3 ingredient recipe for a quick supper.

Steak and Onion Salad with Creamy Homemade Dressing

I like to use leftovers and I love salads!

What better way to use up the leftover grilled ribeye steak than on a bed of crispy salad greens and top it with homemade salad dressing, shredded cheddar cheese, and bacon pieces?

We had some leftover steaks  that kinda cooked longer than we like’m to, (it wasn’t quite as “done” as it looks in these pics, really) so I decided to make Steak and Onion Salad.

Usually I stir-fry a cheaper cut of steak for this dish.  Sometimes I sauté the onions or sometimes I used fresh green onions or sliced Vidalias.  Sometimes I even throw both on there!  I’m liking onions, okay?

Sorry, there’s no real recipe for this.   I just throw together a salad using my favorite salad ingredients, top it with the grilled steak, dressing, and peppercinis.

Steak and Onion Salad with Creamy Homemade Dressing (Lower Carb)

Your favorite salad greens: baby lettuces, radicchio, endive, butter…

I used Fresh Express prepackaged.

Shredded cheddar cheese

real bacon pieces

cucumbers, peeled, sliced, quartered (my DD did this )

sliced radishes

grape tomatoes, quartered

sliced yellow onion or green onions

sliced peppercinis.

steak, grilled or stir-fried and sliced into strips

To serve: Toss tomatoes, cucumbers and salad greens and other salad ingredients in a large salad bowl.  Place portions in individual salad bowls.  Add steak and onions.  Serve dressing alongside.

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Ok, don’t laugh, this is not a fancy-schmancy recipe, I usually just throw together some type of mayo based salad dressing.  I can’t stand the bottled stuff.  Not sure if this is kinda like a homemade Thousand Island, maybe?  Nevertheless, it’s pretty good. 

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Creamy Homemade Dressing

1/2 cup mayo

1 T Heinz LC ketchup

1 tsp mustard

1 T peppercini juice

a dash of spices: salt, pepper, garlic powder

1 pkt Splenda, optional (if you prefer a sweeter dressing)

Mix all together in a small bowl.  If you prefer a thinner dressing, add some water or milk.

For a great low carb dessert, what about Mini Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Pie?

Coconut Pecan Frosting

I don’t usually care for German Chocolate Cake

with Coconut Pecan Frosting.  I’m not sure what it is.  I love chocolate cake and I love the Coconut Pecan Frosting, but the two together have never impressed me.  I’ve really tried to like it…what is there not to like?

So, having all the ingredients on hand and wanting to try a new-to-me recipe, I decided to use that chocolate cake mix that I had picked up on sale and top it with a delicious homemade Coconut Pecan Frosting.  I skipped the ton of cookbooks that I have and immediately Googled for the recipe.

Here’s the “traditional” recipe.

Coconut Pecan Frosting

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup evaporated milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream
• 3 large egg yolks
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 1/3 cups flaked sweetened dried coconut
• 1 1/3 cups chopped pecans

Combine sugar, milk, egg yolks, and butter in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the mixture is thickened and bubbling gently around the edges. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring for 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut and pecans. Let cool until spreadable. This keeps, refrigerated, for about 1 week. Soften before using.  The only change I made was to use 1/2 cup evaporated milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream.

The frosting turned out to be delicious, the cake was another thing…drier than usual.  Most everyone was eating the frosting and tossing the cake!  So that’s a mistake I hope to never make again. 

I’d like to make the Coconut Pecan Frosting again, but top a different cake.  Maybe a Fresh Apple Cake…or a Piña Colada Cake…or a yummy Sour Cream Pound Cake.  Maybe I could use the  Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake recipe.  

The options are endless!   What do you think?

Southern Pecan Pie

I have a young daughter that is an aspiring chef. 

She is only 11 but loves Martha Stewart and is always ready to help out in the kitchen.  She loves to peel, chop, flip, scrape, mix… and lick the bowl.  Whether it be making cucumber salad or baking a pie, my youngest is always ready.

A few weekends ago, my oldest daughter was visiting friends so B (also for Bossy) decided she wanted to bake a pie with a homemade crust.  We had all the ingredients, so I loaded Martha on the laptop and took her to the kitchen with us.  The pecan crop has been abundant in our area this year so we decided the pie would be Southern Pecan Pie.  I discovered my glass pie dish was left at Mom’s house at Thanksgiving, so we ran to the store and picked up some foil pie plates and some more sugar. 

Back home we got all of our ingredients out and I did the measuring while B started putting the crust ingredients into the food processor.  As the crust chilled, we put together our pie ingredients.

We couldn’t wait until it cooled to cut it, so that’s why it’s falling apart in our first picture.  ( I think it even steamed up my camera lens.)  The Southern Pecan Pie was divine!  The filling was light and and the crust flakey.  Well done, my Valentine!

Southern Pecan Pie

3/4 cup light corn syrup
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pecan halves
3 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine corn syrup, sugar, beaten eggs, melted butter, vanilla and salt in a large bowl; mix well. Stir in pecan halves. Pour into prepared pie crust and bake for 10 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350°F and bake an additional 35 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean when inserted into the center of pie.  Cool on wire rack before slicing, if you can.

Pate Brisee (the French version of classic pie or tart pastry, courtesy of Martha Stewart)

Makes 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust 9- to 10-inch pies.

· 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1 teaspoon sugar
· 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
· 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.