Seven Layer Dip

I found this recipe for Seven Layer Dip in one of Grandma’s church cookbooks, and guess who had submitted it? My mom! I kind of think she originally got this recipe from me, but oh well, it’s a good one none the less! This is another one of those that we have for a light lunch or dinner sometimes when the weather is tooooo warm and we don’t feel much like starting the oven or the grill. Seven Layer Dip is similar to The Easiest Nachos Ever and goes perfectly with Julie’s Margaritas! Seriously, I could eat this whole batch of dip by myself. Not even kidding.

Wow – I love this stuff.

Here is the recipe as I made it:

Seven Layer Dip

In a flat dish spread evenly:

1 can of Mexican bean dip or refried beans (I usually use refried beans)

Combine:

1 cup sour cream

2 Tablespoons taco seasoning

Spread on top of beans.

Layer in order given:

1/2 cup black olives, sliced

1/2 cup green olives, sliced

5 green onions, chopped (you can also add sliced jalapeno if you want to spice it up)

1 large tomato, chopped or 1 cup salsa

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Can make ahead and keep in refrigerator overnight.

Serve with tortilla chips.

I used a deep dish pie plate for this, but you could use a quiche plate or even a small cake pan if you need to. Sometimes I use the taco seasoning, sometimes I leave the sour cream plain. Just depends on how I’m feeling that day.

Full disclosure – I don’t really measure anything when making this dip. I know that will come as a shock to my family (no it won’t). I use the can of refried beans and then about a cup of sour cream, but after that all bets are off. I just put in what I know my family likes. I usually don’t use green olives because my family goes crazy for black olives. I only used two green onions in here because instead of a tomato, I usually use salsa and it has some more onion in it and some in our family don’t especially care for onions. They boys in the family like more spice, so sometimes we add jalapeno or hot salsa. You see how this goes.

This dip is so pretty and so great for a hot summer day.

Don’t forget Julie’s Margaritas! Perfect!

You will absolutely love this dip. There is ample opportunity for more margaritas than normal – salty olives, salty chips, salted rim on the margaritas. Heaven. Make a batch of this Seven Layer Dip today – better yet make 2 – you’re gonna need 2!

 

Baked Cabbage

I know, I know – Baked Cabbage doesn’t sound that great. O.M.G. This is a recipe I found when going through my mom’s recipes and it is so good. I don’t know where she got this recipe – maybe from a co-worker? It might have been the year we grew cabbage in our garden and we had a LOT or cabbage to use. Anyway, I don’t ever remember my mom making this – and I would have remembered – but I’m glad she kept the recipe. We love cabbage anyway in our family, but this recipe takes the humble cabbage to new heights. When you say the recipe is called Baked Cabbage – that just makes my laugh. It sounds like it would be a dish that’s not so great. Who would have thought that cabbage could be this good! I’m not kidding! This might be one of the best vegetable dishes I’ve EVER had! It’s delicious!

This would be a great dish to make in March after St. Patrick’s Day when cabbage is cheap or when you hit the Farmer’s Market and buy local!

Here is the recipe as I made it:

Baked Cabbage

Coarsely cut up:

1 medium head of cabbage

Boil in water until partially done – about 5 minutes.

Drain and put cabbage into a casserole.

Mix together:

3 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

a little milk

Add this to cabbage and mix.

Add enough milk to just cover the cabbage (I used about 1/2 cup in all).

Add buttered bread crumbs or croutons on top (I used croutons).

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Cut the core out of the cabbage before chopping.

There aren’t a lot of ingredients, . . .

. . . which makes this fairly inexpensive to make.

Boil the cabbage and then . . .

. . . drain it before putting it into the casserole dish.

You can see that I didn’t really add a lot of milk, just enough to barely cover the cabbage.

While I’m sure the buttered bread crumbs would be delicious, I used some croutons I had in my cupboard. I did crush them a bit.

The egg mixture makes it almost like a custard.

We had this cabbage dish for dinner, and we ate almost the whole thing! It really hit the spot for some reason. It mixes the wonderful taste of the cabbage with the sweet custard, and it’s really good! Next time you’re at the Farmer’s Market, pick up a cabbage and try this Baked Cabbage.

 

 

Happy Father’s Day!

Happy Father’s Day to all you rad dads out there! (Rad is my oldest daughter’s word – not mine!)

The photo I’m sharing today is of me and my dad and it looks like we’re working on putting something together! He always let us help with whatever he was working on.

Happy Father’s Day!

Love you, Dad!

 

Rhubarb Jam with Blueberry

I have made Rhubarb Jam before, but today I’m trying Rhubarb Jam with Blueberry. When I made the first Rhubarb Jam on the blog, I used a recipe that I found in one of Grandma’s old church cookbooks. Then I was looking through Grandma’s recipe cards when I found what is essentially the same recipe written out by her. The only difference is that on the bottom of the card, she had written that using pie filling is good. Well, I mean really, we HAVE to try that! She says that apricot, blueberry, and strawberry pie filling are good. We know strawberry would be good because when making the jam, it calls for Strawberry Jello. I’ll have to try apricot sometime, too, just because I’m curious – how would that taste? Blueberry being my favorite – that’s the one I decided to try now. Would the blueberry overpower the deliciousness of the rhubarb? We shall see (as Grandma would say).

This sounds a bit odd, but here we go.

Here is the recipe as I made it:

Rhubarb Jam with Blueberry

Let stand awhile (I let it stand overnight covered in the refrigerator) so it will give good juice:

5 cups rhubarb, chopped

3 cups sugar

Cook (20 minutes if we want to follow the other recipe for Rhubarb Jam).

Add:

1 small package Strawberry Jello

1 can blueberry pie filling

(I cooked the rhubarb and Strawberry Jello together for 15 minutes – no I didn’t read the other recipe first or I would have seen that you just cook the rhubarb alone first – then I cooked it all together with the pie filling for another 5 minutes. It turned out great anyway!)

Pour into jars and keep in refrigerator.

I let the rhubarb and sugar sit in the refrigerator overnight. It made a lot of nice juice, but didn’t really dissolve the sugar.

I added the Strawberry Jello and cooked it 15 minutes.

Add the blueberry pie filling and cook it another 5 minutes.

I only had pint jars available to me when I made this batch, but half pints would be great for hostess gifts.

I thought the blueberry might overpower the rhubarb, but it didn’t. You still get a definite rhubarb flavor in this jam. It is so good!

You can still see the pieces of rhubarb along with the blueberries in the jam. You need to try a batch of this jam now when rhubarb is plentiful and basically free. This recipe is very easy to do and pretty fast to make. The jam is great on toast, English muffins, angel food cake, pound cake, or ice cream. Any way you want to taste it, you’re going to LOVE this Rhubarb Jam with Blueberry!

 

 

 

Strawberry Lemonade

This recipe for Strawberry Lemonade may be a no-brainer, but it’s too good not to share. You mix up your favorite batch of Lemonade and whiz it in the blender with some fresh strawberries. That’s it. It’s not hard, but sometimes it’s nice to try a new idea, and this is a good one to try.

Here is the recipe as I made it:

Strawberry Lemonade

Make one batch of lemonade. I have my other grandma’s great recipe for Lemonade on the blog, and that’s a delicious one to try here. There are many ready-made mixes you could try, and that’s what I did today. I have even made this with a sugar-free mix and it’s absolutely delicious.

I used a powdered mix for this particular batch, and it made one quart. There’s nothing like my old almost 40-year-old blender for mixing this – it still works great!

Next clean, hull, and quarter about 1 cup of strawberries and add them to the blender. I have made this using an entire pack of berries, and that was delicious, too. Can you ever really have too many strawberries? I think not.

Blend away and there you go. Done.

As I remember, when I used more berries, it didn’t separate like this, but isn’t it pretty?!! You can strain out the strawberry bits, if you want to, but why not enjoy the health benefits and leave it all in there?

Add some ice, a straw (paper, of course – for environmental reasons), and a strawberry garnish and you have a beautiful, delightful, refreshing drink for summertime.

Just remember this recipe when the weather gets hot and humid and you need something new to try – maybe add a shot of vodka for more of an adult beverage! It’s so refreshing and delicious. Invite the neighbors over and offer them a glass of this Strawberry Lemonade – you’ll be the most popular neighbor in the whole wide neighborhood!

 

 

 

Sugar Cookies #3

Today’s recipe is for Sugar Cookies #3. Yes – I have already made two different kinds of sugar cookies on this blog, and this is the 3rd. I have also made several different kinds of sugar cookies. This recipe is from the recipe book our family made for my sister years ago, and it came from my other grandma. Originally it came from a family friend who was a great cook and baker. My other grandma was also a great baker, and she loved baking for her family. This photo is of her parents – my great-grandparents. I think they were living in town at the time this photo was taken, but it looks like my great-grandpa kept his bib overalls on – even if it wasn’t on the farm!

They’re so cute! I love my great-grandma’s apron!

This recipe made 2 cookies short of 5 dozen (I used my scoop for this batch).

Here is the recipe as I made it:

Sugar Cookies #3

Cream together:

1 cup margarine or butter (I used butter)

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

Add:

2 eggs

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Mix together and add to first mixture:

4 cups plus 4 Tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Chill (I chilled this dough about 1 hour).

Roll in balls (I used my scoop because the dough seemed a little dry and didn’t hold together as well as I thought it would).

Bake at 325 degrees until edges are lightly browned (in my oven this took about 20 minutes).

The ingredients for these cookies are pretty simple and straightforward. It’s one of those recipe where you probably have all the ingredients in our kitchen at any given time. My scoop is for days when I’m feeling particularly lazy and just want to get the cookies done faster. Feel free to roll the dough into balls by hand if you want to.

I love how they look when using the scoop – almost like little roses.

Time for coffee?

These cookies are so tender and melt in your mouth! They’re absolutely delicious. I think you should try them with a scoop of Homemade Ice Cream, a glass of ice-cold Lemonade, or Curried Fruit Compote. However you decide to enjoy them, you’re gonna love these Sugar Cookies #3!

 

 

Shrimp Rolls

I made up this recipe for Shrimp Rolls because my son loves shrimp. Fried shrimp, shrimp cocktail, fresh shrimp, shrimp salad, shrimp dip . . . on and on and on. He is also a HUGE fan of Old Bay Seasoning. We try to use it whenever we can. One hot summer day, I was wishing we lived closer to the ocean so we could enjoy a lobster roll without having to search all over the Twin Cities for lobster. I though about having a delicious lobster roll until it hit me – everyone loves lobster rolls, so why not try to make a shrimp roll? Frozen cooked shrimp are easier to find in these parts than frozen cooked lobster. These have now become a summer staple for our family and I end up making them several times throughout the season. We’ve already had them once this year, and it won’t be the last time.

Here is the recipe as I made it:

Shrimp Rolls

Thaw a one pound package of frozen shrimp in the refrigerator overnight. How big the shrimp should be depends on how you want to fix it. I have used bigger shrimp and then cut them into pieces, but for this batch, I used smaller shrimp and there was no need to cut them.

Mix together:

1/2-1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon dill weed

1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning, or more to taste

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Add:

1/2 cup celery, chopped

3 green onions, chopped

Toss in:

the thawed shrimp

Serve in hot dog buns on a bed of chopped lettuce.

This is a fast and easy lunch or dinner recipe. It’s great on a hot summer night when you don’t want to heat up your kitchen.

It’s easier to mix the mayonnaise mixture first and then add the vegetables and shrimp.

Oh yes – one more squeeze of lemon and you’re having a delicious dinner on the deck.

Try this light and refreshing summer lunch or dinner. You may need an extra napkin depending on how full you fill the bun. This recipe is quick, easy, and absolutely delicious. It would be good at a picnic or at the beach – hey, it’s good anywhere! You might as well do it – make some of these Shrimp Rolls tonight!

 

Julie’s Margaritas

My friend Julie makes the best Margaritas. Julie is one of my group of friends called the Coffee Babes. We all met when our daughters played volleyball together. All of us were on the board of the volleyball club our daughters were part of, and a couple of us met the morning after our board meetings to discuss the minutes and what would go into a newsletter that I was in charge of. This started 20 years ago, and there were still 4 of us meeting every Friday morning for coffee (no longer talking about volleyball, but everything else under the sun) until last year when we lost one of our dear Coffee Babes to cancer. We aren’t just friends, we’re family, and they mean the world to me. The final 3 of us are still meeting every Friday for coffee, talk, and our weekly therapy session together. Seriously – we say this all the time – if we had put the money into a jar every week that we would have spent on therapy with an actual doctor, we could have a great vacation in the Bahamas by now!! We have taken occasional trips together over the years, and on one of those trips, Julie shared her recipe for these amazing Margaritas. Let’s just say they went over well. Real well. Even with those of us who usually have a problem with tequila. Ha! Well, now that it’s June, it is officially summer, so make up a big batch of these Margaritas, pull together some of The Easiest Nachos Ever, and call up some friends to come over and enjoy them with you!

Here is the recipe as I made it:

Julie’s Margaritas

For one drink –

I use a 1 ounce shot glass.

Use a wedge of lime to wet the rim of a highball glass.

Dip rim of glass in kosher salt.

Fill glass with ice.

Add:

1/2 shot Grand Marnier

1 1/2 shots Jose Cuervo Gold

1 1/2 shots Patron

3 1/2 shots Margarita Mix

Stir gently (so you don’t knock the salt off of the rim of the glass).

Garnish with a wedge or slice of lime and a straw, if desired.

For six drinks –

Mix in a pitcher:

3 ounces Grand Mariner

9 ounces Jose Cuervo Gold

9 ounces Patron

21 ounces Margarita Mix

Salt the rims of your glasses first – you can’t do it after your get the liquid in the glass! 🙂

I just mix the drinks in the glass. It’s really hard to just have one of these, but one is usually enough for me. But then again – they’re just SOOOO good!

Serve with chips and salsa or The Easiest Nachos Ever – take your pick.

If you like margaritas, you’ll love these! They’re so delicious and refreshing – perfect for summer! You could make a batch (or two or three) and pack them up to take to the cabin. Believe me – they’re the best! They’re really great on the raft while sunbathing in the afternoon or at the end of a dock while watching a sunset. Make up a batch of Julie’s Margaritas and call up some friends.

 

Rhubarb Torte #2

I found this recipe for Rhubarb Torte on the back of another of Grandma’s recipes! Lucky I found it or we might have missed it! Of course, I had to rename it Rhubarb Torte #2 because there has already been a recipe for Rhubarb Torte on this blog. They are similar, but not quite the same. Rhubarb Torte made a 9″ x 13″ pan, and this one makes an 8″ x 8″ pan, and the ingredients are a little bit different. I have to say – and I know I say this A LOT, but this time I really mean it (again) – this is one of my new favorites. This dessert almost makes me forget how good it was when we were kids, to pick a stalk of rhubarb with the big “pop” that would almost make you fall backwards, and then to dip the rhubarb stalks into a cup of sugar and bite that tart and tangy rhubarb even though it was all about getting to lick and/or eat the sugar. I think I love this dessert even more than that. Yep. I’m pretty sure I do. This. Is. So. Good. It’s. Crazy.

Here is the recipe as I made it:

Rhubarb Torte #2

For crust:

Mix:

1 cup flour

2 Tablespoons sugar

a pinch of salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

Pat into 8″ x 8″ pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

For filling:

Beat:

3 egg yolks, whites reserved, until thick and lemon colored

Add:

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

1/3 cup cream (I used Half-n-Half)

Mix in:

3 cups chopped rhubarb

Pour onto baked crust.

Bake at 350 degrees another 40-50 minutes.

For meringue:

Whip to stiff peaks:

3 egg whites

Add:

6 Tablespoons sugar

Reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake for another 20 minutes.

I started out using a fork to bring the crust together, but then I dropped it and just got in there with my hands. Then I pressed it into the pan also using my hands, patted it down, and into the oven.

These are again, like almost all of Grandma’s recipes, simple ingredients that make an incredibly delicious dessert.

The filling is also ridiculously easy to make and put on top of the baked crust.

Out it comes from the oven . . .

and on goes the meringue.

I just love this dessert so much.

One of my favorite parts is the pretty little drops of goodness on top of the meringue. The crust browns and almost caramelizes, the filling is sweet but tart from all that rhubarb, and the meringue is fluffy with its pretty little droplets on top. Heaven. I just know you’re going to love how easy and delicious this Rhubarb Torte #2 is.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day, everyone!

For those of you who have served, or have had family members who served in the military, we thank you for that service! We appreciate you!

My dad was in the Army and was stationed in Turkey when I was born. When he came home for good, I was 2 years old.

Thanks, Dad!