Today I am wondering if a tropical salad recipe is appropriate with our cool temperatures. I’m back to wearing my flannel pajamas! At least the sun is shining and Saturday was a perfect day for the Moss garden tours. I hope many of you were able to attend. It  always amazes me how gardeners can refurbish unlikely containers to use to plant flowers in, who would think to use no longer used chicken feeders for instance! There are a lot of creative people out there.
 
Pina Colada Fluff
 
1 3.4 oz. vanilla instant pudding mix
1-20 oz. can crushed pineapple (do not drain)
1 8 oz. container cool whip, thawed
1 tsp. rum extract (optional, can use coconut flavoring or vanilla)
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup chopped nuts (your favorite) I like pecans.
 
Combine pudding mix and the entire can of crushed pineapple in a large bowl. Stir until completely combined. Fold in cool whip, extracts, marshmallows, coconut and nuts. Chill until ready to serve.
 
Have a great week!

I really like cheese cake but it’s a heavy dessert.One is too much for just the two of us, so I only make it when we are having company. I have had a problem with the top of the cheese cake cracking. Putting a pan of water in the oven during the baking helps and of course when you put a topping on the cheese cake it covers up the crack, so no one is the wiser!
 So many of my flowers are blooming now. I love to sit out in my lawn chair admiring my flowers and watching the birds at the feeders. Life doesn’t get much better than this!
 
Rhubarb cheese cake
 Crust:
 1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter.
 Combine ingredients until crumbly and pat into the bottom and a little ways up the sides of a greased 9 inch spring form pan.
 Mix 3 cups fresh chopped rhubarb mixed with 1/2 cup sugar and 1 Tablespoon flour, pour over crust and bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes, remove from oven and set aside.

 Cream cheese layer:
2 ( 8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
 In a large bowl , beat together cream cheese and sugar until creamy, beat in eggs one at a time, pour over hot rhubarb in the pan. Turn down oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake cheese cake for 30 minutes or until filling is set.

 Topping:
1 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
 Mix together topping ingredients well and spread on top of cake while cake is still hot. Cool cake for 2 hours at room temperature then refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
 
Have a great week!

With these hot temperatures we don’t want to heat up our kitchens by cooking! It’s definitely weather to use the outdoor grill! It gives the man in the family a turn to cook besides. The recipe I am sharing with you today is from The Taste of Home Magazine July 2000, I keep my cooking magazines for a long time, you might say I am a cooking magazine hoarder!!
 
Grilled Orange Chicken Strips
 
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4 inch strips.
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh orange segments
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
2 tsp. lime juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
 
Place chicken in a resealable plastic bag or shallow glass container, combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over chicken to coat. Seal or cover and refrigerate for one hour, drain and discard marinade. Thread chicken on metal or soaked wooden skewers. Grill uncovered, over medium-hot heat for 6-8 minutes or until juices run clear, turning often, 4 servings.  
Have a great week!

Actually maybe I like eating cookies even more than baking them! My turn has come around to furnish cookies for the 2 p.m. coffee cart at Lakeview Health Care Center. I usually make two different kinds so they have a choice.
We are always in need of cookies for the residents. If any of you like to bake but don’t want the cookies around to tempt you, I have a deal for you! There are some churches and individuals in our area who volunteer to furnish cookies, bars or even quick breads (like banana) for the residents. We do have days where no one is signed up, and on those days Lakeview steps up to the plate. 7 dozen treats are needed.
I’m in charge of the cookie cart, so if any of you would like to bake treats call me at 235-6404 and I can tell you the days that are available. The Lakeview residents would so appreciate it!  
Here is the recipe I mixed up today. They have oatmeal as an ingredient, so fiber must be healthy, don’t you think?
 
Chocolate Lover’s Oatmeal Delights

 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter flavored chips
 
Mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, set aside. In a very large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat til combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, water and vanilla til combined. Beat in the flour mixture. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the oatmeal and then the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet (I line with parchment paper). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or til the edges are set. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Makes about 48 cookies.
Summer seems to have arrived.

 Have a great week!