Today is the last full day of the grandchildren’s visit. We are headed for Okoboji and a day of miniature golf, amusement park and of course eating out. I love my time alone with my Hunter, Taylor and Nik! Yesterday my older granddaughter, Samantha, her husband Justin and baby Lydia came for lunch. We grilled and I served this bread recipe I’m sharing with you today. I think it goes well with grilling. It comes from our UMC cookbook and was submitted by Joan Meyer. Before I forget, last week I did another big blooper, the amount of chili powder in the sloppy Joe recipe is 1/2 tsp. NOT 1/2 cup!

Cheesy Bread
1 loaf French bread
8 oz. pkg. sliced Swiss or mozzarella cheese
2 Tblsp. finely chopped onion
(I have used dehydrated onion)
1 scant Tblsp. dry mustard
1 scant Tblsp. poppy seed
1 tsp. seasoned salt
2 sticks butter, melted
I have added parsley flakes and a shake of
garlic powder

Using a serrated bread knife, cut diagonal slits in the bread, going almost all the way through. Put the bread on a large piece of heavy duty foil on a baking sheet. Place slices of cheese in the slits, combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the bread. Wrap tightly in foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted. Serve warm.
 
Have a great week!

Yesterday I cooked up some Sloppy Joes in preparation for grandchildren visiting, to have in my freezer. I don’t like to spend my time in the kitchen with meal preparation when I could be spending time with them! So, I try to cook meals ahead of time so I can just whip them out of the freezer and quickly have a meal on the table. The recipe I like for BBQs comes from a 1978 Fairmont Community Hospital/Lutz Wing cookbook and was submitted by Lori Chirpich. There are a lot of ingredients, but I love it. It can be kept in the crock pot for several hours on low to keep warm. Putting it in the crock pot improves the flavor. I hope that you will enjoy the recipe too!
 
Sloppy Joes
2 lbs. hamburger
1 large onion chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup catsup
3 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. prepared mustard
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 cup tomato soup
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper to taste

Brown hamburger with onion and celery, drain fat. Add remaining ingredients and simmer. Serve on buns.
 
Have a great week and stay cool!

This warm weather is perfect weather for my flowers, they have never looked so good! My geraniums, some of them 5 years old, are on our front steps.

I am always on the look out for a meal that I can toss together, put in the crock pot and forget until its time to eat! The recipe I am sharing with you today fits the bill and in this warm weather a crock pot doesn’t heat up your kitchen! I always remove the skin from the thighs before cooking, but that’s my personal preference. I think you will like this one!
 
Honey Garlic Chicken
 4-6 whole chicken thighs
1 # baby red potatoes
1 bag baby carrots
1 # green beans, trimmed (I don’t always use)
 
Sauce ingredients: mix together
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 tsp. sweet dried basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 tsp. pepper
 
Place chicken thighs at the bottom of the crock pot, Pour 1/2 of the sauce over meat, then add potatoes and carrots then remaining half of sauce. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Add green beans last 30 minutes of cooking time.
 
Have a great week!

This growing older isn’t much fun! Last week my doctor told me that she will give me three months to get my blood sugar down within normal limits, other wise I will have to be on diabetic meds! So I have my work cut out for me. Luckily my cholesterol and triglycerides have always been below normal, so I don’t have to worry about dairy or fats within reason anyway! So that means readers, my recipes will take on a different tone - most of them anyway! I do love pasta salads in the summer. I’m glad there are a lot of fresh veggies in the summer. Farmers market, here I come!
 
Creamy Avocado Salad
 
1 avocado, diced
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 tablespoons fresh basil, cut in ribbons
If you aren’t watching carbs, you could add 2 cups pasta of your choice, cooked, rinsed with cold water and drained.
 
Dressing:
1 cup ranch dressing
juice of one lime
1/4 cup cilantro (optional)
1 avocado, diced
1/4 tsp. salt
Place all of salad ingredients in a bowl. Place dressing ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Pour over salad ingredients and toss gently. Serve.

Have a great week!