cucumber slices in vinegar.

This is a favorite summertime snack of mine. Very few summer days went by in the Boyle home without these on the dinner table.

Combine in a bowl:

3 parts apple cider vinegar

1 part water

cucumber, washed and sliced thin

fresh ground pepper

Let cucumber set in vinegar for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Optional: Add slices of tomato and onion to the mix, if desired.

xx.

val

bacon cheese spread in bread bowl.

With the ongoing football party/over-indulgent snacks, we're sure you will love this one. It is always a crowd pleaser! Oops forgot to take a picture.. it was gone too fast!


Recipe:
1 loaf round bread (sourdough, rye, etc.)
1 loaf bread for cutting up
12 sliced crumbled bacon
8 oz. colby/jack cheese, shredded
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 to 1 cup minced onion
1 cup mayonnaise

-Cut center of round bread, leaving 1 inch think shell. Save top for cutting into pieces.
-Mix remaining ingredients in bowl. Spoon into shell
-Place on cookie sheet or baking stone
-Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes
-Serve with bread and crackers


emily.

lori's deviled eggs.

My mom makes a mean deviled egg.  I have to resist eating all of them...in one sitting.  But I make sure to get my fair share before my brother polishes them off :)

12 eggs, hard boiled

1/2 c. mayo

4 t. apple cider vinegar

1 t. mustard

1 T horseradish

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

paprika, for garnish

How to hard boil eggs: Place 12 eggs in a saucepan in a single layer.  Pour cold water over the eggs - just enough water to barely cover them.  Place on high heat until water is boiling.  Once water is boiling, remove from heat and cover.  Let eggs stand in hot water for 15 minutes.  Drain hot water from eggs.  Cool eggs by running cold water over them.  

Once eggs are cool, remove the shells from eggs.  Halve lengthwise.  Carefully remove the yolks.  Place yolks, mayo, vinegar, mustard, horseradish, salt and pepper in the food processor.  Blend well.  Spoon mixture back into hard boiled egg whites.  Sprinkle with paprika. 

If you need them to look fancy, spoon mixture into a plastic bag.  Snip a corner and squeeze the filling back into the eggs.  Sprinkle with paprika. 

xx.

val

grilled chicken sandwich with olive tapenade spread.

A little greek inspired sandwich.  The spread is made from leftover olive tapenade appetizer. Serves 4. 

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 t. oregano

1 t. basil

1 t. marjoram

1 clove garlic, minced

olive oil

feta 

8 whole wheat hamburger buns or 4 whole wheat pitas

lettuce, tomato, red onion, all optional

1 recipe for olive tapenade

Combine spices and minced garlic in a shallow pan.   Brush each piece of chicken with olive oil.  Roll through the spice mixture.  

To cook your chicken on the grill, clean your grill grate and spray it with cooking spray before lighting.  Or use a paper towel soaked with oil to grease the grill grate so the chicken does not stick.  Cook chicken for about 8 to 12 minutes.  Turn only once.  Chicken is done with internal temperature reaches 170 degrees.  Juices should run clear when you cut into it.  You can also cook on the stove top.  Add a little olive oil to your pan and cook over med or med high heat.  

To make the olive tapenade a spread, put a few tablespoons of tapenade into a food processor (or magic bullet) and process until smooth.  Spread on a toasted bun or pita.  Add chicken, feta and optional toppings. 

xx.

val

white bean dip.

White bean dip makes a tasty, healthy appetizer.  It is similar to hummus.  You can serve it with veggies, pita chips, or crackers.  Kashi's whole grain crackers would be delish with it.  White bean dip also makes a yummy little sandwich on toasted whole wheat pitas.  

1 (15 oz) cannellini beans

1/4 c. olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 lemon, zested

1/2 t. rosemary, optional

1/2 t. dill, optional

1 T fresh mint, optional

salt and pepper to taste

All ingredients go into the food processor (or magic bullet).  Process until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

whole wheat pita chips- Cut pita bread into 8 sections.  Brush with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and dried rosemary.  Bake 6 to 8 minutes at 400 degrees.  

pita sandwich-   Brush pita with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and dried rosemary.  Place under broiler for 1 to 2 minutes.  

xx.

val

learn to make sushi girls' night.

I had a learn to make sushi girls' night.  My friend Ishani came and shared her sushi making tips with us.  The girls - Bonnie, Francie, Abby, Katie, Missy, Kailee, Ellyn, Lindsay and Jacqueline did a great job making these tasty california rolls.  

You will need:

a makisu (sushi rolling mat, made of bamboo.  You can buy one at walmart for $2)

Japanese or sushi rice, cooked

nori or seaweed (buy roasted)

1 recipe for Crab Salad (or just chopped imitation crab and mayo will do) 

avocado, cut lengthwise

cucumber, peel and remove seeds, slice lengthwise

sesame seeds (buy toasted)

soy sauce

wasabi

pickled ginger

Cover your sushi rolling mat with plastic wrap.  Place it on a cutting board with the bamboo running horizontal.  Organize your ingredients in an assembly line.  The nori sheets are often too big for a sushi roll.  Cut 1/4 of the nori sheet off with clean kitchen scissors.  Lay nori sheet shiny side down.  Spread 3/4 c. to 1 c. of rice over the nori sheet.  Dip your hands in a bowl of water before starting.  Pat the rice out over the nori sheet evenly.  Flip the nori sheet so that the rice side is down.  Sushi rice is really sticky, so you should have no problem flipping it over without making a huge mess.  Line the edge of your nori sheet with the bottom of your sushi rolling mat.  Spoon crab salad down the middle of your

nori sheet.  Add avocado and cucumber on either side.  Begin rolling by bringing the bottom of your mat (covered in plastic wrap still) up and over the ingredients.  You will need to apply firm but gentle pressure to shape the roll.  But don't squeeze to hard or the ingredients will pop out the sides.  Continue rolling.  Pull back on your sushi mat to keep it from getting rolled up with the food.  Check out u- tube- how to make a california roll-  if you want a video demonstration before trying it yourself.  Once the sushi is all rolled up, roll it through toasted sesame seeds.  Cut your sushi with a sharp knife dipped in water.  Be gentle when cutting to protect the shape of your rolls.  The sticky rice will stick to your knife.  Use a wet paper towel to clean off your knife in between cuts.  Arrange your rolls on a platter and serve at room temperature.  Serve with soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger.   

Wasabi- In my grocery store, there are two different types of wasabi you can purchase.  The one of the left (in both pictures)  is a powder you add water to.  It creates a paste that you can shape and mold.  It is very similar to what you would get at a sushi restaurant.  The wasabi on the right (in both pictures) is an already prepared wasabi that comes in a tube.  You can't shape and mold  it, but either wasabi will work to add a kick to your soy sauce. 

Pickled Ginger- I made the pickled ginger in the picture on the right.  Peel the ginger root.  Once the ginger root is peeled, continue to peel the ginger into a shallow container.  Salt the the ginger for 30 minutes to 1 hour.  Boil water and blanch the ginger for 1 minute.  Drain.  Place the ginger back into the shallow container.  Add 2 parts rice vinegar to 1 part sugar.  Use just enough rice vinegar to cover all the ginger.  Marinate the ginger in rice vinegar and sugar mixture for 4 days.  Drain.  Eat the pickled ginger in between dishes as a palate cleanser.

You also might want to get some chopsticks, but it isn't against etiquette to use your fingers for sushi.  Just make sure you eat the whole piece of sushi in one bite because it is bad etiquette to try to take smaller bites of one piece of sushi.  

xx.

val

cinnamon chips & fruit salsa.

A light and tasty dessert for your cinco de mayo celebration!

cinnamon chips- 

whole wheat tortillas 

2- 3 T butter, melted or cooking spray

3 t. sugar

1/2 t. cinnamon

preheat oven to 350.  Combine 3 t. sugar to 1/2 t. cinnamon.  Cut each tortilla into 8 chips.  Brush your tortilla chips with melted butter (or spray with cooking spray).  Dust tortillas with cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  

fruit salsa- 

I used pineapple, honeydew, cantaloupe, green grapes and strawberries.  But red grapes, green or red apples, kiwi, peaches, and banana are excellent fruit salsa options, too.  Choose your salsa ingredients.  Cut all fruit very small.  Squeeze 1 T lemon juice over the fruit and stir to mix.  Refrigerate fruit until ready to serve.  

Serve chilled fruit with warm chips.  

xx

val 

mini mexi pizzas.

whole wheat tortillas, small or large

1 recipe for homemade taco sauce

cheddar cheese, shredded

parmesan cheese, shredded

toppings - I used leftover diced fajita chicken, grilled red and yellow peppers, grilled onions, and lettuce.  But any combination of sausage, black beans, corn, green onions, green chiles, jalepenos, fresh cilantro, etc. would also be delicious! 

Bake tortillas for 4 minutes at 350 degrees.  Preheat the broiler and adjust oven rack, if needed.  Brush on a thin layer of taco sauce.  Top with cheddar and parmesan cheese.  Add your toppings.  Place under the broiler for 1- 2 minutes, just until cheese is melted.

xx

val

fajitas.

Marinate 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (or 6 to 8 chicken cutlets) for 30 minutes to 1 hour in:

4 T olive oil

4-6 shakes hot sauce

2 limes, juiced

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T fresh cilantro, chopped

1 T cumin

1 t. oregano

2 t. salt

1 t. pepper

Grill your chicken - either on an outdoor grill or in a grill pan over med high heat.  Chicken is done with internal temperature reaches 170 degrees.  Let rest.  Slice chicken into strips.

Build your fajita- I like to use whole wheat Guerrero brand tortillas, but any tortilla you like will do.  If desired, grill any color bell pepper and onion in thin slices.  Pick your toppings-  cheddar, salsa, taco sauce, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, green onion, cilantro, lettuce, tomato, etc. 

xx

val

whole wheat oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 to 2 1/2 cups oatmeal, food processed
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
12 oz. chocolate chips

Cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar.
Add eggs and vanilla. Mix.
Add flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
Add chocolate chips.

Place balls of dough 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375.


emily.

'little boy blue'berry cupcakes.

Anna and Matt recently found out they are going to have a little boy!  Francie and I made these cupcakes for Anna to celebrate the good news.

Basic Whole Wheat Cake (or Cupcake) Recipe:

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter, at room temperature

1/2 c. milk

2 eggs, at room temperature

2 t. vanilla extract

1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

2 t. baking powder

Cream together sugar and butter.  Add milk and eggs, one at a time, and beat well.  Beat in vanilla.  In another bowl, sift together whole wheat flour and baking powder.  Fluff your whole wheat flour before measuring.  Slowly add whole wheat flour mixture to wet ingredients.  Blend well.  Spray muffin tins or line tin with cupcake liners.  Fill each 3/4 of the way full.   Bake for 20 minutes at 350.  If making a cake, you will have to bake for longer.  In a 9 by 13 or 9 by 9 pans, try 30 minutes.  Let cake or cupcakes cool before icing.

Blueberry Frosting:

1 c. heavy whipping cream

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

2 (4 oz) packages fresh blueberries (or 8 to 12 oz frozen blueberries)

2-3 drops blue food coloring

Crush the fresh blueberries.  Beat together heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla.  You will need to beat until firm peaks form.  Fold in crushed berries.  Add a few drops food coloring to reach the shade of blue you desire.  Ice the cooled cupcakes.  

Garnish with fresh blueberries and a light dusting of powdered sugar.  

xx

val

whole wheat banana bread.

Making breakfast healthy again, but keeping it tasty!  This recipe makes a mini loaf (1/2 a regular loaf).  Double it for regular loaf size.

1/2 c. maple syrup

1/2 c. butter, at room temperature

1 egg, at room temperature

1/2 t. vanilla extract

2 bananas, mashed

1 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

Cream together maple syrup and room temperature butter.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Mash two bananas.  Beat in bananas.  In another bowl, sift together whole wheat flour, baking soda and salt.  Fluff the flour before measuring it out.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while mixing.  Pour batter into greased loaf pan.  Bake mini loaf for 30 to 35 minutes at 350.  Bake full loaf for 50 to 60 minutes at 350.

xx

val

mini dessert pizzas.

Lori makes a great large dessert pizza which consists of a sugar cookie "pizza", cream cheese & cool whip "sauce", and fruit "toppings". I didn't put any sugar in these cookies though. Can't really call them a sugar cookie without the sugar, right?! Let's just call them Whole Wheat Honey Cookies. I'll have to make some adjustments before these Honey Cookies will be good all on their own. The combo of cookie, frosting and fruit was perfection though.

Whole Wheat Honey Cookies-

2 c. whole wheat flour

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

3/4 c. honey

1/2 c. butter

2 T milk, or less*

1 t. vanilla

1 egg

*Since honey is a liquid, you might not need this much milk. Add milk last and only as much as necessary to blend ingredients.

Bring butter and egg to room temperature. In a bowl, combine whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Fluff the flour before measuring. In another bowl, combine honey, butter, vanilla and egg. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients 1 cup at a time. Add milk if necessary. Blend thoroughly. I found that refrigerating the dough for a few hours helps the cookies bake beautifully. But you can make them right away without refrigerating. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375. Roll dough into balls. Flatten the balls with the palm of your hand. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8 minutes. Let cool.

Variations: You can roll dough through cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg mixture before baking if desired. Either orange or lemon zest would be a great addition to the dough, too.

Cream Cheese & Cool Whip Frosting-

8 oz cream cheese

8 oz cool whip

1 t. vanilla extract

1 T honey

Blend ingredients thoroughly. If you add orange or lemon zest to the dough, add 2 t. to 1 T fresh orange or lemon juice to the frosting.

Fruit-

Cut any fruit into small pieces. Suggested: strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, nectarines, peaches, kiwi, banana, grapes, etc.

Assemble mini dessert pizzas - Frost the cooled whole wheat honey cookies with a thick layer of cream cheese & cool whip frosting. Top with chopped fruit pieces.

xx.

val

whole wheat chocolate chip cookie bars.

These yummy chocolate chip cookie bars aren't burnt.  The whole wheat flour turns them a darker shade, but they are soft, chewy and delish just like a good cookie bar should be!

2 c. whole wheat flour*

1 1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

1 c. butter

3/4 c. honey**

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 t. vanilla

2 eggs

2 c. chocolate chips

*When substituting whole wheat flour in recipes that call for white all purpose flour, the exchange rate is 7/8 c. whole wheat flour to 1 c. white flour.

**Honey instead of white sugar? Yes! Honey is unrefined, natural and contains more vitamins and minerals than white sugar. Some things to keep in mind when subbing honey for sugar: Honey is sweeter than sugar, so a lot of times you won't need to use quite as much. Moreover, for every cup of honey used, add 1/2 t. baking soda. Even though I only used 3/4 c. honey, I added an extra 1/2 t. baking soda (1 1/2 t. baking soda total) to the recipe.

Bring butter and eggs to room temperature. Grease a 13 by 9 pan. Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Fluff your whole wheat flour before measuring. Make sure to make an exact measurement. In another bowl, combine butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs. Blend together. Add the dry ingredients a cup at a time to the wet ingredients. Blend thoroughly. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour mixture into greased 13 by 9 pan. Bake for 17 minutes.

xx.

val

uppercase living party.

I recently threw a party to help out my friend Sarah with her new business. Miss Anita and I were in charge of the food, so we decided to use skewers to make dinner seem more like fun appetizers. We skewered strips of marinated chicken after soaking the skewers for 20 minutes. Then grilled the chicken on the grill just like normal. I was in charge of the fruit and veggies. Here are some fun ways to serve normal party food.

Veggie Platter with Bell Pepper Dip Bowl-

For this veggie platter I used carrots, celery, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumbers, and broccoli. I alternated my orange and red colored veggies with the green veggies on this platter. Squash and yellow or orange bell pepper would also be beautiful, colorful additions.

Bell Pepper Dip bowl- Any color bell pepper will work for this dip bowl. Cut the pepper in half widthwise or lengthwise. If you are serving two dips with your veggie tray, try to make the cut as even as possible to allow use of both pieces of pepper as dip bowls. Carefully remove the seeds. Rinse your pepper inside and out with water. Fill your dip bowl with dip of your choice.

I also kept the top of my bell pepper as a holder for toothpicks to help pick up the tomatoes.

Festive Fruit Skewers-

For these fruit skewers, I decided to use strawberries, grapes, pineapple, and cantaloupe. Rinse strawberries and grapes. Cut the top off the strawberries and cut any large strawberries in half. Cut the pineapple and cantaloupe into bite size pieces. Skewer your fruit. I used a small, circle watermelon for this party of 10 girls. For a party of more people a larger, oval watermelon would probably be the best choice. Cut the watermelon in half- lengthwise or widthwise depending on the shape you are wanting for your arrangement. Place flesh side down on platter of your choice. Cut the other half of your watermelon into bite sized pieces and use in your fruit skewers. Place the skewers into the watermelon. Start in the middle and work your way down and out.

xx.

val

an idea for leftovers: turkey sandwich with spinach & artichoke spread.

So, a friend and I were trying to figure out what to do with leftover spinach and artichoke dip. We discussed how good the Turkey Artichoke Panini at Panera was, and decided to make our own version. We had leftover garlic bread, so we put it all together with some turkey and baked it for a few minutes.. and the outcome: a really good sandwich!

spinach and artichoke dip recipe: (I just got this from a recipe website or blog, was looking for one with these ingredients, I have a few different recipes I like for Spinach/Artichoke Dip that I like though!)

1 cup spinach, frozen
1 1/2 cup artichokes from can
6 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayo
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Boil spinach and artichokes in 1 cup of water until tender, drain. Heat cream cheese in microwave for 1 minute, or until soft and hot. Stir in rest of ingredients, and serve hot. I put some extra parm on top and baked it for a few minutes.

garlic bread
loaf of italian bread, sliced but not all the way through. paint in between pieces with mix melted butter and garlic powder or garlic salt. Bake wrapped in foil, 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.


emily.

nachos with southwest chicken and nacho cheese.

tortilla chips

1 recipe for nacho cheese

1/2 recipe for southwest chicken

optional toppings: lettuce, tomato, onion, black beans, corn, jalapenos, black olives, gaucamole, sour cream, green onion, etc.

Nacho cheese:

2 oz cream cheese

2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1 c. milk

4 oz green chiles

In a saucepan over med heat, combine nacho cheese ingredients. Cook until ingredients are warm and well blended.

Cover the chips with nacho cheese. Make southwest chicken according to directions. Dice or shred chicken to your liking and add to the nachos. Top with your favorite nacho toppings.

xx.

val