Super Simple Coleslaw

 This is a very simple way to have coleslaw quickly.  It tastes a lot like the Colonel's.  My husband says it is better.

1/2 bag coleslaw mix (contains green and purple cabbage, carrots)

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 T. sugar

2 T. lemon juice

1 T. vinegar

salt and fresh ground pepper

Chop the cabbages very fine.  Put in a serving bowl.  In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the dressing ingredients.  Pour over the slaw and mix well.  Chill in the fridge for an hour or so before serving.

I usually use the other 1/2 of the coleslaw mix to make fish tacos (such a great recipe- one of my top ten favorites) or put in a stir fry.

Mexican Restaurant-Style Salsa

 Are salsa and chips your favorite part of eating at a Mexican restaurant?  You can make salsa just like your favorite restaurant at home.  You can customize it to make it just the way you and your family like it!

Here's the basic recipe:

6-8 large tomatoes, scalded and peeled (or you can substitute a large can of tomatoes)

2 cans Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chilis)

1 roughly chopped onion

1-3 cloves garlic, mashed or chopped

1-2 Jalapeno, quartered and seeded if desired (the seeds are where most of the heat lives)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt (or more)

1 teaspoon cumin

Bunch cilantro, chopped

1 lime, juiced

garlic salt to taste

You need a food processor for this, though I don't know why a blender wouldn't work.  1st put in your tomatoes and pulse until smooth.  Pour into a bowl( unless you have a really big food processor that will hold the whole recipe.)  Then put 1 can of the Rotel in the processor (I like to leave the other chunky and put it right in the bowl) and the rest of the ingredients.  Process until smooth.  Pour in with the tomatoes and mix well.  Taste.  Add more, sugar, lime, salt, cilantro as your taste dictates.  Some may want it much hotter and add more Jalapeno.  When you get it the way you like it, refrigerate for at least an hour.  You can serve it just like this (like restaurants do,) or add some or all of the following to the part you are going to eat right now:

1 bell pepper, chopped

green onions, chopped

about 1/3 cucumber, chopped very fine

more lime juice

1 tomato, chopped

Again, adjust to your taste.  

You can freeze this base.  It gets a little more watery, but it tastes good.

Cucumber/ Sour Cream Salad

It must be my Norwegian heritage, but this salad tastes so good to me.  It is the perfect side dish.

Cucumber/ Sour Cream Salad
4-5 cucumbers, thinly sliced
3-4 radishes, thinly sliced
3 T. green onions, finely chopped
2 T. fresh dill, chopped (I actually prefer about 1 T. dried dill weed)
1 cup sour cream
2 T. mayonnaise
3 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. kosher salt
3-4 T. sugar

Place the cucumber slices in a colander, resting on a bowl in the sink.  Sprinkle the salt on the cucumbers and set aside, letting the juices drain from the cucumbers.  This will take about 20 minutes to an hour or two- the longer the better to get the water off.  
In a large bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and sugar.
Add the cucumbers, radishes, green onions and fresh dill and toss together.  Chill for about an hour before serving.

*Note:  All of the amounts are suggestions.  Taste it and add what you feel it needs more of.  

Zucchini Bread

 My sister-in-law Nan shared this recipe with me many years ago- probably 40+ years ago.  I make it most summers when there is an abundance of zucchini.  I freeze grated zucchini in 2 cup portions in zip lock freezer bags so I can make it during the year.  I was recently looking at recipes on allrecipes.com.  Because it is the season, I suppose, they featured zucchini bread recipes on their home page.  I looked at the recipe with the highest ratings to find that their highest rated zucchini bread was almost exactly the recipe Nan shared with me so long ago.  The only difference is this one calls for 1 cup white and 1 cup brown sugar.  That one called for 2 1/4 cups white sugar only.  Otherwise, exactly the same!  Nice to know I've been using the best recipe all these years.  One change I've made over the years is to substitute all or part of the oil with applesauce.  It reduces the calories, but doesn't make much difference in the taste.  I've found I like to do about 1/2 oil and 1/2 applesauce.  The oil helps it to stay moist longer.

Zucchini Bread

Beat together:

1 cup oil (can substitute all or part with applesauce)

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups grated zucchini

When well mixed, turn off mixer and add:

3 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 T. cinnamon

1 cup chopped nuts

Mix together and pour into 2 well-greased loaf pans.  Bake at 325 for 1 hour  

Single- Serving Cake

Sometimes you just need a little treat in the evening.  This so simple recipe lets you have a piece of cake whenever you desire.  Keep some frosting in the fridge or ice cream and topping and you have a delicious treat anytime.

Single Serving Cake
2 boxes of cake mix: 1 angel food and the other any flavor of choice

Put both cake mixes in a large Ziploc bag.  Close the bag and mix together well.  Store.  When ready to have cake:
Spray a microwavable mug.
Put in 3 Tablespoons of the mix and 2 Tablespoons water.  Mix together.  Microwave for 1 minute.
Top with ice cream, frosting, fruit, whipped cream or whatever you want.

Ultimate Buttercream Frosting

Nothing is better than a sugar cookie with fluffy, light buttercream frosting on it.  This recipe is just that.  

Shown here on sugar cookie bars 

Delicious, Perfect Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter, softened to room temperature (very important that it is soft)*

4 cup powdered sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 Tablespoons cream, half and half, canned milk, or milk. Cream is best, but all work

Put the butter in your mixing bowl. You can use you electric mixer or hand mixer.  Beat until very fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar.  Add some, beat, add some , beat, etc until it is all mixed in. Add the vanilla and 2 Tablespoons cream. Gradually add more cream until it is the consistency you want. You can add a few drops food coloring if you would like. Beat well and plead on the cooled cookie bars.
* You can soften butter by putting hot water in a glass, pouring out the water, then putting the warm gas’s over the stick of butter. Let it sit for awhile.