Watermelon, Blueberry and Feta Salad

Sweet and juicy watermelon pairs beautifully with salty feta cheese! Blueberries add an extra bite of sweetness and a pop of color. Drizzle the whole thing with honey lime vinaigrette and enjoy your refreshing Watermelon, Blueberry and Feta Salad!

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 6 c. cubed watermelon
• 2 c. fresh blueberries
• 1 c. feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 T. fresh mint, or basil, chiffonade
• 2 T. fresh lime juice
• 1 T. fresh lemon juice
• 3 T. olive oil
• 1 T. honey
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Add cubed watermelon, blueberries, feta, and mint (or basil) to a large bowl.
2. In a separate small bowl, add lime juice, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. Whisk until blended. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
3. Just before serving toss fruit and cheese together. Drizzle with dressing and toss again to coat fruit with dressing. Serve immediately.

My parents' neighbors have several blueberry bushes that produce an abundant amount of blueberries every summer.  They are so gracious to allow my parents to pick any amount of blueberries they like.  So each summer, we are looking for delicious blueberry recipes.  I came across the above on Pinterest.  While I wouldn't consider this a most fabulous, must have at every meal, it's tasty enough to enjoy the blueberries in salad as a healthy alternative of something to eat. 

(I do not take credit for the picture.) You can find the recipe here http://www.littledairyontheprairie.com/watermelon-blueberry-feta-salad/

Creamy Cheesy Potatoes

About 5 large potatoes (enough to fill a 9x13 glass baking dish)

1 pint whipping cream- 2 cups

Salt and Pepper

2 tsp. Parsley flakes

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

 

Preheat oven to 400.   

Cut potatoes into thin french fry strips. 

Lay fries, in a 9x13 glass pan.  

Pour cream over the top of the fries.  

Salt and pepper generously.  

Sprinkle at least 2 cups grated Cheddar Cheese on top.  

Sprinkle parsley flakes on top of the cheese.  

Cover with foil & poke a fork through the top of the foil, 2 or 3 times to allow a little steam to escape.  

Cook at 400 for about 1 hour, 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender with oven rack in the middle of the oven.

During the last 15 or 20 minutes of baking lower oven rack one more step. (This makes the bottom of your potatoes, brown and crispy.)

***A favorite way we now eat potatoes!  Not for the diet but great for the occasional guilty pleasure!  This is great with hamburgers, BBQ beef burgers, Crockpot Buffalo Chicken.  It's a little time consuming to cut the potatoes but so worth it.  They really are creamy and cheesy and melt in your mouth!  These are best served immediately.

Zesty Italian Red Potatoes

Red potatoes cubed with skin left on.
Drizzle with EVOO. 
Sprinkle with a package of Zesty Italian dressing mix.
Stir in minced onion for flavor, salt and pepper to taste.
Cook 400 degree oven for 45 minutes or until tender.
Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

**Another great recipe to fix ordinary potatoes. 
**The above picture is not mine.  I can not find the original post to give credit. 

Cornbread Salad

1 (16 ounce) package corn bread mix 10 slices bacon 1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix 1 1/2 cups sour cream 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise 2 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans, drained   Prepare corn bread according to package directions. Cool, crumble, and set aside. Place bacon in a large deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside. (I cook my bacon in the oven) Whisk together the dressing mix, sour cream, and mayonnaise. Crumble half the corn bread in the bottom of a large serving dish. Top with half the beans. Layer the beans with half of the tomatoes, green bell pepper, and green onions. Sprinkle with half the cheese, corn, bacon, and the salad dressing mixture. Repeat the layers. Cover, and chill at least 2 hours before serving. *** I haven't ever made this but I have enjoyed it when made by a dear friend.  She brought to our last book club meeting.  With her permission, I just had to post it for others to enjoy.

3 tomatoes, chopped 1 cup chopped green bell pepper 1 cup chopped green onion 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 2 (11 ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained

Baked Parmesan Tomatoes

4 tomatoes, halved horizontally
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. fresh chopped oregano (or dried if fresh is not available)
1/4 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
4 tsp EVOO




*Basil to taste

 

Preheat oven to 450.

 

Combine Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt and pepper, *basil. 

 

Place tomatoes cut side up on a baking sheet.  Top with Parmesan mixture then drizzle with EVOO. 

 

Bake in oven til tomatoes are tender, approx. 15 minutes.

 

*I added basil, the original recipe does not call for it.

 

***I am the only one in my household that eats tomatoes so I am always looking for new ways to enjoy them.  This is definitely a recipe I will be using quite often.  Especially during the summer when fresh tomatoes are available. 

 

I found this recipe on Pinterest but it originated from 4peatssake.com.  The picture above is also from that website, I do not take credit for it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roasted Green Beans

12 oz green beans, trimmed (make sure they are dry)
2 tsp olive oil
kosher salt to taste
fresh cracked pepper to taste
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tbsp shredded Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum for easy clean-up.
Lay green beans out on the baking sheet and drizzle oil over them.

Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder and toss to evenly coat.

Spread them out on the sheet so that they all lay flat and place on the lower third section of your oven.

Bake 10 minutes, shake the pan to turn; bake 5 additional minutes.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with grated cheese.

***These are a really good way to eat green beans.  I've used frozen whole green beans and they worked just as well when thawed and dried.  Sometimes instead of using kosher salt and pepper I will use lemon pepper seasoning for a different variation.

This recipe is from Skinnytaste.com

Summer Garden Pasta

4 pts cherry tomatoes, halved
Olive Oil
2 Tbsp minced garlic
18 large basil leaves, julienned, plus extra for serving
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 lb dried angel hair pasta
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Combine the cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, basil leaves, red pepper flakes, 1 tsp salt and pepper in a large bowl. 

Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temp for about 4 hrs.

Just before ready to serve, bring a large pot of water with a splash of olive oil and 2Tbsp salt to a boil and add pasta.  Cook al dente according to package directions.

Drain the pasta well and add to the cherry tomatoes.  Add the cheese and some extra fresh basil leaves and toss well. 

Serve in big bowls with extra cheese on each serving.

***This recipe came from Barefoot Contessa.  This very light and delicious to be eaten as either a side or main dish.  The longer the tomatoes sit the more flavor it has.

Glazed Carrots

16 oz bag of peeled mini carrots
1 Tbsp honey
1 T lemon juice
2 T margarine
1/8 t cinnamon
1/8 t salt

Steam carrots til tender

Combine and heat all other ingredients then toss with carrots

***I am not a big fan of carrots but my husband likes them. He wasn't completely sold on this recipe but he is one that likes his veggies as plain and simple as can be. I'll leave the critiquing to y'all. However, I thought the lemon juice was a little over powering for me. I would use a little less if I were to fix these again.

Honey Sweet Corn on the Cob

6 ears of corn
1/4 cup of butter, melted
1 tsp honey
Ground pepper and salt to taste (optional)

Place corn in a pot or Dutch oven. Cover with enough water to bring to boil. Cook 5-10 minutes or until desired tenderness.

In a small bowl, mix butter and honey. Drizzle over cooked corn. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

***This was really good. I made a little more 'honey butter' spread. I like my corn drenched in butter. I also added more honey. This is a good recipe to change up boiled corn on the cob. It will probably be just as good on grilled corn.

Green Bean Casserole

This is one of our favorite ways to eat Green Beans - I found it in "More of the Four Ingredient Cookbook."  (Love 4 ingredients!!)

2 (16 ounce) cans of whole green beans, drained (I like to use the French sliced)
1/2 cup French dressing (sometimes I use some of the other variations, especially if they are lower calorie)
1/2 cup chopped onion (if I am just pulling stuff out of the pantry I will use dried onion and use less)
6 to 9 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled (another short cut is to use real bacon bits but fresh bacon tastes better)

Combine first 3 ingredients.  Place in casserole.  Sprinkle with bacon and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

If it is just the four of us, I may use only one can and do half.

Green Bean Wraps

2 cans whole green beans
1 stick butter
1/2 lb. bacon
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. garlic salt
Toothpicks

Cut bacon slices in halves. Take 3-4 whole green beans and wrap with bacon.

Insert toothpick to hold bacon around green beans.

Make glaze of brown sugar, garlic salt, butter, and pepper to taste.

Pour glaze over green bean bundles in baking dish. Bake in oven until bacon is done at 350 degrees.

I posted on my Facebook profile that I was looking for green bean recipes. My sister sent me this one. I think there are several variations of this recipe by several different names. I've seen a recipe similar that calls for Italian dressing. This recipe looks just as good. Can't wait to try it.

Kathy, another contributor to this blog also sent me a recipe. I hope she posts her on here, also.

Potato Casserole

6 large potatoes
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 stick real butter
8 oz sour cream
8 oz cream cheese
1 pkg real bacon bits

Boil potatoes til done with salt and then drain. Mash potatoes with the rest of the ingredients. Pour into a baking dish. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

****The first time I had this was at my family Christmas dinner. My mom served this instead of baked potatoes with our steaks which is our family traditional Christmas meal. It was definitely a hit with our family especially with my boys. One of my boys thought these were cheese grits so he refers to them as Cheese Grits Potatoes...whatever works to get him to eat.

****This recipe was given to my mom by her sister, my Aunt Myra. Thanks, Aunt Myra for sharing this with us!

Squash Casserole

1 1/2 lbs of yellow squash, sliced
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 grated carrot
1 grated onion
2 cups Pepperidge Farm Dressing Mix

Boil squash until tender, drain.

Mix squash with rest of the ingredients.

Melt 1 stick of butter and mix 2 cups Pepperidge Farm Dressing mix.

Spread on top of squash in casserole dish.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

***This is a favorite among my extended family. It's typically served at some of our gatherings. Super easy.

Broccoli Slaw

My mom made this for a family get together recently and it was so yummy!

Vinaigrette Dressing:
1/2 c apple cider vinegar
3/4 c sugar
1/2 t salt
1/2 t mustard seeds

Combine these ingredients & bring to a boil in a saucepan. Boil 1 minute. Cool & whisk in 3/4 c of oil.

Combine
1 pkg broccoli slaw mix (in the packaged produce)
2 gala apples chopped
1 c craisins (dried cranberries)

Pour vinaigrette over the salad mixture, toss well, cover & chill. Serve with a slotted spoon. You may add nuts if desired such as walnuts, pecans or peanuts.

Tip - this makes a good bit and Mom said that it is much better the day it is made so it still has more crispiness.

Loaded Potato Casserole

3 Big Baking Potatoes
16 oz Sour Cream
1 Can Cream of Chicken soup
3-4 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Divided
4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted & Divided
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
Bacon Bits
Chopped Green Onions

Preheat oven to 350, clean potatoes, bake about 75 min or until soft.

Pull off skin, and scrape out potatoes with a fork. Discard skins.

Combine potatoes, 3 T melted butter, sour cream, soup, salt, pepper and half of cheese.
Mix to desired consistency.

Increase oven temp to 400 and melt 1 T butter in large casserole dish.

Spread potato mixture in casserole dish, top with other half of cheese, bacon bits and green onions.

Cook 15-20 min. or until cheese bubbles around the edges.

Janet Dutro brought this to me when we got EMH and it was so good. I have made it a couple of times. It is a favorite of ours.
Enjoy!

Baked Pineapple

2 large cans of chunk pineapple, drained (save juice)
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup pineapple juice
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 tube of Ritz Crackers, crushed
1 stick butter, melted

Put pineapple in bottom of casserole dish. Top pineapple with a mixture of the sugar, flour, and pineapple juice. Top with cheese. Mix crackers and melted butter. Place on top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

This recipe came from my mom. I haven't tried it yet, but it sure sounds good.

Five Star Cornbread

3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
3 cups bisquick
3 heaping tablespoons corn meal
2 cubes melted butter (you need the real stuff)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar

Mix with fork (not a mixer or it will fall). Mixture will have small lumps.
Put in a 9x13 ungreased pan. Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes.
Serve while warm with honey butter.

***This cornbread recipe should almost be called "Cornbread Cake". Although it has cornmeal in it, this cornbread has more of a cake like texture. However, it is good. All 3 of my boys enjoyed it as an alternative to "real" cornbread.

CrockPot Corn

3 pkgs. frozen corn niblets
8 oz cream cheese
1 stick butter
1/2 cup sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a crockpot. Cook 3 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

***I've had this recipe for awhile and use it when I go to large family gatherings. Example, last Sunday we celebrated my grandmother's 85th birthday. There were 31 of us there and that wasn't all of us. The 31 included the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren along with their spouses. This dish is great for such occasions.

I got this recipe from Deanna's Cooking Corner.

Crunchy Romaine Toss

Salad:
Romaine Lettuce(I buy the bag of salad already chopped)
1 bunch of broccoli (chopped)
1 pkg. Ramen Noodles
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped


Dressing:
1/2 cup of Red Wine Vinegar
1 cup of sugar
2 tsp. Soy Sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup of oil(olive oil or other)


Brown the noodles and walnuts in a skillet with 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine. Or you can put them on a baking sheet and pour the melted butter over them and bake for about 10 minutes(just watch them closely and stir occasionally so they don't burn). Drain on paper towel. Toss the crunchy mixture with the lettuce and broccoli.

To make the dressing: mix vinegar and sugar and let it sit for several minutes. Then add the soy sauce and salt and pepper. Finally, whisk in the oil. You can store the dressing in the fridge, and just stir or shake well before serving. Pour salad dressing on the salad right before serving. I use my Pampered Chef mix and pour container(one of my favorite gadgets:)

This is my favorite salad and what I take anytime I'm asked to bring a salad!! I keep the dressing in the fridge and the salad ingredients so I can eat it for lunch.

Brown Rice

3/4 to 1 cup white, long grain rice
1 can beef broth
1/2 stick of margarine or butter

Combine all ingredients in an oven proof cooking bowl. Cook at 350 for about 30 to 45 minutes or until rice is tender. Beef broth will be absorbed when rice is through cooking. For less "dry" rice, add a little water and use 3/4 cups rice.

****My husband loves this rice and could eat the whole helping by himself. I like this recipe as an alternative to white rice.