Baby Fresh Spinach and Apple Salad

A crispy spinach salad recipe with a sweet tangy vinaigrette.  An outstanding way to increase your vegetable and fruit consumption.

• 4 cups baby fresh spinach
• 1 small Granny Smith apple, chopped
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Toss spinach, apples, cashews and raisins together.
Combine sugar with garlic and celery salt.
Whisk with vinegar until sugar dissolves.
Whisk in oil until blended.
Serve salad with dressing on the side.

Lemon-Almond Cheesecake Ball

A recipe for a dip that has the creaminess of cheesecake. 

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 ounces butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 package lemon drink powder, Kool-Aid
• 1/4 cup almond meal
• slivered almonds for garnish

Mix cream cheese and butter until creamy.
Add sugars and lemon powder
Add almond meal.
Mix until smooth.
Line mold with plastic wrap.
Pour into mold.
Chill 8 hours or overnight.
Unmold on serving tray.
Garnish with slivered almonds.
Serve with apple slices or salty pretzels.

Make-ahead and freeze for later.

Cotton Candy Martini

A recipe for a delightful, fun cocktail.

• 1 bag pink cotton candy
• 2 ounces vodka, chilled
• 1 ounce cranberry juice, chilled
• 1 ounce pineapple juice, chilled

Fill martini glass with cotton candy.
Shake remaining ingredients over ice.
Strain into martini glasses.

.

Tip:

The cotton candy melts quickly, so present the glass filled with the cotton candy first before pouring.
Its fun to watch the cotton candy dissolve right before your eyes.
For a non-alcoholic version omit vodka and substitute 2 ounces lemonade.

 

How to Make Fresh Cranberry Juice

A recipe straight from the bog that produces a jewel red refreshing beverage. One of only three fruits native to American, cranberry juice is bitter and needs to be sweetened to produce a mild tart beverage.  Cranberries have been touted for years for their health benefits.

• 1 12-ounce package cranberries, fresh or frozen
• 4 cups water
• sugar to taste

Wash and drain cranberries.
Place in saucepan.
Pour water over cranberries.
Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.
The cranberries will pop.
Remove from heat and let sit 20 minutes.
Strain juice through several layers of cheesecloth.
Reserve pulp for another use.
Combine cranberry juice with sugar to taste.
Heat juice for 5 minutes do not boil.
Chill and serve.

Tip:
Cranberries are only available a few months of the year, but they freeze well.
The juice can also be canned.

Microwave Cheese Sauce

A outstanding, easy, microwave recipe to serve over soft tacos along with your other toppings.

• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup grated Colby cheese

Mix all ingredients together in a microwave safe bowl until smooth.
Microwave on high 2 minute, stir.
Microwave an additional 1 minute, stir.
Add grated cheese, stirring to melt cheese.
Return to microwave and cook an additional 1 minute.

Tips:

An immersion blender works wonderful for stirring this sauce.  A first-rate way for creating a smooth velvet cheese sauce.
Other cheese maybe substituted for Colby.  Good choices are cheddar, Monterey Jack or try one flavored with jalapenos for extra heat.

Frankoma Pottery

While living in Oklahoma, I purchased a set of Frankoma pottery from their gift shop in Sapulpa.  The pattern is Ranch with a White Sand glaze. The dinnerware is made from clay dug from Sugar Loaf Hill near Sapulpa, Oklahoma. The red-brick colored Sapulpa firing clay gives the pottery a unique look of older terra cotta.  John Frank, a professor at the University of Oklahoma in the 1930's, developed glazes that let the color of the clay partially show through.  Frankoma has enjoyed increased publicity from exposure on various television shows, by Martha Stewart's personal collection, and in antique stores throughout the United States. The pottery is still affordable and is both visually pleasing and functional.  Frankoma Pottery, after being in operation since 1933, closed and shut down its operation in 2004.  The molds and name were bought and now they sell limited pieces on the Internet.   
  

Southern Breeze

Sweltering summer heat made bearable by a Southern Breeze.

• 1 0.22-ounce packet Kool-Aid Blue Raspberry Lemonade
• 1 cup of sugar
• 6 cups water
• 1 6-ounce can frozen lemonade
• 1 46-ounce can pineapple juice
• 1 2-liter bottle ginger ale, chilled

Mix Kool-Aid powder with sugar and water.
Pour into ice cube trays and freeze.
Mix frozen lemonade and pineapple juice together.
Chill until ready to use.
Just before serving pour ginger ale into pineapple juice mixture.
Pour over Kool-Aid ice cubes.
Serve.

Tip:

To make individual servings mix 1/3 cup pineapple juice mixture with 1/2 cup ginger ale.
Pour over Kool-Aid ice cubes.



Shared at Saucy Saturdays Link Party

Sweet Lemonade

A perfect summer drink to enjoy anytime.

• 2 cups simple syrup
• 1 3/4 cups fresh lemon juice
• 3 cups water
• lemon slices or wedges for garnish

Stir first 3 ingredients together.
Serve over ice.
Garnish with lemon slices.


Recipe for Simple Syrup