MUSTARD~DILL POTATO SALAD

A new twist on an old favorite!

2 pounds new red potatoes
Salt
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
2 hard-cooked eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon fresh dill
Salt and pepper
Lettuce
Cherry tomatoes

Scrub the potatoes and cut into large chunks. Do not peel. Place in a saucepan and cover with salted water. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce the heat and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Let cool.

Add the celery, onion hard-cooked eggs, and dill to the potatoes and toss. Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar and mustard. Add to the potatoes and toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on a bed of lettuce and garnish with cherry tomatoes.

Serves 6

note: This potato salad is delicious! Everyone wants the recipe. That's why it's here!

Biscuits and Jam!

Today I am making plum jam and don't try to talk me out of it!

I know it will take all day. I know it will be hot and messy and in the end I'll probably have only a dozen little jars of jam, and a sticky kitchen floor! (Beth! I do wish you were here to help me.)

But what else was I going to do today?

Except paint, plant, unpack and pick up.

And besides the plum tree in our back yard is dropping ripe plums all over the ground and it simply seems like the right thing to do!

I'm also making bread today. I bet you wish you could be here this afternoon when warm jam collides with hot bread....and butter, of course. Well, feel free.

In case you prefer biscuits with you jam. I just posted a recipe for Cream Biscuits on my recipe blog. Which I made for the first time last night. They were quick, fun and delicious...a winning combination.

In closing, I want to thank Rachel Lake for letting me use this photo. I don't know Rachel and she doesn't know me but I appreciate her sharing!

Cream Bicuits

2 CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR

1 TEASPOON SALT

1 TABLESPOON BAKING POWDER

2 TEASPOONS SUGAR

1 CUP PLUS 2 TABLESPOONS HEAVY CREAM

1/3 CUP UNSALTED BUTTER

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the cream to the dry ingredients and mix. Gather the dough together and knead a few times in the bowl. The dough should feel tender. On a lightly floured surface, knead for one additional minute. Pat the dough into a 1/2" thick round. Cut into 12 pieces with a biscuit cutter or a glass. Place biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter. Bake for 15 - 17 minutes or until light golden brown.

note: I don't usually make biscuits. I've convinced myself that the ones in the freezer section are just fine, and they are! But tonight just as I was beginning to cook spaghetti, my husband walked through the kitchen, took one look at the potatoes I was frying (I know you don't usually serve potatoes with spaghetti but never mind that!) and said, " What you got going on there? You cooking breakfast? A little stunned, yet realizing it was a legitimate question (with a skillet full of sizzling potatoes), I replied, "Is that what you want?" He was most excited so I quickly called role. Eggs? check. Biscuits? silence.....FROZEN BISCUITS? absent. uh, bread? No bread, either. The crackers were eagerly waving their hands, anxious to be of service but I knew there was no way I could serve 'Hungry Jack' scrambled eggs and fried potatoes with crackers. Determined to make my man happy, I tied on my favorite apron, threw open the closest cook book and gave this new recipe a try. I'm pleased to say, they were a pleasure to make and most importantly tasted 'delish'! So even though they are not a 'tried and true' family favorite, they will most definitely make an appearance again in the near future. Just between me and you, they are significantly better than frozen and took less than 10 minutes to make (plus 15-17 more to bake) and would be a perfect accompaniment to any meal....especially spaghetti! :) You know I'm kidding, right?

Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream

You won't believe how delicious this is! Perfect for backyard cookouts, birthday parties and summer days! Warning! They'll be begging for more.

Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream makes 6 quarts

• 6 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 cups light whipping cream (3 1/2 pints)
• 3 tall cans of Pet milk
• 1 16 oz. can of Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
• 1 T. of vanilla extract
• 1 t. almond extract
• 1 t. cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar together. Then add whipping cream, Pet milk, Hershey's syrup, vanilla and almond extract, and cinnamon until well combined. Pour into chilled, freezer can and freeze according to manufacturer instructions. If there is any left over ( I seriously doubt it) put it in lidded freezerware and hide in your standing freezer.

Chiles Rellenos Casserole

8 whole Roasted, Peeled, And Seeded Green Chiles
1-½ cup Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
5 whole Large Eggs
2 cups Whole Milk
Salt And Black Pepper To Taste
½ teaspoons Paprika
¼ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.Mix together eggs, milk, salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne.Cut chilies in half and add a single layer of chilies on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.Top chilies with half the grated cheese.Repeat with another layer of chilies and another layer of cheese.Pour egg mixture all over the top.Place into a larger baking dish or rimmed baking sheet. Pour in 1/2 inch of water and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until completely set.Cut into squares and serve with warm corn tortillas!

Sunshine Sugar Cookies .....these iced sugar cookies are a long time family favorite! Bake some today.

Cookie
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
21/2 cups all- purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, combine well the flour, soda and salt. Set dry ingredients aside. In a large mixing bowl cream butter, shortening and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extract. At low speed, gradually add dry ingredients into the creamed mixture.
Drop cookie dough, by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart, onto an ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten dough with the bottom of a glass dipped into flour. Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly brown. Cool slightly, transfer cookies to wire cooling racks and spread icing on warm cookies. Let the icing dry.

Icing
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon yellow food coloring

Combine powdered sugar, milk and food coloring in a small bowl, until well blended.

Guacamole

In this part of the country, guacamole and chips, is a favorite! Over the years I've searched for the best recipe. Many were fancy and full of stuff , but recently I tasted the yummiest 'guac' ever! And you won't believe how easy it is.......

Several ripe avacados

Ground black pepper

Salt

Garlic powder

To 1 cup of mashed avacado, add 1/4 tsp. of pepper, salt and garlic powder. Mix well and taste.

Serve with corn tortilla chips. Julio's are the best! Call 877-659-CHIP(2447) . Have them send you a case. You can thank me later!