Day 22--Lemon Spinach Chicken

Easy to prepare and definitely easy to clean up, there's nothing better than a dish cooked in foil! This chicken can be either baked in an oven or cooked on the grill. Adjust cooking times to suit the method of cooking. I'm not giving amounts here--this is a pile on what you like kind of recipe. Just remember that spinach really cooks down, so you'll need more than you think you might.

Lemon Spinach Chicken
Boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
fresh ground black pepper
your favorite saltless herb seasoning
raw spinach, cleaned and destemmed
grape tomatoes or roma tomatoes cut in quarters
 button mushrooms, quartered
Lemon Juice
lemon slices
red pepper strips

Center the chicken in a square of foil. Season with pepper and  herb seasoning. Surround with the mushrooms. Top with spinach and tomatoes. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Lay two lemon slices over veggies. 

Bring up edges of the foil and fold together to seal tightly. Place in a baking dish.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.

Note: Any of you favorite veggies can be cooked this way. Summer squash is a good mix with the tomatoes. 

 


 

Day 21--Poppy Seed Fruit Salad

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Another of Walt's recipes... an excellent fruit salad for a summer treat!

Poppy Seed Fruit Salad

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup limeade concentrate

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

1 cup fresh strawberries--halved

1 cup cubed fresh pineapple

1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup cubed, seeded watermelon
1 cup peeled and sliced kiwi
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

Combine the honey, limeade concentrate and poppy seeds in a small bowl.

Combine the fruits in a large serving bowl and drizzle with the dressing. Toss gently to coat. Just before serving, sprinkle with the almonds.

Day 20--Cream Cheese Bacon Crescents

Here's another favorite that comes from the Kraft Kitchens

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Cream Cheese Bacon Crescents

1 8 oz tub Chive and Onion Cream Cheese
3 Slices bacon--cooked and crumbled
2 tubes refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


Mix cream cheese and bacon in a small bowl until well blended


Separate each tube of dough into 8 triangles. Cut each triangle in half lengthwise. Spread each triangle with 1 generous teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture. Roll up starting at the shortest edge of the triangle and roll toward the point. Place point side down on ungreased baking sheet.


Bake 12 - 15 minutes or until golden brown.


Makes 16 servings--2 rolls each.

Day 19--Chocolate No Bake Cookies

These are my favorite cookies. Maybe because they're more like candy than cookies. And because they're quick and easy to make.

Most folks make these with peanut butter. This recipe is pure and simple chocolate only, great for those like me who only occasionally like peanut butter. These cookies are tempting at any time, but if you can wait and keep them in an airtight container overnight, they 'mellow' and are even better!

Chocolate No Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup (one stick) margarine or butter

1/2 cup milk

3 cups quick cooking oatmeal

5 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a heavy sauce pan bring the first three ingredients to a rolling boil. Stir constantly and boil for 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper. Cool until set. Store in an airtight container.

This photo is of cookies proudly displayed on an assortment of Darlene's handmade potholders. Beautiful, aren't they--the potholders, I mean.

Day 18--Cereal Killer Cookies

This recipe was adapted by author Sandy Aquilar from the recipe in Diane Mott Davidson's Cereal Murders.

Cereal Killer Cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together in a small bowl:

1 cup chocolate chips

1 (7 1/2 oz) bag almond brickle chips

         (Heath or Bits o' Brickle)

2 cups Oatmeal

Mix together in another bowl:

1 2/3 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

In a third bowl blend with a mixer:

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Blend slowly into sugars:

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter

Add and blend well:

2 large eggs

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Add the flour mixture and blend with mixer.

By hand stir in the oat and chips mixture.

Using a 2 tablespoon measure, place dough 2" apart on cookie sheets covered with parchment paper or 'release foil". (Cookies tend to stick without a pan liner)

Bake 12-15 minutes. Cool on racks. They may look slightly puffy but will flatten out as they cool. Makes 4-5 dozen.

Day 17--Bow Tie Pasta Salad

Here's a recipe from my friend Walt. Since asparagus is so fresh and tasty right now, give this version of a pasta salad a try! Green beans or broccoli make good substitutions for the asparagus.

Bow Tie Pasta Salad

1 pound bow tie pasta
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1 pound fresh asparagus cut up
4 green onions sliced
1 diced pepper--use whatever color you want
1/2 pound grape tomatoes
4 oz Feta cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. During the last 3 minutes add asparagus and cook until tender-crisp. Drain and cool. Then add all ingredients to a large bowl.

Dressing:
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1-2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup good olive oil
fresh ground pepper

Whisk the first four ingredients together then add the oil slowly, whisking to make a homogeneous sauce. Pour over salad and toss to coat.

Day 16--Mint Kiss Cookies

A recipe from Hershey's. Originally, when Hershey's Mint Kisses first showed up on the store shelves, they were difficult to find--and then only at holiday time. These cookies were a hit with friends and family, and not being able to find the kisses was tragic. Although, these are just as good with plain kisses. The 'filled' kisses don't work as well.

One year I made these and used green tinted powdered sugar calling them Leprechaun Balls.

Magical Mint Kiss Cookies

1 cup butter or margaine
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa
48 Hershey's kisses, unwrapped
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy. Stir together flour and cocoa then gradually add to the butter mixture. Beat until blended. Mold a scant tablespoon dough around each kiss, covering completely. Shape into balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool for 1 minute then remove cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Roll in powdered sugar.