Grilled Salmon

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
lemon pepper to taste (NOT lemon peper salt)
garlic powder to taste
salt to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil

1. Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt.

2. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

3. Preheat grill to medium heat.

4. Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Slushy Punch

2 1/2 cups white sugar
6 cups water
2 (3 ounce) packages strawberry flavored gelatin mix
1 (46 fluid ounce) can pineapple juice
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 quart orange juice
2 (2 liter) bottles lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage (Sprite, 7up)


1. In a large saucepan, combine sugar, water, and strawberry flavored gelatin. Boil for 3 minutes. Stir in pineapple juice, lemon juice, and orange juice. Divide mixture in half, and freeze in 2 separate containers.

2. When ready to serve, place the frozen contents of one container in a punch bowl, and stir in 1 bottle of lemon-lime soda until slushy.

7 layer Taco Dip

INGREDIENTS
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) can re-fried beans
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
1 large tomato, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch chopped green onions
1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl, blend the taco seasoning mix and re-fried beans. Spread the mixture onto a large serving platter.

2. Mix the sour cream and cream cheese in a medium bowl. Spread over the re-fried beans.

3. Top the layers with salsa. Place a layer of tomato, green (or white) onions and lettuce over the salsa, and top with Cheddar cheese. Garnish with black olives.

Toppings can be left out or substituted as desired. Great for summer get together and bbq's.

Apple Dumplings - A Souther Staple

This dessert is sooo yummy, I may just have to fix some for dessert Wednesday. When cooked right the apples are super soft and the crust is light and tasty.

INGREDIENTS
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
6 apples, peeled and cored (any kind will work I use Granny Smith)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter, melted (plus extra)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C.)
2. Roll dough out and cut into 6 pieces. Wrap each apple in dough and place in a baking pan.
3. In small bowl, combine sugar, water, melted butter and vanilla. Pour mixture over dumplings in pan. Place a teaspoon full of butter in the center of each apple and shove it inside the "core"
4. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until golden. Serve hot.

This can be eaten alone or you can serve with vanilla ice cream and cool whip!

Butterscotch Haystacks

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch Flavored Morsels
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 can (8.5 oz.) or 2 cans (5 oz. each) chow mein noodles
3 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions:
LINE trays with wax paper. MICROWAVE morsels in large, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute; STIR. The morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted. Stir in peanut butter until well blended. Add noodles and marshmallows; toss until all ingredients are coated. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared trays. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

DOUBLE BOILER METHOD:
PLACE morsels in top of double boiler over hot (not boiling) water. Do not cover. When most of the morsels are shiny, stir just until melted. (Prevent water from coming in contact with morsels.) Remove from heat; stir in peanut butter. Transfer to large bowl. Add noodles and marshmallows; proceed as above.

recipe from verybestbaking

Alphabet Pasta Minestrone Soup

2 tbsp veg oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 celery stalk finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped leeks, white part only
1/2 cup finely diced zucchini
1/4 potatoes chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled seeded and chopped
7 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 tsp tomato paste
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup alphabet pasta
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil in a large pan add the onion, and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, and leeks and continue to saute until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and zucchini and saute for an additional 2-3 minutes.

2. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, broth, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the frozen peas, return the soup to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the alphabet pasta, return to a boil, then simmer for about 5 more minutes. Taste and season to your preference.

You can add shredded cabbage to make this even more substantial and this can also be served with bread.

Singapore Noodles

A fast dinner that is full of flavor. You can substitute the shrimp with pork or more chicken if you'd like.

5oz chicken cutlets
2 1/2 tbsp veg oil
1 beaten egg
1 chopped garlic clove
1/4 tsp minced red chili (optional)
2 1/2 oz baby corn
1/2 cup each of carrots and zucchini, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup bean sprouts
1/4 tsp mild curry powder
1/3 cup chicken stock
3 oz small peeled shrimp
3 scallions, thinly sliced
5oz Chinese noodles

marinade:
2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch


Directions:

1.Make the marinade in a bowl. Cut the chicken into think strips, add into the bowl and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Heat 1/2 tbsp of oil into a skillet, add the egg and cook to make a thin omelet. Remove the egg from the pan and cut into ribbons. Heat a tablespoon of oil in the pan and saute the garlic and chili (if using) for 30 seconds. Drain the chicken from the marinade and add to the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes then set aside.

3. Heat the remaining oil in the pan. Add the baby corn and carrots and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and bean sprouts and cook for 2 additional minutes. Stir the curry powder into the chicken stock and add to the pan. Add the chicken back into the pan along with the shrimp, scallions, and the egg. cook for 2 minutes.

4. Cook the noodles in a pot of boiling water for 3 minutes or follow package directions. Drain when done and mix with the stir fry in the pan and heat till hot.

Jell-O Boats

These are great fun for toddlers to eat (and play with)!

Ingredients:

2 large oranges, halved
4oz pk Jello, fruit flavor of choice
1 small can mandarin orange segments, optional
1 pk of fresh raspberries, optional

Prep:

Squeeze the juice from the oranges without breaking the skin. Carefully scrape out the inside (a grapefruit knife would work great) and discard.

Make the jello according to the package instructions, reducing the amount of waster by a quarter if you choose to add in a fruit. Divide the fruit if you choose to use it between the orange halves. Fill the orange halves with the jello and refridgerate until they are completely set.

Take a wet knife (hot water works best) and cut each orange half in half again. This will give you four quarters after you slice both halves.


If you'd like to add more fun to it cut 8 triangles in waxed paper. Thread a party toothpick down the center of the waxed paper triangles then insert it in the jello. This will make the Jello boats which the kids will love.

**NOTE** Make sure to use caution when using toothpicks with children. Never leave you child unattended with a toothpick at any time.

Pinwheel Sandwiches for Kids

Here is a simply and fast recipe that you toddler is sure to love!

Trim the crust off 2 thin slices of bread; white, wheat, rye, your choice. Overlap the edges slightly and then flatten them with a rolling pin so that they join together. Spread your filling on the bread then roll up like a jelly roll. Cut across into thin rounds.

Some fillings that you can use are; peanut butter and jelly, cream cheese and jelly, egg salad, chicken salad. The options are endless!