Simply Delicious by Cyndee Dather

Memorial Day Weekend is “my” official first day of summer and entertaining can begin for me. Dual purpose and/or presentation of food items is the theme.

Lazy Day Lemonade is sweetened by your choice of sugar, maple syrup, grenadine, honey or sugar substitute. Pick one or a combination.

Love peanut butter? And bacon? Layer marshmallow creme and bacon in between a peanut butter sandwich cookie makes a great no bake quick treat. I took this idea straight from Nabisco O.

Lemon Dream Land brings a simple yet sophisticated salad and/or desert that will please all ages. This salad is a combination of angel food cake, cream cheese, and lemon pie filling. Serve it in a bowl for a community gathering at a simple meal or jazz it up for a special occasion by using fancy paper cup cake liners. Remember the sweet salads of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Orange Jello with shredded carrots, pistachio pudding with Cool Whip and pineapple, and a regular at my parent's house, apple salad with heaping serving spoonfuls of Miracle Whip, celery, maraschino cherries, and a generous portion of sugar because we thought it wasn’t sweet enough. Where were the greens and vegetables? They were there, but just not as acceptable as they would be now.

Fish or Chicken tacos are a great start to the summer, especially if the weather is not permitting outdoor grilling. The Sweet Pepper Mango Slaw is great with the tacos or as a side salad. Light and refreshing this salad is a twist on an old favorite.

NutterButter

Nutter Butter Bacon Marshmallow Sandwiches

12 NUTTER BUTTER Cookies (peanut shape)

1/4 C Marshmallow Creme

6 Slices cooked bacon, each cut in half

  1. Separate cookies, leaving creme filling on one half of each cookie.
  2. Spread 1 tsp. marshmallow creme onto bottom of each plain cookie half.
  3. Top with 1 bacon piece.
  4. Cover with remaining cookie halves, creme sides down.

Special Extra
Prepare recipe as directed; drizzle with melted semi-sweet chocolate. Let stand 10 min. or until chocolate is firm before serving. Thank you Nabisco!!!

LemonDream2

Lemon Dream Land

1 Angel Food Cake (homemade, box mix, or store bought)

21 oz Lemon Pie Filling or Lemon Curd   

16 oz Cream Cheese

1 C Coconut Flakes

1 T Fresh Lemon Juice

8 oz Thawed Cool Whip

Garnishes: Cool Whip, marshmallows, English walnuts, or lemon peel.

  1. Tear cake into 1” x 1” pieces
  2. Beat cream cheese with a hand mixer till fluffy.
  3. Stir in one cup coconut. Add one teaspoon fresh lemon juice. Beat till all combined
  4. Fold in cake pieces and Cool Whip. Pipe additional Cool Whip with plastic bag in a design of your choice.
  5. If desired garnish with marshmallows, English walnuts, or lemon peel.
  6. Refrigerate for two hours.

A sweet salad with a bit of tartness, yet is a smooth delight on a picnic. Be sure to add this salad to your “salad go to” this summer.

Lemonade-Bar-2

Lazy Day Lemonade 

10 Lemons , Large

8 C Water

ONE of the Following for Sweetness:

1 1/3 C Honey

1 1/3 C Agave

2 C Granulated Sugar

50 pkts Equal

  1. Juice 9 lemons using a hand or electric juicer. Slice remaining lemon and discard seeds. Refrigerate.
  2. Pour water and  sweetener mixture  into large sauté pan. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer until all the sweetener is dissolved. Pour water/sweetener into a pitcher and chill in the refrigerator.
  3. Combine chilled lemon juice, water/sweetener mixture and lemon slices into a serving container.
  4. Supply several drink garnish choices for your Lemonade Bar so guests can add to their personalized lemonade. For example; strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, kiwi, kumquat, pears, bananas, coconut, watermelon, cantaloupe, and honey dew. Have fun creating  some original lemonades of your own.
  5. If desired alcohol can be added. Vodka is a popular liqueur.
SweetPepperMangoSlaw

Sweet Pepper Mango Slaw

1 lb Assorted sweet mini peppers

1 ea Red and yellow peppers

1 Cucumber

2 C Red Cabbage** thinly sliced

1 Small Red Onion, thinly sliced

1 Mango, peeled and diced

DRESSING OR SAUCE

2 T Soy Sauce

3 T Rice Vinegar

1 T Fish Sauce

2 T Black Sesame Seeds

2 T White Sesame Seeds

1/4 T Sugar Substitute/Equal

Salt\Pepper to taste

  1. Slice sweet mini peppers, red/yellow peppers, and cucumber lengthwise, seeded and julienned*.
  2. Thinly slice red onion and cabbage.
  3. Peel and dice mango.
  4. Whisk together soy/rice/fish liquids. 
    Add sesame seeds, sugar/substitute and salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Drizzle sauce over vegetables.

*julienned - cut into thin strips or small match-like pieces.
**Red cabbage often looks like a deep purple.

Chicken or Fish Tacos

2-3 Chicken Breasts grilled/baked

18 oz Cod, Tilapia or Mahi Mahi.
Use one or both items

6-8 Taco Shells, soft shell or hard

1 pkg Fish Seasoning Or Homemade Fish Seasoning

1 t Smoked Paprika

1 t Chili Powder

1 t Garlic Powder

1 t Salt

1 T Olive Oil

1 t Mexican Oregano or regular oregano

This rub is medium. Use half of the quantity and it will be mild. Double recipe and it will have a bite. 

Whisk together paprika, chili powder, garlic powder and salt.

  1. Lightly brush chicken/fish with olive oil.
  2. Sprinkle packet of fish seasoning/homemade fish seasoning over meat/chicken.
  3. Pat seasoning on chicken/fish.
  4. Grill/Baked to desired doneness.
  5. If desired place Mango Coleslaw in the bottom of a taco shell and lay chicken/fish on top.
  6. Add other condiments if desired.
Posted in May/June 2022