Chicken Pita Grill

Feta cheese
1 medium zuchinni, halved lengthwise
1 medium red onion, cut in 1/2 inch slices
1/4 cup Italian dressing + some for marinating
4 pita rounds
2 chicken breasts
2 medium tomatoes, cut in wedges
1 Tbsp honey
Salt
Pepper

Marinate chicken in Italian dressing.  Drizzle zuchinni and onion slices with 1/8 cup of salad dressing.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
Grill chicken zuchinni and onion (approx. 8 minutes for vegetables).  Remove vegetables.  Grill pita until toasty.  Grill tomatoes ntil lightly charred (approx. 2 minutes).
Mix remaining dressing into feta.  Heat feta mixture in skillet 1-2 minutes. 
Cut zuchhini into chunks.  Drizzle everything with honey.  Fill pitas with chicken, veggies and cheese.  Enjoy!

Good Seasons Italian dressing made with balsamic vinegar is extra yummy!

Ice Cream Topper: Peanut Butter Fudge

From One Family, One Meal

Ingredients

Unsalted butter, 1⁄2 cup 

Unsweetened chocolate baking bar, 1 oz.

Sugar, 3⁄4 cup

Unsweetened cocoa, 1⁄4 cup

Evaporated milk, 1 (5-oz.) can

Creamy peanut butter, 1⁄2 cup

Vanilla extract, 1 tsp.

Kosher salt, 1⁄4 tsp.

Preparation

1. Melt butter and chocolate in a small, non-aluminum saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in sugar and cocoa until blended. Gradually add evaporated milk, stirring until blended.

2. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat when bubbles appear. Stir in peanut butter and remaining ingredients. Serve warm, spooned over ice cream.

Blackberry Chocolate Pie

• Ingredients:
• 1 (15 ounce) package pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• Or Beka's Grandma's Pie Recipe
• 2 cups of flour
• level t salt
• cup of crisco
• 1/3 cup of water
• mix with fingers the flour, salt and crisco until it turns into pea sized, or corn meal
• add water and mix it in with a fork just until it sticks
• make a ball out it (makes 2 crusts)
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 cups blackberries
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 
  

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place one of the pie crusts into the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate.

In a bowl, mix the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Gently stir in the blackberries and chocolate chips. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Transfer to the pie crust in the pie plate. Place remaining pie crust over the top, and secure to the bottom crust by pressing with a fork, or fluting with your fingers.

Bake 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until top is golden brown. Cool slightly before slicing.

Spicy Salsa

this is loose - I really do change it all the time depending upon what I have on hand from the garden

10 cups roughly chopped tomatoes (and sometimes I add a can or two of chopped tomatoes - depending on how many peppers and onions I have)

5 cups chopped and seeded green bell peppers

5 cups chopped onions (I generally use yellow, but have been know to use all kinds)

2 1/2 cups hot peppers, chopped, seeded (a mix of of jalepenos and green chilis)

1 1/4 cups cider vinegar (this is the part that is essential for canning & not if you are eating this fresh)

6  garlic cloves, minced (use less if you don't love garlic like I do)

2 tablespoons cilantro, minced

3 teaspoons salt

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

STEP ONE: combine all ingredients in a large pot (stock pot)
STEP TWO: simmer to desired thickness
STEP THREE: (only have to do if you have people who don't like chunks) puree in a food processor
STEP FOUR: laddle into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch head space
STEP FIVE: process for 15 minutes in a water bath

Mint Syrup

Mint Syrup

2 ounces freshly picked mint leaves
Juice of 1 lemon or 1 tsp of corn syrup per jar (to prevent crystallization)
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 tsp salt

Directions

Check the mint leaves for any insects, then tear the leaves into shreds. Put the lemon juice into a large bowl. Add the mint and pound with the end of a wooden rolling pin. Add the sugar and salt and continue to crush the mint leaves to release their menthol essence. Leave to macerate for 8 to 10 hours or overnight.

Pour 2 ½ cups of boiling water over the macerated mint mixture and let stand for a further 12 hours.

Strain syrup through a very fine sieve or cheesecloth into a saucepan. Gently bring to a simmer and simmer for a couple of minutes. Pour into warm, sterilized bottles and process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. The syrup will keep for about 9 months unopened. Once a jar is opened, then store in the refrigerator. 


Or another one that Peggy and I actually did:
We picked all the leaves we could off her plants
Then we boiled the leaves in about 6 cups of water
Strained off the leaves
Added 6 cups of sugar
Brought to syrup stage heat
and canned them in a water bath!  Voila!  Aren't they cute!

Glazed Lemon Cookies

Seriously the best lemon cookies I have ever had. I ate half the batch all by myself the first time I made them.









Glazed Lemon Cookies
From Two Peas and Their Pod

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
4-5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 35o degrees F. Line two baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Whisk and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, add granulated sugar and lemon zest. Rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingers, until fragrant.
4. Beat butter and sugar/lemon mixture together until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
5. Slowly beat in flour mixture on low speed until blended. Drop dough by tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Gently flatten dough with the palm of your hand. 6. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cookies are just set and slightly golden brown. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 2 minutes and transfer to cooking racks. Cool completely.
7. In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice. Dip each cookie top into the lemon glaze. Let cookies sit until icing has set.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Roasted Asparagus

This is my number one favorite way to have asparagus. My kids love it and I love that it is sooooo easy, and so delicious – not to mention healthy!

Asparagus
Olive Oil
Sea Salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and break ends off of asparagus. Peel stems, if desired. Put about two tablespoons of oil in the bottom of a metal pan (9x13 metal pan, rimmed cookie sheet, or roasting pan are all fine). Toss asparagus in the oil until well coated, adding more oil if needed. Spread asparagus into a single layer and salt. Roast for 6-8 minutes, until crisp-tender (or until a fork goes through the stem easily, but without the asparagus being mushy).