Blueberry Chess Pie
From Salena Thomas

This is a southern recipe handed down to me from my grandmother.

1 ½ c sugar
½ c butter
1/8 tsp salt
3 eggs
2 Tbsp flour 2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp vinegar

1 ½ tsp vanilla

1 pt fresh blueberries (not frozen)

1 unbaked 9” pie shell, bottom only

Cream sugar, butter, and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour, cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in blueberries. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 300. Bake 35 more minutes or until firm in center. Cool on rack.

Pat's Any Way You Like Cobbler

From Becky Sanchez

I doubled the cobbler part because I really like that part!

Your choice of fresh fruit, sliced
SugarTapioca (I used flour)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.- Fill a pan (9 x 13-inch for mostly fruit, 9 x 9-inch for more dough) about 2/3 full with fruit.- Sprinkle the fruit with sugar. Just a bit if it's very sweet fruit. Be more generous for tart fruit. -Sprinkle the fruit with tapioca. This absorbs the excess juice, so you'll need to add more for very juicy fruits or berries.- For the dough combine the egg, sugar, and melted butter. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir till smooth. Stir in the milk. Stir till smooth. Pour the flour mixture over the fruit in the pan.- Bake for about 1 hour, till the top is browned. The time will vary depending on how much fruit, what size pan, and how much dough you used.

Barbecued Beans

From Roz Brown

This recipe was shared with me from a friend who found it in the Southern Living 1994 Annual Recipes Cookbook, submitted by Patty Renwich of Mount Airy, MD. Thank you Patty! Over the years I've made all types of substitutions and omissions and

it's always been a family favorite!

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onions

10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

2 tablespoons molasses

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1 15oz can kidney beans, drained

1 15oz can butter beans, drained

1 16oz can pork&beans, undrained

Cook ground beef and onions in a dutch oven, stirring until meat crumbles. Drain and place in a large bowl.stir sugar and remaining ingredients into mixture. spoon into a lightly greased 2 1/2 quart baking dish.bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour, stirring once (after 30 minutes)Yield 8 to 10 servings

Strawberry Slush
From Salena Thomas

2 pkgs frozen strawberries, thawed
12 oz pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
lemon lime soda
1 c sugar
2 cans water

Assorted fresh fruits, cut into chunks (opt)

Mash strawberries with a potato masher. Combine mashed strawberries, lemonade, sugar, and water in a large bowl. Mix well. Pour into a container such as a plastic ice cream bucket. Freeze. To serve, let thaw about one hour. Place a scoop of the slush into each glass and pour soda over the mixture. Thread chunks of fruit on a skewer to make a kabob and use to stir the slush.

Variety of Marinades for Chicken, Beef, or Pork

From Salena Thomas

For easy marinading, put meat in ziploc bag along with marinade. Mostly seal the bag and then squeeze all the air out before sealing completely. Then squish the bag around to evenly distribut the marinade. Throw in fridge and forget about it. No need to "flip". And remember, any sauce can be used as a marinade. Be creative. Try salsa, BBQ sause, any kind of salad dressing, etc...

Easy Chicken Fajitas
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
¼ c Italian dressing
2 tsp chili powder

Barbequed Turkey
½ c soy sauce
½ c oil
1 c 7Up or Sprite
¾ Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp horseradish sauce
4 – 5 lbs turkey breast

Gaan Puun Gee
40 oz wing drumettes or tenders (wash in cold water and let drain)
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp sesame seed oil
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt5 Tbsp soy sauce

USO Chicken
1 c brown sugar1 c water
2 Tbsp sugar
1 c soy sauce
garlic paste

Maple Glazed Chicken
¼ cup maple syrup
4 teaspoons lemon juice or cider vinegar

The Best Potato Salad Ever

from Shirley Paoule

3 pounds unpeeled red potatoes

1 Tbsp vinegar

3/4 c onion, chopped

3/4 c red pepper, chopped

3/4 c celery, chopped

1/2 c finely chopped dill pickles

3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

3/4 c mayonnaise

In a large pot, cover potatoes with salted cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until they're easily pierced with a skewer, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, combine remaining veggies and eggs in a large bowl. When potatoes are done, drain and cut into 1/2" pieces while still warm. Transfer to the bowl with the veggies and sprinkle with 2 Tbsp dill pickle juice and vinegar. Toss salad gently with mayonnaise. Season with walt and pepper. Chill before serving.

Raspberry (or strawberry) Lemonade

From Becky Sanchez

from Martha Stewart Living June 2009

10 lemons, sliced

2 cups raspberries (or strawberries)

1 1/2 cups sugar

Put all ingredients in a large pot and pound for about 10 minutes (I used a potato masher). Add 6 cups water. Drain through sieve, squeezing any extra juice you can out of the lemons and discarding the fruit (I did save a few of the larger strawberry pieces to put in the cups). I added extra sugar once I tasted it. Makes 9 cups.
I also sprinkled sugar over some sliced strawberries to add to the bottom of the cups.

BLT Bites

From Jocelyn Denyer

1 cup mayonnaise
1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 large tomatoes, chopped
Frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced

Combine mayonnaise and sour cream in a medium bowl, stirring well with a wire whisk; stir in bacon, spinach, and tomato. Spoon 1 tablespoon onto individual cucumber slices, or serve with Melba toast rounds.

Salsa and Cream Cheese

From Lorie Caless

8 oz cream cheese
1 jar salsa

Place cream cheese on serving platter. Pour salsa on top. Serve with crackers or chips

Salmon Spread

By Roz Brown

1 can salmon

1 block of cream cheese

Drain can salmon can use 1/2 to whole can, you decide consistency. Put in microwave safe bowl with cream cheese, heat for about 30 seconds. Stir, heat for another 30 seconds. Spread on crackers, breads, bagels

Asparagus Ham Roll-ups

By Roz Brown

These are a cinch to make!

16 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed

1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into 16 strips

8 ounces Havarti cheese, cut into 16 strips

8 thin slices deli ham or prosciutto, cut in half lengthwise

16 whole chives

In a large skillet, bring 1 inch of water to a boil. Add asparagus; cover and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately place asparagus in ice water. Drain and pat dry.Place an asparagus spear, red pepper strip and cheese trip on each slice of ham. Roll up tightly; tie with a chive. Refrigerate until serving.

Cream Cheese-Olive Spread

From Jocelyn Denyer

8 oz pkg cream cheese, soft

1/2 c finely chopped pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives

1 Tbsp mayonnaise

1/2 c chopped pecans

1/4 c chopped fresh chives

Stir together all ingredients and chill.

OR

Stir together cream cheese, Spanish olives, and 1 Tbsp mayonnaise. shape cream cheese mixture into 2 (6 inch) logs; wray in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes, or store in fridge up to 2 days. Place pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan. Bake pecans at 350 for 8 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring occasionally. Let cool 30 minutes or until completely cool. Roll cream cheese log in chopped chives and toasted pecans just before serving.

Turkey Peppercorn Ranch Bites

From Shirley Pauole

2 oz cream cheese

1/4 c Peppercorn ranch dressing
3 flour tortillas
6oz thin sliced turkey breast
12 bread 'n butter pickle chips



Mix cream cheese and dressing until well blended. Spread evenly onto tortillas; top with turkey. Roll up tortillas tightly; cut each into 4 slices. Top each with a pickle chip. Secure with toothpick.

Sparkling Punch

By Jocelyn Denyer

2 (46 oz) cans pineapple juice

1 (12 oz) can frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed

1 (10 oz) can frozen strawberry daiquiri mix concentrate, thawed

2 liters ginger ale

Garnish: lemon slices

Stir together first 3 ingredients. Cover and chill 1 hour. Stir in gingerale just before serving. Garnish if desired.

Pineapple-Grapefruit Spritzer

By Jocelyn Denyer

c pineapple juice
1 c pink grapefruit juice

2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger

2 liters ginger ale

Stir together first 4 ingredients in a large container; cover and chill 1 hour. Pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a pitcher, discarding solids. stir in ginger ale just vefore serving. Serve over ice.

Japaneese Fried Cheese Stick

From Salena Thomas

I had these in Japan and thought they were awesome.

1 pkg lumpia wrappers
1/2 - 1 lb american cheese (from the deli)
oil for frying
honey

Cut lumpia wrappers in half and then in half again, making 4 sets of equal squares. Cut block of chese in half and then in small, bitesized strips. the pieces of cheese should easily roll up in the wrapper squares. Separate one lumpia square from the stack. Wet each side with water. I just dip my finger in the water and rub around the edges. Place a piece of cheese on the wrapper and roll up from the short side. Press the ends firmly to seal. Repeat until you run out of wrappers or cheese. Deep fry in oil til brown. Serve hot with honey to dip. Trust me! For this picture, I couldn't find lumpia wrappers so I used wonton wrappers. Although the wonton wrappers worked, lumpia wrappers are much better.