THE FRUITS OF SUMMER
By this time of the year, it's hard to find a watermelon or cantaloupe that doesn't taste good. Bing cherries are another favorite of mine and if they're $3.00 or less in price, I buy! I kid you not: I can stand at the sink and eat them like candy! They'll not last forever so eat them while they're in season.
Working as I do in the produce department, I do hear people complain about prices. However, I don't see people accustomed to buying soda drinks buying less. When there's a sale on pop I watch customers load their carts with it. About the only soda I keep on hand in the summer is root beer because I do like a root beer float for dessert.
Consider buying frozen lemonade concentrate or one of the other frozen juice concentrates instead of soda for your family to drink. The dairy department also has a lot of fresh juices and combination ones that may appeal to you and your family. You don't have to give up soda drinks altogether but please try some of the healthier alternatives available, either canned, frozen or fresh.
Getting back to melons, they are good tasting during the summer months but don't limit yourself to just eating a wedge, use them in a salad. When I saw Watermelon Salad in the June Cooking Light magazine, I e-mailed Mary Ann and asked her if she thought it was too far out to serve Chief customers and she recommended "going for it." Unusual it is, but the flavors go together in a surprisingly tasty way! It got a "thumbs up" from most tasters.
WATERMELON SALAD
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
- 4 cups cubed seedless watermelon (about 1/2 melon)
- 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled
Combine onion and juice in a medium bowl; let stand 10 minutes. Add watermelon, olives, parsley and mint. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Sprinkle with feta cheese. Recipe makes 12 1/2-cup servings.
Source: Cooking Light magazine, June 2008.
MAKE YOUR OWN VEGETABE DIP
I've said more than once that the world could do without monosodium glutamate still so many foods contain it. I am happy to report that under the company's "clean label initiative," McCormick is in the process of phasing out MSG. I also checked with Penzeys, a major mail order spice company with some retail stores, and their products no longer contain monosodium glutamate. Congratulations to both companies!
When vegetable dips are on sale I confess that I have weakened and bought some knowing I'd be better off if I didn't. They're mostly fat and to my chagrin contain monosodium glutamate. The MSG more than the fat kept me from buying some recently, bargain that it was! I've since decided to make my own vegetable dip because the one in my cookbook, Thank You, I'm Glad You Liked It, is as good as they come and it's MSG free! |
I had it at a reception at the Bryan Alliance Church years ago and have been making it ever since. What's really great about this dip is that you probably have everything on hand to make it without a trip to the store.
BEST VGETABLE DIP
- 1 cup Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise (why beat around the bush when I always use Hellmann's)
- 2 finely minced scallions
- 2 tablespoons milk (whatever kind you have in the frig)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon plus 1teaspoon soy sauce
Mix ingredients together with wire whisk. Store in the refrigerator. Dip keeps for several days.
Source: Mrs. Dale Rupp.
CHEAP EATS
We're supposed to be eating more beans and less meat, not to mention saving on food bills and this recipe satisfies all! I made Slow Cooker Bean Casserole twice and even then, decided that it would be better with 1 pound of ground beef rather than 1 1/2 pounds, especially since the recipe also includes 4 slices of cooked bacon. Unlike most slow cooker recipes, this one cooks on high for just an hour. The first time I made it I didn't have molasses on hand but substituted dark Karo syrup. Original recipe called for a 1-pound can of baked beans but that made the dish top-heavy with meat so second time I used a larger can of beans.
SLOW COOKER BEAN CASSEROLE
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup molasses or dark Karo syrup
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 28-ounce can Bush Original Baked Beans
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 4 slices bacon, chopped in 1-inch pieces
- 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 pound lean ground beef (whatever kind that is on sale)
In a slow cooker, mix together ketchup, molasses, mustard, baked beans, salt and pepper. Cook bacon and bell pepper in a large skillet over medium heat for about 5 to 7 minutes, then add to slow cooker. In same skillet, brown beef: drain fat and stir into slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Recipe makes 6 servings.
LAST WORD
Customers sometimes ask if they can eat at my house. I tell them that they may have to eat leftovers because as a youngster in the 30s, we didn't waste food. It isn't unusual for me to eat leftover casserole for breakfast. On our trip to New York in May, Mary Ann would tell me that I didn't have to finish the meat if I'd had enough but I did. That's because what my generation put on our plate we were supposed to eat and old habits die hard. |
