Coconut Water!

Shop Amazon - Free Shipping on Orders Over $35 I was grocery shopping today, and about half way into it, I was beginning to get light headed and a little queezy. I then realized that my breakfast had long since worn off, and not wanting to park my cart and get a sandwich, I continued on. Ugh! I was getting into the checkout line, not having the energy to hunt for a short line, I was 4th in line, Blah!! I was there a few minutes when the lady in front of me commented on the fried chicken I had in my cart. We were both talking about how hungry we were, and sticking to the lists we had was tough but we did it. I mentioned I was getting shakey and she pointed to the cooler box full of coconut water. I had always steered away from them because I thought they were full of sugar. Wow! She said it would make me feel better quickly without a sugar kick but I had no idea it would be so quick. Low fat, no added anything, just coconut water. Amazingly good. My thirst was quenched and by the time I got through the check out I felt completely normal. No more shakes, queeziness, or light headedness. I've decided that this is a must have in my house from now on.

Red, White and Blue Cookies.

Don't be afraid to experiment with this recipe. I used butter flavored shortening in the place of butter and it had a different texture. I must say, I love them either way. If you are using a Kitchenaid mixer, use your paddle attachment. It makes for quick, easy work. RED WHITE AND BLUE OATMEAL COOKIES 2 C. All Purpose Flour 1 tsp. Baking Powder 1 tsp. Baking Soda 1 tsp. Salt 1 C. Butter 1 C. Granulated Sugar 1 C. Packed Light Brown Sugar 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract 2 Large Eggs 2 1/2 C. Dry Old Fashioned Rolled Oats 2/3 C. Dried Cranberries 2/3 C. Dried Blueberries 1 C. White Chocolate Morsels 1/2 C. Broken Pecan Peices (Optional) 1 Preheat oven to 350F 2 Mix Flower, baking powder, soda, and salt. 3 In a seperate bowl Cream together the butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla, until light and fluffy. 4 Slowly mix in the flower mixture into the sugar mixture. 5 Hand mix in the oats, berries and morsels and nuts. 6 place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2" apart, using a cookie scoop 7 Bake for 10-12 min. until golden. 8 Let set on cookie sheet for 1 min, and remove to cooling rack. 9 Do not overbake as they will become tough ENJOY!

Too Hot To Cook!

Cool salads are a wonderful thing to have for dinner on a hot night. Thaw out pre-cooked chicken breasts, slice our chop, add them to a mix of quartered strawberries, mandarin orange pieces, lettuce of your choice and raspberry vinegarette. Serve it with a sandwich of your choice and your dinner is done! Quite satisfying, and you didn't heat up your kitchen!

Potato soup

I just made a potato soup that surprised me!
3 large potatos diced
1/2 c minced onions
1 stick butter
1 clove garlic minced
1 can evaporated milk
1 1/2 c. Water
16oz block of Veleeta

Saute onion and garlic in butter until translucent. Add potatos, evaporated milk and water. Simmer until potatos are tender. Add Velveeta, stir gently until melted. Salt and pepper to taste. Delish!

Bulk Spices

It's very tempting to buy herbs and spices in bulk; but, as I have found, I wasted my money. Most herbs and spices, once opened lose their potency after a couple of months. Buy in small amounts and waste less.

Experimenting in the kitchen!

Have you ever tried experimenting with a recipe and it came out of the oven flat, burned, gooey,or just plain nasty?
Don't be afraid to play with your food. Taste it to see if you're on the right track, add a pinch of this and a dash of that and see if it helps! Sometimes you have to scratch the whole idea and start all over.
Baking from scratch can be a little daunting,, but it's well worth the effort.