Strawberry Margarita Squares

This is Sweet, Salty and Tangy.....Crunchy and Smooth, a little something for all your senses...As Lainie would say, "It's a party in your mouth!"

Strawberry Margarita Squares

Preheat oven to 350F

Crust
2 Cups Crushed Pretzels
3/4 Cup Melted Butter

Filling
3 (8 oz) Packages Cream Cheese, softened
1 Cup Thawed, Frozen Margarita Mix Concentate
                          (or Frozen Limeade Concentrate)
2 (8oz) Tubs Cool Whip, divided
1 (3oz) Package Strawberry Jello
1/2 Cup boiling Water
1 (16oz) package Frozen Sliced Strawberries in Syrup

Crust:
Crush Pretzels in a plastic baggie, place in a bowl.  Add Sugar and melted butter, stir and press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool completely.

Cream Cheese Mixture:
Beat Cream Cheese and Margarita Mix until well blended.  Fold in 3 cups Cool Whip.  Carefully spread cream cheese mixture over cooled crust.  Refrigerate while making Strawberry Mixture.

Strawberry Mixture:
Place Jello powder in a large bowl.  Stir in boiling water; stir until completely dissolved.  Add Frozen Strawberries and stir until strawberries separate and gelatin thickens.  Whisk in 3 cups of Cool Whip.  Pour over Cream Cheese Mixture, cover completely.
Refrigerate for 3 hours to set.

Crush Pretzels

Pressed into Pan

Cream Cheese Layer

Strawberry Layer

Let set up in Refrigerator for 3 hours

Mexican Skillet

My family loves simple dishes like this one.  It's easy to fix after a long day.

Mexican Skillet

1 lb Ground Beef
1 Medium Onion
1 16oz Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Small Can Corn
1/2 Cup Uncooked Instant Rice
1 Cup water
1 16oz Can Kidney Beans
3/4 Cup Salsa
2 TBS Chili Powder
Garlic Salt to taste (about 2 TBS)
Salt/Pepper to taste
2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
3 or 4 Cups Corn Chips

In a large Skillet, brown beef and onion, drain if necessary.  Stir in Tomatoes, Corn, Rice, Water, Beans, Salsa and Seasonings.  Bring to a boil, Reduce heat and cover for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat.  Sprinkle 1 cup Cheese over meat mixture, followed by Corn Chips and remaining Cheese.  Cover and let stand for 3 minutes or until Cheese is melted.

Serve with a dollop of Sour Cream.

Brown Beef & Onions

Add Ingredients

Simmer for 20minutes

Add Cheese & Corn Chips

Mmmmm Dig In!!

Oven Fried Potatoes

Homemade JoJo Potatoes are the best....and I'm all about how easy they are!

Oven Fried Potatoes

Preheat oven to 425F


Potatoes
Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper/Garlic Salt....any seasoning you like!

Cut Potatoes in JoJo style wedges...generally 1 potato per person (more for my family).  Put wedges in a bowl, season.  Add enough Olive Oil to coat potatoes (I use about 1 TBS per every 3 potatoes) and toss to make sure every potato is coated.
Place potatoes on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil, make sure you have just one layer of potatoes.
Bake at 425F for 30mn, turning potatoes every 10 minutes to brown all sides.

Cutting Wedges

Ready for the Oven

Out of the Oven

What the Hail?

Oh, how damaging the weather can be...especially hail, that word makes me cringe!  My garden took a real beating from the hail and wind a few weeks ago.  I think we actually had a little micro-burst, all I could do was stand at the window and shake my head.  The hail was pea to marble size, but it came down hard and fast for a long time.

I lost my peas altogether, everything else was just hit hard.

Cucumbers, Carrots and Beets in the background

Zucchini

Beets and Beans

What a sight!  I didn't give up, although I felt like it....my Grandma told me to keep everything cultivated and I 'combed' out all the dead foliage.
Uncle Darius, from Berry Creek, suggested I put up some type of tarp for protection...the design is in the works!
Everything came back but the peas...the cucumber plants suffered too, they are thinned out and a little late but I did find some baby cukes today!  This is my garden today...don't mind my weeds, I need to do some work!

Cukes

Squash & Zucchini

Beans, Beets, Carrots....Tomatoes in the back

Cherry Rhubarb Pie

I'm not fond of strawberries... it's not that I dislike them, I just think they are overrated....and yet I find myself buying a carton full nearly every time I go to the grocery store.  When my husband asked me why I buy strawberries and let them go bad instead eating them I had to confess, "Because they're pretty".

What does this story have to do with today's recipe?  I wanted an alternative to Strawberry Rhubarb Pie!  Cherries!...they're pretty too..... and go so well with rhubarb!!

This recipe is super easy....especially if you cheat like I do and use a prepared pie crust!! :)

Cherry Rhubarb Pie

1 (21oz) Can Cherry Pie Filling
2 Cups Rhubarb, cut in 1/2 to 1 inch pieces
3/4 Cup Sugar
2 1/2 Tsp Quick Cooking Tapioca
Pie Crust for 1 pie ( I use Pillsbury Pie Crust )

Preheat oven to400F

In a bowl combine Cherry Pie Filling, Rhubarb, Sugar and Tapioca.  Mix well and let sit for 15 minutes.
Pour filling into unbaked pie crust.  Cover with the other pie crust.
Bake at 400F for 40-45 minutes

Letting it rest for 15 nm

Ingredients

Filling

Ready for the Oven

.....and after

Grandma's Rhubarb Crunch

This is my favorite way to use up rhubarb...it is my Grandma Margaret's recipe!

 Grandma's Rhubarb Crunch

Crumb Topping:
1 Cup Flour
3/4 Cup Rolled Oats
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Melted Butter
1 tsp Cinnamon

Fruit Mixture:
4 Cups Diced Rhubarb ( 1/2 to 1 inch pieces)
1 Cup Sugar
1 TBS Cornstarch
1 Cup Water
1 tsp Vanilla

Mix Crumb Topping ingredients together until crumbly.  Press 1/2 crumbs into greased 9x9 pan (I used a 2qt casserole) Cover with 4 cups of dices rhubarb.

In a sauce pan combine sugar, cornstarch, water and vanilla.  Cook, stirring until liquid is thick and clear.  Pour hot liquid over rhubarb and top with remaining crumbs.  Bake 350 for 1 hr.

Serve warm with ice cream.

Press 1/2 crumb mixture in pan

Crumb Mixture

Top with Rhubarb

boil sauce till thick and translucent

with hot sauce over rhubarb

The rest of crumb topping

Out of the Oven

Ham & Potato Bake

It has been a long day at work, a lot of x-rays, patients, doctors and digitizing.  After being on my feet all day the last thing I want to do is cook supper.....but, I have two kids expecting food and a husband that will be home late tonight after a week of being on the road, he will want something home-cooked that he can  'heat & eat'.
My solution?....Ham & Potato Bake!
This casserole is so easy, just throw it together and bake!  It will take about an hour to cook, so in the meantime I can sit and relax....well, maybe...
Refrigerate leftovers, they are even better the next day....makes a great breakfast! 

 Ham & Potato Bake
1 pkg Southern Style Hash-browns, thawed
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
8 oz Sour Cream
2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
2-3 cups Diced Ham
3-4 green onions, sliced (optional)
Salt/Pepper to taste
 Topping
3-4 cups Corn Flakes, crushed
1/4 cup Butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F

In a 9x13 casserole dish mix the first 6 ingredients, along with seasonings, and flatten out.
Crunch corn flakes evenly on top of casserole, drizzle evenly with melted butter.
Bake uncovered at 350°F for 1 hour, until corn flakes are golden brown.

Mix in casserole dish

Ready for the Oven

Ham & Cheese Macaroni Salad

My favorite macaroni salad!  I learned how to make this from a friend about 16 years ago, it is my all- time favorite.  Before now I had never measured the ingredients, to tell you the truth it kind of scared me....I usually just 'dump'.....but it turned out great!

Ham & Cheese Macaroni Salad

1 16 oz pkg Elbow Noodles
2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, cubed
1 bunch Green Onions, chopped(use green onions only)
2 cups cooked Ham, cubed
2 1/2 cups Mayonnaise (mayo only, no Miracle Whip)
1 cup Milk
2 tbs Sugar
Garlic Salt/Pepper to taste

Boil elbow noodles according to package instructions.  Drain and rinse with cold water.

In large serving bowl combine Mayo, milk, sugar, garlic salt & pepper.  Whisk until smooth.

Add green onions, ham and cheese to mayo mixture and stir.

Now add the macaroni noodles, stir until everything is well coated.  Eat now or refrigerate until later.

Give it a taste test to see if you need any more seasoning, I don't measure, I just give it a taste test.

If the salad has been refrigerated for a few hours I add a little milk before serving to make it creamier.

Chopped green onion

Cubed Cheese

Cubed Ham

All three

Mayo Mixture, will be runny

Added veggies and ham to Mayo

Then added the noodles