Is the weather all I have to complain about? It's the (I don't know how many) straight day of 90+ temperatures with very little rain, and I don't want to cook. I don't even want to THINK of turning on a burner. I'm even shy of the microwave - that's how hot it is and how hard it is to keep the inside of the house cool. Yup.
So meals become different when you don't want to use heat. You think about using no heat or minimal heat to prepare food. Thus, today's menu:
Three Bean Salad
Hepped Up Deviled Eggs
Fresh Garden Tomatoes
Toast
How's that for dinner? Sounds good to me!
First, the Salad Dressing Recipe
1/2 c. Cider Vinegar
1/4 c. Water
3/4 c. Olive Oil
1/2 t. Celery Seed
1 to 1 1/2 t. Italian Seasoning
1/2 t.Onion Granules
1/2 t. Garlic Granules
Salt & Pepper to Taste
1 - 2 T. Sugar or Sweetener (to taste)
Place all in a pint jar and shake well. Set aside.
Bean Salad Recipe
Mix together in a large bowl:
2 cans Black Beans, drained & rinsed
1 can Great Northern Beans, drained & rinsed
1 can Cut Green Beans, drained & rinsed
1 can Mushroom Stems & Pieces, drained
1 can Chopped Green Chilis (mild)
1 large Walla Walla Sweet Onion, chopped small
1/2 Green Bell Pepper, chopped small
1/2 bunch of Fresh Cilantro, washed and chopped, stems and all
Pour all of the dressing over the salad ingredients and mix well.
Chill.. You may want to let it stand at room temperature 1/2 hour before serving so that the olive oil loosens up a little bit. So, there's the salad. Now, for the protein side of the meal.....
Hepped Up Deviled Eggs Recipe
Place 6 to 18 eggs (not too fresh) in a soup kettle and cover to a depth of about 2" with cool water. Bring to the boil over medium high heat, covered. When the water is boiling, completely, shut off the burner and let the eggs stand for 15 minutes. Run under cold water to cool the eggs. Peel carefully and rinse in clean, cool water. Cut them in half, lengthwise and remove the yolks to a gallon re-closable bag. Mush the yokes up with your hands until smooth. Place the whites in a tray, ready to fill.
To make the filling, mix together in a small bowl:
1/4 to 1/2 c. Best Foods Mayonnaise
1 t. Gulden's Prepared Mustard
1 can Deviled Ham
1/2 t. Smoky Paprika
1/2 t. Garlic Granules
1/2 t. Onion Granules
1/4 t. Ground Black Pepper
1-2 T. Dried Parsley or 1/4 c. Fresh Parsley
Salt to taste (I don't add any because the ham is salty)
Add the mayonnaise mixture to the bag and mush everything together well. Snip off a lower corner of the bag, making an opening about 3/8" long. Squeeze the yolk mixture out, starting at the bottom of each white and swirling to almost cover the whole top.
Chill well. These should keep in the fridge for about 3 days.
Serve the Bean Salad and Hepped Up Deviled Eggs with fresh tomatoes and toast for a summer's delightful, dinner. Yum. We've been enjoying this since yesterday. The house is staying fairly cool and the cook is NOT frazzled (well, not over cooking, anyway)......AND, she has time to quilt.
Stopped by for a visit (Walk-Up Border Collies) Love deviled eggs and a good 3 bean salad. I didn't even know there was an Odessa, WA. My brother used to live in Odessa, Texas :0) It has been a hot, dry summer for most. Weird weather patterns. My main reason for moving to Sequim….close to the water. Tired of So Cal fires. I think you need a Border Collie to go along with your kitties. Several of my friends have made me awesome quilts, so I will be stopping by now as a regular to check in on what is going on in your neck of the woods. ;0)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by. We had to have cold luncheon for you due to the heat but it was cozy, all the same. Odessa, in the Russia's, was the place from which came many settlers of the Texas and Washington state namesakes. Many were Germans from Russia, descendants of Catherine the Great's countrymen. I've enjoyed reading your blog. Love to hear how the collies are doing. We had a smooth collie when we came to live here. He lived to be 13 years old and was a marvelous companion, Mac. We miss him every day. He has his own page on the blog. See you again soon.
ReplyDeleteWe love 3 bean salad around here. I am so lazy about cooking that I have even managed to find it in a jar (it's pretty darn) good at Costco. Maybe I will just print out the recipe and make it myself soon! Keep cool, and worse case scenario, one can live on ice cream! LOL!!
ReplyDeleteYes, our anniversary is in the summertime and this year I suggested we buy a good ice cream maker. So we did, and we've been enjoying homemade ice cream all through the hot days. So far, I've made chocolate and vanilla. I'm going to do strawberry next. Oh, you were just kidding? Hey, I'm with you on this, totally!
DeleteHi Kathie - great to have (virtually) met you! Sounds like you don't have AC either? I've been wondering lately what in the world i was thinking, moving to Mississippi, but obviously we're not the only ones in a heat wave! Have you tried Basil Ice Cream? Highly recommended on a hot and sultry day! A gypsy life doesn't lend itself much to quilting, but now that i've settled down (for awhile) maybe i can find time and space to create a few of the quilts that have been keeping my brain cozy. Blessings and Adventures - Sea
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you made it over here. It's a long way, I know. Too far for a quick visit on horseback. I've often wished we had a pony to help with things around the yard. The fjord ponies seem like a good thing: strong enough for a little plowing and pulling; smooth enough for a quick jog (pace) to the store. Oh dear. People, you won't know what I'm talking about if you don't go and read Sea's blog about her jaunt across this great land of ours on horseback. I came across it while surfing one day, early this summer, and spent about ten days reading the whole thing from start to finish.....about two years worth of riding and blogging. You can find her saga at http://freerangerodeo.com/ Sea, I'm honored by your visit. Here, have another virtual scone, dear, and set a spell......
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