Summer Salad and BBQ in Crock-pot

SUMMER SALAD - CORN, AVOCADO, TOMATO, FETA, CUCUMBER & RED ONION WITH A CILANTRO VINAIGRETTE

- 4 ears corn, cooked ( put mine in oven on 350 for 25 minutes. Then let cool, shuck,and cut kernels off into the bowl)
- 2 avocados, diced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered 
- 1/2 an English cucumber,diced, skin on
- 1/3  C. crumbled feta
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced

Cilantro Vinaigrette
- 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. salt 
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped
- 6 tbsp. EVOO

-Chop the avocados, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion, then add to the bowl. Add the feta.

-For the vinaigrette, combine the first 5 ingredients (so the seasonings react with the vinegar), then add the cilantro and the EVOO. Shake it up.

-Gently mix all the salad ingredients together. When ready to serve, add the dressing and stir to combine.

This is so good and a great cook-out side dish! 

**BBQ in Crock-pot**
 I wanted to make BBQ sandwiches to go with the salad. I got on Pinterest to find a recipe for BBQ Pork in the crock-pot and all I could find were ones that involved Root Beer,Dr Pepper, or Coke. I definitely wasn't doing that...

*I just put the pork roast in the crock pot, I had about 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce in the bottom of a bottle so I added a little water and shook it up and added that in with the pork. I let it cook all day (about 8 hours). 
Delicious!! Next time I think I will make it with Papas homemade BBQ sauce though! :-) 

YaYa's Heluva Good Mac and Cheese

My Mom(YaYa as my kids call her) is from Sodus, New York also home to Heluva Good Cheese. When I was a kid we went to New York every other Christmas and the first stop(after Grandmas of course) was Lancaster's Stand. The trip was not complete with out Heluva Good Cheese!

We would all fight over the cheese and the chip dip through out the visit, and every year we would go to this cheese stand OR the Heluva Good Cheese Country Store before we left to get cheese to bring home with us. When we got home YaYa would make a big dish of Homemade Macaroni and Cheese made with the cheese we had bought. Talk about comfort food, this is it!

Now my parents usually go every summer and they bring us home cheese. This Summer being no different, I couldn't wait for them to get back this year with my cheese! (Yes we couldn't wait to see them too)

 This is the best mac and cheese because of the fresh off the wheel extra,extra,extra sharp cheese, mmm this Tennessee girl loves it! :-)

Today I finally got the recipe for YaYa's Homemade Mac and Cheese, but keep in mind folks, this is like a once a year type recipe! All things in moderation.

Here is what you will need

• 2 cups dry elbow macaroni
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 can evaporated milk 
• 2 eggs
• 1 squirt of Dijon mustard 
• Cayenne Pepper 
• Grated Cheese- I used the XXX sharp Heluva Good cheese(about 1 cup or 1 1/2 cups to taste) with some Mozzarella(about 1/2 cup) mixed in to make it creamy.
• Shredded Parmesan for the top 
• Paprika (for the top) 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees 

Boil macaroni until tender, drain. 

Add butter to warm pot and melt, add macaroni back in and toss to coat the macaroni with butter. 

In a separate bowl mix the milk,eggs,mustard,cayenne pepper and grated cheese. 

Put your pot of macaroni back over low heat, add in your cheese mixture and let melt and incorporate for about 2 minutes or so.

Spray casserole dish with cooking spray and pour the macaroni in.

Top with shredded cheese and paprika.(Can also top with Tomatoes, Chips,Crackers, Fried Onions,etc..)

Bake for 45 minutes until starting to brown and is bubbly.

This is how we eat our Macaroni...with a Zweigles Pop Open Hot Dog (from Rochester,NY) with some spicy mustard! Yum-O!

Y'all try this Macaroni soon it is so good!

*If you are in the East TN area you can find Heluva good Cheese at most Food City stores. Also their website heluvagood.com has a section on where to buy.

Also wanted to point out my new(to me) casserole dish from Grandma Polka-Dotty...I LOVE IT!!

Zucchini Tots

Zucchini Tots...Oh...My...Goodness!! These are so good!

1 cup grated Zucchini(1 zucchini)
1 egg
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup cheese(I used a little cheddar and grated Parmesan)
1/4 dry breadcrumbs
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray Mini Muffin tin with cooking spray.

Grate the zucchini into a dish towel. Next, wring all the excess water from the zucchini that you can.

Mix all together in a mixing bowl...

Press the mixture into the pans until compacted(otherwise it will fall apart)

 Bake for 15-18 minutes in preheated oven. The top will be starting to golden.

Next time I will probably double this recipe! So simple and so good!

This recipe is from here!

Smashed Red Potatoes

Here is what you will need

Red Potatoes
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Chives

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in potatoes, cook them until tender.

On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.

With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until mashed. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously olive oil.

Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and chives

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Recipe from thepioneerwoman.com

Cabbage Pie

2 Pie Crust
1 package Cream Cheese
1 large head of Cabbage
2 large Onions
Salt and Pepper
2 cups cheddar cheese
3 Tbsp Olive Oil

Shred cabbage. Slice Onions

Heat Oil in large skillet, add cabbage (it will cook down) cook until tender.
Heat Oil in separate skillet and cook onions until tender.

Poke holes in pie crust and bake as directed until light brown. Let cool 10 minutes then spread cream cheese(room temp) on bottem and sides of warm crust.

Mix cabbage and onion mixture add salt and pepper.

 Pour in to pie crusts and top with cheese.

Bake until cheese is melted and bubbley.

This is one of my FAVORITE Comfort foods!!! Yum Yum! Thanks YaYa!

Dutch Lettuce

I was first introduced to Dutch Lettuce by my Aunt Debbie in New York. It is definitly different!
But it is very yummy. I don't recomend eating it very often though... 
It is basically wilted lettuce mixed in mashed potatoes!  :-)


Here is what you will need:

6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup milk
Salt and Pepper
1/2 lb bacon, in pieces
1/4 head of lettuce, chopped
1 Tbsp vinegar
4 hard-boiled eggs

1. Boil Eggs and let cool.
2. Boil potatoes. Drain. Add milk, salt and pepper. Mash
3. Fry bacon until crisp. Remove and crumble up. Add vinegar to bacon grease(GENTLY).
4. Stir in lettuce to drippings until wilted.
5. Cut eggs into quarters.
6. Add everything to mashed potaoes and mix well

I did add a teaspoon more of vinegar once everything was mixed, just because I like the flavor in this!
Your going to want to make this when you have plenty of people to eat it because it does NOT make great leftovers.

Mushrooms and Onions

This is one of those "to easy for a recipe" recipe. Haha!
I only make this when I make steak and it is a GREAT side!

Here is what you will need:

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Garlic Powder
Small can Mushrooms (I like onions more than mushrooms, you can switch to have more mushrooms)
1 small onion( I sliver it)

1. Add oil to skillet and turn on medium high heat.
2. When oil is hot add onions. Allow onions to cook down some.
3. Add mushrooms and Garlic Powder.

4. Cook about 5 minutes or until onions are tender.