Broccoli Salad

BROCCOLI SALAD

2 bunches broccoli
½ cup mayonnaise
1 cup cheese, shredded
¼ cup white sugar
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp vinegar
½ lb bacon

Cook bacon crisply and crumble into pieces. Chop broccoli finely into bowl then add shredded cheese and onions. Mix mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar. Add to broccoli mixture; mix well. Add bacon. Chill & serve.

Coleslaw Dressing

COLESLAW DRESSING

¼ cup granulated sugar
½ tsp celery seed
¼ cup vinegar
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp prepared mustard
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 – 2 cloves fresh garlic minced

Place all ingredients, except the oil, in a pot and bring to a boil. Add oil and bring back to a boil for 30 - 40 seconds. Cool then pour over coleslaw mix of shredded cabbage, carrot and onion. Refrigerate.

Spinach Dip

This site would not be as special as it is without recipes from my sister-in-law, Linda Fleming, who’s holiday dinners are only surpassed by the dessert that follows.

SPINACH DIP

1 pkg spinach
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
½ cup milk
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 pkg dry vegetable soup mix
¼ tsp pepper
Few drops hot pepper sauce

Cook spinach; chop and drain well. In medium bowl, combine cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve in a bread bowl or a fancy dish with crackers, bread sticks or vegetables fresh from your garden.

One Gallon Dandelion Wine

I came across this in a little community fundraising cookbook from Woodville, Ontario. If anyone has tried a similar recipe I would love to hear how it turned out, or didn’t! The bears are the only ones interested in the thousands of dandelions I have around my house, they could have competition soon.

1 gal dandelions
3 lb brown sugar
3 or 4 lemons, juice, skin and seeds all chopped up together
3 or 4 oranges, chopped same as lemons
1 ½ to 2 pkgs yeast

Pick perfect open dandelion blossoms when dew is on them. Put blooms in a 2 gallon or larger open crock and pour boiling water over them. Cover crock with cheesecloth and let it sit at room temperature 3 days. Squeeze all the juice out of the flowers, throw them away and save the liquid.
Pour liquid into a large pot and add brown sugar and chopped up fruit. Put top on pot and boil mixture for 30 minutes; cool until lukewarm. Pour liquid into crock and add yeast. Cover the brew with cheesecloth and let it work for 2 or 3 weeks until bubbling stops. Filter through fresh cheesecloth and then bottle.
Save your bottled sunshine and uncap it on a gray overcast January day. Presto! It’s summer again.

As I said it was interesting and I would love any feedback. I don’t think I would wait until January to uncork the first bottle though!

Fresh Fruit Dip

Now, this one is a little different but I could not resist it.



Fresh Fruit, cut up: apples, kiwi, bananas, strawberries, mellons what ever you like.



Dip: use vanilla pudding cups or make a vanilla pudding mix up and refrigerate.

Mix pudding with a dash of Grand Marnier, Kahlua or Peach Schnapps.



Start dipping.

Veggie & Pasta Salad

This is one of many recipes passed to me by Colleen Crook, my sister-in-law.

Cut firm tomatoes into bite size pieces and toss with chunky pieces of cucumber and green pepper.
Toss with cooked penne and drizzle with bottled sun-dried tomato and oregano dressing.
Sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese.

Can great flavour get any easier?