Tag Archive for 4th of July

the best sloppy joes

These days I’m thinking about my book. Lots of planning and dreaming and networking and proposal writing in store. I’m excited and nervous and going through the whole range of emotions that go along with this process. It’s been a long road, but an exciting journey. Now that I have a completely clear vision of…

gracie’s red velvet ice cream sandwiches

My 13 year old daughter, Gracie, has created another masterpiece! I’m encouraging her to start her own food blog after the crazy success of her first post (remember those Grilled Cheese Roll-Ups?) Shared and pinned a gazillion times, and still receiving traffic daily according to the Google stats. Shes’ a natural! πŸ˜‰ She used a…

black cherry malted milk shake

“Ice-cream is exquisite. What a pity it isn’t illegal.” ~ Voltaire Today’s lunch….black cherry malts! Do you ever substitute ice cream for a meal in the summer? We do. Several times a summer actually. Try it. And if you find that you’re feeling guilty for some strange reason…add a handful of fresh berries! Voila. Health…

old fashioned strawberry shortcake a la mode

~ old fashioned strawberry shortcake a la mode ~ We make this classic dessert with rich, homemade shortcakes, vanilla ice cream, real whipped cream, and fresh lemon and sugar macerated strawberries. It’s the perfect summer treat, and sometimes we have it in place of supper. for the shortcakes: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 Tablespoon sugar…

grilled corn on the cob

  ~ grilled corn on the cob ~ A wonderful Minnesota State Fair treat! I had no idea until a couple days ago how easy it is to make at home. I love it with butter, salt and freshly ground pepper….but you could add fresh herbs to the butter to add more interesting flavors if…

gracie’s fruit pizza with homemade butter cookie crust

~ gracie’s fruit pizza ~ Gracie has been making more and more masterpieces in the kitchen ever since taking home-ec this past spring. She made the beautiful fruit pizza pictured above, and made the crust from scratch. It’s not just pretty, it’s absolutely delicious. We enjoyed ours with tall glasses of fruity iced tea! Check…

macaroni picnic salad

This is sort of a combination of Knott’s Berry Farm’s Pea Salad and Minnesota Macaroni Picnic Salad. I decided to mix it up…and ended up with the best macaroni salad I’ve ever had. If I do say so myself. And I do πŸ˜‰ ~ macaroni picnic salad ~ 1-16 oz. package elbow macaroni Β 3/4 cup…

papa’s picnic potato salad

~ papa’s picnic potato salad ~ Wow! Yesterday I asked my readers on facebook if they like their potato salad with or without mustard, and the responses started pouring in! I knew people were passionate about this, but I had no idea they cared that much. I promised to post my favorite recipe for potato…

oreo and heath ice cream pie

~oreo and heath ice cream pie~ “Chocolate is a perfect food, as wholesome as it is delicious, a beneficent restorer of exhausted power. It is the best friend of those engaged in literary pursuits.” – Baron Justus von Liebig Gracie requested this ice cream pie in lieu of a birthday cake this year. It really…

easy no-bake blueberries & cream pie

~easy no-bake blueberries & cream pie~ I’ve made this yummy, no-bake pie lots and lots of times. I’ve used raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, peaches, star fruit, mango and lemon pie filling. Yesterday I made it with blueberries and Hafi’s Swedish “Queen’s Blend Preserves.” It’s easy to get creative with this little recipe. Have fun! you’ll need:…