Today is the thirty-fourth consecutive day with a rain shower, I spent the morning at the farmers’ market, setting things up, hiding from the rain, setting things up, drying things off, setting things up, running from a thunder storm and heading home.

The plan was to celebrate the Fourth at a potluck picnic with friends. Having run out of time, I decided to ‘cheat ‘ by doctoring canned baked beans. At the grocery store, I picked up a rack of spare ribs and and small head of cabbage along with the beans in case the picnic was the victim of yet another downpour. I got ready while the beans where baking, (heating) in the oven. You don’t need a recipe to doctor canned beans but here’s how I did it: … read more

Baking a fabulous cake is fun. Tonight we celebrate Denise’s birthday at a pot luck dinner with friends.

I’ll bring the cake. When I have finished, the cake will be delicious and beautiful, but at the moment my kitchen looks as if Lucy and Ethel have had yet another disaster.

I’ll post the details of this delight later today, but first I have to tidy up the kitchen before Ricky gets back.

Okay, most of the sugar and coconut is off the counter, there may be some on the floor but I’ll mop after I post the details.  Here’s how I did it. … read more

Pasta salads, whether macaroni, orzo, or linguini have become commonplace, available at deli counters and appearing at every pot luck dinner and picnic. Why not use another grain as the featured player in a main course salad?

Barley

Consider barley for the lead role in a salad with a southwestern flair. Barley, a cereal grain, is a major animal feed crop. Smaller amounts are used for malting in brewing beer and in health food. In Islam, the Prophet Muhammad prescribed barley for grief and the effects of aging.

The first time I was served barley salad I didn’t know what I was eating. I had only experience barley playing a supporting role in beef soup. You can find barley in your market with the bags of dried beans and lentils.  Here’s how I made it: … read more

Inspired by President Obama speech in Cairo I decided to make a dinner with tastes of the Middle East.

I decided that the menu would be lamb burgers, hummus, yogurt, butternut squash and pita bread.  Here’s how I made it. [/donot print] … read more

Fresh yogurt cheese is simply fresh, plain yogurt minus the watery whey.

Six Variations – beginning in the upper left, nasturtium petals gave a peppery punch, rose petals added a sweet scent and flavor, chive flowers are pretty but the onion flavor is too strong; bottom row – chopped dried cranberries, (my favorite because they add texture, a sweet/tart flavor and good color), chopped walnuts worked well, and the last, mint leaves gave a fresh scent but the texture of the leaf wasn’t good with the softness of the cheese, (next time, I’ll roll the cheese in minced mint leaves).

Dried apricots, currents, minced fresh mint or basil, chopped olives, diced sundried tomatoes are other possibilities.

Small rounds of yogurt cheese combined with dried fruit, chopped nuts or minced herbs served with crackers make a pretty and interesting appetizer served with a glass of wine.

Here’s how I made the cheese. … read more

No ingredients, no preparation, no clean up.