Recipe of the Week. Mom's Southern Potato Salad.

Folks, this is a good one... This is a simple and tasty potato salad recipe that everyone gobbles up fast. Just 4 ingredients, this recipe makes A LOT of potato salad, but you can pretty much half or double it depending on your party size. Everything is "by taste". Just add more relish if you like relish, or add more salt if you want more salt. Happy Summer!

5 lb. bag of baking potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes
6 eggs
1 10 oz. jar of sweet pickle relish
1 18 oz. jar of low fat or light Kraft mayo

Peel your potatoes, cut in to cubes and boil until soft but firm. Let cool. Boil your eggs. Let cool. Peel your hard boiled eggs and either chop them up or put in a food processor. Start with your boiled potatoes and add half of your jar of mayo, half of your jar of relish and half of your eggs. Salt and pepper to taste. Keep adding your mayo, relish, eggs, salt and pepper until you get the taste and consistency you want.

Recipe of the Week. Marinated Cheese Appetizer.

This is the one of the hors d'ourves served at my brother's shower  and mention that I was going to get the recipe here. I served this at my hubby's b-day party, along with my fabulous guacamole, and this was the first thing gone - by a mile. It is easy - but impressive. My favorite kind of cooking.

Marinated Cheese Appetizer

30 min | 30 min prep

SERVES 6 -8

• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 dash salt (to taste)
• 1 dash black pepper (to taste)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 (2 ounce) jar diced pimentos, drained
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons minced green onions
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed

1. Cut cheddar cheese and cream cheese into 1/4 inch slices, then again in half.
2. Using a small dish, place cheese slices on end alternating cheddar and cream cheese.
3. Make the marinade by combining sugar, basil, salt, pepper, oil, vinegar, pimento, parsley, onion and garlic.
4. Pour marinade over cheese, cover and refrigerate overnight.
5. Serve with crackers.

Recipe of the Week. The Best Guacamole Ever.

In honor of Cinco de Mayo... This is my favorite guacamole recipe. Make your pico the night before and let it sit overnight in the fridge - you'll be glad you did!

Guacamole

Pico de Gallo

• 5 Plum (Roma) tomatoes
• ½ large or 1 small onion
• 3 jalapeño peppers
  
• Cilantro
• Lime Juice
  
• Salt
• Quantities are approximate

Guacamole

• 3 Avocados
• Pico de Gallo
• Lime Juice
• Salt

Pico de Gallo

• Chop jalapeño, tomatoes and onions into a very small dice. (leave seeds in your jalapeño for a hotter pico. Adjust amount of jalapeños to your preferred temperature.) Next, chop up a nice-sized bunch of cilantro. Just remove and discard the long leafless stems before chopping. No need to remove the leaves from the stems completely. Place all of these ingredients together in a bowl and give it a good stir.
• Squeeze the juice of half of one lime into the bowl. Add salt to taste and stir again.

Guacamole

• Start with buttery-soft avocados. Halve them lengthwise and remove the pits. Next. with a spoon scrape the “meat” out onto a large plate. Next, with the bottom of a clean cup (or with a fork) mash the avocados, making sure to leave it relatively chunky. Add just a couple of shakes of salt to taste. Next, add a generous helping of Pico de Gallo. Fold together. Lastly squeeze the juice of half of a lime over the top. Give it a last stir.

Recipe of the Week. Weight Watchers Strawberry Trifle.

In honor of bikini season...it's a large amount of points for WW, but it's worth it!

Weight Watchers Strawberry Trifle recipe
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients
1 angel food cake
2 pints fresh strawberries
1 large navel orange
6 tablespoons Splenda sugar substitute
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
fat-free cool whip

Preparation

1. Wash, stem, and slice strawberries (use an egg slicer to get even slices).
2. Place strawberries in medium bowl.
3. Using a reamer, juice orange into the bowl of strawberries.
4. Stir, adding Splenda, extract, vanilla, and cinnamon.
5. Stir berries in this juice very well and set aside to allow berries to macerate while you assemble the trifle.
6. Tear half of angel food cake into bite-size bits and place in bottom of trifle bowl.
7. Add half of strawberries followed by the other half of the angel food cake torn into bite size bits.
8. Place remaining strawberries on top of cake.
9. Pour juice over the layers.
10. Top with Cool Whip.
11. Chill until ready to serve.

Suggestions: You can garnish the top of the cool whip by saving two or three of the strawberries and making a fan. To do this, place a strawberry stem side down in your egg slicer, slowly lower the top and slice into the strawberry just to the point that it is about to cut through. Pull the strawberry out and spread the slices.

WW POINTS per serving: 6
Nutritional information per serving: 309 calories, 0.7g fat, 3.2g fiber

Recipe of the Week. Low Fat Creamed Spinach.

Photo courtesy of Family Oven

You know you are dying to order this at Fleming's. Can you imagine how many millions of calories do you think that stuff has in it? This is a low fat version of one of my steak house fav's.

Low Fat Creamed Spinach

4 10 oz frozen spinach thawed & strained
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (low sodium, if they have it)
2 blocks fat free cream cheese
1/2 medium white onion, diced

Mix all of this together in a bowl. Grease a casserole dish and dump it all it. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes uncovered.
Can be halved very easy - half is plenty for 2 with leftovers. :)

Recipe of the Week. Crockpot Pulled Pork.

Southern girls love BBQ. And this has to be the easiest and tastiest recipe for a busy gal. We've been eating on this for a week now and have even shared with friends!

Pulled Pork - from The Way The Cookie Crumbles - originally from Cooks Illustrated - serves 6

Spice Rub:

• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 4 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons table salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground white pepper
• 1 (6-8 pound) bone-in pork shoulder
• ½ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
• 2 cups barbecue sauce

Mix all spice rub ingredients in small bowl or plate. (the good thing is, all you need is a TBS and a TSP)


Massage spice rub into meat. Wrap tightly in double layer of plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 3 hours. For stronger flavor, the roast can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. I refrigerated for 1 1/2 days.



Unwrap roast and place it in slow cooker liner. Add liquid smoke, if using, and 1/4 cup water. Turn slow cooker to low and cook for 8-10 hours, until meat is fork-tender.

Transfer roast to cutting board or jelly roll pan; discard liquid in liner. Pull by tearing meat into thin shreds with two forks or your fingers. Discard fat.


Place shredded meat back in slow cooker liner; toss with 1 cup barbecue sauce, and heat on low for 30-60 minutes, until hot. Serve with additional barbecue sauce. We used Sticky Fingers Tennessee Whiskey.

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez.

Let the Good Times Roll! Fat Tuesday is tomorrow - make a king cake for your friends and family!

As a Mobile native, the birth place of Mardi Gras (for those of you who have been told otherwise by New Orleans folk...) I love to celebrate Fat Tuesday with a home made king cake. It's easier than you think! I like this recipe because you can use your mixer and don't have to have a bread maker or food processor.

The king cake has a long tradition associated with the Carnival season. It was originally served with a bean pressed into the dough prior to cooking and whoever got the slice containing the bean had to host a party for all guests in attendance. Today, the bean has been replaced with a plastic baby signifying the New Year.

John Folse's Mardi Gras King Cake


Prep Time: 2½ Hours
Yields: 10 Servings


Ingredients for cake:

• ½ ounce instant yeast
• ½ cup warm water
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 5 cups all purpose flour
• ½ cup powdered milk
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup melted butter
• 1 cup warm water

Method:
In a measuring cup, combine yeast and ½ cup of water. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, sift together all dry ingredients. Using a dough hook on an electric mixer, blend ingredients on low speed for 2-3 minutes.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine eggs, butter and remaining warm water. Slowly pour liquids and blossomed yeast into the mixing bowl, gradually increasing the mixing speed. Mix until dough separates from the bowl, approximately 8-10 minutes. An additional ½ cup of flour may be sprinkled into the bowl if dough is too wet.

Brush a large stainless bowl with melted butter then place dough inside. Brush dough with remaining butter and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow dough to proof in a warm place approximately 1 hour until double in size.

Ingredients for glaze: (note: I personally do not like the glaze called for here, so an alternative glaze is below!)

• 2 pounds powdered sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tbsp almond extract
• ¾ cup water
• 3 tbsps cinnamon

Method:
In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and salt. Place in an electric mixer. Slowly pour in almond extract and water while mixing on low speed. Add cinnamon and continue to blend until glaze is smooth. Set aside.


Ingredients for assembly:

• ¼ cup melted butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• eggwash (½ cup milk, 2 eggs, beaten)
• Purple, green, and gold sugars

Method:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. After dough has proofed, roll out on a well-floured surface into an 18" x 12" rectangle. Brush top of dough with melted butter then sprinkle with mixture of sugar and cinnamon.

Cut dough vertically into three even strips that will measure approximately 4" x 18". Fold each strip in half to make it 2" wide. Form into a basic three-strand braid then shape into a circle and pinch ends. Brush the entire cake with eggwash and proof in a warm place until the cake doubles in size.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Drizzle glaze over the entire cake and sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sugars. These sugars are available at pastry and cake decorating outlets.

Optional Glaze:

Mix 3 tablespoons water with the confectioners' sugar; brush 3 tablespoons glaze over the cake. Sprinkle with bands of colored sugar; drizzle with more glaze.

Recipe of the Week: Valentine's Day Desserts.

I saw this on Mint this week and just had to repost. Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches. Such a cute and fun way to celebrate this Sunday with a casual dessert. Plus, you can make a few days ahead so you can spend quality time with your family, instead of in the kitchen.

Chocolate Strawberry Heart-Shaped Ice Cream Sandwiches, makes 24

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 to 2 1/2 pints strawberry ice cream, slightly softened

1. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, vanilla, and sugar. Add eggs and milk, and mix until combined. Add reserved flour mixture, and mix on low speed until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula at least once. Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a flat disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface; use an offset spatula to unstick the dough every few turns of the rolling pin. Roll dough to an 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough using a variety of heart-shaped cookie cutters from 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter, making sure there is a top and bottom cookie for each sandwich. Place hearts on a parchment-lined baking sheet; chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator; use a fork to prick holes all over the surface of the cookies. Bake until firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Using half the cookies, spoon softened strawberry ice cream about 1/2 inch thick on each underside. Place matching cookie on top of ice cream, top-side facing out. Transfer immediately to freezer to harden; repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve directly from the freezer. Sandwiches can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for 3 to 4 days.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).

We just joined a CSA for 2010 and are SUPER excited about it. Being passionate about supporting local businesses, especially restaurants, we are excited that we can also support local business while eating at home too. Check out what Local Harvest has to say about it below, and check out their site to learn more about CSA's in your area. Sign up now to get in before May!

From LocalHarvest.org...

Over the last 20 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.

This arrangement creates several rewards for both the farmer and the consumer. In brief...

Advantages for farmers:

• Get to spend time marketing the food early in the year, before their 16 hour days in the field begin
• Receive payment early in the season, which helps with the farm's cash flow
• Have an opportunity to get to know the people who eat the food they grow

Advantages for consumers:

• Eat ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits
• Get exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking
• Usually get to visit the farm at least once a season
• Find that kids typically favor food from "their" farm – even veggies they've never been known to eat
• Develop a relationship with the farmer who grows their food and learn more about how food is grown

It's a simple enough idea, but its impact has been profound. Tens of thousands of families have joined CSAs, and in some areas of the country there is more demand than there are CSA farms to fill it. The government does not track CSAs, so there is no official count of how many CSAs there are in the U.S.. LocalHarvest has the most comprehensive directory of CSA farms, with over 2,500 listed in our grassroots database. In 2008, 557 CSAs signed up with LocalHarvest, and in the first two months of 2009, an additional 300 CSAs joined the site.

Recipe of the Week: Chocolate Peanut Butter Bark

Starting a new weekly post today. I love to cook, bake, etc. Basically anything that allows me to put on my cute little apron.

So, a super favorite of mine is Chocolate Peanut Butter Bark. Plus, the hubs loves anything with PB. This recipe is SUPER easy, but you do need time for the chocolate to harden again, so prepare in advance. It also looks like you took a LOT of time to prepare - so gourmet.

Ingredients:

1 lb. almond chocolate
1 lb. jar peanut butter

Line a jelly roll pan with wax or parchment paper. Melt white chocolate and peanut butter together. Spread in jelly roll pan. Let stand until set and then break into pieces.

Some notes on melting your chocolate... You can temper chocolate in the microwave, but make sure you do it correctly, or your chocolate won't firm up again. So, cut your baking chocolate up into smaller pieces. Using a glass bowl, heat the chocolate for 1 1/2 minutes. Take out and stir. Then, continue to heat in 30 second intervals, making sure to stir in between each one, until the chocolate is melted. Once melted, poor into your jelly roll pan.

Variations:

• Melt an extra 1 lb. chocolate and spread on top of peanut butter mixture. With knife, cut through in swirls.
• Sprinkle toffee or chocolate chips on top.
• Use chunky peanut butter.