Cucumber Salad

C. found this recipe in the June edition of “Cooking Light.” The picture was so pretty, that even he couldn’t resist this salad. LOL

Since I’ve been harvesting cucumbers from my little garden for about a month now it was obvious that I HAD to make this. And as though to drive the point home, our farmer’s market had the most interesting type of cukes that I’ve ever seen.

Have you ever heard of lemon cucumbers? I never had and was curious to try them out. So I bought a few and into this salad they went! ;)

A Southerner’s Staple: Banana Pudding

Perhaps I’m being a little parochial. Maybe banana pudding is a staple on every American’s table during summer time feasts. Maybe every family has a generational obligation to provide this one dessert at every meal where .

Maybe.

I know for sure this is how it is in the South. :) Everyone grows up with this dessert. Everyone loves it (mostly). And everyone knows how to make it.

But… just in case someone out there doesn’t know, I’ll let you in on a little secret. It is probably the easiest dessert to throw together and one of the prettiest despite the lack of complications.

Grilled Stuffed Peppers

At May 29, 2012
By Spiceblogger
In Appetizers, MexiCajun Recipes, Recipes
3

I had such a wonderful three day weekend. :D

I unplugged and enjoyed every minute of it. There was lots of yard work, some house work and laundry, some cooking, and even a little R&R (relaxation and reading). ;)

What did you get up to? Was there a beach in your view? Or a family gathering? Or did you attend a remembrance service somewhere? Whatever you did, I hope you enjoyed it and took some time to remember and to say “thank you.”

Happy Hour Friday: Royal Orchid

Happy THREE DAY WEEKEND! WooHooo! It’s finally here: Memorial Day weekend. School is out for summer (well, it is here, anyway); bbq grills are being uncovered as I type; and preparations for road trips, lake trips, boat trips, pool parties, backyard bbqs (or whatever your flavor) are in full frenetic swing.

Summer. Our official kick-off. Here. Right now. :D

My cocktail today has really nothing to do with this holiday weekend. I tried to think of something patriotic. Something red, white, and blue. Or something that says “thank you” to the many who have sacrificed for my country and my freedom. But I came up with nothing.

MexiCajun Shrimp & Orzo Salad

Have I said how much I have come to love orzo recently? I have? Well, here I go again…

It’s just that orzo is so… so… small. lol There seems less to feel guilty over. Instead of loading my plate with penné or mounds of spaghetti or even rotini, I can toss this tiny little pasta with just about anything to create a full-flavor meal. (And I’m all about one-dish meals, if you haven’t figured that one out already!) The more I can cram into one dish, the better! It’s faster that way, as well as saving on clean up. :)

Mo’ better!

Happy Hour Friday: Aqua Thunder

This is a fun summer time drink. Cool and refreshing, it’s great for poolside service (hint, hint). ;)

Admittedly, there hasn’t been much (any) pool activity yet. To most of you, that’s not surprising. But for those of you who live in the Gulf Coast region, you know that we don’t often have to wait until after Memorial Day to crank up the pool time activities. It’s hot here. And it’s humid. And sometimes, a quick dip in the pool is the only thing that stands between you and a heat stroke.

But truthfully, we’ve just been too busy to stop long enough and enjoy any down time. Oh, and there is that nasty business of the “D” word. You know, “diet.” :( blech! Technically, we are no longer on a diet, but our no alcohol limitation has continued to be the order of the day. (double blech!)

Oven Roasted Eggplant Stacks

Well, here I am. I survived my 7 day diet of last week. Phew! There were times I thought I wouldn’t make it. LOL I was hungry and dreaming of things that were not allowed, like mac n cheese, or cake and ice cream, or pizza!

But instead of giving in to temptation, I decided to focus on creating delicious dishes that didn’t rely on all the typical calorie and fat-laden ingredients that I usually use.

I’ve been spending more time in the produce section, picking out seasonal veggies and imagining new ways of making them delectable.

Happy Hour Friday: Keenan Cab

As you all know, C and I have been on a grueling cleanse diet. Bleeech! :(

This means we are off the alcohol completely. No wine, no cocktails… nada, nothing, zero. So I don’t have to explain how that puts a slight kink in my “Happy Hour Friday” series.

Well, not to fear! We shall persevere and carry on. Don’t worry, I didn’t break my diet. Instead I’m sharing a wine review that I posted on my old blog a while back–long before “Happy Hour Fridays.” :)

Vegetable Stirfry

Hellloooo, my dearies! :) It’s only Tuesday and it feels like this week will never end already!

What is it? Maybe the heat (it’s 90+ degrees again here)? Or the endless work that surrounds me? Or perhaps it’s the fact that I’m on a cleanse diet. :/ Yep, I’m pretty sure that’s it. LOL

All this food cooking, and food eating, and food blogging has caused my pants to fit a bit tighter–and it’s not the drier shrinking them or tiny elves working away during the night to alter my wardrobe into smaller sizes!

Happy Hour Friday: Prickly Pear Margarita

The first time I had a prickly pear margarita (or even heard of a prickly pear) was a few years ago on a trip to Vegas. My entourage (haha) and I were waiting in the airport for our flight home, and we parked ourselves at one of the restaurants to drink away our time of waiting.

We ordered a round of prickly pear margaritas, and Oh they were good! :)

Skip to just a few weeks ago: my brother-in-law came back from a turkey hunting trip in Texas with a surprise for my sister and me. Prickly Pear Cacti! :D