Lemon Squares

This is one of my favorite treats that my mum use to make when I was younger. If you know my cooking, then it's nothing like my Mum's. She's one of the best.

Lemon Squares
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. This makes a 8x8 pan.

Crust
1 cup flour
1/2 cup margarine
1/4 cup powder sugar

• Mix together then  press in ungreased pan. build up to 1/2" in edge on the edge. bake for 20 minutes till light brown on outside edge.

Filling

2 eggs

1 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp Lemon juice

• Beat for 3 minutes until light & fluffy. Pour over hot crust. bake another 25 minutes or until no imprint remains in center when touched.
• Dust powder sugar when slightly warm.

*If you would like to make Lime squares just use 2 Tbsp Lime juice instead of Lemon juice. Add desired amount of green food coloring.

Peppy Pizza Salad

This is great if you have extra toppings from pizza. My kids just loved the idea of having two of their favorite meals in one meal. What's better than salad and pizza?

Peppy Salad Pizza
1/4 cup Pizza Sauce
2 flour tortillas

1/3 cup Italian dressing
2 tbsp pizza sauce
1/4 tsp dried oregano
4 cups shredded iceberg lettuce, lightly packed
1 cup chopped deli pepperoni slices
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup sliced fresh white mushrooms
8 tomato slices
1/2 cup Italian cheese blend, grated
1/4 cup  sliced black olives

• Brush 2 tbsp. pizza sauce onto each tortilla. Cut each tortilla into 12 wedges. Arrange in single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in 350 F degree oven for 15 minutes until crisp and golden
• Combine next 3 ingredients in large bowl. and next 4 ingredients. Toss. Transfer to round serving platter.
• Layer remaining 3 ingredients, in order given, over top. Arrange tortilla triangles around edge of platter. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Greek Vegetable Salad

Find a ll the texture and bold flavour you'd expect in a Greek salad, with a hearty dressing that's chock full of pureed vegetables and herbs.


Greek Vegetable Salad

19 oz. can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
2 cups English cucumber, chopped
2 cups green pepper, chopped
2 cups  halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup Diced feta cheese
1 cup pitted kalamata olives
1/2 cup red onion, diced

Vegetable Dressing


1/2 cup carrot, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
2 tbsp olive (or cooking) oil
1 tbsp Lemon juice
2 tsp Anchovy past
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp celery salt
1 garlic clove, minced (or 1/4 tsp garlic powder)

Toss first 7 ingredients in extra-large bowl.

Vegetable Dressing: process all 9 ingredients in blender or food processor until well combined, but not smooth. Makes about 2/3 cup Add to Cucumber mixture. Stir. Makes about 10 cups

Asian Lettuce Wraps!

I've discovered how much I like Lettuce wraps. Ben made it last summer. It was yummy but not yummy enough that I told everyone that the leftovers are MINE! Yes, I did that this week. I enjoyed every bite. 

Asian Lettuce Wraps

16 Boston Bibb or Butter Lettuce leaves

 1 lb ground pork

1 tbsp oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped

1-2 carrots, finely chopped

2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

Sweet Red Chili sauce (optional)

• Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside
• In a medium skillet over high heat, brown ground pork in oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necassary. Drain,  and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger and vinegar to the onions and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, carrots, sesame oil and cooked pork; continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
• Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve allow each person to scoop a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Top with green onions, yellow bell pepper and Sweet Red Chili sauce. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy.

Turtles

Last year I delicious some amazing enrichment meetings. I mean it was uber yummy! We learned how to make delicious homemade chocolates. I know chocolate is good, but I don't like store bought chocolate any more. I LOVE homemade chocolates. A big thanks go to Laverne Vold for teaching me how to make these. I'm looking forward to tomorrow, it's a girls day of making chocolates. We'll see if any chocolates last long enough to get photographed. :P


Turtles
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup rogers syrup
1 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream
 pecans.
Cook until soft ball stage (250 degrees), stir only at first to dissolve the sugar then stop stirring. Pour onto buttered pan. Cool wrap in pecans. Dip

*If you don't like nuts, then leave them out and make chocolate covered caramels. 

Buttery Corn Bread

I knew my Mum really liked corn bread. I couldn't understand the desire for it until I found this wonderful delicious corn bread. My mouth is watering just thinking about it, and I just had dinner. Maybe I should have made that dinner instead. This melt-in your mouth corn bread is.... perfect. It's moist and not to sweet. It's hard to leave any for left overs. My friends' daughter doesn't like bread or such (she even turned down my cinnamon rolls) asked for more corn bread.

Buttery Corn Bread

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 2/3 cups milk
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

• In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Combine the eggs and milk. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with egg mixture.
• Pour into a greased 13x9x2" baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for 22-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cut in squares; serve warm.

Banana Banana Bread

Everyone should experience tasting Banana Bread sometime. It's nice not wasting the bananas that no one dares to eat.

Banana Banana Bread

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 60-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.