STRAWBERRYCHICKEN SALAD

 I love sharing recipes with you. Most people you read my blog consider it a recipe or food blog even though I started it for more of a tutorial blog for quilting/sewing/crafts projects. If I were to collect the posts into categories (which by the way, if you view the web version of my blog would could see the index by "Labels" or categories), I do have more recipes than I do tutorials for projects. Tutorials take several hours to write, but I do feel good after I have written them.

AND most of my recipes lean more toward desserts than anything else, but everyone or at least most people like and want a little sweetness in their life. I say "a little" because I do try to reduce the sugar in many of my recipes but not the sweetness.

Saying this, I always enjoy sharing a recipe that isn't a "dessert" and that is what this recipe is. It all started with my cooking a frozen chicken breast in my slow cooker earlier last week to use in something that called for cooked chicken that we might enjoy for a meal. That day I threw together a chicken salad with half of the "pulled" chicken with things I had in my refrigerator. 

Move forward two days and Friend Janice and I were out going to estate sales and enjoying lunch out. We went to an estate sale for a Berry Farm in a nearby town. The house was what I would call an old farmhouse and most of the things were beautiful but I didn't have room or a need for anymore. As we were leaving, Janice stopped at a small bookcase in the kitchen of cookbooks. I told her I hadn't even looked at the cookbooks at the two previous sales we had been to as I proceeded to pick up one that looked interesting. I settled on a smaller one called Berry Lovers Cookbook. The "o" in Lovers was a drawing of a strawberry. It contains recipes using Blueberries, Blackberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, and other Berry Recipes. I actually found more interesting recipes in the cranberry section that I will be making and sharing soon, but this recipe in the strawberry section was the first one I tried.

Saturday I decided to use the rest of the shredded/pulled chicken making another chicken salad. I have never had a chicken salad using strawberries and admit it was different, but we really enjoyed it. I didn't have all of the ingredients (lime peel and chutney) and a few ingredients I omitted on purpose (curry powder and red onion) because they aren't my favorite, but you probably do the same thing when you make a recipe. I will share the original recipe since I referenced the cookbook, but indicate my changes. Would love to hear from you if you decide to follow the original recipe in the comment section below. I also cut the recipe in half since I only had a cup of cooked chicken. One other personal note: As I said I cut the recipe in half which meant 1/2 teaspoon of salt. This was too much salt for our taste since we don't eat our food with a lot of salt. Since I didn't use the chutney either, I did sprinkle a package of stevia over the salad to help combat the salt taste.

A printable copy of the RECIPE

STRAWBERRY CHICKEN SALAD

1/2       cup mayo or salad dressing

2          tablespoons chopped chutney*

1          teaspoon grated lime peel** 

1          teaspoon salt

1          teaspoon curry powder*

1          tablespoon lime juice**

2          cups diced cooked chicken

1          cup sliced celery

1/4       cup chopped red onion*

1-1/2    pints (2 cups sliced) fresh strawberries

lettuce leaves

In a large bowl, combine the mayo, chutney, lime peel, salt, curry powder, and lime juice.

Add chicken,

celery, and onion.

Toss, cover, and chill. (I omitted this as I was making it for us to eat then.)

Just before serving, slice enough strawberries to make 2 cups; gently toss with chicken mixture.

 

Line platter or individual serving plates with lettuce. Mound chicken salad in center. Garnish with remaining 1 cup whole strawberries. (Since I was making this for our lunch, I omitted the last step, but admit it would be impressive if serving friends for a luncheon.) 

*omitted

**I substituted lemon peel and lemon juice

I also made a sandwich for us which we shared.

The remaining I ate later as a salad with wheat thins. Yum!

ICE CREAM CRUNCH

 August is here which usually means hot temperatures. I think we had 3 days in a row of 95 or higher so that means a heat wave. We actually have a cold front coming in tonight so only 84 degrees forecasted for tomorrow along with rain.

Friend Susan served the canasta group this delicious Ice Cream Crunch for dessert back in June when it wasn't this hot, but it still tasted delicious that afternoon. She said she had made it twice before and toasting the rice krispies really made a difference. Besides being so cool and delightful it is easy to make.

ICE CREAM CRUNCH

2-1/2   cups rice krispies

1         cup flake coconut

1         cup chopped pecans

1/2      cup butter - melted (1 stick)

3/4      cup brown sugar

1/2      gallon vanilla ice cream

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Combine the first five ingredients. Spread the mixture on a deep cookie sheet with sides. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes stirring occasionally.

Allow to cool.

Grease a 9 x 13 - inch pan and place about half or more of the mixture in the pan. Spread the ice cream evenly on top. (Softened but not melted.)

Spread the rest of the topping on top of the ice cream and freeze. Serves 12 to 20. 

OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD PECAN WAFFLES

 

Can you believe it is already August? I don't know about you, but July went really quickly to be a month with 31 days. I saw this morning a friend's post from Atlanta of her children's first day back in school. If our older son Jeffrey were still teaching high school, he would be back at school in meetings before the kids would be starting in a few days. Here in Missouri the kids still have a couple of weeks before school starts. 

I remember this time of the year very well even though it has been sixteen years since I retired. I'm "saying" that really fast because it's so hard to believe it has been that long. It has been a good retirement so far though. I'm having a blast with friends I've made after moving to MO, learning new things like canasta and believe it or not, quilting. Let's just say "You're never too old to learn!" could never be more true. "Just be open!" is what I would add to that statement.

I would never have thought I would spend so much of my time in retirement searching for and trying new recipes. Heavens! I would never have thought I would be a blogger in my retirement years. I've eased off some since COVID, but I still try to post at least once or twice a week. Speaking of COVID, I would never have thought something would "steal" me of two years of my life ever. Those two years are just surreal. 

About three weeks ago my husband went to an estate sale with me since Friend Janice couldn't go with me. I bought a small lightweight waffle maker for $10 dollars and decided to make it. Wayne was a little skeptic but I told him our professional waffle maker like the ones you find in hotels for their breakfast bar was just so heavy and big and not very convenient to use and I LOVE WAFFLES.

Well, it didn't work so he brought up our older one so I could finish making the waffles. Long story short (yes, I do know how to tell a story shorter even though Wayne might want to disagree with that statement) I'm using our old one again. We found a place to store it in the kitchen so I don't have to go down to the garage to get it and it doesn't feel as heavy as I remember it.

I found this recipe in a Southern Living Homestyle Cooking cookbook and agree that they are "out-of-this-world" waffles. I cut the recipe in half because I didn't want to make 22 (4-inch) waffles, but I'm going to go on and share the full recipe since half the recipe wouldn't make enough for a family. 

A Printable  COPY of the recipe.

OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD PECAN WAFFLES

2-1/2    cups flour

1-1/2    tablespoons sugar   

1          tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4       teaspoon salt

2          large eggs, beaten

2-1/4    cups milk

3/4       cup oil

1/2       cup ground pecans (finely chopped in chopper)

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

Combine the eggs, milk, and oil and

then add to the flour mixture, stirring just until moistened.

Stir in pecans.

Bake in a preheated, oiled waffle iron until golden. 

Spread on the butter and a little powdered sugar and enjoy.

I hope your day is sunny and bright.

                                         

CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BUNDT CAKE

 Friend Nora recently shared a chocolate cake she had made for her family and I asked her for the recipe as soon as I saw it. It took me a couple of days to make it as I was waiting for a cooler day to work in the kitchen. It only took a few days to eat it after sharing some with friends, but my husband is already talking about my making it again and making suggestions for the next one.

I have made Chocolate Zucchini Bread before but didn't compare the recipes. This one can be made with no-sugar-added if you like or as the recipe is written. You could leave the cake unfrosted or dust lightly with some sifted powdered sugar. The recipe looks like it had already been modified to be more healthy. 

A  PRINTABLE copy of just the recipe.

CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BUNDT CAKE

1       cup raw sugar (or sugar substitute such as stevia or Splenda)

1-1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

1/2    cup oil

1       tablespoon vanilla extract

2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2       teaspoons baking soda

2       teaspoons baking powder

1       teaspoon salt

1       cup cocoa powder

3       cups shredded/grated zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini)

1       cup mini chocolate chips

Frosting:

1/4     cup unsalted butter, melted (1/2 stick)

1/3     cup cocoa powder

2        cups powdered sugar

1        tablespoon vanilla extract

1/3     cup milk 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or spray a bundt pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the sugar, vanilla, apple sauce, and oil until

it all comes together.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder together.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, half at a time.

Mix until the batter comes together.

Stir in the zucchini (I did half at a time) and

then chocolate chips.

Pour into pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes.

Cool cake in pan on wire rack at least 10 minutes before removing cake to finish

cooling on serving plate.

If you wish, you can make the frosting and pour over cooled cake or just sprinkle with powdered sugar if you want to have less calories.

Whisk together the melted butter, cocoa powder that you have sifted, vanilla, and milk until smooth.

Drizzle over the cooled cake and sprinkle more chocolate chips on top if you like. (I didn't)

CREAMY SUGAR-FREE PIE

 Good morning. We are in the heat of summer in Kansas City, MO, but it isn't as bad so far as forecasted. Seems the people south of I-70 are getting the hotter temperatures than we are but we are forecasted for 100 degrees for today and tomorrow. 

This kind of weather calls for cool, light desserts and that just what I made to share with the canasta group on Tuesday. There were only four of us to play at Friend Fran's house which meant the game didn't move as quickly as it does/can with six playing. I had posted a meme on Facebook early that morning that said - "Life is boring if you don't laugh, joke around and be a little crazy every now and then. At the end of the day it's about being happy." and said that was my plans for today. I knew that would happen later that afternoon at canasta and it did. 

Friend Fran had gone out to check her mail and then failed to raise her right leg high enough to step up to her front "porch" and had fallen skinning her upper foot and ankle area of her foot and skinned and bruised her knee. When Friend Janice and I showed up minutes later, she wasn't sure if she was going to be able to host. We of course took over and helped her put some ice on it and secure the towel with ice on her knee with a plastic bag. I kept having her bend her knee so that it wouldn't get stiff. With her knee "wrapped" and foot propted up on a chair, we started our game. Every time we play, craziness happens so my plans worked for all four of us. Janice and I stayed behind until the last two hands and ended up winning. 

At about half way in, I suggested we have dessert and everyone agreed. I had made the pie earlier in the morning. The recipe said to refrigerate for one hour. I wasn't sure that was long enough and actually my pie was refrigerated for probably five hours from the time I made it until the time I cut it for us to eat. Well, it came out easily so that was good. 

The recipe was one I had written down back in the 70s and was in my first "recipe box" that wasn't a box at all but a small binder meant for recipes with dividers for different food catagories. It was called Creamy Chocolate Pie and I intended making a chocolate pie until I actually started making it that morning. I was baking the crust as I started gathering the ingredients for the pie. In my stack of puddings in my pantry, I had two boxes of butterscotch pudding and grabbed one of them and put the chocolate one back. 

I love butterscotch. When I was younger I always had a butterscotch sundae instead of hot fudge like I do now. I loved butterscotch hard candy to suck one. On it really wasn't a hard decision to make. I even had some butterscotch chips that I sprinkled on top at the end to garnish it. That's why I named the post a generic Creamy Sugar-Free Pie because you can use any flavor of pudding for it. What I made was a Sugar-Free pie since I used a Sugar-Free Instant Pudding Mix. The recipe also called for nuts, but I didn't think nuts went with creamy so I left them out. I still think it was a good idea and I love nuts also. 

If you don't have a sugar-free instant pudding mix, of course. use a regular mix. 

CREAMY SUGAR-FREE PIE

1     (4-serving) sugar-free instant pudding mix (I used butterscotch but any pudding mix would work.)

1            cup milk (skim milk will work)

1      (8-ounce) container of sugar-free whipped topping, divided (Lite whipped topping only has 1 gram of sugar in the entire container.)

1             baked 8 - inch pie crust. cooled

Empty pudding mix in mixing bowl along with 1 cup of milk. Beat until dry mix has thoroughly dissolved and mixture is thick. This doesn't take long at all since you are using half of the milk that the box directions calls for.

Measure out 1-1/2 cups of the thawed whipped topping and blend into mixture until thoroughly combined.

Spoon into pie crust and

then top with the rest of the whipped topping.

May garnish top as you like.

I hope you will give this pie a try. Friend Vicky remarked it was so cool and light and we all agreed with her. Oh! Fran is doing well. A little sore but getting around. She was glad we were there and helped her out.

ELVIS SHAKES

 What a fun evening we had last night! Wayne and I had bought some prime sirloin steaks and our younger son Patrick grilled them for dinner at their house. He also roasted some cubed potatoes on the grill and we brought salad makings, fresh strawberries, and a watermelon that we didn't cut, but left with them to enjoy this week. It was a meal fit for a King. 

Granddaughter Madison soon to be twelve which is so hard to believe, had found a recipe that she wanted to make since they had all of the ingredients, but her daddy told her to wait until after dinner. She showed me the recipe for Elvis Shake and it did look delicious. In fact I took a picture of the recipe so I could make it later for us. 

It didn't really register with me that she would make it while we were still there and we would get to sample it ourselves. I'm so glad she did though because it was heavenly. She had sliced the bananas and put them in the freezer in a bag so they would be ready when she made the shake. Now,  I can't wait to go buy some bananas and make it for Wayne and me.

Sure to please your kids (and maybe yourself) and it's so easy even a child can make it with a little supervision.

Print recipe.

ELVIS SHAKES

2        large bananas, sliced and frozen

1-1/2  cups milk

6        tablespoons creamy peanut butter

2        tablespoons honey

1/4     teaspoon cinnamon

3/4     cup crushed ice

slices of banana for garnishing

Prepare the bananas ahead of time. (Place in bag to freeze.)

Place milk and bananas in the blender.

Place lid on top and pulse several times to combine.

Remove the lid and

add the peanut butter,

cinnamon,

honey, and

crushed ice. 

Blend until smooth.

Serve into four glasses. Madison wanted to ad chocolate, so her mother Lori, drizzled some chocolate syrup on the inside of the glasses before Madison poured the shake into the glasses.

Add banana slices on a straw or short skewer to garnish.