SUMMER COLE SLAW SALAD

RECIPES FOR DAYS WHEN YOU'RE SITTING ON TOP OF THE WORLD AND YOU FEEL LIKE EVERYTHING'S COMING UP ROSES

Once in a while you need a quick salad that is just a little different, one that everyone seems to like even if it does look a bit weird. There really isn't much you can do to cabbage to make it look good--cabbage is just cabbage. Sauerkraut is probably the best thing anyone ever invented using cabbage, but a good cole slaw is not a bad second-best. Boiled cabbage is definitely not recommended unless you shred it and put it into soup. The Chinese seem to do a much better job of making cabbage more palatable, but this salad is definitely one you will want to try and to keep in mind when you need to make something that will go with about anything and not take too big a bite out of your budget. If you decide to put the chicken in it, you might be able to get away with it as a main dish but probably more as a lunch meal rather than for dinner. i think if I tried to serve it as the main dinner entree it would not go over very well at my house, but then you might have more broad-minded, cabbage-loving people that you cook for.

Salad:

1 small head of cabbage, finely shredded

1 bunch of green onions with tops, sliced

1 C. cubed cooked chicken (optional)

Dressing:

2 T. sugar

1/2 C. oil

2 T. vinegar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 flavor packet reserved from Ramen noodles

Toasted Topping:

1 T. sesame seeds

1/4 C. slivered or sliced almonds

1 pkg. chicken flavored Ramen noodles, broken into small pieces

Mix the dressing ingredients together well. Chill in refrigerator. While dressing c hills, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss together topping ingredients. Spread on a cookie sheet with sides. Toast in preheated oven until golden brown, watching carefully and stirring often to prevent burning. Remove toasted topping from the oven and cool. Last, add chilled dressing. Serve salad immediately if you prefer crisp noodles, or let it sit until noodles are softened. Serve with a side of crunchy bread. Enjoy!

The shredded cabbage
The dressing:

The toasted Topping:

FUN WITH CREPES

RECIPES FOR DAYS WHEN YOU'RE SITTING ON TOP OF THE WORLD AND YOU FEEL LIKE EVERYTHING'S COMING UP ROSES

Sometimes life can be astonishingly good and something as simple as a new idea or a different way of doing something you've done over and over hundreds of times can make a dull day into a I-can't-wait-to-get-home day when there is something waiting for you there that you love or love to do. One day when I was making my 500th crepe, I realized that there was something else I could do with them that I hadn't even thought of before. It was so simple and yet, (dare I say it?) so ingenious. Not much is required and when you're finished you'll have the cutest little bowl on the block. Yes, there is some time involved in it, but once you've baked the bowls, you are pretty much on your way to having an amazing and original dessert with a minimal amount of fuss. What could be better than that?

For these cute little dessert bowls, I'm using the same crepe recipe that I used in last week's blog. Here it is in case you missed it:

1/2 C. milk

1/2 C. water
2 large eggs
2 T. melted unsalted butter (must be real butter)
1/4 t. salt
2 T. sugar
1 C. all-purpose flour

1. Put all the ingredients into the blender and blend at low speed until all are mixed well. Then increase the speed to make a thick batter. If it is too thin, add a little more flour, if too thick add a little more milk. It should be of pouring consistency like maple syrup.

2. Pour 1/4 C. batter into a medium-hot Teflon coated 10-inch frying pan. Rotate the pan around until the batter covers the bottom completely. You may need to help spread it around with a small spatula until all the batter is smoothly covering the pan.

3. Allow the bottom to cook for about one minute or until it's light brown in color. Carefully lift it up with a spatula and turn it over. Cook on the other side for about 30 seconds or just until set.

This recipe makes about 6-8 crepes.

4. Once you have finished making all the crepes, put them into small, oven-proof ceramic bowls.

5. Put the bowls on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 250 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until they are crisp. Take out of the bowls and allow to cool.

6. You can either served them plain, or make them fancy by dipping the edges in a small bowl of melted vanilla almond bark and then in a bowl of candy sprinkles. You can also use toasted coconut, crushed nuts or whatever you might want.

This makes a very fancy little bowl that will keep in a covered container for up to a month. This is also something that your children or grandchildren would love to help you make.

THE BEST PASTA ALFREDO SAUCE EVER

RECIPES FOR DAYS WHEN YOU'RE SITTING ON TOP OF THE WORLD AND YOU FEEL LIKE EVERYTHING'S COMING UP ROSES

This recipe is not going to qualify for Weight Watcher's or Jenny Craig nor is it something you can indulge in on a regular basis, but once in a while won't hurt and, besides, it is so absolutely delicious that once you taste it you'll figure out a way to justify it. Just make sure you get your exercise in the next day to work off the extra calories it just happens to be loaded with. I know there are some people who don't have to worry about such things and can eat whatever they want without any negative results and if yo're one of them then I'm envious because I'm not and so pasta, especially with a rich alfredo sauce, is not something I make very often but when I do, this is the best recipe I've ever found for it.

1/2 C. butter (one cube)

1 8z. package of cream cheese

1 C. half and half cream

1/3 C. Parmesan cheese (not the kind in a can, but the fresh grated kind)

2 T. Lipton's Savory Garlic and Herb seasoning

1 10 1/2 oz. can Cream of Chicken soup

Pepper to taste

1. Put some pasta on to boil. You can use any kind that you like. My favorite happens to be 'Penne', but Fettucini is also good as is Angel Hair--whichever kind you choose.

2. Melt the butter slowly in a heavy pan and add the cream cheese that has been cut up into chunks.

3. Keeping the heat at medium, add the cream and stir in the cheese. Keep stirring until the cheese has completely melted.

4. Add the seasonings and remove from the heat, stirring often while it thickens.

OPTIONAL:

You can steam some broccoli (it doesn't take much, probably just one stock) and add a can of chicken to the Alfredo sauce which will make it a full meal rather than a side dish. Or, if you prefer, you can grill two chicken breasts and cut them into pieces to serve over the pasta with the sauce on top. Enjoy!

FABULOUS ORANGE ROLLS

WEEK FOUR: RECIPES FOR DAYS WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE EVERYTHING’S COMING UP ROSES AND YOU’RE SITTING ON TOP OF THE WORLD

Once in a while it's just nice to have a little 'knock 'em dead' recipe in your bag or tricks that you can pull out when you feel the need to be a somewhat over the top so you can say something like, "Oh, I just whipped these up in my spare time today." Maybe you've got your boss and his or her spouse coming to dinner or maybe you volunteered to bring the rolls to the next family gathering and you'd like to give the impression that you really know what you're doing in the kitchen, even if you haven't got a clue or at least very few clues.

You don't need to be intimidated by hot rolls because they're really very simple once you've mastered the technique. If you have a big mixer or bread maker that will knead the dough for you, so much the better, but if not, not to worry; you can do it by yourself and they will still turn out just fine. The dough should be soft but not sticky and definitely not stiff which means you have added too much flour. I like to use Lehi Roller Mills Flour which can be purchased at Costco. It makes the lightest and most delicious rolls I have ever made. It is almost like a pastry flour. You have to buy it in 25 lb. bags, though.

Here is the recipe:

1 ½ C. warm water

½ C. powdered milk

1 t. salt

¼ C. sugar

2 T. oil

1 egg

4 C. flour

2 ½ t. yeast

1. Put the first six ingredients into a blender and blend at medium-high speed.

If you knead it by hand, it works best if you take it out of the mixing bowl and put it on a clean hard surface that has been sprayed with Pam. Knead it for about ten minutes. Let the dough rise in a deep bowl that has a clean towel or clear plastic wrap over the top.

l or bread maker. Add the flour mixed with the yeast last and knead well for 5 minutes. If dough is sticky, sprinkle with flour and keep kneading but don’t let the dough get too stiff.

3. Then cover the dough and allow it to rise for one hour or until doubled in size. Take out the dough and put on a clean surface sprayed with Pam. Cut the dough in half. Roll each half into a 10” X 12” rectangle. Spread with soft butter and roll up.

4. Cut each roll into 1 ½ “ pieces and place in normal-size muffin tins that have been sprayed with Pam. Allow to rise again until doubled.

5. Bake in 350 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes or until lightly browned both on both top and bottom.

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6. Frost while still warm with orange frosting (below). Allow to cool slightly before serving. Best when eaten while still warm.

Orange Frosting:

1 small but very sweet orange (Valencia is best)

2 C. powdered sugar

1. Take the orange and grate the skin on the largest side of your cheese grater into a small bowl until it is completely skinless.

2. Cut the orange in half and juice it into the bowl.

3. Add the powdered sugar and stir until well blended. It should be runny, not stiff.

4. Don't be tempted to add anything else like milk, cream, butter, cream cheese or vanilla. You want to keep the pure orange flavor and have it harden into a clear glaze.

5. Frost and allow to sit long enough for the glaze to dry before eating. Enjoy!

MADE FROM SCRATCH CHOCOLATE CAKE

RECIPES THAT WILL END UP BEING YOUR FAVORITES BECAUSE THEY LOOK SO FANTASTIC AND YET ARE DECEPTIVELY EASY TO MAKE

First of all, I know you are going to ask me why anyone would want to make a cake from scratch when it’s so easy to make a cake from a cake mix. Here are a few reasons that I can think of:

· You might not have a cake mix on hand, but if you have all of these ingredients which aren’t really that unusual, you can still whip up a cake at the last minute that is every bit as good as one from a mix or even better

· It is always very gratifying to tell people very nonchalantly that this cake just happens to be a ‘made from scratch’ cake because you know they will be duly impressed

· There is something deeply satisfying about making a cake from scratch—it brings out the ‘Betty Crocker’ in you and makes you feel like a real, down-to-earth baker, the kind your mother or grandmother probably was.

This is a recipe that is as old as the hills, but it’s amazing because it makes the most delicious, moist heavy chocolate cake that ALWAYS turns out and everyone ALWAYS loves it. One of the nice things about it is that it doesn’t hump up in the middle like some cakes do which makes them difficult to frost. This one comes up flat on top each and every time. If you are a chocolate cake lover, and to be honest I don’t know very many people who aren’t, you will love this cake. I usually make it in a 9” x 13” pan, but you can make it in a heavy Bundt pan or in 2 8” cake pans, as well. I prefer the oblong cake pan, though, because I think it makes for a better cake. Here is the recipe:

2 C. flour

2 C. sugar

1 t. salt

Dash of cinnamon

2 sticks margarine (or butter is even better or you can do half and half) melted in 1 C. of boiling water, then cooled.

½ C. cocoa

½ C. buttermilk Put 1 tsp. soda into the buttermilk (If you don’t have any buttermilk, you can substitute regular milk with 1 T. vinegar added to it. Let it curdle.)

2 eggs

1. Put the flour and sugar and salt & cin your large mixing bowl and blend together.

2. 2. Melt the butter/margarine in the water in a small saucepan. Add the cocoa to this mixture and then set aside and allow it to cool.

3. 3.3. Start adding the melted butter and buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture alternately while the mixer is going at a low speed until both are completely mixed in.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue mixing at a low speed.

5. Turn the mixer up and mix at a medium-high speed for 1 minute or until well mixed.

6.Pour the batter into a greased and floured pan (or spray with Pam).

7. Bake in 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Pour chocolate sauce over the top of each piece and top with whipped cream and a strawberry. Very cool!

CHOCOLATE SAUCE

HOT FUDGE SAUCE

1 can evaporated milk

1/2 C. melted butter

Sift together:

1/2 C. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2 C. sugar

1/4 C. cocoa

Boil until thick like pudding, 5-8 minutes.

Add 1 tsp. vanilla, then put into a blender and whip.

Allow to cool.

This is a wonderful chocolate sauce that is good on about anything, especially vanilla ice cream. But it makes this cake simply out of this world. Enjoy!

ROASTED RED POTATOES

RECIPES THAT WILL END UP BEING YOUR FAVORITES BECAUSE THEY ARE SO DELICIOUS AND YET ARE DECEPTIVELY EASY TO MAKE

This dish is like that famous 'little black dress' you have in your closet that is always in style, can go with just about everything and makes you look good every time you wear it (or serve it, as the case may be.) It's always a good idea to have some red potatoes on hand, even if you're an Idaho baking potato person through and through. Red potatoes are great because you don't have to peel them and, in fact, they require that you DON'T peel them. All you have to do is give them a good scrubbing first and set them aside to dry before you start cooking with them.

And so, to get started, cut up your washed red potatoes into small chunks until you have 4 - 6 Cups and place them in a bowl. Then add:

1 package of Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix from the box and

1/4 C. good Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Or EVOO as they say on all the cooking shows on TV)

Stir the potatoes around until they are well coated with the oil and seasoning mix.

After this you can choose how you want to cook your potatoes. You can put them into a crock pot and cook on low heat all day or high heat for 3-4 hours.

Or, you can put them in a nice heavy oven-proof casserole dish with a lid and bake them at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. If you choose the oven, take the lid off for the last 15-20 minutes so they will have a chance to brown. If you bake them this way, add 2 T. water to the pot to help them to cook.

Or, there is the French way to cook them which is to line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil and put the seasoned, oiled potatoes on the cookie sheet and bake them for approximately one hour uncovered. They will require some tending if you choose this way to make sure they are browning on all sides. My French friend, Sandrine, waits to put the oil and seasonings on the potatoes after she puts them on the cookie sheet only she uses fresh herbs such as rosemary and thyme. You can certainly do it this way, too, but I prefer using the Good Seasons because it really does give the potatoes a wonderful flavor and it is already salted.

Serve while hot. They are so mouth-wateringly good and turn out every time. If you bake the potatoes in a casserole dish, make sure you watch them so they don't get too done on the bottom. Lift off the lid and stir them around every once in a while. Very few people can resist these potatoes, especially when you serve them with something like a roast chicken and some delicious steamed vegetables. Enjoy!

SWEET AND SOUR PINEAPPLE HAM

RECIPES THAT WILL END UP BEING YOUR FAVORITES BECAUSE THEY LOOK SO FANTASTIC AND YET ARE DECEPTIVELY EASY TO MAKE

This is one of those recipes that you can put together at the last minute and know that it will always turn out and will never fail to impress. It's a little like having an old friend who just stays in the background and doesn't ask for much, but she always there when you need her. Everyone needs a friend like that. Not only is this a last-minute wonder and a dependable one at that, it's also SIMPLE and that's what we're all about here.

First, you will need a large slice of premium ham. You can usually buy one for around three or four dollars. I think it's a good idea to keep a few of these in the freezer because they thaw out quickly and make for a great dinner on the fly. Take the ham, wash it off and dry it with a paper towel. Then fry it on a griddle or large frying pan that has been brushed with oil for 5-7 minutes on each side. Use only medium heat or it will burn. After you have cooked it, set it in the bottom of a large dish or on a platter.

Next, cut up a fresh pineapple until you have 2 cups. Or, you can use canned pineapple, but fresh is better because it has much more flavor.

Then chop up one small onion and one small green pepper. Fry them in 2 T. oil in a large frying pan until they are translucent. Keep stirring all the time. You don't want to caramelize the onions, just make them lose their whiteness.

Then combine the pineapple chunks with the peppers and onions. Add 1 C. of pineapple juice that has had 2 T. of corn starch and 1 T. Balsamic vinegar and 1 T. brown sugar added to it.

Stir them all together until the sauce thickens.
Then add 2 C. chopped tomatoes. Do not cook the pineapple/onion mixture after you've added the tomatoes. Just allow the sauce to blend their flavors together before spooning it on top of the ham.

Serve the ham with some very flavorful rice like Jasmine or Basmati. This will serve about 4-6 people.

CREPES

RECIPES THAT WILL END UP BEING YOUR FAVORITES BECAUSE THEY LOOK SO FANTASTIC AND YET ARE DECEPTIVELY EASY TO MAKE



Crepes (pronounced like preps) are wonderful things because they are fun, easy to make delicious to eat and very fancy or, as they say in France, tres chic. I learned to make them years ago and still do when I’m in need of a great dessert that everyone likes, that I can make ahead and put together at the last minute and when I need something that is versatile enough to be both a dessert or a main dish. When I was in Paris, I absolutely loved to go to the little crepe stands on the street and watch them being made. By the time they were finished I was absolutely salivating at the sight of these wonderful, thin pancakes. They usually served them very simply with just some fresh lemon juice and a little sugar, folded twice. But, oh my goodness, they are so delicious. You can serve them with any number of different fillings and in lots of different ways. I will give you a few of my own favorites here. Everyone has their own special way of making crepes, but I have found that the best way for me is the simplest which is in the blender. There are two different types of crepes, sweet or dessert crepes and savory or main dish crepes. Here is the recipe:

1/2 C. milk

1/2 C. water
2 large eggs
2 T. melted unsalted butter (must be real butter)
1/4 t. salt
2 T. sugar (you will omit the sugar if you are making savory crepes.)
1 C. all-purpose flour (If you wanted to be authentic, you would use buckwheat flour if you are making the savory kind).

1. Put all the ingredients into the blender and blend at low speed until all are mixed well. Then increase the speed to make a thick batter. If it is too thin, add a little more flour, if too thick add a little more milk. It should be of pouring consistency like maple syrup.

2. If you have a crepe maker, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to make your crepes. Don’t overcook them. They should be lightly brown on one side and batter-colored on the other.
3. If you don’t have a crepe maker, use a good, heavy Teflon-coated frying pan about 10” in diameter. Pour a small amount of batter in the bottom of the pan and then tilt it in all directions to coat the entire pan. You may need to use a spatula to get the batter to cover the entire pan. Cook it over medium heat for about one minute or until lightly browned and then flip over to the other side and cook slightly. Don’t be disappointed if they don’t turn out at first. Keep trying and you’ll soon be an expert.
4. You can store crepes for up to 6 months in the freezer by separating them with waxed paper and storing in a Zip-Lock bag. Having a dozen or so on hand is always a nice thing to do.
Here are some of my favorite fillings:

DESSERT CREPES:
• Nutella and bananas: Spread Nutella thinly on the crepe and top with sliced bananas. Fold over into thirds and top with whipped cream and sprinkle with nuts or drizzle with Ganache*

• 8 oz. cream cheese softened and mixed with 1 C. powdered sugar and 1 carton Cool-Whip or ½ pt. whipped cream, whipped. Spread on crepes and add your favorite sliced berries. Fold into thirds nd top with whipped cream
• Spread caramelized sweetened condensed milk* on the crepe and top with cooked apples sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon (like you would make for a pie). Drizzle more carmelized milk over the crepes and top with whipped cream and sliced almonds.
*Ganache: 8 ozs. good semi-sweet chocolate melted with 4 T. heavy cream
*Carmelize sweetened condensed milk by putting the can in a saucepan, cover it with water and boil for 30 minutes, keeping the can completely immersed.
SAVORY OR MAIN DISH CREPES:
• Spinach and cheese: Thaw out a package of chopped spinach, cook in the microwave in ¼ C. water for 2 minutes. Press in a colander until all the water has been removed. Put in a bowl and add 2 C. grated cheese of your choice, salt and pepper to taste. Fill one side of the crepes, then fold over. Place in a baking dish and cover with Hollandaise sauce.*

• Chicken & broccoli: Place 2 slices Tillamook sliced cheese on crepe, then put ½ C. cooked shredded chicken and 1 spear lightly steamed broccoli. Fold crepe over and put in greased casserole. Top with 1 can cream of chicken soup diluted slightly with ¼ C. heavy cream.
• Ham & Egg: Scramble 4 eggs using 4 T. heavy cream. Add 1 C. finely chopped ham and 1 C. grated cheese. (You can add 2 T. chopped green pepper and 2 T.onion if you want.) Spread open crepes lightly with softened cream cheese or sour cream or butter or neither, whichever you prefer. Add scrambed egg mixture. Fold over and serve with grated cheese sprinkled on top & melted in microwave. (Or maple syrup if you choose).
*Hollandaise Sauce:
2 egg yolks
1 T. lemon juice
½ C. butter
1/8 t. salt
1. Combine egg yolks, lemon juice and ¼ C. butter in small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until butter melts.
2. Add remaining butter and salt. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until additional butter melts and sauce thickens. Serve hot. Makes 1 C.

Enjoy!

COBB SALAD

RECIPES THAT WILL END UP BEING YOUR FAVORITES BECAUSE THEY LOOK SO FANTASTIC AND YET ARE DECEPTIVELY EASY TO MAKE



I don’t know why they call it a Cobb Salad because it doesn’t look anything like a cob. Maybe it was invented by someone named Cobb or maybe it has a cob kind of feel to it. Whichever it is or even if it’s none of these, it’s still a great salad and remarkably easy to put together. This is a salad you might want to serve when you have guests over for lunch or when you want to have a special romantic dinner with your husband or ‘significant other’. One nice thing about it is that you can make it a few hours ahead, cover it with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat. Then you bring it out and voila! Whoever you serve it to will think you are a magician to have this amazing salad ready to whip out and put on the table at the perfect moment. Here is how you do it:
4 hard boiled eggs
1 C. grated cheese (the best is cheddar, Swiss or I like to use Jarlsberg, a Norwegian cheese that is delicious)
1 C. finely sliced celery
5 pieces bacon, crispy but not overcooked
4 small tomatoes, chopped in small pieces
1 small avocado, cut into small cubes
1 T. fresh lemon juice
2 scallions, cleaned and finely sliced
1 small head of Iceberg lettuce, chopped in small pieces
1. Wash the lettuce in a salad spinner, then chop it up. Put it on two large plates
2. Fry the bacon, drain and crumble it into small pieces


3. Boil the eggs, peel, put through an egg slicer both ways
4. Slice the celery and set aside
5. Slice the scallions and set aside
6. Cut up the tomatoes and set aside
7. Grate the cheese and set aside


8. Now, starting with the eggs, put each one them down the middle of the plate diagonally and arrange the other ingredients on each side until all are used up. This really works better on a square plate if you have one.
9. Top with the avocados that have been cut up and sprinkled with the lemon juice and the scallions. You can put them in any order you want or put any other ingredients you might want if you don’t want to use these. The more colorful, the better. Serves 2. Enjoy!

PINT SIZE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

RECIPES FOR DAYS WHEN YOU FEEL DOWN AND OUT, DOWN IN THE DUMPS AND DOWN IN THE MOUTH

Everyone knows that chocolate chip cookies are the world's favorite cookie, but did you know that you don't have to make them the way everyone else does, by dropping them from a spoon onto a cookie sheet like every recipe says? Here is a simple way to make little mini chocolate chip cookies that everyone loves, especially children and the 'weight-watchers' in the crowd, because they don't invoke the guilt that a regular-sized chocolate chip cookie does. Consequently, you can eat more and more of them with less and less guilt because, after all, they are only cute little innocent cookies, not the big, fattening ones. Here is my favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies, one that has stood the test of time and always turns out great.

Cream together in a large bowl:

1 C. butter (can use half butter-flavored Crisco and half butter, but it must be real butter and not margarine)

2 C. dark brown sugar

Add 2 large eggs and continue to beat well

To this mixture add:

1 t. salt

1 t. baking powder

1 t. soda

1 T. real vanilla (yes, that is ONE TABLESPOON)

Mix together well.

To this add:

3 C. all-purpose flour-- no more, no less

Optional:

1/2 C. chopped walnuts and/or

1/2 C. toasted coconut (instructions below on how to do this)

After the mixture is all combined, divide it in half and roll each part out on the counter top until it looks like a long snake, like this:

With a sharp knife, cut the dough into small, one inch segments and put them on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with Pam. They will look like this:

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes (time will vary according to the size of your cookies and the way your oven cooks.) Watch them closely so they don't overbake. Take them off and let them cool on wire racks, then watch closely while they disappear. This recipe makes a delicious, soft cookie that is nice and thick and yields approximately 40-45 cookies. You can also use this recipe to make regular chocolate chip cookies if you would rather have them bigger. Just bake them 2-3 minutes longer. Here is how they will look:


Now here is how I like to toast coconut. I use a big heavy saucepan and use only 1/2 of the bag of coconut at a time. I know some people like to toast their coconut on a cookie sheet in the oven, but I haven't had very good luck with it because it's too easy to let it overbake and get too brown. This way I have complete control over the coconut at all times. Use only medium-high heat and use a wooden spoon or paddle to keep stirring the coconut constantly. It takes about 5 minutes to do this. Soon it will start to turn brown.

Keep stirring until it is at the desired brown color that you want. Toasted coconut is delicious and wonderful in lots of different things, especially cookies. It gives them a crisp, crunchy texture and adds to the taste. Of course, I know there are some people out there who don't like coconut no matter how you try to disguise it, but toasting coconut really does change the taste. I even like to put it in my oatmeal in the morning along with some chopped nuts and dried fruit. Delicious! Try it, you'll like it. Here is how it should look when you're finished. Enjoy!

AMAZING QUICHE

RECIPES FOR DAYS WHEN YOU FEEL DOWN AND OUT, DOWN IN THE DUMPS AND DOWN IN THE MOUTH

This is a great thing to make for breakfast and the best part is that it's completely failure-proof. It always turns out and it's universally liked, especially when it's hot out of the oven, because it's cheesy and good. The secret is that it's made with Bisquick. The recipe used to be on the box, but it's not anymore for some strange reason. Originally it was called "Impossible Pie" because it makes its own crust. Whatever you call it, it's good and a recipe that's worth having under your belt so you can bring it out and use it when you need something to impress the masses or just to feed a hungry family (which could be one in the same). Here is the recipe:

5 eggs

2 C. milk

1 C. Bisquick

2 C. grated cheese (any kind will do, but I like Swiss cheese the best)

1/2 C. chopped onion

1/2 C. chopped green pepper

4 pieces of bacon (you can use 1/2 C. chopped cubed ham pieces if you prefer)

1 T. dried parsley or chives or both

1. Cook the bacon until it is crispy and brown. Break into small pieces and set aside.

2. Saute the onion and green pepper in 2 T. oil until it's translucent. Don't overcook.

3. Add the eggs and parsley/chives to the milk and Bisquick mix and blend with a wire whip.

4. Grease or spray with Pam the bottom and sides of a 9" pie dish or quiche pan.

5. Add the grated cheeese to the bottom of the dish. Place the sauteed onions and peppers and the bacon pieces on top of the cheese.

6. Slowly pour the mixed milk, egg and Bisquick mix over the top.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 50 minutes or until the top is nicely browned. If it looks like this, it's not done yet. Let it bake to a nice golden brown before you take it out of the oven. As you can imagine, this is a very versatile recipe and you can put in it just about anything you want. It also makes a great dinner if you want to use hamburger instead of bacon and add other vegetables like broccoli or spinach. The sky is the limit with the Amazing Quiche recipe, thanks to the never-fail Bisquick. Enjoy!

CREAMED EGGS ON TOAST

RECIPES FOR DAYS WHEN YOU FEEL DOWN AND OUT, DOWN IN THE DUMPS AND DOWN IN THE MOUTH

When I was a little girl, my mother used to make this for me sometimes, if I was lucky, for breakfast. As a result, I have continued making it for my own family and it is definitely one of their favorites. It isn't fancy and it isn't chic, but it is good and on a scale of one to ten, it's about an eight in easiness. Often Mother would change it to a dinner dish by deleting the eggs and adding what was called 'chipped beef' back in the olden days. This was called, not surprisingly, "Creamed Chip Beef On Toast." Chipped beef is the same thing as the processed beef you get in the little packages in the deli aisle at the grocery store. Back then chipped beef came in little glass jars with a flat lid you had to pry off with a bottle opener. When the chipped beef was gone, you washed out the jar and used it for orange juice to go with your creamed eggs on toast at breakfast. It was the perfect size for a child's hand. Here is how she made it:

1. Boil 4 eggs for 5-8 minutes or until hard-boiled. Cool and then peel and chop into small pieces. Set aside.

2. In a medium-sized skillet melt:

3 T. butter, then add

3 T. all-purpose flour and

1 t. salt

Stir them together until the butter is melted and they are well blended and all the flour is completely absorbed.

3. Very slowly add 2 C. warm milk (you can warm it in the microwave. Just don't boil it.) Keep stirring all the time you are adding the milk. Continue stirring until the mixture starts to thicken. If it seems too thick, add a little more milk but only a little at a time. This is called a 'roux' and it's a good thing to know because you can use it for so many other things. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about making a roux:

Roux ( /ˈruː/) is a cooked mixture of wheat flour and fat, traditionally clarified butter. It is the thickening agent of three of the mother sauces of classical French cooking: sauce béchamel, sauce velouté and sauce espagnole. Butter, vegetable oils, or lard are commonly used fats. It is used as a thickener for gravy, other sauces, soups and stews. It is typically made from equal parts of flour and fat by weight.^[1] When used in Italian food, roux is traditionally equal parts of butter and flour. In Cajun cuisine, roux is almost always made with oil instead of butter and dark brown in color, which lends much richness of flavor albeit less thickening power. Hungarian cuisine uses lard (in its rendered form) or - more recently - vegetable oil instead of butter for the preparation of roux (which is called rántás in Hungarian).

So there you have it. As you can see, it is something you will be able to use for a lot of different things and you'll be glad you learned how to do it. It takes a little practice to get just the right consistency and to know when it's done. You don't want to cook it too long because it will start turning brown and that's not what you want. When it starts changing colors, turn off the heat and take it off the stove. Nothing tastes worse than a over-cooked roux or one that is well on its way to being burned.

Now that you have your roux, add the chopped eggs into it and fold them in carefully so they don't all come apart. Now make some toast and spoon the egg mixture over.

If you want to be fancy, you can add 1/2 C. small cubed pieces of cooked ham to the eggs or cook some sausage and add it to the eggs. No one would object and it will take it from ordinary to special. However, serving it just plain is okay, too, and that's the way I usually make it. Enjoy!