Cucumber Salad Recipe

One way to really cut on your food budget is to grow your own foods.  I know many of you have gardens at home, so here is another summertime recipe for you. 

Sunday a friend at church gave us three extra large cucumbers so hubby made up a batch of his cucumber salad.  It is so delicious.  He changed it a little bit this time by adding cilantro and it gave the salad a little something unexpected and yummy.  Feel free to change this recipe.  This salad is never made exactly the same.  Hubby wanted to put bacon in the salad this time, but we didn’t have any. 

Cucumber Salad Recipe

• 3 extra large cucumbers, diced
• diced tomatoes (we prefer Roma)
• diced onions (red or white)
• cilantro
• diced ham (We get a thick slice from the deli.)
• shredded cheese (We used Colby Jack this time.)
• mayonnaise
• ranch salad dressing
• garlic powder
• tomato boullion (We use this as a sprinkle seasoning.)
• Sriracha sauce, optional

Combine cucumber, tomato, onions, and cilantro.  Add ranch, mayonnaise, and seasonings to taste.  Stir in chopped ham and shredded cheese.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

image (c) Karen Weideman

Blackberry Cobbler Picture Tutorial

Last week I gave you the recipe for Ridiculously Easy Cobbler.  Recently, I was able to pick some wild blackberries and I made another cobbler, so I decided to take some step by step pictures for you showing how to make the cobbler.  It is so very simple.

This picture has absolutely nothing to do with making the cobbler, but I wanted to take a picture of my new source for fruit.  Trust me, those thorns are fierce!

You need about two cups of berries or fruit for the cobbler.  Since these berries are small, there is no need to cut them.  Aren’t they pretty? 

Put your stick of butter into your casserole dish and melt in a preheated oven.  Add 1 cup of sugar and stir until mixed.

Then, mix in 1 cup of self-rising flour and stir until mixed.

Next, stir in 1 cup of milk.

After the milk is well mixed, add in 2 cups of fruit.  Bake on 350F for 35-45 minutes, until browned.

Here it is; complete, warm, and ready to eat.  This tastes great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

*I made the mistake of making the cobbler in a 9×13 pan.  In the future, I will only do this is I am making a double batch, such as shown in the pictures with the strawberry cobbler. 

Cost of this dessert:

.50 butter
.15 sugar
.12 flour
.18 milk
blackberries = FREE
Total cost: $.95

For further instructions, you can visit the recipe for the Ridiculously Easy Cobbler.

images (c) Karen Weideman

Ridiculously Easy Cobbler Recipe

Berries are in season and I have an easy recipe to help you take advantage of seasonal low cost fruit.  Everyone needs a yummy and easy treat for company, right?  And every mama dreams of her kids eating lots of fruit while being happy about it.  This cobbler does the trick.

I have tried this cobbler recipe with blueberries, strawberries, peaches, and blackberries. It has done well with all of them.

You will need:

cooking spray

1 stick butter or margarine

1 cup sugar

1 cup self-rising flour

1 cup milk

2 cups fruit (approximate)*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9×13 glass pan with cooking spray. Put 1 stick of butter into pan and bake until butter is melted. Add 1 cup sugar and stir. Add 1 cup self-rising flour and stir. Add 1 cup milk and stir. Add 2 cups fruit (drained) and stir all ingredients together. Bake at 350 degrees until light brown (approximately 35-45 minutes).

This recipe does well doubled and tastes great when served warm with a dallop of vanilla ice cream.  Yummy!!!  Also, don’t forget to freeze some berries this summer so that you can have delicious cobbler in the winter months.

Have you ever made this easy cobbler recipe?

images (c) Karen Weideman

Easy Pasta Salad Recipe

One thing I really enjoy about summer is the food.  Just this weekend we grilled hotdogs and I knew the sides would be baked beans and pasta salad.  Salads are a great summer addition because you can premake them.  When I know company is coming, I usually go ahead and make my pasta salad, macaroni salad, watergate salad, etc the night before.  It makes for less time and mess in the kitchen when company is here.  Another benefit is that you can make up some salad and eat it for a few days. 

I have been making this particular pasta salad for many years.  It is so very simple, yet delicious.  I have even had people ask for the recipe.  It kind of confused me a bit when they asked, but ok, here goes. 

 

Easy Pasta Salad

1 box garden rotini noodles, boiled and drained

fresh chopped tomatoes (I prefer Roma tomatoes because they’re less watery.)

1 to 1 1/2 peeled and chopped cucumbers

fresh sliced mushrooms

1 small can sliced olives, drained

1 bottle Kraft Zesty Italian salad dressing (I have tried other brands and prefer the Kraft Italian.)

1 cup shredded cheese

Simply combine the noodles and veggies in a large bowl. Use as many or as little veggies as you like. Mix in the salad dressing, reserving a little. Refrigerate pasta salad. Before serving, mix in more salad dressing and cheese.

I have also served this pasta salad with fresh diced deli ham and it was delicious.

Way to save money on this dish:

Grow your own tomatoes and cucumbers.

Take advantage of double and triple coupon deals to get the noodles for free.

Buy store brand pasta.

Buy your mushrooms by the pound, rather than a whole package.

Use coupons, sales, store promotions to save money on salad dressing. I got my salad dressing for free.

Enjoy!

image (c) Karen Weideman