Shrimp Cocktail Sauce

Back when I used to cater things for people, shrimp cocktail was something people always asked for. I served it piled high with shrimp and ice on a bed of parsley with homemade cocktail sauce (recipe closely guarded until I decided I wasn't catering anymore) and wedges of lemon. This picture was taken at one of the last things I catered. The recipe for the cocktail sauce is below. Just mix it all in a mason jar. Shake it and set it in the fridge until you need it.

Ingredients:

1/4 c Ketchup

1/4 c Chili Sauce

2 T Horseradish (processed)

1 T Worcestershire Sauce

Juice of two limes (or 1 lemon if you aren't allergic to them like I am)

1 clove crushed garlic

1 dash (or more if you want more) hot sauce

Butter Pie Crust

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced
1/4 cup ice water

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Roll dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place crust in pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

NOTE: This recipe is for 1 single pie crust. If your pie needs a top of any kind you would need to double this recipe!

Red Potato & Green Bean Salad

Salad:

1 1/2 pounds small red-skinned potatoes

3/4 pound small green beans

1 small sweet onion, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh Basil

2 roma tomatoes diced

In a large pot over medium-high heat, steam potatoes until tender. Remove from heat and let cool; cut into quarters.
In a pot of boiling salted water, cook green beans approximately 5 to 6 minutes or until crisp tender. Remove from heat and drain. Transfer bean to a bowl of ice water and let cool. When cool, drain and cut beans in half.
In a large bowl, combine potatoes, green beans, sweet onion, and basil. Add Balsamic Vinaigrette and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Vinagerette:

1/4 cupbalsamic vinegar

1 clove minced garlic

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup EVOO

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Salt & Pepper

Brocolli & Cauliflower Salad

(Disclaimer: I didn't have time to take a picture of my brocolli salad before it got buried in the fridge with the other things for 4th of July. So... I took one off the internet, this one doesn't have cauliflower but you get the general idea.)

Chop & Mix:

1 bunch of brocolli

1 head of cauliflower

5 green onions

4 pieces of cooked bacon

Add in:

1/4 c of sunflower seeds

1/4 c of raisins

Salad Dressing:

1 c mayonaise

1/4 c sugar

3 T vinegar

I've seen this done with walnuts instead of sunflower seeds. I've seen it done with grapes instead of raisins. I've also seen it done with red onion instead of green onion. Feel free to be liberal and make changes. Enjoy!

Lazy Housewife Cobbler (Peach)

Cobbler Mix:

1 c. self-rising flour

1 c. sugar

1 c. milk

1 stick butter

Fruit:

1 qt. fruit (your choice), peaches, cherries or blackberries

1/2 c. water

1/2 c. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in 9x13 pan in oven. In saucepan, mix fruit, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar; bring to a boil. Remove from heat. (If you are truly a lazy housewife you can skip this step and use a large can of peaches. In medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, milk and melted butter. Pour fruit mixture into the 9x13 pan and pour batter over it. Bake 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown at 350 degrees.

Penny's Pretzel Salad

Ok I must admit I googled this picture. The last two times I've made this recipe it's been totally so I could eat the whole dish myself and not because I wanted to give it a photo opp. This is a recipe I vividly remember from my childhood. Recently someone else made it at a BBQ and I had a great childhood flashback. So I thought I'd share it for all to enjoy.

Crust:

2 ½ cups crushed pretzels

3 T sugar

½ cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Mix all ingredients and spread in a 9 x 13 pan.Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese

1 cup sugar

8 oz. cool whip

Blend all topping ingredients.Spread on top of baked crust.

Jello Topping:

1 (6 oz) pkg. strawberry jello

2 cups water

1 (16 oz) pkg. frozen strawberries

Boil water and mix with strawberry jello.Add frozen strawberries.Let jello cool slightly and begin to gel.Pour strawberry mixture on top of cream cheese mixture.Chill.

Apricot Festival in Patterson

The Patterson Apricot Fiesta has been a childhood memory for awhile now. It was the sort of place we went in highschool to pass the time during the beginning of summer. I remembered a food court with sparsely spaced hay bales and some craft vendors.

So 10 years later when I decide to go back for the first time I was suprised to find several organized rows of vendors, a decent food court, plenty of shade, rides for the kids and a free music stage.

The whole even was quite enjoyable but we ended up making the safe choices for food. I had yet another lockford sausage and my daughter had some garlic fries.

The food highlight. Pumpkin Fudge. Yummy. We had free samples. I'll post a link tomorrow when I get the business card out of my car.

(The picture by the way is my daughter enjoying her first garlic fries...yummy!)