Ice Cream Flag Cake

2 containers (1.5 qt. ea.) chocolate or vanilla ice cream
4 cups assorted sliced fresh fruit
1 can (7 oz.) whipped cream or 2 cups whipped cream
50 fresh blueberries
2 pints raspberries or 1 quart strawberries, sliced

1. With scissors, cut cartons from ice cream. Arrange ice cream on its side, then cut each into 4 lengthwise slices.

2. In 13X9-in. baking dish, arrange 4 Ice Cream slices, pressing to form an even layer. Top with fruit, then remaining 4 ice cream slices, pressing to form an even layer. Cover and freeze at least 2 hrs.

3. Just before serving, top with whipped cream, smoothing with spatula. Arrange berries in flag pattern, with blueberries in upper left corner and 7 raspberry or strawberry "stripes."

Serves 24

Berry Bliss Cake

3/4 cup cold milk
1 pkg. (4-serving size) vanilla flavor instant pudding & pie filling
1 1/2 cups thawed Whipped Topping, divided
2 cups mixed raspberries and sliced strawberries
1/4 cup blackberries
1 pkg. (10.75 oz) frozen pound cake
1/4 cup orange juice

1. Beat milk and dry pudding mix 2 min. or until well blended. Stir in 1 cup of the Whipped Topping. Combine berries
2. Cut cake into three layers; brush with juice. Reserve 1/2 cup of berries. Stack cake layers on serving plate, filling each layer with half each of the pudding mixture and remaining berries. Top with remaining Whipped Topping and reserved berries. Cover loosly with foil.
3. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Serves 8

Firecracker Punch

1 (3 oz.) package cherry gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 (6 oz.) can frozen lemonade concentrate
3 cups cold water
1 quart cranberry juice cocktail, chilled
24 ice cubes
1 (12 oz.) bottle ginger ale, chilled

1. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water; stir in lemonade. Add cold water and cranberry juice.
2. Place ice cubes into a large punch bowl; pour punch over ice. Add the ginger-ale and serve.

Serves 6

Grilled Sweet Corn with Chili-Lime Butter

4 ears Florida sweet corn

Chili Lime Butter:
1 stick of sweet butter, softened
zest of 1 lime
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
pinch of cayenne pepper

Place softened butter in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients, except corn, and mix until incorporated. Peel and clean corn.

Place cobs on a gas grill or barbecue with fire burned down to white coals, and turn corn frequently. Cook until nicely browned.

Slather hot grilled corn with chili-lime butter and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Vegetables On The Grill

1 large green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 large red onion, quartered
1 medium zucchini squash, sliced lengthwise 1/4" thick
2 medium summer squash, sliced lengthwise 1/4" thick
6 shallots, halved
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
Vegetable cooking spray
2 pints grape, or cherry tomatoes

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil & vinegar and sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper, tossing to coat.
2. Grill vegetable mixture in a metal basket or grill wok coated with cooking spray, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350° to 400°) 15 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Remove vegetables from basket; add tomatoes to basket, and grill, covered with grill lid, 1 to 2 minutes or until tomato skins begin to burst.

Serves 8

Red Potato Salad

14 red potatoes, about 2 1/2 pounds
8 slices bacon, crisp cooked, crumbled
6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/3 cup red onions, finely chopped
1/3 cup celery, finely chopped
1 12 oz. jar ranch dressing , Marie's brand is good
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped


Place potatoes in medium saucepan with enough water to cover by one inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower to a simmer and cook until potatoes are just tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain and let cool, then cut into bite size pieces.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the potatoes with all the remaining ingredients and gently toss. Refrigerate the salad several hours before serving to allow the flavors to blend.

8 Servings

Crockpot Pulled Pork

5 pound pork loin - fat trimmed off
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
dash of allspice
salt and pepper

Grease the inside of your crockpot with cooking spray or use a crockpot liner.
Combine the wet ingredients and pour into the crockpot. Combine the dry ingredients and rub on the outsides of the pork loin. Place the loin in the crockpot and cover with the lid. Cook for at least 4 hours or until the pork pulls apart easily with a fork.
Remove cooked pork to a large bowl or deep sided platter and pull apart using two forks, or your hands if the meat has had time to cool.
Strain the liquids remaining in the crockpot and pour over the pulled pork.
Serve on sandwich rolls or buttered grilled Texas toast.

Coca-Cola Barbeque Sauce

1 C. Coca-Cola
1 C. ketchup
1/4 C. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. liquid smoke
3 T. A.1 Sauce
1 t. onion flakes
1 t. garlic flakes
1/2 t. fresh ground black pepper

Put all ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil slowly. Cook until mixture has been reduced by a quarter. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate.

White Barbecue Sauce

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. coarsely ground pepper
1 tbsp. Creole mustard
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. prepared horseradish
(if you prefer a thicker sauce, omit the water)

Whisk together all ingredients until blended. Store in the refrigerator up to 1 week

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, cut iont 1/4 inch thick slices
1/2 cup chopped green or red sweet pepper
3/4 cup regular or honey barbecue sauce
4 cups shredded roasted or rotisserie chicken
6 whole grain buns, split and toasted, if desired

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sweet pepper; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until tender. Add barbecue sauce and chicken; toss gently to coat. Heat through.
2. To serve, spoon chicken mixture onto buns

Serves 6

Country Ribs In Oven

1/2 c. molasses
1.2 c. balsamic vinegar
1 rack pork spareribs (about 3 lbs.)

1. Mix molasses and vinegar. Pour 1/4 cup into a 2-gallon food bad. Add ribs; turn to coat. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.
2. Heat oven to 325°F. You'll need a foil-lined roasting pan with a rack.
3. Place ribs on rack. Sprinkle with 1 tsp each salt and pepper. Cover with foil; bake 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, in saucepan, simmer remaining molasses mixture 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
4. Brush ribs with mixture; bake, uncovered, 1 to 1 1/2 hours until tender. Cut to seperate individual ribs; drizzle with remaining molasses mixture

Serves 4

Hot Dog Chili Sauce

1 can (15 oz.) red kidney beans, drained, rinsed and coarsely mashed
1 can (8 oz.) no-salt-added tomato sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp chipotle chili powder or regular chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
8 fat-free hot dogs
8 hot dog rolls
1/2 cup reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican-blend shredded cheese
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped

1. In medium-size saucepan, combine beans, tomato sauce, sugar, chili powder, cumin and oregano. Simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring.
2. Spray a stovetop grill pan or skillet with nonstick cooking spary and heat over medium-high heat. Grill hot dogs for about 5 minutes, turning halfway.
3. To serve, place hot dogs in rolls. Spoon chili over the top of each. Sprinkle each with 1 tbsp of the cheese and some of the chopped onion.

Makes 8 chili dogs

Tomato Pie

3-4 medium tomatoes
salt
1/2 lb. bacon
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
Fresh Basil Leaves
Pie Crust - cook 3/4 of the way

Peel, thinly slice and seed tomatoes; place in a single layer on colander and salt. Drain for an hour. Dry on paper towels.
Fry up 1/2 lb. bacon until crispy. Place on paper towels to remove excess bacon grease.
Layer tomatoes, bacon and basil leaves in pre-cooked piecrust. Mix: mayonnaise, mozzarella, cheddar and pour over the tomatoes and bacon.
Bake at 350° - 375°F for 1 hr.

Bay Crab Cakes

2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
1 1/2 c. Japanese Bread Crumbs
1 1/4 lb Fresh Lump Crab meat
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp White Pepper
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 oz. Lemon Juice
1/4 c. Dijon Mustard
1/4 c. Mayonnaise


Gently break up crab meat into a mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients except olive oil, butter and 3/4 cup of bread crumbs to the bowl. Gently mix all ingredients by hand. Do not over mix. The mixture will be lumpy.

On a flat plate add remaining bread crumbs. With your hands, shape the crab mixture into 12 equal puck-shaped cakes. Dip both sides of each crab cake into the bread crumbs to coat it well. Place the crab cakes on a tray, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours.

In a large skillet, heat the butter and extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Place crab cakes in the skillet and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Serve Immediately.

Southwest Ranch Dip

1 (8-ounce) package Cream Cheese, softened
8 ounces sour cream (1 cup)
1 (1-ounce) packet ranch salad dressing mix
1 (10-ounce) can milder diced tomatoes and green chiles, well-drained
2 tbsp. cilantro (about 6 sprigs)
1 tbsp. of lime juice

1. Process all ingredients in food processor 30 seconds or until smooth and well blended.
2. Serve with fresh vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower or baby carrots. Or serve with tortilla chips.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

Stuffed Hamburgers

1 1/2 cups sliced onions (about 3 medium)
8 oz. button or crimini mushrooms, sliced (3 cups)
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp snipped fresh parsley
2 1/2 lb. 85% lean ground beef
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
16 slices apple wood smoked bacon (optional)
8 slices Swiss, provolone, and/or Colby and Monterrey Jack cheese (optional)
8 Kaiser rolls or hamburger buns, split and toasted
Tomato slices (optional)

1. In very large skillet cook onions and mushrooms in hot oil over medium heat 15 to 20 minutes or until all liquid has evaporated, and onions and mushrooms are tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley; set aside to cool slightly.

2. In very large mixing bowl mix beef, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper until just combined (do not over mix). Shape mixture into 16 (3 1/2-inch-diameter) patties. Spoon filling onto half of patties to 1/2-inch of edge. Top with remaining patties; pinch to seal. If using, lay 2 bacon slices over each stuffed patty in crisscross pattern, tucking ends under.

3. For charcoal grill, arrange preheated coals around drip pan. Test for medium heat above pan. Place patties over drip pan on grill rack. Cover and grill 25 to 30 minutes or until done (160°F). (For gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Adjust for indirect grilling. Grill as above.)
Top with cheese. Cover; cook 1 to 2 minutes more or until cheese melts.

4. Transfer burgers to serving platter. Serve on buns with tomato slices.

Serves 8

Best Mini Burgers

1 lb ground sirloin
1/4 lb ground chuck
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
nonstick cooking spray
Accompaniments: mini sized hamburger buns or dinner rolls, lettuce, tomato and red onion slices

1. Heat outdoor grill or grill pan.
2. Gently mix ground meats and Worcestershire sauce in medium bowl with a fork until blended. Shape meat into eight patties about 1 in. thick.
Sprinkle both sides of patties with salt and pepper.
3. Coat burgers with nonstick spray. Grill, turning once, 8 to 10 minutes until instant-eady thermometer inserted from side to middle registers 160°F.
Serve on mini sized buns with lettuce, sliced tomato and red onion.

Serves 4