Keepin your cool in the summer kitchen

Summer is upon us and its getting hot.  This time of year, most of us in the upper hemisphere are thinking of ways to stay cool… everything from going to the beach, creek, lake or pool, to fixing up some cool meals and family treats.  My friend Camille from "Flowers in His Garden" got me inspired by her menu plans and meal ideas last week, and I made up her Idaho Tacos for dinner, which were awesome.  I thought I would pass on the inspiration and write up some summer meal ideas as well.

Keeping cool in the summer can be easier when the oven isn't turned on more than necessary, and the work load of a hearty winter meal is lifted  by quick and easy recipes.  Think of Reducing the use of the oven to once or twice a week, cooking several things at once that can be eaten cold later in the week, such as: Roasting a chicken, a roast beef and a meat loaf or even potatoes in one evening, allowing the left overs for sandwiches or salads through the rest of the week, using the crockpot, stove top and of course, the grill is always a favorite way to take the heat outside.

I liked how Camille made up a meal plan for 3 weeks worth of menu ideas to choose from… rather than a  hard and fast menu for every day.  I work best in that kind of flexibility as well, and decided to just start my list of meal ideas that I can add to as the summer goes on. My Summer cooking focus is usually broken down in these 4 ways:  "quick and easy", "cool and refreshing", "summer abundance" or "outdoor cooking".  So here are some of my meal ideas for the summer. Some of them I make fairly frequently and have posted previously and  some are "Newbies" that I want to try: If I get a chance, I will post a few of the "Newbies" this summer. I would love to hear some of your ideas.  It is always inspiring to hear what other people are making and what they are up to.

Breakfast:

Overnight Oats (I am trying this recipe out this week… and look forward to sharing it).

Yogurt with fruit
Veggie Omelette
French Toast with fresh fruit
Creamy Cottage Cheese and Coconut Pancakes with fresh berries.

Lunch:

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches/wraps
Cold Vegetable and Hummus Sandwiches/wraps
Vegetable, Fruit, cheese, nut and olive platter
Saddlebag Sandwiches
Curried Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Dinner
On the Grill: Burgers, Steak, Chicken, Fish, and Kebobs
Grilled Pizza (This is delicious, Luke has made it for us on many occasion and mmmm good).
Grilled Steak Salad
Grilled Chicken salad
Asian Salad with Chicken
Fried Rice with Garden Veggies
Barbecue Beef Sandwiches
Angel Hair Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and basil.
Fish Tacos
Bean Tostadas
Mexican Lettuce Wraps

Sides 
Unbaked beans (Picnic Beans)

Grilled Vegetables
Grilled Corn on the Cob
Layered Fruit and Vegetable Salad
Pasta Salad
3 Bean Salad
Asian Slaw
Vegetable Kebobs

Russian Potato Salad

Desserts
Berry Cream Pie
Ice Box Cakes:Peanut Butter Banana Icebox cake
Almond Joy Chia Pudding
Ice Cream Pies: Key Lime Ice Cream Pie, Chocolate Mocha Ice Cream Pie
Cold Watermelon

Snacks
Fruit Juice Popsicles
Nuts and dried fruit
Fresh Fruit wedges
fresh cut veggies and dip
Olives and cheese
Hummus with Pita chips
Peaches and Cream fruit roll ups

Something Good to Drink
Watermelon Water
homemade ginger tonic
Iced tea with mint

Be sure to share your summer-time favorites....

We all love reading them.

Key Lime Ice Cream Pie

 

Here is the first of three Ice Cream Pies that I am going to post over the next week or two for some cool, quick and delicious, summer desserts. The other two recipes use ready made Ice cream as the base in the recipes, but this recipe is made by combining yogurt and whipped cream, for a slightly healthier ice cream. It delicious, light, creamy cool ice cream dessert that tastes like Key Lime Pie. 

Key Lime Ice Cream Pie


Preheat oven to 350 and gather ingredients and mixing bowls.

 Begin by placing crushed Graham Crackers and Coconut Sugar in a mixing bowl.

Add melted butter and stir all together until well blended.

 

 Pour crust mixture into a 8 or 9 inch Pie Pan.

Distribute evenly into Pie pan.

Press until you have a nice crust evenly spread over the pie pan.

 

Place into preheated oven and bake 6-7 minutes.  Cool completely before filling.

In a separate bowl, add Yogurt, Lime Zest and Lime Juice.

 Stir together.

Add powdered sugar and mix until well blended.  You could sift the powdered sugar if you want… or just mix it up good, it will dissolve and distribute nicely.

Whip the Heavy Cream and gently fold in the yogurt mixture.

Stir until thoroughly combined.

Spread into prepared pie crust.

Freeze one hour before serving. Garnish with whipped cream, lime zest and sliced limes and reserved Graham Cracker crumbs.

If you freeze this the day before, allow to it sit out at room temperature  30 minutes to 1 hour before serving to soften.

Yes, it really is sooo good.

Key Lime Ice Cream Pie
Ingredients:

For Crust

2 Packages Graham Crackers (18 full Graham Cracker rectangles) Crushed into crumbs (Reserve about 1/4 cup for Garnish)

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup Coconut Sugar or Sucanat

For the filling

1 1/4 cup Heavy Cream measure first, then whip
2 cups Vanilla flavored Greek Yogurt

1Tablepsoons Lime Zest

2 Tablespoons Lime juice
2/3 cup Organic Powdered Sugar

For Garnish

1/4 Cup reserved Graham Cracker Crumb Mixture

Whipped cream

Lime slices
Lime zest

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare Pie Crust by  mixing together Graham Cracker Crumbs, Coconut Sugar and Butter.
3. Pour and spread the mixture evenly in a 8 or 9 inch pie shell; pressing to form a nice crust.
4. Bake 6-7 minutes.
5. Allow to cool completely before filling.
6. While Crust is cooling, Whip heavy cream until soft peaks form.  Set to the side.
7. Put Yogurt, lime zest and lime juice into a bowl and mix together well.
8. Add powdered sugar and mix together well.
9. Fold the Yogurt mixture into the whipped cream. Stir until well blended.
10. Pour the cream and yogurt mixture into the cooled pie crust.
11. Place into the freezer and freeze 1-2 hours before serving.
12. Garnish with whipped cream, lime slices, lime zest and reserved Graham Cracker crumbs.

Note: If Pie has been frozen  for more than a couple of hours, or overnight, just allow it to sit at room temperature 30 minutes to an hour, to allow ice cream to soften before serving.

Enjoy!!!!

Florida Again

I'm back in Florida again, and working on getting back into my Florida routine.  It was great to get to go back to Colorado, we had a wonderful couple of weeks.  Steve and I flew back to Florida last week and have had a fast and furious week of catching up here; we also enjoyed a few days of beach and picnics with the girls and grandsons, as well as a couple of dinners out at the Fish Market and Restaurant. 

The Fish Market and Restaurant has been on our Florida bucket list ever since our girls and their hubbys had told us about it.  So we finally went… and we got hooked…. so we went again.  I think I  got my fill of seafood for a day or two, as we ate there twice, and bought fresh fish to cook up at home, which we did twice as well, and then there were the left overs.  Mmmm it was good. I didn't get any pictures of the food, but I did take some pictures of the boats, which to me is part of the fun of eating there.

Such a great view; a wonderful way to eat.  

 I hope you are all doing well. Are you ready for summer? I'm working on it.  Its hard to believe June is so quickly upon us. Steve and my grandson Zane are having birthdays this month, which will be our highlight.  I have a few summer dessert recipes coming up.  I'm making some Ice Cream Pies for the grandkids, so stay tuned for those recipes.   Have a great week end.

A Colorado Visit

I'm back in Colorado this week and next. Steve has been here much of the time these last 5 months, to finish business and the sale of our property.  As you can imagine, we have missed each other quite a lot.  A long flight last Wednesday, brought me in late at night, and now I am here on this Monday morning with a fire in the wood stove burning, to make our house warm and cozy on an overcast, rainy day.  I am glad I thought to leave some of my winter Colorado clothes here, because I have certainly needed them.  Spring is still on its way here, with the trees only partially leaved out and the temperatures still very cool.  The mountains are as beautiful as ever; the sweet memories that we have had throughout the years as we have raised our children have been running through my mind for the last several days.  The Meadow Larks have been waking me each morning with their lovely voices; a sound that I always associate with Spring in Colorado; one of the most beautiful sounds on earth, to my way of thinking.

I visited with Steve's Mom on Saturday, and had a nice catch up with her, and a friends birthday party on Saturday night. The days are going by quickly, as plans fill them up. I look forward to a few more visits with friends, and sorting through our remaining house hold furniture and belongings. I will be packing those things which are yet to come with us to Florida. Yes the time is already flying.

Its Tuesday now as I finish this post. We had rain all night last night and through the morning, bringing flash flood warnings, and a full creek which has now turned into a river.   I didn't bring my camera with me on this trip, but will try to get some pictures with my phone and perhaps do a post or two… but if you don't hear from me for a little while, you'll know I didn't get around to getting that post done.

This is a pretty picture that I always love.  It is our back yard, looking over the creek.

I love this little dog.  Her name is Ginger Peach; she belongs to Steve's Mom, Jo. Ginger Peach came to  Jo via my daughter Marie, and she is such a treasure.

I took this picture on Saturday.

 And this is what I woke up to today.  Same view from a little bit farther back.

 Saturday…..

 Today.  Yes, that's a lot of water.

I think its time to make a nice pot of soup and put it on the Wood Stove to simmer.

  Hope you all have a wonderful week.

Creamy Cottage Cheese and Coconut Pancakes

I loved the food in Russia when we were there.  I was surprised at how many delicious comforting foods there were to eat,  many of which were new to me.  One of our favorites, was a pancake that our hosts called "cheese cakes" I think in an effort to give them a name we could pronounce.  In Russian they are called "Syrniki".  They are just so good.

Cottage cheese is the main factor that makes these pancakes what they are, and gives them that moist, creamy goodness. These are a lower carb version because my waistline has been telling me I need to get back to some Trim Healthy Mama eating, and yet ….my comfort food cravings go down deep.  Sooooo here is one of my starting places to satisfy both sides of this tug of war.  These are a delicious, low carb, zero grain and down right satisfying pancake, and I can eat them with my sausage and egg because they work as an S meal on the THM plan.  Unlike traditional pancakes which fill me up momentarily, and wear off too quickly, these pancakes satisfy;  this is probably due to the high fiber content, in the coconut flour.

Cooking and baking with coconut flour can be tricky, due to the fact that it absorbs liquids like crazy, and can't be substituted measure for measure for regular flour.  It takes a little working with  and experimenting.  The coconut has so many benefits, that I love incorporating it in a variety of ways when cooking… and I could probably do whole post on the benefits of coconuts from oil to flour… but perhaps another day. Just a final note about coconut flour, if you are counting carbs as you go, remember that the carb count in coconut flour is 2/3 fiber, so the "actual" carb count can be reduced by two thirds.

 1. Place eggs and cottage cheese in blender.

 2.  Blend until thoroughly mixed.

3.  Pour into a medium mixing bowl, add remaining ingredients and mix well together. 

4. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, to allow the coconut flour to absorb the liquids; it will thicken up a little.

 5. Scoop 1/4 cup measures and pour onto a prepared pan.

 6. Cook about 3 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes after you have flipped them.

 6. Serve with berries or sugar free syrup if you are trying to watch those carbs, otherwise, pure Maple Syrup or honey  for our family.

 Creamy Cottage Cheese Coconut Pancakes
 Ingredients:

1 cup cottage cheese

4 eggs

1/2 cup coconut flour ( I use slightly under 1/2 cup, just loosely measured)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

Coconut oil for flying

Instructions:
A well seasoned or non-stick pan and a low heat setting are important for these pancakes, because they need to cook a little longer than you would normally cook a pancake, and will brown quickly.  Also, the cottage cheese has a sticky factor to it, so having a well seasoned pan is important.  Be sure it is heated fully and coconut oil is well distributed before dropping the batter onto the pan.

1. Put cottage cheese and eggs in a blender and blend together until thoroughly mixed.
2. Pour blender ingredients into a bowl and add remaining ingredients.
3. Stir well and allow to sit for 5 minutes.  The batter will thicken while it sits.
4. Put 2 tablespoons or more coconut oil into a frying pan and bring to low heat. 
5. Scoop 1/4 cup of batter and pour onto frying pan.
6. Cook about 3 minutes on 1 side and 2 minutes once flipped.
7. Serve with fresh berries, or a sugar free syrup.

Enjoy!