I love have friends over for lunch – especially when it’s just girls!  I can dress up the table a little more and make little sandwiches and cute, little desserts.  For the most part, guys don’t really care what the table looks like, or how pretty dessert is – they just want to be filled up!

I recently had some ladies over and I really enjoyed trying a new version of a southern favorite –  Chicken Salad.  There are lots of different ways to make it, and I like changing it up a bit.  This recipe calls for Rosemary and Dijon in the dressing.  Also, instead of the normal addition of pecans, you add almonds.  It was very good!  Here’s  a picture of the plated lunch:

Menu:

Rosemary/Dijon Chicken Salad
Corn and Tomato Salad
Fresh fruit salad
Tortilla Chips and Salsa
Individual Chocolate and Raspberry Trifles

 Rosemary-Dijon Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 3/4 pound)
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped smoked almonds
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 slices whole-grain bread – I used Ciabatta

Directions:
Combine first 9 ingredients, stirring well. Spread about 2/3 cup of chicken mixture over each of 5 bread slices, and top with remaining bread slices. Cut sandwiches diagonally in half.

 

To accompany the sandwiches I made a Corn and Tomato Salad.  This takes few ingredients and is a great salad for summertime because it contains no may.  Feta Cheese is added right before serving.  I served it on the side, in case someone didn’t want it on theirs.

 

Corn and Tomato Salad

Ingredients
5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn, thawed
1-1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions
In a small bowl, whisk 4 teaspoons oil, lime juice, salt and pepper sauce; set aside.
In a large skillet, cook and stir corn in remaining oil over medium-high heat until tender. (I didn’t cook my frozen corn.  I simply ran it under cold water to thaw it and then added it to the other ingredients) Transfer to a salad bowl; cool slightly. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, onion and basil. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.
Let stand for 10 minutes before serving or refrigerate until chilled. Sprinkle with cheese just before serving

Ina Garten says dessert will be remembered, so make it delicious!  I LOVE chocolate and raspberries together, so I layered a simple dessert of:

Chocolate brownies, crumbled
Fresh Raspberries
Cool Whip with 1 tsp vanilla added
Chocolate Sauce

After it was all layered in the dish, I dusted it with cocoa powder.  This dessert was the perfect little bit of sweetness for the end of the meal!

This is a fun summer menu; I hope you’ll try these recipes for your next “Girl-y” get together!

With love from my country kitchen,

 

 

When vacation time rolls around you’ll be packing your suitcase with all your daily needs. If you use a curling iron or straightener it can be a problem.  I don’t know about you, but it seems whenever it’s time to head out the door, my curling iron is still hot from use!  If I pop it into the suitcase it could ruin anything leather if it touches it!  Yikes! Even daily storage of a hot iron can present a problem if it hasn’t cooled sufficiently.

You could buy one of those cute little insulated bags to put it in, but the easier solution I’ve come up with is to take a sport sock and slide it over the hot iron part.  Now I can put it in my suitcase without worrying that it’s going to melt a shoe or my makeup bag.

Also, be sure to clean your curling iron or straightener regularly, so it will work at its potential.  A friend of mine who was a hair stylist told me the best way to clean them is to unplug the iron and use a cotton ball with a little rubbing alcohol on it.  The hair spray will come right off and make the iron look like new!

Any other curling iron or straightener tips from you readers?

Have a wonderful weekend!  Find your place in a church that preaches the Gospel from the Bible so you can be challenged and changed!

Stay refreshed,

Denise

I love to go fingering my way through my recipe box until I come across one of my treasured dishes that I’ve made for my family for years and maybe haven’t made in a long while.  This is the case with Colorful Kielbasa, a recipe I found in Taste of Home YEARS ago!  My family likes it because we could eat the Turkey Kielbasa, which has less fat, and the recipe has all the components for a filling meal – meat, starch and vegetable. Add a slice of bread and a salad and supper is ready in less than 30 minutes!  By buying Kielbasa on sale and freezing it, I can have everything on hand for this meal anytime I need to get dinner on the table in a hurry.

It also lives up to its name in being colorful on the plate!  I served it with a version of this watermelon salad and it was a great meal served out on the patio.

Ingredients

• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 pound smoked kielbasa, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas
• 1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. In a large skillet, combine the soup, water and butter; bring to a boil. Add kielbasa and rice. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 18 minutes or until rice is almost tender.
2. Stir in peas and mushrooms. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until rice is tender and peas are heated through. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and let stand until melted. Yield: 4-6 servings.

Here are pictures of the simple process:

I like using fresh mushrooms, rather than canned.

I love having tried and true Thirty Minute meals on file for those busy days!  What do you make when you’re in a hurry for dinner?

With love from my country kitchen,

My mom is very organized in her home.  Every closet, drawer, room, or cabinet are all in order so that you can find every item because it’s in a logical place.

The same goes with the way she keeps record of things – like the perennial plants in her yard.  She has a special Gardener’s Journal where she records any plant, tree, or bush that  put in their yard.  She cuts out a picture of the planting and adds it to the page, along with:

• When it was planted
• Where it was planted
• If it was moved to a different spot
• If it was removed completely and why

How clever is that?!  This would really refresh your gardening.  A book like this helps you to remember:

• the specific name of each plant or tree out there
• how to care for the plant
• if you are able to get a refund for it because it died.

If you happen to move from that place, you could leave the journal for the new home owners so they’ll have that valuable information!

I usually snip those tags off the plants and bushes when we put them in the ground.  Now I know what to do with them – they’re going in my Gardening Journal!

Are you a gardener?  Do you keep track of your plantings?

Have a wonderful weekend!  Refresh your heart by being in church Sunday!

Stay refreshed,