Amish Cole Slaw

Believe it or not, we are still eating out of our freezer. It looks like about ten more dinners and I'll have to rethink our fall menu. Looking forward to trying some new soups/stews and stocking the freezer with some turkeys.

My family is not a fan of slaw with mayonnaise so I'm always on the lookout for an alternative way to use cabbage. Recently I ran across this recipe for slaw and found it to be just the right balance of sweet and sour. It's not something to make right before dinner. The flavors are best if the slaw is refrigerated for at least twelve hours. (We learned this the hard way.) I think next time I'll make a double batch and have it as a side several times during the week.

Amish Cole Slaw

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 8-10
Cost: Approx. $2.00

1 medium head cabbage shredded ($1.50)
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 cup vegetable oil

In a large bowl, toss together the cabbage, onion, and 1 cup sugar. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, salt, celery seed, 1 teaspoon white sugar, mustard and oil. Bring to a boil, and cook for 3 minutes. Cool completely, then pour over cabbage mixture, and toss to coat. Refrigerate at least 12 hours for best flavor.

Minty Cucumber Salad

I recently had this salad at a church pitch in and was so surprised at how well these flavors blended together. It's a perfect cool salad for these hot summer days! Enjoy.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: n/a
Serves: 10-16
Cost: approx. $2.50

8 cups cubed watermelon ($2.00)

2 medium cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced ($.50)

6 green onions, chopped (I eliminated the onions)

¼ cup minced fresh mint

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

In large bowl, combine the watermelon, cucumber, onions and mint.

In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Pour over watermelon mixture; toss to coat.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

Chef Salad

Summer is a difficult time for me in the kitchen. I feel less inspired to look through cook books and turn on the oven. It also seems that we are always running low groceries. I think all of the outside activities results in bigger appetites.

Last week I found myself scavenging through the fridge to put together dinner. I had just a little bit of this and a little bit of that. What came together was surprisingly received by the whole family. With a bit of chopping, dicing and arranging, the kids loved creating their own salads. In the end there wasn't a scrap left.

What are some quick meals you are able to pull off from what you have on hand?

Sean's Favorite Salad

In honor of his birthday the girls made daddy's favorite salad.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Serves: 8
Cost: Approx. $4.25

1 head lettuce ($1.00)
1 head cauliflower ($2.00)
4 slices bacon cooked ($.50)
1 cup lite mayo ($.50)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese ($.25)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4-1/2 cup cold water

Layer cut lettuce, chopped cauliflower and cut bacon. Mix together mayo, cheese and sugar well. Add water to desired consistency. Pour over salad and toss.