Potluck Salad Update

Ok, I made my salad for the potluck...but with a change. When I made the dressing as the recipe called for, I found it bland. I even tried to "doctor" it up a little, but to no avail. So, I threw it out. Yep - when things don't come out as planned, don't be afraid to just start over.

I changed the dressing to one I've made before and found very taste and it did not have to be cooked.

Dressing:
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons minced onion
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together until sugar is dissolved and well blended. Toss with vegetables.

Enjoy!

Salad for a Potluck

We are invited to a Birthday potluck this coming weekend. There is two issues I am looking at - one is that I am having vein surgery on my left leg on Friday (which means I will not be able to stand a great deal on Saturday to put something together) and the other is the fact that the party is about an hour drive from our home.

So, I need something I can put together easily/quickly and will travel well. I decided to go with a good stand by - a salad, but which salad.... After mulling my options over, I decided to look through my mom's old recipe box. I wanted to find something different and came across one that I remember my mom making many times - and many of those times was for a potluck. What luck! I hope all will enjoy it! Here it is - give it a try too and let me know what you thing.

Vegetable Salad
1 can french cut green beans - drained
1 can peas - drained
1 can white kernel corn - drained
1 small jar of pimentos
1 green pepper - chopped
1 cup celery - chopped
1 cup - green onions - chopped

Dressing:
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup oil
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup vinegar
Boil together for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Mix all vegetables and cooled dressing together. Refrigerate over night.

Enjoy!

I want your Opinion

I NEED FACES...Women with SKIN...who will give me their OPINION of our amazing products...It doesn't matter what you are using already and do not have to buy anything...I will send you a "facial in a bag"...then get your opinion...that's it. Could you possibly help me on this mission?? Thank you!!

Girls Night Number 2

What goes together better than food, movie and a bunch of girl friends? We celebrated a Girl's Night again this past weekend with my mom and sister-in-laws.

This time our movie was "The Blind Side" and since Sandra's Bullock's character and husband owned a bunch of Taco Bells - I decided to serve a "Taco Bar". This was one party that was a snap to put together! It was so easy to have soft and hard taco shells for people to choose from. I included bowls of seasoned ground beef, chopped tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese. And I added a side of Nachos and Salsa a long with a nice Spanish Sangria. Knowing how much I have trouble eating tacos without dropping it all down my front (lol), I choose to make mine into a taco salad with Frito's tossed in for crunch.

For dessert I made Chocolate Quesadillas. They were a little warm, and we very quickly learned to let them sit for a couple of minutes before enjoying that chocolate gooey deliciousness...lol. I had one suggestion by one of my sister-in-laws was to make them into smores by adding marshmallow...hummmm - I just might have to experiment with that.

Chocolate Quesadilla

Ingredients:
Honey
ground cinnamon
semisweet chocolate chips
2 flour tortillas

Directions:
In a non-stick skillet (if you do not have a non-stick - use a regular skillet with non-stick spray) lay your first tortilla. Add a small handful of chocolate chips, drizzle a little honey and then dust with the cinnamon to taste. Top with the second tortilla. Press the top tortilla down until you feel the chocolate chips have melted.

Carefully flip over the two tortillas to warm the other side.

Move to a cutting board and cut into 4 wedges.

Let cool briefly before serving. This would be fantastic served with a side of cinnamon ice cream.

Ode to a Dear Friend

My dear little kitty of 13 years passed away in November 2008 from cancer. All last summer I looked around for just the right think to remember her by. At the end of the season I found this adorable statuary with a kitty looking through spy glasses with a little birdie sitting on top. I waited until winter was over to set up my memorial.

Spookie just loved to sit and watch the birds. In fact that is why I started feeding them, to draw the birds closer so she could watch them from the patio doors. I can not help but look out into my garden and smile.

Yard Work has Begun

Dear Bloggers -- I am so excited to be back working on my blog. As Oprah would say...here we go.

I am in my glory now that I am able to start working in my gardens. I've been able to get out a few days during the last couple of weeks. We have had such rain during the spring, our yard was flooded. We have a good layer of clay just under the grass which causes water to stand and not drain off easily. We joke that Lake Palczewski appear off and on in our back yard under the crab apple tree. But for now it's dried out and I can get to work. We still are experiencing frost, so I am not able to start planting - but there is plenty of other work to be done.

In the back corner under the shelter of a pine tree and clumps of bushes of the yard there has been an area where it appears the past owners and to some extend us too have dumped branches and extra grass clippings over the years. It has really become an eye sore. I found out I had a lilac bush back there last year after it was done blooming. So all winter I have been spying that brush pile from my kitchen window, plotting my plan of attack. I've been able to clean out most of the tree branches. The smaller ones, I've filled up my yard waste container (actually I've filled it twice), and the larger branches we going to run through a chipper to make them into mulch. There is a thick layer of rich soil from all the grass clippings I will spread around my various gardens.

My herb garden did not fair well over the winter. I've lost all my lavender. But I have to say the mint has done very well...in fact it is trying hard to take over the entire garden -- I need to start pulling up some shoots very quickly (I worked on it some today...but there is much more to pull). Now to find a use for all this mint....hmmmm...I think I am seeing some Mojitos in my near future. Watch for recipes.

Now I need to find the extra strength Tylenol to work on these sore muscles.

Happy garening everyone!

The Spring Garden In Bloom

Enjoying a Meatless Favorite

We are right in the middle of Lent, and so on our menu this time of year includes meatless dishes. One of my most favorite meatless meals is Potato Pancakes. They are absolutely terrific - and we actually eat them not only during Lent - but all year long! My friend Ann taught me how to make them about 15 years ago. I've changed the recipe a little by adding more spices, onions and garlic to the mix. They are also great as a side dish to meat and a toss salad. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Potato Pancakes

4-5 potatoes - shredded - I leave the skins on, but if that freaks you out - go ahead and peel them.
1 onion - shredded (I run the onion through my food processor along with the potatoes)
1 egg - beaten
2-3 gloves of garlic minced
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon fresh nutmeg

Mix all together. Drop by spoon full into hot frying pan with oil. Flatten slightly. Fry until both sides are golden brown - this takes about 5-7 minutes depending on how hot you have your oil and how thick the pancake is. When done, move the pancake to a paper towel lined plate, sprinkle with a little more salt.

I like them with a dollop of sour cream, Bill adds ketchup instead. I've also heard of some adding applesauce - which would be great if you were serving them with a pork dish.

Enjoy!

Saturday with the Girls

We had a Saturday with the girls here in the Palczewski home, I hosted a Tupperware party on Saturday afternoon...about 10 ladies attended and we had a blast. Bill took off for the afternoon - not sure why he did not want to hang around with a house full of women...lol...or as he calls it...my hen party.

I tried my hand a pudding shots...I got the idea from my sister-in-law Kristin when she posted that she was making them for the Ohio State/U of M party last fall. I mixed 2 large chocolate pudding and French Vanilla Kahlua...the 2 puddings together called for 6 cups of milk, so I mixed 2 cups of Kahlua and 4 cups of milk -- they turned out a little soft (but tasty) -- so the next time I make them I think I will back off one of the cups of milk.

For a sweet treat I make these wonderful individual cheese cakes. I've had the recipe for I bet 20 years - always a crowd pleaser.

Cream Cheese Cakes
1 - 8 oz. soften cream cheese
6 Tablespoons sugar
1 egg

Cream together cheese, sugar and egg.

Put a vanilla wafer in the bottom of a cup cake pan - lined with cup cake papers. Spoon the cream cheese mixture in to cover the cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. When cooled, spoon a bit of fruit pie filling (I like to use cherry - and put 2 cherries per cake) on top.

Will make 12 cakes.

Enjoy!

Signs of Spring

Dear Blog Friends -

Sorry I have not posted in a while -- my new job is taking up a lot of my focus...lol. I come home just beat.

Well, I have good news...my tulips and daffodils are popping their heads up out of the cold earth. I noticed them as the snow has begun to melt away over the weekend. We have been experiencing some warmer weather...well, warmer by Michigan standards and a ton of sunshine. I swear every one's mood has lifted 100% from just a couple of weeks ago.

It will soon be possible for me to begin working in the yard! It's way too soft right now, plus we still have snow in the back yard. Bill is going to shovel off the deck so we can grill on Tuesday - it's forcasted to be over 55 degrees. Rain is schedule for the last part of the week - that should finish up the snow...until next week when it's forcasted to snows again...uggg.