Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad

3 cups uncooked Macaroni

1/2 cup Red Pepper, diced

1/2 cup Carrot, diced

1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, diced

1/2 cup Dill Pickles, diced

1 cup Mayonnaise

1 cup Sour Cream

3 Tbsp Italian Seasoning Mix

2 Tbsp Seasoning Salt

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and cool. Combine cooked macaroni with peppers, carrots, cheddar cheese and pickles. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise and seasoning. Add dressing to macaroni mixture and combine well. Refrigerate up to 24 hours before serving.

~Adel~

Fruit Platz (Egg Free)

I am lucky enough to live in one of the most bountiful & beautiful places on earth so when the local fruit and berries start to come it's time to make Platz.

Platz is a traditional Mennonite coffee cake made with a variety of fruits with a delicious crumbly topping - perfect for an afternoon coffee break or dessert when company is coming.

Most of my neighbours are lacto-vegetarians and don't eat eggs for religious or cultural reasons, so I've had to adapt my old family recipes to share the bounty of this year's harvest with my neighbours!

Here's my no-egg version of Platz with Plums.

Fruit Platz (Egg Free)

Crust:

3 cups Flour

3 tsp Baking Powder

1 cup Margarine cut up into small pieces

1 cup Milk

Filling: 

up to 1/4 cup of Sugar

4 cups of Fruit
(plums, blueberries, rhubarb, apricots, cherries, raspberries, peaches, strawberries all work well - fresh is best, but frozen also works)

Topping:

1 & 1/2 cup Sugar

2 cups Flour

2 Tbsp Baking Powder

1 cup Margarine

To make the crust, combine flour and baking powder in a food processor. Add margarine and pulse until crumbly. Add milk slowly until all combined. Spread evenly on the bottom of a greased baking sheet.

Sprinkle sugar on top of the crust - more for the sour fruit & berries and less for the sweet ones. Cover the crust with a single layer of fruit - cut the larger fruit in sections or halves.

To make the topping, combine sugar, flour and baking powder. Mix in margarine with fingertips until crumbly. Sprinkle topping over fruit layer. 

Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.

Yummmmm. Happy coffee break!

~Adel~

Camping Play Canopy

Lady & Bug love to play with cars and figurines and that doesn't change when they're camping.

The rain, the hot sun, and the lack of shade due to damage from the mountain pine beetle in our area make finding a protected place to play in camp grounds difficult. 

Daddy Ladybug came up with an ingenious way to keep the kids contained - safe from the blistering sun and dry in the rain. We've tried it on a few of our camping trips this year and they have stayed entertained and safe from sun & rain for many hours at a time. It was a life saver for us so I thought I'd share!

Supplies needed:

• some kind of shelter - a tent, canopy, tarp, or RV awning
• a table or rug for kids to lay on
• a play mat (if you don't have one you can make something out of cardboard)
• toys - cars, dolls, figurines, etc.

First, set up your shelter over a picnic table or area that will not be flooded and is protected as possible from the sun. Then place a play mat on the table or in the middle of the rugged area. Add toys and kids and voilà, you've got a protected place to let kids play! If you want to see more ideas for camping with kids check out my camping page.

Now grab yourself a nice cold beverage and sit back in your camping chair!

~Adel~

Lemon & Garlic Hummus

Lemon & Garlic Hummus

1 can (540 ml or 19 oz) Chick Peas (Garbanzo Beans)

Juice of 2 Lemons (about 5-6 Tbsp)

1/3 cup Olive Oil

1 & 1/2 Tbsp Tahini (Sesame Seed Paste)

2-4 Cloves Garlic (according to taste)

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

Paprika

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add more olive oil if needed to make smooth hummus.

Serve with Grilled Naan Bread for a great snack or appetizer.

~Adel~

For more great food ideas check out my Recipes page

Easy Sweet & Sticky BBQ Ribs

Ribs can be a lot of work and my life isn't really conducive to work intensive meals, so I've started making ribs the easy way. I'll admit, the slow grilled version is amazing, but when I need a quick meal and want ribs - this is the ticket!

Easy Sweet & Sticky BBQ Ribs

3 sides of ribs (pork or beef)

1 Bottle Beer

1 Onion, quartered

4 clove Garlic

Salt & Pepper (to taste)

1 bottle of your favourite BBQ sauce (Bulls Eye Guinness)

1 & 1/2 cups Apricot Jam

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp Hot Sauce 

Cut ribs into smaller pieces (2-3 rib sections). Add to a large stock pot with beer and enough water to cover ribs. Boil for 30-40 minutes until meat is tender and falling off the bone. 

In a separate bowl, combine BBQ sauce, apricot jam, brown sugar, and hot sauce. Spread over cooked ribs, cover, and let marinade for 20 minutes. Pre-heat grill to medium high heat. Grill sauced ribs for about 5 minutes on each side until the sauce is nicely caramelized.

Serve with Grilled Asparagus and Dillytard Potato Salad for a fantastic BBQ meal. 

Camping option: pre-boil the ribs and bring the sauce - a great addition to any camping menu.

~Adel~

For more great food ideas check out my Recipes page

Grilled Asparagus

Asparagus is one of our favourite vegetables. I didn't have it as a kid, it was hard to find then, but it's readily available now (although very expensive when not in season!).

My favourite way to have asparagus is to grill it on the BBQ, a perfect side for steak or ribs! 

Grilled Asparagus

1-2 bunches Asparagus

Olive Oil 

Course Sea Salt

Preheat Grill to med-high. Remove the dry ends by snapping off the bottom section of the asparagus (if needed). Toss in Olive Oil and sprinkle with sea salt as desired. Spread asparagus in a single layer on the grill and turn every few minutes. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until desired tenderness.

I usually grill the asparagus while my meat is resting. An easy healthy side to any grilled dinner.

~Adel~

For more great food ideas check out my Recipes page

Raspberry Wine Spritzer

It's hot and the Raspberries are ready.

Need a drink that will cut the calories, reduce your alcohol consumption, and help you stay cool in the summer heat...yes please! I've discovered that many of my friends are unfamiliar with this classic hot weather drink, so lets bring the spritzers back! 

From the Raspberry Capital of Canada, here is a lovely refreshing drink to keep you cool through this heatwave.

Raspberry Wine Spritzer

Ice Cubes (about 1/2 cup)

10 Raspberries (fresh or frozen)

6 oz (3/4 cup) White Wine (your favourite, I like Gehringer Brother's Gewrztraminer-Schonburger from Oliver, BC)

6 oz (3/4 cup) Lemon-Lime Soda (Sprite/7up - diet works too!)

Combine in a large glass and mix well until raspberries break up a bit and release some juice/colour. 

Sip and enjoy!

~Adel~

For more great food ideas check out my Recipes page