Purple Cabbage Salad

My friend Leah made this at our dinner last night. It was SO good. And it was a beautiful salad too.

1 bag shredded purple cabbage
1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese (or mozzarella)
2 sliced green onions
1/2 cup raisins and/or dried cranberries
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup seasoned rice vinegar

Combine and enjoy!

Lemonade Cake

This is one of my very favorite summer desserts. My mom always makes it and I'm attempting it today with some dinner with friends.

1 lemon cake mix
1 small pkg. instant lemon pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
2 cup powdered sugar
1 (6 oz) can frozen lemonade, thawed

Combine the cake mix, pudding, eggs, oil and water. Beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pour cake mixture into a greased and floured 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 30 minutes. While cake is still warm, combine the powdered sugar and thawed lemonade. Beat for 1 minute. Pierce the top of the warm cake with a fork about every three inches. Pour lemonade mixture over the top, evenly. Bake for 5 minutes. Cool on cake rack. Serve with whipped cream on top, if desired. Refrigerate remaining cake.*

*Best to make the night before since it is so much better cold.

Grilled Veggie Soft Tacos

Thanks Missy! I'm excited to be a guest on this food blog. It's always good to find new recipes, and I have already used some on this blog. I'd like to share something we had for dinner this week and something we absolutely love! And as is the case with most recipes, I got this from someone else. So to give credit where credit is due - this is from my cousin Robyn, who copied it from a Tex-Mex restaurant. This is a great summer dish because it's a little lighter and SO good. Enjoy!

1 yellow squash

1 yellow onion

1 clove minced

garlic

1 zucchini

Seasonings (I have only used chili powder and cumin sprinkled over the veggies, but you could do lemon and salt and pepper or whatever else you like)

Can of black beans

Grated cheese

Salsa Verde (or regular)

Sour Cream

Soft taco sized flour tortillas

Tomatoes

Cilantro

Cut the zucchini and yellow squash lengthwise in half and then into ½ inch pieces. Chop onion and mince garlic. Sautee garlic, onion and veggies in a little olive oil in skillet until preferred crispness of vegetables. Add preferred seasonings.

Then just add black beans, cheese, lettuce, salsa, and sour cream on top. You could also make a little pico de gallo to put on top in place of the salsa verde. Dicing tomatoes with cilantro, lemon, salt and pepper & a little olive oil.

Welcome Ann Marie

Another guest blogger to add to the mix on Add To Desired Taste! Welcome Ann Marie. I knew her back in college...and have stayed in touch the best of ways...via a blog. She has been living in our nation's capitol for the past two years, but currently resides in Iowa for the summer as her husband does his law internship. They have two adorable little boys. She is a fabulous cook and I'm sure will share some great recipes, bound to be part of my "staple" recipe list.

glazed curried carrots

ever buy a bag of small carrots and don't get around to eating them as quick as planned on? i do it all the time. solution to my problem:

1 C baby carrots
2 tsp canola oil
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp water

1. in a saucepan, combine carrots, oil, sugar, curry powder, garlic, and salt to taste. cook over medium heat, stirring, until sizzling and fragrant, about 3 min. add water. cover and reduce heat so mixture simmers.
2. cook until carrots are tender, about 10 minutes. uncover and toss, until all liquid is gone and carrots are glazed, about one minute.

from women's health mag.

Frozen Chocolate Sandwiches

Don't these sound like a fun treat? Maybe after FHE? It's like a frozen smore. We are having a neighborhood potluck this weekend and I'm thinking of bringing these.

3/4 cup whole milk
24 marshmallows
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, grated or chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
18 graham crackers

Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with foil, allowing the foil to hang over the sides. Heat the milk and marshmallows in a large saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until smooth. Remove from heat. Add the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high, beat the cream until stiff peaks form. Working quickly, fold the whipped cream into the chilled chocolate mixture, mixing until no traces of white remain. Spoon into the prepared dish. Tap the dish on the counter to remove air bubbles. Freeze, covered, until set, at least 3 hours. Holding both sides of the foil, transfer the frozen block to a cutting board. Cut into 24 squares. Break the graham crackers in half. Layer the chocolate squares between the crackers to make 12 double-decker sandwiches. Place the sandwiches on a plate, cover, and return to freezer until ready to serve.

Yummy Granola Bars

Again, a recipe from my friend Ann Marie (see recipe below too!). Homemade granola bars?! Yes, please. I'll be making this soon.

2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup raisins (optional)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.

Watermelon and Strawberry Lemonade

My friend Ann Marie just sent me this recipe, which I am so going to make this weekend after I buy a watermelon. Wish I had gotten the email before I went to Trader Joes (I always seem to have luck picking a good watermelon from them) this morning. Doesn't this sound like the perfect summer drink?

8 cups cubed watermelon
1 cup strawberries
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 c. sugar
2 cups water

Combine in blender. Blend until smooth

Samshed White Bean & Avocado Club

Because I love a good veggie sandwich.

2 15-oz. cans white beans, rinsed and drained
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. black pepper
12 slices multigrain bread
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, thinly sliced {peeled, if desired}
Sprouts
2 avocados, pitted & thinly sliced

In a medium bowl, combine the beans, oil, salt, & pepper. Roughly mash the mixture with the back of a fork. Place 8 of the bread slices on a work surface. Divide the mashed beans among the slices. Top with the onion, cucumber, sprouts and avocado. Stack the open-faced sandwiches on top of each other, to make 4 double-decker sandwiches. Top with the remaining 4 slices of bread.
Slice in half, & serve.

from wire whisk

Taking Food to Others...

I took dinner to a family in my ward tonight, but I had a difficult time deciding what to take. Something that universally most people like. I always have a tough time with this actually. What do you usually take to people? Do you have a list of a few things you take and rotate it or do you just take what you were planning on making (just doubled or tripling the cooking?).

I ended up taking potato salad, watermelon, carrot sticks, chicken legs and some of those Hawaiian rolls with a carton of Breyers ice cream for dessert. I wanted to take some of the Trader Joe's brownie bites, but just didn't make it there today.

Just curious...