Mexican Wedding Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 pound soft unsalted butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups finely chopped pecans
• 5 cups sifted pastry flour
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and powdered sugar in mixer until light and fluffy, about 1015 minutes. Add vanilla, salt and pecans. Remove from mixer and stir in pastry flour by hand being careful not to overmix. Form into football shapes about the size of small walnuts and place on a buttered cookie sheet. Bake 1012 minutes or until just beginning to get the slightest bit colored on the bottom. Remove upon the first sign of color and set on a rack to cool. When cool enough to touch place in a bowl with powdered sugar on top and bottom and toss gently. Occasionally toss with sugar while cooling, trying to get as much sugar as possible to stick. When cold, place cookies in airtight container and cover until ready to serve.

Honey Lavender Ice Cream

Ingredients

Makes about 1 quart

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup dried lavender
• 1/3 cup honey
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine milk, lavender, and honey. Bring to a gentle boil, cover, and remove from heat. Let steep for 5 minutes. Strain mixture, reserving milk and discarding lavender.
2. Combine egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until very thick and pale yellow, 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, return milk to a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
3. Add half the milk to egg-yolk mixture, and whisk until blended. Stir mixture into remaining milk, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
4. Remove from heat, and immediately stir in cream. Strain mixture into a medium mixing bowl set in an ice-water bath, and let stand until chilled, stirring from time to time. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Store in an airtight plastic container up to 2 weeks.

Babyback Ribs and Watermellon Salad

Well, summer is closing in and we are all thinking of summer activities.  So, today on the cooking show we prepared babyback ribs and a wonderful watermelon salad.  This si a meal that takes no active time to prepare and allows you , the host, plenty of time to participate in the activities of the day. I encourage every one to use paper plates and throw away cups and just have a relaxed, fun-filled day.

Babyback Ribs
1. 3 racks of the freshes ribs you can buy
2. wash and dry the racks
3. Now season on both sides with your favorite dry rubs, I used Kansas City Cowtown seasonings.  They can be purchased online at www.cowtownbbq.com
4. Sprinkle the back side of the ribs first, be cautious and remember that the first ingrediant in most of the powder seasonings is salt.
5. Line a cookie sheet with 3 large pieces of heavy duty foil, 2 pieces over-lapping each other and covering the sheet sideways, leaving about 10" on the sides of overhang.  Now place the 3rd piece of foil length ways with the same amount of overhang.
6. Place one rack of ribs in the center of the sheet, lenght ways, with meaty side up, sprinkle top side with more seasoning and place 2nd rack on top of 1st rack with meaty side facing up, and sprinkle the top side of 2nd rack with seasoning and repeat with 3rd rack the same procedure.  Only place the racks 3 high.  If you want to cook more place a second stack of ribs next to the first stack on the same cookie sheet.  2 stacks of three will fit nicely on one sheet.  If you have more to cook. start a second cookie sheet.
7. now wrap the ribs with the overhand of foil, like it is a baby, wrapping tight abd sealing the sides.
8. Place in an oven preheated to 350 drgrees and bake for 31/2 hours.
9. Let rest 15 minutes and seperate stacks and coat with your favorite bbq sauce.

Watermelon Feta Salad

2 pounds cubed watermelon

8 ounces feta cheese, cubed

Mint and basil leaves, julianned

Toss all the above in large salad bowl

In a sauce pan, dissolve 1/2 cup sugar in 1/4 cup white vinegar.  Add a pinch of salt.  Remove from heat and whisk in 6 ounces of plain yogurt.  Pour 1/2 of dressing over the tossed salad and serve remaining dressing for dipping the mellon as desired.

Please enjoy!!!

Hand tossed pizza

Well school is about to be dismissed for the summer and mom's are scrambling to find things to keep the little one's busy.  Well letting children participate in the preparation of their meals is one way to keep them busy. get them to eat and pass on a little family tradition.  Things that will be remanenced in their adult life with pleasant memories.  I recently made a trip, along with my sister, to stay with my grandchildren a few days and when I visit, we always cook.  On this trip, we made our own pizzas and had them for dinner.   On my last cooking show I shared this with my own children and our viewing audience.  So, let's get started.

Hand Tossed Pizza

1 bag frozen yeast bread rolls, thawed and risen

1 jar pizza sauce

shredded cheese of your choice

  I used white american

8 ounces softened cream cheese

1/2 cup powdered sugar

topping of your choice

 For the savory pizzas I used:

pepperoni

left over meat loaf, crumbled

feta cheese, crumbled

roasted sliced tomatoes

roasted bell peppers, sliced

sliced mango

spinach leaves

fresh basil, minced

chopped smoked turkey

sliced olives

sliced greek peppers

For the dessert pizzas I used:

mini chocolate chips

baked sliced apples, baked with a little sugar and cinnamon

Putting it all together:

1. Take a handful of the thawed and risen yeast dough, on a floured surface form a ball and press out till flat and the size mini pizza desired.

2. Place the mini pizza dough rounds on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam.

3. For the savory pizzas, put a base of pizza sauce, spread with spoon and leave about 

1/2 inch from edge clean, no sauce.

4. Now get creative with any combonation of ingrediants that you or your children desire.

5. Place in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for about 12-15 minutes, cool for 5 minutes, slice and enjoy.

6. For the dessert pizza,  blend the softened cream cheese and the powdered sugar until smooth.  Now, spread a layer of sweetened cream cheese, leaving that 1/2 inch rim clear.

7. Now let's get creative again. top with any of the sweet toppings that you have chosen, one or a combination.

8. Place in pre-heated 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, cool 5 minutes, slice and enjoy.

As you can see, we had a great time and all the kids loved it.  This is one of my favorite things to share with my children, grandchildren and friends.  It brings joy to my life, all the kids have fun and hopefully, this will help bring cooking back to the home for this generation, which is my desire.

As always, find something that you love and share it with someone.