Brandywines in the Spotlight!

More recipes from my collection of Dinner Entree Salads for Two! Enjoy!

BRANDYWINES IN THE SPOTLIGHT…
BLOODY MARY ICE

Paula George


Ingredients:
1 lb. Brandywine Heirloom tomatoes (about 3 medium),
Peeled and cut into eighths
¼ cup Vodka
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
A few dashes of Tabasco or hot sauce
¼ teaspoon celery salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Directions:Press tomatoes through a sieve, discard seeds. Gently stir
In remaining ingredients. Pour mixture into an 8”x8” glass
Dish. Let stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes
Until foam subsides. Stir gently with a fork. Freeze mixture,
Uncovered 30 minutes; stir gently with a fork; cover and
Freeze until solid (about 3 hours). To serve, scrape surface
With fork to break up ice crystals into a granular consistency.
Spoon into large cocktail or martini glasses. Garnish rim with
A lime slice.

B.L.T. SALAD

Paula George


Ingredients:6 strips of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled (can use pre-cooked
Bacon, heated and crumbled or ½ jar of Hormel Real Bacon Bits)
3 cups red leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1 large Brandywine Heirloom tomato, cut into thin wedges
1/3 cup grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 cup Sourdough croutons (purchased or homemade)
Homemade: Cubes of bread, drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper;
Sautéed in skillet over medium heat for 10-12 minutes until golden.
Thick Ranch Dressing, about ½ cup (Purchased in the Produce Section)
Directions:Divide lettuce on two plates. Arrange tomato wedges around edges.
Spoon large dollop of Ranch dressing in center of lettuce. Working from
Center out, arrange cheese, bacon bits and croutons.

Proscuitto Sage Cream Sauce

This is a wonderful sauce for pasta of any kind! It can be served with ravioli, gnocchi, fettucine or tortellini!

Proscuitto Sage Cream Sauce
from mecookin

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cups minced shallots
1 lb. proscuitto sliced into thin strips
1 cup white wine
5 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup julienned fresh sage
3/4 tsp. white pepper
1-1/2 cups grated Romano cheese

Saute shallots and proscuitto in large skillet with olive oil. Add white wine and reduce by one half. Add heavy cream, sage and white pepper. Cook about 5-7 minutes until thickened. Stir in Romano cheese.
Serve over your favorite pasta!

Creamsicle Cheesecake

I made this recipe today but have already decided what added changes that I will make!

CREAMSICLE CHEESECAKE

1 graham cracker crust (2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/3-1/2 cup melted butter )(Make crust in 10" springform pan))
16 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temp, beat until smooth
6- 8 oz. can frozen orange juice
zest of one Naval Orange
1 can Eagle Brand Milk
10 oz. Cool Whip
1 tsp. orange extract
2 drops red food coloring
1 drop yellow food coloring
Mix cream cheese, zest, milk and orange juice with mixer. Fold in cool
whip. Remove 2 cups and add extract & food coloring. Pour 1st mixture into crust. Add extract and food coloring to remaining 2 cups. Place 4 dollops on 1st mixture and lightly swirl with knife;  refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Thinking of a special lady...

knowing today was an extensive look at scans, results, progress in the journey you began last winter...
Today and tomorrow, continued thoughts are with you...as with day one until now & each tomorrow...

I Wish for You...
Moments of Peace, Serenity, and Commitment;
Filling the depths of your Heart & Soul.
I Wish for You,
Days of Health, Wealth, and Happiness;
Growing daily as you travel life's Pathway.
I Wish for You,
Years of Life, Love and Laughter;
Seeking the Pathway to make you Whole.
I Wish for You,
A lifetime of Giving, Receiving and Knowing
Blessings overflowing at completion of each day.

Paula George

60 years ago today...

A 9 lb. 2 oz. girl, 23-1/2 inches long was born to Gene and Alberta George...that "big" baby girl was me!

Growing up in Pensacola, Fl with my "big" sister! haha (Karla is only 4'10") fond memories of school, friends (some are now facebook friends after all these years!), frequent visits to the beach, Sunday afternoons with MeMomma (our paternal grandmother) after attending Mass, a stop by the bakery and home to her house for lunch in the Historical section. Month in the summer was spent on the Bay side at the beach (Daddy was an architect and would drive into Pensacola each day)

This pic is probably about 1960 in front of our home in Pensacola, I'm the taller one on the right.
Alas, all this would change in 1964, my parents divorced and Karla and I moved to Alabama to live with Ma, our maternal grandmother. We had spent many lengthy summer visits with Ma in prior years.
Ma (a very simple woman with a heart full of love, former sharecropper) and MeMomma (a lady of stature in Pensacola that grown up in a totally different environment, yet also a heart full of love) were total opposites although their backgrounds never clouded the love shown to us through the years.

This is Ma, with my sister, Karla in front of her home...most likely about 1950 as I wasn't in the picture. Ma's home was a 4 room house with no indoor plumbing with well for drawing water on the back porch, we cooked on a wood cookstove (which I learned to cook on)  and heat was from the stove and fireplace in the front room.
However, those four little rooms housed more love and guidance than I could ever imagine...quite a culture shock for two teenage girls but we survived and went on to become mothers, grandmothers, & now I am a great-grandmother...and learn to be happy!

One of my favorite memories of Ma is my birthday! All through the years until her passing in '88,  she gave me $5 each birthday to buy a purse! I love purses, even since I was a toddler! Daddy remarked in my baby book when I was 1-1/2, 9PM: "Here's Paula, still carrying that damn purse!"

And here I am today, celebrating my birthday with my wonderful fiancee, Rick! Blessed with family, friends and my future husband!
Lots of turns and detours in the pathway, but I know MeMomma and Ma would be proud of the granddaughter they influenced in so many ways! I love you both and thanks for the memories!

Pre Birthday weekend!

Thoroughly enjoyed my pre-birthday weekend with Rick!

It started with a lovely birthday card with some $$$ in it! :)

Saturday night we went to Dale's Restaurant!

We ordered the El Dropo ( 16 oz. tenderloin cooked medium) that we split with additional sides.

Baked potato for Rick.

Broccoli for me. We both had salads with their house made Bleu Cheese Dressing and I had the French Onion Soup.

Birthday Dessert of an Apple Turnover with Vanilla Ice Cream & a delicious butterscotch sauce.
Rick was disappointed as they used to bring the dessert out with sparklers in it, current owners decided that was harmful to the carpet! :(

Summer Garden Pasta...

Made this today as a side dish, although, as usual...I did some changes!

 Summer Garden Pasta
Serves 6

4 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
good olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
18 large basil leaves, juilenned, plus extra for serving
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound dried angel hair pasta
1-1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving


Combine the cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, basil leaves, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature for about 4 hours.

Just before you're ready to serve, bring a large pot of water with a splash of olive oil and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil and add the pasta. Cook al dente according to the directions on the package (be careful--it only takes 2 to 3 minutes!). Drain the pasta well and add to the bowl with the cherry tomatoes. Add the cheese and some extra fresh basil leaves and toss well. Serve in big bowls with extra cheese on each serving.

I halved the recipe, although I doubled the amount of crushed red pepper...
Also, I combined the halved tomatoes, garlic, salt & pepper in a saute pan and cooked in the olive oil while the pasta was cooking. I then, added the cooked pasta, basil and Parmesan cheese. A delicious side dish with our Jamaican Jerk chicken that I had grilled!