Recipe of the Week; SUMMER PIE, OH MY!

If you subscribe to Taste of Home magazine as I do, you may notice that I've completely ripped of their "Pie, oh my!" headline from their featured pie recipes in the August/September issue.

You may further notice that I'm going to post a recipe that I ripped off from The Food Network's Semi-Homemade Sandra Lee- something I don't normally do because I find her recipes are typically Semi-repulsive.

I guess the heat is depleting my creativity. I promise to be a little more original in my next recipe post. But, I'm bringing two pie recipes to you this week- so cut me a little slack!

By now you must know that I bake so very little, if at all, during the summer. Who wants to bother with a hot stove, anyway? I like both of these recipes for the simple reason that they require little effort- little or no baking, and they make very refreshing summertime desserts!

I caught about 15 minutes of a recently aired episode of Semi-Homemade this past weekend, and I will confess this pie actually looked like something worth making. It helped that she was using a recipe that was given to her by someone else, so it wasn't classic Sandra Lee Semi-homemade slop in a pot.

I'm also going to rewrite it a little, as she started her recipe by saying "In large bowl combine all the ingredients except the topping and the crust." Really, Sandra?

PEANUT BUTTER PIE INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened

1 8-oz tub whipped topping

Chocolate Magic Shell ice cream topping

Oreo cookie pie crust

chopped peanuts*

In a large bowl, blend peanut butter, sugar, milk, extract, and cream cheese with a hand mixer. By hand, gently fold in the whipped topping.

*I sprinkled some chopped peanuts on mine at this point, although the original recipe didn't call for it.

Pour in to crust and freeze for 2 hours. Once frozen, drizzle with ice cream topping and refreeze for 20 minutes. Thaw slightly before serving.

- - - - - -

My next pie recipe is a very basic Key Lime Pie recipe. I've been making this for a long time- and upon researching Key lime pie recipes, I found that Paula Deen has a very similar recipe she calls "Bubba's Key Lime Pie." Another recipe rip-off from the Food Network, how fitting for today's post! But please don't ask me who Bubba is- I don't even want to know.

KEY LIME PIE INGREDIENTS

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup Key lime juice*

1 teaspoons grated lime zest

2 eggs, separated

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 cup sugar

graham cracker pie crust**

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake pie crust for 5 minutes, allow to cool completely.

Combine milk, lime juice, and lime zest; blend in the egg yolks. Pour filling into pie crust.

Beat egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the sugar until the mixture is stiff. Spread the meringue over the entire surface of the pie. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the meringue is golden brown.

*I've used regular limes in place of actual key limes, as they are not a common find here in western PA. The results were still delicious.

I DO NOT recommend the use of the bottled lime concentrate. We'll save that idea for the semi-homemade crowd.

**I've also done this pie using the mini crusts, making little individual pies. They're quaint, and they help prevent overindulging.

Mid-Summer Blues

Uh oh. Do you feel what I feel? Hot, tired, and just generally ready to skip these next several sticky weeks of summer and dive right into a freshly raked pile of leaves?

I don't know if it's these record temperatures or if it's just that fact that I'm getting old, but summertime just isn't as fun as it used to be.

In March, my mind was drifting away to thoughts of sipping sweet sun tea, lounging pool side. Now those days are here, and I'm inwardly wincing at the thought of another 90-plus degree week. Maybe if I wasn't stuck inside so much, I could enjoy summer a little more.

We've really only one more big last hurrah before it's back to the grind- school starts in exactly FIVE weeks! I'm planning a huge bash for my husband's 40th birthday, and his sister is flying in from New Mexico to help celebrate! I'm excited to see her, it's been so long! All this party planning... he better enjoy himself! It's exhausting- caterer or do it myself?? Insulting decorations (I've been toying with the idea of a dinosaur-themed party or a cemetery-theme!) or something a little less involved. Right now, I'm leaning more towards a simple black and gold theme- the timing seems appropriate, considering football season is also right around the corner.

We've got a quick trip to the beach scheduled, and I'm taking off almost two full weeks of work for a much-needed-and-well-deserved vacation.

I can actually sense the winding down of the summer season- the crickets are louder and lightening bugs few. It's a sure sign of the aging season.

At any rate, I'm feelin' the mid-summer blues... maybe an ice-cream sundae is in order.

Recipe of the Week; SUMMER STRAWBERRY AND SPINACH SALAD

Go ahead- say that recipe name three times really fast!

The credit for this delicious summer treat has to go to my Mom. The first time I ever tried this odd combination of baby spinach and strawberries, dressed with poppy seed dressing I couldn't get over how well everything worked together. Even my hubby was a little skeptical at first, but I can make this any day and he won't complain. At least not to my face.

Mom's garden runs amok with baby spinach leaves, and this time of year, fresh plump strawberries are everywhere, and for C-H-E-A-P. So indulge, I say! It's healthy, inexpensive, refreshing... everything you could want during these dog days of summer!

INGREDIENTS

1/4 to 1/2 cup whole almonds or pecans
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Do this step at least one hour before you are actually ready to prepare the salad, as the nuts will need time to set and cool.

Cook and stir nuts and sugar over low heat until sugar is dissolved and nuts are coated. Spread on foil to cool; separate once cooled.

For the dressing:

1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 1/2 teaspoon chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup olive, canola or vegetable oil
1/4 cup cider or red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Add all ingredients into a food processor or blender and whiz until well blended. Store in refrigerator.

Approximately 10 oz. baby spinach, or you can use 2 bunches spinach, torn
1 cup or 1 pint sliced strawberries

Mix greens and strawberries in bowl, toss dressing through and sprinkle with the sugared almonds or pecans.

Caught in the Act

My Dad and Nancy have a thief roaming about at their house. Several times someone has gotten into their bird feeders and ate all the bird food. It wasn't birds, or even squirrels. Last evening... they caught the culprit red-handed!

He was an arrogant fellow, so much so that he even waved for the camera, instead of running off like any other bear might do!

Yes, he's big and scary. And could probably cause some serious damage if provoked. But, I got to admit, he looks like such a cute and cuddly bear! I mean, just look at that smug expression! Does he seriously look like a trouble maker?

Recipe of the Week; SUMMER PASTA SALAD

Man, is it hot this week! Record breaking temperatures! Just typing this I feel overexerted! (Not really, I'm sitting in the comfort of my air-conditioned office.)

The very LAST thing I want to do in this weather is cook. In fact, I don't really even want to eat. But I've got two boys (a little one, and a large one) who need their nourishment, so my trick is to just make something simple, and a lot of it- that way it will last through the week.

One of my favorite summer salads is my Mom's variation of an anti-pasto. I've been eating this at family reunions and summer holiday picnics since the seventies. I started to make it for my husband, and he absolutely LOVES it, although to please his carnivore-ish palate I go a little heavy on the meat.

It's a busy salad- lots of chopping is involved, but this will make a HUGE bowl full, which means if you make it on Monday it should last until Friday. And it really does get better the longer it sits. You could certainly halve the recipe to make a smaller amount, but when I make it- believe me, I'm lucky if it lasts five days. It's so full of stuff, it can be a meal in itself. It's a great alternative to potato or macaroni salad along side something you've grilled up.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound pasta, I prefer the tri-colored spirals but small shells, corkscrew, penne or farfalle will do. Cook to al dente in boiling, salted water and drain well.

CHEESES

I use the block cheese you pick up at the dairy isle of the supermarket, and it varies as to what cheese I use depending on what's available. You can use any variety of the following. (note that Brick cheese isn't available in many areas, as it seems to be widely used in Western PA. However, Monterrey Jack is very similar in texture and taste, so it's a good alternative.)

Pick four and use about 4 oz. (half of a block) of each. As a general rule, I like to use at least to yellow and two white. Cut into half-inch cubes.

Medium or Sharp Cheddar
Provolone
Monterrey Jack
Mozzarella
Colby
Colby-Jack Blend
Brick
New York Cheddar

MEAT

Salami, preferably hard or Genoa
Ham, ordinary inexpensive cooked ham works just fine. Stay away from "sweet" versions, such as honey-glazed or Virginia.
Sliced pepperoni, or sandwich pepperoni if available
Summer sausage (optional)

There are three specific meats I use in this salad. I never stray from these. For my ham and salami, I go to the deli counter and asked for at least four slices of each. I have them cut it into thick slices, about a half-inch, that way I can just cube them up for the salad.

You can use the sliced pepperoni, just slice the rounds in half and separate them well, they tend to stick to themselves. If sandwich pepperoni is available at the deli counter, get about 4-5 thick slices of it as well. I've also used stick pepperoni that I've cut into cubes.

If I have summer sausage on hand, I'll toss some of that it in as well, but it's not necessary.

VEGETABLES

1 large tomato, or a couple smaller ones, medium dice, or- 1 pint of halved grapes tomatoes is perfect
1 large bell pepper, any color, small dice
1 small jar green olives, halved
1 large onion, small dice
1 head of broccoli, optional

Mom always uses broccoli. I can do without it and usually do not put it in my salad.

DRESSING

1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb blend

To assemble the salad, lightly toss the pasta, meats, cheeses and vegetables in a large bowl. (I actually have to use two bowls, it's just easier for mixing.) In a separate smaller bowl or large measuring cup, mix all the ingredients for the dressing until well combined. You may need to add more or less vinegar to suit your tastes. These measurements are a guideline only, really. It just depends on your preferences. You may even need to make more dressing, again it depends on your tastes and the type of noodle you use. The best way to gage this is simply by tasting as you go.

It's best to let this sit for a few hours before you eat it, in order for the dressing to absorb into all the ingredients. Again, as it sits it will get more flavorful. Keep refrigerated.

HAPPY JULY 4TH!