Our Fabulous Bites

1 Cherry chip cake mix* 2 eggs 1/4 cup crisco shortening 1 cup milk chocolate chips 1 cup shredded coconut Preheat oven 350 degrees. Combine all the above ingredients in bowl with electric mixer until mixed well. Place dough by 2 tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes. Should be slightly browned and still soft. Makes approx. 2 1/2 dozen. *Any flavor of cake mix may be used. Options: add nuts, peanut butter chips, drained pineapple, etc.

I got this from Ina Garten on the Food Network. I really liked it, as did Jeff, though he wishes there were some hard boiled eggs included and I think that would work fine as well. I like this recipe because there is no mayo, which is healthier than what I normally do, and safer for a picnic or Jeff can take it to school for lunch. Ingredients 1 pound small white boiling potatoes 1 pound small red boiling potatoes 4 tablespoons chicken stock 3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons kosher salt (i just used regular) 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 5-8 tablespoons good olive oil 1/4 cup minced scallions (white and green parts) 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill (didn't have fresh and it was still good) 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (didn't use, just wasn't in mood, but still good) Directions Drop the white and red potatoes into a large pot of boiling ...

This one is blow your socks off easy. Ingredients: Corn on the Cob, still in husks Preheat oven to 350, put corn in oven and cook for 30 - 40 minutes. Then remove husks & serve.

Family Style Macaroni Salad 2 Cups dry elbow macaroni, cooked, rinsed, and patted dry ¼ Cup finely chopped Onion 1 Tablespoon finely chopped parsley ½ Cup mayo ¾ Teaspoon ground mustard 1 ½ Teaspoons white sugar 1 ½ Teaspoons apple cider vinegar 3 Tablespoons sour cream 1 Teaspoon sea salt 1 Teaspoon freshly ground pepper ¼ Cup chopped dill pickle patted dry ½ Cup chopped cucumber In a large bowl combine macaroni, onion, parsley, pickle and cucumber. In another bowl mix until well blended the mayo, mustard, sour cream, vinegar, sugar and half of the salt. Combine contents from both bowls mix until well blended. Add the pepper and the remaining salt to taste. Serve chilled. Serves 4-6 6-10 min cook time for macaroni 20 min prep time

This can be a main dish or a side. It takes about 45 minutes to make but is easy. 1 pound asparagus, peeled, trimmed and cut into one-inch-long pieces, tips reserved 4 to 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons butter 1/3 medium red onion, diced 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice 1/2 cup dry white wine or additional broth Salt to taste 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. 1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add half the asparagus stalks and cook until quite soft, at least 5 minutes. Rinse quickly under cold water. Put cooked asparagus in a blender or food processor and add just enough water to allow machine to puree until smooth; set aside. 2. Put stock in a medium saucepan over low heat. Put oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium heat. When it is hot, add onion, stirring occasionally until it softens, 3 to 5 minutes. Don't brown onions. 3. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is glossy, about 2 to 3 minut...

This is a recipe that I like a lot, but I'll tell you, that most people I talk with say that it is good, not necessarily great, so maybe try it out and see what you think. :) This is super easy to make. Serves 4-6 5-10 minutes to prepare, 30-35 minutes to bake 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup nonfat or part-skim ricotta cheese 2 large eggs 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup flour 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups fruit (I prefer pitted cherries, drained well) Set oven at 425 degrees. In a food processor or blender combine the milk, ricotta, eggs, sugar, flour and vanilla, and process until smooth. Spread fruit evenly over the bottom of an 8-inch ovenproofed skillet or deep-dish pie plate. Pour the batter evenly over the top. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. Serve warm, or room temperature, or chilled, cut in wedges. (you can use blueberries, or peaches...but it really is best with cherries)

Okay, so maybe this sounds weird, it did to me at least, but I'm telling you, this is soooo good. Give this one a try during the summer when produce is a bit cheaper than winter. 1 26-oz jar sliced mango, drained and diced (find this usually around fresh produce section) 7 green onions, sliced 2 large avocado, peeled & diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 jalepeno pepper, minced (this gives it a nice kick, if you want more of a kick leave in the seeds, if you want less, leave it out all together) 2 T chopped Fresh cilantro(must be fresh) 3 T lime juice (or juice from 1/2 - 1 fresh lime) 2 T honey (start with a bit less, and add more if needed) 1/4 tsp salt Combine, chill & enjoy! You can eat it with chips, serve it over fish, endless possibilities.