Cucumber Mint Soup

-By: Cimone Furler via South Beach Diet

Ingredients:

• 3 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
• 1 scallion, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh mint leaves (I use a couple of the packages from the store because I love mint)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 (8 ounce) container reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Directions:

1. Puree cucumbers, scallion, garlic, mint, and water in a blender or food processor until smooth.

2. Add sour cream, lemon juice, salt, and pepper; blend to combine.

3. If you are serving the soup immediately, chill quickly by transferring it to a metal mixing bowl, placing the bowl over a larger bowl filled with ice and cold water, and stirring occasionally until chilled, about 10 minutes. Otherwise, chill in refrigerator until cold, about 3 hours.

Steamed Cranberry Pudding

-By: Cimone Furler via Jane Walker at allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 cups whole cranberries
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water. Stir in 1 tablespoon of sugar and molasses, then mix in the cranberries and flour. Pour into a greased 6 cup steamer mold.

2.Cover the mold, and place into a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover the steaming pot. Cook over medium heat for one hour before checking, but it will take about 1 1/2 hours total. A toothpick inserted into the pudding should come out clean. Loosen the edges, and cool on a wire rack in the mold.

3.Make the hard sauce just before serving: Heat the unsalted butter, cream, 1 cup sugar and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook stirring constantly until heated through and smooth.

Lime & Buttermilk Cupcakes

-By: Cimone Furler via  Coconutandlime.com
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ cup butter, at room temperature
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• zest of one lime

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line 12 wells in a cupcake tin with baking papers.

2.  In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, zest and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the juice. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour.

4. Fill each baking cup two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Ice with coconut lime icing.

Icing:

• 1 cup confections’ sugar
• ¾ cup sweetened, flaked coconut
• 3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• zest of one lime

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine butter,zest and sugar throughly.

2. Add buttermilk and lime juice.

3. Mix on high 1 minute until well mixed

4. Spread over cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle each cake with coconut.

Italian Chicken & Rice

-By: Sister Brady

Ingredients:

• Boneless breast or chicken tenderloins (1 -1/2 Ibs.)    
• 2 cups chicken broth or a can of chicken stock
• 8 oz. Cream Cheese                                                   
• 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 pkg. Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing                          
• 1 cup Jasmine rice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions:

1. Saute chicken in a pan with a little olive oil and fresh garlic until done. Remove chicken and add chicken broth and rice.

2. Cook rice as directed only use the chicken stock in place of the water recommended on package to boil rice, 

3. Meanwhile heat cream cheese, cream of chicken soup and Zesty Italian dressing packet until blended.
4. Combine chicken, rice and cream sauce together and serve with a steamed vegetable for a complete meal.

**5. This recipe also works great for a crock pot too. Just add all ingredients except the rice into a crock pot and cook. Add rice to crock pot 45-minutes before serving for a lovely Sunday dinner

Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Soup

-By: Cimone Furler via  onceuponachef.com

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups roughly chopped onions
• 6 cups (about 2 pounds) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced into 1-inch pieces
• 3 cups (about 1 pound) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces
• 8 cups (64 ounces) chicken stock
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tart-yet-sweet apple, cored, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons honey 
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground mace
•  ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Melt butter in large pot. Add onions and cook over medium-low heat until soft and translucent.

2. Add butternut squash, sweet potatoes, chicken stock, salt and pepper to pot. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat. Add diced apple and puree with a handheld immersion blender until very smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, use a standard blender to puree soup in batches, being careful not to fill the jar more than halfway. Leave the hole in the lid open and loosely cover with a dish towel to allow the heat to escape. Pour blended soup into a clean pot.)
Winter Favorite:
3. Add honey, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg and heavy cream and stir. Bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. If you like a sweeter soup, add more honey. For a thinner soup, stir in a bit of water; to thicken, simmer and stir over low heat.

*This soup thickens as it sits. To reheat, add a bit of water to thin it back to desired consistency.

Fresh Berry Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 bag mixed greens
• 1 1/2 cup sugared walnuts
• 1 1/2 cup Fresh sliced strawberies
• 1 cup Fresh Blueberries
• 1 cup Fresh Blackberries
• 1 cup Crumbled Feta Cheese

• Bottle of Girrards Raspberry Dressing  (I had to buy it at Kroger, Food Lion and Walmart didn't have it)

Directions:

1. Toss all ingredients in a large bowl and top with dressing!

Fish Tacos

-By: Cimone Furler via cuisinenie.blogspot.com

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/4 small red cabbage, thinly shredded (about 2 1/2 cups) * I use coleslaw mix from the store. Just as good.
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 jalapeno chile, halved lengthwise, one half minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound tilapia fillets, (or other firm white fish), cut into 16 equal strips
• 8 flour tortillas (6-inch)
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine sour cream and lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Transfer half the mixture to another container; set aside for serving. Toss cabbage, scallions, and minced jalapeño with remaining sour-cream mixture. Season again with salt and pepper.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil and remaining jalapeño half over medium-high heat; swirl to coat bottom of pan. Season fish on both sides with salt and pepper. In two batches (starting with larger pieces), cook fish until golden brown on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Discard jalapeño.

3. Meanwhile, warm tortillas according to package instructions.

4. To make tacos, fill tortillas with slaw, fish, and fresh cilantro leaves. Drizzle with reserved sour-cream mixture. Serve immediately.

May RS Activity

Thursday, May 17 -- "GARDEN PARTY"

Time: 6:30pm

The Garden Party will begin at Grace Mullen's, the second stop is Andrea Seegmiller's garden, and the last stop will be Sherrie Wheeler's garden. Directions and more information to come when time gets closer.

No nursery will be provided for this traveling event.

Crockpot Chicken over Rice

-By: Rebecca Mann

Ingredients:

• 4-6 frozen chicken breasts
• 1 pack of cream cheese
• 1 can of cream of chicken
• 1/2 c of milk
• 1 pack of zesty italian seasonings (in a packet by all the other packets of seasonings, it is kind of hard to find sometimes. I have been getting mine at foodlion).

Directions:

1. Set the cream cheese out so it is extra soft, or put it in the crock
pot on low for about 30 min.

2. Then mix in the cream of chicken, milk,
and seasonings.

3. Add the chicken frozen and cook on low for about 6
hours.

4. Shred it up with a fork or keep it whole and have it over
cooked white rice, so yummy and easy!!!!