Attempting to be a Super Mom

I don't know about you, but I am a cherry tomato-aholic.  I will sit down and eat a half a container for lunch and come back to eat the second half for a snack.  That said, I'm always looking for new ways of eating foods I love, and during the summer, when it's hot, this light Cherry Tomato Salad, from Taste of Home Complete Guide to Country Cooking, is exactly what the doctor ordered. Cherry Tomato Salad 1 QT cherry tomatoes, halved 1/4 cup veggie oil 3 tbsp vinegar 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley 1-2 tsp minced fresh basil 1-2 tsp minced fresh oregano 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp sugar Place tomatoes in a shallow bowl.  In a small jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the oil, vinegar, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, and sugar; shake well.  Pour over the tomatoes.  Cover and refrigerate.

Who doesn't love a good old fashioned creamy pasta salad with barbecue?  To me, it's not summer without a healthy dose of the mayonnaise covered macaroni and I found a great recipe at All Recipes . With a couple of alterations I made, it's wonderful and the perfect summer time barbecue side dish. Amish Macaroni Recipe 1 box elbow macaroni (1lb), cooked and drained 1 onion, chopped 1 red bell pepper, chopped 3 stalks of celery, chopped 7 eggs, hard boiled and chopped 2 heaping tbsp dill pickle relish 2 cups mayonnaise 3 tbsp yellow mustard 3/4 cup sugar 2 1/2 tsp vinegar 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 tsp celery seed cheese cubes In a very large bowl (this feeds an army and is perfect to take to a potluck) stir together your cooked macaroni, onion, bell pepper, celery, and eggs.  In a medium sized bowl whisk together relish, mayo, mustard, sugar, vinegar, salt and celery seed.  Pour the sauce over the pasta/veggie mix a little at a time, stirring in between pours u...

I'm always looking for yummy bread recipes but do to time constraints I usually at least do the dough part with the bread machine.  It's low maintenance and  I can just start it and walk away.  This bread recipe is so easy.  It's almost as quick and easy as the bread machine but gives it a more artisan style. No-Time Bread 4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (2 packets) 1 tbsp sugar 1 1/2 cup water 3 1/2 cup flour 1 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 tsp balsamic vinegar In the bowl for a stand mixer, put in the yeast, sugar, and water, and let sit. Heat the oven to 450 degrees and put in a dutch oven in while the oven preheats to heat it as well. After the yeast has had a couple of minutes to bubble up, add 3 cups of the flour as well as the salt, and vinegar.  Beat it for several minutes with the paddle.  Add the last 1/2 cup of flour and switch to the dough hook and beat for 7 minutes.  It will be a wet dough, but not goopy.   Light...

With spring finally, hopefully, around the corner, here's a delicious recipe to go with BBQ chicken or hamburgers.  It came from a cookbook I checked out from the library, and now I'm obsessed with it.  It's called At My Grandmother's Knee. Broccoli Salad 8 slices bacon 2 heads broccoli, cut into small florets 1/2 cup raisins 1/4 cup chopped red onion 1 1/4 cup mayo 1/4 cup sugar 1/8 cup red wine vinegar 1/4 cup finely chopped almonds or walnuts (optional) Cook bacon until crispy, drain, blot on paper towels, and crumble.  Combine the broccoli, bacon, raisins, and onion in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, combine the mayo, sugar, and vinegar until well blended.  Cover and refrigerate both bowls for 2 hours.  Before serving, pour the mayo mixture over the broccoli mixture and toss.  If adding nuts, stir in right before serving. (I added shredded cheddar cheese as well.)