Cucumber Lemon Refresher

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Ingredients:

1 large firm cucumber

2 large Lemons

48” Lemon grass

4- 4” sprigs of Spearmint

Preparation: Remove stem and blossom ends of cucumber, then slice rounds from very thin to 1/4^th inch and place half in your gallon size pitcher and half in to a 2 Qt pan. Next slice thin rounds from the middle of the lemons (leaving about 1/3 at each end) and place slices into the pitcher. Squeeze the juice from the ends into pitcher and put peels into pan with cucumber. Put 24 inches of lemon grass in the pitcher and chop the remainder into 3-4 inch pieces and add to pan along with 1 sprig of Spearmint, fill with water and boil for 10 minutes. Add the remainder of mint to the pitcher with 4 bottles of water. Scoop out the solids from pan add ice to cool down and then combine with the pitcher and stir, pour a glass for you and refrigerate the rest. After a few hours remove the mint as the lemon juice will have cooked it and it looks brown and depending on acidity the lemon grass may brown some also.

CORN BREAD

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Recipe contributed by Kelly Giesecke

3 cups Pioneer corn bread mix (I used 2 boxes of Jiffy CB mix)
2 1/2 cups of milk
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
3 TBLS sugar
1 large onion, chopped (although it does not call for this, I cooked my onions before putting in mix)
1 small can of cream style corn
1/2 6 oz can hot jalapeño peppers, minced (I used a 4 oz can of green chilies instead)
1 1/2 cups of grated cheese

Combine all ingredients. Pour into a 14 x 10 x 2 pan sprayed with oil. Bake at 375 for 30-35 mins. or until brown.

This recipe is from The Junior League of Corpus Christi, Delicioso!

Chilled Cucumber Soup

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Chilled Cucumber Soup

Yields: 6 servings

Total Time: 15 min

Prep Time: 15 min

Ingredients

• 2 cup(s)Greek yogurt

• 1 cup(s)vegetable broth
• 2 English cucumbers, peeled, diced, and divided
• 4 green onions, sliced, divided
• 2 tablespoon(s)chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoon(s)chopped fresh parsley
• 4 teaspoon(s)(a little over 1/3 lemon) fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoon(s)salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine Greek yogurt and vegetable broth; set aside. In a food processor, purée 1 peeled, diced English cucumber, 2 sliced green onions, chopped fresh dill, and chopped fresh parsley. Add the cucumber mixture, fresh lemon juice, and salt to the yogurt mixture; whisk to combine. Stir in 1 more peeled, diced English cucumber and 2 more sliced green onions; refrigerate for 1 hour. Garnish each serving with chopped dill croutons

Submitted by Debbie Brooks, source Delish.com.

RECYCLE BEVERAGES

Friday, September 06, 2013

(iStockphoto)

By Angela Colley, MoneyTalksNews.com 

Americans consume an average of 44 gallons of soda, 27 gallons of coffee, 7 gallons of tea, and 20 gallons of beer per year.

The problem is, if your house is anything like mine, not every beverage you buy ends up being consumed. I’m always finding half-full cups of coffee, watered-down tea, or unfinished beer in my house. In a perfect world, that wouldn’t happen, but I’m a realist. Sometimes there’s going to be a little left in the bottom of the cup (or leftover grounds in the pot).

But rather than waste it, I reuse it. I like to think of it as upcycling. Here are some examples:

Coffee

1. Stain wood. Dab a washcloth in coffee and run it over a scratch in your wood furniture or hardwood floor. The coffee will stain the scratch and help blend it in.
2. Kill the garlic and onion smell. After cooking with garlic or onions, rub used coffee grounds on your hands and wash with soap. No more smell.
3. Keep bugs away. Used coffee grounds act as a natural barrier to insects. Line your garden or potted plants and keep pests out.
4. Fertilize plants. A friend once told me to mix coffee grounds in the soil for tomato plants. I tried it and grew a crop of gorgeous tomatoes.
5. Stop fridge odors. Coffee grounds act like baking soda in the fridge. Pour a cupful into a bowl, stick it on the top rack, and the grounds will absorb odors.

Tea

1. Soak pots and pans. For grease and burnt-on food, fill the sink with warm water, drop in two used tea bags and soak the pan overnight. In the morning, the pan will scrub clean easily.
2. Reduce under-eye circles. Pop leftover tea bags in the fridge. After they’ve completely cooled, place the bags over your eyes for 10 minutes. The cooled tea will reduce puffiness.
3. Shine your shoes. Gently rub a used tea bag on your dark-colored shoes in a circular motion, then buff with a dry towel. The tea will clean your shoes and add a little shine. Warning: Liquid can damage suede. Use this trick only for leather or imitation-leather fabrics.
4. Clean glass. Fill a spray bottle with half leftover tea and half water. Spray the mixture on windows and wipe off with old newspaper. You’ll get a streak-free shine without all the chemicals.
5. Soothe skin. Tea can soothe irritation from poison ivy, sunburns, razor burns or bug bites. Just soak a cotton ball in cool tea and dab on.

Read more: RECYCLE BEVERAGES