Four Berry Pie

372.  This past Memorial Day was a special time to remember all those fallen in battle to gain our freedom.  We are thankful for their sacrifices.
I took time that day to make a special meal and to make a Four Berry Pie for dessert with a Coconut Oil crust.  The berries included Blueberry, Strawberry, Raspberry and Blackberry.

Here is my recipe:

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 I am proud of my heritage, my father, my family, my husband who served bravely in WWII, Korean and Vietnam War and who actively helped to gain our freedom.

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” 

~  Ronald Reagan

"Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them." ~  Franklin D. Roosevelt

"The brave die never, though they sleep in dust: Their courage nerves a thousand living men."           ~  Minot J. Savage

"Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime."  ~  Adlai E. Stevenson II

"Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world. A veteran does not have that problem."   ~  Ronald Reagan

“Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it."   ~  Unknown

"For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue."   ~  James A. Garfield

Elote Mexican Street Corn

371.  The other day we grilled ribs and rather than have plain buttered corn we made Elote or Mexican Street Corn.  If you've seen Nacho Libré, Elote corn shows up throughout the movie.  If you've seen the movie, you would remember Nacho's friend Esqueleto who loves Street Corn.  This is a funny scene from the movie:

I mean...corn is simple tasting and always benefits from butter and salt.  But this version brings corn on the cob to a new flavor level.  Lip smacking, juicy, pleasing, buttery, cheesy...yeah, you're going to love it.  We found an original recipe here Elote.
Some chefs like to roast the corn in the husk.  I like the char on the kernels so we roast the shucked corn.  You could place a wooden stick in one end of the cob for easy handling.

Roast the corn for 15 - 20 minutes.  Straight from the grill, rub with butter and Mexican Crema if you have it available or use Mayonnaise.

Next, roll in grated Parmesan Cheese, crumbled Oaxaca Cheese or crumbled Cotija Cheese, a dry Mexican cheese if available. And sprinkle lightly with sea salt, smoked paprika or smoked chili powder and chopped cilantro and squeeze lime over.

Get ready to hear the ooohhh's and ahhhh's at the table.  This corn is a crowd pleaser.  And did I say doable?  Add this recipe to your summer cookout menu.
Here is my recipe:

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"Surprise!  Get that corn outta my face!"  ~ Nacho, Nacho Libré

~ Funny Memes

Stir Fried Rice

370.  A great Chinese recipe I have used time and time again is Stir Fried Rice.  The ingredients are endless but you must always use rice and eggs as the base.  The basic recipe is straight forward and you can use your imagination or just simple ingredients you have available in your fridge.

I make my rice early on in the day and let it sit to completely cool.  

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You can pair your fried rice with another dish or eat is as your one-pot main dish in bowls with chopsticks.  Serve hot with extra soy sauce, chopped scallion and shredded ginger.

"If you are planning for a year, sow rice.  If you are planning for a decade, plant trees.  If you are planning for a lifetime, educate people."  ~Chinese Proverb

Egg Rolls

369.  Chinese Food was on the menu last night but not from a local restaurant.  I decided to make homemade, Egg Rolls to be exact.  When I have a craving for certain foods, it is a great challenge to create it yourself.  I made the filling an hour in advance and then let it cool to room temp then enlisted my dinner guests putting the rolls together.  It is not that challenging just following simple steps.  

The filling was Vegetable and Pork and a dipping sauce for the side.  Here is my recipe:

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美味的食物

"When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills." 

 ~ Chinese Proverb

Manicotti

368.  A homespun Italian dish that always brings satisfaction and delight is Manicotti.  Traditional Italian cooks will make homemade crepes from egg and flour but with our modern means, you can pick up a box of pre-made manicotti shells in your grocery store.  I find that using a better brand of pasta you will have less breakage and the shells will stay round.
I made this recipe for my family  and it is always a great meal.  My mother-in-law would make Manicotti and called it "Man-ĭ-got".  It was always a favorite meal!

I used the Barilla brand of pasta and they were beautiful!  My filling was mixed together and I placed it in a large zip-lock bag.  I snipped the end and it worked well filling the pasta tubes.

I over-filled them so the cheese would not pour out during baking, lined them up and then poured sauce over.

Now, the beauty of the lined up shells bursting with cheese is a beautiful sight.  Once the sauce is poured over you loose that beautiful display.  Often, this is where some cooks will cover the shells only with a white sauce to bake.  It helps to maintain the moisture but maintains the beauty of the dish.  Then they serve red sauce on the side.  Stanley Tucci in his great cookbook The Tucci Cookbook makes this recipe but uses the homemade crêpes and white sauce.  Now this is a cookbook worth having in your collection.

Here is my recipe:

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I don't use too much cheese on top due to the over abundance of cheese in the dish itself.

Now...this is a scrumptious dish...or as stated in the movie "Big Night"...PARADISE! 

"You have to be serious about what you do but you mustn't take yourself seriously.  That way you'll be happier and ultimately you'll be more successful.  You'll be better at what you do."  ~ Stanley Tucci

"If you find that thing you love, it doesn't necessarily matter whether you do it well or not - you just need to do it."  ~ Stanley Tucci

Best Chocolate Cake

367.  I haven't always been a lover of Chocolate Cake...until now.  Vanilla cake would always satisfy my sweet tooth perfectly.  But my daughter convinced me with this beautiful recipe.  She has it posted on her foodie blog and you can find it here:  Emeliabird

For brunch this past Mother's Day, she made me a delightful meal and included this bomb cake for dessert.  

 She fulfilled my request to have her cook for me...and she never disappoints.

 If you are hungry for Chocolate Cake, this is the recipe to try.  And, to make it into cupcakes, sheet cake or cake pops and of course, as a layer cake.  You can frost with a buttercream or simply whipped cream.

Lovely!

"As with most fine things, chocolate has its season.  A simple memory aid to determine the correct time to order chocolate is any month whose name contains the letters A, E or U.  Now that is the proper time for chocolate."  ~ Sandra Boynton

Banana Bread

366.  What to do with over-ripe, blackened, bananas?  This is an every day problem most of us deal with.  You hate to throw them away so you pop them in the freezer only to have them moved around for 6 months.  And they just land in the trash anyway.  So just make a quick batch of Banana Bread or muffins.
  Although most Banana Bread recipes are basic and produce a nice banana loaf, they seem to be too sweet.  So here is a recipe that is low in sugar and you can adjust it to your liking.  And it is great for diabetic diets and if you are watching your sugar intake.  If you'd like, you could always add a bit of sugar to the recipe, up to 3/4 cup for added sweetness.  But I would suggest serving jam or honey is the best solution.  You can also substitute the coconut oil for butter and use all white flour, 2 cups to be exact and eliminate the almond meal, bran and whole wheat flour.  But to taste the original recipe is worth it.  I know in certain parts of the country it is hard to find almond meal or bran.  So use what you have and substitute.  This is a very versatile recipe.

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 This is a beautiful Banana Bread loaf.  It is light on the inside and has a crisp outer crust.  Keeps well for 3 days at room temp.  But it won't last that long.

"When life gives you rotten bananas, make banana bread!"  ~Charles Hobbs

"The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight."  ~M.F.K. Fisher