The Salad Caper

It has been a while since I last joined

1. Do you celebrate Memorial Day with a picnic, cookout, road trip or some other way?
From where I live, we don’t celebrate Memorial Day.

2. What are staples at your summer time cookouts?
BBQed everything!, corn on the cob and mango shakes.

#3. What drink do you find most refreshing on a hot summer day?
Iced anything. But I love a sweet and ripe mango shake.

#4. Share a recipe for a picnic side dish.
I got these from here.

Chili Rice and Cheese
Very easy to make and a good use of leftover rice.

• 1 c. white rice
• 2 c. sour cream
• 1 can (7 oz) chopped green chillies
• 1 lb grated cheese (cheddar, or pepper jack for spice)

Boil rice in water for 20-25 minutes. Mix together the rice, sour cream, chillies, and 3/4 of the cheese. Pour into a buttered 2 quart baking dish and top with the last of the cheese. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Pineapple Casserole
A good side dish or dessert.

• 6 eggs
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/3 c. flour
• 4 c. chopped fresh pineapple (or 2.5 lb canned pineapple)
• 8 slices bread, cut into cubes
• 1/2 lb melted butter
• 1 t. ginger
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. nutmeg

Combine eggs, sugar, flour, pineapple, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into a buttered 9X13 baking dish. Toss bread with butter and use to top the pineapple mixture. Bake for 1 hour at 325.



Spicy Baked Beans
Easy, tasty, and a nice change from the standard fare.

• 2 lbs canned pork and beans
• 1/2 c. maple syrup
• 1 t. dijon mustard
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 t. chili sauce (or ketchup)
• 6 bacon slices

Mix all of the ingredients together. Pour into a covered 2-quart baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes at 325. Remove the cover and bake for 15 minutes longer.

Seaside Salad

• 1/2 c. slivered almonds
• 1 c. sliced celery
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 8 oz can sliced water chestnuts
• 1/2 lb cooked shrimp
• 5 chopped radishes
• 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• 1/4 c. sour cream
• 2 t. curry powder
• 1 t soy sauce
• 1/2 t. honey
• 5 c. torn greens

Mix together celery, onions, water chestnuts, shrimp, and radishes. In a separate bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, curry powder, soy sauce, and honey. Blend celery mixture and dressing. Serve over torn greens and top with almonds.

Spicy Pasta Salad
A little South-of-the-Border and a little Mediterranean.

• 3/4 lb pasta
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 3/4 c. salsa
• 1/4 lb feta cheese, crumbled
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1 can (2 oz) sliced black olives
• 2 tomatoes, chopped

Boil the pasta in water for 10 minutes. Drain and toss with the rest of the ingredients. Cover and refrigerate.

Ranch Beans
Another very easy and somewhat sweet variety of beans.

• 1 lb canned pork and beans
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 c. molasses
• 4 slices of bacon

Mix the beans with the sugar and molasses. Pour the beans into a large baking pan and top with the slices of bacon. Bake for 1 3/4 hours at 350.