Glorious warm days of summer calls for a...

Picnic lunch at the beach

Grilled Chicken & Ham Panini with 

provolone cheese, sundried tomato pesto and 

bread & butter pickles

Cold Orzo pasta salad with fresh herbs, asparagus & lemon

Raspberry Lemonade 

Double chocolate brownies

with swirls of peanut butter and candied pecans

DID YOU EVERY HAVE A DAY WHEN EVEN IF YOU SAT DOWN FOR JUST 1 MINUTE AND DREAMED OF GETTING TOGETHER WITH LONG LOST GIRLFRIENDS WITH DRINKS AND GOOD FOOD IT COULD COMPLETELY CHANGE THE OUTLOOK ON THE DAYS?
 I DID AND THIS IS WHAT WAS SERVED.  
(I DID HAVE THE CHICKEN SALAD WHILE I WAS DREAMING OF A FUN AFTERNOON, STILL WANTING THE MARTINI...)

Reunited Girlfriend Luncheon

Roasted Chicken Herbed Salad 

with candied peans & cranberries 

wrapped in butter lettuce leaves

& dill dressing.

Mixed Bruschetta with pepper ricotta 

sun-dried cherry tomates & zucchini

Bacon wrapped Potato Bites

with coarse salt & pepper

Cheesecake stuffed Strawberries 

in a Strawberry Shortcake Martini

Ahhh the FOOD TRUCK dream

My son & I were making roasted chicken with sundried tomato panini sandwiches the other day and thinking how great it would be if they sold these sandwiches down at the beach.  "What you mean like in a Food Truck?" he said watching me closely timing the second he was going to sink his teeth into the melting cheese and chicken sandwich I was about to flip.  "Yeah, a Food Truck.  What else would we sell that everyone would love?" I asked buying some time, as the sandwich needed a couple more minutes.  Here's what we came up with, and of course, the names are a little twisted as he is 16 and everything is twisted with teenage boys lol. 

Dream Food Truck

Nemo & Dora

Tempura Panko fried cod with beer batter slivered red onion rings

Screamin Pig

Caribbean style, 20 hour smoked pulled pork with 

spicy caribbean bead, with veggies and sticky rice

Heartbreaker

Pancetta and sundried tomato meatloaf sandwich on grilled Ciabatta 

with pepperocini bacon potato salad

Portabello mushroom ragu with cream sauce 

and grilled herb polenta

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Berry or Apple hand pie with lemon glaze & chunky sugar

Caramel cinnamon bread pudding  with fresh whipped cream and salted carmel sauce

My Best Potato Salad: 

Russet Potatoes (skin on if you like)

Mayo (best foods)

Lots of crisp bacon (I like to use Trader Joe's natural bacon ends!)

1 jar pepperoncini - stems pulled, chopped, juice reserved.

Cook your potatoes just like regular potato salad, add mayo as you like and the bacon and chopped pepperoncini.  Add about 1/4 cup of the reserved juice a little at a time, not too much or your salad will be soggy, until you get the desired zing you like.  I have never made another potato salad since this recipe - my boys will not allow it lol!!!

Perfect for the graduating senior party - the two are so rich and filling all you have to do these two and that will be enough AND you can get them all ready the night before, hallelujah!

Enchilada Chicken Casserole
with Jack cheese, fresh cilantro, avocado & sour cream.


Coconut Ice Cream Pie

Homemake maple almond granola crust with fresh coconut ice cream drizzled with 

salted carmel chocolate sauce a dollop of whip cream and a 

sprinkling of roasted sweet coconut chips.