Of all the Jell-O flavors, I believe lime is my least favorite flavor.  I just never know what to do with it.  However, a sale is a sale.  I found Jell-O in a big sale bin at my local Dollar Store and couldn’t resist.  The bin had been pretty picked over when I got there, although I did manage to find a few strawberry flavored, a couple orange flavored, and even a lemon flavored.  But, mostly there was lime flavored left.  I had to dig deep into my recipes to come up with something to make with lime Jell-O, but I did find one, even though it’s a bit strange.

Years and years ago, when I was very young, it was quite fashionable to make vegetable salads using Jell-O gelatin.  You don’t really see that anymore, but I had a very old recipe still stuck in an old cookbook.  This is an adventurous recipe to try on a family who has never seen Jell-O used like this before.  Here’s the recipe – see if you’re brave enough to serve it to your family.

Garden Jello Salad

• 1 package lime Jello
• 1 package lemon Jello
• 2 1/2 cups boiling water
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 cup diced cucumber
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 cup mayonnaise

In a large glass bowl, combine the first 3 ingredients, stir until gelatin dissolves, then stir in the vegetables, then the vinegar, and the mayonnaise last.  This makes a big bowl of salad.

That’s the recipe, as strange as it may seem.  Now, I must admit, I haven’t tried it yet.  I’m going to give it a try this weekend.  My family won’t know what hit ‘em!

If anyone is brave enough to try this recipe and report back here, I’d love to hear what you have to say.  Good luck everyone!

If you’ve ever had a sick child at home, you know how you try to jump through hoops to make them feel better, or at least be happy.  Pudding always does the trick in my house, so we have a little stash of vanilla pudding mix just in case somebody gets a bit sick.  Some kids like orange Kool-Aid, some kids like vanilla pudding… I like to keep a bit of both on hand.

Digging through my pantry, I came across a couple boxes of instant vanilla pudding mix that I don’t remember buying.  I thought it would be a good idea to use it up before I go and buy a couple new boxes.  Rather than just make it and eat it, mostly because that just reminds me of sad little ones, I thought I’d use it in something yummy.

Fruit salad is a favorite of ours in the summertime.  We don’t just save it for special occasions. We  believe that anytime you can have a big bowl of fruit salad it is already a special occasion!  I found a simple recipe for a fruit salad dressing and thought I’d give it a try.  I’ll share it with you here.

Sweet Whipped Fruit Salad Dressing

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 pint whipping cream, whipped

Mix together the milk and pudding following the directions on the package.  In super cold metal bowl, beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form.  Fold the whipped cream into the pudding mix.  Toss assorted fruit with dressing and serve immediately.  Chill any leftovers.

That dressing is just about as simple and sweet as you can get.  I can’t think of a much better use for vanilla pudding mix.  If you can think of something else to use vanilla pudding mix in, I’d really appreciate hearing from you!

If you’ve ever bought a jar of maraschino cherries to make something fancy, like topping cupcakes or ice cream sundaes, you’ve probably still got half a jar sitting in your refrigerator, like I do.  I’ve been searching all around trying to find something to make with these super-sweet treats, but aside from more sweeter-than-sweet desserts, I can’t seem to come up with anything.

Mostly what I find when I search for recipes that use maraschino cherries are not recipes to use them, but to make them.  Apparently, there are maraschino cherry aficionados who swear by the homemade variety.  When you read the ingredients on a jar of store bought maraschino cherries I can see why you might not want to ingest too many of them.  But, I am not an aficionado, I just want to use up my jar.

I saw a picture of a cake that looked like it had a layer of maraschino cherries in the cake itself, not in the frosting.  I didn’t get a recipe, but then I thought it might be just another too-sweet dessert.  I’ve seen them served in cocktails, but I’m not much of a cocktail drinker, especially sweet cocktails.

So, my dilemma is what can I make with maraschino cherries that is not a dessert or cocktail?  Has anyone ever used them as a part of a dish of some sort?  If you’re making a sweet and sour stir-fry, one that would have pineapple in it, could you throw in some maraschino cherries, or would the taste overpower everything else?

This is a puzzle.  I hope someone has a suggestion or two about what to make with maraschino cherries, because I’m stumped.  I’d love to hear from you if you do!

If you’ve ever been to a good potluck, you’ve probably tried some fabulously yummy things you don’t normally make at home.  I found myself devouring a cheesy green chili dish that I knew I had to find a recipe for.

Well, I got as far as buying the canned green chilies and the Monterey Jack cheese, but couldn’t identify the rest of the ingredients, except eggs.  That didn’t stop me, though, because I had a supply of green chilies that I was bound and determined to use.  So, here is the result of my experiment and I must say it came out very close to the potluck version.

Green Chilies ‘n’ Jack Bake

• 3 pounds Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
• 3 cans green chilies, chopped
• 6 eggs
• 1 can evaporated milk

In a 9×13 pan, lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, form layers, first cheese, chilies, cheese, chilies, until they’re used up.  Beat together the eggs and evaporated milk and pour over the layers in the pan.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 to 45 minutes.  This makes a heaping pan full, so you’ll have enough left to make a second smaller square 8×8 pan.  Let it cool for a minute before cutting to be sure the eggs set up.

Like I said, this is a big batch, quite suitable for a potluck, or a big family meal.  You could cut it back, it’s just that I didn’t want to use a partial can of evaporated milk, so I kept adding more and more cheese and chilies.

What have you made with green chilies?  I’d love to see your recipes!

Okay, this may seem a bit simple, but what I’m really trying to say is, how can I make fish that’s a bit different?  My family got a nice supply of freshly caught fish this weekend.  We froze quite a few fillets and now I’m just wondering how I’m going to fix it so it’s not all the same.

I do love pan fried fish now that I found the secret!  I’ll share it with you here.  The secret for keeping the coating on the fish as it fries, instead of having it all flake off in the fry pan is, you use the Dry-Wet-Dry method of coating the fish.  Start with dipping the fish in dry, whether you use flour with a bit of salt and pepper, or cornmeal… it doesn’t matter.  Next, dip in your wet mixture, usually a little egg and milk beaten together, then finally dip again in your dry mixture.

Then, here’s the real trick – lay out your fish on a rack, like a cookie cooling rack, on top of a cookie sheet and stick it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.  I don’t know if it’s the Dry-Wet-Dry coating or the refrigerator time, or maybe a combination of the two.  But, whatever it is, it works.  I can now pan fry fish fillets without losing any of the coating!

Does anyone else have some tried and true tricks or recipes for fresh fish?  I’d love to hear from you!

My husband goes wild over bacon.  I choose to eat a bit more conservatively when it comes to fatty meats, so I discourage bacon at every meal.  He would live on it if he could.

Needless to say, we still end up with multiple packages of bacon in our refrigerator because my husband also likes to shop for groceries.

Now that I have several packages of bacon in my refrigerator, and would rather use it up in more imaginative ways than just four strips alongside eggs on my husband’s breakfast plate, I’m wondering if anyone has an interesting way to use bacon in a main dish.

I must admit I love those broccoli salads that have crumbled bacon and raisins in them.  That’s such a neat combination of flavors and the salads are actually rather healthy, even with the bacon.  Any time I can combine some kind of green food along with the bacon, I feel a bit better about what I’m serving and eating.

Do you have any other ways to include bacon in a salad or main dish that would suit both my bacon-loving husband and a person who’s trying to eat a bit healthier, such as myself?

I’d love to hear your ideas!

I thought I had my fill of turnip greens when the season ended last year, but I’m back for more!  They are just so good.  My whole family has become somewhat addicted to a lot of greens, including kale, collard, and turnip greens.  So, I find myself at the farmer’s market every weekend again, stocking up.

As with any favorite food, you’ve got to find new ways to cook and serve them so you don’t get tired of them.  I’ve basically used the same recipe for turnip greens time after time and really need to try something totally different.

I usually cheat and buy already washed and trimmed turnip greens.  Our farmer’s market has bags of prepared greens all ready to go, or you can buy bunches and clean them yourself.  I’m just a bit lazy when it comes to washing greens.  If you’re forced to wash your own, cut off the thick ends, split the ribs right down the middle, chop up the greens into bite size pieces (a scissors works well for that) and dump them into a huge tub of cold water to soak.  You’ll need to change the water two or three times to get rid of the grit.  When I’ve been forced to clean my own greens, I’ve used a big plastic storage bin placed in my bathtub.

The recipe I use is a simple tried and true method.  Just the greens, salt pork if I have it, or bacon or ham will do, water, onion, garlic, a touch of brown sugar, sprinkle of vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste, and just a few crushed red pepper flakes.  Add water and start simmering.  You’ll know when it’s done because the greens will become tender and the flavors will blend nicely.

What I’m wondering is if anyone has developed a good alternative turnip greens recipe that’s as satisfying as the traditional one.  I’ve made creamed spinach in the past and wonder if there is a creamed turnip green dish that works.

I’d love to hear your ideas on the whole turnip green subject!

Rhubarb season has just about finished here, and so has my rhubarb pie making.  Of course, I have several leftover packages of strawberry gelatin that didn’t get used in my Rhubarb Strawberry Pies.

Our family is not big into Jello-Type desserts, so the strawberry gelatin will probably sit in my cupboards until I come up with something else to use them for.

I do have one more rhubarb dessert recipe I can make, which isn’t a pie.  It only uses two cups of rhubarb so I think I could squeak out this last recipe, but it still won’t use up all the strawberry gelatin I have left.  I’ll share this Easy Rhubarb Strawberry Bars recipe just in case you’ve got a hankerin’ for another rhubarb dessert.

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter

• 1 egg, beaten with fork
• 1 tblsp milk

• 2 cups rhubarb, cleaned and cut small
• 1 (3 ounce) package strawberry gelatin
• 1 cup sugar

Mix together in bowl the flour, baking powder, and salt, then cut in the butter.  (Take 1/2 cup of mixture out and set aside for the topping.) Add the egg and milk to your main bowl and mix well.  Pat mixture into an 8 inch square baking pan.  Put rhubarb on top and sprinkle with the strawberry gelatin.  Mix the 1 cup of sugar with the 1/2 cup of reserved topping and sprinkle over the rhubarb/strawberry gelatin mix.  Bake for 45 to 50 minutes at 350 degrees.  This can be served warm like an Apple Crisp, with ice cream.  Or cool a little and cut into bars.

Any other ideas for using strawberry gelatin?  I’d love to hear from you!

I got hooked on using buttermilk for homemade salad dressings many years ago.  It’s lower in calories than most salad oils, and I prefer a creamy style salad dressing, so it works well for me.  I like the tangy flavor that buttermilk gives any herbed dressing recipe.

As far as cooking with buttermilk, I will say that I use buttermilk in many marinades, especially with chicken.  Buttermilk is more acidic than regular milk so it really does the marinading thing very well, making meat and chicken nice and tender, and, again, the flavor boost is a bonus.

I must say, I can not bring myself to drink it, but have found many other uses for buttermilk.  And, now that I found out the truth that it is actually low in calories and fat, I’m finding more uses for it.  I’ve started using buttermilk in more sauces and creamy dishes, like Beef Stroganoff.  I used to stir in sour cream, but find that buttermilk works just as well.

If you’re looking for a simple side-dish recipe to try buttermilk in, I’ll share my Skillet Potatoes recipe with you.

• 2 tblsp butter, or oil with a touch of butter
• 2 large potatoes, diced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 cup buttermilk

Melt the butter (or oil/butter mix) in large heavy skillet and add potatoes.  Cook on medium heat, stirring until potatoes are browned nicely.  Sprinkle the salt and pepper over, then pour in the buttermilk.  Simmer slowly uncovered until potatoes get tender and the buttermilk thickens up.  This will take about 15 minutes or so.

This is a surprisingly delicious potato dish.  You may want to sprinkle a little freshly snipped chives or green onions on top when you serve.

These are just a few ideas for using buttermilk.  What are some of your favorite ways to use up some of your buttermilk?

I simply don’t drink martinis… so what can I do with a jar of stuffed green olives?  I actually got saddled with a jar of olives a few years ago and ended up throwing them out.  This has apparently been bothering me ever since because I’m wondering what I could have done with them.

To make a long story short, I bought a jar of gourmet stuffed green olives for my brother-in-law who loves them in martinis.  But then the ban on flying with any liquids went into effect and I couldn’t bring them on the plane when I went to visit my family.  So, they stayed in my cupboard for about a year until I finally flushed them down the toilet, which is an interesting story for another day.

Now, I’m just curious what you would use green olives for in cooking.  I most often see them used in different Mediterranean inspired dishes.  Also, they are quite prevalent on anti-pasto trays at Italian dinner tables.

What would you use them in if you were trying to finish off a jar?  I do have a memory of being in grade school and eating a tuna-macaroni salad at the school picnic, and there were cut up stuffed green olives mixed in.  I can’t remember if I like it though.

I’d love to hear your opinions and recipes for using up a jar of olives.