Ukranian Poppyseed Cake

Coraline picked this one out. I was surprised how delicious poppy seed cake is! There is a lovely orange glaze that we poured on made of orange juice and sugar. It gave the cake a very heavy, moist texture. Sooooo Gooooood! I highly recommend this to even the most discriminating palet. Even more fun than eating the cake was making it with my fabulous and dear friend, Coraline!

Zingy Bean Dip

Okay, I love garlic. Garlic makes everything fantastic. But even I must admit that I went a little overboard on the garlic on this one. It was, however, still fabulous. AND super easy. Basically, you put all the ingredients into a food processor (or a blender in my case) and mix until semi-smooth. The bean of choice is pinto and there is a lot of cilantro involved. YUM! Heather and I (after many family Saturday's together) have come to the conclusion that the best meal in dips and things to dip them in....especially when there is a gathering of people. This is an excellent addition with a bit of a kick. How much kick, only you can decide. It isn't pretty but it goes great with tortilla chips or pitas! A definite crowd pleaser. Coraline was here for this one and she whole-heartedly agreed that this bean dip is a winner! Happy Dipping!

Cucumber Salad

I have always loved the cucumber salad at Indian restaurants. Just like that variety, this recipe was made with yogurt. I must say that although it was refreshing and clean, it lacked something. The onions are soaked beforehand so perhaps eliminating that step would improve the flavor. My partner in crime, who we will call Coraline for anonymity sake, did favor the cucumber salad, as did the crowd at my God-Son's birthday, where I took the remainder of the dish. Coraline was a HUGE help in adjusting the seasonings and encouraged me to add "just a little at a time and then taste". Wow. What a new and fabulous concept. I will apply this to all future endeavors. My final thoughts on this dish is that it is a fabulous summer time salad but definitely taste as you go and get creative with the seasonings.

Summer Vegetable Soup

I made the Summer Vegetable soup last weekend. I did not really alter the recipe at all. It says you have the option of adding buttermilk, but I did not. Honestly, all the fresh veggies were good but the broth was pretty much water, garlic and potatoes blended in a food processor, which on its own I think would be good, but did not make a good base for a veggie soup. I had a blast making it though! No helpers on this one. I may venture away from soups and make a dip for Jadon's birthday party tomorrow and hopefully, Susie will be here tonight to help. They maybe we will skip ahead to desserts! MmmmMmmmMmmm. Its a beautiful day ! Yesterday was fabulous and today will be even better.