Watermelon Basil Margaritas.

Watermelon Basil Margaritas

7 1/2 pounds seedless watermelon, rind removed, fruit cut into 1-inch cubes
4 tsp. superfine sugar
6 ounces (3/4 cup) silver tequila
24 basil leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
3 ounces (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) triple sec
6 cups small ice cubes

Place 24 watermelon cubes on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Cover, and freeze at least 1 hour (up to 2 days).

Puree remaining watermelon and the sugar in a blender until smooth. Pass through a sieve lined with cheesecloth into a bowl. (You should have 3 cups.)

Place tequila and basil in a glass pitcher, and crush with a wooden spoon. Stir in watermelon juice and triple sec.

Crab Cake Salad.

Link here to get an awesome looking crab cake salad recipe.

Broccoli Bites.

For those familiar with Harvey's locations in north-central Mississippi, this should be a well known treat. I can't believe that they actually make them, though. I always assumed that they came from a food service provider.......

HARVEY'S BROCCOLI BITES

1 bunch broccoli florets minced
3/4 cup yellow onion minced
1 cup cooked bacon
2 tbsp canned jalapenos minced
2 cups shredded mild Cheddar
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack
1 cup heavy whipping cream

(If you have plastic or latex gloves, this is a good time to put them on.)

Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly with you hands. Form mixture into 1 oz. balls and lay on sheet pan. Cover and refrigerate. Make a wet mixture of egg and buttermilk. Make seasoned flour (flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper). Heat oil in large pot to 350. Be sure pot is deep enough to prevent overflow. Rolled prepared balls in seasoned flour, then wet mix and then seasoned flour again. Carefully drop into hot oil, in small batches. Cook until golden, remove and allow to drain on paper towels. Serve with Honey Mustard dressing for dipping.
Makes about 40 pieces

Independence Day Potato Salad

Independence Day Potato Salad

2 1/2 quarts cooked potatoes, preferably red-skin potatoes
2 cups chopped celery
1 chopped bell pepper
1 chopped cucumber
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups mayonnaise
3 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP mustard
2 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 TBSP salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
6 boiled eggs, chopped or mashed

Prepare the potatoes, celery, bell pepper, cucumber, onion, & eggs. Mix everything together.

Independence Day Punch.

Independence Day Punch

1/2 cup ReaLemon juice
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup orange juice
1 package orange Kool-Aid
1 package cherry Kool-Aid
2 1/2 cups sugar

Mix ingredients in 1 gallon container and finish filling with water. Chill or serve over ice.

Lemon IceBox Cake.

Lemon IceBox Cake

1 package butter or yellow cake mix, prepared according to package directions
3/4 cup lemon juice
1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1 12-ounce carton Cool Whip

Prepare the cake mix according to the directions on the box for a two-layer cake. Bake and cool, then slice into four layers using a thread.

Make filling by combining lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk.

Reserve 1/2 cup of the filling for the top and sides. Frost and stack the layers with the filling. Combine the reserved lemon filling with Cool Whip and frost the top and sides.

Refrigerate overnight.

Frozen Hawaiian Pie.

Frozen Hawaiian Pie

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 large banana)
1 large orange, peeled and sectioned
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup maraschino cherries
2 (9-inch) ready-made graham cracker crusts

Garnishes: chopped pineapple, maraschino cherries, chopped walnuts, whipped topping, toasted coconut, fresh mint sprigs

Stir together condensed milk and whipped topping. Fold in next 7 ingredients. Pour evenly into graham cracker crusts.

Cover and freeze 12 hours or until firm. Remove from freezer, and let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish, if desired.

Asian Beef with Snow Peas

This recipe was featured in the June 2009 issue of This That & the Other Magazine. We are so glad!

Note: If serving over rice, start your rice cooking before you do anything else - this dish is ready in no time! Also, I added a couple of tablespoons of sesame seeds to the initial stir-fry.

PREP TIME 5 Min

COOK TIME 10 Min
READY IN 15 Min

3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pound beef round steak, cut into thin strips
8 ounces snow peas or sugar-snap peas

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine, brown sugar and cornstarch. Set aside.

Heat oil in a wok or skillet over medium high heat. Stir-fry ginger and garlic for 30 seconds. Add the steak and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until evenly browned. Add the snow peas and stir-fry for an additional 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce mixture, bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower heat and simmer until the sauce is thick and smooth. Serve immediately, usually over rice.