I am back!!!

Sorry I have been a little getaway for the past few days. A friend invited me to go to San Diego and do some Digi Scrapping. Digi scrapping is so great, you just bring your laptop sit in a hotel room, have cocktails and enjoy your quiet time with your friends while making wonderful memories. Got several pages done and learn some new things. I will be gone beginning Thursday and won't be back in town until Monday. Going to see a friends new cabin in Lake Arrowhead.

Todays recipe is a simple salad which one of my wonderful neighbors from my old neighborhood shared with me many years ago and I make it all the time. Thanks Hilleri :o). It has a great presentation to it too which is great for holidays. The best part is you don't have to really make anything. Simple and delish.

Champagne Pine Nut Salad

2 bags of Spring Mix (the leafy pretty salad)
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 can corn, drained (15oz)
2-3 roma tomatoes;chopped
1 medium red onion;sliced thinly
1 (4oz) feta cheese; crumbled
1 large cucumber seeded and diced
1 bottle of "Girards" Champagned Dressing

Place lettuce in a pretty bowl. Then place all your ingredients except the dressing on top of lettuce. I like to put the vegies in a pile around the bowl like a wheel. Then when ready to serve shake dressing really good and pour over and mix.

Marinated Flank Steaks

Happy Sunday, hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful day. Today's recipe is a delicious marinated flank steak. It's a favorite with my family. Great as you can prepare a day in advance.

Marinated Flank Steak

3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 honey
1/4 water
3 scallions chopped
4 garlic cloves; pressed
1 (8oz) flank steak

Instructions:
In a large zip lock bag place all ingredients except the steak. Once all ingredients are in bag add steak and let marinate for 2 hours or longer. Remove steak from bag and reserve marinade into a small sauce pan. Grill or broil steak until medium. While steak is cooking heat up the marinade to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. To serve slice against grain. Great with rice.

Blue Cheese Dressing

If you like Blue Cheese you will love this dressing. This is highly requested by Tony (my hubby) a lot. It's not a strong dressing for those like me who don't care for the strong tasting blue cheeses. Makes a great salad wedge with ice berg, bacon bits and red onion.

Blue Cheese Dressing

2/3 cup Mayo
2/3 cup Sour Cream
3/4 cup blue Cheese
1 tsp white vinegar
1 crushed garlic clove
Fresh Cracked black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Chill at least 4 hours or overnight for best flavor.

Enjoy. Please leave a comment if you try it.

Great Summer Dip

This dip is great to serve in the summer. It's a cold delicious dip that makes a large batch. Shared with me by my friend Tricia George.

My Favorite Cold Corn Dip

1 cup mayo
8 oz sour cream
2 to 3 cujps grated cheddar cheese
1 bunch of green onions; sliced thin
24 oz can Mexicorn
4 oz can diced jalepeno
4 oz can green chilies
1 tsp sugar
splash of tabasco

Drain liquid from corn, jalepenos and chiles. Mix everything together and chill for 2 hours or overnight is best. Serve with scoops or Fritos.

Hasan's Jalapeno Cilantro Hummus

Our friends Sam and Donna make this amazing hummus. They were kind enough to share the recipe with us. This is always a hit when I bring it somewhere.

Hasan's Jalepeno Cilantro Hummus

1 can Alwadi Hommus (yes it's spelled with a "O" I found at a persian market.
1 bunch of fresh Cilantro stems on (I cut mine off at the bottom)
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup Jalepeno's (I use he jarred nacho kind and pour some of the juice in)
Pinch of Salt
1/2 lemon
Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Put Hommus in a bowl (it's already blended so you just need to add to a seperate bowl).
2. In a blender at all the ingredients except the lemon. Carefully add olive oil a little at a time while blender is going until all ingredients blend into a liquid.
3. After thouroughly blended pour into the hommus and squeeze the lemon into the mixture.
4. Mix until the hummus looks green.

Dip with pita bread or pita chips. If you live by the persian market and they make this homemade flat bread that is warm and to die for get that. It's amazing.

Here we go again....

Well, so many people are always asking me to create a cookbook or start a blog with all my recipes and creative stuff. I promised myself that after school was out and I was finished with all my Girl Scout and PTA adventures I would focus on a blog. I am so clueless when it comes to making a blog so bare with me and feel free to make any suggestions. My goal is to be able to create tabs at some point seperating my subjects to make it easier for people to find but as of right now I can't figure it out. I am sure as I become familiar with the blogging world I will learn.

My plan is to have a area for:

• Creative Memories (templates, tips and more)
• Recipes
• Printables (party favors etc...)

Wish me luck, I am sure going to need it.