Make Your Own Catalina Dressing

Catalina Dressing

1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon grated onion

Place all in a blender and blend until well blended. Thoroughly chill before serving. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Serve over mixed greens or vegetable-fruit salads.

Making it Kid Friendly: I will pour some out into a separate dish and squirt some ketchup into it for them.

When making dressing, I like to use my stick blender. There is less time cleaning up!

A look at my "No Till Garden"

Last year I was fed up with weeds overtaking my garden and decided to try the "No Till" method. I posted about it here. I originally got the idea from my Mother Earth News magazine I receive. You can check out their article here.

I LOVE this method of gardening. There was no tilling this spring. The weeding is minimal. The watering is minimal. And everything seemed to thrive with the exception of my hot pepper plants.

This year I only had to add a layer of compost to the top of each bed and we were ready to go!

Here's how it looked two weeks ago:



The tomatoes are big enough and now have been mulched.



My onions are doing great and the lettuce is needing to be thinned.



My son wanted to plant cauliflower and corn. Not a lot of room for corn, but we are trying it and it seems to be growing so well.



And the cauliflower already has little baby heads on the plants!



We've planted several bell and hot pepper plants again this year, as well as spinach, beans, and carrots.

I'll post more pics as the garden comes along and we harvest things.

Lastly, here's a glimpse of the part of the garden that hasnt been converted yet. Look at those weeds!

Salad & Fruit Dressings Series-Vinaigrette Dressing

Who has lettuce or spinach coming on in their gardens? My lettuce is getting there but I was late planting my spinach. And if you didn't get any planted, be sure to visit a local farmers market.

Home grown greens are so good with a home made dressing, don't you think? Making your own dressing are economical, quick and fun.

I have a series of 10 dressings I will be posting for you to try. There should be something everyone will enjoy. If green salads are not your thing I will also have some fruit salad dressings too!

3/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
1/4 cup vinegar
3 1 inch pieces medium green onion
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
ground pepper to taste
Dash of hot pepper sauce

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until uniform.
Cover and chill. makes about 1 cup.

Serve on any vegetable salad, greens or over sliced tomatoes.

Beef Taco Skillet

Here's my version:

2 lbs beefalo
1 can Campbell's Tomato Soup
1 can Ro-Tel
1/2-3/4 cup water
4 flour tortillas cut into 1" pieces
shredded American Cheddar Jack cheese to top

Brown beefalo and drain.
Stir in soup, Ro-Tel, water and tortillas. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.
Top with cheese and serve.


Here's the Original Campbell's Beef Taco Skillet recipe:

1 lb ground beef
1 can Campbell's Tomato Soup
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup water
6 6" flour tortillas cut into 1" pieces
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese to top

Brown beef and drain.
Stir in soup, salsa, water and tortillas. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.
Top with cheese and serve.

Creamy Mexican Fiesta: Stir in 1/2 cup sour cream with soup.
Ranchero Style: Use corn tortillas instead of flour and shredded Mexican cheese blend instead of Cheddar.

LE3
LE4

Here's Some Cheese For That Whine!

I need to whine. Do you mind?

I'm tired. Very, very tired. Since being let go February 20th, I have had to do more running, errands and helping others than for my own family. My husband has been running routes daily at work and I've been getting up at 4:40am to pack his lunches. I go back to bed until time to get youngest up for school, but my sleep is still not the same. I've ran myself to death.

First it was going through my aunt and uncles entire estate, getting everything ready for the auction my uncle wanted to sell. He liquidated everything! Over 40 years of stuff my aunt hoarded. The only daily help I had was my mother who is limited on what she can do. My oldest son did help us three or four days for a couple hours each day and my father did help out two or three Saturdays for a few hours. The rest was left up to my mother and I. Thank goodness that is done!

Monday my father had to have surgery. I have been at the hospital everyday this week, driving my mother back and forth. We were able to bring him home today.

Today was my youngest son's last day of school. He signed up for summer school and now doesn't want to attend since they wont be able to have band.

My house is a mess! There are coupon inserts stacked up so high. Magazines stacked up that I havnt had a chance to read. Boxes and bags of stuff brought home from my aunt's that needs to be put away.

My laundry is behind, my bathrooms need to be thoroughly cleaned. My hardwood floors need to be swept and mopped. My flower gardens needed to be weeded and my chicken coop needs to be spring cleaned.

Speaking of spring cleaning... I'm so far behind on my normal cleaning the thought of spring cleaning is upsetting.

I'm tired and overwhelmed. Completing the basic tasks day to day to live is all I've accomplished.

And now, I wanted to prepare a quick dinner and my son is mad because I didnt cook the Beef Taco Skillet just the way he wanted. The recipe follows this post. I guess he will either eat it or go hungry, I'm too tired to worry about it.