An Easy Rice Salad

Salads are one of the easiest summer meals to make for a lunch or dinner. Yet greens can get boring. Macaroni is the same. Try something different like a rice salad. It's really an easy make and it can be customized to suit tastes.

I decided ti try it after being bored with the usual salad choices. Brown rice is more colorful and nutritious than white. I used Acme's Signature brand.

I used three cups of it and three cups of water to make six servings.

It was boiled,

Then put into a large bowl to cool in the fridge. I let it sit for an hour but for a colder, more refreshing rice try to make it about three hours before serving, Also DO NOT keep the freshly cooked rice out for more than four hours.It can attract bacteria which will cause salmonella - or food poisoning.

The fun part comes with what you put in.

I used sliced Roma tomatoes  along with diced  orange and yellow bell peppers,  red kidney beans and sliced black olives. For more flavoring I used a generous amount about a teaspoon of onion powder along with a large dousing of garlic salt. You could add diced garlic if you want a fresher flavor. Half a cup of olive oil was added along with a teaspoon of red wine vinegar.

It was a flavorful bowl of all sorts of tastes and textures.

What's good with this is that you can add what you want. it would be good with leftover chicken or pepperoni slices. You could add almonds or broccoli for an Oriental vibe. Feta cheese and kalamata olives can give a Greek feel. Have fun with it. It's easily stored and you can have it either for lunch or dinner the next day.

A rice salad is a nice way to beat the heat with easy cooking. Make up a big bowl for a tasty lunch or dinner. Then enjoy this cool and filling alternative to a traditional greens or macaroni salad.

Healthy Winter Snacks

After the excess of the holiday's  - as well as observing Three Kings' day today - it's nice to eat healthy once again. That doesn't mean go back to boring and low cal. YOu can enjoy - and celebrate the Three King's vising the Christ Child with tasty good for you treats.

Many throughout the world today do celebrate when the Three Kings, Casper, Melchior, and Balthaszar visited Bethlehem. There are all sorts of dishes such as the Puerto Rican pasteles, banana leaves stuffed with everything from pork, shredded plantains and potatoes along with pumpkins. A healthier version could be just a combo of the plantains and pumpkins or squash. Use the traditional spices such as the traditional sofrito, a mix of red and green peppers mixed with onions, tomatoes and garlic.Another healthier spin is using Beyond Meat for the pork and spicing it up the same way. These and lettuce rolls are a fun snack on movie night.  Again sub in Beyond Beef or Gardein's tofu crumbles for the real beef.  The traditional recipe calls for just onions but you can also add sliced red, green and yellow peppers along with avocados for color and flavor. Cook the crumbles with the traditional spices such as pickled ginger, hoisin sauce and Asian dark sesame oil. Another fun veggie loaded dish is cauliflower crust pizza. it's using this cruciferous veggie mixed with eggs and low fat or vegan mozzarella for a satisfying crunchy crust. Top with tomatoes and basil along with peppers and olives.

Three Kings Day brings in the famed King's cake , a fixture in pre-Lenten New Orleans. This treat is actually a sweet yeast bread zinged up with cinnamon and lemon zest. The icing is a  simple glaze either dyed or dusted with green , purple,  or gold Mardi Gras colors. Usually a baby or prize such as a ring or coin is hidden inside.it's a delicious cake which can be made healthy. Use vegan butter for the real thing along with almond milk for cow's. Honey can be used for sugar so it's not too overly sweet (remember you'll be double sugaring the topping with both confectioner's and sanding sugar. You could also dye the glaze the three colors too, eliminating the need for the sanding sugar). Another idea is making sugarless and flourless (!) cookies and dying them the Mardi Gras colors. There is a recipe that just has peanut butter, stevia and one egg. They're also a nice snack with a hot tea on a wintry night. Vegan chocolate chips are always a sweet treat and you can sub in carob for the chocolate.

It's possible to celebrate this last Christmas holiday with healthy savory and sweet treats. They still taste good and they're good for you. Try them as a change over from the excess of the holidays.

A Special Cake For Mom

One of the best gifts is a homemade one for Mother's Day. Any mom would appreciate a tasty treat that she didn't bake. Think fun cupcakes or a daffodil cake. If she's into fruit than a great pie, or if she's fancy a plate of macarons with a ganache filling. There's a variety of sweets that can be created for mom's special day.

If you're not a pro at baking, then go for the mixes. Between the big three cake mixes, Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker and Pillsbury, you can make any kind of cake.Duncan Hines has introduced serving for one -  mug filled with either cake or bread. This is the easiest bake - just the mix and three tablespoons of water - - it just takes a minute in the microwave and voila - a perfect treat. She can have her choice of flavors from a decadent chocolate lover's cake to  banana bread. There's even one minute muffins, blueberry ,apple cinnamon and corn, in a mug too for a neat breakfast in bed. as for cakes and frosting , all three brands have not only mixes but frostings too. As for decorations Betty Crocker has these various sprinkles including Cupcake Gems that are gold and silver sugar crystals. Sprinkle these on a plain cake  to amp it up to something special.You can also have fun with the mixes too, thanks to the brands offering dozens of recipes on their sites. Try a poke cake with either pudding or Jello for a fun surprise or a skillet cake , layered with whipped cream and fresh berries.Pillsbury has a easy to bake ice cream cake recipe that just requires cake mix , ice cream and whipped cream.It's easy to assemble and decorate.

More experienced bakers can definitely whip up a scratch cake with no problems. One of the prettiest is the daffodil cake,  a marriage of angel food and yellow scratch cakes. The frosting is a mix of pineapple juice and Cool Whip which is a lovely , mild flavor to go to the cake. Of course , nothing beats the taste of a scratch marble cake. This would make a great dessert with a scoop of French vanilla or chocolate ice cream.It's also good just on it's own with an iced coffee and mom's favorite Sunday crossword. A homemade pie is always a nice gift.Supermarkets such as Stop & Shop and Acme are still selling Granny Smith and Fuji apples and these are the best for a homemade apple pie.  If you want something fancier then think a homemade lemon meringue with a slightly browned meringue crown. It's a great end to a Mother's Day barbecue. Another tropical tasting treat is a Key Lime pie, the perfect union of sweet and tart. What mother wouldn't like a plate of fresh from her oven macarons. Yoou can make them like the ones from the famed Ladueree Patisserie, with flavors such as chocolate, salted caramel and even rose water.Fill them with a rich chocolate ganache or almond buttercream for true luxury,

Nothing beats a homemade treat for mom's special day . Surprise her with home baked treat. It's a sweet way to thank her for she's baked for you.