Agua Fresca Review

So, I finally made the agua fresca. The recipe is posted (See "Watermelon Agua Fresca"), but I opted to use cantaloupe and mango instead of watermelon, which was pretty good. I recommend letting the drink sit in your fridge for 24 hours; the flavors have a chance to blend. Two out of three Mather-Greenwoods voted thumbs up on this one. My son was the only hold out: "I don't yike it." I'd make this one again for sure. And it would be super fun for a party.

Watermelon Agua Fresca

I found this amazing recipe and can't try it until after I go to the grocery store this afternoon. However, I'm posting it now (because I'm really excited about this one) and will reply with my review when I use my guinea pigs--ahem, family--this evening. Note that you can use pretty much any kind of melon or fruit combinations.

Watermelon Agua Fresca
2 cups cold water
2 cups watermelon, rind removed, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons sugar (base how much or how little you use on your personal preference)
1 tablespoon lime juice
ice

Cut the watermelon into roughly 1-inch cubes. If using other fruits, prepare them accordingly, removing seeds or skins. In a blender or food processor, combine water, watermelon, sugar, and lime juice until smooth. Pour mixture through a strainer into a pitcher, forcing through most of the pulp. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve with or without ice cubes. As a decorative touch, add slices or chunks of matching fruit just before serving.
Makes 2 servings.

Variations
• Agua de Melón: Use cantaloupe or any other melon.
• Agua de Fresa: Use strawberries.
• Agua de Papaya: Use papaya.
• Agua Fresca de Pepino: Use peeled, seeded cucumbers and lime juice. Cut down on the sugar.

Rhubarb Strawberry Pie

It has been far too long since I've posted a recipe, but the insanity level in ly life has come down an amazing amount. Enough to bake...drumroll...rhubarb strawberry pie!

My fondest memories of my grandmother involve sitting on her back porch in the summer with something yummy she'd made, like her version of this pie. Unfortunately, her recipe died with her, so I tweaked one from Taste of Home (all hail Tast of Home!) to try. My lovely neighbor, a retiree who is always offering me great things from her garden, left some rhubarb on my doorstep. This recipe was meant to be. :-)

Ingredients:
1 cup cup sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 cups sliced rhubarb (1/4-inch pieces)
3 cups sliced unsweetened strawberries
1/3 cup fresh orange juice

Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)

Directions: In a large bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the juice. Add fruit; toss to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes. Line a deep-dish 9-in. pie plate with bottom crust; trim pastry even with edge. Fill with fruit filling. Roll out remaining pastry; trim, seal, and flute edges.

Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375° and bake 30 minutes more or until filling is bubbly and rhubarb is tender. Cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 8 servings.

This tastes best when it's been refrigerated, IMHO. Some folks don't care for the tart side of

rhubarb, but that's what a nice dollop of vanilla ice cream is for.

You could serve this one at a picnic. It's Fourth of July material.

Can I get partial credit?

I know that egg week is over, but I really did do it. I promise. (I'm starting to sound like the junior high kids I used to tolerate---er, teach.)

Eggs are a big deal at my house. Since we have eight hens, we seem to accumulate a lot of eggs.

Here's a pic of some of the girls last spring, just before they started to lay. We have four buff orpingtons (peach) and four barred rock (black and white). They lay brown eggs, which are super cool.

And so...I made a spinach quiche. I am replying to this message with the recipe if you are interested. My husband loved it, but we're weird like that. Remember the scene from Sixteen Candles where Molly Ringwald's family explains quiche to the foreign-exchange student? Yeah, me too.

Hot Chicken Salad Casserole

See below* for ideas on lightening the recipe.

Casserole: Mix the following ingredients together.
2 c. chicken, cooked and diced
1 c. cooked rice
¾ c. mayonnaise
1 T. chopped onion
1 T. lemon juice
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 can cream of chicken soup
½ tsp. salt
3 hardboiled eggs, diced

Topping: Mix the following ingredients together.
1 c. cornflake crumbs
½ c. sliced almonds
1T. melted butter

• Spread casserole mixture in a greased casserole dish (I used 9x13).
• Sprinkle casserole with topping and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
  
  Comments: My grandma passed away about a year-and-a-half ago. For Christmas, my cousin compiled all of Grandma’s best recipes and gave all the cousins a copy. This recipe was one I tasted when I was about 10, but I hadn’t remembered it until I was flipping through the book. Since the rule is that I can’t have made the recipe before, I thought this would be a valid one—especially since I haven’t tasted it in 23 years. It’s an easy recipe that can be prepped a day or so in advance and then tossed in the oven when you’re ready for it.
  
  Reaction: My husband loved it (he had three helpings), and my son liked it (he ate around the almonds, but he chowed down on the water chestnuts). Hubby said that he loves a hot meal on a cold day (darn this Cache Valley “spring”) and gave it a thumbs-up. I remembered back to the days when Grandma would prep this dish for a summer picnic; she felt it was party-worthy, so I do, too. J Four stars.
  
  *There are numerous ways one can lighten/”healthify” this recipe: Use light mayo, use your own light cream soup recipe, use brown rice instead of white, or use a lighter trans-fat free spread instead of full-fat butter. You also might want to toss in some frozen veggies like peas for a more well-rounded meal.

Chicken Waffle Pot Pie

Chicken Waffle Pot Pie (For real. You've got to try this one.)

Ingredients
1 ½ c. waffle mix (I made my own from scratch with 1 ½ c. flour and ½ t. baking powder. I would suggest eliminating any extra salt if you are going to also use chicken broth and/or gravy.)
1 egg
3 T oil
1 c. broth (I used chicken, but vegetable broth could work, too.)
1 c. diced mixed vegetables (I used frozen carrots and peas)
¾ c. finely diced cooked chicken (Canned chicken works well if you are strapped for time.)
Ideas for toppings: butter or gravy (I used country-style gravy from a packet).

Instructions
Lightly grease and heat the waffle iron. Whisk first four ingredients together. Mix in vegetables and chicken. Pour ¼ cup batter onto each of the small squares of a regular waffle iron— or ¾ c. on a Belgian waffle iron—and close the lid. (However, your waffle iron might have different instructions; go with what works for you.) Cook until golden brown, or as directed on iron (I found that four minutes was adequate). Top with a dollop of butter or gravy.
Servings: I was able to get 8 regular-sized waffles from my recipe.

Comments
As I was searching for a good recipe, I came across the most bizarre recipe… ever. Chicken on a waffle iron? It seemed so… blasphemous... not to mention weird. But I think I like culinary blasphemy: it was super fast, super cheap, and super good. If you have kids, they’ll go for this one, but then my husband had seconds, so I suppose kids and husbands will like it. And chefs and anyone who likes waffles. So pretty much everyone. This is a repeat for sure.

It's hard to give this one a traditional score, but if you're willing to impress friends at a brunch, this could be five-star. It's definitely five-star for the convenience and cost, but you could really gourmet-it-up with homemade gravy and fresh veggies.