HiHo's Famous Spinach Dip

This dish epitomizes Mom in terms of my favorites dishes. I also adore this picture of my mother as a young girl in Stonington. I see my oldest son in her face, they were almost doppelgangers a few years ago. Only a handful of recipes things conjure such a direct, memory filled, and long term connection to my Mom - and this is most certainly one of them. . Spinach dip sandwiches, tea sandwich sized pieces served on red and gold plates, were a Christmas tradition for my Mom.
This recipe is easily doubled or tripled for large groups. It became my staple, as the family vegetarian, for many years. It was our most frequent meal in college, so this one is for you La!

Ingredients
1 package frozen chopped spinach
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 cup mayonnaise (or less)
1 cup sour cream (or less)
salt
pepper
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Juice of 1/2 a lemon (or a tablespoon of the stuff in the jar)

Process

1. Places frozen spinach into strainer. Thaw spinach and drain thoroughly.
   
2. Press to remove extra water, ladles or potato mashers also work well.
   
3. Mix all ingredients and add to drained spinach.
   
4. Mix well.
   

Dip is better if allowed to chill a few hours or overnight. Serve with raw vegetables or make into small sandwiches.

Cucumber Sandwiches

Meet my favorite summer sandwich. HiHo loved making cucumber sandwiches. My kids ask for them by name. Friends want me to fax them and there is none other can compare. My making of these sandwiches has been compared to OCD and has rendered other people incapable of making sandwiches. They are so good, SP at them while mowing the lawn.

Meet the cast of characters - a simple line up.

Ingredients











1/4 to 1/2 a red onion, minced
White Bread, preferably Pepperidge Farm
Hellmann's Mayo
one cucumber (yea there's 4 in the picture but you only need one)
lemon pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Process
1. Mince your onion

















2. Fork your cucumber - yes you take a fork and drag it down the skin, cutting slits into the skin and therefore softening it and beautifying it for your future slicing.
Yes and because HiHo taught me how.

























3. Slice your cucumber thinly.
















4. Lay out your bread into an assembly line.

















5. Spread mayonnaise, salt, pepper and lemon pepper on slices of bread.


















6. Sprinkle a layer of red onion down, and then cover it with a layer of cucumbers.















7. Close your sandwich and press.















8. Cut into different shapes, and arrange on a plate.

Pulled Pork with Rootbeer Sauce Sandwiches - a la Crockpot!

Puckstopper requested this recipe for his birthday tonight - a picnic at the drive-in!
This recipe originated with Better Homes and Gardens. Click here for the original recipe.

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 8 to 10 hours (low) or 4 to 5 hours (high)
Ingredients
for the crockpot:

• 1 3-4 pound loin cut pork roast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 3 medium onions, cut into thin wedges
• 1 can root beer*
• 8 cloves garlic, minced

For the sauce

• 3 cans root beer *
• 1 bottle chili sauce
• a dozen or more hamburger buns, split
  
• Lettuce leaves (optional)
• Tomato slices (optional)

Directions

1. Trim fat from meat. If necessary, cut roast to fit into a 3-1/2- to 5-quart crockery cooker. Sprinkle meat with the salt and pepper.
   
2. In a large skillet brown meat on all sides in hot oil. Drain off fat.
3. Transfer meat to cooker. Add onions, the 1 cup root beer, and garlic.
4. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.
5. When it nears the last hour of the cooking cycle MAKE THE SAUCE (and consider doubling it). In a medium saucepan combine the 3 cups of root beer and the chili sauce. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Boil gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 2 cups. Add hot pepper sauce, if desired.
6. Transfer roast to a cutting board or serving platter. Using a slotted spoon, remove onions from cooking juices and place on serving platter. Discard juices. Using 2 forks, pull meat apart into shreds. To serve, line buns with lettuce leaves and tomato slices, if desired. Add meat and onions; spoon on sauce. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

*Note: Do not substitute with diet root beer.The sauce is so good you might want to double it.

Baked Tofu with Lemon Rosemary marinade

This is another one of my Angelica Kitchen favorites. This recipe will turn any "tofu hater" into a tofu lover - just ask my brother-in-law Deke! My kids love this and will ask for seconds!

Ingredients
1 pound firm tofu
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons Tamari
1 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary
1 pinch white pepper
1.5 Tablespoons olive oil

Process

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.
2. Drain tofu. Place on cutting board, surround with kitchen towels, put another cutting board on top, with a loaded kettle on it, and let sit for 20 minutes to drain out excess water. This is crucial in my opinion to getting the tofu totally drained and ready to be made yummy!
3. Once drained, cut tofu into 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch slices and lay in single layer on the bottom of a large baking dish. IF GRILLING!!! - slice a bit thinner and marinate for longer.
   
4. In a large measuring cup, whisk together remaining ingredients for the marinade.
   
5. Pour marinade over tofu. Let soak for as long as you want - or not at all.
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8. Gently turn tofu once.
   
9. Bake , turning gently once, for 30 to 40 minutes until tofu is nicely browned and marinade is absorbed. You may also grill them.
   

Serve as a main dish with a side salad or make into sandwiches.

Slow Cooker Sandwiches

It's time to bump this post for all the busy baseball and lacrosse parents. This link is from another blog I follow, I JUST got off the phone with SP asking what we should do for dinner. I just returned from vacation, am busy unpacking the car and getting laundry done, have appointments this afternoon, followed by the first baseball game of the season for Puckstopper. There is no time to get much done, since my afternoon project, if time allows, is to plant some seeds with Daughter. Anyway, this lovely link below will bring you to 14 different recipes for slow cooker sandwiches!
Click this link below to get the the Better Homes and Gardens website about the sandwiches.
Simple Slow Cooker Sandwiches

But here you will find the 12 different sandwiches and links to their recipes:
Sloppy Chicken Joes
Apricot Pulled Pork Hoagies
Caramelized Onion, Walnut and Cilantro Chicken Salad (can you say YUM!?)
Southwestern Shredded Beef Sandwiches
Pulled Pork with Root beer Sauce (Puckstopper will love this)
Tangy Barbecue Beef
Pork and Slaw Barbecue Rolls
Easy Chicken Rarebit (oh my I am craving cheese again)
Cuban Pork
Slow Simmering Barbecue Sandwiches
Five Spice Pork Au Jus
German Style Pork Sandwiches