I Still Don't Know What's for Dinner,

but lemon pudding is for dessert.

My friend and neighbor Joannie brought us some grapefruits they handpicked in Palm Springs this week, as well as the largest lemon I have ever seen. It was seriously the size of an overgrown pear or something. Immediately when I saw the lemon I thought of lemon pudding. So today I made some, after I ran to Day's for some buttermilk, of course. Buttermilk that I finally realized is sold in half pint containers for $.30. Really? I don't have to waste half a gallon of buttermilk every time I buy it? Yippee.

I think you guys ought to try it. I'd save you some, but you know...

Old Fashioned Creamy Lemon Pudding
Sunset Magazine, January 2005. Makes 3 cups, 4-6 servings

2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon lemon peel
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup butter
Lightly sweetened cream (optional)--I never bother.

In a bowl, whisk eggs to blend.

In a 2-3 quart pan, mix sugar, cornstarch, and flour. Stir in buttermilk, then set the mixture over medium heat and stir often until simmering, 10-12 minutes. Continue simmering, stirring often, 2 minutes longer. (Pretty much just keep stirring without walking away). Whisk half the buttermilk mixture into the eggs, then return both to pan, along with the lemon peel, lemon juice, and butter. Whisk over medium-low heat until pudding reaches 160 degrees and ever thickly coats a spoon, 4-6 minutes. Do not boil. (I don't bother with a thermometer either).

Spoon pudding into bowls of heatproof glasses. Serve warm or cool, with whipped cream if desired.

Homemade Granola

I've tried a lot of homemade granola recipes in my time. Most of them were not very good. This recipe is a combination of my neighbor's recipe which she gave out at Christmas, and I got the powdered milk idea from We Eat. I really like both recipes on their own, but I need all the extra calcium I can get and I have a sweet tooth too (We Eat's has no sugar so it's not quite as crunchy)...so I prefer this combo. If you don't have powdered milk, well, maybe your mom will go pack some for you at the cannery for your birthday. Mine did!

4 C rolled oats
1 C wheat germ (I was out today so I didn't use it--I buy it from The Good Earth)
1/3 C powdered milk
1/4 C brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/4 salt
1 C chopped walnuts
1/2 C chopped almonds
1/4 C roasted sunflower seeds (if salted, omit the salt in the recipe)
1/4 C whatever nuts...today I did pine nuts, other times I might mix walnuts and pecans. . .

1/3 C vegetable oil (you might try doing half olive oil if you like but I don't like canola)
1/3 C honey
1/3 C water

1 C dried fruit (I like craisins and golden raisins, or just raisins will do)

Stir dry ingredients until well mixed. Combine wet. Fold in the wet ingredients until combined. Bake at 300 degrees for 40 minutes. I don't stir until the last five or ten minutes so that it doesn't stick to the pan, but gets clumps of crunchy goodness. Let cool completely, add the dried fruit.

Y-U-M.

Roasted Vegetable & Orzo Salad

Vegetables:
4-6 smallish zucchini
yellow, red and orange peppers (1 of each)
1 red onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/3 C olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

chop vegetables, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread onto a foil lined baking sheet and roast in oven at 425 for 40-50 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook orzo (1 lb.)

Toss cooked vegetables and orzo together with:

Dressing:
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp pepper

drizzle over salad and add:

1/2 c toasted pine nuts
8 oz. crumbled feta cheese
15 fresh basil leaves - chopped.

Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Dear Friends,

I'm sorry I haven't been a good recipe blogger.

Love,

Jayne

P.S. Katie is worse.

Peach and Brie Quesadillas with Lime-Honey Dipping Sauce

I've been so lazy lately. I haven't been to the grocery store for quite some time. We are living off meat from the freezer, garden produce, artisan dough, and gifts from our sweet neighbor--she has been bringing us a bag of Allred's peaches and a sack of corn each week. I love peach season. I was trying to think of all the things I used to do with peaches before I got so lazy, and this yummy lunch or appetizer came to mind (Jayne, you could still try it even if it contains cheese):

Peach and Brie Quesadillas with Lime-Honey Dipping Sauce

This intriguing appetizer is savory-sweet. Ripe—but firm—peaches work best; if they're too soft, they'll make the tortillas soggy. Placing the fillings on one side of the tortilla and folding the other half over (like a taco) makes the quesadillas easier to handle. Whole wheat tortillas would also be great, offering a sweet, nutty taste. The lime-honey dipping sauce balances the richness of the buttery filling.

Sauce:
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind

Quesadillas:
1 cup thinly sliced peeled firm ripe peaches (about 2 large)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon brown sugar
3 ounces Brie cheese, thinly sliced
4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
Cooking spray
Chive strips (optional)

To prepare sauce, combine first 3 ingredients, stirring with a whisk; set aside.

To prepare quesadillas, combine peaches, 1 tablespoon chives, and sugar, tossing gently to coat. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange one-fourth of cheese and one-fourth of peach mixture over half of each tortilla; fold tortillas in half. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place 2 quesadillas in pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until tortillas are lightly browned and crisp. Remove from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 3 wedges; serve with sauce. Garnish with chive strips, if desired.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 quesadilla wedges and about 1 teaspoon sauce)
CALORIES 157 (23% from fat); FAT 4g (sat 2.5g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.1g); IRON 0.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 14mg; CALCIUM 30mg; CARBOHYDRATE 25.5g; SODIUM 316mg; PROTEIN 5.3g; FIBER 0.7g
Cooking Light, JUNE 2005

Zucchini Bread

Tis' the season. Today I went to my mom's, her house smelt so good, she was making Zucchini bread.

1 Cup vegetable oil

2 C. sugar

3 eggs

3 tea. vanilla

2 cups zucchini

3 C. flour

1 tea. soda

1 tea. salt

3 tea. cinnamon

1/4 tea. baking powder

*combine oil, sugar, eggs, beat well.

*Blend in vanilla and zucchini

*add all dry ingredients

Pour into 2 well greased and floured bread pans and bake for 1 hour @ 350.

Dear Jayne

We need your Tomato Soup recipe!

Love,

Lori