Brookside Cottage

Looks like it's official to me............. Summer's here...... or at least very, very close! And so, I am searching for ways to keep cool, if anyone has any suggestions they would be greatly welcomed...... see, Summer has not always been my favorite time of year..........sorry to those of you who love the heat, but I usually don't handle the heat very well....... I admit it........ I would much rather be looking out the window at a lovely rain any day! Sometimes I think perhaps I should move to Oregon....... you never know, I just may do that one day.......... Plus I seem to get many more headaches and migraines in the Summer.................. ah well, we do the best we can with what we have to work with, don't we? Life's too short not to!

I am always on the search for Summer-Friendly recipes too, and thought I would share a couple of favs with you.......... this first one is a Paula Deen recipe, I adore Paula, she just seems so "genuine" to me, and she makes me giggle with her laugh.......... anyway, this is a terrific recipe for a hot, hot Summer night when it is just too darn hot to heat up the kitchen, and it is so quick and simple, not to mention YUMMY YUMMY............

Taco Salad

2 ripe tomatoes, diced

½ pound sharp cheddar cheese, diced

{I shredded mine & think it was just as good}

1 large onion, diced

1 head iceberg lettuce, washed, drained and shredded

1 pound lean ground beef, browned, crumbled and drained

1 cup Catalina salad dressing

1 7-ounce bag taco flavored chips crushed

{I couldn't find taco-flavored, so just used Fritos Corn Chips}

1 cup salsa

Combine the tomatoes, cheese, onion, lettuce and ground beef in a large bowl.

Add the entire bottle of salad dressing and mix well.

Just before serving, add the taco chips, tossing to combine with other ingredients.

Top each serving with salsa.

{the salsa should be optional I think}

Serve with tortilla chips.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Ease of preparation: easy

And, this salad is simply wonderful with Paula's Lemonade!!

LEMONADE

2 cups sugar

2 cups fresh lemon juice

1 cup hot water

1 gallon cold water

1 lemon, sliced

In a one gallon container, place sugar and hot water, and stir until sugar dissolves.

Add lemon juice and water to render one gallon. Stir well until well mixed.

Pour lemonade over a glass of ice, squeeze slice of lemon on top, and garnish with

a sprig of mint.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ease of preparation: easy

Until next time, my friends.............. Stay Cool!