No Mayo Coleslaw

Those who know me know I have a strong dislike towards mayo. Really just can't get myself to eat it or anything that contains it. My dislike for it; however, leaves me with little options when it comes to summer salads. I thought, enough is enough I'm going to enjoy summer salads too! After a quick search on the 'internets', I stumbled across this Rachael Ray recipe which got great reviews. It's super simple and a very refreshing take on coleslaw. 

Oil and Vinegar Slaw by Rachael Ray:

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil, eyeball it
• 1 sack, 16 ounces, shredded cabbage mix for slaw salads
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Salt and pepper

Mix vinegar and sugar. Add oil. Add cabbage to dressing and season with salt and pepper. Toss with fingers to combine. Adjust seasoning. Let stand 20 minutes. Re-toss and serve.

Isn't my sous chef just the cutest??

Blondies with Chocolate Chips

I had full intentions of bringing these blondies to my cousin's graduation party; however, after sampling one they slowly started to disappear. They're dangerous to keep around. 

(Sorry they never made it to your party, Aunt T! )

Believe it or not, this was my first time making blondies. I haven't had a good past with  brownies (I'm determined to change that) so I assumed I wouldn't be good at making blondies. Boy was I wrong!  Martha (yes, we're on a first name basis) sends me daily emails with the cookie of the day recipe. I usually get the email while I'm at work and spend about 2 minutes drooling over whatever the day's recipe is before I file it away in the 'cookies to make' folder in my email. There are a lot of cookie recipes filed away. I better start crossing some off my list, especially if they're all as good as these were. 

Blondies are a cookie cake like goodness. The recipe called for walnuts which surprisingly I didn't have on hand so I omitted them. Walnuts or pecans would add a lovely flavor. I'll be sure to add them next time. If you're planning on bringing these to a party, keep in mind this recipe only yields 16. You might want to make 2 batches.

Blondies with Chocolate Chips

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush an 8-inch square baking pan with butter; line pan with a piece of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Butter paper.
   
2. In a large bowl, whisk butter and sugars until smooth. Whisk in egg and vanilla. Add flour and salt; mix just until moistened (do not overmix). Fold in 1/2 cup each chocolate chips and walnuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips and walnuts.
   
3. Bake until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack, and let cool completely. Using parchment overhang, lift cake from pan and transfer to a cutting board; cut into 16 squares.

Strawberry Mango Basil Salsa

It's sweet. It's savory. It's delish!

I've made this twice and plan on making it again soon. Yes, it's that good! The first time I made it was for my family barbecue. I loved it so much I decided to make it to bring to a friend's house for dinner which complemented nicely with the fish tacos she made. 

I stumbled across this recipe while reading many many food blogs as I was planning the menu for my family barbecue. This recipe comes from a beautiful food blog called "How Sweet It Is"


The salsa is great with pita chips but I have plans to serve with grilled chicken. I'll keep you posted. After all, who doesn't love a sweet and savory meal? 

Strawberry Mango Basil Salsa

makes about 2 cups

3/4 cup chopped mango

3/4 cup chopped strawberries

1/4 cup chopped red onion

6 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix, or simply later ingredients in a bowl. Tastes even better after it sits for a few hours! Salsa should stay fresh in the fridge (in a sealed container) for about one week.