Blue Cheese Dip

•    1/3 cup real mayonnaise
•    1/4 cup light sour cream
•    1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
•    1 tsp sugar
•    1/2 tsp minced garlic
•    1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
•    1/4 tsp salt
•    Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
•   1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
Whisk all ingredients together, mashing up blue cheese until you have a consistency that [...]

Grandma Robertson’s Shortbread

This dough is meant to be rolled, cut, and baked at 350F, until slightly browned:

1 lb butter
pinch salt
1 cup brown sugar
4 cups + 1 cup flour

Cream butter, sugar, and salt.  Add flour, one cup at a time, using four cups.  use last cup for roll out.  Dough should not be too stiff, but should be [...]

Grandma Ruth’s Peanut Butter Cookies

When mixing the dough, follow a basic method for cookie making :

1/2 cup shortening (I like butter)
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 oz. white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup peanut butter
1+ 1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt

Roll dough into walnut-sized balls (unshelled walnuts), place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper leaving about an inch or two [...]

Amy’s Pasta

This is the recipe that we use at our swim club’s annual fund raising pasta dinner; a local family of Italian heritage is in charge of the kitchen, and teaches everyone how to cook their recipes (which just come out of the tops of their heads!):

2 cups flour
3 eggs
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon (or more) [...]

On the Fly (In the Bowl) Salad Dressing

Drizzle once around the salad with:

olive oil

then:

vinegar of choice, or squeeze a half a lemon

Then sprinkle once around the bowl with a big pinch of each of:

salt
garlic powder (alternatively, rub a cut clove of garlic around the inside of the bowl before putting salad in)
sugar (make this one tiny)
dried dill*
dried tarragon*
dried basil*
dried thyme*

Grind a pepper [...]

Completely Plain, but Delicious Croutons

For salad, especially Caesar, these are amazingly good, when made with good bread!

Day old crusty bread (good bread, NOT from-a-plastic-bag-bread!)
olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper*

Cut the loaf into small cubes; about 1.5cm is a good size.  Place into a large bowl, drizzle lightly with olive oil, sprinkle on some salt and pepper, tossing to [...]

Bubbles!

Not food…for making wonderful solution for blowing bubbles (way better than store bought)!

1/2 cup Sunlight liquid dish detergent (honestly, this works the best)
2 + 1/2 cups water
1 Tablespoon glycerine (buy at a pharmacy)
1 + 1/2 teaspoons granulated white sugar

Stir all ingredients together until well mixed. Makes about 3 cups.
Make bubble wands [...]

Granny’s Chocolate “Biscuit Cake” (no-bake)

Just writing up this one so it doesn’t get lost.  This was a childhood favourite of my English husband and his siblings.

8 oz crushed Digestive Biscuits
3 oz butter
2 Table Spoons corn syrup
2 Table Spoons cocoa powder

Warm butter on stove top (or in microwave) until just melted.  Add corn syrup and cocoa powder and blend thoroughly.  [...]

Make Ice Cream in 5 Minutes!

You need:
Ice cubes (or smashed icicles and/or snow)
½ cup kosher salt
1 cup half-and-half (or low fat milk)
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 resealable heavy sandwich bag
1 gallon-sized resealable freezer bag
Dish towel
What to do:
1. Fill the gallon-size bag half full with ice. Add kosher salt.
2. In the sandwich bag, mix half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla. Seal tightly.
3. [...]