cheese and cracker tray

Cheese spread (We like the log-style covered with chopped nuts!)
Carr's water crackers
Triscuit crackers
Triscuit thins
Beautiful platter

Arrange crackers in beautiful pattern on platter.

Serve with tasty beverages and cheese spread.

fruit and cheese tray

Ingredients:

Gouda cheese
fresh grapes
beautiful serving platter
cheese slicer

Bring fruits and cheese to room temperature.

Arrange fruit and cheese tastefully . . .

Macaroni and cheese

Simple. Great. Food everybody loves.

Adjust quantities to match the number of people you are serving.

I cooked about 6 servings with these proportions:

• Pour:

10 ounces macaroni

into rapidly boiling water.

• Cook for the amount of time recommended on the box (about 9 minutes, in my case).

• Drain well.

• Add about 3 ounces grated Cheddar cheese to the warm saucepan with the warm, drained spaghetti. Cover the saucepan.

• Wait about 4 or 5 minutes while the cheese melts.

• When you are tired of waiting, add about 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese to the mac and cheese mixture. Cover again and wait.

• After a few minutes, stir the mac and cheese around with a fork.

• If it seems too dry (because you did such a good job of draining the macaroni), warm up a little bit of milk in the microwave (about 20 seconds for 1/4 cup refrigerated milk) and stir it into the macaroni and cheese mixture.

• Serve with fresh ground black pepper. Delicious!

(Re: food safety and the tomatoes in the photo: Canadian origin, hydroponically grown, purchased with vine still attached.)

Fresh squash and tomato rice medley

Summer squash and zucchini squash are abundant this time of year.

So I made a simple meal (serves 3) of:

White rice (simmer, covered, 1 cup rice + 2 cups water until water is absorbed)

In a separate saucepan I cooked a couple small, sliced summer squashes and a small sliced zucchini squash in a little bit of water.

Also washed, sliced, and added a fresh tomato (from Canada, on the vine, hydroponically grown, to follow the CDC's recommendations on tomatoes this summer) to the cooking vegetables.

When all was cooked, I served the rice in small shallow bowls and put the cooked vegetables on top. As a decoration and a touch of dairy, I put small chunks of cheddar cheese on the hot rice and vegetables. Served with fresh plums and spicy tortilla crisps.