We have had a couple weekends at the lake already. It is a wonderful season, a time to refresh and rejuvenate. We notice changes from one summer to the next – in the people, in the cabins and in the growth of the trees, bushes and plants.
It is always fun to renew acquaintances from last summer. My brothers and their families go there as well, so it’s like old-home week.
At the lake, at reunions, or during gatherings on the long weekends, we are often eating together and feeding groups of hungry people. Make-ahead salads are a godsend.
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My sister-in-law, Dianne, makes this macaroni salad, one of our favorites.
Dianne’s macaroni salad
Combine the following:
3 cups cooked 750 mL
macaroni
1 cup cooked ham, 250 mL
cubed
1Ú2 green pepper, cut in 1Ú2
thin strips
1 cup celery, sliced 250 mL
thinly
1Ú2 cup cheese, cubed 125 mL
2 green onions, sliced 2
4-5 radishes (for color) 4-5
2 chopped, hard-boiled 2
eggs (optional)
Mix together the following:
1 cup mayonnaise or 250 mL
Miracle Whip
milk (to thin)
salt and pepper
Pour over the first ingredients and mix well. Vary the ingredients to suit your own tastebuds.
Often in the summer, we marinate vegetables in Italian dressing, allowing the flavors to blend and mature. This salad from Discover the Pulse Potential is easy to prepare.
Zesty Italiano salad
3Ú4 cup Zesty Italian 175 mL
dressing
1 cup cooked Laird 250 mL
lentils, still hot
1Ú2 cup sliced carrot 125 mL
1Ú2 cup diced red onion 125 mL
1Ú2 cup sliced celery 125 mL
1Ú2 cup chopped 125 mL
cauliflower
1Ú2 cup diced sweet 125 mL
green pepper
1Ú2 cup diced sweet 125 mL
yellow pepper
garlic salt, to taste
Pour Italian dressing over hot lentils and let cool.
Add carrot, onion, celery, cauliflower, peppers and garlic salt. Refrigerate. Let marinate for 24 hours. Makes eight servings.
Blueberry Buckle
1Ú4 cup butter or 50 mL
shortening
1Ú2 cup sugar 125 mL
1 egg
1Ú4 teaspoon salt 1 mL
1 cup flour 250 mL
11Ú2 teaspoons baking 7 mL
powder
1Ú3 cup milk 75 mL
2 cups blueberries 500 mL
Crumb mixture:
1Ú2 cup sugar 125 mL
1Ú3 cup flour 75 mL
1Ú2 teaspoon cinnamon 2 mL
1Ú4 cup butter 50 mL
Combine first seven ingredients and spread in 8 x 8 (20 cm) square pan. Spread with the blueberries. Sprinkle with crumb mixture. Bake in a 350 F (180 C) oven until berries are done. I usually leave it for about 40 minutes or so.
Serve with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.
Dessert on barbecue
My sister-in-law, Sandra, suggested I submit to our readers my rendition of banana boats. We like to have bananas on hand to eat, and invariably some become a little riper than we like. Sometimes I make banana muffins, but this summer I seem to prefer banana boats. When we went to camp years ago, we used to cut a slit down the length of the banana (skin and all). Insert marshmallows and pieces of chocolate bar (Jersey Milk works well). Wrap with foil, twist the edges and cook over an open fire.
This year I did make individual banana boats, but one night I lined a metal casserole dish with foil, peeled and sliced bananas and strawberries, and layered the fruit with cut-up marshmallows and chocolate, with more sliced bananas on top. I sealed up the foil, and placed it on the turned-off barbecue where I left it while we were eating our supper. By the time the main course was done, the dessert was ready and it was delicious.
Gorilla dogs
In discussion around the campfire, people also raved about gorilla dogs, which are done with a hot dog-shaped tool, apparently available only in Ontario.
Butter the outside of a piece of bread and lay it in the gorilla dog maker. Put a weiner in the middle of the bread and close the tool. Cut off the excess bread. Put tool in the fire for 15 minutes. The toasted flavor beats plain hot dogs.
Several people had variations of fillings for bush pie makers. These included pizza ingredients, a scrambled egg with onions and ham like a Denver omelet, grilled cheese, pie filling or marshamallows mixed with Caramilk chocolate bar bits.
Crafty ideas for moms, kids
At the lake, Sandra had a blanket she had made from old blue jeans. This one was a good size for a student blanket, a camp blanket or beach blanket.
Sandra cut up blue jeans into 5 x 7 inch (13 x 18 cm) squares, and sewed the squares together to form a blanket approximately 40 x 60 in. (102 x 152 cm.) You can vary the size of blanket you want, depending on the age or length of the person. She lined the back with a colorful piece of flannel fabric, sewed the sides together, and folded the end of the flannel over the top of the good side of the blue jean squares blanket to form a colorful border. Then she topstitched along the border. This is the perfect size for a beach blanket and soft and durable, too.
To entertain young people, here is an idea from my friend Barb. When a rainy day comes along, or kids are looking for a change, they can make a bowl turtle.
What you need: One paper cereal box, colored markers, construction paper, movable eyes or buttons, scissors.
Decorate the outside of a paper box with markers. Cut four legs, a head, and a tail from construction paper. Glue the pieces to the turtle body. Punch holes in the head for nostrils and glue on movable eyes.
Reader request
This past week I received a phone call requesting a soda cracker or cookie recipe that doesn’t require milk or flour. J.E., Rosetown was hoping to have a treat for her granddaughter when she comes to visit at the cabin. We have looked through our recipe files and on the internet and haven’t come up with anything like a soda cracker. Is there anyone who can help?
The following recipe is from Alma’s Rowena Ladies Club Cookbook.
Hopscotch crunchies
1 package (6 oz.) 170 g
butterscotch chips
1Ú3 cup peanut butter 75 mL
Melt together and remove from heat. Stir in:
2 cups chow mein 500 mL
noodles
1 cup crushed nuts 250 mL
1Ú2 cup miniature 125 mL
marshmallows
Mix. Drop by spoonful on waxed paper and chill.
