THE DAILY HEAT!

Ooops, I don't post daily , do I!?  But I do have daily heat here in Virginia! I know the summer will end soon..maybe, but we have had a hot one! I'm sorry to say our farmers have been hurt by the dry times, but not as bad as the ones in the Midwest...I feel so badly for them.  A  good internet friend fo mine has two son that have dairy farms, and it's been so dry, they're having to drive hundreds of miles back and forth to buy hay for the cows.  Then they have to pay to have it shipped to them, when usually they would have grown enough hay for heir cows to eat all year round. Please pray that the Lord will have mercy and send rains to end these terrible droughts across the country.

Last night, I did another rotisserie chicken, remembered to baste it more this time, and  it was even more moist.  I am using just a basic rub, putting in a plastic bag wrapped tightly in plastic, and letting it sit in the fridge about 16 hours at least before cooking it. Some people think if you leave it out--completely unwrapped, but with the rub--that the skin is crisper....but I'm not comfortable doing that , really.  Hubby thought this second one even topped the first one.  I thought it looked prettier, too! The skin on the breast looks black, but it wasn't in real life--but it was nice and brown and very crisp. I put some butter underneath the skin.

-Rotisserie Chicken II

Along with it, I had more squash cooked in a little bacon grease, a couple of strips of crisp bacon mixed in before serving--oh--and I caramelized the onions before cooking them.. As you can see--I do them like mam did. I cook them down until they're somewhat brown--but not dry. I hope I've got enough saved for my DIL, who loves them, but doesn't have a market up there to buy them, and really doesn't want to cook them for just one person. I wish my grand kids would just try them, but my husband won't, so I'm sure they won't! I season them with salt, pepper and a little sugar, too.

Squash and onions

I cooked some cabbage just long enough to have it tender crisp--with a little salt and butter and pepper--hubby likes this--so I knew this and the Crash Hot potatoes I fixed and added a few strips of crumbled bacon strips and sour cream would give him a good supper after his walk. I was really tired, though, afterwards. I love using the rotisserie, but you have to clean each piece of it, as well--and the pots and pans are always fun, aren't they!  Then putting everything away! By the time I sat down last night, I was having back spasms on the right side, and put the ice [pack on it--it really helps more than the heating pad.

Crash Hot Potaotes with cheese, bacon and sour cream

Steamed Cabbage

Sorry--my pictures aren't like The Pioneer Woman's!!

I'm wishing I hadn't used all the cabbage. I found a good-looking recipe for Chinese Chicken Salad at this place, and I'd love to use it with the leftover chicken! I've always thought that Applebies Chinese Chicken Salad was pretty good, but I tink this homemade would top that!

Here is the recipe she used, too.

Chinese Chicken Salad
An easy and delicious salad to throw together with the perfect amount of crunch!


    1 cup sunflower seeds
    1 (16 oz) bag coleslaw mix
    2 packages Beef Top Ramon dry, save the packets
    1 bunch green onions chopped
    2 cups cooked and diced/shredded chicken
    . SAUCE . .
    1 cup peanut oil
    1/2 cup sugar
    1/3 cup white vinegar
    2 packets beef seasoning from Top Ramon packages listed above

Instructions

    In a large mixing bowl, toss sunflower seeds, coleslaw, chopped green onions and chicken.
    Smash Top Ramon packets with fists until they are crushed into small pieces. Reserve beef packets for sauce. Add Top Ramon pieces to salad and toss to evenly distribute.
    In blender, combine peanut oil, sugar, vinegar and beef packets. Blend until evenly mixed.
I also saw a recipe for a strawberry Salad I used to make all the time, and I want to see if I can get some decent strawberries to take to the beach to make it there! Please say a little prayer that I can go and be with my little family I love so much there. I need to get away, and I need to be with my grand-kids.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad (Remember this one??!)

 Strawberry Pretzel Jello Salad
2 cups crushed pretzels (I used the checker shaped ones but you can also use sticks)
    3/4 cup butter melted
    3 Tbsp. sugar
    16 oz. cream cheese softened
    1 1/2 cups sugar
    16 oz. cool whip thawed to room temperature
    1 (6 oz) box Strawberry Jello
    2 cups boiling water
    3 cups strawberries sliced

Instructions

    Combine melted butter and sugar. Stir in the crushed pretzels. Press evenly on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for 8 minutes. Let cool completely.
    In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and cool whip. Beat until smooth. Spread over pretzel crust. Make sure to get the cream mixture tight against the edges of the pan to prevent the jello mixture from seeping through.
    Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Remove from stove and add jello. Stir until Jello is dissolved. Add sliced strawberries. Pour over cream layer and put in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

I'm doing about the same, I guess. I hope all of you are doing great!  Soon, the fall will be here, and I hope it will make us feel a bit better! people are having problems with the heat, and with allergies, etc. all over the country. The rescue squad came to our neighborhood yesterday morning  in the early morning hours. One of our oldest neighbors was rushed to the hospital and then sent to MCV---with problems with her stomach. To have been sent there from 2 other hospitals in the same day--I'm afraid it's bad. She's only about 66-years-old, and I still haven't been able to hear from her. Please pray for our neighbor, Dianne.  She has been a good neighbor over the years!

I must confess I've spent two hours on Pinterst today, looking at the recipes people are posting.  That is a real time-suck, isn't it!

God bless you everyone...a little different than 'Tiny Tim's' words---but we all need God's blessings and mercy!