SALAD DAYS

Fresh, crisp and full of flavor! Salads just seem to taste better in the summer. Take a trip to your local Farmers Market and pick up some beautiful greens, ripe tomatoes and succulent vegetables. Put them all together and enjoy a salad you create yourself.

For this salad, prepare and assemble your ingredients:

• lettuce and other greens (spinach, arugula, etc.)
• 
  
  red or green onions
• 
  
  cherry or grape tomatoes
• 
  
  avocado

Add protein:

• 
  
  hard boiled eggs
• grated cheeses
• ham, turkey, chicken, etc.
• crisp, crumbled bacon

Add other vegetables and toppings depending on your preferences:

• 
  
  cauliflower, broccoli
• cucumber
• sprouts
• sesame seeds
• edamame
• tofu
• croutons

Dressing:

Use any dressing you prefer or offer a selection if you are serving to guests.

What is your favorite salad topping? Which dressing do you prefer for a mixed salad like this one? Leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!

MINESTRONE SOUP

Freshly made hearty soup filled with vegetables and flavored with simple herbs and spices. So easy and very tasty. If you have never attempted to make soup from scratch, start with this one. You can make this and enjoy lovely hot soup for several meals. I made a double batch and put some in the freezer.

For a printable version of this recipe (with an itemized ingredient list and without photos) click here.

Use whatever leftover meat and vegetables you have in your kitchen. I used about a cup of chopped ham, some carrots, celery, potato, cabbage, beans, peas and onion.

QUICHE with HAM and MUSHROOMS

QUICHE with HAM & MUSHROOMS

Here's another way to use your leftover baked ham. If you don't want to use ham, just leave it out. It will still taste delicious. This recipe makes two 9-inch pies. As long as I'm going to the trouble of making something I know I like, I like to make extra for another meal or to share.

If you have not attempted a quiche before because you thought it was tricky or too difficult, you will be surprised at how simple this dish really is. Just get everything together before you start and follow the steps and you will enjoy your own homemade quiche today. I like to pair it with a fruit salad and a croissant for lunch. You can enjoy this for breakfast too. It's even good cold!

To make shopping easier, use my handy printed shopping list. Click on the Shopping List tab above and you can print the pdf document.

For a printable version of this recipe without photos, click here.

SPLIT PEA SOUP

SPLIT PEA SOUP w/HAM

Put this easy recipe together in your slow cooker in the morning and come home to a rich, hearty soup at the end of your day. So easy and delicious! This recipe is a good way to use the leftovers from the baked ham you made for dinner. If you didn't bake a ham, just buy a slice of ham at the grocery store. Get a piece that has a bone. This recipe is almost fool proof and a good recipe for a beginner.

To make shopping easier, use my handy printed shopping list. Click on the Shopping List tab above and you can print the pdf document.

For a printable verison of this recipe without photos, click here.

REUBEN SANDWICHES

There's nothing like a Reuben Sandwich! Hot, crunchy, savory, melty, what a treat. This is such a good way to use your corned beef leftovers. This sandwich is built, not just slapped together. There is the right way to make it and then you can always modify it to your liking. I'll show you what I like and how to build it.

CORNED BEEF HASH & EGGS

Oh man! This is a great way to enjoy corned beef leftovers! I confess, I have never made corned beef hash. Like me, you may not know how a recipe will turn out, especially if you have never tried it. I am always optimistic at the outset and sometimes it turns out well and sometimes it doesn't. Since corned beef hash is such a great way to use up leftovers I really wanted to see if I could make it and here it is!

And yes, that is a homemade buttermilk biscuit you see on the plate in the photo above. Yes, it was tasty, and if I had the perfect recipe, I would share it with you. My mom made the world's best biscuits and I have been on a long quest to re-create that tender morsel of perfection. I'll let you know when I get there...

Now back to these lovely leftovers: this recipe is flexible and that means you can add more and different ingredients or cook your eggs separately or spice it up or tone it down to your liking.

For a printable version without photos, click here.