Perfect Summertime Treat...

Brynwood Needleworks - Mexican Confetti and Chips

I went to my great-nephew's high school graduation celebration yesterday afternoon. He actually graduated in 2020, but his family waited until the summer to have the party. I'm sure you all know what caused the delay, so I needn't give it any more air. I'll just say, we were all thrilled that we could gather for his big accomplishment.

 

I offered to take two of my favorite recipes, and today I'll share one of them with you. (Don't worry. I'll share the other one soon, too.) This one is a family favorite and I especially love it because it's mostly fresh ingredients. 

 

It's called Mexican Confetti. I'm not sure whether or not that name is PC anymore, but I'm going to follow Hermione Granger's (Harry Potter reference) thinking and say, "In the interest of international cooperation"...I'm going to continue to call it what I've known it as for the past 40+ years...Mexican Confetti.

 

 MEXICAN CONFETTI

Recipe from the kitchen of 

Donna Liljegren of Brynwood Needleworks 

YIELD: This makes a really large batch, so plan to make it for a party or family gathering.

 

 

Chop the following ingredients, and mix together in a large bowl:

1 can ripe olives - pitted, drained

2 large bunches green onions 

3 large green peppers

1# fresh mushrooms

6-7 large fresh tomatoes

I also add:

2-3 cups sweet corn, cooked, cooled. (No husks.)  

Add: 

1 jar Salsa (pick your favorite. I used a jar of our homemade.)                                                           

2-3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil 

3 tablespoons Wine Vinegar 

Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and refrigerate. The longer it stands, the better it tastes. Drain off accumulated liquid when serving.

Note: After you make it the first time, you can add to or change the recipe to suit your tastes. 

 

I'll be adding this to my “Recipes” page, too, (located at the top of my blog.) I hope you enjoy making it as much as I do. I know they were discussing who could take the leftovers home with them. I just know one thing for sure.

"It wasn't me, babe."

 

Yummy Appetizers...

Tuesday night was a fun evening spent with good friends. Our hostess opted for an "appetizer and dessert" menu, which I thought was genius! I had just seen this recipe on FaceBook, so I decided to make them to take along.

The first picture is my first attempt...which means anyone can make these. They were a huge hit, by the way!

The original idea came from EnjoyEasyMeals.com in a video presentation that you can view HERE. I didn't want to have to run the video every time I needed to see the quantities, so I wrote out the recipe as I watched it, and I'm sharing it with you below.

Apple Roses

preheat oven to 375º

Ingredients:
2 red delicious apples
fresh lemon
apricot preserves
cinnamon
puff pastry

Core and thinly slice apples (widthwise), leaving on the skin. Place into a bowl containing water and 1/2 squeezed lemon (no seeds, please). Microwave for 3 minutes. Mix 3 T apricot preserves and 1 T water to thin preserves.

Roll out one sheet of puff pastry onto flour. Roll or stretch out the pastry. Cut into 6 strips. Place apple slices on the top half of the strip, slightly overlapping and extending just past the top edge. Spread lower half of the pastry with the apricot/water mixture. Sprinkle cinnamon on the assembly. Fold pastry up, lengthwise, but leave the top of the apple slices peeking out. Starting at one end, roll the pastry and slices up until you get to the other end. I put a little preserve mixture on the end to seal the edge.

Place into a non-stick muffin pan. Bake in the oven for 40 - 45 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Let them cool down before serving. You wouldn't want to burn your nose!
Enjoy!

If you make these, please remember to go to the original post and leave a comment.

The other dish I took along was a recipe that was shared with me forty years ago by a girlfriend where I worked. I'm sad to say she passed about twenty years ago. This has been a summer standby all these years, and it's a real family favorite.

I shared it with Wisconsin Public Radio listeners when Larry Mieller put together a cookbook in 1988; and then shared it again with my friends and customers in my Stitches' Needleworker's Cookbook which I produced in 1990. I think it's only fair that I share it with my girl and guy friends here, too.

Mexican Confetti
Best if made with the freshest of fresh ingredients, and allowed to marinate a few hours before serving.

Chop and dice the following ingredients, and mix together in a large bowl:
1 can jumbo pitted ripe olives, drained
2 large bunches green onions
3 large green peppers
1 lb. fresh mushrooms (I use baby Portobellas)
6-7 tomatoes

Add:
1 jar of your favorite chunky salsa (desired strength: mild to spicy)
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped 

Cover and refrigerate. The longer it stands, the more the flavors mix - and the better it tastes.
Serve with your favorite tortilla chips. I like the blue ones! (Just adds more color to the dish.)

* After you make it the first time, add to or amend the recipe to your own taste. You might like to add avocado, a little lime juice or even a little hot pepper. (I'm partial to the avocado and lime juice, myself)

I hope you enjoy these goodies as much as my family, friends and I do.

Today, I'm gonna meet up with my girlfriend, Carol of Serendipity blog. We're gonna play in her studio for a little while and then we're going out for lunch. We have so much to catch up on before she heads north for the summer! It's always fun to spend the day with a friend. See you tomorrow!