Let's Make Some Picnic Food

Watermelon Salad made by Judi

1 cubed watermelon
1 cubed English cucumber
1/4 red onion, chopped
8-10 small mint leaves
1 Tbps. cilantro (may add more if desired)
juice of 2 limes
1/2  - 1 cup olive oil
drizzle of balsamic vinegar

Toss all the above together and enjoy.

Macaroni Salad made by Lois

1 1/2 pounds elbow macaroni, cooked
2-3 stalks celery, sliced
2-3 carrots, sliced
1 12 oz. jar pickles - save the juice
8 hard boiled eggs, sliced
2 cups real mayonnaise
dash of paprika

Add the carrots, celery, pickles, and 6 of the eggs to the macaroni.  Mix the mayo and pickle juice together and fold into the other ingredients.  Put two of the eggs on top for  garnish and sprinkle with paprika.  Refrigerate until serving.  Options:  you can add onions, olives, or other garnishes you enjoy.

Rice Pilaf made by Andrea

1 stick margarine
1 (10 3/4 oz) can Campbell's French Onion Soup (or Onion)
1 (10 3/4 oz) can Campbell's Beef Consume Soup
1 1/2 cups Uncle Ben's Converted White Rice
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Melt margarine in a casserole dish in the oven.  Bring both soups just to a boil in a saucepan on top of the stove.  Mix rice grains into the melted margarine, stirring to cover all the grains with the margarine.  Stir the soups in with the rice mixture.  Bake in a 325 degree oven for 50 minutes in a covered casserole.  Add the grated cheese for the last 5 minutes and leave uncovered.  Serves 8-10.  I doubled this and it works well.

Sloppy Joe's made by Roseann

2 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped (optional)
1 bottle chili sauce
1 bottle water
1 can tomato soup
1 can water
2 tsp. brown sugar

Brown the meat in a dutch oven then push the meat to one side and then saute the onion.  Add the remaining ingredients and cook covered for 30 mins.  Then cook uncovered for another 30 minutes.  Always good when it is rewarmed and it can be frozen. 

Rave Review Baked Beans made by Kathy

1 lb. loose sausage or ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 (16 0z) cans pork and beans
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly grease a medium-size casserole.  Brown the meat in a skillet, stirring to break into bite-sized pieces; remove from the skillet.  Brown the onion and bell pepper in the meat droppings.  Drain the meat, onion, and pepper well.  Stir together the ketchup and black pepper.  Bake uncovered for about an hour or until the liquid is slightly thickened and the meat is tender.  

We love when school is out and the kids and grand kids of the Lovely Lunch Ladies can come to help us.  Here Kaylen and Brandon are helping Lyndsey frost cupcakes for the residents of the House.

Pretzel Salad made by Andrea

2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup margarine, melted
2 tsp. white sugar
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
3/4 cup white sugar
4 1/2 oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (6 oz) package strawberry flavored jello
2 cups boiling water
2 (10 oz) packages frozen strawberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a medium bowl, mix the crushed pretzels with the margarine and sugar.  Press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, and bake in the preheated oven for 8 mins.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Blend together the cream cheese and sugar.  Fold in the whipped topping and spread evenly over the cooled pretzel mixture.  In a medium bowl, dissolve the strawberry flavored jello in boiling water.  Mix in the strawberries and set aside to cool for about 15 mins.  Pour jello mixture over the cream cheese mixture and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.  

Pretzel Butterflies made by Andrea

50 small pretzel twists
small package of pretzel sticks
1 cup white vanilla candy coating, cut into pieces
1 tsp. vegetable oil
100 M & M's

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.  To make 25 butterflies, arrange the pretzel twists in a cookie sheet in groups of 2 with single-hole sides of pretzels touching to form the wings.  Melt about 1/4 cup of the white chocolate and 1/4 tsp. vegetable oil at a time in the microwave.  Put the melted chocolate  into a squeeze bottle or a pastry bag.  Squeeze the chocolate down the middle of the pretzels to form the body.  Make wider at the top and narrow at the bottom.  Break the pretzel sticks into small pieces and stick 2 at the top for antennae and add another dab of chocolate.  Put a blob of chocolate into each of the four holes and put an M & M into each.  Let these sit until they are totally dry. This will take close to an hour depending on the temperature of your room and the humidity.   Gently remove from the parchment paper and store in a tightly covered container.