Peach and Orzo Salad with Mango Viniagrette

OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, I HAVE made several pasta salads. Loaded with fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, they seem to be perfect for a light supper on a hot summer evening. The combinations are endless with the varieties of pasta shapes available as well as the abundance of summer produce.

This was one of our favorites. Our Southern peaches from South Carolina and Georgia have been outstanding this year--perfectly juicy with intense peach flavor. This salad uses those flavorful peaches along with small mozzarella balls and toasted pecans as well as other vegetables. The mango dressing really ties everything together.

Peach and Orzo Salad with Mango Viniagrette
8 ounces orzo, cooked according to package directions, drained
2 large peaches, peeled and chopped
4 scallions, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
8 ounces small fresh mozzarella balls
1 cup pecan halves, toasted
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup mango chutney
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large serving bowl, combine cooled orzo, peaches, scallions, celery, bell pepper, cheese, pecans, and parsley.

Add mango chutney, olive oil, and red wine vinegar to a mason jar and shake vigorously to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste and shake again.

Pour the dressing over the salad and combine well. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt, pepper, or vinegar if needed.

Mandarin Chicken Salad with Fresh Cranberries and Pecans

AFTER ROASTING A CHICKEN AND EATING IT for a couple of days, I decided to pick off the rest of the meat for a chicken salad. I knew I wanted fruit in it--maybe apples or grapes or both, neither of which I had on hand. Then I spotted the bowl of Clementines and thought, sure, why not.

I decided to add celery and scallions, and I knew I had some pecan halves leftover from Christmas baking. I also thought I would add some blue cheese and further thought I had some in the fridge, only to discover a little mouse (my husband) had eaten it. I did find a chunk of smoked Gouda so I used that.

After I got the ingredients together and dressed, I was stirring it and thinking how dull and colorless it looked. I was thinking, if I had some dried cranberries, I would add some for color as well as flavor. Then I remembered I had some homemade whole cranberry sauce in the refrigerator. Lovely. Perfect.

For serving, I garnished with additional tangerine sections and a dollop of cranberry sauce.


Mandarin Chicken Salad with Fresh Cranberries and Pecans
2 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup roasted pecan halves
2 Clementines/tangerines/cuties/satsumas (whatever the grower calls them, they are all Mandarin oranges) peeled, sectioned, and halved
3 oz. smoked Gouda, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup fresh whole cranberry sauce

Dressing
1/2 cup mayo
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. sugar or honey
1 clove garlic, minced

Mix the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and chill while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Stir together the shredded chicken, celery slices, scallion slices, pecans, tangerines, cheese, and cranberry sauce. Pour over the chilled dressing and toss until evenly distributed. Chill before serving.

Monte Cristo Quesadillas

EACH YEAR AFTER THANKSGIVING, we make Monte Cristo sandwiches, using slices of turkey, ham, and Swiss cheese. The sandwiches are dipped in an egg mixture and cooked in a hot skillet, much like French toast. The sandwiches are then sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with cranberry sauce.

These Monte Cristo quesadillas are not made with Thanksgiving leftovers because I don't yet have any. But I did have some tortillas I wanted to use, left from making Pot Roast Quesadillas. I used deli sliced turkey, ham, and Swiss cheese and served them with homemade Strawberry Ginger Jam.

I did not dip these quesadillas in custard before cooking but I did consider it. . .

Monte Cristo Quesadillas
2 large tortillas
2 - 3 oz. sliced turkey
2 - 3 oz. sliced ham
2 - 3 oz. sliced Swiss cheese
Powdered sugar
Butter for pan

Layer turkey, ham, and cheese slices on one tortilla. Top with the other tortilla.

Heat a pat or two of butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Put the stacked tortillas into the skillet and cook until well browned then flip over and cook the other side until browned and the cheese is melted.

Remove from skillet and dust with powdered sugar. Cut into wedges and serve with berry jam or maple syrup.

Repeat steps for additional quesadillas..

Fresh Cherry Chutney

AS AN ATTEMPT TO FIND MY LOST MOJO and break out of my case of the vapors, I bought a cheerful bag of fresh, ripe, juicy cherries. Due to some recent events in our life, my dear husband was feeling the same way. He came home with a bag of beautiful, velvety South Carolina peaches.

We tackled a dreaded but much needed task, together, over the weekend. Having that behind us and looking forward to gorgeous summer fruit seems to be working its magic.

The first thing I made was a spicy, bracing cherry chutney. Chutney is a condiment or sauce of East Indian origin made with sweet, sour, and spicy ingredients. Think of using chutney in place of cranberry sauce, raisin sauce, even jam or preserves. Top crackers with cream cheese and a dollop of chutney for a fulfilling snack. I especially love chutney with pungent cheese. 

Next up, I will show one of the uses I made of this chutney, but meanwhile, on to the recipe. This is a small and easily manageable batch of chutney.

Fresh Cherry Chutney

1 cup fresh cherries, washed, pitted, and halved

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2/ cup chopped red onion

3 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/4 cup golden raisins

2 Tbsp. chopped candied ginger

1 tsp. black mustard seeds

2-inch piece of cinnamon 

3 whole cardamom

freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp. sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium until boiling. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer gently 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to cook until the sauce is thickened, just a few minutes more. Remove from heat. Remove the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods.

Use right away or spoon into a jar to refrigerate. 

Sugar Plums

I AM TAKING A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO MY CHRISTMAS BAKING this year. Rather than baking one batch of cookies from start to finish one by one, I have had a few days of mixing doughs. Some are refrigerated, some frozen.

I have rolls of dough to use as slice and bake cookies. I have balls of dough which would traditionally be drop cookies. Some will be pressed into sheet pans for bar cookies. Also, my husband gave me a beautiful shortbread pan last month for my birthday, so I will be baking those too.

I feel much more productive this year and I don't have to worry if my cookies will be fresh when the time comes for sharing. We will see how this approach works when it comes to baking days.

Meanwhile, here is a no-bake goody that is actually pretty healthy.

Sugar Plums
4 cups rice krispies cereal
2 cups toasted pecans
15 oz. golden raisins
10 oz. pitted dates
3/4 cup honey
2 tsp. orange zest
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Pour cereal into a large mixing bowl.

Finely chop the pecans, raisins, and dates. (Or grind in food processor if you have one).

In a small bowl, combine the honey, orange zest, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.

Pour the fruit mixture and the honey mixture into the bowl with the cereal. Mix all together with a wooden spoon. Roll into 1 1/2" balls with greased hands.

Savory and Sweet Pineapple Cheese Ball

CHEESEBALL. HAVE YOU EVER CALLED SOMEONE THAT or gasp, been called a cheeseball yourself? Silly, corny, cheesy, goofy.

I think of the Cheese Ball itself to be rather cheesy--middle brow, 1960's suburbia cocktail party,

Be that as it may, I love cheese balls. There are so many varieties and they beckon fun and creativity. Shapes can be altered, cheeses varied, decoration ideas are endless. Try forming one into a cone and roll in chopped parsley to make a Christmas tree, which can be decorated with roasted red pepper and green olives. How about one with smoked salmon, formed into a fish shape with sliced almonds for scales. Or make one with blue cheese, roll in walnuts and serve with pear slices. Try rolling your ball in smoked paprika or coarsely ground black pepper.

This is my favorite cheese ball. I adore the flavor combination of sharp cheddar cheese and pineapple. The red bell pepper and scallions add dimension and the crunch of the toasted sliced almonds gives the perfect bite.

With crackers and crudites, I could happily eat this as a meal.

Savory and Sweet Pineapple Cheese Ball
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated, room temperature
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2 - 3 scallions, sliced
1 cup chopped, fresh pineapple (or canned, unsweetened)
1/4 tsp. (or more to taste) cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups toasted, sliced almonds

Beat the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bell pepper, scallions, pineapple, and cayenne until blended. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Shape into a ball; roll in sliced almonds. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Serve with crackers and crudites.

A Simple Baked Cabbage and Pear Side Dish

The lowly cabbage is one of my husband's favorite vegetables. I love it too and am constantly thinking up new ways to use it. 

And there are many ways: coleslaw, sauerkraut, cooked with corned beef for St. Patrick's day, kimchi, vegetable soup, stir fry, borscht, stuffed cabbage rolls, braised, steamed, roasted, egg rolls, and so much more.

Cabbage is an under recognized nutritional powerhouse, is available year round, and is cheap!

I made this simple pear and cabbage side dish to serve as a salad with a rich meal. The pears added a sweetness to the dish and mellowed the often piquant taste of the cabbage.  Some of my dining companions didn't even know it was cabbage.

You can fancy it up if you wish. Some crumbled bacon would be delicious. Chunks of blue cheese and toasted walnuts would be scrumptious.

Baked Cabbage and Pears
1 small head cabbage, cored and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 small sweet onion, chopped
2 pears, cored and sliced
2 Tbsp. butter, plus more for pan if desired
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice from half a lemon
Cayenne pepper, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter (or spray) an 8x8 inch baking dish.

Place cabbage into prepared dish, then layer the onions. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread pear slices over the cabbage and onions and sprinkle with lemon juice. Dot the top with butter.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 - 30 minutes, until desired tenderness.

Arrange on salad plates and dust with a little cayenne pepper if desired.

Composed Salads, Grain Bowls, and Organizing Photo Files

IF YOU LOVE COOKING AND YOU LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY (a match made in heaven) you will most likely end up with a backlog of photo files to sort through.

My files had gotten so big, they were bogging down my computer. It was time to stop procrastinating and get to work. I have deleted hundreds on photos and transferred others to an external drive.

I do photograph many things other than food and this process has taken me down a memory lane of the past couple of years. There are so many cute pictures of the children--they grow and change so fast. There were pictures of my head, bald from chemo, to growing out, to my first haircut last week. There are many photos of beautiful flowers, birds, bunnies, butterflies, and bugs from our yard. Scenic photos from the gorgeous, vibrant, and hip place I am blessed to live--Asheville, North Carolina.

Mandarin Chicken Salad

As I culled photographs, I decided to share some of the things I have made, we ate, but never made it to my blog. Mainly because I wasn't pleased with the photos. But also because I wasn't thrilled with the taste of the food. I only blog about things I think are delicious.

For example, the Mandarin Chicken Salad. Ho-hum.

Shrimp, Brown Rice, and Vegetable Salad

I can see the salad has a dressing but I don't remember what it was. Which is another danger of letting my photo files back up. I can't remember what I did.






































I remember loving the brown rice and tofu bowl--I would happily eat it right now. I suppose I could fake some recipes. . .

Many things I love, tuna, cheese, boiled eggs, radishes, cornichons, sprouts (!) with baby lettuces.

Waldorf Quinoa Salad

I was really happy with this meal, but I didn't get any photos I loved. Quinoa, grapes, celery, apples, lettuce, candied pecans, and crumbled blue cheese. (Some kind of dressing). Mmmm, I think I'll try this again.

I was also happy about this meal, but again did not get shots of it that I loved. It was an awesome combination of flavors, quinoa, black beans, roasted Japanese sweet potatoes, pineapple, cheddar cheese, and spinach. I dressed this one with a Honey Lime Vinaigrette.

Honey Lime Vinaigrette
1 small sweet onion, preferably Vidalia, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 large tomato, washed and peeled
1 lime, washed, roughly chopped and seeded
2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil

Put all ingredients into blender and process until smooth.

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

 WHEN PRITCHARD PARKER CAME HOME WITH A BASKETFUL of raspberries, my imagination quickly got busy dreaming up ways to appreciate them. We ate many, simply rinsed and enjoyed au naturel, and is there really any better way to savor fresh, summer fruit? I made some into smoothies. Some are frozen for later use.

After I fixed on the idea of using raspberries in a cheesecake, I considered my options. I thought of adding raspberry puree directly into the cream cheese mixture to make a raspberry-scented pink cheesecake. And maybe I would even top it with a chocolate ganache? Or perhaps I would make a plain cheesecke and top it with a raspberry sauce?

Ultimately, I decided to make this Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake because I thought it was so lovely.

This cheesecake does involve several steps beginning with making a graham cracker crust, which involves crushing graham crackers, melting butter, mixing, pressing it into the springform pan and baking until set.

The cream cheese and eggs need to be at room temperature.

A roasting pan is needed for a water bath, also boiling water needs to be at the ready. (I don't have a roasting pan big enough to contain my springform pan, so I used one of those disposable pans from the grocery store and tossed it into the recycling bin once I was finished).

A raspberry puree is made by processing the raspberries in the blender until smooth and  pressing them through a strainer to remove the seeds.

The cheesecake needs to be refrigerated for several hours before unmolding and serving.

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake
(A Martha Stewart Recipe)
1 cup finely ground graham crackers
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 3/4 cups sugar
6 ounces raspberries
32 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature
Boiling water, for roasting pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap exterior of a 9-inch springform pan (including base) in a double layer of foil; set aside.

Stir together cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom of pan. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Process raspberries in a food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pass puree through a fine sieve into a small bowl; discard solids. Whisk in 2 tablespoons sugar, and set aside.

Put cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar in a slow, steady stream. Add salt and vanilla; mix until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing each until just combined (do not overmix). Pour cream cheese filling over crust.

Drop raspberry sauce by the teaspoon on top. With a wooden skewer or toothpick, swirl sauce into filling.

Set cake pan inside a large, shallow roasting pan. Transfer to oven. Carefully ladle boiling water into roasting pan to reach halfway up sides of cake pan. Bake until cake is set but still slightly wobbly in center, 60 to 65 minutes.

Transfer cake pan to rack; let cake cool completely. Refrigerate, uncovered, 6 hours or overnight. Before unmolding, run a knife around edge of cake.

Cherry Wild Rice Salad with Mango Vinaigrette

I RECENTLY PARTICIPATED IN A GROUP DISCUSSION facilitated by a Registered Dietitian who advocates following an anti-inflammatory diet. The RD was obviously very well educated and knowledgeable. He was also relaxed and likeable in an unassuming and appealing way.

More importantly, for me,  he was a cook and gave a lot of helpful food preparation tips. He also had personal experience with many of the fantastic grocery stores and specialty markets in our area, regarding specific product availability and also pricing comparisons. And his shopping research covered stores from the discount box to the most shi-shi boutique.

The anti-inflammatory diet is based on fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, beans and legumes, healthy fats, fish and seafood (and more) while eliminating refined flours, sugars, and processed foods. It was developed by Dr. Andrew Weil, on the belief that chronic inflammation is at the root of many serious illnesses.  The diet promotes the foods which reduce inflammation while providing steady energy and plenty of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and dietary fiber. 

I really enjoyed the meeting because the study of nutrition and health has been near and dear to my heart all my life.

The secret to this wild rice salad is the dressing and the secret ingredient of the dressing is mango chutney. Which is not on the anti-inflammatory diet pyramid. Otherwise this salad as a meal perfectly fits the bill.

Over the years I have made this salad with different fruits; apples and grapes in fall, dried apricots and raisins in winter. I have used sliced almonds or walnuts rather than the toasted pecans I have used here. The original recipe came from the one-of-a-kind, and now defunct, Blue Moon Bakery in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. I savored their Wild Rice Salad so many times, always trying to analyze it so I could make it myself.

It was years later that I finally learned the secret ingredient. I wrote about it once before, here at my blog.

Wild Rice Salad with Mango Vinaigrette
8 oz. wild rice, cooked according to package directions, and cooled
1 red bell pepper, chopped
6 green onions, sliced
1 small sweet onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and sliced
1 cup pecans, toasted
1/2 bunch (approx. 1/2 cup) minced parsley

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Dress with the following dressing.


Mango Vinaigrette
1/4 cup mango chutney
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, or more to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Puree the chutney and vinegar, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Mix the dressing into the rice mixture. Adjust the vinegar, salt and pepper, to taste.

Cool Honey Mint Smoothie

ABOUT FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, I read a book called The Four Agreements. In the book, the author, Don Miguel Ruiz discusses the Toltec concept of mitote (me-toe-tay).  Mitote refers to a cacophony of voices in your head which are all talking but none of them seem to be listening.

My husband has always called it "too many things to think about all at the same time".

I mention it because this is where I have been for a few weeks. Some people thrive on constant busy-ness, others take pride in their ability to multi-task. Not I. It really disturbs my peace and happiness to pay constant partial attention to many undertakings and future duties at once. I prefer to be more mindful, to live in a state of balance, and to enjoy my life.

Would you like to slow down, relax, and savor a fresh, cooling, and healthful smoothie with me?

Cool Honey Mint Smoothie
3 cups chopped honeydew melon
1 cup peeled, seeded, and chopped cucumber
1/2 ripe avocado
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. honey
1 cup plain yogurt
Coconut water

Place melon, cucumber, avocado, fresh mint, lime juice, honey and yogurt in blender. Process, using  as much coconut water as needed to blend to desired consistency.

Garnish with cucumber slices and mint springs.

Lemon Pound Cake with Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting Decorated with Sugared Blueberries

 IN HONOR OF THE RETREAT I ATTENDED last week (Camp Bluebird), to celebrate summer, my favorite season, and to debut the kooky and festive cake stand that followed me home from an estate sale,  I present you with Lemon Pound Cake with Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting decorated with sugared blueberries.

Several steps were involved in making this cake, including zesting and juicing fresh lemons, preparing a lemon syrup, pureeing and straining fresh blueberries, and making  sugared blueberries so they can be set aside to dry. Those are details I like to go ahead and put behind me before even beginning the cake baking process.

The butter, eggs, buttermilk, and cream cheese all need time to come to room temperature so plan accordingly. The cake layers need time to cool completely before frosting.

To make sugared blueberries, rinse and dry fresh, plump blueberries. Beat one egg white along with a teaspoon of cold water until very frothy, but not stiff. Pour as many blueberries as you want for decorations into the egg white mixture. Roll each blueberry, individually,  in sugar and set onto a board to dry for at least 2 hours.

For blueberry puree, blend about 8 ounces of fresh blueberries in a blender. Strain out the solids in order to make a completely smooth frosting. Use leftover blueberry puree for making smoothies.

Lemon Pound Cake
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup grated lemon zest
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 (8-inch) cake pans.

Cream butter and sugar, with electric mixer, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the lemon zest.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Add the flour and buttermilk alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Blend in vanilla.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth top. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto cooling racks set over wax paper.

While cakes are baking, make a lemon syrup by combining 1/2 cup sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Spoon over the cakes on the cooling racks, then let the cakes cool completely before frosting.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. (1 stick) butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsp. blueberry puree
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
4 cups powdered sugar, as needed

Whip butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer until very pale and creamy, about 8 minutes. Mix in blueberry puree and vanilla. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, and beat well until fluffy. If the frosting is too stiff add a little blueberry puree; if too thin, add more powdered sugar. Use about a cup of frosting between the cake layers and the remaining for the top and sides of the cake.

My frosting was a little more oozy than I usually like it because I was trying to achieve a vibrant blueberry color. I used more puree and less sugar than I would have used if I'd wanted to pipe frosting onto the cake.

Decorate with sugared blueberries.

Fresh Strawberry & Ginger Jam (a small batch)

IT IS A COOL AND RAINY DAY and I am glad. I'm having a tad of trouble transitioning to summer. It is not the heat--I love that. It is the noise. From year to year, I forget waking before dawn to the cheep, cheep, trilling, cawing, cooing, tweedle-dee of our avian choir. It is really a joyful sound but it does jar me from my dreams.

Then the machines start up. The mowers, blowers, trimmers, tillers. Somewhere in the neighborhood a building project is happening, so there is hammering and buzzzzing and the most grating sound in the world, that high-pitched, jangly beep-beep-beep of some vehicle in reverse. Repeatedly. Do those things only go backward?

Today, the birds are roosting, the gardening and building projects are on hold, the weather is cooler and I have closed the windows.

What a great day to simmer a fragrant pot of strawberries. . .

Fresh Strawberry & Ginger Jam
1 pound fresh strawberries, washed, hulled, and diced
1 cup sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp. candied ginger, diced

Combine ingredients in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes until mixture begins to look syrupy and thickened.

Let cool to room temperature before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

Pink Grapefruit and Avocado Smoothie

I AM STILL ENJOYING A SMOOTHIE (almost) every day. I say almost because things do come up. Last weekend, we had an out-of-town family get together. Four of us girls shared a hotel suite and had a blast! I was outnumbered on the temperature control; I like to be very warm but the other three said, "no way".

I knew this beforehand so I packed extra warm PJ's for hanging around the room. And I refrained from packing my blender though I did think about it. The hotel had breakfast so we ate there. I'm not used to eating breakfast at all, but I did enjoy slipping on my sweat yoga pants and riding the elevator down to a choice of bacon, sausage, eggs, toast, biscuits and gravy, waffles, pastries, grits, oatmeal, fresh fruit, yogurt, and ice cold orange juice.

Somehow, I became the designated waffle maker.  I thought about Mama telling me of a trip she was on with Daddy. While she was checking out the hotel's breakfast line-up, a man walked up beside her, one she thought was her husband, and she asked, "Do you want me to make you a waffle?" The man replied, "Well, sure." Mama was very embarrassed when she realized the man was a stranger, fortunately a good humored one.

Avocados have become one of my favorite smoothie ingredients. Not only are they full of good nutrition, they blend up so smooth and creamy, taste delicious, and keep me satisfied for hours.  Almost every smoothie I make has a banana because they add just the right amount of sweetness. A juicy pink grapefruit makes this one just perfect.

Pink Grapefruit and Avocado Smoothie
1 ripe avocado
1 pink grapefruit
1  ripe banana
1/2 cup yogurt
Milk, coconut water, or juice as needed or desired for consistency
1 serving protein powder (optional)

Peel and roughly chop avocado and put into blender. Add one peeled banana. Peel grapefruit including the white pith. Holding the peeled grapefruit over the blender to catch juices, cut sections away from the membrane using a sharp paring knife and let them drop into the blender. Squeeze the grapefruit to catch all the juice. Add the yogurt and protein powder if using. Add liquid of choice and blend to desired consistency.