Finally, a weekend with sun. You might think I’m crazy, but I swear I could hear my garden stretching and growing under the sun.
I had a note from “Anna Banana.” She told me her husband put her hardened dishwasher detergent in a ziplock bag and gently pounded it with a hammer to break it up. Thank you Anna, sometimes the simple things work and I over-think them. I found a different recipe for liquid dishwasher detergent using liquid castile soap. I’m not sure where to find that and am on a mission to try this one.
We have hard water in this area, whether you are on town water or have a well and I think we need the citrus or vinegar and salt to help dissolve the minerals and rinse the deposits from our dishes. I don’t care to wash dishes by hand, I really don’t want to wash them after I wash them in the dishwasher. I also heard from Byrna. She promises to let us know how she makes out with her gingerbeer. Byrna, I think the bottled ginger you have is what they are calling for.
Strawberries will be ready in a few weeks. I plan on making some strawberry rhubarb jam. What are your favorite strawberry recipes? Won’t you share some with us?
Frozen Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup butter
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
4 ounces frozen strawberries
1 cup whipped cream
Directions: Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside. Beat the butter, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup white sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth.
Beat the first egg into the butter until completely blended, then beat in the vanilla with the last egg. Mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the pecans; mixing just enough to evenly combine. Drop spoonfuls of the dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 9 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack. Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese and 1 cup white sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Place the strawberries in a blender or food processor.
Blend until smooth. Stir strawberry puree into the cream cheese mixture, then fold in the whipped cream. Assemble sandwiches by spreading the cheesecake filling onto the bottom of a graham cracker cookie, then topping with a similar sized cookie. Repeat until all the sandwiches are assembled. Freeze for at least one hour before serving.
I really enjoy this time with you each week and would love to hear from you. Do you have any requests? Is there a recipe you have been looking for or remember from your younger years? Can I help you find it? Do you have any recipes that are special to you that you could share with us? Please contact me at susieqcooking@ainop.com or c/o Pioneer Times, P.O. Box 456, Houlton, Maine 04730.
