Double Apple Mojito

Ingredients

• Small handful fresh mint, about 10 leaves
• 1 cup ice cubes
• Splash simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, heated until sugar dissolves; cool)
• 1/4 cup apple juice
• 1/3 cup vodka

Directions

In a tall glass, crush mint leaves with a muddler. Top with ice, simple syrup, apple juice and vodka. Garnish with red and green apples slices and serve.

Watermelon Fire and Ice Salsa

Ingredients

• 3 cups chopped watermelon
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the watermelon, green bell pepper, lime juice, cilantro, green onions, jalapeno and garlic salt. Mix well and serve.

Chicken and Bacon Shish Kabobs

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 10 large mushrooms, cut in half
• 2 green onions, minced
• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into chunks
• 1/2 pound sliced thick cut bacon, cut in half
• 1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained
• skewers

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix the soy sauce, cider vinegar, honey, canola oil, and green onions. Place the mushrooms and chicken into the mixture, and stir to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat grill for high heat.
3. Remove the mushrooms and chicken from the marinade and shake off excess. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes; set aside.
4. Wrap the chicken chunks with bacon, and thread onto skewers so that the bacon is secured. Alternate with mushroom halves and pineapple chunks.
5. Lightly oil the grill grate. Arrange skewers on the prepared grill. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, brushing occasionally with remaining soy sauce mixture, until bacon is crisp and chicken juices run clear.

Apple Crisp

Ingredients

• 10 cups all-purpose apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C).
2. Place the sliced apples in a 9×13 inch pan. Mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples. Pour water evenly over all.
3. Combine the oats, 1 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 45 minutes.

Bacon Cheese Dogs

Ingredients

• 8 slices bacon
• 8 all-beef hot dogs
• 8 hot dog buns
• 8 slices Swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup barbeque sauce, or amount to taste
• 1 small red onion, diced

Directions

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat. Lightly oil grate, and set 4 inches from the heat.
2. Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain on paper towels.
3. Place hot dogs on grill; cook until browned, 5 to 8 minutes, turning once, or until done to suit your taste. Lightly grill hot dog buns.
4. To assemble sandwiches, place a slice of cheese and bacon on each roll. Add a hot dog, top each with 1 tablespoon barbeque sauce, or desired amount, and red onion.

Texas Pork Ribs

Ingredients

• 6 pounds pork spareribs
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/4 cup salt
• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 5 tablespoons pan drippings
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 4 cups ketchup
• 3 cups hot water
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• cayenne pepper to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup wood chips, soaked

Directions

1. Clean the ribs, and trim away any excess fat. In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, 1/4 cup salt, ground black pepper, paprika, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Coat ribs liberally with spice mix. Place the ribs in two 10×15 inch roasting pans, piling two racks of ribs per pan. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Bake uncovered for 3 to 4 hours, or until the ribs are tender and nearly fall apart.
3. Remove 5 tablespoons of drippings from the bottom of the roasting pans, and place in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion in pan drippings until lightly browned and tender. Stir in ketchup, and heat for 3 to 4 more minutes, stirring constantly. Next, mix in water and brown sugar, and season to taste with cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour, adding water as necessary to achieve desired thickness.
4. Preheat grill for medium-low heat.
5. When ready to grill, add soaked wood chips to the coals or to the smoker box of a gas grill. Lightly oil grill grate. Place ribs on the grill two racks at a time so they are not crowded. Cook for 20 minutes, turning occasionally. Baste ribs with sauce during the last 10 minutes of grilling, so the sauce does not burn.

Triple Dipped Fried Chicken

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups beer or water
• 1 quart vegetable oil for frying
• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces

Directions

1. In one medium bowl, mix together 3 cups of flour, garlic salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, paprika and poultry seasoning. In a separate bowl, stir together 1 1/3 cups flour, salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, egg yolks and beer. You may need to thin with additional beer if the batter is too thick.
2. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Moisten each piece of chicken with a little water, then dip in the dry mix. Shake off excess and dip in the wet mix, then dip in the dry mix once more.
3. Carefully place the chicken pieces in the hot oil. Fry for 15 to 18 minutes, or until well browned. Smaller pieces will not take as long. Large pieces may take longer. Remove and drain on paper towels before serving.

Apple Crisp with Honey

Ingredients

• 4 cups peeled, cored and sliced apples
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 4 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium casserole dish.
2. Evenly spread the apple slices in the prepared dish. In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice and water, and pour over the apples. Drizzle apples with honey, and sprinkle with cinnamon.
3. In a bowl, mix the brown sugar, flour, oats, and butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the apples.
4. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until apples are tender and topping is lightly browned.

Watermelon Fruit Bowl

Ingredients

• 1 large watermelon
• 1 cantaloupe, halved and seeded
• 1 honeydew melon, halved and seeded
• 2 (15 ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained
• 2 (20 ounce) cans pineapple chunks, drained
• 2 cups halved fresh strawberries
• 2 cups seedless grapes
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

Directions

1. With a large, sharp knife, remove the top 1/4 section of the watermelon. With a melon baller, scoop flesh from inside of watermelon, removing as many seeds as possible. Leave 1/2 inch of flesh inside the shell of the watermelon. Scoop cantaloupe and honeydew in the same manner, removing as much flesh as possible, and discarding the rinds. Refrigerate fruits separately until ready to assemble.
2. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat, and continue stirring until sugar has completely dissolved. Add lemon zest, and set aside to cool.
3. To serve, place watermelon balls, cantaloupe, honeydew, oranges, pineapple, strawberries, and grapes, in a large mixing bowl. Pour syrup over, and toss thoroughly. Transfer mixture to watermelon bowl, and serve. Set aside any fruit mixture that will not fit. There will be enough fruit to refill the bowl.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 12 miniature peanut butter cups, chopped

• Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, beat the sugar and eggs with an electric mixer until thick, about 3 minutes. Set aside. Pour milk into a small saucepan, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Gradually drizzle the hot milk into the eggs while whisking vigorously. Then pour the whole mixture into the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Do not boil.
  2. Remove from heat, and whisk in peanut butter. Allow to cool slightly, then whisk in the sweetened condensed milk, half-and-half and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
  3. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Fold in peanut butter cups when mixture is still soft, then transfer to a container, and freeze until solid.