Grilled Corn Salad

6 ears corn, shucked
2 avocados, cut into cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

3 green onions

1/2 of a small can of diced chili peppers, or 1 teaspoon of diced jalapenos

Dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

Grill corn and green onions over low heat until it starts to brown in spots; allow to cool slightly and the cut the kernels off the cob, finely chop the white portions of the onion. Stir together the dressing ingredients, stir in the avocado chunks first followed by the remaining ingredients. Chill to allow the flavors to meld.

Note: The only reason I stir the avocados in first is so that they get coated with lime juice to slow the browning.

Yield: about 1-1/2 quarts(mind you they were kinda smallish ears of corn)

Meatloaf

8 ounces, fluid Tomato Sauce - divided

1-½ pound Ground Beef

1 cup Bread Crumbs (I Always Use Italian)

1 whole Egg, Slightly Beaten

1 whole Yellow Onion, Finely Chopped

2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

1 teaspoon Thyme, Fresh Or Dried

½ teaspoons Garlic Salt

½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper

1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Ground Mustard

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Reserve 1/4 cup tomato sauce.
• Combine ground beef, remaining tomato sauce, bread crumbs, egg, onion, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, garlic salt and pepper. Mix together in a large bowl.
• Put mixture in a loaf pan. If you want to cut fat, you can buy a meatloaf pan that has an insert so the fat drains to the bottom.
• In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine reserved tomato sauce, brown sugar and ground mustard. Spread over the top of the loaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. 
• Cook to 160 degrees.
• Pour off grease after 45 minutes, put back in the oven for 15 minutes. Let sit 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes: I'd add a little less brown sugar to the topping sauce. This held together well when sliced.

Source

Tilapia grilled on a cedar plank

In the "Could-Not-Have-Been-Better" category -

1. Soak the cedar plank in water for 30 minutes or so and then let the excess surface water drain off.
2. Place tilapia on the plank.
3. Brush with olive oil
4. Sprinkle with lemon pepper, salt, dill weed.
5. Grill over medium heat coals until done (10-15 minutes).
6. Make more than you think you'll need because even Jenni wanted more.

Orange Julius

1 can (6 oz.) orange juice concentrate

1 can milk

1 can water

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 c sugar

10 ice cubes

Mix everything in a blender. Serve immediately.

Coffee Toffee Brownies

Brownies:

3/4 c (1 1/2 sticks) butter

1 gently heaped cup (6 ounces) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

3/4 c cocoa

1 tbls. espresso powder (or instant coffee crystals)

1 tbls. vanilla

2 c sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

4 eggs

1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 c all-purpose flour

Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch pan. Over medium-low heat, or in the microwave, melt together the butter and chocolate, stirring till smooth. Stir in the cocoa, espresso powder, vanilla, sugar, and salt. Whisk in the eggs one at a time.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the baking powder and flour, then stir these dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture until just blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, and bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 34-38 minutes, until their top is shiny but the middle is still soft. Remove them from the oven and cool for 30 minutes before icing.

Icing & Topping:

1 tbls. espresso powder (or instant coffee crystals)

1 tbls. hot water

1 1/2 c confectioners' sugar

2-3 tbls. heavy cream or milk

1/2 c toffee-flavored bits

In a medium-sized bowl, mix the espresso powder and hot water, then stir in the sugar and heavy cream or milk. Spread the icing over the brownies, then sprinkle with the toffee bits (crushed, if you like). Cool the brownies for several hours before cutting into squares. Yield: 24 brownies.

Source: King Arthur Flour Catalog

A Little Dessert, Anyone?

This was about as close to perfect as dessert can get in my opinion (and that's pretty high praise from someone who typically passes on cake). I started with Grandma's Picnic Perfect Chocolate Cake recipe (a long-time favorite, as you can see)
and I topped it with Pioneer Woman's That's The Best Frosting I've Ever Had!

It's fantastic! The texture is like that frosting you can get on Sam's Club cakes (not the buttercream option), but instead of tasting like some cousin to the non-nutritive cereal varnish invented by Clark Griswold, it's a perfect combination of butter and not too much sweetness. Really, try it - you'll never want buttercream again.

I divided the batter into a 6" and 8" Wilton round pan. We ate the smaller one and I froze the other one until you all get here later this month. I think you'll be pleased.

Jolene's Scones

3 ¼ c. flour

½ c. sugar

2 ½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

Mix all the dry ingredients together and then add

1 c. buttermilk

¾ c. butter (softened but not melted)

For cinnamon chip scones mix in 1 c. cinnamon chips

OR

For raspberry white chocolate scones add 1 c. white chocolate chips and about 1/3 to 1/2 c. fresh raspberries (the raspberries make the dough really sticky and messy so they are a bit more difficult to mix in)

Divide the dough into two balls and then form them into 7 in. circles. Coat the top with melted butter and sprinkle generously with raw cane sugar. Cut each of the circles into 8 and place them on ungreased cookie sheet. They do expand while baking so space them out a bit!

Bake at 425 for 10-14 min.

NOTE: I didn't even get one of these. They were so good that all 90 were eaten!