Not any of our favorite drink but still refreshing. We did not add the alcohol and I think it would be better with it added. Just no drinkers among us. If you do enjoy a kick to your drink I would give it a try. Tart with a hint of mint. I made it the night before which enhanced the mint and cut a little of the lime flavor. Michael added sugar and said it improved. We are just a little more sweet tea connoisseurs. Add the vodka. Cheers! Thanks Paula!
I have to tell you making homemade ice-cream really brought back the memories for me. Growing up we had an ice-cream maker that you had to turn by hand and I loved turning that thing. Mom would make the ice-cream (and she made plenty of flavors over the years) and my cousins or whomever we had over the house for the picnic or whatever we got together for would take turns cranking the ice-cream maker, adding ice and salt along the way until you couldn't turn it anymore, someone would even have to stand on the top of the ice-cream maker to hold it down and keep it from moving all over the place, what great memories. Of course I used an electric on so it took a bit of the nostalgia out of it but the lemon custard ice-cream was fantastic very smooth and creamy, even if it wasn't hand cranked. Thanks Paula! Enjoy!
One of my favorite foods is baked beans. I have a recipe I love that does not include soy sauce or Creole mustard but must have ketchup. This recipe is great and it has no ketchup in it! I look forward to the leftovers. I could not find Creole mustard at any store. I finally found Cajun mayonnaise and gave it a try. I would definitely recommend it not only for the beans but also on a sandwich or as a dipping sauce. The crumbled bacon through out was an added flavor and a treat since I rarely use "real" bacon. A great addition to any outdoor event. Thanks Paula!
Another addition to a cookout is potato salad. This version has a unique taste with the lemon juice and dill. There was an option of basil or dill and I chose organic dill. I think it was a good choice. I did add a little more mayonnaise than it called for because I felt it had too tart a lemon flavor. With that addition of more mayonnaise the lemon added a nice flavor. This goes well with the baked beans. Makes me ready for another cookout. Thanks Paula!
As I started loading all the pictures this week of the food we had prepared from Paula's menu we put together each week I discovered that I hadn't taken a picture of this dish and thought, oh no this will be the first recipe that we won't have a picture of for the blog. I immediately went to the kitchen and discovered that I still had enough of all the ingredients that make this recipe and put a sandwich together and took a picture of it on my kitchen table, (as you will notice everything else was taken outside on the patio as it was such a beautiful day we ate outside for Memorial Day!), so you have a picture of this food item on the blog, whew! What a unique dish! This was fresh chicken tenders marinated in buffalo wing sauce and grilled with baby spinach, fresh bacon bits and blue cheese dressing all on a bun (I used Hoagie buns), it's a great alternative to a traditional hot dog or hamburger. If you don't care for blue cheese dressing you can substitute for one of your choice. A great sandwich! Thanks Paula. Enjoy!
Who doesn't love corn on the cob and this was so easy and good that it will surely be a favorite during the spring, summer and fall months when you can use the outdoor grill. What a great flavor. All you do with the corn is pull back the husks and clean all of the silk off and brush butter over the corn and grill (turning it as you go) until the corn is slightly brown and cooked through, it was fun leaving the something to hold onto while you eat it instead of using the corn holders! Thanks Paula! Enjoy!
I love salads and this was so good, the fresh sugar snap peas, asparagus, peas and radishes in the dressing was wonderful, and so healthy too! The dressing was Dijon mustard, dill, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper! It was very easy to put together and will go with any main dish. This was a perfect side dish with the shrimp and grits cakes! Thanks again Paula! Enjoy!
My daughters favorite. Add bacon and sharp cheddar cheese and these are loaded with all her favorites. We were all very happy she was able to join us for our Memorial Day Weekend With Paula Cookout. We have missed her because all of her time is spent on a Master Degree. Hardest part of this recipe is cracking the shells off the eggs. That is if you use the prepared bacon instead of frying it. Mayonnaise and sour cream blend well. A few drops of yellow food coloring give them eye and taste appeal. Make extra because they go quickly. Thanks Paula!
Anytime you want a perfect dessert that everyone will love just serve any type of "Gooey Bars". They have been a family and friend favorite ever since the first bite. We have tried many flavors and it is impossible to pick a favorite. They are all great. The strawberry ones were as good as all the others we have tried. So pick a flavor and the compliments will start. Easy to make. The only hard part is getting them perfectly gooey. A fine line between not done, gooey, and a little too done. As often as you will be making them it won't take long before you will know gooey. Some favorites of our family have been caramel, chocolate mint, red velvet, and chocolate peanut butter to name only a few. Make up favorites of your own or check out your local Wal-Mart to see if they carry them already made. These are a favorite of Paula's also. Thanks Paula!
Who doesn't like French fries? Well this recipe was very unusual and very good. The light cornmeal breading gave the potatoes a great flavor and they were surprisingly very easy to make, other than the chopping they were very easy to make. They would go with many different types of meat to make a great meal. These will surely be a hit with adults and kids! Enjoy!
It was nice having three very different dipping sauces for the fries. I had never used Wasabi powder for cooking before and it is really good. Not sure which one of the three was the biggest favorite, I think they were all well liked. These sauces would be good for a lot of different appetizer type foods. Wonderful with the fries! Thanks Paula! Enjoy!
Hamburgers are the quintessential summer food and Paula knows how to make them yummy! The thing that makes these so good is the "liquid smoke" ingredient and the "Hickory Smoke" barbecue sauce that was mixed into the lean ground chuck. I bought 92% lean ground chuck which made the burgers a bit more healthy. The recipe for these burgers was that you make thin 4 inch patties and cut a slice of sharp cheddar cheese into four little pieces which you place on top of a patty and then take another patty and put it on top and then seal the edges so the cheese doesn't come out while you are grilling them. I used premium Italian Crustini rolls for the buns. The burgers were fantastic! The fresh tomato, lettuce, reserved bacon slices and caramelized onions just put these burgers way over the top! A sure summer grill-out favorite! Thanks Paula. Enjoy!
Who doesn't like a great caramelized onion? These were so easy to prepare, all you do is cut a large sweet onion (I used a Texas sweet onion) into thin slices and put the whole onion into a large skillet with about 3 tablespoons of butter and saute them until tender and slightly golden brown. You could use the onions for a side dish or eat them on whatever you would like, we used them on the burgers! Delicious! Enjoy
Another delicious tea! I had to change it to red raspberry tea because I could not find the blackberry syrup at any grocery in town. It was wonderful with the flavor I used but still looking and we will try the blackberry when found. The lemon juice gave the drink an added flavor. Summer days are here and any of the teas we have tried will be a added touch to you family or entertaining meals. We keep a few in our refrigerator at all times to enjoy throughout the day. Thanks Paula!
Want the best sweet tea you will ever taste then try this recipe. My daughter and I love flavored teas. We buy fruit syrup to add to our tea at home and order it when out to dinner. This tea has a fresh fruit flavor that beats the best syrup. I used strawberries for the tea. After the sugar, water, and fruit boil to a syrup I used the strained fruit as a preserve on our biscuits. Two for the price of one recipe. We loved the tea so much that I made mango tea this week, Mango's are my daughter's favorite fruit. It was just as good. We can't wait for peach season. If you have a Trader Joe close try their organic mango's and strawberries. I used their sweetened and unsweetened black tea. A simple way to great tea. Michael and Mike enjoyed the tea as much as we did. Thanks Paula!
If you want a great dessert that everyone will enjoy this is it! Wow, it was so good and easy to make. The shortbread was very easy (the only time this took was for the cakes to cool) but the lemon cream was easy and the fruit (fresh blueberries, raspberries and strawberries) were easy, mixed with a little sugar, the combination of the three was wonderful and rather light, so you won't mind having two helpings. The presentation will impress as well. This one is a sure winner! Thanks Paula! Enjoy!
Paula's macaroni and cheese. So good I just baked more this evening for my daughter. I added Anthony's cheddar cheese to the top. I used the eggs but do intend to try it without them some time soon. The vote on whose recipe was the best was a three to one win for Anthony. My daughter was the only one who said she could tell little difference and voted for Paula. I am not sure how the vote would go with the one I baked today adding cheese to the top of Paula's? Guess you all will have to try both and take the taste test. Be sure to let us know your winner. Either recipe will bring compliments any time you serve it. Paula and her family certainly know how to cook! Thanks Paula!
Is this a better macaroni and cheese recipe than Paula's? That was the challenge and we were determined to find the answer. I made Anthony and Paula's recipes to find. Both have a lot of the same ingredients. Differences were Anthony has the layer of cheddar cheese on top and Paula has cheddar cheese soup. Paula says you can omit the eggs if you choose as that is a southern style mac and cheese. I used the eggs in both. Can't wait to try them again and omit the eggs. Four votes from the taste testers will determine a winner. Who will win? We judges really liked the extra cheese in this recipe. Michael has a very talented son not only on the water but also in the kitchen. Next post announces the winner. Thanks Paula! 
I love meatloaf and this was simply divine. A very different texture than your typical meatloaf. It is very "spreadable" because Aunt Peggy created this recipe for Paula when she started in business as the "Bag Lady" and would make sandwiches out of it, that her boys would deliver to area businesses. The topping (Dijon mustard, light brown sugar and ketchup) took this meatloaf to a new level. This will surely be a hit with friends and family! Thanks Aunt Peggy and Paula! Enjoy.
Want an easy and healthy recipe that can be put together quickly. This is one to try. Bring frozen peas to a boil, drain, add butter and fresh tarragon and its ready to serve. The tarragon gives the peas a new flavor. Try other herbs and you have different flavors to your vegetables. Michael and I have filled our refrigerator and kitchens with so many new items since starting "Weekends with Paula". It is so exciting to plan the meal, go to the grocery, prepare the meal, and then the best part...ENJOY! Thanks Paula!
My version of this recipe was half white flour and half wheat flour. The reason was Muggs was unable to join us at the last minute. She was bringing the bread. I checked to see what in my kitchen matched with a Paula bread recipe. The recipe we had planned was in a magazine I do not have. I was so happy I had found a recipe I had ingredients to match. Then I realized not enough flour. Luckily my daughter made our puppy Daisy dog biscuits thus the wheat flour.This is the recipe that Paula and Bubba pour chocolate sauce over. I would suggest you not use wheat flour with the chocolate sauce. I served the strawberry preserves created from the fruit syrup in the simple tea recipe. Very good. Thanks Paula!
