Grilled Southern Panzanella Salad

What a surprisingly great mix of flavors! The vegetables in this dish were bell pepper, yellow squash, zucchini, onion, garlic and tomatoes and the onion, peppers, squash and zucchini were supposed to be grilled, however it looked like it could rain and so I decided to saute them instead of standing at the grill in the rain holding an umbrella and you know it turned out remarkably well. The croutons were a cornbread mix that was cooked, cooled and then cut up into pieces and drizzled with butter and baked again for about 10 minutes and they were delicious! All this was mixed with the lemon vinaigrette dressing and it was wonderful! You'll enjoy this one! Thanks Paula! Enjoy!

Pina Colada Smoothies

Cool, refreshing, and healthy fresh fruit. I used organic bananas and honey. The flavors blend well and you can taste each ingredient with every sip.The honey adds sweetness but does not over power the drink. Other fruits could be added to give a different taste. Coconut is a favorite of mine and the coconut milk does not disappoint. Easy and quick to prepare. This could be breakfast, a snack, or the drink to compliment your meal. Thanks Paula!

Shrimp and Grits with Sweet Tomato Relish

We were simply not sure about "grits" but I have to tell you they were really good. Mixing in the Parmesan cheese and a little salt with them gave them a great flavor and it was really good with the shrimp cake on top. The sweet tomato relish was very good and could be used for dipping chips in or anything else for that matter, it was a great compliment for on the grits and shrimp cakes! This would be a good dish for any occasion. Thanks Paula for introducing the "grits" thing to those of us who didn't grow up eating them. Enjoy!

Lime Mojitos

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!

Lemon Custard Ice Cream

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!

Baked Beans

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!

Ultimate Creamy Potato Salad

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!