RECIPE SWAP: GOING BACK TO COOKING FOLLOWING VACATION

It is back to reality and back to the old grind. After vacationing with the McClanahan family, it sure is hard to come back to work and housecleaning.

The second annual family vacation was again at the beautiful Sandcastle property in Gulf Shores. A friend of the family owns the property and invites the family to use it each year. It is a very generous gesture on their part. It isn't like they are loaning us a cup of sugar or a couple of eggs; we are talking a beautiful beach home on the gulf. We are in the sand and water. The highlight of the trip for our Ross was when we had an alligator in the back yard. He loves alligators and he prayed he would get to see one and God gave him that moment to enjoy. It was so special and a moment I'm sure he will never forget.

Of course, while traveling I had a chance to browse through several cookbooks that have gotten dusty waiting on me to pick them up. And as you can imagine, I found a few recipes that I am anxious to try. The cookbook I was reading was a gift to me from my dad's cousin who was here for my parent's 50th anniversary celebration. It is like much other community and church cookbooks filled with home cooking recipes. The recipes I'm sharing with you are not fancy, but I'm sure you will enjoy them all the same.

Do you remember the old recipe for four-layer dessert? This is that recipe using coconut pudding, which my sister Linda will love.

Coconut Delight

1 stick margarine

1 cup flour

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 cup powdered sugar

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

2 (3-ounce) packages coconut pudding

1/2 cup coconut

1 1/2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed

Toasted coconut, for garnish

Melt margarine in a 9x13-inch pan. Add flour and nuts. Mix together and press in bottom only. Bake at 350 degrees at least 15 minutes. Cool. Mix powdered sugar, cream cheese and 1 cup whipped topping. Spread on cooled crust. Cook pudding according to package directions and cool. Stir in coconut and layer on top of cream cheese. Next add the layer of whipped topping on top of pudding. Garnish with toasted coconut. Store in refrigerator.

Gold Rush Brunch

1 (5 1/2-ounce) package hash brown potatoes

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon snipped parsley

8 (1/4-inch) Canadian bacon slices

8 eggs

Prepare potatoes according to package. Set aside. Melt butter in saucepan. Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream, parsley and potatoes. Pour into a 9x13-inch pan. Arrange bacon in a row down the center, overlapping slightly. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes in 350 degree oven. Remove. Make 4 depressions on each side of bacon. Slip one egg into each hole. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 10 minutes longer or until eggs are set.

I have a couple of pounds of shrimp in my freezer that we brought back from the gulf and I think I will make this scampi on a special occasion.

Shrimp scampi

1 pound fresh shrimp

small amount of flour

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic

1/2 cup white wine

2 tablespoons lemon juice

salt to taste

3 tablespoons fresh parsley

1 pound angel hair pasta

Clean shrimp and dust on both sides with a small amount of flour. Melt the butter in a large saut pan over medium-high heat. Then add the shrimp for 1 minute. Turn over and cook for 1 more minute, then immediately remove them from the pan. Do not overcook. Set aside.

For the sauce, saut garlic in butter for about one minute. Deglaze with wine and lemon juice, scraping up brown bits. Season with salt. Finish sauce with remaining 3 tablespoons butter. When butter melts, return shrimp to pan, tossing quickly to coat. Remove pan from heat. Add parsley and serve over hot cooked angel hair pasta. Cook the pasta according to package directions and spoon shrimp over pasta.

I don't have white wine at my house, so I will use apple juice or white grape juice. It may not result in the exact flavor, but that's okay with me.

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Jackie Lowes at the Senior Center was sharing with me how she steams chicken parts for barbecue. She uses thighs or drumsticks for this recipe. In a baking pan, she adds about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch of water. Place bakers cooling rack over the pan. Place the skinless chicken parts on the rack. Cover with foil. Bake in a medium-hot oven until chicken is steamed and tests done. Remove from oven and remove the chicken from the bone. Shred the meat, then add barbecue sauce. She says it tastes like pork, but without all of the fat. She then chills the pan drippings and skims off the congealed fat using the stock as she chooses.

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Peaches and raspberries are a wonderful combination. Try this cobbler that uses both of these summer favorites.

Peach-Raspberry Cobbler

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

4 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches, or frozen if fresh are not in season

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 cups fresh raspberries

1/4 cup butter

Pastry crust of your choice

1 tablespoon sugar

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan, stirring until smooth. Add peaches, lemon rind and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Gently stir in raspberries. Return mixture to a boil, stirring gently. Pour mixture into an ungreased 8-inch square baking dish; dot with butter. Roll pastry for crust to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface; and arrange on top of peach filling. Trim edges. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake at 425 for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Delicious served warm with ice cream.

Okay, readers, I know many of you have been traveling and it really has been too hot to cook, but I didn't get any mail this week. I would really rather share your recipes than mine. Yours are far more interesting than mine are. Try to find a few minutes this week to share your favorites. Also, are you looking for a particular recipe? We can put out a readers' search for you.

Have a wonderful week, stay cool and happy cooking.