Grandma Joyce's Sour Cream

So, WEEKS have gone by without so much as a word from me and now that I'm finally getting around to posting some recipes, it's about sour cream. Lame, right?! I know, but it's a start!

Truly though, this sour cream changes the face of the baked potato. In my opinion, it's just as tasty as a twice baked but without about 90% of the work. And that, for me, equals awesomeness. Try it sometime soon before the winter months are over and the baked potato is shunned for corn-on-the-cob and grilling. You'll be hooked. I promise.

INGREDIENTS:
16 oz. sour cream
1/2 of a bunch of green onions, finely chopped
2 tsp. Lawry's seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. Lemon pepper
1/2 Seasoned pepper (I could only find seasoned pepper
Baked potatoes

DIRECTIONS:
Combine ingredients, serve on hot baked potatoes.

Grandma Joycie's Zucchini Soup

Don't let the blah color fool you. This soup is inexpensive, freezes well, and goes along great with a BLT or as a first course for a fine meal!

INGREDIENTS:
4-6 slices bacon, chopped (use gluten free for a GF meal)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 1/2-3 1/2 cups of water
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
6-8 medium zucchini, sliced
1 16 oz. container sour cream*

DIRECTIONS: Cook bacon in large pot until light brown. Add onion and garlic, saute lightly in grease. Add remaining ingredients except sour cream. Simmer, uncovered, until zucchini is tender, about 15 minutes. Cool about 15 minutes and blend 2 cups at a time. Return to pot. Mix in sour cream* and reheat. Serve warm. Serves 4

NOTE* I opted to double the recipe and freeze half. In the event that you would like to do the same, refrain from adding the sour cream until you are ready to serve it.

Grandma Joycie's ALMOST Avocado Grapefruit Salad

For years, Jeremy's Grandma Joyce has been making an avocado grapefruit salad. While I, and half the hemisphere, love her cooking, I have to admit that some of her beloved recipes have seemed a little too strange to me to try. This salad was definitely one of them. I'm not sure if it was the thought of the grapefruit and avocado combo that scared me away or the sweetened mayo dressing. I like to lean more towards the dressing. Mayonnaise. Yuck. However, this week I spent some time cruising the Internet trying to find a recipe for our LPO grapefruits when I came across another avocado and grapefruit salad recipe. By chance, we also had avocados is this box so I decided to give it a try. The results were fabulous!

Trust me, I know it sounds like a strange combination, but if you've ever managed to eat a salad with vinaigrette and some kind of fruit inside of it, this salad is right up your ally. It's fast, easy and it beats the same old tossed salad any night! Oh, and Court? It's gluten free. You're welcome :)

In case you need a little help figuring out how to slice your grapefruit-click here! Getting all the bitter pith off is key!

INGREDIENTS:
1 grapefruit, cut into supremes over a bowl
1 ripe avocado, cubed or sliced
1/4 red onion, sliced paper thin
1/4 c. best quality extra virgin olive oil
1/2 t. kosher salt
1 t. prepared Dijon mustard (like Grey Poupon)
black salt and black pepper for finishing

DIRECTIONS:

Squeeze the leftover bits of grapefruit and the juice gathered while cutting the supremes, and measure 1/4 c. of it. Drink the rest, cook's treat. Mix the 1/4 c. of juice with the olive oil, kosher salt, and mustard in a jar and shake intensively to emulsify. Taste and add a little good vinegar if it needs more acidity. Leave it under seasoned so you can finish with the black salt. Arrange the grapefruit, avocado, and onions on a plate, either individually or on a platter. Just before serving, drizzle on the salad and sprinkle with the black salt and black pepper.

Happy 70th Birthday Grandma Joycie!

The theme was "Spring Chickens."