Happy 4th of July and Happy Canada Day!

We'd like to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July this weekend and for our Canadian friends Happy Canada Day!! If your going on a picnic this weekend or spending it with family and friends have a wonderful safe holiday! We packed this post with food for fun! Carol made a Turkey Club Sandwich Ring with Avocado Aioli that's perfect for a holiday picnic. Cyndy made a beautiful Bleu Cheese and Pear Salad with Walnuts plus a little firecracker of a drink, Roy's Pineapple Martini ! I made Danish Oatmeal Cookies to round out the picnic with. Enjoy!

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Carol made:

TURKEY CLUB SANDWICH RING WITH AVOCADO AIOLI




I'll admit it........I'm not a fan of an ordinary sandwich. I DO, however, like "kicked up" sandwiches.....you know the ones....they take an ordinary sandwich to new heights of flavor by using a little something different, be it the type of bread or something that "pops" in the filling. Every so often I stumble across a recipe for one of those sandwiches that I just have to try.....and this is one of them.

I received an email from Pillsbury a while ago with the 100 recipes in the running this year for their Bake Off contest. I hung onto it for referencing later because there are some fantastic recipes on that list. I've made a sandwich ring using their French bread dough before, so when I saw this, and took a look at the ingredients, I knew I HAD to try it.

WOW is it ever good! I used Thin and Trim turkey breast from the deli this time, but I'm sure this sandwich would be equally as wonderful with roasted turkey breast slices-or even sliced chicken breast. The lettuce "salad" that goes into the sandwich adds a nice vinegary undertone-it reminds me of what sub shops sometimes use on Italian subs. And that aioli? Mmmmmmmm.....what a nice combination with the turkey and bacon. The garlic gives it some snap while the avocado cools it down. The only thing I added to that was a bit of freshly cracked black pepper to bump up the flavor a tad. I'm thinking a splash of fresh lime juice and a little grated lime zest would also be a wonderful addition.....note to self for the next time.

What I love about this (as with the other ring sandwich I made) is the bread ring can be baked ahead.....in fact, everything in this sandwich can be made ahead of time, refrigerated and the sandwich can be quickly assembled right before you serve. They can also be made ahead, wrapped and refrigerated-PERFECT to make for OR take to a get together. People just love them. Oh-and a slice of this for lunch the next day is a real treat too.
Thank you Heather, for inventing such a WONDERFUL sandwich.......it's in my keepers file and will be made again and again.

Carol



Wanna print just the recipe, click here!

TURKEY CLUB SANDWICH RING WITH AVOCADO AIOLI
(Source: Pillsbury-recipe by Heather Halonie from Webster, WI)

2 (11 oz. each) cans refrigerated crusty French bread
1 egg
1 tsp. dried oregano, divided
1 Tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 c. shredded lettuce
1/4 c. chopped red onion
2 medium plum (Roma) tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 c. mayonnaise or salad dressing (I use reduced-fat mayonnaise)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped
1/8 tsp. black pepper
8 oz. thinly sliced deli turkey
8 slices (3/4 oz. each) provolone cheese, halved
8 slices bacon, crisply cooked (I use low sodium bacon)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray (I use my pizza pan) or line with parchment paper.

Place both loaves of bread down, seam sides down, on cookie sheet. Join ends of loaves to form an 11" ring; pinch ends together FIRMLY to seal (this takes some work-they don't like to stay together well at all). Using a sharp knife, make 12 (1/2" deep) diagonal slashes on top of dough.

In a small bowl, beat egg and 1/2 tsp. oregano with a fork; brush egg mixture generously over dough. Sprinkle dough with Parmesan cheese. Bake @ 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool on pan for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix lettuce, onion, tomatoes, olive oil, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes and remaining 1/2 tsp. oregano. Refrigerate about 20 minutes to blend flavors and slightly wilt lettuce (I did mine 1 hour ahead and it was fine).

In food processor, cover and process mayonnaise, garlic, black pepper and avocado until smooth.

Cut bread ring in half horizontally. Place lettuce mixture on bottom of ring. Top with turkey, provolone cheese and bacon. Spread avocado mixture on top of ring; place over top of fillings. Cut into 8 sections and serve. Makes 8 servings.


Cyndy made:

Bleu Cheese and Pear Salad with Walnuts



I found this recipe in a book I received during the holidays. When I saw this salad it looked so pretty, I just knew it had to taste good, and boy did it. Sweet, savory & tangy. I used red and green D'anjou pears and they were perfectly ripe and juicy.

The dressing mellowed the bleu cheese and was mouth watering to the very last bite. the combination of flavors & textures compliment each other beautifully. I happen to like Pecans better than Walnuts so that is what I used. Mmmmmm, I savored every little morsel. If you like Bleu Cheese, you won't be disappointed.



Wanna print just the recipe , click here!

Bleu Cheese & Pear Salad with Walnuts
Adapted from HyVee Seasons ~Holiday Entertaining

3 tbsp HyVee walnut pieces { used Pecans}
¼ cup HyVee canola oil
¼ cup HyVee apple cider vinegar
2 tsp HyVee dijon mustard
1/2 tsp HyVee Salt {used kosher}
1 tsp HyVee Sugar {used superfine}
1 10oz bag HyVee chopped romaine lettuce
1 pear cored and cut into slices or chunks {used ½ D?Anjou and ½ Red D'Anjou pear}
1/4 cup reduced fat bleu cheese crumbles

In an ungreased heavy skillet toast walnut pieces over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden. Set aside to cool
For dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, and salt.
In a large bowl toss romaine lettuce with pear and bleu cheese and dressing. Top with toasted walnuts before serving.

Bunny made:

Danish Oatmeal Cookies



This is NOT your average oatmeal cookie! This is the most light, buttery oatmeal cookie I've ever made. Somewhere between a shortbread and a sandie cookie. The first thing you feel when you bite into this cookie is how light and airy it is, it has this slight crisp, and then the lightness hits your mouth, along with the orange and chocolate flavor, absolutely amazing! I made it for our family dinner tonight, my sister in law Mary Beth picked one up and took a bite, she turned and looked at me with her eyes wide and said....What are these, they're delicious! I did change the recipe a bit, the original recipe called for pecans, my mouth was craving orange and chocolate. I switched out the two tsps of vanilla extract for 2 tsps of orange extract, I switched out the pecans for 4 ounces grated semi sweet chocolate. I wanted to use mini chocolate chips but didn't have any....grated chocolate worked just fine. I also put the one cup of regular oatmeal that used into the food processor and pulsed till it was flour like. I used my one tablespoon measuring spoon to measure the cookie dough out.



These baked for 20 minutes in my oven, then they went straight on to the cooling rack.



The orange aroma coming from the oven was heavenly! I don't even wanna know how many I ate before my family came for dinner.....



Wanna print just the recipe, click here!

Danish Oatmeal Cookies
All Recipes
Ingredients

* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup butter, softened
* 1 cup confectioners' sugar
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ( I used 2 tsps orange extract)
* 1 cup oatmeal ( I ground the oatmeal into a flour)
* 1 cup chopped pecans ( I used 4 oz grated semi sweet chocolate)
* 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, or as needed

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate large bowl, mix the butter, 1 cup confectioners' sugar, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in the flour mixture; gently stir in the oatmeal and pecans and lightly mix until combined.
3. With a spoon, drop about 1 scant tablespoon of dough per cookie onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely before sprinkling cookies with confectioners' sugar.

Cook's Notes
*
These cookies freeze well so I often make a double batch. The trick is getting some into the freezer before they're all gone!
*
You can use walnuts instead of pecans and regular oats for quick-cooking oats.


Cyndy made:

Roy's Pineapple Martini




I was on the hunt for a pineapple martini and decided that this one was "it". I'd been to Roy's once but have never tried this cocktail. When I read the bloggers notes, I knew I would like to try it. I cut this recipe way down and used only one bottle of each liquor and used one full pineapple.
You DO want to let this mix infuse for at least ONE FULL WEEK. I tested this after about 3 days and it was so strong and I didn't think I was going to like it and was thinking of throwing the batch away. DON'T! If you let it sit, the flavors literally bloom. Now while it is strong, the flavor of the pineapple fuses with the vanilla and rum, and makes a very nice martini.
The infused Pineapple? I wouldn't use it. It was very potent. Unless you like it that way, I would go with a slice of fresh pineapple for garnish. But that's only my opinion. This is one very nice drink and it makes a big batch. Enjoy wisely



Roy's Pineapple Martini
Adapted from: Chaosinthekitchen.com
Recipe adapted from Roy's Fusion Restaurant

Hawaiian Martini's
makes 2500 ml allow to infuse about 1 week

1500 ml (2 750 ml bottles) vodka
500 ml vanilla vodka
500 ml coconut rum (like Malibu)
2 fresh pineapples, cut into 1 inch wedges


1.In a large (6 quart) container with a spigot-such as a lemonade, ice tea, or a punch dispenser-layer pineapple.
2.Pour alcohol over pineapple making sure to completely cover the pineapple.
3.Allow to infuse at least a week, will stay good much longer as long as the pineapple slices remain submerged.
4.To serve (makes 2 drinks), measure out 4-6 oz liquid. Add along with ice to a martini shaker and shake vigorously.
5.Strain into two martini glasses, garnish with a wedge of marinated pineapple.

Blogger's Note:
This recipe is different from other recipes on the web but is straight from the bartenders at the original Roy?s in Hawaii.
Their mix is huge though: 2 bottles of vanilla vodka, 2 bottles of coconut rum, and 6 bottles of regular vodka. Feel free to
do the math if you want to make an even smaller batch.