First Week of July

Monday:
Swiss steak
Zucchini
Lettuce salad
Blueberry cobbler

Tuesday:
Cold Ham
Potato chips
Vegetable salad
Watermelon

Wednesday:
Pizza
Lettuce salad
Cup cakes

Thursday:
Chicken and rice casserole
Tomato and cucumber salad
Bread and butter
Ice cream

Friday:
Tuna salad
Hot biscuits
Sliced cucumber
Orange Jello and ginger cookies

Saturday:
Spaghetti and meatballs
Carrots
Garlic bread
Grapes

Sunday:
Fried chicken
Mashed potatoes
Green beans
Lettuce salad
Cream puffs

Strawberry Roast Beef Salad

Delightful dinners are all about the unexpected, and one way to accomplish that is creative use of what's already in the 'fridge.  This week we had just a couple slices of leftover roast beef.  Not enough for the two of us for dinner.  But, looking around there were possibilities.

Strawberries are in season here, and there were some in the 'fridge that needed to be eaten.  Combine that with 80 degree summer weather, and this lovely and delicious salad became a delightful dinner for two.  The original idea came from a Steak Salad recipe, but leftover Roast Beef made a great substitute.  Be creative!

Strawberry Roast Beef Salad  for 2

A quickly snapped photo before we enjoyed this for dinner.

2 slices of leftover roast beef
1 or 2 Tbsp. Balsamic vinaigrette dressing
1/2 cup frozen sweet corn
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup diced celery
Lettuce
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Blue Cheese salad dressing

Slice cold roast beef into julienne strips.  Place in a plastic container and coat with Vinaigrette.  Cover and turn to coat all sides. Let marinade in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the salad.
Cook the corn in a bit of water on the stove or in the microwave.  Strain and chill in cold water. Drain.
Slice strawberries and celery. Tear lettuce.
Layer the ingredients on a dinner plate: Lettuce, corn, celery, roast beef, cheese and strawberries.  Top with Blue Cheese salad dressing.
Biscuits, rolls, toast or crackers will go well.  And maybe a glass of white wine.

Fourth Week of June

Monday:
Beef stew with vegetables
Tomato salad
Bread and butter
Apricot bars

Tuesday:
Spanish rice
Green beans
Jello salad

Wednesday:
Pork roast
Potatoes
Peas
Apple sauce

Thursday:
Cold pork roast
Vegetable salad
Potatoes
Cherry pie

Friday:
Fish fillets
Tomato and cucumber salad
Parsley potatoes
Cantaloupe

Saturday:
Grilled bratwurst
Baked beans
Cole slaw
Spice cake

Sunday:
Baked ham
Au gratin potatoes
Green beans or broccoli
Cucumber salad
Pineapple rings

Father's Day

June is a great time for outdoor cooking.  The third Sunday in June is Father's Day, and it's the perfect reason to have an outdoor picnic celebration with your family.

Father's Day menu
Grilled pork chops with barbecue sauce
Potato salad or potato chips
Cornbread or sweet corn
Cole slaw salad
Peanut butter cookies
Ice cream

Third Week of June

Monday:
Leftover pork roast
American fried potatoes
Carrots
Fruit salad

Tuesday:
Shepherds pie
biscuits
Jello salad
Chocolate pudding

Wednesday:
Chicken with penne pasta
Cream sauce
Peas
Lettuce salad

Thursday:
Fried ham
Deviled eggs
Green beans
Macaroni and cheese

Friday:
Fish
Mashed potatoes
Lettuce salad
Lemon pie

Saturday:
Hamburger and rice
Cole Slaw
Slice tomato
Orange jello

Sunday:
Grilled steak
Mushrooms and onions
Baked potato
Watermelon
Sweet corn

Flag Day

On June 14th our nation celebrates the day the Continental Congress passed a resolution which established the Stars and Stripes as our nation's flag: June 14, 1777.  They did not specify the arrangement of the stars, or even the number of points the stars should have.  For many years there were various arrangements until 1912 when the arrangement of 48 five-pointed stars was set.

American Flag Dishes

Jello
Prepare a 6 ounce package of red Jello according to package directions and pour in a 9 x 13-inch pan.  Chill until firm.  Prepare a 6 ounce package of blue Jello according to package directions, let cool to room temperature and pour over the top of the red jello.  Chill until firm. Top with Whipped Topping (like Cool Whip) and then decorated with blueberries in the upper left corner, and rows of halved strawberries in stripes.

Cake
Bake a white or lemon cake according to package directions in a 9 x 13-inch pan. Frost with vanilla (white) icing.  Decorate with blueberries in the upper left corner, and rows of halved strawberries in stripes.

Giant Cookie
Make a batch of sugar cookie dough from a favorite recipe.  Roll or press into a rectangle and bake on a cookie sheet for about 15 minutes, until lightly brown on the bottom.  Make cream cheese icing: Mix together 8 oz cream cheese, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Spread over cooled cookie.  Decorate with blueberries in the upper left corner, and rows of halved strawberries & sliced bananas in stripes.  A glaze brushed over the top will keep the bananas from turning brown from exposure to the air.  Bring 1 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 3/4 cup water and 4 Tablespoons corn starch to a boil over medium heat.  Cook until thick, then cool  a bit before brushing or pouring over fruit.  Cut into squares to serve.

Taco Salad
Prepare 1 pound of ground beef with a package of taco seasoning according to package directions.  In a 9 x 13-inch pan layer 1. about 6 cups corn chips (Fritos or crushed tortilla chips), 2. Ground beef mixture, 3. Four or five cups shredded lettuce,  4.  Decorate top with sliced black olives in the upper left corner for 'stars', and stripes of halved cherry tomatoes alternating with stripes of shredded cheddar cheese.  Serve with Taco Ranch or Southwest Ranch dressing and Salsa or Picante Sauce.

Second Week of June

Monday:
Chicken and rice casserole
Carrots
Biscuits
Lettuce salad
Rhubarb crisp

Tuesday:
Tuna salad
Deviled eggs
Tomato wedges

Wednesday:
Meat loaf
Scalloped potatoes
Carrots
Jello with strawberries

Thursday:
Leftover meat loaf
Mashed potatoes
Peas
Cole Slaw

Friday:
Spaghetti
Lettuce salad
Garlic bread
Lemon pie

Saturday:
Chili
Cole slaw
Cornbread

Sunday:
Pork roast
Potatoes
Asparagus
Cherry jello