Drucilla's Little Helpers 7/3/26

Just how hot is it? It's so hot, chickens are laying hard-boiled eggs. It's so hot, the cows are giving evaporated milk. It's so hot, I saw a bird pull a worm out of the ground with an oven mitt. Now that is hot. And that is corny. Speaking of corn, it is so hot the popcorn popped in the garden and folks thought it was snow and liked to have froze to death.

And since it is that hot, we don't want to be in a hot kitchen making hot food. Sometimes just a good cold sandwich will do the trick.

For a side dish, you can't beat a good slaw or cold salad. I also like a good broccoli slaw.

Broccoli Slaw

2 packages (3 ounces) chicken Ramen noodles
1 package (4 ounces) almonds (do not toast)
6 green onions, chopped, including tops
1 package (16 ounces) broccoli slaw

DO NOT COOK

Crush noodles and place in a large bowl. Chop broccoli slaw if desired. Set aside the noodle seasoning packets. Add broccoli slaw, almonds and onions.

DRESSING:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Noodle seasoning

Combine all these dressing ingredients together and drizzle over slaw to coat. Cover the dish and place in refrigerator overnight. It will keep for a while and tastes better as the flavors blend.

Here's another slaw that I use a lot. It has a good balance of crunchy, creamy, sweet and a little spicy if you like cayenne.

Serve it with barbecue, chicken, burgers or hot dogs. You can even put it on a sandwich.

Bell Pepper Cabbage Slaw

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
1/2 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced

Mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, black pepper, cayenne and salt in a large bowl. Add the carrots, cabbage and bell pepper to the bowl and toss to coat. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Sometimes I have added chopped apple and a pinch of celery seasoning. If you want healthier, less mayo, substitute a portion of the mayonnaise with sour cream or Greek yogurt. Let the flavors marry, but if you are using a creamy dressing, wait to dress the slaw until about an hour before serving. I toss my cabbage with a mixture of salt and sugar and let it set about 5 minutes. Then spin the water out or squeeze it out. It will stay crisper.

I hope you all celebrate our big 250 years of being America. We are so blessed. Let's take a moment this weekend to pause and express gratitude to God for moments of beauty too. When you see those fireworks, look at the beautiful colors and imagine the beauty of heaven.

If you have questions or a recipe to share, please call me at 931-510-1349 or email me at raydrucilla@gmail.com.

Words of wisdom: Our lives are like quilts, bits and pieces, joy and sorrow stitched with love.