Beat the Heat: Pudding Pops

Pudding Pops are about the easiest thing to make.  If you have not made them in a while it give it a try. Super fun to make with the kids and delicious to eat.

1 small package pudding
2 cups cold milk
Add ins of your choice:  We chose freeze dried strawberries and bananas

In a large bowl,  whisk pudding and milk.  Let sit for a few minutes.  Place add ins in clean Popsicle molds. Pour pudding into molds.  Freeze until solid, about 5 hours.  Enjoy

**the molds I used are commonly available at Wal-Mart and everywhere else. They contain 4 Popsicle and one set of molds holds 1/2 a batch of pudding, so buy two.

Beat the heat with summer sandwitches Southwest Turkey Paninni

It is hot!  My air condition went out and well it is hot without it.  When it is this hot I just can't bring myself to turn the oven on.  I don't even want to turn the stove on.  So what do we eat?  We barbecue, I cook a lot in the microwave (watch for posts on microwave cooking) and we eat sandwiches.
A while ago I was reading a book and in it the heroine  was making dinner.  Panini made in her re-purposed George Forman grill.

I thought "I have a George Forman grill, and I love Panini" and the era of gourmet sandwiches at home was born.

Southwest Turkey Panini
Pita Bread (I make my own)
Turkey
Swiss Cheese, sliced
Sweet Onion, sliced
Mandarin Oranges, drained
Spicy Ranch

Preheat the George Foreman Grill. Split the pita bread in half. Layer turkey, Swiss cheese, onion, oranges, and spicy ranch.  Top with the other half of the pita bread.  Place in hot grill, close the top.  Cook until the cheese is melted and the sandwich is hot.  Enjoy.