Tomalito

In January my sister and I visited a restaurant in Florida that served this stuff. I had never heard of it before, but my sister raved so I had to try it! It was so good that I wouldn't have cared if I ate anything else for lunch that day (although, of course, I ate many other things). She asked one of the waitresses about the recipe and was told that it was a very involved recipe that took a long time. So, we were discouraged.

The good news is that on Cinco de Mayo a friend, Jessica, brought this as a side dish to our potluck dinner. She explained that she found a microwave version of this recipe that is quite simple. We love Jessica!

Ingredients:

5 T margarine (don’t substitute butter)

¼ cup masa harina (corn flour)

1/3 cup sugar

½ cup water…I add just a touch more

2 cup thawed frozen corn (measure after it is thawed)

½ cup cornmeal

1 t baking powder

½ t salt

3 T milk (actually just under 3 T)

Directions:

1. Mix margarine, masa and sugar until fluffy.
2. Blend 1 cup corn with water until smooth, add the rest of the corn and blend slightly.
3. Mix cornmeal and milk and let sit a few minutes.
4. Add all to the margarine, masa and sugar mix. Blend well.
5. Put in an 8x8 covered dish and microwave for 7 minutes at 30% power and then 4 minutes at full power. Fluff before serving.

Simple Fruit Salad

From Grandmother B.

1 can peach pie filling
1 large can fruit cocktail, drained
1 large can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 package frozen strawberries

*Mix all ingredients. Add sliced bananas just before serving, if desired. Top with whipped cream.

Mom's "Potluck" Baked Beans

My Mom always brought this dish to church potlucks when I was growing up. The dish always came home empty. And I was never competitive enough to get to the head of the line, so I usually missed out on these. Sometimes Mom would make extra for us at home, thankfully. Just make some so you can see for yourself how good these beans are! (Oh, and remember this recipe is for a potluck so it makes a lot. Just scale down for a meal at home.)

7 lb. 5 oz can pork and beans (Mom says she buys the cheapest kind)
1 lb. ground beef (or turkey), cooked and drained
1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 Tbsp. mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1 lb. dark brown sugar

*Combine all ingredients in a large baking dish and bake at 325 degrees for 2-3 hours (believe me, it's worth the wait).

Corn Casserole

1 can whole kernel corn
1 can cream style corn
2 eggs
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup sour cream
1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
2 Tbsp. sugar

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine melted butter, corn (with liquid), sour cream, and sugar. Add eggs, then add corn muffin mix; stir. Pour into a greased 2-quart baking dish and bake for one hour.

Zucchini Casserole

Nana made this over the holidays and it was very delicious!

3 lbs. zucchini, shredded
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 tsp. garlic powder
6 eggs
1 1/4 cups Bisquick
2 2/3 cups grated colby jack cheese

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix and stir all ingredients in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes.