Apple-Berry Salsa

This recipe comes from a Pampered Chef cookbook. It is a light, refreshing treat and is great for parties, brunch, showers... any time! I like it so well that sometimes I make a batch and keep it in the refrigerator for days so I can nibble whenever I want to!


2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced
1 pint strawberries, hulled and diced
2 kiwi, peeled and finely diced (I'm allergic to kiwi, so I leave it out)
1 small orange
2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons apricot jam or apple jelly

Place diced apples, strawberries, and kiwi in a bowl. Zest the orange, reserving one teaspoon zest. Juice the orange, reserving two tablespoons of juice. In a small bowl, combine orange zest, orange juice, brown sugar, and jelly. Stir well; pour over fruit and mix gently. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 3 cups. Serve this with cinnamon tortilla chips. To make the chips, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut eight 7-inch flour tortillas into wedges. arrange on baking stone or cookie sheet. Lightly spray tortillas with water or cooking spray. Sprinkle with a cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake 8-10 minutes until light golden brown and crisp. You can dress up the chips for a party by drizzling them with a tiny bit of melted semi-sweet chocolate. Allow the chocolate to harden before storing the chips in an airtight container.

Summer Sunshine Punch

I sort of made this up when I was looking for a refreshing punch to serve at a baby shower. I'm not really sure how many servings it makes, because everyone comes back for more!


1 gallon of water
2 to 3 cups of sugar
1 (12 oz.) frozen lemonade concentrate
1 (12 oz.) frozen orange juice concentrate
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 (46 oz.) can pineapple juice, chilled
2 liters ginger ale, chilled

Combine water and sugar in a large saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Combine with next five ingredients; chill. Add chilled ginger ale just before serving. Garnish with orange and lemon slices. Serve over ice.

Grilled Fish Amandine

This is a mild and delicious way to serve fish. If you don't like fish... this may change your mind.

All you need are fish fillets that are mildly flavored, such as tilapia, orange roughy, red snapper, etc. Place the fillets on a foil-covered grill and cook until the fish becomes opaque and flakes with a fork. It only takes about 20 minutes total, unless the fillets are very thick. Poke a few holes in the foil to allow some smoke to reach the fillets. While the fish is grilling, saute about a half-cup of sliced almonds in a tablespoon or two of butter until golden, stirring frequently. (If you wish, you may brown the almonds without butter) When your fillets are done, place them on a platter and drizzle them with lemon juice, sprinkle with the sauteed almonds and a bit of salt. You will love it! It's about the only way I serve fish now. Enjoy!