Crafty Housewife

I have been obsessed with koozies forever. I will only drink soda without a koozie in emergency situations (you know, when other people don't own koozies and I forgot my own).


Top 5 reasons to use koozies:


1. Your drink will stay cold longer.

2. You won't get wet from the condensation on the can.

3. The can won't slip out of your hand if you've just put lotion on.

4. Give a person a koozie and you won't have to nag about coasters.

5. You'll always recognize which drink belongs to you if you have a special koozie.


Take a look at the koozies I've been making at Etsy.com.

http://www.etsy.com/

Use the search at the top of the page, choose sellers, enter cleverkoozie.


Feel free to contact me for more information.

email: cleverkoozie@yahoo.com

Koozies

Mediterranean Shrimp with Orzo

This is what I had for dinner tonight.

I guess you can tell which photos I take and which ones I borrow from the professionals. I think you can see all the yumminess anyway.

Remember, keep the raw frozen shrimp on hand for dinners like this. Total prep and cooking time was less than half an hour (includes thawing shrimp under running water).

MEDITERRANEAN SHRIMP

1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes (garlic, onion, oregano variety)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2/3 cup dry orzo pasta

Cook orzo according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes. Add green onions, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp and cook until pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Toss with feta cheese. Mix in cooked orzo and serve.

Yield: 2 large main dish servings

Shortcut: Instead of fresh oregano, salt and pepper, use 1 teaspoon Cavender's Greek seasoning and 1 teaspoon dried oregano.

icanhascheezburger.com

One of my favorite websites: http://icanhascheezburger.com/

Broccoli Salad

I've had many versions of Broccoli Salad at potlucks and picnic gatherings. Here's my spin on it.

BROCCOLI SALAD

1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
salt
pepper
1 bunch fresh broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (or 1/2 cup of Hormel bacon pieces)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dry roasted sunflower kernels

Whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Set aside. Combine all other ingredients. Pour dressing over and toss to combine.

Frosty Key Lime Pie

I made this for our cookout last night. It always goes over well and I get lots of requests for the recipe. It's a great dessert for hot weather!

FROSTY KEY LIME PIE

2 (3 ounce) packages of lime Jello

2 cups hot water
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (12 ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed

Dissolve Jello in hot water. Cool in refrigerator until it is about room temperature. Don't let it set.

Mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar together and press into a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add Jello slowly until blended. Blend in Cool Whip with the lime mixture. Pour into crust and freeze overnight. Serve frozen or thaw slightly to make cutting easier.

Yield: 12 to 18 servings

Variations: Use any flavor of Jello that you like. Lemon is also good. Try pineapple Jello and add flaked coconut to make it “pina colada” flavored.

Note: They no longer make a 12 ounce container of Cool Whip, you'll have to get the 16 ounce and just use 3/4 of the container. I bet you can find another fun use for the leftover Cool Whip.

Product of the Day

Sometimes I just have to share a good product find.

I'm making coleslaw for the Hood family cookout this weekend. I like to use Concord Foods coleslaw mix. I use less mayonaisse than the package calls for and I also add a splash of apple cider vinegar, sweet pickle relish and celery seeds. And, of course, I don't shred the cabbage myself, I buy the pre-shredded bags. I love convenience items.

I bought this at WalMart, but I know they have it at Publix, too.

Update 6/20/09: The in-laws made potato salad for the cookout. They used this same coleslaw mix in it. How do I say this politely? Uh.... I don't recommend it for that purpose.