Simple Strawberry Salsa w/Cinnamon-Sugar Chips

Linda's Salsa Starts with Luscious Strawberries

Looking for 

the perfect accompaniment 

to a summer meal 

or a festive appetizer for a simple get-together? 

This change-of-pace salsa along with "dusted" tortilla chips may be just what you're 

looking for! 

Linda's Fresh Strawberry Salsa

2 pints strawberries, hulled and chopped

1/3 cup chopped bell pepper (either green or yellow)

1/3 cup bottled Russian salad dressing

1 tsp. chopped parsley or cilantro

2 drops hot sauce (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Combine above. Chill to allow flavors to blend. 

"Dusted" Cinnamon-Sugar Chips

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Simply brush flour tortillas with water. Sprinkle with mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Cut into wedges and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 4 minutes on each side. Cool. 

'til we eat again,

          Simply, Gail

Simply, Gail: A Confession, a Correction & an Apology

I have been trying. . .honest I have
--unsuccessfully--
so this is what I must do

Dear Readers,

For those of you who have been with me since the beginning, you know that I didn't have a clue about blogging, or even what a blog was, when I started 11 months ago.  I've obviously learned a lot ----- but, definitely not enough. 

Confession(s)

• Last October we took a vacation and I wrote several posts ahead. And scheduled them for posting on the scheduled dates. I was so proud of myself for being able to figure out how to do that.  What's that they say about "pride coming before the fall?"

• When we returned home and I started to again post "real time" I discovered I had forgotten how to include/link the recipes in my posts to the Recipe column on the right side of the blog.

• And then, the entire problem entirely slipped my mind. And rarely surfaced....and then, at most inconvenient times. 

• In January a grandson helped me make a "cookbook" page for the recipes, and he carefully gave me instructions on how he did it so I could carry on. I even wrote them down.  Today I carefully read (and re-read) these but can't grasp what they are telling me to do.

Corrections 

Yesterday a friend called asking me how to find a recipe I posted a couple of weeks ago. I went blank for a minute and then, regaining my senses, I told her to simply scroll down the posts until she came to the picture of the hula dancers. 

Ooops!  This is not how it is suppose to work!

I spent many hours yesterday trying to figure out how to add the post recipe links to the Recipe column.

And, thankfully, I finally figured it out.  

I am not proud, but I am very satisfied-----and relieved.

I was shocked to discover I added 83 of them (a few are listed in more than one category)! How could I have gotten that far behind in just a couple of months?  Another shock ---- not a couple of months but eight!

Apology

I don't mean to be presumptuous but if you are reading this, I am sorry for any inconvenience or frustration I may have caused you. 

I have tried, and am still trying, to find out if it is possible to put the recipes in a folder where they are in a printable format.   This is probably an impossibility, at least at my level of expertise. 

As of now, the Cookbook tab at the top of the blog is gone, but SOMEHOW (which I can't explain) the heading for recipe links down the right hand side is "Cookbook."

Thanks for your patience. Hopefully I have provided some simple helps, hints, ideas, and more these past 11 months. 

Thanks, Helen, for asking how to find your recipe.

I am Simply, Gail

Fresh Peppers' HOT-O-METER Scale . . .

Just how HOT do you like your peppers?  This will help you.

Scale: 0 (mild)  to 10 (!!!) 

Anaheim - 2.5

Sweet, mild flavor. Can be added to stew, salsa, or soups. Great stuffed for Chile Relleno.

Choose glossy, unbroken skin with well-attached caps.

Banana - 0

Mild and sweet. Add raw to salads or in sandwiches. Try in soups, sauces or stews.

Choose bright colored, firm flesh.

Habanero - 10 !!!

The hottest chili on this list! Use in hot sauce or hot salsas.

Choose shiny skin, and bright, firm flesh.

Hungarian Wax - 1

Slightly sweet, but hotter when mature. Add to sauces, salads, relishes, and dips. You can pickle them.

Choose bright colored, smooth skin. 

Jalapeno - 5.5

Hot, vegetable flavor. Add to stew, salsa, sauces. Try pickled or stuffed.

Choose bright green, firm flesh.

Poblano - 3

Bell pepper-like flavor. Add to salsa or soups. Use for Chile Relleno. Darker color means more flavor.

Choose smooth, unwrinkled skin.

Red Fresno - 6.5

Hot with subtle sweetness. Add to salsa, ceviches, bread batter. Try stuffed. 

Choose brightly colored with firm flesh.

Serrano - 7 !

Hot, maturing to slightly sweet. Use in table sauces, relishes, with vegetables, or pickled.

Choose firm, heavy, smooth-skinned.

Thai - 8 !!

Hot! 3X as potent as the Serrano. Add to dips, sauces, casseroles, meat and poultry dishes. Choose firm flesh.

Yellow Hot "Caribe" - 5

Slightly sweet. Usually pickled, but can be used in sauces, casseroles, or salsas.

Choose bright color and smooth skin.

Note: This heat-scale was obtained from the produce section of our local market.

Warning: Be very, very careful when working with chili peppers. They can badly burn, causing blisters. Use gloves with working with hot ones and remove all seeds and ribs. Set the seeds aside if you want to add a few to the recipe at the last as needed, if you want to make it hotter.

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water after working with the chilies and be sure and keep your hands away from your eyes. 

Check back next Friday for a simple and yummy strawberry salsa and the cinnamon-sugar chips to scoop it with.

'til we eat again,

          Simply, Gail