Fresh & Easy Potato Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 medium russet potatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 pound hot dogs, pierced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• Sea salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Boil the potatoes whole until tender which is about 10 minutes. Drain and cool. Peel skin and cut potatoes into bite-size pieces.
2. Place the hot dogs into a hot grill pan and cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cut the hot dogs crosswise into bite-size pieces.
3. Toss potatoes, hot dogs, basil leaves, and olive oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add more olive oil if salad seems dry. Toss well and serve!

Minty Fruit with Wine

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups dry white wine
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cantaloupe, cut into cubes
• 8 ounce fresh strawberries, sliced in halves
• 1 cup green grapes, halved lengthwise
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves

Directions:

1. Combine the wine and sugar in a small saucepan. Boil for 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Prepare the cataloupe, strawberries, grapes, and mint then combine in a large bowl. Pour the warm wine mixture over and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Rosenmunnar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup fruit jam of your choice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375º.
2. Cream together butter and sugar in mixer. Add flour and vanilla extract then mix for 2 minutes. Shape dough into 1 inch diameter balls and place on cookie sheets. Imprint your thumb in the center to make an indentation. Fill with your favorite fruit jam.
3. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.

French Pound Cake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
• 3 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Cream butter, milk, and sugar together in a mixer. Add eggs, 1 at a time. Turn mixer to low setting and add in flour, baking powder, and vanilla extract. Turn mixer to medium setting and mix for 5 minutes. Pour batter into a greased cake pan or bundt cake pan. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Test cake by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake, if it comes out clean then it's ready. Garnish with powdered sugar and serve.

Seafood & Pinot Grigio Spaghetti

Ingredients:

• 1 pound spaghetti pasta
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 shallot, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 1/2 cup Pinot Grigio
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 pounds clams, washed
• Sea salt and ground black pepper
• 2 cups arugula

Directions:

1. Boil a large pot of salted water. Add the pasta and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until tender but don't let it brown. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for another minute. Add the wine, shrimps, and clams. Bring the liquid to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, cover and cook until shrimps are pink and the clams have opened which takes about 7 minutes.
3. Add the pasta to the seafood mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Add the arugula last. Serve and enjoy immediately.