Last weekend I was entrusted with a very important task...to make some treats for a tea party. Now, I've been asked to make goodies before (at least once a week), but this time the event was very dear to my heart, my daughter's baby shower! Yes, I am going to be a first time grandma....a seriously young grandma :-), but a grandma nonetheless. These are very exciting times and as you can imagine, the treats had to be stellar....

Mama-to-be had a few treat requests, mostly involving chocolate. Those were easy for me. Chocolate and I are old friends. But I needed to add a something for the citrus lovers in the group and Lemon Bars seemed the logical choice. First though, I had to research.

The perfect lemon bar...sweet, lemon-y gooeyness on top of a buttery shortbread crust.

I searched the Internet for the perfect recipe. Sweet, but not cloying. Lemon-y, but not too tart. In the end, I mashed up a couple of best. One was Ina Garten's recipe and the other, Ree Drummond's recipe. The result? Perfection.

The BEST Lemon Bars

Lemon-y, sweet, gooey, and beautiful. These lemon bars are truly the best!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup flour
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.; spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter and the sugar until light. Stir in the flour and salt until the mixture just comes together. Turn into the prepared pan and press the dough evenly on the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned. Cool.
3. While the crust cools, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour evenly over the cooled crust. Return to oven and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes, or until set. Cool completely. Generously dust with powdered sugar and cut into squares or triangle.

Next up...Pink or Blue? Reveal Cupcakes spill the beans!

Can anything be more Minnesotan than Hotdish? I don't think so. Traditionally, hotdish is a savory mix of creamed soup and hamburger, often topped with tots. Or macaroni and hamburger and cheese. Much cheese. Or tuna and noodles topped with crispy onions and mixed with....creamed soup. But let me propose another kind of hotdish, this one sweet rather than savory. What kind of sweet served in a casserole could possibly pass for hotdish? A souffle? Mais, non...too highbrow. And a banana pudding seems much too Southern. But a crumble...yes a crumble...perfect for a sweet hotdish...

Pick a tart apple to compliment the sweetness of the caramel.

Caramel Apple Hotdish

If you had to imagine that iconic Minnesota casserole, the Hotdish, transformed into dessert...this would be it!

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 3-4 medium sized tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup good quality caramel topping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., spray 1 1/2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside 1 1/4 cups of the crumb mixture. Press the rest of the mixture onto the bottom of the casserole dish.
3. Spread the apple slices evenly over the top of the crumb mixture. Drizzle the caramel topping over the apples. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the caramel. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the apples are tender. Serve warm.

Warm, buttery, with a hint of cinnamon......

Spicy Tomato Burger

Earlier this month, Red Gold launched another Summer Grilling Season with loads of great recipes. One of my favorites from last year made an appearance again this year--the Spicy Tomato Burger! This burger is seriously good and so, so easy to make. I have to tell you that my burger making skills have historically been lackluster at best. That was before I discovered the "secret" ingredient.....wait for it....canned diced tomatoes! In this case, it's the flavorful Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies...

It's always a good day when tomato products show up at my door....

Simply drain a 10 or 14 ounce can of Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies and mix it into a pound of lean ground beef. Add a little salt and pepper, form into patties, and you are good to go. I like to add a nice slice of pepper-jack cheese to make it complete. Now wasn't that easy?

Of course, you don't have to stop at just this flavor combo. Some of you may remember the Caribbean Chicken Burger I made last year. Simply mix a pound of ground chicken or turkey with a can of Petite Diced Tomatoes with Cilantro and Lime (well drained), a slightly beaten egg, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, salt and pepper, and voila! another delicious burger is made!

Caribbean Chicken Burger

Let's not forget our toppings. Guess what new product Red Gold has just come out with? Yes! Sriracha Ketchup! I have a preview bottle that is almost gone. Luckily, this ketchup rolls out nationwide by the end of July.

You can find both of these recipes and more grilling ideas (using diced tomatoes!) on Red Gold's website. 

Happy Grilling!