Unofficial Beginning of Summer

Memorial Day in addition to being a time to honor our heros and loved ones lost, it is also the unofficial kick off to summer. It's time to get out the bar-b-ques, grill some beef or chicken or fish if you must. Add a couple great salads and some refreshing drinks and you have yourself a great outdoor meal.

I had the opportunity to visit our Cowboy Shop in Carmel, we stopped in Paso Robles and ate at this awesome deli. They had the yummiest potato salad, it wasn't like the traditional potato salad I make. Here is a recipe that is quite similar for you to try for your Memorial Day cook out.


3 lbs new red potatoes
1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons dried dill weed
4 green onions, chopped
salt & ground black pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn heat to medium-low and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool in an ice water bath until cold, about 5 minutes. Leaving skins on cut into bite-sized pieces, and place in a large mixing bowl.

Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, dill weed & green onions in a bowl and stir until blended. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Pour mayo mixture over potatoes and toss coat evenly. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

I found this great recipe on allrecipes.com, in fact I find a lot of my best recipes on this site :)

Cinco de Mayo

It is the 5th of May or also known as Cinco de Mayo. Cinco de Mayo is often confused as being Mexico's Independence Day, which it is not. That is September 15th, but I digress, Cinco de Mayo celebrates an unlikely victory for the Mexican Army over the French forces at the Battle of Puebla. It is celebrated primarily in the state of Puebla and in the United States.

In the United States there are several events that celebrate the day. We don't have many celebrations in our area, but for me Cinco de Mayo makes me think of chips & salsa. So here is a recipe for one of my favorites

Pico De Gallo

6 plum tomatoes, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

3 Tbsp. minced cilantro

2 Tbsp. lime juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients. Chill at least 1 hour.

Dutch Oven Cooking

With camping season on the horizon and in some places in full swing, one of the greatest things about camping and summer is Dutch Oven cooking. One thing we never do without on a camping trip is breakfast in a dutch oven. I don't have a recipe for the breakfast we cook, but I found one similar in Kettles & Coals Dutch Oven Favorites cookbook by Ken & Cheryl Allred.

Chuck Wagon Breakfast

2 lbs. ground seasoned sausage or bacon

1/4 medium onion, diced

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 lb. cooked ham, cubed

1- 2 lb. package cubed hashbrowns

18 eggs

1/2 c. milk

seasonings to taste

With 12 coals on top and 12 on bottom, add sausage or quarter sliced bacon. When meat is cooked, drain all the grease . Add onion and garlic and saute for 4 minutes. Add ham & hashbrowns, cover and cook until hashbrowns are done, stirring occasionally. In a separate bowl, whip eggs and milk. Add egg mixture to oven, stirring into meat. Add seasonings, cover and cook until eggs are done, stirring occasionally.

There are several other yummy sounding recipes I can't wait to try out this summer. Click here to order this great book online.

Tasty Appetizer

If you are looking for a super easy, really tasty, hit of the party appetizer, look no further than Cowboy Candy and its brother and sister Cowtown Candy and Cowgirl Candy by WHH Ranch. Just add tortilla chips and cream cheese and everyone will be raving.

So what is Cowboy Candy? It is the original sweet jalepeno. I will be honest, I was a little nervous about trying this, I don't do jalepeno's, but WOW, it was so good. Just take a tortilla chip, preferably the "scoop" kind, put in a dab of cream cheese, put a piece of Cowboy Candy on top and you are in for a taste explosion. You cannot have just one, I guarantee it.

The Cowtown Candy has garlic for a whole different taste sensation. The Cowgirl Candy has pineapple and marischino cherries. I'm told it is spicer than the Cowboy Candy, which at first surprised me a little. But if you think about it girls can be a little spicer than their male counterparts.

So where do these amazing creations come from? WHH Ranch Company is the oldest family owned and operated cannery in Texas. They opened their doors in 1939 and still make every item one at a time. They hand pick, hand process and hand can every item and it is worth it. They produce for hundreds of stores, craft shows, trade shows and horse shows.

We are pleased to carry Cowboy, Cowgirl and Cowtown Candy at Burns Saddlery.