By Cheryle Finley
Globe Columnist
JOPLIN, Mo. —
When I bought my first watermelon of the year a couple of weeks ago, I put it in my grandson’s booster seat for the ride home. That kept it from rolling around.
I’ve found a pricey solution for those roly-poly melons that go for a joy ride in the back of our cars: Square watermelons.
Japanese growers have done some out-of-the-box thinking. Actually, it’s in-the-box thinking Ñ using tempered glass boxes, they grow watermelons that look like cubes and fit perfectly in refrigerators.
They would be quite the conversation piece, but at $82 each, compared to $10 to $15 for regular watermelons, only the rich or those seeking the appearance of wealth are spending the money for a melon that tastes just like a normal, everyday watermelon.
Brazil is now growing square melons in wooden boxes. I’m not sure what the going rate is for those, but I’m sure it’s a premium, too. You can find instructions on the Internet so you can build your own plastic box, but one box alone will set you back about $80. Still, it would be an attention getter and I think they would be fun to slice up and serve in square sections.
A reminder about buying a watermelon: Look for the spot where the melon has been laying on the ground. This spot should be yellow. If it is, the melon is good to go.
If you see “chicken pot pie” on the sign in front of Granny Shaffer’s on North Range Line, make a quick turn into the parking lot, then go in and order one. The pie is huge and the crust is the perfect pot pie crust.
While eating lunch there one day last week, I visited with a nice couple about fresh vegetables. I’m sorry I didn’t get their names but the husband shared a corn on the cob cooking idea.
He said he takes off about half the husks then microwaves the corn for a couple of minutes. After a short cool down time, he finishes cleaning the corn and it’s piping hot and delicious. It’s much quicker than waiting for water to boil.
Thanks to his great-grandparents, Atlas and I took Brandy and Bailey Anderson with us to Branson to see Cathy Rigby in “Peter Pan.” I remember Cathy Rigby the gymnast. Now I know Cathy Rigby the actress. It was a wonderful afternoon and the special effects were amazing. The boat scene had fake water in the back that looked so real, it made me a little seasick.
After the show, Cathy came out to the lobby to sign autographs and was so gracious, answering a little boy’s question about Captain Hook and posing for a pictures. She gave Atlas some fairy dust to put under his pillow for sweet dreams.
He carefully carried it to the car, took a closer look and said, “Hey, this isn’t fairy dust. This is paper.” He finally decided it was special no matter what it was made of, and we got home with most of it.
I actually teared up meeting Cathy Rigby because I remember watching her on television and cheering her on in the Olympics. I hope this is a memory Atlas will keep for a long time to come Ñ he gave me a good excuse to have a wonderful afternoon.
For today’s recipes, the pizza meat loaf cups are from Taste of Home’s “Quick Cooking.” You can cook your regular meatloaf recipe like this, and dinner will be ready in a fraction of the time it would be if cooked in a loaf pan.
The other two recipes are from Anna Ruth Mosbaugh. Banana nut bread is a family favorite and I always buy extra bananas so I’m sure to have some really ripe ones left for this bread.
The whipped egg white makes the difference in the snack mix. It is delicious and we are carrying it around with us in baggies as my grandson Atlas continues his visit.
Stay cool and happy eating!
Pizza meat loaf cups
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
11/2 pounds ground beef
11/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Additional pizza sauce, optional
In a bowl, combine the egg, pizza sauce, bread crumbs and Italian seasoning. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Divide between 12 greased muffin cups. Press onto the bottom and up the sides. Fill center with cheese.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Serve immediately with additional pizza sauce, if desired. Or cool, place in freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Yields 12 cups.
To use frozen pizza cups: Thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours. Heat in microwave for 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through.
Banana nut bread
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 or 4 large mashed ripe bananas
1 cup chopped nuts
Measure and sift together flour, soda and salt. Cream butter. Add sugar to butter and stir together. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir until thoroughly mixed.
Stir in mashed bananas. Fold in dry ingredients and nuts then pour into loaf pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes.
Snack mix
3 cups Apple Jacks cereal
1 cup whole blanched almonds
2 cups pecan halves
1 cup chow mein noodles
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg white, whipped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
In a large container, combine cereal, nuts and noodles. In a small bowl combine sugar, cinnamon and salt. Stir in whipped egg white. Toss to coat dry ingredients.
Transfer to greased 15-by-10-inch baking pan. Bake uncovered at 300 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
Address correspondence to Cheryle Finley, c/o The Joplin Globe, P.O. Box 7, Joplin, Mo. 64802.
