For Iowans, the first shortcake of the season is always with hot biscuits, always with mashed berries, always with cream and most importantly, not dessert but "dinner". When the first ripe-as-jewel local strawberries become available, the family script for shortcake is fixed. Shortcake is supper, nothing else. We are allowed – no, expected – to gorge. Diet protestations are futile. Failure to indulge has serious consequence: no return invitation. The first of two acts is Iowa Shortcake, hot biscuits doused with mashed berries and cream, lots of berries, lots of cream. The second act is – hhmmmm. Feast on this, then we’ll talk. If you’re worthy. IOWA SHORTCAKE Gently mash a half-cup sugar into a quart of bite-size berries: perfect, home-grown strawberries are traditional but blueberries, blackberries and others are extraordinary. Let rest at room temperature for 2 – 3 hours, pressing occasionally. Stir in a second quart of berries just before serving. To se

A no-cook strawberry ice cream with big strawberry flavor and pretty pink color. Make it with ripe strawberries from the supermarket or if you're lucky, precious homegrown strawberries. ~ Skip Straight to the Recipe ~ Pretty In Pink That’s how you might describe this Strawberry Ice Cream. Made without a cooked custard, it is the simplest – and prettiest! – ice cream recipe in my large collection. What is so seductive about pink’s pale-to-passionate variations? When I close my eyes and think pink , I find color-etched images. Last winter, two girls emerged from the grocery store with their mother. Their hot pink bellbottoms were topped by paler pink knitted ponchos, alike but not identical as the girls themselves were sisters not twins. And then in April, there was the blushing pink of crabapple blossoms burst open overnight along my street. And now, in summer, the cool, creamy pink of this dessert is added to my inner gallery, of pink. More Than a Bare Hint

The Recipe: No more boring chicken salad! Notch up chicken salad with chickpeas, olives and Indian-style spices in a yogurt dressing. Hearty and delicious with tons of protein, this is definitely a "savory" chicken salad. For Weight Watchers? It's very Freestyle SmartPoints friendly, all the ingredients except one (olives) are zero points! ~ Skip Straight to the Recipe ~ This recipe is so quick and easy that I'm adding it to a special collection of easy summer recipes published every summer since 2009. Watch for new "summer easy" recipes all summer long! With a free e-mail subscription , you'll never miss a one! COMPLIMENTS! "... love the spice combination, 'different' but not weird, if you know what I mean ..." ~ Anonymous Add yours, leave a comment, below! Health Guidance from the USDA The new food pyramid unveiled last spring by the U.S. Department of Agriculture offers, well, modest improveme