Welcome to our RECIPES TO COOL A BLISTERING HEAT CONTEST!
I’m Jianne Carlo and I’ll be your host for this HOT— yeah, I’m being snarky—contest. If you have any questions, drop me an email (jianne@jiannecarlo.com), or leave a comment below. Let’s hit the contest ground running!
Summer’s hot and the kitchen’s hotter, so the Nice Girls are looking for great recipes to cool us (and YOU!) down this summer. Our contest runs from AUGUST 4TH – 17TH. We’re posting daily featured recipes on the blog from each of our Nice Girls, but we want you to participate.
How?
Post your own cool-down recipes in the comment section of the featured post. The recipe can be for a drink, an appetizer, an entrée, or a yummy dessert. Each recipe you post enters you to win our GRAND PRIZE OF A $50 AMAZON GIFT CARD at the end of our contest. More recipes = more entries.
AND…
At the end of our contest, FOUR lucky readers will be chosen by the Nice Girls for second place prizes, one in each food category. So make your recipes delightful, readers, because we get to vote on the ones we like best. The recipe in each category with the most votes wins an AMAZON GIFT CARD prize!
Now for today’s Featured Recipe:
DATE ME BABY! from Nice Girl Jianne Carlo
This is one of my faves for easy entertaining on a breezy back porch. You can put this together in 
minutes. It’s best enjoyed with a chilled Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc or Prosecco. Kind of decadent and delish and made for lingering and conversing.
Ingredients
- ½ cup Cream Cheese
- Bunch of basil cut into thin chiffon strips – reserve a few whole leaves for serving
- Salt – pinch
- Fresh ground black pepper – pinch
- Garlic powder – 1/4 teaspoon
- Grated lemon rind – 1/4 teaspoon
- Worchester sauce to taste
- Tabasco to taste
- Dates – I average 3 per person and this recipe serves 6
- 9 slices of bacon cut in two (half a slice per date)
- Toothpicks
Directions
- Place the oven on low broil.
- Mix the first seven ingredients thoroughly.
- Precook the bacon in the microwave to just below crisp.
- Place a dollop of the cream cheese on each date.
- Wrap the date/cream cheese mixture in a half-slice of bacon.
- Spray a cookie sheet with PAM.
- Arrange the wrapped dates on the cookie sheet.
- Broil for 2-5 minutes – watch carefully – until bacon crisps and cheese begins to melt.
- Toothpick the cooked dates, sprinkle the reserved basil leaves on the plate, and serve immediately.
Readers, don’t forget to post your favorite recipes in the comments section, now through AUGUST 17TH, for a chance to win our Grand Prize of a $50 Amazon gift card or one of Four AMAZON GIFT CARD Prizes! Winners will be announced August 21st!
Enjoy!
Jianne Carlo
The Nice Girls Writing Naughty
Nice Girls Writing Naughty 
Picnic Potato and Chicken Salad Cups
Ingredients
4 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 6 -ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast
3 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons mustard
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 fresh sage leaves, chopped
2 heads Bibb lettuce, leaves separated
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet, toss with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast until golden and tender, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the chicken in a saucepan and cover with water; bring to a simmer over medium heat and poach until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and let cool for a bit, then cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.
In a large bowl, toss the potatoes, chicken, bacon, celery, onion and garlic. Mix in the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, paprika, fresh herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve the salad in lettuce cups and roll up to eat.
Not sure if i’m supposed to leave my email here lol.
BLeigh1130 at yahoo dot com
That Picnic salad and Chicken Salad Cups sounds totally delicious Brandi!
Great quick and easy recipe for a hot get together.
That’s really creative Ginger and it sounds delish!
Not a huge fan of dates, but bacon wrapped? I may just have to try this.
Dakota
These look great and easy to make! Will have to try it out.
prosciutto wrapped over watermelon cubes
Spaghetti Salad
Cook 1 lb of spaghetti, drain and cool.
Dice up 1 cucumber.
Slice up 1/2 cup black olives
Toss in 1 – 2 cups of shredded or diced chicken.
Toss all ingredients together along with 1/2 c of Italian dressing. Chill for at least 1 hour.
Once you have plated salad, sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Serve with Townhouse crackers or crackers of your choice.
My mouth’ s watering Ginger.
Yum!
Reblogged this on and commented:
Check out the Nice Girls Writing Naughty for a cool contest;).