Recipes: Christmas in July, baked beans, and Hawaiian mac salad craziness

Happy July! That means the first half of the year is over and we are on the downhill side of the year. This is also a holiday week with July 4 on Saturday. This will not be the same old Fourth of July. With events canceled and social gatherings not happening, what will you do? Start your July 4 with the Hook and Ladder Company and its drive-through Pancake Breakfast in Old Town, and stop at the Farmers' Market to pick up all your goodies for your family feast. This month, national celebrations include: Baked Bean Month, Grilling Month, Hot Dog Month, Ice Cream Month, Picnic Month and Anti-Boredom Month. So much to celebrate where do we begin? This week, we also have national food days which include: Anisette (July 2), Fried Clam, Chocolate Wafer and Eat Your Beans (July 3), BBQ Spareribs and Caesar Salad (July 4), Apple Turnover, Graham Cracker and Hawaii (July 5), Fried Chicken and Hand Roll (July 6) and Macaroni and Strawberry Sundae (July7). So, our recipes are all over the place this week. I will start with my annual Christmas in July recipe. Next, we make baked beans in the pressure cooker. I love making baked beans, but I would bake them for hours in the oven. While I was in my test kitchen, this recipe jumped out at me and had to work on it. I have to say I will never bake beans again after figuring this out. Make them a day ahead and they are even better the second day. The last recipe comes from my craziness for Hawaii and Hawaiian food. Hawaiian macaroni salad is a staple and is served with everything. Happy cooking. Caramel Monkey Bread Ingredients · 1 can Grands! buttermilk biscuits · 1 cup brown sugar · 1/4 cup water · 1/2 cup butter · 1 teaspoon cinnamon · 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Instructions ◘ Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a Bundt pan with cooking spray or butter. ◘ Cut biscuits into small pieces, at least 8 per biscuit. Combine brown sugar, water and butter in saucepan. Bring to a full boil. Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon and vanilla. ◘ Fold half the biscuits into the butter mixture, coating them completely. Remove biscuits from caramel mixture and place in the prepared Bundt pan. Add remaining biscuit pieces to the caramel mixture and coat, then add them to the pan. Pour any remaining caramel sauce on top. ◘ Bake for 20-22 minutes. Remove and invert onto a serving plate. Serve immediately. Baked Beans - Pressure cooker way Ingredients · 1 package (16 ounces) dried great northern beans or pinto · 2 smoked ham hocks (about 1/2 pound each) · 2 cups water · 1 medium onion, chopped · 2 teaspoons garlic powder, divided · 2 teaspoons onion powder, divided · ¾ cup Ketchup · ¼ cup molasses · 4 slices diced bacon · 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard · 3/4 cup packed Splenda brown sugar · 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg · 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves Directions · Rinse and sort beans. Transfer to a 6-qt. electric pressure cooker. Add ham hocks, water, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon onion powder. Lock lid; close pressure-release valve. Adjust to pressure-cook on high for 24 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes; quick-release any remaining pressure. · Remove ham hock and remove the meat into small cubes. Strain the beans and save 1 cups of liquid. · Turn the cooker to the sauté mode, add bacon and diced onions and brown until bacon is cooked. · Add meat to pressure cooker. Stir in Ketchup, mustard, molasses, brown sugar, nutmeg, cloves, remaining garlic powder and remaining onion powder. Cook for a minute or two to incorporate all ingredients. Add beans and mix; if too thick, add reserve liquid to thin out. · Lock lid; close pressure-release valve. Adjust to pressure-cook on high for 5 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes; quick-release any remaining pressure. Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Ingredients · 1 pound macaroni · 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar · 2 carrots, shredded · 1/4 cup onion, shredded (optional) · 2 1/2 cups mayonnaise Best Foods or Hellman's mayonnaise (no substitutes!) · 1/4 cup milk · 2 teaspoon sugar · kosher salt and pepper, to taste Instructions 1. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain well and place macaroni in a large bowl. 2. While macaroni is still hot, sprinkle on vinegar and add carrot and onion. Toss together until well combined. Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes. 3. In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together mayo, milk and sugar. 4. Fold mayo mixture into the macaroni until all the noodles are evenly coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. 5. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours (best if overnight). Gently stir before serving, adding a little more milk if needed, no more than a tablespoon or two.