Cucumber-Herb Rings

We love cucmbers in this family, and the cream cheese filling just made them yummier.  You can see that I didn't get the filling packed in tight enough on some of them, and that made the insides fall out.  I filled them from both sides, so there were air pockets.  I think if you just fill them from one side until it falls out the other side, you will have better luck.  If you are looking for an easy, but fancy, summer dish, this is a great one.

Cucumber-Herb Rings

1-2 cucumbers
4 oz cream cheese, softened
few drops lemon juice
paprika (I used about 1/8 tsp)
1 tsp mayonnaise
1 T each parsley, chive, and dill (I used fresh because I had them in my garden)

Peel the cucumber if you like, and slice into 2-3 inch sections.  Use a knife or melon baller to cut out the seeds.  Dry well.  Beat the rest of the ingredients together and use a baby spoon to fill the cucumbers.  Make sure you pack it tightly.  Chill for a few hours.  To serve, cut into slices; sprinkle with salt and paprika (I forgot this step).  Can be served on lettuce leaves.

Hot Herb Biscuits

I expected these biscuits to have a strong flavor with all the spices they call for.  I was pleasantly surprised.  The flavor was very light and yummy.  The biscuits were a little dry.  I only kneaded them about 7 times and the dough was getting too stiff.  I would add a little more liquid to this recipe and then do the kneading 15 to 20 times.  Really, I think I would just add the spices to the Baking Powder Biscuits of Lillian G. (pg. 10) that Natalie did in the beginning because they were just plain good biscuits.  I will still rate these a 3 because they were good just not as good as some others.