Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs

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Do you have a favorite thing to cook in the summer?

Mine is probably kabobs.  I love that the whole meal, except maybe some rice cause that'd be kinda hard to skewer, is on a stick.

I also love that I can get my kids to eat more veggies.  Veggies are fun to eat when they're on a stick.

And this recipe has got to be one of my absolute favorite kabob recipes yet!

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Sweet & Spicy Potato Salad

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Years ago I found this recipe watching Sunny Anderson's cooking show on the Food Network.

I made it for a holiday dinner, and with the kids all being quiet a bit younger, they didn't much care for it.  

I made it again last week, after adapting it to better fit our tastes, and they LOVED it!  I will definitely make this again.

It's great for picnics and barbecues too because you don't have to worry about it sitting out and spoiling because there is no mayo involved, which is a plus for me.

This is a salad that can be served warm or cold.  And it just tastes great!  

I love the combination of the sweet, tangy, and just a little heat in this salad and you will too!

Friday, July 19, 2013

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

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Last week was the second week of summer for us and the boys spent the week working around here, doing yard work and fixing the two gates going into the back yard.

I figured the least I could do was ask them what kind of sweet treat they wanted me to make for them to snack on while they were working.

Justin said "I don't care mom, whatever you make is fine"  Gotta love that boy!

Connor said "I'd love to have some White Chocolate Macadamia cookies".  So Connor won because I really wanted to bake something and I can always use another great white chocolate cookie recipe :)

As you all already know, I'm not a big fan of chocolate.  What you might not know is that I do LOVE white chocolate!  Especially in baked goods.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Roasted Corn & Black Bean Salad

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I've been trying out some different salads this summer and so far and this is by far one of my favorites.

It combines the smoky flavor of roasted veggies with my all time favorite, roasted corn and black beans.

The balsamic vinegar gives it a little tang and it is the perfect side dish to any picnic, barbecue, or grilled food.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Piña Colada Cupcakes

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Oh the cupcakes I've been making around here!

These are one of my favorites by far and I know I say that each and every time but seriously, these are the best.  The flavor is so rich and the cupcakes are so moist and I'm just gushing over here aren't I?

Do you like the pineapple coconut flavor combo?  I do and I have always tried to make them into a great cupcake but the flavor was always so-so.

Well with a little ingenuity and time, I found out what made the flavor in these POP and it's all about making the pineapple more flavorful to begin with.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Homemade Cookies & Cream Ice Cream

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Don't you just love the undecided weather?

I just love when it's 90 degrees one day and raining two days later (said with extreme sarcasm, lol)

With all the hot weather we've had lately, I've been putting my ice cream maker to good use.

We've been enjoying some of the most delicious homemade ice cream these past two weeks!

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Cheesy Chicken Flautas with Avocado Cream Dipping Sauce

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I brought home a couple of rotisserie chickens last week and wanted to make some quick and easy dinners with them.

I wasn't sure what I was going to make when I bought them, but I have a ton of magazines laying around with recipes for meals that include rotisserie chicken.

The first one I made up all by myself :)  Even made a new dipping sauce to go with!

You all know how much I love my Mexican food and I was in the mood for some on this night.  But I didn't want to make the whole spread with rice, beans, and a main course.

Instead I settled for some finger food.

One of my favorite things to order is Flautas and so I thought I'd try my hand at making them at home.

And let me tell you, it was A-MAZ-ING!

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Aloha Teriyaki Burgers

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After seeing all the great burgers on Pinterest and Facebook lately I decided I needed a few new ones for my blog.

I saw this Big Kahuna Hawaiian Burger over on The Slow Roasted Italian's blog and knew I had to try a teriyaki burger.

Everyone in my family LOVES teriyaki and when we go to Red Robin we all order the same thing...Banzi Teriyaki Burgers!

I adapted Donna's recipe to suit our tastes and we fell in love with this burger.  What amazed me most about the flavor was that just from the spices alone that I added to the meat it tasted like a teriyaki burger; before I even added the sauce!

Monday, July 1, 2013

Funfetti Cupcakes

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Do you remember that commercial where the mom is in the kitchen making the rice crispy treats and everyone is in the family room asking how much longer it'll take?

You see her sitting there reading a book, lol, then she flicks some flour on her face, messes up her hair, and comes out bearing a tray of rice crispy treats like it took her hours to make?

Ya, that one.

These totally remind me of that commercial because of how easy they are to make too.

I mean really, how hard is it to make cupcakes anyway?  Not very

And everyone seems to love funfetti!  Especially the kiddos and friends :)