German Pancakes

Grilled Asparagus

Honey Mustard Chicken

Fruit Pizza Bar

I had to use my cell phone for this pic I left my actual camera at home!

French Onion Soup

Smores Brownies

Monkey Bread

Fajita Seasoning

Kitchen Island Redo

We have the smallest island in our kitchen.  I do have to say that I love it though.  We used to live in a basement apartment that had no counter space so I love every inch of it in our house.  My husband and I decided we wanted to do a little something to spruce up the kitchen.  So we started with the kitchen island.

Okay so the before picture is just ridiculous.  It is from when we first moved in and it was the command center for cleaning, and painting.  Well hopefully you can ignore the mess.

We wanted to use bead board but it can get pretty expensive so my husband decided to use wood paneling.  I actually kind of liked it better because it had all of these pretty knots that would look awesome when we started distressing.  
 

After the paneling was added we put a molding on the top and bottom and a corner molding on the sides.  We left the front of the cabinet the way it was.  After sanding everything smooth we were ready to paint.

We did two coats of black paint then distressed it and finished it all up with a high gloss lacquer.  It turned out way shinier than we thought.

 

I love how it turned out and I love the black against the tile.  I think it adds so much to my kitchen and it looks like a whole new place!

Frozen Tomatoes

Who planted a garden this year? What did you plant? Have you harvested anything yet? What are you most excited to eat from your garden? My husband went crazy this year. Our garden is about six times bigger than we need and I love it! It's been a lot of work to keep the weeds somewhat under control, but I think they are winning right now. This year I was most excited for the green beans and zucchini we planted. I knew one zucchini plant would be enough for us, but I planted two; I just picked the first one yesterday! The hubs planted eight tomato plants! All I can say is, wow.

I know how to can and I don't hate doing it, but it is so hot right now and standing in front of the stove for a few hours canning tomatoes does not sound like my idea of fun. A neighbor told me that she freezes her tomatoes! I am new to the amazing world of freezing fresh foods, and so far I am in love. I'm embarrassed to admit that I just learned you can freeze bananas this summer. One of the best things to happen to my life. So when my neighbor told me what she does to get her tomatoes ready to freeze, I knew I had to tell all you as well!

• Wash the tomatoes
• Cut the stems out
• Quarter or half the tomato depending on how large it is. If you have cherry tomatoes don't worry about cutting them at all. I do half Romas though.
• Put them in a food processor with the blade attachment (I'm not sure if a blender will work since I haven't tried it)
• Turn the food processor on and liquefy the tomatoes.

You can be done at this point but if you know what you will be using the tomatoes for, you can add other ingredients: jalapenos, garlic, onion etc. Just make sure you mix them together well.

My neighbor stores her tomatoes in plastic bowls with lids. I measure mine into Ziploc Freezer bags. Before pouring the tomatoes in, I label each bag with the date and what is going inside. Sometimes I add extra ingredients. Sometimes I just use tomato so I need to know what I'm going to be using. I also write on the bag how many cups are inside. Side note: I do not buy the less expensive zipper bags for the freezer. Ziploc makes a great product and the freezer bags help prevent freezer burn so well. Before I zip the bag closed, I press out as much air as I can.

I use frozen tomatoes for anything tomato based: chili, spaghetti, soups etc.

One last thing, did you know you can freeze celery as well? Wash and cut it down to sticks. Lay it out on a cookie sheet and freeze for several hours before you place it in Ziploc bags. You can use it later in soups and stews. Great to know for when celery is on sale!

French Toast Casserole

I love breakfast foods. Breakfast has got to be my favorite meal. Next to cold, highly sugared, cereal I love French toast. A few years ago I was on a camp out with my church. Our bishop was in charge of making breakfast. He made this casserole in a dutch oven; it was so good! We had it later at a Christmas party as well. I enjoy it so much!

 

I had to take a picture in the pan because my family was already picking at it even though it was still so hot!

What you need:
1 Loaf of cinnamon swirl bread or Texas toast bread cut into cubes
6 Eggs beaten
3 c Milk
2 t Vanilla
2 t Cinnamon
1 c Fresh Raspberries or Blueberries optional

• Place cubed bread into a greased 13x9 pan
• Mix eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon and berries if you choose to use them
• Pour over bread
• Refrigerate covered overnight or at least one hour (Overnight is the best)
• Uncover and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes
• Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and serve with syrup

My husband liked this because it reminded him of bread pudding. I am going to put raspberries in next time and try to find a custard recipe to put on top. I think that would make it just like the bread pudding we love at Kneaders.

Clarks Dip

My Uncle-In-Law came to a family party and made this dip. His name is Clark and we've always just called it Clarks Dip. It is awesome. This is one of the only foods I actually have cravings for! We usually dip Wavy Lays in it, but saltine crackers and veggies are also good! It is also another one of those super easy, super fast things. Perfect for parties or watching a movie.

What you need:
24 ounce container Small Curd Cottage Cheese
8 ounce block Cream Cheese
1 Lemon
6 Green Onions
Garlic Salt

• Soften the cream cheese in the microwave 15-25 seconds
• Mix softened cream cheese with cottage cheese
• Chop the bottom 3-4 inches of the green onions and add to cheese mixture
• Juice lemon over cheese and onion mixture
• Season to taste with garlic salt
• Mix well

Serve with your choice of chips, crackers and/or vegetables.

Butternut Squash Soup

My mom isn't a fan of squash, therefore we didn't eat it when I was a kid. I just assumed it was gross and wouldn't like it either. Boy, was I wrong. Now that I'm an adult and know that it won't kill me to try new food I have developed a love for squash and zucchini. I'm really looking forward to harvesting some great squash and zucchini from our garden later this summer.

Recently I came across a butternut squash. I had never tried this let alone made something out of it. My husband automatically suggested soup. Do you feel like there are certain foods that just go better in the Fall and Winter? My initial thought was "Ugh, soup in July? No thanks", but I didn't know what else to do with it so soup it was. I'm really glad too, it was so good.

I searched the Internet for a recipe that used ingredients we like. I found one to use as a starting point and went from there. Here is what I came up with.

What you need:
2 T Butter
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
32 fluid ounces of chicken broth

Melt the butter in a large fry pan
Cook all the vegetables for about 5 minutes, or until they start to brown

Pour the chicken broth in a crock pot
Place the cooked veggies in the broth
Cover, set on high and let simmer for a couple hours, until the veggies are soft

Transfer the veggies with a little broth to a blender
Blend until smooth
Add broth as you need to help thin the soup until you have the desired consistency

If you would rather do this all on the stove top in a little less time just cook the veggies in a large pot then add the broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 40-60 minutes. Until the vegetables are soft. Continue with the blender like above.

I liked that this soup was hearty, but not heavy. Does that make sense? It was good to eat something filling and delicious, but it didn't make me want to take a nap. I also loved that it was made with fresh vegetables, very healthy. Last thing, it was super easy. I'm all about convenience.

Patriotic Chocolate Covered Strawberries

I found these strawberries over at Real Mom Kitchen. Laura is a friend of my mom, and that woman knows how to cook. I love her blog because her recipes really are for a real mom. Nothing too fancy. Just how I like it! When I saw this post I knew I had to make some. I'm not a huge white chocolate fan, but these are just too cute! I did some red, white and blue for the USA and some red and white for the Canada girls!

I used white chocolate apeels, but white chocolate chips would be fine to use as well. Melt them in the microwave on high for one minute, and then at half power stirring well every 30 seconds until melted. Once the you dip the strawberries keep holding them for just a few seconds and then sprinkle away. I tried rolling the tip in a bowl of sprinkles, but it made the chocolate lumpy. I say, just sprinkle them on. Obviously these are so versatile for any color theme you have!

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

I think the worst time of day during the summer is right around four o'clock; the kids are starting to get hungry and my husband will be home soon. For some reason they think they need to eat dinner. I don't get it! ;) We play hard usually swimming at some point in the day. By four, I'm tired and want to veg out. But being a wife/mom never ends. This is the time to decide what to make for dinner. I hate it. Sure we've tried a menu, I even spent a day making freezer meals for a month. There are still those times that you see a head of lettuce that needs to be used and you didn't pull any meat from the freezer. You're left wondering how to make a meal out of what you have. That's where I'm at today. I've been to the gym, took the kids swimming, did a little housework and I'm beat! Luckily, the hubs won't want dinner until later after he hits the gym and our kids are spoiled and never eat what we eat so I have time to thaw some chicken. That's where this little concoction comes from today; I needed something easy but still delicious!

I'm going to post this recipe just as I made it. We're putting the chicken in a salad and neither of us like a ton of meat, so I made one chicken breast. It will be very easy to adjust for more meat.
What you need:
1 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (Really any piece of chicken is fine)
1 c Sprite (Yes the soda)
1/4 c Teriyaki Sauce
1/8 c Soy Sauce (We use low sodium)
1/2 T Brown Sugar
The final four ingredients aren't necessary. They add a little extra flavor that we enjoy, but we always have them on hand.
1 T Seasoned Rice Vinegar
1/2 t Sesame Oil
Small chunk of peeled and sliced Ginger Root
1 Shake of White Sesame Seeds plus more for Grilling

• Put all ingredients in a bowl stir to combine.
• Marinate at least 30 minutes. Refrigerate if marinading for an extended amount of time. The longer you let the chicken marinate, the better flavor you'll have.
• Place on a hot BBQ grill. Grill until internal temperature reaches 190 degrees. You can do this inside with a fry pan, griddle, broil in the oven or even bake. Whatever you have.

I said earlier we're having this on salad. I'm going to cut some Romaine Lettuce and Spinach leaves, chop the chicken up, throw in some bell peppers, olives and add some Litehouse Toasted Sesame Ginger Dressing. Another good option is to make rice bowls. Cook rice how you like add the chicken with a little Teriyaki sauce and your favorite steamed veggies. Or eat the chicken as the main dish with french bread and the grilled corn Erica showed us. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

I'm always on the lookout for great recipes that use the forgotten bananas. I'm a huge fan of this recipe.

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

What you need:
1/2 c Softened Butter
3/4 c Brown Sugar
3-4 Overripe Bananas
1 t Vanilla
2 Eggs
2 1/4 c Flour
1 t Baking Soda
1 t Cinnamon
1/4 t Salt
3/4 c Chocolate Chips (I like Milk Chocolate)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use nonstick cooking spray to coat muffin pan well.
• In a large bowl or mixer cream the butter and brown sugar together.
• Beat in the eggs, vanilla and bananas until well combined.
• Add all the remaining ingredients, except the chocolate chips, to the banana mixture. Mix well.
• Gently stir in the chocolate chips.
• Divide the batter evenly into each muffin tin.
• If you have extra chocolate chips place some on top of the batter.
• Bake 18-22 minutes. (I used large muffin pans and mine took the full 22 minutes) You know they are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Have a recipe you'd like to share? Send it in for our Readers Show Off. Don't have pictures of it? Send the recipe, I'll try it out, take pics and post!



Mocktail: Shark Attack

I'm LDS, if you don't know or would like more information about our religion go here. Part of our beliefs is abstaining from alcohol. This has never been a hard choice for me. The part that is hard is that I love fruity fun drinks. Trying to find recipes for a great drink without alcohol is very hard. The problem that I run into is the main ingredient is the alcohol; if you simply take it out, you're left with lemonade or orange juice.

Guy Fieri has a drink he calls a Shark Attack. To view the full recipe click here. I've taken it and eliminated the alcohol content. In the end this really is just another juice drink, but what makes it fun is a splash of Grenadine and the way you garnish it. This is a drink that my husband and I as well as our children enjoy. It is so great for summer time, parties, BBQs etc.

I love the color of this drink.

What You Need:
Orange Juice
Half as much Pineapple Juice
Grenadine

For Garnish:
1/2 Lemon Thinly Sliced (Don't forget to wash it!)
1/4 c Fresh Pineapple Chunks
1/4 c Maraschino Cherries + more

I love the simplicity of this. You can make as large or small amount as you need. Just mix as much orange juice as you like with half the amount of pineapple juice in a pitcher or glass. If you're just making a glass full add a splash of grenadine, if you're making a pitcher full add about 1/4 cup. You really can't do this wrong. If you want a stronger flavor from one of the ingredients just add more. So easy!

Typically if I'm just making a glass or two I don't add any garnish. If I'm doing this for a party or special occasion I make it fun! Add the lemon slices, pineapple chunks and cherries (with a little of the juice), with a couple cups of ice cubes. Pour the liquid into glasses with ice cubes and add a cherry on top.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

My sister Whitney texted me to say she made meatballs stuffed with mozzarella cheese. I think she found the idea on another blog, but I don't know which one. That sounded so good to me. I couldn't decide if I wanted spaghetti and meatballs or what. I just wanted meatballs. I love them!

This recipe is good for so many things. You can make the meatballs smaller and serve as an appetizer with marinara dipping sauce. You can make them large for a variety of dishes. This time we ended up having meatball sandwiches.

What you need:
1 lb. Ground Beef
1/4 c Plain Bread Crumbs
Mozzarella Pearls
Seasonings of your choice (Garlic, Red Peppers, Salt, Pepper, Oregano, Basil, Italian Seasoning etc.)
1 egg
Olive Oil

About You Week: BBQ Dry Rub

I have to admit, this theme was hard for me. What recipe is "About Me?" The other ladies all did great posts on things for you. I love Erica's cleaning plan. I used it as a starting point for my own. She suggested to me that I post my favorite recipe.

So, here's the scoop. I love BBQ: meat, beans, potatoes, cornbread. Oh, I love it. I eat it all year, not just during the summer and grilling season. I came across this recipe online for a dry rub a couple years ago. I don't even know where I found it. The thing that I really like about it is that I can adjust it for my mood. Do I feel like a little more garlic? Sure, add some more. Do I want the meat a little spicier? Add some extra pepper. It is also easy to make a large quantity for larger pieces of meat. I've only tried this on pork. I've done ribs and pork roasts. We usually pull the pork for sandwiches. I feel like it would be good on chicken as well, but I'm not sure about beef.

This is a pork shoulder. It was rubbed the night before, and then placed in our smoker for several hours. We finished it in the oven on medium heat.

Dry Rub
1 t Garlic Powder
1 t Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 t Paprika
1 t Fresh Ground Pepper
1 t Mustard Powder
2 t Salt
3 T Brown Sugar

• Mix everything together
• Sprinkle on both sides and rub into the meat

If you're making ribs they are so good smoked with this rub. You can also throw them on a grill. If neither of these are an option for you try this:

Seal rib sections in foil with a Tablespoon of water in each package and bake for 2 hours on a cookie sheet in a preheated 325 degree oven.

Want a great recipe for cornbread? Buy two boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix and one box of their Yellow Cake. Mix them all together just like the packages say. Pour in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at the Cornbread temperature until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Finn's Cafe Traditional Norwegian Waffles

I LOVE breakfast for dinner. My better half, not so much. He isn't really into breakfast food. So when he emailed me this recipe I took that as the green light. I'm not sure where he found it. I think it was on the local news website, but don't quote me on that. With the recipe was this little blurb:

Finn Gurholt, owner and chef of Finn's Cafe, recently won the award for Best Breakfast from Salt Lake Magazine's dining awards.

These waffles have a different very distinct taste. I really enjoyed them.

Here's what you need:

6 eggs

1 c Sugar
1/4 c Sour Cream
1 c Flour

1/8 t Nutmeg

1/8 t Cardamom (Heads up, this is expensive! I found it for $10-$14 per bottle. I couldn't resist though!)

1/8 t Dried Ginger (I love ginger)