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PB & Y Fruit Dip

May 14, 2014 in Kitchen, Mailbox

Welcome to Day #3 of Kick Off to Summer Week, a multi-blogger event co-host by Lauren of From Gate to Plate and Summer of Summer Scraps. With summer quickly approaching and Memorial Day in a few weeks, we want to make sure you have plenty of ideas for your Memorial Day activities.

Each day we will be serving up a variety of different appetizers, main dishes, desserts, decor, printables and more all centered around the up-coming Memorial Day. We hope you enjoy all of these wonderful ideas. Tune in each day starting with Monday, May 12 and ending on Saturday, May 17.

We have great prizes up for grabs throughout the week so you will not want to miss out on any of the days! Follow #KickOffToSummerWeek2014 on Twitter to keep up to date with all of our spectacular ideas and giveaways!

 

Continuing with our Simple BBQ menu, today we’re moving on to fruit side dishes. Fruit is pretty much my favorite food ever.

And bread.

And chocolate.

Okay, I just love food. But fruit is really high on the list.

I love a fruit tray with a great dip. Homemade whipped cream is my go-to fruit dip. I mean really, is there anything better than ripe strawberries with fresh whipped cream? I think not.

I also love the super simple dip that is just yogurt and whipped cream mixed in whatever portions give you exactly the flavor you like.

I have one more super simple dip that is a regular on my fruit tray. In fact, my kiddos know I love it so much, they made it for my Mother’s Day breakfast. They know me so well. yum

This one was inspired by a recipe from Six Sisters Stuff, but I tweaked it a bit and I love it even more now. It’s like taking your favorite PB & J and turning it into dessert.

pby-fruit-dip


PB & Y Fruit Dip

  • 1 part peanut butter
  • 2 parts strawberry yogurt

Mix. Serve with fruit. Eat. Seriously, that’s all there is to it.

You can make as much or as little as you want. Measure out your peanut butter and then use twice as much yogurt. If you have really healthy peanut butter or yogurt with no sugar, you may need to add a little something for sweetness. I used sugary peanut butter and yogurt, so it’s plenty sweet just like this. And so, so yummy.

I love it best on bananas and strawberries, but try it on your favorite fruit and see how you like it!

Don’t you love how easy this menu is turning out to be? If you haven’t already, be sure to check out my Easiest Ever Grilled Chicken marinade and Creamy Corn Salad.

pbyfruitdip


Still wanting more?! Check out the rest of the #KickOffToSummer2014 awesomeness below!

Lemon Honey & Rosemary Grilled Chicken Skewers by From Gate to Plate
Sausage & Veggies Tinfoil Dinner by Summer Scraps
Baked Rosemary Garlic Fries by Keep it Simple, Sweetie
Homemade Natural Bug Spray by The Haas Machine
Memorial Day Festivities by Lil Huckleberries
Corn Cob Jelly by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Marshmallow Fruit Dip by Forty Eighteen
Trail Mix Oatmeal Cookies by Lady Behind the Curtain
BBQ Invitation Printable by My Daylights
Rhubarb Crisp by Love in the Kitchen
Mixed Berry Sweet Rolls by Like Mother, Like Daughter
Liberty Embroidery Pattern by Bits of Ivory
Red White and Blue Trifle by We Like to Learn as We Go
Chickpea Tabouli by Food Lust People Love
Dark Chocolate Pistachio Cookies by Life on Food

 I am so excited about our giveaway today!

#GourmetGarden #Giveaway

Our sponsor for today is Gourmet Garden Herbs & Spices. If you enjoy cooking with fresh ingredients you will just love Gourmet Garden!

Gourmet Garden herbs are organically grown then simply washed, chopped, blended and packed into tubes to maintain the herbs freshness and nutrition. With Gourmet Garden you will be able to keep fresh herbs in your fridge for months with no waste.

They have a variety of herbs such as Garlic, Basil, Cilantro, Chili Pepper and much more! You can find Gourmet Garden in the fresh produce section of your supermarket. Be sure to keep up-to-date with Gourmet Garden Herbs & Spices on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

#GourmetGarden Product #Giveaway PackageGourmet Garden has so graciously offered up a cooler full of herbs and spices perfect for you next cooking and baking experience. Your cooler will include 4 ounce bottles of:

Garlic
Basil
Chili Pepper
Dill
Oregano
Cilantro
Ginger
Italian Herbs
Parsley
Lemon Grass

I always end up with wasted herbs in my fridge when I don’t use them in time. These are so perfect for me!

Enter to win your very own cooler of Gourmet Garden herbs and spices in the Rafflecopter below.

 **Giveaway runs May 21 until May 28, 2014 at midnight EST. Giveaway is open to US Residents only. Winner must be 18 years of age or older. No cash value available**

**Disclaimer: This giveaway is being sponsored by Gourmet Garden. #KickOffToSummerWeek2014 bloggers have not received product or been compensated as part of this giveaway!**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What is your favorite way to serve – or dip – fruit?

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Creamy Corn Salad

May 13, 2014 in Kitchen

Welcome to Day #2 of Kick Off to Summer Week, a multi-blogger event co-host by Lauren of From Gate to Plate and Summer of Summer Scraps.

With summer quickly approaching and Memorial Day in a few weeks, we want to make sure you have plenty of ideas for your Memorial Day activities. Each day we will be serving up a variety of different appetizers, main dishes, desserts, decor, printables and more all centered around the up-coming Memorial Day. We hope you enjoy all of these wonderful ideas.

Tune in each day starting with Monday, May 12 and ending on Saturday, May 17. We have great prizes up for grabs throughout the week so you will not want to miss out on any of the days! Follow #KickOffToSummerWeek2014 on Twitter to keep up to date with all of our spectacular ideas and giveaways!

 

This week I am sharing a Simple BBQ Menu with you. Yesterday, we started with a fabulous main dish – my Easiest Ever Grilled Chicken marinade. So easy and delish!

Today we’re moving on to a veggie side dish: Creamy Corn Salad. When I look at this salad now, I honestly wonder why I ever tried it in the first place. It is kind of an odd combination of ingredients… But I am so glad I did!

The combination is inspired and absolutely delicious! It’s simple to put together, requires NO cooking, and goes great with yesterday’s grilled chicken.

creamy-corn-salad

Creamy Corn Salad

  • 1 can corn, drained or 1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1 Tb green onions
  • 1/4 c mayonnaise
  • 1/4 tsp dill weed

Just mix it all together, serve, and enjoy! Of course, if you use frozen corn, you will want to defrost it first. Unless you like little corn popsicles…

I know it sounds weird, but just trust me and try it. You’ll be glad you did!

creamycornsalad


View all of the other Kick Off to Summer Week 2014 participants for more Memorial Day ideas!

Soft Butterscotch S’more Cookies by From Gate to Plate
Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies  by Keep it Simple, Sweetie
Patriotic Quinoa Salad by It’s Yummi
Salmon Burgers by The Haas Machine
Summer Letter Set by Summer Scraps
Creamy Corn Salad by Forty Eighteen
Classic Potato Salad by Clarks Condensed
Mini Cake Mix Sandwich Cookie Bites by Lady Behind The Curtain
Grilled Stuffed Flank Steak by Love in the Kitchen
Sun-dried Tomatoes – How to by Food Lust People Love

What is your favorite veggie side dish?

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Simple BBQ Menu

May 12, 2014 in Kitchen, Mailbox

Welcome to Day #1 of Kick Off to Summer Week, a multi-blogger event co-hosted by Lauren of From Gate to Plate and Summer of Summer Scraps.

With summer quickly approaching and Memorial Day in a few weeks, we want to make sure you have plenty of ideas for your Memorial Day activities. Each day we will be serving up a variety of different appetizers, main dishes, desserts, decor, printables and more – all centered around the up-coming Memorial Day. We hope you enjoy all of these wonderful ideas.

Tune in each day starting with Monday, May 12 and ending on Saturday, May 17. We have great prizes up for grabs throughout the week so you will not want to miss out on any of the days! Follow #KickOffToSummerWeek2014 on Twitter to keep up to date with all of our spectacular ideas and giveaways!

simple-bbq-menu


I am so excited to be participating in this fun event, and can’t wait to share a fabulous and simple BBQ menu with you – GREAT for your Memorial Day or Summer BBQs. It will look a little something like this:

Monday
Main dish • Easiest Ever Grilled Chicken marinade

Tuesday
Veggie Side Dish • Creamy Corn Salad

Wednesday
Fruit Side Dish • PB & Y Fruit Dip

Thursday
Salad • Six Simple Pasta Salads

Friday
Drink • Perfect Fresh Lemonade

Saturday
Dessert • Favorite Popcorn Balls

 

Yum! Let’s jump right in and get started with the Easiest EVER Grilled Chicken marinade.

This is so easy, I’m not even sure it actually counts as a recipe. But easy is what we’re going for, right? And it’s oh so tasty.

You only need 2 ingredients and some chicken. Are you ready for the secret? Here goes…

Ta da!

It only takes 2 ingredients to make the easiest ever #grilled #chicken #marinade. Simple and delicious? That's exactly what I need!


Italian dressing and lemon pepper. That’s it! Here’s what you do: Sprinkle your chicken with lemon pepper then put it in a Ziploc bag. Pour a bottle of Italian dressing over the chicken, seal the bag, and put it in the fridge to marinate. A few hours later – or the next day – take out your chicken and grill it. That’s it! Easy and delicious!! You can use *any* Italian dressing. I have used regular, zesty, light… and even this fancy “restaurant recipe,” all with great results. View all of the other Kick Off to Summer Week 2014 participants for more Memorial Day ideas!

Margarita Grilled Shrimp Skewers by From Gate to Plate
Cherry Limeade by Summer Scraps
Turkey and Grilled Pineapple Burger by Keep it Simple, Sweetie
Place of Honor by Lil Huckleberries
Edible Patio Table Centerpiece by Bits of Ivory
Easiest Ever Grilled Chicken by Forty Eighteen
Ranch Burgers by Lady Behind the Curtain
Strawberry and Candied Almond Spinach Salad by We Like to Learn as We Go
BBQ Banner Printable by My Daylights
Red White and Blue Fruit Pizza by Like Mother Like Daughter
Star-Spangled Muffins by Food Lust People Love
German Potato Salad by Denise Designed

Not only do we have fabulous recipes and ideas for you, but we also have giveaways with awesome prizes!

Our sponsor for Day 1 of Kick Off to Summer Week 2014 belongs to Pick Your Plum! We are so excited they joined us today. Pick Your Plum is an amazing deal site that features products from all over the world. New deals occur each morning at 7:00 AM Mountain Time. Some of these fab deals go so fast you might miss out on them because the deals are always so great!

pyp1

Pick Your Plum features clothing, home decor, crafting, party supplies and other fun surprises! You can follow Pick Your Plum on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

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Today’s Pick Your Plum Prize Pack includes TWO $50 Plum boxes full of PYP awesomeness! (Seriously wish I could enter in this too because this prize is totally awesome!)

**Giveaway is open to US Residents only. Winner must be 18 years or age or older. No cash value available.**

**Disclaimer: This giveaway is being sponsored by Pick Your Plum. #KickOffToSummerWeek2014 bloggers have not received product or been compensated as part of this giveaway**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So much awesome in one post! Be sure to come back every day this week to get the complete BBQ menu and for more fabulous ideas and prizes.

Do you have any Memorial Day plans?

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Simply Ninja Salsa

May 2, 2014 in Kitchen

Salsa is a breakfast food, right?

I mean, it could be. It MUST be a healthy choice — it’s completely made up of vegetables, fruit (if you’re in the “tomato is a fruit” camp), and herbs! Yep, definitely healthy. But do you have to serve this healthy salsa over eggs for it to be a welcome guest at the breakfast table?

I sure hope not. At this very moment I am enjoying the shovel-like qualities of my favorite tortilla chips as I use them to transport salsa from the bowl to my mouth as quickly as possible. And believe  me — if salsa for breakfast is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

"You have ninja cooking skills, MOM" is what my kids say when I make this salsa.


I may have already mentioned that I am a bit of a salsa snob. I am from Arizona, after all, where Mexican food is just the food we eat every day. There used to be this fabulous Arizona brand salsa at ONE grocery store in my hometown, but when it disappeared I couldn’t find another bottle of salsa to take its place in my mouth, er, heart. That’s when the search for the perfect homemade salsa began, and I have FOUND the golden ticket, my friends!

"You have ninja cooking skills, MOM" is what my kids say when I make this salsa.

looks just like me… I definitely need more healthy salsa. Put down the chocolate, Melanie.

In my family, we lovingly call this “Suzie Salsa” because my dear cousin, Suzie, is the one who introduced us to this recipe. Of course, I am incapable of leaving a recipe alone, so I have tweaked it a bit. Still, Suzie may be my very favorite cousin now because she completely changed my life.

Ridiculous, you say? No, it’s true. Salsa really can change your life. It can make you the most popular girl at the party (“Who made this salsa? It’s amazing!!!”) and the coolest mom your kids have ever known (“Suzie Salsa??? YESSSSS!!!”). Not only that, but my kids tell me I have “Ninja cooking skills” when I serve this salsa. Being compared to a ninja is the highest form of praise in this house.

All I’m saying is… this salsa can turn you into a Ninja! That’s some amazing salsa. "You have ninja cooking skills, MOM" is what my kids say when I make this salsa. Now after all of this build-up, you’re probably thinking no salsa could live up to the hype. Or this salsa must be so tricky to make that you could never succeed. Oh no, this is not the case at all. I really do get asked for the recipe everywhere I bring it, and it is SOOO simple to make you will almost be embarrassed to share the recipe when asked. But you still should, because it’s not nice to know the secret to ninja salsa and not share it. "You have ninja cooking skills, MOM" is what my kids say when I make this salsa.

Simply Ninja Salsa

  • 2 cans (16 oz each) diced tomatoes – you want the liquid, so don’t drain them
  • 1 bunch green onions – use all of the white and most of the green
  • 1/2 c chopped cilantro – I buy cilantro by the bunch and then toss about half of the bunch in there
  • 1 tsp salt – don’t leave this out!
  • 2 cloves minced garlic – if they’re small, I use 3
  • 2 Tb diced jalapenos – or as much as you want for your desired level of “hotness,” these can be canned or fresh

Toss everything in the food processor (I LOVE my food processor) and pulse a few times until it’s as thick and chunky or as smooth as you want it. That’s it!

"You have ninja cooking skills, MOM" is what my kids say when I make this salsa.


If you like your salsa hot and spicy, go ahead and toss some more jalapeno in there. My family likes everything mild (wimps!), so I sick to the 2 Tb, or even a bit less sometimes. Whatever your level of heat, it’s delicious.

Not just delicious…. Ninja delicious.

I think I need to make a few of these. Think it will catch on?

"You have ninja cooking skills, MOM" is what my kids say when I make this salsa.

Do you have a favorite salsa?

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

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Sunday Chicken Supper

April 9, 2014 in Kitchen

There’s just something about a Sunday that makes me want comfort food. Maybe it’s because growing up I remember two typical Sunday meals: Mom’s crock pot roast and Dad’s mac & cheese. Talk about comfort food… yum!

I still love a Sunday roast, and homemade mac ‘n’ cheese is my go-to comfort food, but I have also added a few new favorite meals to our Sunday evenings.

Sunday Chicken Supper is such a great Sunday meal! For one, it actually announces itself as the perfect Sunday meal right in its name. Can’t go wrong there! And doesn’t “supper” just sound more homey than dinner?

Besides that, it’s simple to throw together, takes minimal effort, and tastes delicious.

Crock Pot Chicken comfort food with veggies and bacon = the PERFECT Sunday meal


Sunday Chicken Supper

  • 4 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 celery rib, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 c fresh green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 small red potatoes, quartered
  • 1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 to 3-1/2 pounds), cut up
  • 4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
  • 1 1/2 c hot water
  • 2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • Pinch pepper

In a slow cooker (5 or 6 quart is a good size for this recipe), layer the carrots, onion, celery, green beans, potatoes, chicken pieces, and bacon. If you don’t want to cut up a whole chicken, you can use pieces already cut up – like thighs or breasts – but meat really has a great flavor when it’s cooked with the bones.

In a separate bowl, combine the water, bouillon, salt, thyme, basil, and pepper. Mix it up and then add it to the crock pot. Don’t stir it; just pour it over the top. Cover and cook it on low for 6-8 hours or until the veggies are tender and chicken juices run clear. When it’s done, set the chicken and veggies on a platter to serve, and then you can thicken the juices to use as a gravy.

My family happily gobbles this down every time I serve it, and I love that it’s pretty healthy! (The bacon is more of a condiment… like an herb for seasoning.) Of course, it’s great on a weekday, too.

Crock Pot Chicken comfort food with veggies and bacon = the PERFECT Sunday meal



What do you love to eat on a Sunday?

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