Summertime Salad

Summertime Salads are one of my favorite things! And it seems that this summer has been so stinkin' hot that I hate putting any additional heat in the house, so this recipe is one of my favorites, not only is it tasty, but it requires very little effort or time!

Straight from Betty Crocker, here is a delicious light salad that you have to try! The dressing is fantastic and the ramen noodles give it the perfect crunch! I always try to keep cooked chicken in the house just for things like this, so I give it a quick chop and voila! This makes the perfect amount for our family, or it would be great for a pot luck. Enjoy!

Salad

5	cups shredded romaine lettuce
1	package (3 oz) Oriental-flavor ramen noodle soup mix
2	cups finely chopped cooked chicken
1	can (11 oz) Green Giant® Niblets® white shoepeg corn, drained
1	large tomato, finely chopped
2	medium green onions, finely chopped (2 tablespoons)
1/2	cup coarsely chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts (I usually omit this)

Dressing

2	tablespoons sugar
1	teaspoon salt
1/2	teaspoon pepper
3/4	teaspoon grated gingerroot (I sometimes use ground ginger)
1/4	cup vegetable oil
3	tablespoons white vinegar

1. In bottom of large (3-quart) clear glass serving bowl, arrange lettuce. Discard seasoning packet from soup mix; coarsely crush noodles. Layer noodles and remaining salad ingredients, in order listed, over lettuce.
2. In small jar with tight-fitting lid, shake dressing ingredients until well blended. Pour over salad. Serve immediately. (I like to whisk my ingredients together in a bowl instead of shaking, but it's just a personal preference)
   

Grilled Peaches, yes I said Grilled Peaches!!!

There is nothing quite like livin' in the south! If you've ever driven through Georgia about this time of the year, anywhere along Hwy 319, you'll find some of the juiciest locally grown peaches! A sweet lady that attended church with us gave me peaches one year that were so delicious and sweet. I'll never forget her or those peaches. It's one of my favorite fruits and is so versatile and if you are lucky enough to live in a good growing area, you should stock up to use this flavorful fruit.

Peaches are very firm so they can withstand many different types of preparation. Grilling is one of the most delicious and probably not often thought of, methods of preparing this simple dessert.

Grilled Peaches

Wash, core and slice your peaches in half.
brush with just a dab of oil and sprinkle with some brown sugar, then grill skin side down first and then flip. It should only grill for about a minute.

Praline Sauce
1 1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup Buttermilk
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons Light corn syrup
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Combine the sugars, buttermilk, butter, syrup, and baking soda in a heavy saucepan. Bring to the boiling point, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and nuts. Cool completely before serving. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

If you don't have buttermilk (which I don't usually keep on hand), you can use milk and add just a little vinegar.

Cream Cheese filling:
1 pkg (8 ounces) cream cheese softened
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup milk

Mix all ingredients until well blended. Spoon into the center of grilled peaches.
Drizzle praline sauce over the cheese filling and Yum! There's a fabulous dessert that's a great compliment for any grilled entree.

Red, White, and Chocolate

I LOVE celebrating Independence Day! Summertime Fireworks make me so happy! The last 2 nights have been popping and cracking with evening fireworks. We are fortunate to see them from our 3rd story windows, but tonight we are headed to the waterside to see a grand illumination!!! The city spares no cost when it comes to pyrotechnic displays, lemmetellya. It's serious!

Typically, we celebrate with quiet time at home! Maybe a trip to the beach, maybe a visit to the "Great American Picnic" in Town Point Park to listen to the Fleet Jazz Ensemble. It's humbling to live in such a large military community. Norfolk is home to the largest Naval Base in the Country, making our city a great melting pot full of culture and diversity. Hampton Roads and the Tidewater area is also home to Army & Air Force Bases, the US Coast Guard, NOAA, the list continues.

Grateful to be able to celebrate this wonderful summertime holiday, we enjoyed a simple late afternoon picnic for our family.

Baked Steak Burgers
Garden Pasta Salad
Fresh Buttery Corn on the Cob
Watermelon Kabobs
Red, White, and Chocolate Cupcakes

Here are a few of my tips for a great summer picnic!
Pre-made patties are a great time saver! I just add some Montreal Steak seasoning to the tops of the burgers and broil on a rack, so the fat drips onto a foil covered pan.
Boxed pasta salad is great. Instead of using the seasoning mix, use a bottle of light italian dressing. Chop fresh veggies, like cucumbers, tomato, and red onion. Toss with your pasta and voila!

Watermelon is one of my favorite summer fruits! We have a hard time eating a whole watermelon by ourselves. Unless you feel like sharing some with your neighbors a you can keep it fresh it by making frozen fruit kabobs.
(This week I found several pounds of fresh fruit on sale! Peaches, grapes, strawberries, watermelon, oranges, apples, bananas. I used the fresh peaches, grapes, strawberries and watermelon sliced into thick chunks and skewered them. Wrap them in foil and freeze. This is a great way for the girls to have a cold treat on a hot day this week and it's healthy! Another way to enjoy these kabobs is with a cup of cold vanilla yogurt.)
These red, white, and chocolate cupcakes are a real treat! I make the basic homemade chocolate cake mix in cupcake form.
Store bought frosting can save some time. A way to jazz it up a little is to add 1 tsp of vanilla extract and 1 tsp of another extract such as almond or rum. Mix it together in a bowl and top your cupcakes. Use sprinkles to decorate. Another way to decorate is with edible glitter and cocoa powder. I chose to use a little bit of hot chocolate mix instead of cocoa. What a great way to use what you have on hand!!
I hope you enjoy celebrating your freedom and the love of this country! Happy 4th of July America!

Sunday Dinner

There were times she'd prepare something like a lasagna or maybe pork chops, but more times than not it was a yummy roast with carrots and potatoes prepared in the oven and so tender and delicious. When you walked in the door after coming home from church, that scent would hit you like a mack truck and make you so hungry you almost couldn't move.

One of us would set the table. Depending on the occasion, we'd use the Blue Willow patterned dishes. Or sometimes, we might use the solid white Corelle with the tiny green flowers along the edge. If it was a special occasion, we'd use the yellow and brown china that had been passed down, that I still LOVE to this day and hopefully *sigh, will inherit one day!

No matter what we dishes we used, nothing could beat one of my mom's Sunday dinners!

Well, I can't say that my kids are as fortunate to eat on classic plates! Heck, they're lucky if I let them eat on the melamine dinnerware I bought at Target! But I get no complaints about having a yummy Sunday dinner.

Today, I made a Crock Pot Garlic and Wine Chicken.

Start with 4 chicken breasts in the bottom of the crock pot

In a bowl, mix together the following:
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-3 Tbl minced garlic
1 1/4 cup dry white wine
3 large sprigs of fresh rosemary
3 large sprigs of fresh thyme
1 Tbl crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbl white Vinegar

Pour this mixture over the chicken and cook on low for 5-6 hours. And serve on your favorite dishes.

Key Lime Cake

I must be in a mood for Lime lately! Because when I spotted these lime desserts on my latest Betty Crocker newsletter, I couldn't wait to bake!

Summer screams citrus for me! I love a fresh fruit salad. I even ate my first grapefruit this summer and lemmetellya, it was something else! The farmer's market has been full of these fabulous fruits and I just can't pass them up these days!

I'm a sucker for a Key Lime Pie! So, I couldn't resist to twist up this Key Lime Cake recipe I found!

Here's my version!

What you need:
1 white cake mix
eggs, applesauce, and water

1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 containers of yoplait Key Lime Pie Yogurt
Juice of 2 limes
1 container of fat free Cool Whip
Shredded coconut (optional)
Lime zest (garnish)

Bake cake according to package directions, but substitute the applesauce for the oil!
Cool for 5 minutes, then with the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes in the cake 1/2 inch from each other.

In a bowl, mix together milk, yogurt, lime juice. Blend well, then pour onto the cake, smoothing it over the top of the cake. This filling will seep down into the holes.
Refrigerate for about an hour and then top with cool whip and shredded coconut. (For a special touch, toast the coconut first) Garnish with fresh lime zest!

Mojito Fiesta Chicken

Imagine a hot summer day, lounging in the clear water of a pool on a Swimways float wearing a big straw hat, killer French pedicure, polkadot bikini, and a delicious Mojito.

Now, imagine that you don't even have to cook dinner, because simmering in the deliciousness of the crock pot is the most flavorful and fabulous chicken! And even if you're not into the bright flavors of mint or lime, you'll probably still love this easy and delicious recipe! It's perfect for those hot summer months and you don't have to put much heat in the kitchen.

Here's what you need:

1 pound of Chicken Breasts, Thighs, etc. (whatever your family prefers)

Juice of 2 limes

3 dashes of hot sauce (more if you like a bigger kick)

3 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbl oil (olive or veg.)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

Zest of 1 lime

Mint (3-4 leaves)

1 tsp sugar

2 Tbl minced garlic

½ small onion finely chopped

1 jalapeno (seeded and chopped)

Here's what you do:

Place chicken in crock pot. Mix all ingredients and pour over chicken. (If it seems too dry, add a little chicken stock or broth) Cook on low for 5-6 hours. I added a few slices of lime to the crock pot too and let the flavors develop.

My family loves this with rice and a fresh Corn and Black Bean Salad.

This low key salad is made with a can of black beans

1/2 bag of frozen corn

1/2 chopped red bell pepper

1/2 chopped red onion

juice of a fresh squeezed lime

few dashes of hot sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Allow it to sit for a few minutes before serving. The frozen corn will continue to thaw and it keeps the salad nice and cold!

Cursive T Creations

I promise I have not been neglectful on purpose!!! I have a really good reason for taking a month long hiatus from blogging!

Family life has taken a turn, I'm working a few extra hours every week and as the end of the school year comes to a close I'm ultra committed to being that PTA mom I signed up to be when the school year started. I also just finished managing the soccer team for one of my adorable girls and we're almost to the end of Spring Dance season meaning recital is coming up soon :) All of this will end and we'll be beach bums this summer, I'm sure of it!

I have started a new endeavor though, and that is Cursive T Creations! It's my latest specialty handmade gifts company. Boutique style gifts that are affordable, adorable and so much fun to give!!!

Here are a few things I love to make!
Tutu Onesies
Flip Flops
Denim Tutus
Wooden Picture Frames
There are many items that I love to make and these orders have been keeping me super busy! You can check them out in my Boutique Web store Cursive T Creations!!! And you can also "LIKE" Cursive T Creations on Facebook!

Share it with your friends!!! I'd love to make something special for you!!!