White Lemon Berry Sangria

Our pool has officially opened for summer here in Texas! After finishing our flagstone path to the pool, I wanted to treat myself to a fun cocktail - this sweet, light white sangria is easy to make, and totally refreshing!

Ingredients

• 2 lemons, thinly sliced
• 1 apple, cored and sliced (any type will do, but I used Gala, cuz they are pink and pretty)
• 1 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced lengthwise
• 1 750 ml bottle white wine
• 1/2 cup white rum
• 4 cups lemon-lime soda

Directions

1. Add lemon slices to a large pitcher. Add the apple slices (I used a mandolin slicer to get the pieces super thin), then the strawberries.
2. Pour the wine and rum over the top of the fruit.
3. Cover and place in the fridge for 4 or 5 hours.
4. Remove form the fridge and add the lemon lime soda. Add a few pieces of fruit to each glass, and pour the sangria over to serve.

Stuffed Zucchini with Ground Turkey and Veggies

This recipe originated from my Mom.  She would make a baked stuffed zucchini that is still probably my favorite dish to eat!  Growing up (and still today) my Mom grows some of the most amazing vegetables in her garden at home every year.  We would have so many yellow and green squash left hanging around every summer...lucky us!!!   

So lets get started.  I wanted to make the stuffed zucchini more of a meal.  I wanted to keep it light and healthy for spring/summer so this is what we came up with.  

What you need

4 green squash (zucchini)

1 package of ground turkey meat

1 bell pepper ( I used an orange one)

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs ( I used seasoned panko) 

2 tbs olive oil

start out by cutting zucchini in half length wise.  Scoop out the insides using small spoon, and save in a bowl for later.  You should have something that looks like a boat.

Perfect! Now take the insides of the zucchini just scooped out and fine chop.  Do the same to your bell pepper as well.  Put the veggies together back in your bowl and add your 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese and 1 cup of seasoned bread crumbs.  Add 2 tbs olive oil and mix well.

Now to the ground turkey. Mix ground turkey with the vegetable mixture above.   

Heat up large skillet on medium and put in turkey/veg mixture.  Cook for about 7-8 minutes.

Let mixture cool for about 10 min.  Then transfer the turkey/veg mixture back into the zucchini boats from earlier.  Top it with a little extra bread crumbs and Parmesan (optional), and a drizzle with olive oil over each one.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Or until golden brown.

EAT ENJOY YUM!

Thanks Mom ;)

Milk Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Loaf with Dark Chocolate Drizzle

So, first of all I love love love Krusteaz baking products! (Try the pancake mix btw)  I have a pretty busy work schedule and its hard when you are baking from scratch to make sure you have every little ingredient....and I usually don't! LOL I like to pick up different boxed baked goods they have and maybe try adding a thing or two to make it my own and fun!  Today Krusteaz banana nut loaf mix was what we went with.  : )

What you need

• 1 box Krusteaz banana nut loaf mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1 ripe banana
• 3 squares dark chocolate (any kind, I used Ghirardelli 60% cocoa)

Really simple follow the directions on the box like normal.  Preheat your oven to 350.  Add your eggs, water, oil, and banana loaf mix to bowl.  Mix it up and fold in your one cup of milk chocolate chips and 1 chopped ripe banana.

Spray down your loaf pan (which is what I used) well.  Pour your mixture in.  This part is optional but I added some plain rolled oats to the very top before baking.  Bake for 50 min. as directed, depending on your oven.  Mine took and extra 10.  After baking let it cool slightly.

Then just pop out your loaf on any serving platter, I used a cake plate.  Then I melted my dark chocolate in a bowl using the microwave (about 30-45 seconds).  Once melted, make sure to mix well.  Then take a spoon and drizzle ALL over.  YES YUM! probably my favorite part, it's all fancy now! who could tell it came from a box right? Try it out with any of your favorite flavor combos!  EAT ENJOY YUM

Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake

For Mother's Day this year, I decided to treat myself to one of my favorite flavor combinations - chocolate and raspberry! I love it so much the pairing was even the filling in my wedding cake...

Ingredients

• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• 2 small boxes instant chocolate pudding
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups raspberry jam
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 3-4 splashes of milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and spray a 10 inch bundt pan with TONS of PAM - my pan was literally dripping with the stuff...
2. In mixing bowl, combine cake mix, puddings, oil, water, and eggs with an electric mixer. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips.
   
   
   
   
3. Pour half the batter into the pan, then take the jam and spread it over the batter. Pour remaining half of the batter over the jam and bake about 40 to 45 minutes.
   
4. Let cake rest in pan for 10 minutes or so. Then, invert the cake onto a serving plate to finish cooling. 
   
   
   
   
5. To make frosting, beat butter with powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and milk until creamy. Stir in the vanilla extract. Spread onto cooled cake.
   

I frosted mine only about 2/3 down the cake - I just thought it looked nicer. Also, I finished it off with mini chocolate chips, because more chocolate = more better. Or something. However, this would also look pretty with fresh raspberries on top!

Pink Princess Pancakes

How's that for alliteration? 

Princess Leah (PL) asked to make some pink strawberry pancakes the other day for breakfast, and I thought this might be a great opportunity for me to beef up our freezer pancake stock (more on this later).

Originally, I thought about doing raspberry flavored pancakes, but that didn't work out. Why, you ask? Because here in East Texas, they have many kinds of extract - mint, rum, banana, orange, butter (seriously?)...but NO raspberry. Readers, send me raspberry extract, stat. 

I could have used fresh or frozen fruit, but since these would be frozen later, fresh berries don't always work out during reheating. (HINT: you use a toaster, so YIKES).

Soooo...I used....Strawberry Nesquik! Go ahead and laugh, but it did give the pancakes a very slight strawberry taste that wasn't too sweet at all!

Ingredients

• 2 cups Original Bisquick mix
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup Strawberry Nesquik
• pink gel food coloring

I usually double this recipe, then wrap each pancake individually and freeze flat. Store them in freezer bags, and when PL wants a pancake, I just unwrap, pop in the toaster on the "freezer" setting, and she's all set! Cheaper than buying frozen pancakes, folks.

Mix the first 4 ingredients together, and you will see a pink color start to form, like this:

But PL states this simply isn't pink enough...so I add a small amount of pink gel food coloring, and get this:

Much better! Use a 1/4 cup measure to ladle out circles in your skillet or pan:

And cook normally - a minute or two on each side should do it. Set the pancakes out on paper towels to cool for freezing:

Or, cut into them right away to admire the beauty of the color pink:

Don't let the pink fool you - these are pretty versatile. Like 'em plain? Leave out the Nesquik and color! Like 'em with fresh fruit? Put some in! Like 'em blue? Purple? Orange? Swap out colors and flavors!!

Roasted Acorn Squash with Cinnamon

This was a very new side dish for me to try and I have to say a new favorite!

Ingredients
acorn squash
cinnamon
1/4 cup water

Directions
Preheat oven to 400.  Cut acorn squash right in half.  Scoop out seeds.  You can roast the whole halves or slice them.  I chose to slice them.  You want to roast them in a deeper pan filled with 1/4 cup of water on the bottom (to prevent burning or drying out the squash). 

Sprinkle squash all over with cinnamon ( to your desired taste).  Also if you like things on the richer, sweeter side, try drizzling 1 Tbs of maple syrup along with the cinnamon :) Roast for 1 hour.  This was so delicious! Almost like a squash and sweet potato had a baby. LOL Eat! Enjoy! YUM!

I can't wait to try this again in the fall!

Grilled chicken with fresh tomato, basil, and mozzarella (cold or baked with balsamic vinaigrette reduction)

Spring is here!  With all the green suddenly surrounding me I found myself in the mood for something healthy and fresh but, still simple and fast! I mean really fast! I decided to do an ultra quick/ light take on a chicken parm! YUM!  

Ingredients 
boneless skinless chicken cutlet (as many as desired) 
ripe tomatoes
fresh mozzarella
fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper (to taste)
                 balsamic vinaigrette (optional)      




Directions
Salt and pepper chicken (to taste).  Start to grill chicken breast, usually takes 7-8 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken breast.  At this point I pour 1/4 cup of balsamic vinaigrette into a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  By the time the chicken is done grilling the balsamic vinaigrette reduction should be done and thickened a bit.  Take it off the heat and let the reduction sit to the side.  

While the chicken is resting assemble tomato, basil, and mozzarella slices. Preheat the oven to 350.  Stack chicken with basil leaves, tomato, and mozzarella on top of baking sheet, coated lightly with nonstick spray :) Bake about 8-10 min.  Keep an eye on it, tomato should be softened and mozzarella melted!  Drizzle with reduction (optional) Eat! Enjoy! YUM! You can also omit the oven completely and just enjoy it cold on a nice hot day! 

                                                                       Try it hot!

 Try it cold!