The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the kids are squealing in the sprinkler, and the smoke is rolling off the grill.  The most rewarding feeling is, my husband is officially in charge of cooking for the next couple months.  All I have to do is side dishes, and clean the kitchen.  I am on it!

I love this potato salad recipe because it takes advantage of the fresh ingredients of summer, and tastes incredible. It is a great twist on a classic!

Boil the diced red potatoes until tender.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients.

Mix potatoes, peppers, onions, bacon, and dressing in a large bowl. Refrigerate for 1 hour or serve warm

Makes 8 servings

My Name is Amanda and I am addicted to food.  Not just any food but luscious, savory, delectable treats. I have a hard time not baking with butter or cream cheese.  I love dessert and there aren’t many nights that go by that I don’t crave something sweet. The problem is that other people are starting to notice my love of food.  Not by the glint in my eyes when I look at a slice of chocolate cake, but by the size of my rear. ~chuckles~

In all seriousness, do you know how hard it is not indulge when the first thing your kids say after dinner is, “What’s for dessert?” I love eating fresh fruit, but sometimes that just doesn’t cut it.  I have started buying these Oikos Greek Yogurts with Fruit on the Bottom and they are my new addiction.  My kids asked me why I like them so much and I said, “MMM…they taste like cream cheese in a cup.” It was like my own words echoed in my head. Hmm…I wonder.

I hit the kitchen with my “cream cheese in a cup” and an idea.  I came up with these Short Cut Skinny Strawberry Cheesecakes and they are heavenly.  Not only will they do on those nights when I want something more.  But they only have about 140 calories each which makes me completely innocent if I happen to have one.

I like that you can personalize them by changing the flavor of the yogurt, or the graham crackers to Chocolate or cinnamon.

Gather your ingredients. I chose strawberry greek yogurt because that is what I had in the fridge…and I had some fresh strawberries to go with!

Just crumble the graham crackers.  I didn’t want to get my food processor out so I used my hands and got more of a chunky crumble.  Which was fine by me. I opted to not put any butter or anything to hold the crumbs together (I am going for low cal!) The yogurt and the paper line help hold it all together.

Top eat cup of graham crackers with about 1/3 cup of yogurt. Once topped place them in the freezer for atleast 2 hours.

When you remove them top them with a dollop of cool whip.  Keep frozen until ready to serve.

I have been on a D.I.Y. rampage lately.  I am really trying to stay away from packaged and processed foods.  My kids still love to have treats in the house, and don’t understand why I am not buying their favorite treats.  Instead of giving in I have just been making a lot from scratch.  This brownie mix is great to make in large batches and put in bags or jars to have on hand.

I also, love this because I can make it gluten free, which makes it super friendly for everyone in my house.  Gluten free brownie mix costs $4+ a box.  So this is a money saver too. Don’t miss all of these other great D.I.Y. Recipes too!  You can make so many things yourself!

There comes a time when you find yourself doing things that you never thought you would do. One of them for me, Frying Pickles. Yup, just not a big enough pickle fan to think I would ever fry them up for a snack.  However the food network told my husband that I should. Does that ever happen to you? Darn food network fills my families heads with all sorts of ideas. So off to the kitchen I went.  My husband now thinks I am now the best wife in the world which made the 15-20 minutes I just spent in the kitchen totally worth it!

I tasted a fried pickle, because what kinda cook would I be if I didn’t taste my own creation. I decided that if you are a fan of Salt & Vinegar chips, these are a tasty treat. The tangy dip I made to go with them, adds a spicy creaminess to them.  I handed the bowl over to my husband and kids and they were gone within minutes. So, I must have done something right.

Start with dill pickle chips. Drained very well, you don’t want them to be too soggy. Go ahead an heat your own in your pan now to about 350-375 degrees.

Dip the pickle chips in seasoned cornstarch.  I did it one at a time for demonstration purposes. Later on…I got real and did a handful at a time. LOL

Then dip them into the egg wash. I added a couple dashed of hot sauce to it to spice them up a bit.

And then one more trip in to the seasoned corn meal. After they are coated, drop them in the a hot oil for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with the Tangy Dipping Sauce. DELISH!

There are times when I sit down to type a recipe post, and I think to my self, wow I am lazy.  I really just don’t feel like doing much of anything.  Then, I take a minute to think about all of the things that I do accomplish in a day.  It isn’t that I am lazy, I am just worn out.   Taking care of a family, working, cleaning house, running errands, it adds up. I know many of you feel the same way by the time 5 O’clock Friday rolls around.  So, it is nice to slow down with an easy recipe that allows me to have fun with the family and enjoy a treat.

Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow.  So along with all those nachos, tacos, guacamole, etc that will be served make this easy and amazing dessert! I seriously through these taquitos together in less than 10 minutes.  Then the oohs and aaahs made me feel like a chef at a 5 star restaurant.

I got out a package of flour tortillas and some bananas.  I actually tried both flour and corn and both worked great, but I got more eye pleasing results with the flour tortillas.

Peel the bananas and slice them in have long ways and across.  Roll them up in the tortilla and secure with a  toothpick.

Drop rolled tortilla in hot oil about 350 degrees and fry for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.

Laugh if you want, but I was out of toothpicks, so I used this big serving fork to hold my tortillas together…Hey, it worked!

Removed from oil and drain on paper towels. Serve with Caramel Sauce and toasted coconut.  Feel free to dust with cinnamon sugar.

I am pooped! It has been a horribly long week, and I feel like I have run in circles the whole time.  We are also expecting a blast of cold weather, and rain.  I am ready to curl up with a blanket, and a movie and just get comfy!!

This Caramel Corn Chex mix is a family favorite and is sure to hit the spot while we watch our movie tonight!  Plus it is very easy to whip up a batch or two!!

1. Preheat oven to 250 °
2. Place Popcorn, Cereal, and nuts in a roasting pan.
   
3. In small saucepan, melt butter, stir in karo syrup and brown sugar.
4. Once melted and mixed, remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
   
5. Pour Carmel over cereal mix, and stir to coat.
   
6. Put in oven and let bake 45 minutes, stirring half way through.
7. Pull out of oven and dump on waxed paper to cool.
8. Break up and put in bowl to enjoy.

This can be given as gifts during the holidays! Mine really never lasts that long though.
Make this gluten free by using rice chex, and dairy free by using Dairy free Margarine.

Necessity is the Mother of invention. We had big storms move through the Mid-West this weekend, and while we didn’t get hit by them we have had terrible winds.  The lovely winds knocked our power out Sunday, and about the time it came back on it went off all over most of the house.  After several calls, we discovered the wind knocked the line from the side of the house loose causing us to loose power to 2/3 of our house. The only problem is I have about 5 outlets that work, and none of them are really convenient.  The stove is out, so I am working with my griddle, and crockpot.  I am also trying to use what is in the fridge.  Lucky for me my hubby grilled some chicken the other day so I had that to work with.

I had a little helper in the kitchen today helping me make these.  It really tickled her to help me make the dressing to go on them.  She enjoyed eating them even more!

Mix all of the patty ingredients together.  Form into burger sized patties, and cook in a light greased skillet or griddle over medium heat.

Once browned on one side (about 3-4 min) Flip and brown and cook through.

Serve alone or on a bun with some chili citrus mayo.

We are all looking for ways to use that leftover Easter ham that isn’t a sandwich.  This is one of my favorite go to recipes because it is so versatile.  It can be served as a side dish, for brunch, or as a meal. I have been told it is even better re-heated the next day.

This is also an inexpensive recipe to make, even more so when you already have the ham on hand.  Try this delicious dish with your leftover ham, you will be glad you did!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Slice potatoes in 1/4 inch slices.  This is when the food processor comes in handy.

Chop about 1 -1 1/2 cups of ham.

Layer 1/2 of the potatoes ham, and seasoning in a large casserole dish.  I added a little bit of the shredded cheese. Layer again with the remaining potatoes, ham, and seasonings.

In a saucepan heat butter and flour until thick.  Add milk and cheese whisking constantly until melted.

Pour milk mixture over the potatoes.  Cover and bake at 400 degrees F for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 mins

Serve warm!  Also good reheated the next day!

Easter will be here this weekend, and I think I have jelly beans coming out my wazoo! LOL  The kids seem to be getting them from everyone, and I (of course) bought a bag or two.  Now, what to do with all those jelly beans.   I love to eat a handful for a snack but I wanted to be more creative with them this year.  I whipped up a batch of blondies and plopped those juicy jelly beans right in their.

They turned out amazing and my kids are in love with our new Easter treat!  So whether you serve them for an Easter treat, or make them as a way to use up some of those after Easter Jelly Beans, these Blondies are a great recipe to have on hand!

Mix up the blondie dough and spread in a greased 8×8 pan.  Sprinkle the jelly beans on top.

Bake at  350 for 20-25 mins.  The blondies will bake up around the jelly beans.

All to cool and enjoy!

We have been traveling for the last couple days, so I am behind in my grocery shopping, cleaning, cooking, just life in general.  I knew it was that time of the week for another recipe, and of course my husband had an opinion. Bacon….make something with bacon.   OK, hon…I need more than bacon. LOL

So as we are rolling down the interstate the ideas are flying, there were some funny ones along with serious ones.  These Spinach Bacon Quesadillas were a serious one…as seriously delicious one!

Since we are traveling I snagged this pic and recipe from Sprinkled With Flour.  I am ready to make these for lunch tomorrow! YUM!

Earlier this week I got a package in the mail.  It was from the Green Giant, and my 4 year old was all over it!  “Sprout sent me a package!” When she saw that it was 2 cans of their new steam crisp corn, she wanted me to open them right then so she could eat them.  After I smuggled the corn away from my 4 year old I saw there were recipe cards in the package. I love new recipes!

For those of you that remember I was lucky enough to be invited to take a tour of Green Giant back in September.  Here is a little video they made which I happen to love! You can view the video on the Green Giant Blog.

Anyway,  Green Giants new Steam Crisp corn not only tastes wonderful, but the cans are smaller!  Why am I excited that cans are smaller?  Because they have the same amount of corn as the larger cans.  They just require less liquid because of the steam canning process!

One of the recipes in my package was for Creamy Corn and Garlic Risotto.  This stuff looks good enough to eat on the card.  But since I had Mexicorn and it was taco night I thought I would spice it up a bit.   Here is my twist on this delicious Risotto.  Plus stay tuned cause later in the week I have another recipe that I made with this risotto.  I turned it into an amazing casserole!

Heat 1/3 cup broth and garlic in pan.  For 1-2 minutes.

Add in the remaining broth, water, rice, chili powder, and corn.  It is a lot of liquid, but don’t worry! It cooks down.

This is what the rice looks like when it is almost done.  Stir in the cheese and the cilantro and serve.

Spring is here and Easter is around the corner.  The kids and I wanted something to help usher in spring this week.  These Birds Nest Cookies are just so stinkin cute, we couldn’t resist!

I love love love them because the are Gluten free, and Dairy Free (minus the cadbury eggs).  Making them a great treat for everyone in my house!  They are also super easy.  The hardest part is waiting for them to come out of the oven.  I had several pacers this time around, but they were glad they waited when they were finished.  These are such a cute Easter dessert, you have to give them a try!

Beat together 4 Egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until soft peaks form.

Slowly beat in 1 cup of sugar until meringue becomes glossy and stiff.

Fold in 1/2 cup of shredded coconut.  Be-careful not to stir because that will flatten your meringue.

Scoop the meringue mix onto parchment lined baking sheets and use a spoon to make a dent in the middle for the nest.  Sprinkle the outsides of the “nests” with more shredded coconut. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 250 Degrees F.

Tuck in the candies once the cookies are cool!

I had to get a picture of this one…it looks like they are hatching!   Enjoy!  Store uneaten nests in an airtight container.

Every once in a while I get an urge.  The urge to take a step back away from kid friendly food and venture in a little gourmet.  With Spring on our doorstep, I wanted to make something fresh and exciting and this is it.

I laughed with the kids in the kitchen as they watched me taste it.  They asked what I was going to call it and I said “Spinach Bacon OMG!” There are so many different textures and flavors that merry so well together it is like a little party in my mouth.  The tang of the lemon juice, the creaminess of the sauce, and the crunch of the bacon make this salad a perfect side dish for any occasion.  It really doesn’t even have to be just a side dish.  I just ate it for dinner.  You won’t regret making this recipe!

Brown bacon in large skillet over medium heat.

Add spinach and green onions until wilted down.

Add lemon zest and juice.

In a large bowl mix pasta, bacon mix, and cooking creme. Stir in Parmesan cheese and serve!

Here is the Philadelphia Cooking Creme that I used.  YUM!

This stuff is absolutely amazing!

Friday night is typically taco night in our house, and the night I make “Snack”urday.  It ushers in a relaxing weekend, and it is a great way to kick back and relax with the kids.   Seeing that tacos and dessert are our typical Friday night combo, I am surprised that this hasn’t made our rotation much sooner!

These Apple Nachos are the perfect mix of healthy, decadent, and convenient all rolled into one. The crisp green granny smith’s give just the right tartness to compete with the sweetness of the caramel and the chocolate.  Just FABULOUS!

Gather your Granny smith apples. Core and slice them.  You can do this early and place them in a bowl of water with 1 tsp of lemon juice to prevent browning.

I made homemade cinnamon tortilla chips for with this for added crunch.  You can omit them and just use the apples.  The chips are just corn tortillas cut into strips and placed on a baking sheet.  You then spray them with cooking spray and sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 375 F for 15-20 minutes until crisp.

Assemble the nachos with the apples and tortillas on the bottom.  Drizzle with caramel and chocolate, then top with your choose of toppings.  These are to die for!