Fresh Strawberry Muffins

This is a great recipe!  The strawberries taste like strawberry jam pockets...yum!  The site I got this recipe from said these get very soggy the next day.  I am going to try and freeze them and see how that goes, because they really are good!  I got this recipe from  Real Mom Kitchen.

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1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries
3 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and mix well.

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to butter mixture. Add vanilla. Gently stir in strawberries.

Spoon batter into muffin pans.

Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over muffins.

Bake at 400º for 20-25 minutes.

Makes one dozen muffins. (Make sure you eat them the day you bake them. They aren’t so great the next day.)

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Grilled corn on the cob puts the old boiled variety to shame!  It is so good, and you can get so many flavors steamed in this way!  This is one of our favorite varieties.....

3 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

1/3 c. melted butter

dash of cayenne pepper

1 tsp. lime juice

salt and pepper to tate

Corn on the cob, husked and fibers removed

Combine all ingredients except corn.  Tear off sheets of aluminum foil, large enough to wrap each piece of corn in.  Place cob of corn on foil and brush butter mixture on cob with brush.  Wrap in foil, leaving some space for steaming to take place.  Cook for about 20 minutes on preheated grill, turning often.

Crash Potatoes

There is no other perfect side dish....potatoes is where its at!  It's been fun to experiment with some new recipes for this amazing versatile spud!  This newest edition to my potato recipe collection comes from The Pioneer Woman.  I love how the potatoes get all crispy/crunchy after being drizzled with the olive oil.  Yum!  For next time, I think I need to get a potato masher so mine will turn out as pretty as hers did!  Oh, and the fresh herbs....a must!


12 whole New Potatoes (or Other Small Round Potatoes)
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Kosher Salt To Taste (I used garlic salt instead)
Black Pepper To Taste
Rosemary (or Other Herbs Of Choice) To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.

On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.

With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.

Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Grilled Pizza

This is soooo good!  I don't think I've ever had pizza made on the grill before, and now I'm sure I'll do it all the time!  We just used traditional ingredients this time (pepperoni, sausage, olives, regular pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese), but next time I'd like to try a pesto chicken or a buffalo chicken.  Yummy!  Thanks for the idea Sisters Cafe!

Make a batch of your favorite pizza dough, or use this one from Sisters Cafe.

White Pizza Dough

1 c warm water, divided
1 tsp sugar
1/4 oz package active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp.)
3 Tbsp oil (olive oil or vegetable)
2 ½-3 c flour
1 tsp salt

Put warm water in bowl. Stir in sugar and yeast and let proof for 1o minutes. Stir in rest
of ingredients. Mix until a ball, knead 10 minutes. Put additional oil in bowl and let rise in oil bowl for 1 ½ hours.

Once the dough has raised, lightly flour two cooking sheets. On a floured surface roll out dough into a circle about 1/8 inch thick (I made two pizzas with this recipe). Place on cooking sheet. Place one pizza on a clean, oiled and preheated grill. Grill pizza crusts for about 1 minute on until the bottom is brown. With tongs, gently flip it over and grill for an additional 30 seconds. Remove from grill and repeat with remaining pizzas. Let cool. Top with your favorite pizza toppings and return to a preheated grill for about 2-3 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning. It's best to grill one pizza at a time.


Be creative and use a variety of sauces, cheeses and toppings!

Cheesy Garlic Bread

I had a really good recipe for some pasta and wanted some bread to go with it.  This one definitely hit the spot!  The spread makes it really creamy.  I do recommend using the measurements in the parentheses, unless you are really looking for some seriously creamy, cheesy bread!  This recipe came from Real Mom Kitchen.

2 cups shredded cheese – I used an Italian blend (Next time try 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup mayonnaise (next time try 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup butter – softened (next time try 6 Tbsp)
2-3 cloves garlic – peeled, minced fine
1 loaf French bread – cut in half lengthwise
1 bunch green onions – root and green ends trimmed, chopped

In a bowl, stir together cheeses, mayonnaise, butter, and garlic until thoroughly mixed.

Spread prepared mixture evenly over the cut side of each bread loaf half. Sprinkle onions evenly over cheese mixture.

Place bread, spread side up, on a cookie sheet or aluminum foil, and then bake in a 350 degree oven for 7 minutes. Turn oven setting to broil and broil for 3 minutes.

Break or slice bread into serving-size pieces and serve.

Garlic Chicken Pasta

Another tasty one from cooking club, submitted by Jocelyn Harris, she actually called it "Super Yummy Garlic Chicken Pasta," and for good reason!  The marinade on this chicken is so good, I will be using it a lot more often, I'm sure it'd be great on the grill! 

16 oz Farfalle pasta (bowties, I actually only used a 12 oz. package)
1 c heavy whipping cream
4-6 chicken breasts (I just used 3 large breasts)
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed or garlic salt
1 tsp pepper
½ c butter
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used the precooked bacon crumbles from Sam's Club)
½ c parmesan cheese
1 (12oz) bottle Lawry's mesquite marinade with lime juice (I couldn't find the mesquite with lime, so I just got the mesquite and added about 3 Tbsp. of lime juice)

Crockpot chicken and bottle of marinade on low for 6 hours (I cooked mine on high for 3 hours, I just put the chicken in frozen and it worked out well)  . Boil pasta. Cut chicken. Melt butter in a sauce pan, add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, parmesan cheese, and bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. In a large bowl pour over pasta and chicken and stir through.

Hobo Dinner

Oh how I love summertime.  My family has never been real campers, my mom's idea of camping is going to a fully furnished cabin in the woods.  This recipe reminds me of girls camp when I was a Young Woman, such an easy way to get a well-rounded dinner quick!  This is my version made at home in the oven.

1/4-1/3 lb. ground beef per person
potatoes, diced
baby carrots
onions, sliced
celery. chopped in large chunks
garlic salt
creams of mushroom soup
aluminum foil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Tear large pieces of foil (one per person) and spray shiny side with non-stick cooking spray.  Place individual portions of ground beef on each piece of foil and top with vegetables.  Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.  Spoon a couple spoonfuls of soup over veggies.  Make a packet with the foil and seal edges tighly so veggies will steam.  Place on baking sheet and cook for approximately one hour or until veggies are fork tender.

Rumbi Island Mango Chicken

I have never had this at Rumbi...I've probably only eaten there twice and got a salad each time.  This really is tasty, though!  I could not find coconut milk at the store to make the cocount jasmine rice, so I added 2 tsp. coconut extract, and it tasted great!  If you want a recipe for coconut rice, click here.  Gotta love a good crockpot meal!

4-5 chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)

1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups mango salsa (I got mine at Sam's Club)
Cumin to taste
Lemon Pepper to taste


Put chicken breasts in crock pot. Add spices and salsa. Cover and cook chicken until tender (mine took about 3 1/2 hours on high).  Shred chicken on a plate and return to crock pot. Add corn and beans. More salsa can be added to taste.


Serve over coconut jasmine rice for that Rumbi Island Grill taste. Garnish with cilantro or parsely, if desired.


*You could use regular salsa for a Mexican taste and serve over regular rice or tortilla chips.
*Update...we ate this as a burrito on a tortilla the second time around, and it was great as well!

Raspberry Pineapple Sherbet

This recipe is one that my mom and Grandma Barb would always make for family gatherings in the summertime. I feel so much better after eating this than a bowl of regular ice cream. There is something about the frozen bananas that I just can't get enough of! Definitely a summertime fav of mine!  It makes me feel a little less guilty eating this than a big bowl of ice cream!  We have also used 2 boxes of pineapple sherbet rather than one of each, and it is great as well.

1 box raspberry sherbet
1 box pineapple sherbet
1 bag frozen raspberries
5 bananas

Let both boxes of sherbet soften, and then combine both in large bowl. Slice bananas (cut each slice into 1/4s). Mix bananas and raspberries into sherbet and refreeze for at least 1 hour.

Peach (or other fruit) Smoothie

Mixed Berry (also good with a banana thrown in)

I don't know what it is about Spring/Summer that makes me want fruit!  I was looking for something new/healthy and came across this yummy smoothie that really is good for you!  If you use lowfat milk, it is a great low-cal breakfast!  The website I found says this makes 7 servings, I basically halved it twice and used it for my breakfast...perfect size for me!  As you can see, I've also made it with mixed berries, just switch up the Crystal Light flavor.  I'm sure any frozen fruit would be tasty!  The original was found on Jamie Cooks It Up!

2-3 C frozen peaches (I like a little bit more to make it thicker)
1 package Crystal Light peach flavor (I used a strawberry flavor since I couldn't find any regular peach, only peach tea)
4 1/2 C milk
1/3 C sugar

Put the frozen fruit in your blender. Add the milk crystal light and sugar. Mix until blended and frothy.

Fried Smashed Potatoes with Lemon

We had these with our ribs we ate, and they were delicious!  This is another one from Giada de Laurentis, who always has some yummy Italian ideas for dinner.  The lemony dressing is really tasty!  For her original recipe click here.

Potatoes:

2 pounds baby or fingerling potatoes (we got a variety pack that had different color potatoes)
1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra as needed
3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved

Dressing:

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 lemons, zested
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1-2 cloves minced garlic

For the potatoes: Put the potatoes in an 8-quart stockpot with enough cold water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and allow to dry for 5 minutes. Using the palm of your hand, gently press the potatoes until lightly smashed.

In a large, nonstick skillet, heat 1/4 cup of oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly brown, about 1 minute. Remove the garlic and discard. In batches, add the potatoes and cook, without stirring, until the bottoms turn golden brown, about 5 to 8 minutes. Using a spatula, turn the potatoes over and cook, drizzling with oil, if needed, until golden brown on the other side for another 5 to 8 minutes.

For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, parsley, thyme, mustard, garlic, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Spoon the dressing over the potatoes and toss gently until coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl and serve.

Rick's Ribs

These are definitely always a crowd pleaser around our house.  This is one of the many creations of Rick, my father-in-law, who is always coming up with great recipes!  We were lucky enough to have him make these while they were visiting us this weekend!

We like to get pork spare ribs and have the butcher cut them in half lengthwise, but baby backs will work also.  Remove the membrane from them and coat them with the following dry rub:

   1/2 C brown sugar
   1/2 tsp garlic powder
   1/2 tsp onion powder
   1 tsp cumin
   2 tsp paprika
   1/2 tsp dried oregano
   1/2 tsp thyme
   1/2 tsp dried mustard
   1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
   1/2 tsp black pepper
   1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Place coated ribs on a cookie sheet, cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.  Let the ribs sit out about 30 minutes before grilling.  Grill 10 minutes per side on medium-high heat, being careful not to burn.  Turn grill down to medium-low heat and grill indirectly for about 1 hour.  Baste with favorite barbecue sauce 2 or 3 times during last 20 minutes.

Dijon Pork Chops

I've been trying to mix it up around here and not have so much chicken (it wouldn't bother me, but others in the house get tired of it quickly:)  It really is a tasty change, the mustard flavor isn't too strong.  My husband said these were so tasty, I could make them every Sunday!

Dijon Pork Chops

4 1/2 inch thick butterfly pork chops
6-7 T. flour (I used cornstarch)
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 c. butter
2 T. finely chopped green onion
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 c. cold water
2/3 c. dry white cooking wine (I use white grape juice)
fresh chives to garnish

Pound pork chops with a meat mallet to 1/4-inch thickness. (they said they had skipped this and I did too)

Combine 5 T. flour with pepper, seasoning salt, and poultry seasoning in shallow dish.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Dredge chops in flour mixture and then brown in melted butter on both sides. Remove chops from skillet and set aside.

Add green onion to skillet and cook until tender, about 1 minute.

Stir together wine and mustard. Add to skillet and stir to combine with meat juices.

Return chops to skillet. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 8-10 minutes or until tender.

Remove chops to warm platter.

Combine water and 1 T. flour in a small bowl and mix well. Add to skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until thickened, about 1 minute.

Pour sauce over chops and garnish with chives before serving.

Recipe Source: On My Menu.

Restaraunt Style Salsa

This screams summer!  Oh how I love a good salsa!  This one I found on Amber's Delectable Delights.  It makes a ton, so if you don't want a ton, definitely cut the recipe in half!

1 can (28 Ounce) whole tomatoes with juice (I drained some of the juice)
2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel
¼ cups chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 whole jalapeno, quartered and sliced thin (less if you're not a heat fan)
¼ teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoons ground cumin
½ cups cilantro (or more to taste!)
Juice of 1 lime


Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like—I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.


Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or cheese nachos.

Monkey Bread Muffins

I was craving something sweet for Sunday morning breakfast.  Going through my "to try" recipes, I came across this one, and it was what I was looking for.  I adapted it from the recipe I found on Two Peas and Their Pod.  It's definitely not the healthiest, butt every once and a while will make a great treat!

2 cans of flaky refrigerated biscuits

Cinnamon
Sugar
6 Tbsp butter
1 cup of brown sugar
2 tsp water

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.  Cut the biscuits into 6 pieces.  Combine the cinnamon and sugar. I use extra cinnamon:) Roll the balls in the mixture.  Place pieces evenly into 12 muffin cups.Melt the butter, water, and brown sugar in a small pot on the stove. Stir until melted and bubbly.  Pour the gooey sauce over the muffins.  Bake for 10-12 minutes. (I ended up cooking it for closer to 15 minutes). Cool for a minute in pan. Remove muffins from pan and enjoy.