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Peach and Blueberry Trifle

August 21, 2014

:: Peach and Blueberry Trifle ::

Summer fruit is truly my favorite! It’s hard to beat the taste of ripe peaches and sweet blueberries — nature’s candy! This simple dessert is a delicious way to incorporate seasonal fruit. The trifle comes together easily… in a few steps, and the result is not only delectable, but beautiful as well! The best part is that it isn’t a heavy dessert. Oh no! It quite the opposite — completely light and airy!

Since I’m still getting settled in our new house, I’ve been creating dishes that are semi-homemade {I still haven’t unpacked all of my kitchen boxes — must get on that}! A store bought angel food cake is perfectly acceptable for this recipe… unless of course you love making your own from scratch {kudos to you}! [Read more…]

Summer Pasta Salad

July 22, 2014

:: Summer Pasta Salad ::

Do you find, in the summer, that you cook less or look for easier recipes? I certainly do! Our days have been filled with outings, lots of outside time playing, and for us… packing up our mountain home in preparation for our upcoming move {not so fun!}.

During the school year, I’m fairly good at sticking to a routine of eating dinner at a reasonable time so that I can get the kids in bed around 8 p.m. In the summertime, that’s not the case! Usually, I’m throwing dinner together on a whim… with little time to spare! This recipe for a chilled Summer Pasta Salad is perfect for nights like that! [Read more…]

Peach and Toasted Pecan Ice Cream

June 20, 2014

:: Peach and Toasted Pecan Ice Cream ::

I recently sat down and reminisced about my favorite 4th of July celebrations over the years. They were spent at my Aunt Jean’s house in Fullerton. She had the most beautiful Spanish style house, with a big backyard, and dreamy swimming pool. She invited everyone! Her yard was always packed full of close friends and family. After dark… we would crowd the usually quiet street in front of her house {which was situated on a hill}, and watch the local firework show.

Looking back, I have the fondest… most cherished memories of the 4th of July because of my sweet Aunt Jean and the wonderful annual gathering she created! The conversation was always delightful, the pool nice and cool, and the food… absolutely scrumptious! Of course, the homemade ice cream {that seemed to take forever to churn by hand}, was always my favorite!

Fresh peach ice cream seemed to be a tradition at her 4th of July celebrations, which is why I decided to make my own version to share with my family! I’m hoping to carry-on the lovely homemade ice cream tradition to celebrate Independence Day this year… and in the many years to come!

[Read more…]

Almond Butter Honey Yogurt Dip

May 27, 2014

:: Almond Butter Honey Yogurt Dip ::

Summer is approaching… and pretty soon you may start feeling like you’re seriously living in the kitchen with the kids home! Having four children, I do in fact spend what feels like half of my day preparing healthy meals and snacks {especially since we homeschool}.

This Almond Butter Honey Yogurt Dip is a healthy and delicious snack idea that I got from Weelicious! The recipe only calls for three ingredients with an optional fourth, that I’ve added in. I eliminated use of refined sugars by using raw, unprocessed honey and sweetening it further with one ripe banana. [Read more…]

Cafe Rio Copycat Crockpot Chicken

May 15, 2014

:: Cafe Rio Copycat Crockpot Chicken ::

Have you all had the opportunity to dine at a Cafe Rio? I know they’re not everywhere… which is unfortunate, because their food is so fresh and delicious! It’s the perfect place to take the kids! I love, love, love their chicken tacos topped with shredded lettuce and fresh pico de gallo! What about their homemade tortillas?! Oh my… talk about pure deliciousness!

We live about 45 minutes from the nearest Cafe Rio, so we are only able to go once or twice a month. On Pinterest I saw loads of copycat recipes for their famous chicken. I thought it was worth a shot to try to replicate the recipe for myself! {Of course none of us have that secret recipe… so we can only guess as to how they exactly make it.} This recipe is for crockpot chicken. It takes no more than 5 minutes to throw it all together, which makes it the perfect recipe for a busy weeknight. The main ingredients, besides the boneless skinless chicken breasts, are italian dressing, a ranch dressing packet, cumin, chili powder, minced garlic, and a little water! Super easy, right?

Your house will smell so delightful while the chicken is cooking all day! {That’s one of my favorite parts about a crockpot meal!} Once the meat is fully cooked, you can shred it by simply using two forks, or by pulsing {briefly} in a food processor. The meat comes out completely moist, and full of robust flavor! [Read more…]

Healthy Taco Salad {vegetarian}

January 23, 2014

:: Healthy Taco Salad ::

Confession: When my husby is home from work… I do very little cooking. With our new life in the mountains, he not only does 100% of the grocery shopping, but also cooks, so I can focus on homeschooling our four little ones. We eat very well when he is home! He’s super creative in the kitchen {thanks to the near decade he’s spent as a firefighter}. I am truly one lucky wifey!

This healthy Taco Salad is one of our family favorites. We love it because it is so versatile, quick, and easy to prepare. You can basically cut up and add-in any fresh veggies you have on hand from your garden or market. {For meat lovers… you can grill up some chicken, or prepare ground turkey, or lean ground beef to add to the salad.} To be honest… I rarely use dressing, instead I mash up the avocado and add a dollop of salsa. {If you like sour cream or plain greek yogurt, it would make it even creamier!} For those of you that love a simple dressing… a Creamy Cilantro Avocado or Italian drizzled on top tastes divine! [Read more…]

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