Thursday, July 23

Island Cooler


(the beautiful island of Guam....we had the privilage to live here!!)

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Island Cooler

7 cups water
2 cups sugar
4 tea bags
12oz frozen lemonade
6oz limeade
12oz frozen pineapple-orange-banana juice
2 cups pineapple juice
Cold 7-up or, Sprite, or Club Soda, or Ginger Ale
Bring water and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat and add tea bags. Steep for 10 min. Let cool. Add Lemonade, limeade, pineapple, pineapple orange banana juice. Stir.
Freeze in a container for at least 12 hours.
Scoop out with ice cream scooper and fill each glass 1/2 full. Pour soda over and enjoy!

Wednesday, July 22

Raspberry Jalapeno Chicken

Raspberry Jalapeno Chicken



1/2 cup Raspberry Jalapeno Jelly (It's all about the Bees)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 T rice wine vinegar
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t garlic powder
2 T juice (apple, pineapple, raspberry, oj)
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts



Combine all and pour over chicken in a freezer bag. Freeze until your ready to use. Thaw for 24 hours before you cook in the refrigerator.

Pour all into a large baking dish. Cover and cook at 350 degrees for 30-40 min. Remove from oven and transfer to platter. Spoon juices over chicken. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

Tuesday, July 21

Tuesday's Tip

Do your berries sink? Toss berries in dry mix before mixing in. I've always done it this way and they have never sunk. :)



Monday, July 20

Meal Plan Monday



Chicken in Raspberry Jalapeno sauce




Burgers




Breakfast Waffles with fruit




Grilled Salmon




Chicken and Beef Kabobs (bbq with neighbors)




Leftovers




Roast Chicken

Sunday, July 19

SONday Dinner

What happen to the days of cooking the majority of the afternoon for an awesome Sunday dinner? My guess.....we don't have the time......we don't have the energy......we want to be left alone on Sundays....Sunday's are for individual families. Honestly, those excuses are very valid and true....but every now and then, don't ya just want to go all out.....eat, play, eat some more. Well, I propose (c'mon, you knew this was coming) not letting this tradition die completely, but incorporating "Sunday Dinner" once a month. It's less overwhelming and won't break your back or the bank. Might I even propose making the majority of this dinner in advance.....SAY WHAT.....HUH.....yeah, making the main dish and the dessert and freezing it until your ready. All that left to do is invite your family or friends and make a couple side dishes.

Think about this menu:

Molasses-Bourbon Short Ribs (freeze ahead)
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Green Beans (can be done in 5 min with a pressure cooker)
Orange Dream Pie (freeze ahead)

or this:

Chicken Wellington (freeze ahead)(recipe below)
Baked Broccoli Medley (freeze ahead)
Rice Pilaf
Chocolate Meringue Torte (freeze ahead)

(I can picture you nodding your head in approval gaining confidence every minute :)

Here's to get you started or at least brainstorming:

Chicken Wellington
(serves 12)

12 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 Tbl butter
9oz cream cheese, softened
12oz canned mushrooms, drained (I will saute fresh when I make this, personal prefernce)
6 Tbl chopped green onions
3/4 tsp salt
3/8 tsp pepper
3-10oz can crescent rolls or phyllo dough sheets

Flatten breasts to 1/8 inch thick (do this on a day that your stressed and work it out). Pan fry the chicken in butter until no longer pick. Combine cream cheese, mushrooms, green onions, salt, and pepper. Place 2 Tbl of cheese mix in the center of each chicken piece. Roll chicken up and place in the center of roll or phyllo sheet. (phyllo is extremely thin, you might need to use more than one sheet, it also takes some patience to work with, and DONT let it dry out!!) Wrap dough around and seal. Wrap each breast in plastic wrap and place inside a freezer bag.

On serving day:
Thaw in fridge slowly (at least 24 hours if not longer). Place seam down on a cookie sheet. Brush with a beaten egg. Bake at 375 for 20-30 min.

While baking:
Melt 3 Tbl butter and saute 1 Tbl green onion. Blend in 1 1/2 Tbl flour. Add 1 1/2 cup milk slowly. Season with 1/2 tsp salt. Add 3/4 cup cheese (your choice) or 2 oz of mushrooms. Serve as sauce over chicken.

Saturday, July 18

Farmer's Market














I love the Farmer's Market!

Friday, July 17

Family Fridays ~ Can I have S'more please

Who doesn't love s'mores! I mean really.....a toasty....sticky....gooey mess of melted chocolate over heated marshmallows! mmmmmm, NUFF said.


Check out these inspirations based off of the beloved s'more.

Martha....you did it again! :)







and again! :)




S'more brownies



Not sure if anything beats the original though......and if you haven't had one or made them before....only one line is appropriate......You're Killing Me Smalls! (for those that have not a clue what I'm talkin bout.....watch this.....and then go watch the whole movie)

Happy Friday! :)