Reindeer Cookies

My kids and I had fun making these reindeer cookies this morning. So cute and so easy! Let me know if you want instructions and I will post them.

Merry Christmas!!

Turkey Pot Pie

I still have some leftover thanksgiving turkey in my freezer that I need to get rid of. Thank goodness I found this recipe on Picky Palate's blog. It used most of my turkey (you can also substitute chicken which would be most yummy!) and I think I could eat the entire pan myself. Comfort food all the way!!!!!

Turkey (or chicken) Pot Pie

adapted from picky palate

3 tbsp olive oil

1 cup onion, chopped

1 cup celery chopped

1 cup carrots chopped

1 cup frozen peas

2 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 cups turkey, shredded

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 stick butter

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed

Preheat oven to 350*. In a dutch oven or large pot, heat oil. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Saute 8-10 minutes, or until soft. Add peas and potatoes. Cook another 5 minutes and then add garlic. Cook 1 minute then add turkey. Reduce heat to low.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Once butter is melted, whisk in flour, salt, and pepper. Once that has all come together, whisk in broth until thick and creamy, about 3 minutes or so. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Add cream mixture to veggies and turkey and mix till combined.

Divide into 6 greased ramekins. (can also put in greased 9X13 pan and lay entire pastry sheet on top. cooking time is the same.) Cut pastry to fit over ramekins. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Serves 6

Snowman Ice Cream Treats

My kids and I made some ice cream treats today.

They were a hit!

Ribs and Potatoes

When I saw that ribs were on sale at the grocery store the other day, we had a change in our menu! I made the meat with my homemade bbq sauce and these crazy good twice baked potatoes. My two year old loved the meat and my 4 year old LOVED the potatoes. He said, "I could eat these all day long!"

Becky's BBQ Sauce

1 cup chili sauce

4 tbsp Dijon mustard

6 tbsp orange marmalade

4 dashes hot sauce

4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

4 tbsp apple cider

salt

Mix it all together and dump it over your meat in a crock pot or lather it up before putting in the oven. Sweet and tangy! Makes about 2 cups

Marbled Stuffed Potatoes

food network magazine

4 large russet potatoes

1 large sweet potato

1/4 cup sour cream

3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened and cut up

2 scallions, thinly sliced

3/4 cup shredded sharp cheese

kosher salt and black pepper

olive oil

Preheat oven to 400*. Clean russet potatoes and spear all potatoes with a fork. Bake in oven for 40-60 minutes or until soft on inside. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Peel sweet potato (skin should slide off if you pull on it) and place in a bowl. Cut the tops of the potatoes off (lengthwise) and scoop out the flesh from the insides and place in bowl with sweet potato. Add sour cream, butter, scallion, 1/2 cup of cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Mix together until well combined. Brush potato skins with olive oil and place on baking sheet. Fill the skins with potato mixture and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 375* for 25-30 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Serves 4

Crocodile Cupcakes

Today was a big day for my youngest brother and to celebrate he requested Crocodile Cupcakes. Here is what I came up with. Way to go Drewpy!! We love you and are proud of you!!

Thanksgiving Treats

This past weekend all my family who won't be around for Thanksgiving gathered for a dessert night. There was lots of good food. I of course could not decide what to take...so I took 3 things:)

Pumpkin Roll

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp lemon juice

1 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)

powdered sugar

Filling:

6 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

Line a greased jelly roll pan with wax paper and grease paper. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs for 5 minutes. Add the sugar, flour, pumpkin, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, salt, and nutmeg; mix well. Add lemon juice. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan; sprinkle with pecans.

Bake at 375* for 15 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes. Turn cake onto kitchen towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Roll, starting with the short end and cool completely on wire rack.

In a large bowl, combine filling ingredients; beat until smooth. Unroll cake; spread filling over cake to 1/2 inch of the edges. Roll up again. Place seam side down on serving platter. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Sprinkle additional powdered sugar on top before serving..

Serves 12

Turkey Cake Balls! They were really easy to make and everyone loved them!

Pumpkin Pie Dip

1 8oz pkg cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup pumpkin

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp ginger

1 cup cool whip (thawed)

Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together. Add pumpkin, sour cream and spices. Mix until combined. Fold in cool whip until combined. Serve with granny smith apples, gingersnaps or cinnamon graham crackers. Store in refrigerator. YUM!!!

I'm still here.....

Hi everyone....no recipe, just a hello. The last couple of weeks have been a bit crazy! We moved and all had the stomach flu during the move, so it was less than fun. I am doing my best to get us back into the swing of things. The house is pretty much put together...everything except our office area (kind of important for blogging.) I will be back with some delicious holiday recipes very soon!

Wedding Food

I have been slightly neglectful this month, but it has been a busy one! We are moving, so my life is a bit crazy. Last week I catered my first wedding. I loved every minute of it and can't wait to do another one!! I will post recipes soon....when I have some free time:)

red velvet and chocolate cake balls

mint brownies

pumpkin spice cupcakes (not the pretty batch)

mini cheesecakes

Breakfast Taquitos

I made these for breakfast last weekend and we loved them! They are easy and so good. They freeze great too.

Breakfast Taquitos

our best bites

16 flour tortillas (6 inch)

12 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 cups pepperjack cheese, shredded

1/4 cup roasted red pepper

1/4 cup green onions

1/4 cup cilantro

1-2 tsp hot sauce

Line a baking sheet with foil. Spray with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 425*. Whisk eggs, sour cream, salt and pepper. Cook eggs in skillet until slightly under cooked. Add the rest of the ingredients and fold gently until combined.

Warm the tortillas in microwave. Place about 1/4 cup of egg mixture in each tortilla and roll up, placing seam side down on baking sheet. Spray the rolled tortillas with cooking spray. Bake 15 minutes or until golden. Serve with dipping sauce (below).

Dipping Sauce:

1 1/2 cup sour cream

1 tbsp lime juice

1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Combine ingredients together and serve with breakfast taquitos.

Breakfast Sweet Rolls

This is one of our favorites!

Breakfast Sweet Rolls

16-18 frozen dinner rolls

1 (3oz) pkg regular butterscotch pudding (not instant)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup pecans (optional)

1/2 cup butter, melted

The night before, place frozen rolls in a greased bundt pan. Sprinkle dry pudding mix over rolls, follows by sugar and nuts. Pour melted butter over all. Cover with a damp towel or tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Let rise overnight at room temp for 8-10 hours.

Preheat oven to 350*. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes before inverting to a serving plate.

Pull apart and enjoy!!

Apricot Chicken

I made so much food this weekend and I will try and get it all posted soon. Conference weekend involves way too much food at our house.

This is an easy dinner, but one of my favorites.

Apricot Chicken

1/2 cup apricot preserves

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp ginger

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

1/2 cup cashews

cooked rice

In a large bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients. Add chicken and toss to coat. Transfer to skillet and cook until juices run clear. Add green pepper and cashews. Cook until heated through. Serve with hot rice.

Serves 4

California Tacos

Last week at Young Women's we did a recipe swap. I was so proud of my girls for how well they did with this activity! We had lots of good food and we all ate way too much! I got this recipe from my cute friend and Secretary, Carissa. I changed a couple of things...but nothing huge.

California Tacos

1 lb hamburger (I used ground turkey)

1 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic

1 10oz can tomato soup

1 soup can water

1 6oz can tomato paste

3 tsp chili powder

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp sugar

1/8 tsp pepper

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 dashes Tabasco

2 cups cooked rice

1 can pinto beans

1 pkg Fritos

Saute beef, onion and garlic until browned. Mix remaining ingredients (except rice, beans and Fritos). Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rice and beans and mix until incorporated and heated through.

Serve with Fritos and sour cream. Can also serve with shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, avocados, etc.

Chicken, Corn and Sweet Potato Chowder

I am so ready for cooler weather! I cannot believe how warm it still is here in Utah. I have been anxious for soup! When the temperature got down to the low 80's last week, I figured that was as cool as it was going to get for a while, so I made soup.

Chicken, Corn and Sweet Potato Chowder

sister's cafe

3 cups 2% milk

1 (8.5oz) box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

2 tbsp butter

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp oregano

2 quarts chicken broth

2 small chicken breasts, cut into small cubes

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese

3 cups frozen corn, not thawed

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 tbsp dried parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Mix muffin mix and milk in a bowl until well combined. Meanwhile, heat butter in a large pot over med heat until foaming. Add onion and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, oregano and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth, chicken (raw) and sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is cooked and sweet potatoes are just tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in milk and muffin mixture and simmer until soup thickens (can take about 10 minutes, but can be faster). Add cheese and corn and cook until cheese begins to melt, about 2 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Tomato Basil Panini

Our garden is over-flowing with juicy tomatoes! I keep trying to think of ways to use them up, but I am not doing a very good job of that. I didn't want to make BLT's for dinner the other night, so we had this instead. It is my new favorite sandwich!

Tomato Basil Panini

Italian, French or Wheat Bread

Mozzarella cheese, sliced

Fresh tomatoes, sliced

Fresh basil leaves

Avocado , sliced, optional

Balsamic Vinegar

Olive oil

Kosher salt/black pepper

Heat up a panini grill or regular grill pan. Brush outer sides of bread with olive oil. Layer cheese, tomato, basil and avocado. Douse with a good amount of balsamic vinegar, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until cheese melts and bread is grilled.

If you are like me and don't have a panini grill....be creative! I used my indoor grill pan and just pressed down on the sandwich with a smaller skillet to get the sandwich flat and the panini look. It worked great!

I love a good, hearty breakfast...i decided that I need to start making breakfast for dinner more often!

Denver Eggs and Potatoes

adapted from Rachael Ray

2 tbsp olive oil

3-4 potatoes, thinly sliced

salt and pepper

3 tbsp butter

12 eggs

3 tbsp milk

2 tsp hot sauce

1 large bell pepper, diced

1-2 cups cubed ham

6 scallions, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400*. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over med heat. Add the potatoes in a thin layer and season with lots of salt and pepper. Cook until crisp-brown, 8-10 minutes. Flip and cook until crisp on the other side.

In another skillet (that is oven proof), melt the butter over med heat. In a bowl beat the eggs, milk and hot sauce. Add the bell pepper and ham and cook about 5 minutes. Add the scallions and heat through, then add the beaten eggs; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the bottom of the eggs are set, then transfer to the oven to cook through, 10-12 minutes.

Pile the potatoes on the cooked eggs and serve.

Serves 4-6

BYU and Sugar Cookies

There was excitement in the air at our house yesterday. The beginning of BYU Football...the one time of the year when my hubby can hardly contain his excitement! He had to call me from the stadium last night to remind me how excited he was. I have to admit, I find it cute and I love going to games with him. We are raising some future Cougars in our house, so while Daddy was at the game, we whipped up some victory treats. GO COUGARS!!!

Lemon-Almond Sugar Cookies

stephanie's kitchen

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup shortening, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

3 tbsp milk

1 tsp almond extract

zest 0f 1 lemon

Almond Frosting:

2 oz cream cheese, softened

2 tbsp butter, softened

4 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp almond extract

For the cookies...

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Using a mixer, cream together the butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time until well incorporated. Add the milk, extract and lemon zest. Mix until creamy. Slowly add the flour mixture until well blended. Chill in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.l On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to desired thickness. Cut our into desired shapes. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350* for 8-12 minutes, depending on how soft or crunchy you like your cookies.

For the frosting...

Using a mixer, mix the cream cheese and butter until well blended and creamy. Add 2 cups of the sugar, milk and almond extract. Blend until smooth. Slowly add the remaining sugar until smooth and creamy.

Taco Bowls

So I decided to make Saturday's dinner a little more exciting. Taco's were on the menu, but I wanted to do something fun with them. Say hello to our taco bowls. These were crazy easy and so fun! My 4 year old thought it was so cool to get to eat his dish. (Now I can't wait to make bread bowls.)

Making taco bowls couldn't be easier. I microwaved the flour tortillas for about 30 seconds just to make sure they were soft. Then I brushed just a little bit of oil on both sides and put them on top of a canning jar. Place the jars on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes (or until crisp) in a 400* oven. That is it-super easy and good! Load it up with your favorite taco ingredients and enjoy! This is one of our new favorite weekend dinners!!

Grilled Chicken Taco Pizza

All summer I have been wanting to try grilled pizza. This week I finally got around to it. I found an amazing recipe in Food Network Magazine for Grilled Chicken Taco Pizza. As soon as I saw the recipe I knew this was the one I had to try. I think grilled pizza is our new family favorite. It was so good!

Grilled Chicken Taco Pizza

food network magazine

Taco Seasoning: 2 tbsp onion powder

2 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Pizzas: 1/4 cup canola oil, plus more for brushing

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 16oz tube pizza dough

flour for dusting

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 avocado

juice of 1 lime

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tbsp diced red onion

salt and pepper

1 cup fresh salsa

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Make the taco seasoning: Mix all of the ingredients with 1 tbsp each salt and pepper in a bowl.

Prepare the pizza: Mix 2 tbsp of the taco seasoning and the canola oil in a shallow bowl. Pound the chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap to 1/4 inch thick. Add the chicken to the bowl, turning to coat and marinate 30 minutes.

Preheat the grill to medium high. Grill the chicken until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Let cool, then cut into bite-size pieces.

Divide the dough into 3 pieces. Roll out each on a floured surface into an 8 inch round. Brush with canola oil, sprinkle with taco seasoning and grill until crisp, 3-5 minutes per side. Remove from grill.

Mix the cheeses in a bowl, then sprinkle on the crusts and top with the chicken. Return the pizzas to the grill, cover and cook until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the avocado, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, red onion, and salt and pepper to taste. Top the pizzas with the avocado mixture, salsa, sour cream and cilantro.

Blueberry Buckle Cake

I couldn't get a really good picture of dessert last night. I saw this recipe on Food Network over the weekend and as soon as I saw it I knew I had to make it. I wasn't disappointed-this cake was super good! A great treat to end the summer.

Blueberry Buckle Cake

food network

Topping:

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

pinch salt

4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Cake:

1 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 stick butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 cups blueberries, thawed if frozen

Heat oven to 350*. Coat an 8x8 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Topping: Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice and salt together in a small bowl. Blend in the butter with a pastry cutter or 2 knives until mixture forms pea size lumps. Stir in the pecans.

Cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, add the butter and sugar and beat with mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time. Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla. Slowly add the dry ingredients and stir until completely incorporated. Fold in the berries with a rubber spatula, then add the batter to the baking pan. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the batter. Bake 45-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before serving. Serve with whipped topping

Grilled Chicken and Veggies

With summer coming to an end I am trying to do some grilling at least once a week. If I was home more often, I would probably grill every night! Monday I grilled some chicken and veggie kabobs. So super good!!The longer you marinate the meat, the better. You can also use this marinade on the veggies too. Chicken and Veggie Marinade

anna can cook

1 1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp mustard

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2-3 crushed garlic cloves

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper

4-8 chicken breasts, depending on how big they are.

Cut up chicken breasts into cubes and place in bowl. Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Pour marinade over chicken cubes and make sure all the chicken is coated. Place lid on bowl and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight. Thread chicken onto skewers and grill on either an outdoor or indoor grill.

Tamale Chicken Casserole

This is a fast and yummy dinner. I love Mexican food and my family loves this dish. You can tone down the heat by leaving out the red pepper flakes or make it an even faster dinner by using rotisserie chicken. Tamale Chicken Casserole

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided

1/3 cups milk

1 egg

1 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1 box corn muffin mix

1 can (15oz) cream style corn

1 can (4oz) chopped green chilies

1 can (10oz) red enchilada sauce

2 cups shredded chicken

Preheat oven to 400*

In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup cheese, milk, egg, cumin, red pepper, corn muffin mix, corn and green chilies; stir until moistened. Pour into a 9x13 sprayed baking dish. Bake 15 minutes. Pierce surface with fork liberally. Pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken and remaining cheese. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting. Serve topped with some sour cream and a little salsa.

Tessa's Birthday

I had such good intentions of spending the summer trying new recipes and blogging about them. Sadly, I haven't really had time to cook anything exciting all summer-we have been so busy! I would like to think things are going to calm down in the fall, but at this point I am not holding my breath.

My baby turned 2 this week and so we had a fun little party for her. She LOVES Disney's Little Einsteins, so we had a party around that theme. I made the cake and must say I was pretty proud of myself. It even tasted good! Just wanted to share and say hi to the blogging world. I will be back-soon I hope.

Sesame Noodles and Asian Chicken

Tried this new recipe last week and tweaked a few things for us. It was so easy and super delicious! This is one of my new favorites. It's a little spicy for the little ones, but that is easily fixed by omitting the crushed red pepper. This would be a great dish to serve for a dinner party....maybe I should have one.

Asian Chicken

adapted from jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com

2 tsp garlic

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tsp Hoisin sauce

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp ginger

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 tbsp peanut butter

1/3 cup hot water

5 chicken breasts, cut into long strips

Place peanut butter and 1/3 cup water in the microwave and heat for 1 minute. Stir until smooth and combined well.

Place all ingredients but the chicken into a 9x13 pan. Stir them around to incorporate. Place chicken in sauce, turning to coat. Cover the pan and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Grill the chicken for about 7 minutes over medium heat. Turn the chicken and cook until cooked through. Serve with sesame noodles.

(Could also put the chicken on skewers before placing in marinade. Make sure you soak your skewers for about 20 minutes before adding the chicken on them. This prevents them from burning on the grill.)

Serves 5

Sesame Noodles

adapted from jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com

4 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp sesame oil

1/2 tbsp peanut butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp white sugar

3-4 green onions, chopped

1/2 tbsp sesame seeds

1 (14-16 oz) pkg thin spaghetti noodles

Cook pasta according to pkg directions. While noodles are cooking, add all ingredients but the onions and sesame seeds into a large bowl. Stir until they are all mixed together. When the noodles are done cooking, drain all of the water. Immediately add the noodles to the sauce. Add the sesame seeds and stir everything together. Sprinkle with green onions and serve with Asian chicken. Delicious!

Serves 6-8

Mississippi Mud Bars

Last night we had a recognition program for one of my Laurels. My counselors and I can't seem to do anything small. We had delicious treats for everyone. My contribution were these Mississippi Mud Bars. You can't go wrong with Paula Deen-lots of butter and sugar makes anything taste amazing!

Mississippi Mud Bars

paula deen

1 cup butter

1 cup milk

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup water

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

3 cups mini marshmallows

Mississippi Mud Frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease a 15x11 inch jelly roll pan. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in milk, cocoa, water and eggs. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour and baking soda. Pour butter mixture over sugar mixture, whisking to combine. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Immediately sprinkle marshmallows evenly over hot cake. Pour hot Mississippi Mud Frosting over cake, spreading it with knife if necessary. Let cool in pan completely. Cut into squares and serve.

Mississippi Mud Frosting

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla

4 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in milk, cocoa and vanilla. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Remove from heat. Whisk in confectioner's sugar until smooth.

I had such good intentions for doing some amazing cooking this summer-I've been cooking, just not blogging. This summer has been so busy! Between work, my family and young women, I pretty much don't do anything "extra". I am hoping that now that girls camp is over and once swimming lessons are over, life will calm down just a bit. Did I mention girls camp is over? Hallelujah!!!

One thing I have been doing this summer is watching this beautiful garden grow. We planted a garden with our neighbors this year and it is growing beautifully! We have lots of tomatoes, squash, radishes, carrots, green onions, peas, beans, potatoes, peppers and some pumpkins. We picked a huge bowl of peas last week that taste so good! It has been a great experience to take care of our garden. I'm grateful everything is growing!

Grilled Pork Chops and Baked Sweet Potatoes

I have only one word to describe our dinner last night-DELICIOUS!!!! We recently splurged and finally bought a grill-we have never had one before and we are loving it!! Last night we grilled pork chops. They were amazing! Yahoo for summer!Pork Marinade

4 pork loin chops
2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp ginger

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

dash of salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a Ziplock bag and add pork chops. Marinate in fridge 30 minutes to 4 hours. Cook pork chops on indoor or outdoor grill and discard remaining marinade.

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

4 sweet potatoes

1/4 cup buttermilk

salt and pepper

paprika

shredded cheddar cheese

green onions, sliced

Preheat oven to 450*. Wash sweet potatoes and coat in olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake on baking sheet for 35-40 minutes, or until tender. Cut potatoes in half and scoop out insides of potatoes. Place potato filling in bowl with buttermilk, and season with salt and pepper and paprika. Mash it all together. Place mashed filling back in potato skins. Place back in oven on baking sheet and cook another 10-15 minutes to heat through. Once heated through top with cheese and onion. Yummy!

Dinosaur Cakes

My little guy turned 4 this week. He requested a Dinosaur birthday-so this is what I did for him. I had fun making them! Happy Birthday Bug-a-Boo!

Fruit Tart

I made dessert for Mother's Day this year. We had dinner with my family because my little brother got to call home from Texas. I know that my Mom loves fruit tarts, so I thought I would give one a try. She loved it and I am glad because I almost burned my house down making this. (Literally!) It turned out so good and I am sad I only had one piece.

Isn't it pretty?!

Fruit Tart

rookie cookie

Crust:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup butter, softened and sliced

Filling:

1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Glaze:

1 6oz can limeade concentrate

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

1/4 cup sugar

Fresh strawberries, kiwi, raspberries and blackberries

Preheat oven to 350* (make sure oven is empty before you turn it on:)

In a food processor, combine crust ingredients and process until mixture forms a ball. Press dough into greased tart pan (one that has a removable bottom) and press until even. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over cooled crust. Arrange strawberries and kiwi laying one layer at a time, ending with kiwi. Cluster raspberries and blackberries on top.

Combine limeade, cornstarch, lime juice and sugar in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until clear and thick-about 2 minutes. Let cool. With a pastry brush, brush glaze over entire tart. (You will not use all the glaze.)

Keep tart in fridge and remove about 15 minutes before serving.

Serves about 8

Delicious Chicken

After eating pizza and hamburgers for a week while we were on vacation, I was ready to cook something healthy last night. I love this marinade for chicken! My daughter is such a picky eater and usually won't eat chicken, but she gobbles this up!! You can grill it outdoors or indoors and you could also use drumsticks. There is no right or wrong way-you will just be glad you made it!

Chicken Marinade

kira cooks

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp curry

3 cloves garlic, crushed

Place all ingredients and a ziplock back with chicken pieces. I use 4-6 chicken breasts. Squeeze everything in bag around until sugar is dissolved. Marinate in fridge anywhere from 4 hours to overnight, turning the bag every couple of hours. Cook chicken and discard leftover marinade.