Easy Summertime Food

Did summer come early this year or is it just me?  It has been near 100 already here in Central Florida.  We are pretty much with the fam every weekend and it's always nice to have some refreshing treats to melt the heat away.  Here are some of my fun faves.

 

Mojito recipe here

 

vitamin water recipe here

Candied graces recipe

yogurt and fruit in waffle cup

Slow Cooker: 5 ingredient Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is as easy as it gets! 5 ingredients.  About 5-6 hours...makes enough for 4-6 people.

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

1 packet of taco seasoning

1 jar of salsa 

1 can of black beans (add to taste)

1 32oz chicken broth

Prep: (Less than 5 minutes)
Spray no-stick spray for easier cleanup
Place chicken breasts along the bottom of the cooker
Sprinkle taco seasoning over the chicken
Pour in jar of salsa
Drain black beans and pour in.  (I used the flavor above and poured in without draining)
Pour in chicken broth.

Cover - Cook on high for 5-6 hours, depending on your cooker.
Remove 30 minutes before, shred chicken and pour back in.

Alternatives: I wish I added corn to mine.  I thought about it at the store but forgot to add once I got home.  My husband added a little shredded cheese to his and enjoyed it.

Recipe: 4 ingredient pesto chicken dinner

Hey friends!  We tried a new recipe over the weekend and it is a winner.  I am sad to say I didn't take any photos...#FAIL but the recipe came skinnytaste.com (photo credit: SkinnyTaste.com)

Here ya go:
Chicken breasts (Boneless)
Pesto (I had normal flavor, Simon had Sun-dried tomato flavor)
Tomato slices
Mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 400

Simon butterflied the chicken breasts, topped with pesto, sliced tomatoes and cheese.  It was that simple.  He baked for 15 minutes or so and got the cheese perfectly golden brown.  We combined with some angel hair pasta and were so excited to have a "new" way to serve chicken.

No Bake Dessert Recipe: Oreo Fluff

Looking for a super simple dessert?  This is it.  A little taste of heavenly Oreo fluff.  We made this for our party last weekend and no joke, it was gone in a few minutes.

Here's what you need:

1 box 3.5 oz White Chocolate instant pudding

2 cups milk

1/2 cup mini marshmallows

1 container of Cool Whip

1 package of Oreo cookies (I used family size Double Stuff)

Mix the pudding per directions.  Add the Cool Whip and marshmallows.  Crush the Oreo cookies and fold in.  I saved a few for garnish.  That's it.  You're done.  I let mine sit in the fridge to firm up a little before serving.  Delish!

 

Weekend birthday party + 2 new recipes

Dang, last week slipped right past me.  I hoped to hop online a couple more times but came home late every night.  Simon grabbed some Italian to go for us Friday night and just as I was ready to change into jammies and get ready for the weekend, I realized I needed to run to the grocery store and whip up some desserts for my nephew's birthday Saturday.
For the first dessert, I found a "cake" version of strawberry shortcake.  It is ridiculously simple and seriously takes less than five minutes total.  You can make it whatever size you'd like.
Since I was also making a pie, I went a little smaller on this.

1. Choose your cake pan.  I used a loaf pan since I had to travel with it.  Line the bottom with Twinkies or a similar "cloud cake".

2. Using strawberry glaze, (found in produce section by caramel dips) cover Twinkies with the glaze as much as you'd like.

3. Layer with sliced strawberries.  This took my the longest.  For the loaf pan, I was probably 4-5 strawberries.

4. Top with whipped cream.  That's it! 

I also did a coconut cream pie, per Shane's request.  This recipe is also super simple and no-bake.  My husband talked me into making two of these so we could keep one at home.  :)

 On to the birthday..........Shane turned the big 15!

We had a little summer party for him at the lake and took the kids tubing all day.

 

Now, on to my second recipe.....

 

I recently went to a friend's party and they had a glass dispenser of yummy mojitos.  I had to know the secret for making big batches and to my surprise, they used Crystal Light as the base before adding mint, limes and rum to finish it off.  

From that moment, I must have hit 10 different Wal-Mart and Targets before going online to finish this mix.  It was delivered Monday and I couldn't wait to make a batch.  I did non-alcoholic this time but have a little summer BBQ coming up soon and cannot wait to make a couple gallons.  It was a little more sweet than I expected but once I drank some, I topped off with water and it was perfect.

Hope y'all have a great week.  

Summer (foil packet) recipes for the grill

It's suuuummmmmeeeerrr!  So exciting.  I am not tan yet but am well on my way.  I will be spending lots of weekends on the water and did some Pinterest browsing for some summer recipes and are sharing the best ones (so far).  Enjoy!

Foil packet green beans

Almost a meal in itself!  This cheesy chicken mixed with green beans looks simple and tasty.

Hello, cheat snack!  Bring on these cheese fries baby!

Grilled peaches are the essential summer treat and these look amazing!

Campfire cones...saving the best for last.  I just recently made these and the kids LOVED them.

Recipe: Ice Cream Sammies

I have the sweetest recipe to share today!  My niece and I made these tasty treats for my husband's birthday party.  These are three ingredients and super simple.  

You'll need:

Cookies (we used chewy versus crunchy packaged cookies)

Ice cream (we used vanilla)

Sprinkles (we used chocolate)

Set out a work area.  You'll need a spoon or scoop for the ice cream, cookies ready to assemble and sprinkles in a bowl.  The only trick is you have to work fast or in a few sessions because the ice cream melts quick. 

Each sandwich takes just a minute and then we moved them straight to the freezer.  They firmed up overnight and everyone LOVED them.  They were also MUCH easier than trying to scoop icecream for each person.  We passed these out and they were gone in minutes.  

We made half chocolate chip and half with Reece's cups and they were all so tasty.  You have got to try them for your next outing or even for some make-ahead desserts for the week. :)  Enjoy.   

Recipe: Overnight Breakfast Casserole (no morning cooking)

Disclosure:  These pictures are terrible.  The dish is so delish and these pictures do NOTHING to back up my claims.  :)  I LOVE recipes like this because you can add nearly anything you'd like.  It's one of those great dishes that you can throw together with what you have around the house.

I used:

30 oz frozen hash browns

Two - 8 oz. packets of diced ham from the meat department

Two cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese 

Diced green pepper

12 eggs

One cup of milk

Salt and pepper to taste

We have a 4-quart slow cooker and I put it on low for 8 hours.  

Add hash browns to the slow cooker, add diced ham, veggies, add two cups of cheese.  Mix 12 eggs plus one cup of milk and salt/pepper to taste and pour over mix.  Fold in and start slow cooker.

Recipe variations: Sausage, veggie variety, cheese variety of your choice.  My husband and niece woke up before me and it was perfect to wake up to breakfast ready to roll.  No cooking AT ALL!  They loved it and so did I.  Enjoy!

Christmas Cooking: Rolo Pretzel Delights + Hot Cocoa Bar

Happy Christmas Eve!
I have been baking away getting ready for our family dinner tonight.  I have another fun, simple, tasty recipe to share, plus have got a few decorations done for our family dinner.

Rolo Pretzel Delight

Ingredients:
Pretzel (I used flat, lattice shape)
Rolo candies (unwrapped is best if you can find them)
Pecans

Directions:
Set oven to 250
Spread pretzels flat on cookie sheet
Unwrap Rolo candies and place on your pretzel (centered)
Stick cookie sheet in oven for about four minutes
Remove and place pecan in center of Rolo
Put cookie sheet in the freezer for 5-10 minutes and then remove

I found some cute ideas for a cocoa bar here and although I wasn't able to find a multi level stand like the one shown, I made the best with what we had.  It came out cute and the kids are going to love it. Once they are asleep, the adults could enjoy it just as much with some Bailey's, maybe some Fireball or other cinnamon, Christmas-y flavored liquors.  Yuuuummmmmyyyy

Hope you have a super Christmas! Make the moments count.

Recipe: Peanut butter Cheerio treats {5 ingredients}

It's Christmas week!  So exciting.  I am 99% done with shopping, just need to get stocking stuffers and I am ready.  We are hosting Christmas Eve dinner and I am preparing some treats for the fam.  I have a couple to share this week.  This first is so simple and so tasty.  You will love them!

Peanut Butter Cheerio Treats

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup light Karo syrup
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
5 cups Cheerios

Directions:
In a large pan, combine sugar and Karo syrup on medium heat and bring to boil.  
Next, add vanilla and peanut butter and stir until smooth.
Pour in Cheerios and stir to coat evenly.
Let cool on wax paper.  I used an ice cream scoop for even clusters.  

Quantity:
This recipe made about 40 clusters when using ice cream scoop.  I boxed some up for my office and they loved them.  Perfect for large gatherings.

Variations:
Shape into trees or wreaths
Use different flavor Cheerios

11 Fun Christmas Party Ideas

Less than two weeks until our family Christmas Eve dinner and planning has begun.  I have started looking online to plan the fun.  Pinterest is my go to spot.  There are so many great ideas that have been shared and I have some wonderful inspiration.  Here are some ideas, too great not to share.

I have used a couple other cheesecake dips and they have been delish.  This looks like a great one.

This project is sooooo cute.  I think the kids would love it and it'd be a great project for the guys.

I have a few parties to attend and this would be adorable for a little hostess gift, don't you think?

So pretty.  This would be a good project for my oldest niece to help with.

These two pancake platters and cute donuts would be perfect for the children on Christmas morning.

This is a great idea for my 14-year old nephew.  We have kicked him off the gift list and moved him to cash until he gets a little older.  Cash is king for teenagers.

This would be a pretty and simple arrangement to use across the house.

We are planning some kids games and this would be so fun.

The kids love to go to Starbucks and order cocoa so we are planning a cocoa bar so they can make their own.  I have seen varieties with caramel and cool whip too.

What are your favorite Christmas party ideas?