Root Beer Chicken

I have had a lot of luck recently with cooking with sodas so I figured I might as well give this recipe a shot! It was very easy and really delicious. It also seems kid friendly which is good for the future but I guess we will test that out in about a year. I found this recipe at and changed it up a little bit.

4 chicken breast (I used chicken tenderloins because that's what we had)
1 cup root beer
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
3 tbsp bbq sauce (I used honey chipotle to add a little kick)
1 tsp spicy mustard
salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder to taste

Combine all the ingredients except the chicken and heat in a sauce pan until boiling. Remember to stir fairly regularly. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until thickened. Divide sauce into two bowls, one for glazing the chicken and one to dip the chicken in when done. Heat oven to 400. Line a sheet pan with foil and spray with cooking spray so the chicken won't stick. Coat the chicken in the sauce and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Flip the chicken and brush with sauce again. Cook for 10 to 12 more minutes or until done.

Summer Garden Vegetable Soup

I am itching for the fall so when I saw a soup that was a summer soup it was like a beautiful compromise! I found the recipe over at My Kitchen Cafe. I loved it! I told my mom about it and took the leftovers to her house the next day and she loved it too! It was way easier than I thought it would be as well!

3 medium zucchini, chopped into bite-size pieces
4 medium tomatoes, chopped into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (I used dried because it's what I had)
1 teaspoon dried basil (or 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped)
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk (I used low-fat)
1 ½ cups frozen or fresh corn kernels (I doubled the corn)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter over medium heat in a large pot. Add zucchini, onion, parsley and basil, stirring every so often for 2 to 3 minutes. Add flour, salt and pepper and stir continually for a minute. Slowly add the chicken broth and lemon juice while stirring constantly. Bring soup to a simmer while still stirring. Cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. Add evaporated milk, corn, and tomatoes and let cook for a few minutes. Right before serving mix in the Parmesan cheese.

Crispy Lemonade Chicken

I saw this recipe on Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice and it combines some of my favorite things, panko and lemons. I changed it up a hint and it was good, it was really light and refreshing but it would have also been great over some sort of lemon pasta!

2 tbsp lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup buttermilk
6 chicken breast**
2 cups panko
1 tbsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Mix 1 tablespoon of lemon zest with the lemon juice and buttermilk. Season chicken with salt and pepper then marinated the chicken for a few hours or overnight. Heat oven to 400. Mix together panko thyme, remaining lemon zest and cayenne. Shake together in a large plastic bag. Remove chicken from marinated and drop in the panko mixture, seal the bag and shake until covered. Repeat until all the chicken is done. Bake for 35 minutes or until chicken is done.

**The original recipe says to use bone-in skin-on chicken but I used boneless skinless and it was perfect!

Monkey Muffins

This is a pioneer woman recipe, that's really all I need to say, right?

Refrigerated Biscuit Dough, Cut Into Thirds (or fourths if you are using grands)
Butter
Sugar
Ground Cinnamon
Sweetened Condensed Milk***

Put 1/2 tablespoon of butter in the bottom of each muffin pan. Take the cut dough peices and toss in a cinnamon sugar mixture. Place three peices in each muffin tin. Top with another 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Top with sweeten condensed milk, let sit for a minute to soak all together then enjoy.

***we didn't have any sweetened condense milk so I whipped up a little powdered sugar/milk glaze and topped them what that, perfection!

Western BBQ Burgers

I saw this recipes over at Patio Daddio BBQ and since we have a bit of an obsession with our grill during the summer I knew this one had to go on a menu. These were amazing, I could eat them once a week. Gray and I were both raving about them and ate the leftovers the next night and wished we could have them again the next. The combination of the grilled onions, cheddar and bbq sauce is just out of this world!

3 lbs Ground beef, 80/20
6 Buns
6 slices Medium cheddar cheese
1 large Sweet onion, sliced to 1/3" (six slices)
1/4 cup Water, ice cold
1 1/2 Tbsp Your favorite BBQ rub (or 2 tsp seasoned salt)
2 Tbsp Soy sauce
6 Tbsp Your favorite BBQ sauce (we just slathered it on and we use Sweet Baby Ray's, it's the best!!!)
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Canola or vegetable oil

Mix together ground beef, water, bbq rub and soy sauce. Use your hands, don't be afraid to get a little messy. Divide into six patties and put a little hole in the middle (that keeps them from getting the dome when they are cooking). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Season the onion slices with salt and pepper but keep the rings intact while doing this, put a little oil on both sides of the onion rings. Place directly on the grill for around 2 minutes per side then move to the cooler part of the grill (I moved them up to the little rack that keeps them warm but doesn't cook them too much). Lightly oil the burgers then cook until done. Move to the cooler part of the grill and top with cheese and onions. Toast the buns directly on the heat then add the meat to them, top with bbq sauce and enjoy!

Snickerdoodle Blondies

I've made this recipe a few times but just never posted it! It's from Cooking with Christine, it's great to take to an event because there usually isn't anything like it and it goes a long way!

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a seperate bowl mix brown sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla extract. Mix the flour mixture into the brown sugar mixture then pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Mix together white sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. While still warm cut them into squares.

Cheddar Onion Dip

This is another one that my mom and grandmother have been making for as long as I can recall. My grandmother makes it every Christmas eve. My husband, who HATES mayonaise, thinks this is the best thing ever created. And I have to say, he might be right!

1 cup mayo
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix together and place in baking dish. Bake at 350 until bubbly. Serve with Cracker and Fritos!

Brown Sugar Bacon Waffles

I found this recipe at Recipe Rhapsody, who found it at Joy the Baker. I had to make it, there really wasn't an option! It was good, not as sweet as I had imagined but good! Gray loved them more than I did but we both enjoyed them for sure, really I could have just eaten all 10 slices of that delicious caramelized bacon by myself.

10 slices of bacon
1/4 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil Arrange bacon in a single layer on the baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with brown sugar. Place in the upper third of the oven and bake until sugar is caramelized and bacon is brown and crispy, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Immediately remove bacon slices using a pair of tongs and place on a cutting board. Work quickly or they will stick (don't try to use paper towels or you will have a huge stick mess!). Let cool before chopping. Once cool, chop the bacon into bite size bits and set to the side.

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup brown sugar

2/3 cups vegetable oil

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat your waffle iron. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and brown sugar. Whisk together. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold in. Once almost fully incorporated, add the bacon bits. Stir together. It's fine if you have lumps remaining in your batter. Cook in your waffle iron.

Apple Toffee Dip

 UPDATED October 2017:  So this is an updated picture for this recipe, it is by far the most popular and most pinned recipe on my blog.  Hope you enjoy!

I made this recipes a while back for a party then came across is again the other day when trying to figure out a menu for a baby shower! I got my friend Julie to whip it up and instead of just the toffee pieces they crushed real heath bars so it had chocolate too and I think it made it a lot better. It was amazing, I could have eaten it with a spoon!

2 8oz cream cheese
3/4 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-1 1/2 cups heath toffee bits (or crushed heath bars)

Mix everything together and serve with apple slices!

BLT Dip

My mom has been making this dip for as long as I can remember, it is delcious and easy! We love it for tailgating on hot Saturday afternoons and it's the perfect shower dip!

1 cup of mayo

1 lb of bacon, crumbled (you can use bacon bits)

1 cup of sour cream

2 medium tomatos, diced

Mix all ingredents together and serve cold. We eat it with fritos most commonly!

Cheesy Overstuffed Twice Baked Potatoes

This is my own recipe that I came up with after making twice baked potatoes over and over and over again. We love them and this is how I always make them now!

4 Potatoes, Baked
1/2 Cup of Chive and Onion Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup of Sour Cream
4 Tablespoons of Butter
1 Cup of Cheddar Cheese (plus however much you want on top)

Cut the very tops off the baked potatoes and scoop out the insides. Mix together the potato, cream cheese, sour cream, butter and cheddar cheese. Fill the potatoes with the mixture and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Top with more Cheddar Cheese and put back in the oven for 5 minutes.

Lemon Goodness Cake

I saw this recipe on WE EAT and was trying to find and excuse to make it when our friends Leslie and Ryan invited us over for dinner! I told them I would bring dessert and was so excited to try this! It lived up to my expectations and everyone loved it! It's the perfect summer dessert, so refreshing!

Cake:
1 pkg. white cake mix (and ingredients to prepare according to mix directions)
1 fresh lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 can lemon pie filling

Frosting:
1/2 can lemon pie filling
1 (8 oz.) tub cool whip, thawed
1 lemon, zested and juiced

Heat oven to 350. Prepare the cake according to the box and add in the lemon zest and juice. Put 2/3 of the cake batter in the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Drop small spoon fulls of lemon filling into the batter (remember to only use half of the can). Top with remaining batter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes and allow the cake to fully cool. Fold together cool whip, lemon pie filling, zest and lemon juice. Spread over cooled cake. Keep refrigerated.

White Cheddar Mac and Cheese

This recipe is from Telly's Tasty Tidbits. Gray and I both enjoyed it. It's rich for sure but really good.

1 lb. shell or elbow pasta
1-1/2 c. cream
1-1/2 c. 1% milk (i used 2% because that's what we had)
4 T. butter
4 T. flour
8 oz. Vermont White Cheddar, grated
2 oz. American Cheese, grated
S&P to taste
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper if desired (in my opinion it's a must)

Cook pasta. Melt butter in sauce pan, whisk in flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to get rid of the flour taste. Slowly add cream and milk while whisking constantly. Bring mixture to a low boil then allow to simmer for a few minutes to thicken up. Stir in cheese. Add pasta and enjoy!

Texas Tenders

Who doesn't love chicken fingers? These were crazy easy, not fried and delicious. Gray, of course, covered them in hot sauce while I decided to dip them in some delicious honey BBQ sauce! The recipe is slightly adapted from Tried and True Cooking with Heidi.

1 lb chicken tenders
3 cups crisp rice cereal crushed
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 egg, beaten

Combine crushed cereal, garlic salt and chili powder. Dip chicken into the egg then toss in the cereal mixture. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

Lemon Poppyseed Waffles with Blueberry Sauce

At first I was totally intrigued by this recipe then I got nervous. Gray was excited about it though so I stuck with it and I'm glad I did. They are so unexpected because they aren't very sweet but it's a good thing. They were really refreshing on a hot night. Recipe from The Nesting Project.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
6 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp grated lemon peel

Whisk first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk together eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and lemon peel in small bowl. Add buttermilk mixture all at once to flour mixture and whisk until combined. Let mixture stand for 15 minutes. Preheat waffle iron according to instructions and spoon batter into waffle iron. Cook through. Top with warm blueberry sauce.

Blueberry Sauce

1 pint fresh blueberries
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup sugar

Combine blueberries, lemon juice, and sugar. Cook over medium heat in a saucepan until it becomes thick.

Tequila Lime Chicken

This is a Pioneer Woman Recipe that I actually found on Plain Chicken! I was a bit nervous that it would be too spicy for me but it really wasn't and it was SO good and so easy! I am already craving it again and Gray loves spicy food so he loved it as well!

3 whole Limes, Juiced
5 cloves Garlic, Peeled
1 whole Jalapeno, Sliced
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ cup Cilantro (I didn't use this because I have an insane hate of cilantro, blame culinary school for that one)
½ cups Tequila
5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese (we used slices of pepper jack)

Combine lime juice, garlic cloves, sliced jalapeno, salt, cilantro (if you don't hate it), and tequila in a food processor or blender. Pulse until combined. Turn on the blender/food processor and drizzle in the olive oil until it’s all combined. Place chicken in a plastic bag and pour over marinade. When ready to cook, remove chicken from bag and place on the grill. Cook until completely done. Toward the end of cooking, top chicken breasts with cheese and allow to melt.

Fresh Green Beans with a Lemon Basil Butter Sauce

We loved these green beans! They were so different from how we normally cook them (sauteed with garlic) and they were really refreshing after a super hot day. I found the recipe Cheat Day Cafe and adapted it a bit.

1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed
1/4 stick butter, cubed
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. basil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Place the beans in a steamer basket over a large saucepan with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil: cover and steam for 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender.In a small saucepan, heat the remaining ingredients until butter is melted. Transfer beans to a serving bowl: drizzle with butter mixture and toss to coat.

Pull Apart Cheese Bread

I'm sorry. I keep posting these bread recipes, i know. I can't help it. I think I have a problem. This one is another great one. I got it off of the Better Than Burgers blog. And I have made it a number of times and always forget to take a picture because we are too busy diving into the bread. Hopefully soon I will snap a shot of it!

2 cans of GRAND (the big ones) refrigerator biscuits
16 oz. grated cheddar cheese
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. oregano (I forgot the oregano one time and they were still amazing)
1/4 c. melted butter

Cut each biscuit into fourths, and put the pieces in a bowl. In a large separate bowl mix 1/2 of the cheese, the garlic powder and oregano. Add the cut pieces of biscuits and toss them in the cheese mixture to coat. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with pan coating and pour in the biscuit mixture. Don't smooth out or press down the lumps, you want it lumpy (makes it better for pulling apart). Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes, then pull out of oven and cover with foil. Place back in the oven and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes OR until the middle is cooked. When done, drizzle with melted butter and serve.

Grilled Citrus Flank Steak

This recipe is another easy grilling recipe. The steak was great on it's own but it would be even better over a salad! Gray was a huge fan. I adapted this recipe from taste buds.

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 large garlic clove minced
salt and pepper to taste

Season the steak with salt and pepper. Mix together lime juice and garlic. Marinated steak for at least an hour. Grill on medium until the steak reaches your desired doneness (that's not a word but you know what i mean). Let steak rest before cutting. Drizzle with more lime juice if desired.