Fresh Strawberry Pie

I always remember having Shoney's strawberry pie for special occasions growing up. It was my dad's favorite so my mom would get it for father's day, his birthday and sometimes as a surprise for him.  My specific memories of it are from our old house that I only lived in until I was 7. I've always wondered if there was a good recipe for it and after looking through so many I was hopeful that this one would work out! And it totally did! Gray was a complete skeptic when I was telling him about this recipe, then he tasted it and now he wants me to make it for his birthday! Ha! This recipe is adapted from Sugar Apron.

9 inch pie crust (homemade or store bought and cooked according to directions)
5 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 3oz box Strawberry Jello
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp powdered sugar

Place the sliced strawberries down in the bottom of the cooked and cooled pie crust. Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch.  Place in a pot and stir in the water. Bring to a boil then turn down heat and whisk for several minutes as the mixture. When the mixture has thickened up whisk in the strawberry jello. Pour over the strawberries. Refrigerate the pie until it is set. Place the heavy cream down in a bowl. Add the powdered sugar then using and electric mixture beat until it forms stiff peaks. Spread over the pie. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Grilled Balsamic Garlic Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin is a favorite around here. Anytime we have it my 2 year old refers to it as steak and devours it. I'm not about to correct her mistake because hello, she's eating it! Ha. This recipe was a great and easy grilled pork tenderloin recipe and the best part was that I had all the ingredients on hand already. Recipe adapted from Tide and Thyme.

2 pork tenderloins
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
3 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
8 cloves garlic (minced)

Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Pour over the pork tenderloins and let marinate for at least 2 hours but up to 12. Heat your grill to medium high heat then cook the pork tenderloins for 12-14 minutes on each side or until cooked to desired temperature. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Peach Streusel Muffins

We went home to SC to visit for a week and came home with a huge box of peaches.  I wanted to make something other than just a traditional peach cobbler so when I found this muffin recipe I had to try it! They were wonderful! This recipe was adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction.

Crumb Topping
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter (melted)
2/3 cup flour

Muffins
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp milk
1 1/2 cups peaches (peeled and diced)

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Heat oven to 425. Line a muffin tin with liner or grease the muffin tin. In a medium size bowl combine the brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, butter and flour. Set to the side. In a separate medium bowl beat the butter until it is creamy. Add the brown sugar and white sugar and beat on high for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl halfway through. Add the eggs, sour cream and vanilla then beat for 1 more minute. In a different bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the peaches. Then carefully stir in the milk. Fill the muffin tins 3/4 of the way full with batter then top with the crumb topping. Bake for 5 minutes at 425 then turn the oven down to 350 and continue baking for 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before removing from tin. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract. Drizzle over muffins after they have cooled for 30 minutes. 

Marghertia Pizza Grilled Cheese

Just looking at the picture of this sandwich is making me want another one right now! Fresh mozzarella, basil, pizza sauce, garlic perfection!!! The perfect summer lunch!

8oz fresh mozzarella
6 slices white bread
handful fresh basil
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp dried parsley

Mix together the melted butter, garlic salt and parsley.  Heat skillet over medium low heat. Slice the mozzarella and chop the basil.  Spread the butter mixture on one side of the bread and place down in the skillet. Later pizza sauce, mozzarella, basil, more pizza sauce and then top with another slice of bread brushed with the butter mixture. Once the sandwich browns, flip and brown on the other side. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Remove, slice and serve.

Creamy Butterfinger Pie

This was Gray's choice for his Father's Day dessert and it was an excellent choice! This pie was so creamy and the butterfinger gave the perfect little crunch! A new family favorite for sure. This recipe was adapted from Brown Eyed Baker.

Crust:
24 oreos
4 tbsp melted butter

Filling:
8oz cream cheese (room temperature)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
8oz cool whip
8 fun sized butterfinger bars (crushed)

Topping:
4oz cool whip
2 fun sized butterfinger bars (crushed)

Using a food processor, make the oreos into oreo crumbs for the crust. Combine the crumbs with butter and and press evenly into a greased 9 inch pie plate.  Beat together the cream cheese and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Fold in the cool whip until fully combined. Fold in the butterfinger pieces. Spread into the pie crust. Top with the remaining cool whip and butterfinger pieces Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Grilled Garlic Green Beans

Any recipe that I just have to quickly throw together and put on the grill is a total win for me! These green beans on the grill turned out so well. They were the perfect side dish to some chicken we grilled.

1lb fresh green beans (cleaned and snapped)
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves (minced)
salt and pepper

Toss the green beans with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  Wrap in a foil packet and grill for 6 minutes. Flip and grill for another 6 minutes. Remove and serve.

Hot Broccoli Dip

This dip is so so good! I love anything broccoli and cheese so I loved it. And served with buttery crackers.  Oh my! I doubled it when I made it for our small group. This recipe was adapted from Damn Delicious.




8oz cream cheese (room temperature)
2 1/2 cup chopped fresh broccoli
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tbsp creole seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 375. Grease a 9x9 baking dish. In a large mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, 1 cup cheddar cheese, sour cream, parmesan cheese, milk, creole seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Stir in the broccoli. Spread evenly into the baking dish. Top with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with buttery crackers. 

Glazed Blueberry Biscuits

Yep, these are a copycat of those delicious blueberry biscuits from that wonderful southern friend chicken fast food chain. You know the one. I love their sweet biscuits and these turned out great!

2 cups flour
1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
5 tbsp butter + 1 tbsp butter
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup blueberries
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 tbsp milk

Place 5tbsp butter in the freezer for 10 minutes. Heat oven to 450. In a mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the milk. Using a grater, grate the butter into the mixture and stir well. Knead the dough for 1 minutes then fold in the blueberries. Spread the biscuit dough out on a floured surface and cut the biscuits. Place on sheet pan and bake for 8-11 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with 1 tbsp of melted butter.  Whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk. Glaze the biscuits and serve.

Honey Garlic Chicken Stir Fry

This recipe was a great dinner, it was easy to make and had great flavor.  It was filling and while my kids weren't thrilled with the broccoli they were happy with everything else. This recipe is from Dinner at the Zoo.

3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup sliced carrots
2 cups chopped broccoli
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite size pieces)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp honey
2 tsp cornstarch
salt and pepper

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a skillet. Saute the broccoli and carrots for 4 minutes or until tender. Remove from skillet and place in a bowl and cover. Add the remaining oil to the pan and saute the chicken until it is cooked through. Stir the garlic into the chicken then stir the vegetables back in. In a small bowl whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce and honey.  In a separate bowl whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tbsp cold water. Pour the soy sauce mixture over the chicken and vegetables then stir well. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and let heat until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat and serve over rice.

Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Pretzel Cookies

I made these cookies a few weeks ago when we got together with friends then I made them again this week for our big 4th of July neighborhood celebration.  The sweet and salty combo in these is perfect and everyone raved about this. This recipe is from Cookies and Cups.

1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped pretzels

Melt the butter in medium sauce pan over high heat. Once the butter begins to boil swirl the pan constantly. The butter will foam and then begin to change colors, once it reaches an amber color remove from heat and let cool for 20 minutes. In large mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda and sea salt. Once the butter has cooled, whisk in the brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Pour the butter mixture into the flour and stir.  Add in the butterscotch chips, chocolate chips and pretzels. Heat oven to 350.  Place 1 1/2 tbsp scoops on the a greased or lined sheet pan and bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 3 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

Grilled Ranch Red Potatoes

We love to grill potatoes. It's such an easy side dish when grilling and this recipe just came out of having some ranch seasoning in the pantry and wanting to use it up! They were delicious!

8-10 red potatoes 

3 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tbsp ranch seasoning

Wash the red potatoes. Cut each potato in half. Toss the potatoes with olive oil and ranch seasoning. Grill on each side until fork tender.