Herb Tips // Favorites

I love cooking with fresh herbs, but they can be expensive and don’t have a very long shelf life. Here are a couple of quick tips to extend the life of your herbs! If you’ve purchased way too many fresh herbs, or if your garden is full of them, chop herbs and place into an ice cube tray. Pour olive oil over the herbs and freeze. I’ve used this trick with cilantro and basil, two of my favorites! I pull the cubes out of the freezer and toss them into a skillet when cooking meat, beans, or sauces! Cilantro is … Continue reading Herb Tips // Favorites

Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza

We love pizza around here (we may or may not have had pizza three times last week). We’re also big fans of cheese! You’ll find both in this cheese stuffed crust recipe! It’s definitely worth taking the time to make your own pizza dough (I love that fresh dough smell!). You can find my recipe for crusty pizza dough here. Choose whatever toppings you’d like for your pizza, I chose turkey pepperoni (which tastes just as good as “regular” pepperoni!) and grilled onions, two of our favorites. Needed: pizza dough 8oz marinara sauce 6 mozzarella sticks 8oz mozzarella cheese pizza … Continue reading Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza

Chicken Stir Fry // Spicy Honey Sauce

This Asian inspired Chicken Stir Fry is an easy and healthy dinner that you can put together in 20 minutes. It’s a meal that I always fall back on when trying to use up a mix of fresh veggies. Choose any variety of vegetables and this recipe will never get old! The spicy honey sauce reminds me of sweet and spicy Asian food, and I love how simple it is! Chicken Stir Fry Needed: veggies of your choice (carrots, bell pepper, onion, brocoli, snow peas) pineapple chunks breaded chicken nuggets (homemade or frozen) rice olive oil 1/4 tsp garlic powder … Continue reading Chicken Stir Fry // Spicy Honey Sauce

Clay Typewriter Key Magnets // DIY

I love the vintage look of these clay typewriter key magnets! They’re perfect for leaving short and sweet messages on a fridge or magnet board. This project caught my eye when I first saw it (somewhere on Pinterest). I bought supplies over a year ago and had plans of making this project right away, but ended up spending my time on wedding planning and projects instead. I just came across these supplies that I had stashed away, I couldn’t wait to create these magnets! Needed: Sculpey polymer clay small circle cutter black ink pad alphabet stamps magnets rolling pin super … Continue reading Clay Typewriter Key Magnets // DIY

Crusty Pizza Dough // Chicken Alfredo Pizza

This was my first attempt at making pizza dough from scratch, I chose this recipe because it’s a thick crust that doesn’t need to rise for hours (or days!). The pizza crust came out perfectly, soft without getting soggy from the sauce, with a nice crispy bottom layer. This pizza crust recipe is adapted from a recipe found in the Kitchenaid mixer recipe book. Crusty Pizza Dough makes 1 pizza 1 package active dry yeast 1 cup warm water 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp olive oil 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups flour Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed … Continue reading Crusty Pizza Dough // Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Blueberry Lemonade

This refreshing lemonade is the perfect drink to enjoy at your next picnic or barbecue! If blueberries aren’t your thing, try adding raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries. Blueberry Lemonade                                 4- 6 servings 1 cup sugar 1 cup lemon juice (6-8 lemons) 5-6 cups water 2/3 cup blueberries Juice lemons. If you don’t have a citrus juicer // stick a fork into the flesh of a halved lemon and twist as you squeeze the lemon. Pour lemon juice (with some pulp, no seeds) into a blender. … Continue reading Blueberry Lemonade

Mocha Frappuccino

I love coffee year round, but I especially enjoy lattes in the first cool days of Fall and icy coffee when Summery weather arrives. It’s already heating up here in Texas, bring on the frappuccinos! I’ve blended together different combinations of sweetened coffee with cream and ice before, but I’m always disappointed by the flavor… until now! The homemade mocha syrup in this recipe gives this frappuccino such a rich, creamy, chocolate-y taste. Plus, it’s frugal knock-off that you don’t even have to leave the house to enjoy! Mocha Frappuccino                     … Continue reading Mocha Frappuccino

Fancy Grilled Cheese // BBQ Mac and Cheese

We first experienced this BBQ – macaroni and cheese – grilled cheese sandwich at Fort Worth’s food truck park. The combination of macaroni and cheese with barbecue is amazing. Granted, you wouldn’t want to eat these every day but, if you’re ready to splurge, it’s a great treat that you can easily make at home! BBQ Macaroni and Cheese Grilled Cheese Needed: french bread barbecue meat macaroni and cheese cheddar cheese butter Make macaroni and cheese, I simply cooked pasta and added velveeta cheese (don’t add milk, you don’t want the cheese to be too runny). Heat up barbecue meat. You can … Continue reading Fancy Grilled Cheese // BBQ Mac and Cheese

Brisket Barbecue // Crockpot Recipe

I grew up in the midwest, where we always ate pork barbecue. After moving to Texas, I was introduced to brisket (it’s all about the beef here). After marrying a Texan, I decided that I should try to tackle the beef BBQ thing myself. The crockpot really makes cooking brisket so easy! For best results, use a small brisket. I have found that larger pieces of meat overwhelm the crockpot and don’t cook down as well. Also, fat around the meat is good (it will help the meat to become tender and it will peel off easily after cooking) but … Continue reading Brisket Barbecue // Crockpot Recipe

Fancy Grilled Cheese // Tomato Mozzarella

I absolutely LOVE fresh mozzarella with tomato and basil. You can find that perfect combination in this fresh version of a classic comfort food! Tomato Mozzarella Grilled Cheese Needed: french bread fresh mozzarella  tomatoes  pesto butter Slice bread, mozzarella, and tomatoes. Spread a thin layer of pesto on bread (you can find my recipe for Basil Pesto here). If you’d rather, you could layer on a few fresh basil leaves instead of pesto. Top with tomato and cheese. Lightly butter the outside of sandwiches. Heat skillet or panini press. Toast sandwich on both sides. Enjoy that goodness! And if you’re looking for … Continue reading Fancy Grilled Cheese // Tomato Mozzarella

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins

Chocolate chip muffins totally justify having ooey gooey chocolate for breakfast! These moist muffins are a perfect treat, whether you decide to have them for breakfast or dessert. Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins                          1 dozen Needed: 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 egg 1 cup flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup oats 3/4 cup applesauce 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350F. Cream softened butter and brown sugar. Mix in egg. Combine flour, baking powder, baking … Continue reading Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins

Bruschetta with Fresh Mozzarella

My first bruschetta experience was at a local Italian restaurant while on a date with my (now) husband. We decided to try something new, we chose their bruschetta. I enjoyed it so much, I couldn’t wait to try to duplicate it! This is such a fast and tasty recipe. It’s a great appetizer, an alternative to garlic bread, or it can stand on its own! Bruschetta Needed:  loaf of fresh bread (I used french bread) 1 can (fire roasted) diced tomatoes fresh basil fresh mozzarella olive oil garlic salt cracked black pepper Slice loaf of bread and lay slices onto a … Continue reading Bruschetta with Fresh Mozzarella

Fancy Grilled Cheese // Jalapeno Popper

We love grilled cheese sandwiches around here. Gourmet grilled cheeses are a popular food trend right now, and I’m all about it! This is my first in a set of good ol’ grilled cheese sandwich recipes with a twist. Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese                                Needed: french bread bacon cheddar cheese cream cheese jalapeno butter Turn oven broiler on to high. While bacon is cooking (with whatever method you prefer), slice bread and cut jalapeños in half (remove seeds). Place jalapeños, skin side up, on a baking … Continue reading Fancy Grilled Cheese // Jalapeno Popper

Fresh Creamy Tomato Soup with Basil

This creamy tomato soup is my favorite. It’s perfect for chilly evenings. We love to eat this soup along with grilled cheese sandwiches! Fresh Creamy Tomato Soup                                 4 Servings Needed:                                                                              4 fresh tomatoes (chopped) 1 cup (8 oz) tomato sauce 1 cup (8 oz) vegetable or chicken stock  … Continue reading Fresh Creamy Tomato Soup with Basil

Fresh Basil Pesto // Pasta

Needed: 1 cup fresh basil 1/2 cup parmesan cheese 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper 1/2 cup olive oil 2 garlic cloves (or 1/4 tsp garlic powder) Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender. Pulse until ingredients are blended but still have a rough texture. Scrape sides of processor in between blending to make sure that everything is mixed well. Serve on fresh bread or over pasta (I love topping cheese raviolis with basil pesto!). Or use this pesto for making my Tomato and Mozzarella Grilled Cheese Sandwich or Bruschetta with Fresh Mozzarella! Facebook // Etsy // Pinterest // Instagram // Twitter Continue reading Fresh Basil Pesto // Pasta