Garden Tomatoes

One of my favorite summer treats!

Thankfully, my tomato plants are beginning to get loaded down with tomatoes.

Most are still green, but I found an early red one!

There's something about garden tomatoes.

I am repulsed at any other kind.  Oh and I like them warm from the sun.

Maybe it's the whole refrigerated thing that makes my skin crawl?

Refrigerated = not home grown?

I don't know but I only eat BLT's in the summer and only put tomatoes on my burger in the summer.

Blueberry Pancakes

Often I find myself saying "why re-invent the wheel?" when I think about pancakes.

Bisquick is a great little invention and I use it all the time when making pancakes.

This time I added some of our fresh blueberries and a little bit of almond extract.

Delish!

Blackberry/Blueberry Cobbler

Blackberry Cobbler

Over at my other blog, you can the most recent post about picking blueberries with my 5 kids.  We have so much that I found myself scrounging around for recipes I could sub blueberries in for blackberries or other types of berries.  So, I used my favorite P-dub recipe for blackberry cobbler but subbed in the BLUEBERRIES instead.  Outstanding!!!

P-Dub Cowgirl Quiche

Well I can't find the link to this little slice of heaven.

The recipe is in P-dub's new cookbook.

Here's what's in it:

16 oz white mushrooms, sliced

2-3 leeks

2T butter

8 eggs

1 1/2 cups cream (I subbed FAGE)

2 c. grated swiss cheese (I used a little cheddar and parmesan)

s/p

8 thin slices prosciutto (I used ham)

Lay the mushrooms on a cookie sheet and roast at 400 for 15-20 minutes.

Slice leeks and let soak in a big bowl of water for 10 minutes or so.  They are grown in a gritty type soil and this will allow the grit to fall to the bottom of the bowl and the leeks to float.

Melt butter in large skillet and saute leeks 8-10 minutes until starting to brown.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and add the cream/FAGE.

Then add in the mushrooms, leeks and cheese.

Season with salt and pepper.

Pour into a piecrust that you put into a tart pan.

Bake 45 minutes at 400 covered loosely with foil.

Remove foil and bake 10 minutes more.

Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

I used a simple pie crust recipe that was perfect for a quiche.

It was 2 cups flour, 1T sugar, 1 tsp Salt, and 2 sticks butter.

Process it all in your food processor and then push down into your tart pan.

This dough was a bit sticky and had a sweet shortbread taste.

I loved it!

Protein Shakes

Shake Recipe

For any of you who have always wondered about protein shakes...I have found the light.

There is a shake place in our little town that I love.  I love the hundreds of shake flavors offered, love the people who work there, love the aerobics classes offered there in the wee morning hours.  And for a short while I got My Man to start going and getting a shake for his breakfast (instead of a Snickers and Coke from the gas station).  It was great but not great for the wallet.  I was determined to start making my own.

I have a friend who owns a health food store in a nearby town and talked to her about a good protein powder.  She suggested a whey powder with 25 grams of protein per scoop.  It's perfect for me and for My Man.  Great for My Man because he's the size of Hulk.  Great for me because I have hypoglycemia and have to have loads of protein in the mornings or I am comatose and pass out.

I started out just blending the protein powder with skim milk and maybe a banana or some frozen strawberries.  Soon, I was finding all kinds of concoctions online.  The recipe link I posted is one I use quite a bit.  I use a different protein powder than the "V" brand.  I'm planning to get a huge bag of whey protein at Costco next week as I recently heard there is a good quality kind there.

Give it a try!

Pinterest: Raspberry Wine

Raspberry Wine

Okay, I really can't remember the name for this drink I made the other day but it was really good!  I think it was a raspberry spritzer or something like that.  All I know is two glasses had me almost falling out of my chair asleep.  It was super easy to throw  together and I plan to make it all summer long!

Pinterest: Country Club Chicken

Country Club Chicken

This is another gem from Pinterest.  It was delish - rave reviews from all of my kiddos too!

I served it with some arborio rice I needed to use instead of the spaghetti noodles but I'm sure it would have been even more of a hit if I'd used the pasta.

And you might be wondering why I haven't been using the pics I take myself (the dark/yellow/blurry ones?).  I tend to think the pic from the Pinterest sight is much better.  Why try to re-invent the wheel, ya know?

Pool Side Dip: Pinterest

Pool Side Dip

Made this the other night for a BBQ.  It's amazing!

P-Dub Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes

This recipe if from Pioneer Woman.  I wanted to try it out because she gushed on and on about how wonderful her sloppy joes were.  And they were good, don't get me wrong.  But honestly, we probably liked the canned stuff better (Manwich).  Our pallets are so "pedestrian."

Vegetable Risotto

This is so yummy!  It's a recipe that I can't get the link to upload (sorry) so I'll try to describe it!  You heat 2 cups of chicken broth in a small sauce pan.  In a skillet you sauté mushrooms until tender and then set aside on a plate.  In the same pan you sauté an onion in some olive oil until tender then add 1/2 cup arborio rice.  Let it toast around a bit and then add 1 cup of the warmed chicken broth.  Once the liquid is absorbed (cover and let simmer about 12 minutes for this to happen), add some chopped asparagus and 1/4 cup broth.  Let liquid absorb again (this time uncovered and stirring).  Add 1/2 cup frozen peas and the rest of the broth.  Stir and stir over low heat until most of liquid is absorbed.  Add back in the mushrooms and the juice of one lemon.  Remove from heat and also add some fresh basil, 1T butter, and lots of parmesan.  Salt and pepper to taste.  It was sooooo good!