Author: dody

When the summertime highs hit above 90 degrees on the mercury, what’s better than a nice cool treat that you can make yourself at home? Lately, the southern part of the United States has been hit hard with a heat wave and Italian ice would be so nice during these sunny days. It only takes ten minutes to prep and then five minutes to cook. If made in the morning, you could have Italian Ice by that afternoon. The ingredients list is just three simple items that you might even have at home already. This recipe will be made from…

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Homemade hamburger helper is the alternative to grabbing a box when you might have most of the ingredients in your house already. Homemade hamburger helper is a comfort food. It’s one of those recipes that you can whip up in 25 minutes and everyone loves it. It’s a one-pot meal so dishes are minimal and to be honest it tastes better than the original box mix. This version has a few veggies in it so score one extra point for healthier too. Ingredients: 1-pound 80/20 or leaner ground beef 1/2 onion diced 1 red bell pepper diced 1 pinch of…

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Key Lime Pie and lemon meringue pie are probably my husband’s favorite desserts. I am not a huge fan. My favorite pie happens to be cherry, blueberry, pumpkin, and sweet potato. Pie is a rare treat in my house. However, if we’re going to have pie in the summer it’s going to be citrusy and delicious. If you’re a huge citrus lover or maybe you have one in your life, you have to try this pie. It’s got a nice graham cracker crust and the middle is sort of creamy and delicious. If you want to surprise the citrus lover…

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With a prep time of only 15 minutes and a cook time of four hours, this crock pot enchilada stack is the perfect meal to throw on right before you leave the house to go to work so that dinner is done when you get home. It’s hard to overcook, especially if you keep it low. So, while it can take as little as four hours, you can put this on low and let it cook all day while you’re working at the office. Best of all, you don’t have to roll or stuff any enchiladas. So, try this recipe…

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Shakshuka is a recipe you can get done in under an hour that is spicy, smoky, and full of vegetables and tomato sauce. Did we mention it can help you use up all those fresh eggs you’re getting from your chickens right now? I don’t know about you, but I’m always on the lookout for new egg recipes since I am usually overflowing with eggs around this time of year. This is a delicious recipe and I encourage you to try it. Ingredients: 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 onion diced 3 cloves garlic minced 1 bell pepper diced…

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Dhal is an inexpensive and exotic dish that can help put some money back into your pocketbook while tasting delicious. It comes from India and is completely vegan. This recipe will serve four people, but it could be easily doubled and put back for lunches for the next day. Once you learn how to make dhal it becomes a simple almost second nature recipe that you can whip up in a matter of minutes. Ingredients: 8 oz. red lentils 1 tsp. turmeric 1 tsp. ground cumin 1 onion finely chopped 1 Tbsp. sunflower oil 1/4 tsp. salt coriander directions: Get…

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There are as many types of pasta salad recipes as there are people on the planet. Your aunt Edna might still swear by the old standard of mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper for the dressing. However, your mother might have decided that Caesar salad dressing is what needs to go on pasta salad. The basics of a pasta salad are the same though. You take some fun-shaped pasta, some vegetables, and a dressing in a bowl and create a beautiful dish. The pasta salad we have before us today is tangy, exotic, and just a little bit more fun…

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You have 15 minutes to get dinner in the oven and you don’t know what to do! This meal takes approximately 33 minutes from start to serving. Plus, let’s face it, tuna casserole is a very inexpensive meal, and most people love it. You can save money and time with this dish. So, if you’re sick of crock pot cooking and you need something fast, throw a tuna casserole in the oven and watch the kids lap it up. Ingredients For The Casserole: 3 cups of egg noodles 1 Tablespoon of butter 1 small onion diced 2 stalks of celery…

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This delicious beef recipe has a blend of flavors. It’s an easy crock pot recipe that you can put together ahead of time making it a simple fix for dinner on those busy nights. No need for take-out with a recipe like this and any leftovers can be saved and used as lunches either in the refrigerator or the freezer. This is also a great recipe to use in batch cooking. Ingredients: 5 pounds of roast beef any cut 1 pack of onion soup mix 16 ounces of whole pepperoncini peppers 1 diced onion 1 cup of beef broth Directions:…

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Who doesn’t love Olive Garden chicken with pasta? Our house loves pasta but it’s a rare treat. With a crockpot, it can be more often, and this recipe will probably hit our table at least once a week. If you don’t have time to cook and you want something that tastes good to throw on the table, this is the recipe for you. It doesn’t require a lot of prep time and in the end, it is so, so delicious. This recipe can serve six so, if you’re a family of four there’s a little extra for lunch the next…

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Ratatouille isn’t just the name of a movie but also a delicious dish that you can make at home. It’s vegan and uses up all of the zucchini, yellow squashes, eggplants, and tomatoes that you’re probably getting out of your garden right about now. This recipe serves 8 and it can be done in under an hour and a half including bake time. Ingredients For Sauce: 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 1 onion diced 4 cloves minced garlic 1 red bell pepper diced 1 yellow bell pepper diced salt and pepper to taste 28 ounces of crushed and cooked tomatoes or…

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Barbecue season is upon us and what better recipe than barbecue pork ribs? This recipe is delicious, spicy, and sweet. Making a batch to serve poolside or Riverside with your best buds, a few adult beverages, and some macaroni or potato salad is the perfect afternoon on a hot summer day. Expect people to flock from all around including the neighbors. The smell will waft into the air and draw everyone to your barbecue. Be sure to make extras for the unintended guests that dropped by. Ingredients: 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 Tablespoons chili powder salt and pepper to taste…

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Ooh, what can be better than homemade cherry pie? Cherry pie is one of the desserts that are the hallmark of a delicious summer afternoon. It’s bright and tasty. It’s sweet and tangy. Cherry pie is one of those desserts you don’t forget about. You can bring this to your next get-together or cookout. Not to mention it’s kind of fun to cut out shapes on the top or make a lattice from the dough to show off your creative side. Ingredients For Dough: 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon of salt 2/3 cup of cold unsalted butter…

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With blackberry season underway picking some of those scrumptious delicious black little berries seems only natural. If you’re looking for something different than blackberry jam this year, perhaps making some BlackBerry muffins might fill the void. You might end up not picking enough if you make plenty and freeze them for later. What could be better than fresh blackberry muffins for breakfast? So, bake up a storm and put all the excess away in the freezer. You’ll be having black Berry muffins for the next month or two. What better way to use those delicious gems you find outside? Ingredients:…

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Classic Goulash is one of those recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation in the family. It’s a wonderful meal that can be put together rather quickly which is why it’s so popular. Being able to make dinner in a very short period of time is valuable for a working mom or dad. This recipe should not take more than 60 minutes to put together. If you like, you could make a very large batch by doubling the ingredients and saving some in the fridge so that you have lunches for work every day. Ingredients: 2 pounds…

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Potato salad is a must-have for any get-together, BBQ, or 4th of July celebration. Some potato salad is pretty bland, but this recipe here will be spicy and delicious. It doesn’t have a lot of heat, but it does have a kick. With ingredients like apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard you really can’t go wrong with this recipe. Ingredients: 5 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes 2 cups of mayonnaise 1 cup of sweet pickle relish 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard 1 Tablespoon of Dijon mustard 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1/2 teaspoon paprika 4 hard-boiled eggs peeled and diced 3…

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What’s a summer afternoon without a delicious cold scoop of ice cream? Do you want to give the kids a sweet treat and have them help in the kitchen? Well, now you don’t have to go out and buy ice cream from the grocer or a specialty shop because you can make it at home. No churn ice cream can be made at home without a machine and stress. The best part, it only has three ingredients. What a wonderfully fun idea to make with the kids. Take a hot afternoon to whip this up and have delicious ice cream…

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Nothing says welcome to my home like a nice slice of delicious cool cheesecake in the middle of the summertime. This is one delectable treat you are going to want to serve cool and you’re going to want to serve it to everybody that comes to visit. What better way to make someone feel welcome and to show off your culinary skills to the neighbors? Once you try this recipe to make easy peasy cheesecake, you’ll never go back to another way. Ingredients Crust: 9-10 whole graham crackers crushed 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar 5 1/3 tbsp. melted butter 1/8 tsp.…

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Apple fritters are the sort of snack which seem old-fashioned but can be whipped up in a minute. There’s somewhere between a donut and a pastry. They can be served warm, eaten for breakfast, or made into a dessert. Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 1/4 tsp. baking powder 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/4 tsp. salt 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 2 large eggs 3/4 cup of whole milk 2 tsp. vanilla extract 2 tbsp. melted unsalted butter 2 whole granny smith apples peeled and diced sunflower oil, avocado oil, peanut oil, lard, or coconut oil for frying powdered sugar (optional)…

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Every kid loves candy, but not every kid can eat it. In addition, some children have allergies to red dye or corn, and these children cannot enjoy a nice commercially bought piece of candy. Below is corn syrup and a dye-free recipe to keep your little ones healthy. For this recipe, you will need a candy thermometer and a pastry brush in addition to typical kitchenware. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups of sugar 1/2 cup of water 1 teaspoon of peppermint oil or extract Directions: Line and grease an 8-to-9-inch metal heatproof container with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Avoid using…

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