secretoslp

Perfecting Yellow Summer Squash ~ squash is delightfully sweet and delicious and I've been doing it wrong, until now! When I was little my parents would insist we eat what was put on our plates; that's what baby boomers were taught. There were starving children in the world and we were lucky to have food so just keep it shut and eat it. The alternatives were (depending on which type of parents you had): you don't eat it, you go to bed. Or, you sit there until you eat it and the dreaded threat of no dessert unless you ate it and ultimately the follow through with that. So it was with summer squash. As a child I hated it. So much so I gagged on it. However later in life, probably in my teens I tried it again and it was if the flood gates of my taste buds opened up and my attitude toward squash changed. A 360 degree turn around! I could not get enough of fresh summer squash! Read more »

Step-by-Step: Garden Tomato Sauce ~ use it for the base of your red sauce all year long! How many of you have room for a garden and plant your own tomatoes? We are lucky that we have some room and I am extremely grateful that my husband loves to garden. He has planted tomatoes in his garden since before we were married and I've been the lucky beneficiary of fresh garden grown tomatoes throughout our whole marriage. There's nothing like a tomato picked right from the vine. It happens to be my favorite fruit. Yes, the tomato is actually a fruit for those of you who don't know that nifty little fact. Read more »

Strawberry Jalapeno Grilled Chicken   ~ kicked up flavors from the strawberry jalapeno fruit spread makes this a winning grilling recipe! After doing a sponsored post for Brie and Strawberry Jalapeno Crispbreads Snacks I had some of the fruit spread left. With some garden vegetables available and a package of on sale chicken I began formulating this idea for Strawberry Jalapeno Grilled Chicken . With the high heat and humidity that we've been experiencing, this seemed like the perfect summer time meal. Served with some rice it's a completely wholesome and inexpensive meal. Read more »

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. # SpreadTheHeat #CollectiveBias Brie and Strawberry Jalapeno Crispbread Snacks ~ and a friendly game of setback! We have a group of friends and we love to get together at each others homes and play setback (It's a card game just in case you don't know.) It's generally a men's versus women's team and outside of enjoying a night of wins, losses, bragging and teasing we mostly enjoy the game night snacks that everyone brings! Read more »

Artichoke Dip & Homemade Garlic Pita Chips ~ artichoke dip and those homemade garlic chips make the best ever snacking! My daughter's first real job was as a bus person for a restaurant her grandfather and my step-dad owned. They also had her help with some prep work in the kitchen. For some event they made a huge batch of artichoke dip and my daughter wrote down all of the ingredients (smart girl) and we scaled it down to make it here at home. This is one of those dips that we savor on special occasions and for entertaining family and friends. The dip itself is absolutely delicious and tastes even better with the homemade garlic pita chips. Read more »

Jimmy Dean Mornings Breakfast Ideas ~ A good breakfast is a must! This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group ® and Tyson Foods , but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #JDgreatdays   http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV My husband is a professional carpenter and painter who is up with the chickens every day! He requires a good breakfast to keep him going as he generally does not stop to eat lunch. His work day starts very early and ends earlier than most, so it is important that breakfast is hearty and filling and provides him with the energy and brain power he needs to do his job. Plus - now that he's older and on certain medications he must eat before consuming his medicine. Read more »

Beef & Mushroom with Sour Cream Mashed Potato Shepherd's Casserole ~ a hearty and ever so delicious family meal that is so easy to make! A close friend of ours past away this past weekend. After fighting really hard he succumbed to one of the most deadly cancers - pancreatic cancer. Although you know the end is coming, it is never easy to face loosing a loved one. Part of our reaching out to the family was to bring them dinner. I made this casserole in a larger size for the family and all who might stop by their home. Each component tasted so good that I decided to make Beef & Mushroom with Sour Cream Mashed Potato Shepherd's Casserole for us today and then pass the easy recipe along to you all. Read more »