Fudgy S'mores Cookies

Summer always gets me thinking s’mores.

Just when I thought I’d finally put that delicious combination to rest (cookies, cookies again, cupcakes, and again, bark, frapp, cake, brownies), I got another idea.

Yep, it’s cookie #3 and they’re best yet!  These ones have all the wonderful flavor and texture of my chocolate M&M pudding cookies, with a punch of s’more!  These are so good that I’m making them on a weekly basis!

Happy summer!

What I Read in May

In addition to cooking I also love books!

Here’s what I read in May :

Pippi Longstocking | My Review | ★★★★

Fairest | My Review | ★★★★★

The Well of the Ascension | My Review | ★★★★

Sugar | My Review | ★★★★

Little House in the Big Woods | My Review | ★★★★

The Call of the Wild | My Review | ★★★

Eldest (Inheritance Cycle #2) | My Review | ★★★★

Everything I Never Told You | My Review | ★★

The Graveyard Book | My Review | ★★★★

William Shakespeare’s The Empire Striketh Back | My Review | ★★★★★

William Shakespeare’s The Jedi Doth Return | My Review | ★★★★★

William Shakespeare’s Verily, A New Hope | My Review | ★★★★★

Fruity Patriotic Popsicles

I love summer!

It’s the perfect time for relaxing with a yummy cool treat!

My boys love popsicles, so we decided to give our own version a try.

Rich Chocolate Ice Cream #CooktheBooksClub

Today I’m sharing a delightful summery recipe inspired by The Wedding Bees by Sarah-Kate Lynch for Cook the Cooks Club, hosted this month by Simona from Briciole.

I loved this month’s book.  It is an absolutely perfect summer read!  It’s a light, happy romance (without the smut) that leaves the reader happy and hopeful!  You can get more details about the book and my full review on GoodReads.

Garlic-Lime Chicken with Corn Relish

Dude is guest blogging today with Kids in the Kitchen!

He woke up one morning (the first week of summer vacation) asking if he could be chef of the day.  He wanted to grill some chicken (or rather marinate the chicken while Hubs did the grilling).

His cookbooks didn’t have any recipes that appealed to him, so we decided to hone his google skills and find something online!  He looked at some of the ingredients in the refrigerator and went from there!

I was surprised when he decided on the corn relish, but pretty glad he went for it.  It was delicious and a hit with the whole family!

Homemade Butter #FoodNFlix

Welcome to this month’s Food ‘n Flix!  This month, participants whipped up a delicious recipe from the movie Butter, hosted by Evelyne from Cheap Ethnic Eatz.

The movie is set in Iowa, focusing on the state fair and the very competitive world of butter carving.

The movie was odd.  And kind of terrible.  And yet, strangely, I really enjoyed it.  Especially seeing Hugh Jackman cast as a bumbling used car saleman!   That alone made the movie worth it, plus general quirkiness of the whole thing.

There was an abundance of food inspiration in the movie. 

Banana Applesauce Oatmeal Bread #SecretRecipeClub

Happy Secret Recipe Club Day!

If you’re new around here, each month SRC members are secretly assigned another participating blogger.  We peruse their recipes and then feature that blogger by whipping up something delicious!

This month, I was assigned Nichole’s blog, The Cookaholic Wife.

Nichole began cooking after she got bored with making pre-packaged meals in high school…why all the packaged meals, you gotta hear the story from Nichole, I can’t do it justice!)

Once she began creating recipes, she just couldn’t stop and since she loved writing, blogging was only natural and here we are!

After looking at all of her delicious recipes, I ultimately settled upon Banana Applesauce Oatmeal Bread.

15+ Summer Cocktails #HotSummerEats

Disclosure: I received product samples from Quirk Books and Casabella to create recipes for #HotSummerEats.  All recipes and opinions are my own.

Welcome to my last #HotSummerEats post!

After all of those delicious burgers, I thought we all deserved a drink!

Today I made a (Slutty) Sex on the Beach.

So why trash up the drink’s name any more than it already is?  Well friends, I took a lot of liberties when making this drink, adding in all sorts of ingredient substitutions.  It got a little slutty.  But completely delicious.  I foresee a lot of hot summer nights with these drinks!

But if that’s not to your taste (or if you want something non-alcoholic for the kids), look no further!  I’ve rounded up all of my favorite drink recipes (with the Slutty Sex on the Beach recipe below.)

Watermelon Margarita | Roasted Blueberry Basil Margarita | Whipped Strawberry Cokes | Dreamsicle Martini | Minty Watermelon Sangria | Colorado Buffalo | Strawberry Margarita | Irish Cream Martini

Cucumber Melon Refresher | Berry Basil Iced Tea | Thyme Infused Lemonade | Lemon Thyme Iced Tea | Rosemary Iced Coffee | StrawberryJulius

Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino | S’mores Frappuccino | Mocha Chip Frappuccino | Golden Cream | Mississippi Mudslide

Sweet & Spicy Asian Burger ‪#‎HotSummerEats‬

Disclosure: I received product samples from Not Ketchup, T.lish, and Gourmet Garden to create recipes for #HotSummerEats.  All recipes and opinions are my own.

It’s #HotSummerEats Day 4!

Today delicious burger is the last in the burger series (I have something else amazing to share tomorrow!)

Today’s burger is the fantastic Sweet & Spicy Asian Burger.  The burger is infused with Asian spices, as well as a nice punch of red chili, then it’s topped with crunchy cabbage and deliciously sweet blueberry sauce and another dash of red pepper flakes.

 Pair this burger with a bright cabbage salad and Roasted Blueberry Basil Margaritas for the adults or Thyme Infused Lemonade for the kids and you’ve got yourself an amazing BBQ!

Caprese Burger ‪#‎HotSummerEats‬

Disclosure: I received product samples from Intensity Academy, Gourmet Garden, & Out of the Weeds to create recipes for #HotSummerEats.  All recipes and opinions are my own.

It’s #HotSummerEats Day 3 as burger week continues.

Today’s burger brings together a few of my favorite summertime ingredients: tomatoes and basil!  Add in some Italian Herbs and a little mozzarella and you’ve got an amazing Caprese style burger!  Yum!

Along with the burger and fresh salad, I love to add the thirst quenching Watermelon Margarita for adults or Homemade StrawberryJulius (Float) for the kids!

Curry Burger ‪#‎HotSummerEats‬

Disclosure: I received product samples from Gourmet Garden, Intensity Academy, and T.lish to create recipes for #HotSummerEats.  All recipes and opinions are my own.

Welcome to #HotSummerEats Day 2!

Burger week continues today with an amazing Curry Burger!  This delicious burger is spiced with a combination of lemongrass, garlic, and chili, then topped with hummus and Curry Ketchup for a delicious twist on a traditional burger! 

I paired the burger with a light salad and some delicious roasted asparagus.  Try adding Minty Watermelon Sangria for the adults or Berry Basil Iced Tea for the kids for a burst of fruity flavor!

‪Tex Mex Burger #‎HotSummerEats‬

Disclosure: I received product samples from Spicely Organic, Gourmet Garden, Pirate Jonny’s, and T.lish to create recipes for #HotSummerEats.  All recipes and opinions are my own.

It’s time for some #HotSummerEats!

For me, summertime is all about grilling, so I’m declaring this week burger week!  Each day this week, you’ll find some delicious burgers on the blog, complete with a complementary side salad, as well as some drink suggestions!

Let’s get started!

The first burger up is a fantastic Tex Mex Burger.  It’s loaded with BBQ flavors and guacamole.  It absolutely screams summer!  Try adding a refreshing Strawberry Margarita for adults or a Cucumber Melon Refresher for the kids for a bright summery punch.