Jalapeno Poppers (with Panko)

The hubby's garden is gi-normous this year. He planted jalapeno peppers for the first time and this Kansas, weak-tongued girl has never really worked with fresh ones. [I usually buy them already sliced and in a jar.]
Last weekend we hosted a bbq and I decided to mass distribute them in the form of poppers. I didn't realize they would lose most of their bite just by taking out the seeds and even more so when baking. It turns out that this is one of the best appetizers I've had the privilege to make. Needless to say, they didn't last long :)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/baked-jalapeno-poppers-recipe.html

Blueberry Banana Bread with Cinnamon Crunch Topping

Today I was cleaning out the freezer and fridge and discovered I had bananas and blueberries that needed to be used up. So, thanks again to Google, I found this delightful recipe from Alaska. I ended up doubling the recipe due to the amount of bananas and blueberries I had on-hand. Such a delicious Saturday morning treat to go with my tea. :)

http://www.alaskafromscratch.com/2014/08/29/blueberry-banana-bread-cinnamon-crunch-topping/

Easy Refrigerator Dill Pickles

We had a few Armenian cucumbers from our garden and an English cucumber from the store that needed to be addressed. I recently saw an episode of "Farmhouse Rules" on Food Network in which Nancy Fuller made No-canning refrigerator pickles. This appealed to me a lot especially since we've been so busy this season. Although I didn't use her recipe, Grandma Ma's French Pickles, I want to site her for the inspiration. Now I have to wait a week to see if it was worth the convenience.

http://selfproclaimedfoodie.com/easy-refrigerator-dill-pickles/

Shortbread Toffee Cookie Bars

Yep, this just happened. Heath crumbles=the hubby's favorite. Shortbread=my favorite. Chocolate=our favorite. I had to almost literally pull myself away after 3 bites. I definitely should have waited until we had guests because I think I'm going to slide a little bit off the wagon this week. ;)  It was incredibly easy to make (too easy if you ask me, haha). If you get the chance and you love heath as much as we do, treat yourself. <3

http://cookiesandcups.com/shortbread-toffee-cookie-bars/

One Pot-Stove-Top Chicken and Rice

We spoil our animals and a prime example is our dogs. I have been making them up chicken or beef broth jars weekly. I put a whole chicken, or roast or whatever in a crockpot and fill it full of water and a few seasonings. Then put the broth in pint size mason jars and each dog gets a half a pint at breakfast and dinner which, one crockpot lasts about a week. Then I have shredded chicken or beef depending on the week. In another blog, I have a recipe for chicken salad, made especially good with the armenian cucumbers from our garden which has now become a staple in our fridge. This past week, I found the following recipe which took almost no effort to make because I used (already cooked) shredded chicken rather than the thighs; I also added onions and mushrooms. If you like looking at recipes, Noble Pig is a favorite.

http://noblepig.com/2016/04/the-best-one-pot-stove-top-chicken-and-rice/

Fluffy Key Lime Pie

I referenced this recipe in the "real" key lime pie blog. It's an easy no-bake alternative that can be quite a bit healthier. I think if people don't think of it as key lime, rather, just lime, it's a fresh, delicious pie for summer.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/fluffy-key-lime-pie

Key Lime Pie with Gingersnap Crust

I've been with the hubby for 7 years now and had never made him Key Lime Pie, even though it's his favorite. I had also never eaten Key Lime Pie in my 39 years of life. I made a similar (easier/healthier) version a couple of weeks ago, but he stated it was "good" but not the same. So, I took to google and discovered that gingersnap cookies are a popular crust for this pie--another favorite of his. I quite enjoyed this recipe, but again, he wasn't a fan of the lime zest (noted for next time). The link is for "Santa Cruz Organic" and pushes their lime juice, but I just bought the key lime juice off the shelf at the store. I think it made the pie a little sour so maybe I won't use quite so much next time. Overall, I would use this recipe again, omitting the lime peel. Also didn't use the whipped cream topping. It was just fine without it. Probably would go great with lime sherbet. :)

http://www.santacruzorganic.com/recipes/desserts/classic-key-lime-pie-with-gingersnap-crust

7 Layer Dip

It's Labor Day weekend and we hosted a BBQ yesterday. It's always really great when friends make the trek out to our farm. I love planning the menu and I rarely make the same thing twice. Believe it or not, I've never made 7 Layer Dip, even though I (now) know it's super easy. I loosely used the following recipe (more based on the fabulous picture), however, what I found most helpful were the reviews. [Always read the reviews in a recipe because by the time you try it, other people have shown you what works and doesn't work about it as well as other substitutions/tricks.] Based on the comments, I added the taco seasoning to the sour cream rather than the refried beans. I  also added salsa to the beans to make them more pliable. I also omitted the lettuce as a personal choice, did not add black olives, or tomatoes and put green onions on top. I made fresh guacamole and salsa and refrigerated for 3-4 hours. By the end of the night, there was nothing left :)

http://www.food.com/recipe/7-layer-dip-126480

Watermelon Feta Salad

What a busy week. Finally have time to post all the fun recipes I tried since my last post.

Starting with Watermelon Feta Salad. I'm not afraid to try new recipes and think this one would have been really good if the watermelon had been ripe enough. I was so disappointed when I brought it home and found it to be pink rather than red and not very sweet. This recipe relies on the sweetness of the watermelon to compliment the rest of the ingredients. Also, when it says serve immediately, use that as gospel, otherwise it will turn into a watery (unattractive) mess even a few hours later.
Even with the watermelon not being perfectly ripe and being served 4 hours later, I don't think my boys will get used to the idea of mint and feta with watermelon. In any case, it was a fun one to try.

http://www.runninginaskirt.com/watermelon-feta-blueberry-salad-recipe/