Berry Kale Smoothie

What's the formula for PI?
Eh, apple or blueberry?...

For the past couple of weeks, I have made the switch to smoothies for breakfast (and I'm totally lovin' it!).  I was surprised by how full a smoothie, packed with greens and greek yogurt, keeps me going well into lunch time.

This one is full of berries and kale, but the kale can be easily substituted for spinach and the berries for peaches.  Go with what you have on hand, and what your taste buds feel like.  The fruit you add hides most of the flavor of the greens.

Here's what you need for 1:
3/4 cup of orange juice
3/4 cup of fruit (I used blueberries and raspberries)
2 large dollops of plain greek yogurt
2 large handfuls of greens (I used kale)
3-5 ice cubes

Quick Black Bean Quesadilla with Red Pepper

What is an astronaut's favorite sandwich?
Launch meat.

Step away from your typical lunch of a turkey sandwich.  This quesdailla is just as fast to make.

Here's what you need for 1:
2 tortillas
1/2 cup of rinsed and drained canned black beans
1/4 cup of shredded cheese, I used colby jack
1 teaspoon of unsalted butter
1/3 of a large red pepper or 1/2 of a small one, sliced
1 teaspoon of sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
hot sauce, if desired

Peach, Blueberry and Goat Cheese Spinach Salad

"This guy is standing on the street, and he has a giant peach for a head.  And a man walks up to him, and says, "Ummm....you have a giant peach for a head.  What's up with that?  And the guys says, "Funny story, actually.  A genie came up to me and granted me three wishes.  And for my first wish, I asked to be rich. 
And a guy came up and handed me a briefcase with a million dollars, and I'm a millionaire, a millionaire.  For my second wish, I asked for the most beautiful woman in the world to fall madly in love with me.  Mila Kunis walked up to me, said "I love you" and we are getting married in a month.
For my third wish, I asked to have a giant peach for a head."

-Matthew Perry

Summer is quickly winding down, so I am trying to get in as much fruit as I can!  For lunch today, I fixed a quick berry salad with creamy goat cheese.


Here's what you need (for 1 salad):
1 handful of spinach
1/2 a handful of watercress
1/2 a peach, sliced
a few blueberries
2-3 teaspoons of plain goat cheese
dressing of choice or 1-2 tablespoons of aged balsamic vinegar

White Corn Bacon Skillet

What do you get when you mix onions and beans?
Tear Gas.

Summer white corn and cast iron, it doesn't get much better (except when you add bacon and some Vidalia onions).

I saw a great corn skillet recipe in Garden and Gun this month, and thought I would try a variation at home.  This side dish is absolutely phenomenal!  We served it up with some lime baked tilapia and BOOM, there was dinner.  This would also be good paired up with a pulled pork sandwich, some fried chicken, or over some fresh spinach and used as a salad.

Here's what you need (feeds 2-3 people as a side):
3 ears of white corn, shucked then kernels sliced off
1/2 a large Vidalia onion, diced
4 slices of center cut bacon
1/2 cup of milk
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of unsalted butter
salt and fresh ground pepper

Tomato Sandwich

Summer in the South.  Simple seasonal food combinations with lots of flavor.

This sandwich reminds me of when I was little girl.  I can't recall when I first had it, but to this day I absolutely love Tomato and Mayo sandwiches.

Here's what you need (for 1 sandwich):
2 slices of bread, toasted
2-3 thick slices of a flavorful tomato
2-3 teaspoons of mayo (I like Duke's)
salt
fresh ground pepper

Roasted Garden Tomato Turkey Pasta Bake

Why can't you take a turkey to church?
Because, it has fowl language.

Ready? Five times fast? "Roasted Garden Tomato Turkey Pasta Bake, Roasted Garden Tomato Turkey Pasta Bake, Roasted Garden Tomato Turkey Pasta Bake, Roasted Garden Tomato Turkey Pasta Bake, Roasted Garden Tomato Turkey Pasta Bake, Roasted Garden Tomato Turkey Pasta Bake."  Let me know if you come up with an easier name for this dish.

Last night, I was totally craving some kid food.  Like Hamburger Helper or box Mac and Cheese...I settled on Pasta Bake (which is pretty standard kid food, unless you have those fancy kids, like the ones that always want sushi and foie gras...not to hate on sushi, I had that Monday night.)  The garden tomatoes on our kitchen counter have been piling up and eyeing me the past couple of days, so I thought I would teach them a lesson by roasting those suckers.  Making your own sauce is super easy and way more tasty, just do it already.

Here's What You Need (for a big ol' pan full):
a variety of garden tomatoes (large and grape), about 2-3 cups of
2 ish teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil, plus the same
basil
thyme
oregano
rosemary
parsley
salt and pepper to taste
6 cloves of garlic, peeled, kept whole, plus 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
1/2 a large onion or 1 small-medium sized onion, diced
1 orange pepper, diced  (you could sub red or green if you felt like it)
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 pack of ground turkey, approximately 1.2 pounds
1 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups of finely grated mozzarella cheese
1 package of Rigatoni pasta, approximately 1 pound
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Sun Dried Tomato Ranch

A DEA officer stopped at a ranch in Texas, and spoke with the rancher that lived there.  He told the rancher, "I need to inspect your ranch for illegally grown drugs."  The rancher said, "Okay, but don't go into that field over there."  The DEA officer verbally exploded and said, "Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me!"  He reached into his rear pocket and pulled out his badge and proudly displayed it to the rancher.  "See this badge?!  This badge means I am allowed to go where ever I wish, on any land, no questions asked, do you understand?!?!  The old rancher nodded politely , apologized and went back to his chores.

A short time later, the rancher heard loud screams, looked up and saw the DEA officer running for his life.  He was being chased by the rancher's bull.  With every step the bull was gaining on the officer, and it seemed likely that the officer would sure enough get gored by the bulls horns before he reached safety.  The officer was clearly terrified.  The old rancher threw down his tools, ran to the fence and yelled at the top of his lungs...."Your badge!  Show him your BADGE!"

I'll admit, ranch is not the 'go to' dressing in our house.  We are more of a vinaigrette friendly family, but after making this dressing the other day I think that might change.

I happen to be up in North Georgia a couple of weeks ago and stopped by a Longhorn to meet a friend for drinks at the bar (I know, not the most ideal spot...but there was slim pickins).  I was starving (per usual) and decided to try one of their salads (Ranch House Chicken Cobb).  The salad was served with what they call "Smokey Tomato Ranch".  The dressing was surprising tasty, so I decided to try and make my own version at home.

Here's what you need:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of sun dried tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
2 tablespoons of chopped chives
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Cinnamon Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Want to hear a joke about cinnamon?
It's pretty dry.

Playing around with cookie recipes is somehow just asking for trouble...trouble to your waist line.

Moving past that silly fact, homemade cookies are so wonderful to make.  Among the obvious deliciousness reasons to eat and share, they also make your house smell good.

I adore cinnamon.  The spice that gently tops my latte each morning just makes everything feel more fancy and decadent (perhaps, I just adore lattes...).  Yesterday, I though I would try out some cinnamon chocolate chip cookies, kind of like traditional Mexican hot chocolate, except in the cookie form.  I threw in some oatmeal too (cause, why not).

Here's what you need: 
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2-2 teaspoons of cinnamon
2 teaspoons of baking powder
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips (or whatever flavor chips you desire)
Parchment paper
Cookie sheet