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BROCCOLI & RICED CAULIFLOWER CASSEROLE

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Casserole or hotdish? I only recently even heard of the term hotdish. I’ve looked up several sources trying to get some clarity on the difference between the two. Both include a creamy condensed soup with vegetables and usually meat of some sort. The differences? From what I gather, casserole tends to use a lighter meat like tuna or chicken while a hotdish is more likely to use beef. But honestly, even that seems somewhat vague given you could eliminate meat altogether. The biggest difference seems to be a matter of where you’re from. Hotdish is more of an upper Midwestern term (think Minnesota). Having grown up in Kansas, I’m definitely a casserole gal.

Grab those veggies out of the freezer and soup out of the pantry, we’re making casserole today! Now that the temperatures are finally cooling off here in Texas, I’m ready for comfort food. As you know, I’m also a huge fan of super easy recipes. This is basically a stir and bake recipe – if only every recipe were this easy! You can use it as a side dish or make it the main event.  Either way, this broccoli and riced cauliflower casserole has made it onto the regular rotation of dinner recipes in our house. I’d love to hear what types of casseroles (or hotdishes) are your favorites!

Tips

  • Trying to keep things low carb? Replace the bread crumbs with more shredded cheddar.
  • For added veggies, you can use a riced cauliflower & sweet potato blend.

Broccoli & Riced Cauliflower Casserole

This broccoli and riced cauliflower casserole is basically a stir and bake recipe – Comfort food at it's best!
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Ingredients
  

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 8 oz sour cream
  • 2 cans (10.5oz each) cream of celery soup
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 10.5 oz frozen riced cauliflower
  • 1 lb frozen broccoli florets
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, soup, salt, pepper and cheddar cheese.
  • Stir in riced cauliflower then stir in broccoli.
  • Spread broccoli mixture into a greased 9×13 casserole dish.
  • In a small bowl, stir together butter and breadcrumbs then sprinkle over broccoli mixture.
  • Bake 45 minutes. If breadcrumbs are not golden, turn the broiler on and watch carefully until you achieve golden color.

PUMPKIN SPICE GRANOLA

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I’ve Been Holding Back

I’m going to tell you a secret. This is something I’ve been holding back from you for fear of judgement. Are you ready for it? I don’t like pumpkin spice lattes. I know, it seems almost un-American but I’m hoping you won’t judge me. Seriously though, what I’ve learned over the years is that I very much enjoy pumpkin spice in all sorts of other foods. Pumpkin bread? Sign me up! (In fact, I’m working on my own recipe for a loaf right now.) Scones? Score! Cheesecake? Yes! Just please keep it out of my coffee.

Spoonful of granola over a bowl of granola.
Warm flavors make this pumpkin spice granola an all time favorite.

Pumpkin Spiced Granola

My foodie brain has been stuck on pumpkin spice for weeks. That being said, I’ve also been trying not to overindulge in baked goods. I mean, we haven’t even hit Halloween yet, let alone the major baking holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, I’m easing into this craving with pumpkin spice granola. Eat it as cereal or add it to yogurt for a parfait. For next level breakfast, mix in some dark chocolate chunks and sprinkle it over some toast with peanut butter or even over French toast. Get creative and let me know how you use this delicious pumpkin spice granola!

Bowl of granola.

Tips

  • You can substitute the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice for 1 tablespoon of pumpkin spice blend.
  • Store granola in the freezer to keep it fresh and crunchy longer.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Warm flavors make this the perfect granola for Fall.
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Course Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup raw, unsalted pecan halves
  • 1/2 cup pepitas
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • Optional: 1/4 cup dark chocolate chunks

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 300°F.
  • In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Spread mixture out on a parchment lined sheet pan. Bake 1 hour.
  • Let cool before serving. If adding in dark chocolate, stir in after granola has cooled.
Keyword Granola, Pumpkin Spice, Pumpkin Spice Granola

Looking for more granola recipes? Try these out!

Turmeric Granola

Vanilla Almond Granola

TURMERIC SPICE MUFFINS

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My daughter loves muffins. Like REALLY loves them. I think she’d eat muffins for every meal if we let her. Unfortunately, she’s not into having fruit or grated veggies in her muffins right now – I think it’s a texture issue. So, I won’t be making my favorite, blueberry muffins, any time soon. I don’t want to fill her muffins with chocolate chips every time either so I’ve started experimenting with flavors and spices. To my surprise, and delight, my girl gave me her stamp of approval on these turmeric muffins. “Mama, I like your muffins” is pretty high culinary praise when your critic is only two years old.

Do you remember that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine wants to donate all the muffin stumps? My brain goes to that show every time I make muffins. To be clear, I do eat my muffin stumps and I enjoy them. This particular recipe did something amazing inside the stumps. I tried various amounts of turmeric with each revision of the recipe. The flavor would change slightly but the color ended up with an ombre type of effect regardless of how much turmeric I added. Cut one of your muffins in half before biting in and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Maybe Elaine wouldn’t have been ditching all those muffin stumps if they had been this pretty inside.

Tips

  • You can freeze these muffins and then reheat as needed – about 45 seconds in the microwave should do it.
  • The sugar topping is completely optional but it does add a nice texture and sweetness.

Turmeric Muffins

Turmeric gives a balance between sweet and savory in these ombre shaded muffins.
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Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • Optional: course sugar such as turbinado or demerara for sprinkling on top.

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and line muffin pan with paper liners.
  • In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Stir half of the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture. Add milk then remaining dry ingredients.
  • Scoop batter into muffin pan, filling each cup two thirds full. Lightly sprinkle each muffin with course sugar. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Keyword Breakfast, Muffins, Turmeric, Turmeric Muffins

Looking for other breakfast ideas?

Savory Spinach Turnovers

Farm-Style Biscuits

Vanilla Almond Granola

SHEET PAN DINNERS FOR BUSY WEEKNIGHTS

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People often think that as a food blogger, I must have it all together in the kitchen. They assume my meals are always planned ahead of time. That I choose healthy options and only indulge occasionally. That dinner is easy to prep regardless of any other activities going on. These assumptions are completely off base. I certainly do enjoy cooking. Why else would I do a food blog? However, dinner at my house is often as last minute as any other household. I reach for convenient foods as often as I do healthy foods. I get in food ruts and end up fixing the same meals every week for a month. My biggest struggle is honestly just getting to the grocery to even pick up any ingredients. What is your biggest struggle for getting dinner on the table? I would genuinely love to hear from you on this.

I’ve met and follow some incredible people through food blogging. One of the things I love most about this community is the support people provide. Blogging is always a work in progress. We work to improve our recipes, our writing, our photography, our styling. My fellow food bloggers understand every aspect of what goes into creating a post. When you start following someone closely, you see their progress. We cheer each other on. We congratulate one another when we see something inspiring. We sympathize when struggles hit us in the kitchen. It is a wonderful thing to have companionship in this space.

Weeknights are about to get easier. For this post, I’ve collaborated with eight of my favorite food bloggers to create sheet pan dinners. I love sheet pan dinners because of how easy they are to make but also how easy they are to clean up. With the school year now in full swing, everyone has a busier schedule and could use an easy dinner recipe. I have been blown away by the variety and creativity in this project. A huge thank you goes out to each and every collaborator for helping me put this together. I hope that you’ll stop by their sites and check out more recipes from these incredible food bloggers!

SHEET PAN BBQ CHICKEN MEATBALLS & VEGGIES

Created by Laura at Ways To My Heart
https://www.waystomyheart.com/sheet-pan-bbq-chicken-meatballs-veggies/

CURRIED PORK CHOP AND POTATO SHEET PAN RECIPE

Created by Nicolas at Blogtastic Food
https://www.blogtasticfood.com/curries-pork-chop-sheetpan-recipe/

SHEET PAN GNOCCHI AND SAUSAGE

Created by Mansee at One Girl. One Kitchen.
https://www.onegirlonekitchen.com/sheet-pan-gnocchi-and-sausage/

SHEET PAN HARISSA CHICKEN WITH BROCCOLINI AND CHICKPEAS

Created by Indi at With Spice
https://www.withspice.com/blog/sheet-pan-harissa-chicken-with-broccolini-and-chickpeas

DUKKAH AND PARMESAN CHICKEN TRAY BAKE

Created by Teresa at Cupcakes and Couscous
https://cupcakesandcouscous.com/2019/08/28/dukkah-and-parmesan-chicken-tray-bake/

SHEET PAN CHICKEN FAJITAS

Created by Melissa at Keeping it Simple
https://keepingitsimpleblog.com/food/dinner/sheet-pan-chicken-fajitas/

EASY SHEET PAN DINNER WITH SAUSAGE, POTATOES & VEGGIES

Created by Julia at Julia Recipes
https://juliarecipes.com/2019/08/30/easy-pan-sheet-dinner-with-sausage-potatoes-veggies/

SHEET PAN ITALIAN MUSHROOMS AND GARLIC BREADSTICKS

Created by Will at Hangry White Male
https://www.hangrywhitemale.com/sheet-pan-italian-mushrooms-and-garlic-breadsticks/

SHEET PAN SHRIMP FAJITAS

Created by Sarah at Slice of Honey
https://sliceofhoney.com/2018/10/12/sheet-pan-shrimp-fajitas/

THREE BEAN PITA SANDWICH

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The great thing about food blogging is that inspiration comes three times per day, at a minimum. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Any time we go out to eat or have a meal at a friend’s house, I am surrounded by inspiration. My husband recently requested a bean based sandwich. My brain instantly went to the three bean salad available at the Jason’s Deli salad bar. Why not make something similar and pop it into a pita?

I love a dish that can be served more than one way. This is that kind of dish. You can easily serve this up as a pita sandwich (as described in the recipe) but you could just as easily eat it as a salad. Alternatively, I think it could also make a great topping on a baked sweet potato. Main dish or side dish. Either way, I call it delicious. I always keep chickpeas and black beans in my pantry. This recipe is a perfect example of why they are staples.

Tips

  • You can eat this right away if you want to. However, you will get better flavor if you let the bean mixture marinate in the dressing for 30 minutes before eating it.
  • If you are packing this for lunch, I recommend packing the bean mixture and the pita bread separately so the bread doesn’t get soggy.

Three Bean Pita Sandwich

This three bean pita sandwich turns pantry staples into a delicious meal.
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Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 15 oz canned black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 15 oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 15 oz canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 small cucumber, diced
  • 1/2 small red onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
  • 4 6" whole wheat pita breads, cut in half

For the dressing

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons tamari sauce or low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, mix together all of the beans, vegetables and fresh herbs. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over bean mixture and stir until evenly coated.
  • When ready to eat, use a slotted spoon to scoop bean salad into pita halves.
Keyword Beans, Pita, Sandwich, Three Bean, Three Bean Pita Sandwich

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also be interested in my curried chickpea salad sandwich or my veggie wrap with homemade jalapeno hummus.

PATRIOTIC PARTY SNACKS

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I’m so glad I ended up taking this Friday off from work. I’ve been needing a four-day weekend and 4th of July is the perfect excuse for one! I’ve mentioned before that Texas holds some great childhood Independence Day memories for me. Since moving to San Antonio almost eight years ago, I’ve been making wonderful adulthood memories as well. This year, we will be celebrating our great nation with family. I can hardly wait to watch my daughter play with cousins she hasn’t seen since Christmas. We’ll be hanging out poolside for most of the weekend which means I’m all about the easiest snacks I can make happen while still pulling off a patriotic theme. I’ve put together a short list of what you can make to keep things simple, mostly healthy, and definitely delicious.

Watermelon Salad

Honestly, you can further simply this easy recipe by skipping the dressing. Sure, it adds a little extra something to the dish but if you’re in a hurry, just stick to the basic salad.

Watermelon Salad

Fresh flavors that are perfect for summer snacking
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Ingredients
  

For the Salad

  • 8 cups watermelon, cut into 1" cubes
  • 2 cups fresh blueberries
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled or cut into small cubes
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh mint, chopped

For the Dressing

  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, toss together all of the salad ingredients.
  • In a blender, liquefy the dressing ingredients.
  • Drizzle dressing over individual servings of salad, as desired.

Snack Tray

The key here is finding a variety of red and white snacks and adding in some blueberries. Use whatever snacks you like best. Here’s what I used: star fruit, blueberries, cherries, mini toast crackers, grape tomatoes, white cheddar cheese slices, yogurt covered pretzels, red bell peppers, white crackers, and pepperoni.

Fruit Bruschetta

Fruit Bruschetta One thing I love about this recipe is that you can change up the fruit toppings based on preference or what is seasonal. For 4th of July, I opted for blueberries and raspberries

Fruit Bruschetta

A sweeter, summery take on bruschetta.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Ciabatta baguette
  • 8 oz goat cheese
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
  • 1 cup raspberries
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1 cup blackberries
  • honey, for drizzling

Instructions
 

  • Set oven to broil.
  • Slice baguette diagonally into ½” thick slices. Lay out the slices of bread on a cookie sheet and place in the oven for 1 minute or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven, flip each slice of bread over and place back in oven for 1 minute or until lightly golden. Remove cookie sheet from oven and let bread slices cool completely.
  • In a bowl, combine goat cheese and chopped mint leaves. Spread goat cheese onto bread slices (be generous, it’s delicious!). Top with fruit as desired then drizzle with honey.

Notes

You can change which fruits you use based on preference or what is in season.

Infused Water

The key to infused water is to prepare it a couple of hours ahead of time. Place sliced fruits in a large pitcher and add water. Refrigerate until ready to serve. For this one, I used star fruit, strawberries and blueberries.

Stir-N-Drop Sugar Cookies

I found this recipe in my grandmother’s recipe box and I love using it for holidays. You can change up the colored decorating sugars to adjust for the right color theme.

Stir-N-Drop Sugar Cookies

Quick and easy cookies perfect for any holiday.
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Ingredients
  

  • 2 eggs
  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • additional colored sugars for decorating

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • In a large bowl, beat eggs with oil, vanilla, zest and sugar. 
  •  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. 
  • Stir flour mixture into egg mixture.
  • Drop dough by the tablespoon full onto parchment paper covered cookie sheet. 
  • Grease the bottom of a glass with butter or cooking spray. Dip glass into colored sugar then gently press on ball of dough until dough is ¼-inch thick. Repeat on each ball of dough.
  • Bake 5-6 minutes or until edges of cookies start to turn golden brown.

Chips & Pico de Gallo

Place a small white bowl of pico de gallo inside a larger white bowl. Fill remaining space in large bowl with blue corn chips.

Pico de Gallo

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Ingredients
  

  • 6 roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1/2 white onion, diced
  • 1 jalapeno, stemmed, cored and finely chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • juice of 1 lime
  • salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl.
  • Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
  • Stir before serving with tortilla chips.

Flag Cake

This is about the decorations more than following a recipe. Grab a box of white cake mix and bake as instructed on package. Once cooled, cover with cream cheese frosting or cool whip. Top with blueberries and sliced strawberries in the shape of an American flag.

PARMESAN ASPARAGUS & TOMATOES

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As some of you may know, I followed a pretty strict vegetarian diet for about a year in 2017-2018. I’ve loved vegetables for as long as I can remember so it wasn’t too far of a stretch for me to jump in completely. When I took the time to truly plan my meals, it was a relatively easy diet for me to follow and I truly enjoyed it. When I didn’t take that time to plan and prep though, it was rough. Every Wednesday night my husband and I join two other couples for what we call small group. Fellowship is probably a better word to describe these evenings. We share a meal, talk about Jesus and talk about life. I love our Wednesday nights and these friends are really more like family. However, cooking on those nights became stressful. I would make a dish for the non-vegetarian group of friends. Cook something for my daughter (who wasn’t eating with us or I would have served her the same thing). And after each of those, I was still cooking a vegetarian dinner for myself. It was too much. Too much to accomplish within a small window of time after work and before getting our group together. Ultimately, the diet wasn’t worth the cooking chaos and I started reincorporating meats into my routine. Perhaps down the road I will give it another go but right now it isn’t the right option for me.

I still enjoy cooking vegetarian based dishes at home when life isn’t too crazy though. This is why I have kept the blog as primarily vegetarian. I love the challenge and health benefits of keeping more plants on my plate than meats. Even when we go out to dinner I often choose a vegetarian option. One of my favorite things to do is to order a few different side dishes or appetizers and eat those as my dinner rather than ordering an entrée. I feel like I have more options that way. Plus, I feel like I get to try a wider variety of what the restaurant has to offer. With this in mind, I also enjoy making side dishes at home and claiming them as my main course. I discovered last week that I can eat about a pound of asparagus on my own. Sorry to my husband for not sharing, haha! This recipe is a new one for us but is so easy and tasty that it might very well make it to the usual rotation of favorite recipes.

Tips:

  • Feel free to swap out the grape tomatoes for whatever small sweet tomatoes you can find at your local store.
  • I highly recommend sticking with fresh herbs on this one. Dried herbs will not give the same fresh flavor.
Sauteed asparagus and tomatoes with parmesan.

Parmesan Asparagus & Tomatoes

A flavorful, savory side dish that is quick and easy to make.
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Course Side Dish
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
  • 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
  • 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • 3 teaspoons grated parmesan cheese
  • salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, stir frequently. Add asparagus, stirring occasionally, and cook until slightly tender and starting to get char markings, about 5 minutes. Stir in oregano and thyme. Push asparagus to one side of the pan, place tomatoes on other side. Cook tomatoes until they soften slightly and start to get char markings, about 3 minutes. Add parmesan and salt, stir all ingredients together in the pan until well combined.
Keyword Asparagus, Easy Recipe, Side Dish, Tomatoes, Vegetables, Vegetarian Recipe

KEY LIME SUGAR COOKIES

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I used to make sugar cookies on the regular. I would do thick, soft, cut-out style cookies and then spend hours decorating them. If I’m honest, I made them in order to escape life’s stress. I was in a miserable, unhealthy relationship. Staying focused on the baking and decorating kept my mind at peace. I felt like I was in a situation that I couldn’t escape physically so I would do so mentally. Some people exercise to escape stress, some people turn to drugs or alcohol… I turned to baking. I did ultimately end that toxic relationship, got therapy and moved on to much happier times. It would be easy to resent those years but that would only keep me locked into the misery. Instead, I think of it as one of the most important life lessons I’ve ever had. I wouldn’t be in the incredible marriage I’m in today if I hadn’t experienced my past. I probably wouldn’t be as thankful as I am for the healthy, loving and supportive relationship I have with my husband.

My love for sugar cookies is still strong but I don’t spend hours baking and decorating unless I’m motivated to do so out of joy. “Escape baking” is a thing of my past.  Instead, I choose easier, less time-consuming recipes to satisfy a sugar cookie craving. With summer comes bright citrus – lemon and lime season. When I was looking to make some sugar cookies, I saw key limes sitting on my counter and knew I need to incorporate them. This recipe is easy to make, you don’t even need to chill the dough. Perfect for when you don’t want to wait all day to have a homemade cookie.

Tips:

  • If you can’t find key limes, go ahead and use regular limes or you could even swap out for lemon if you prefer.
  • I made the icing somewhat thick so I could manipulate it on the cookies. If you prefer a lighter icing, reduce the amount of powdered sugar.

Key Lime Sugar Cookies

A vibrant take on a classic cookie.
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Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 30 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons key lime zest
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the icing

  • 2 Tablespoons fresh key lime juice
  • 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda then set aside.
  • In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and lime zest until light in color. Add in egg, vanilla and salt and beat to combine. Gradually add in flour mixture, stopping to scrape the bowl periodically.
  • Roll cookie dough into 1” balls then place on parchment covered cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches between cookies.
  • Bake 15-17 minutes or until edges are slightly golden. Let cookies cool completely before adding icing.

For the icing

  • For the icing: pour lime juice into a small bowl. Gradually whisk powdered sugar into lime juice until fully incorporated and smooth (no lumps). Spoon icing onto cookies as desired.
Keyword Cookies, Dessert, Easy Cookies, Easy Recipe, Homemade Cookies, Key Lime, Key Lime Cookies, Key Lime Dessert, Lime

PANZANELLA SUMMER SALAD

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Farmer’s Market Finds

When I first moved to Texas, I distinctly remember waking up at all hours of the night and checking the temperature. It was August and even at 3:00 in the morning, we were at 90°F outside. The low temperatures were in the 90’s!!! The highs were certainly hitting around 110°F. I grew up with hot summers in Kansas. Over the last few years though, I had been living in much colder climates in Western New York and then Colorado. I quickly learned how to cope with the heat though. Here in San Antonio, it is all about pool life with snacks and drinks in hand. There were a lot of antics that first summer. Fence hopping, trivia at a nearby hole in the wall, dancing at clubs downtown, plus lots of sangria and snacks by the pool. Every weekend, my friends and I would hit up the farmer’s market for fresh, healthy ingredients. We would buy whatever produce we could find and then create those pool side snacks from our haul. This Panzanella Summer Salad would have been the perfect addition to our pool side spreads that summer.

Panzanella Summer Salad

The base of a traditional panzanella is lightly toasted pieces of bread with large chunks of tomatoes. You will not a single leaf of lettuce. The beauty from here is that you can add in subtle or bright flavors to compliment those base ingredients. I wanted to add an extra sweetness to my version so I’ve tossed in peaches – such a classic summer ingredient. Even with the pieces of bread tossed in, this salad is light and refreshing. A perfect dish for those summer days spent by the pool.

Tips:

  • Go ahead and make this salad a few hours in advance. The juices of the tomatoes and peaches will start to soak into the bread (without making it soggy). This helps to blend the flavors.
  • This salad is the perfect opportunity to use up any tomatoes that might be overripe. The extra juiciness will only add flavor.

Panzanella Summer Salad

The perfect salad for your summer finds from the farmer's market.
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Ingredients
  

  • 5 cups rustic multigrain bread, cut into 1/2" cubes
  • 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 5 medium, ripe tomatoes of mixed variety, cut into 1/2" cubes
  • 2 ripe peaches, cut in half & sliced thin
  • 1/2 small red onion, cut in half and sliced thin
  • 10 large basil leaves cut into thin strips

For the salad dressing

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread bread pieces out on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Bake 6 minutes or until lightly toasted, not browned. Remove from oven and let cool.
  • In a large bowl, gently toss together toasted bread with
    tomatoes, peaches, red onion and basil.
  • For the salad dressing, whisk all ingredients in a small
    bowl. Drizzle over salad as desired.

Notes

If you can’t find a rustic multigrain bread, swap it out for another hearty loaf of your choosing such as ciabatta or sourdough. 

LEMON HUMMUS with ROSEMARY PITA CHIPS

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I’m an introvert… most of the time. We all have our moments of being outgoing, right? I have no problem taking charge during appointments at work. I can lead a camp song like I was born to do it. Even public speaking doesn’t bother me much. Growing up though, I was a painfully shy child. I can remember hiding behind my parents’ legs or behind furniture just to avoid interacting with people. Even now, my natural instinct is to cuddle up at home and watch a movie or spend time with my family. But life really is about balance. I have extrovert friends who I know I can call at the last minute when I really want to get out and do something. I don’t think those friends even realize how much they help me to break out of my routine and reach for my goals.

A few months ago, I heard about a new group here in San Antonio called Florecer Femme.  This is really a community of women who support and encourage one another to flourish and become strong female leads of their own lives.  When I saw they were having a launch event last November, I immediately knew that I wanted to go. I connected with one of my extrovert friends and we purchased our tickets to attend the event. Then it happened, my friend ended up not being available to go with me. The introvert in me panicked a little bit and made up excuses for not going alone. I ultimately channeled the outgoing side of my personality and boldly walked through the doors of that event all on my own. I’m not saying networking in a room full of people who brought their own friends was easy but it was definitely doable and it formed some relationships. Here I am, six months later, creating light refreshments for the latest Florecer Femme event.  I hope that my own experience can give you courage to walk confidently into whatever might be intimidating you and take charge of your own path. Make those connects, start that project, ask for that promotion. However you are looking to grow, I believe you are capable!


For the Florecer Femme event, I served Lemon Hummus with Rosemary Pita Chips (seen below), Rainbow Fruit Salad, and Honey Date Nut Bars. If you have tried these recipes, I’d love to hear from you! You can comment below or tag me on Instagram @sliceofhoney #sliceofhoney.

Tips:

  • If you don’t have a food processor, you can blend the hummus in a blender just don’t go overboard or you’ll liquefy it.
  • For the pita chips, you can use dried or fresh rosemary. If using dried, you’ll want to add a little extra to make sure you get the full flavor of the herb.

Lemon Hummus

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Ingredients
  

  • 15 oz can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
  • 2 Tablespoons tahini
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • zest & juice of 2 small lemons

Instructions
 

  • In a food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth.

Rosemary Pita Chips

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Ingredients
  

  • 2 whole wheat pita breads
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon flaked salt
  • 1 teaspoon paprika

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375°F.  
  • Cut pita bread in half so that you have single layer rounds then cut each round into 6 wedges.
  • Place wedges on a sheet pan and brush each wedge lightly with olive oil.
  • Sprinkle rosemary, paprika and salt over wedges. 
  • Bake 6-7 minutes or until golden brown and lightly crisp.
  • Let cool before serving.