Rainbow Fruit Salad

This is a refreshing fruit salad that can be tailored to whatever fruit you have, try it with kiwi, blueberries, raspberries, etc! The glaze is a fresh and tangy complement to the fruit.

Rainbow Fruit Salad

2 peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
2 oranges peeled and sliced
2 cups of strawberries hulled and sliced
1 cup of seedless grapes (green or purple/red)
1 cup melon balls
Pineapple Lime Dressing

In a large bowl, combine fruit. Add dressing and GENTLY stir to coat. Serves 8.

Pineapple Lime Dressing

In a small bowl combine:
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 tsp finely grated lime peel
3 Tbsp. lime juice
3 Tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp ginger
Wisk until blended.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes with Cream Cheese Syrup

The name says it all... HOLY YUM! It's like a cinnamon roll without the guilt, well without most of the guilt anyways! :) The pancakes came out nice and fluffy this time, I have tried other recipes and that have been heavy and dense. I adapted this recipe from Tasty Kitchen.

Cinnamon Pancakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Syrup

1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
3 Tablespoons White Sugar
½ teaspoons Salt
4 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
2 whole Eggs divided
1 cup Milk
¼ cups Butter, Melted
1 Tablespoon Vanilla

In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon with a whisk. Whisk well to make sure everything is combined.

In a small bowl whip the egg whites for a couple minutes until peaks start to form. Place aside.

In separate large bowl, beat together egg yolks, milk, butter and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture. Gently fold in whipped egg whites until incorporated. (Important for fluffy texture!)

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto griddle. Brown on both sides.

Serve warm with syrup drizzled over the top.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Syrup


¼ cups Butter, Melted
2 Tbsp. Cream Cheese, softened
Dash Of Salt
1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
1 tsp vanilla ext.
¼ cups Whole Milk (more If Needed)
1 cup Powdered Sugar

Beat all ingredients together until smooth, adding more milk as needed.

Super Easy Zucchini-Squash Dish

This is a perfect way to use up some of that zucchini and squash you have collecting in your garden or on your countertop. It can be used as a side dish or can be placed on top of cooked spaghetti noodles.

1 Tbsp (glug) of olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced zucchini
1 cup thinly sliced yellow squash
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups spaghetti sauce (or tomato sauce dressed up with garlic and italian seasoning)
Fresh Parmesan cheese
Sprinkling of cheddar cheese

On low heat drizzle olive oil to coat bottom. Add your zucchini, squash, onions and let saute for a minute or two. Pour spaghetti sauce over veggies and cover with a lid. Let simmer for 15 minutes or until the veggies are cooked through. Add some fresh grated parmesan and a sprinkle of cheddar over the mix and let simmer covered for 5 more minutes.

BBQ'd Maple Glazed Salmon

This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy salmon. It's super quick and easy and so good you'll want to lick your fingers when your done :)

BBQ'd Maple Glazed Salmon

1/4 cup maple syrup (tastes better with the real stuff but it's expensive and the fake stuff works nicely in a pinch)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound salmon
A couple squirts of your favorite BBQ sauce (mine are Sweet Baby Rays and Lucilles)

1.In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper.
2.Place salmon in a shallow glass baking dish, or a Ziploc baggie and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover the dish, and marinate salmon in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning once.
3. Throw on the BBQ on medium heat, and baste with the remaining marinade. (15 min?)
4. For the last 3 minutes of cooking put a squirt of BBQ sauce on each fillet (both sides) and brush to cover. Important to do this only the last couple minutes of BBQing, you only want the sauce to start caramelizing not blackening. Salmon is done when the middle flakes easily with a fork. Enjoy!

Texas Sheet Cake

I made this for the 4th of July BBQ we were invited to. It turned out fantastic and I even brought the leftovers to a pool party the next day where it tasted even better! I wouldn't make this for a weekday dessert (the butter content was driving me insane while I was baking :D ). It is definitely an indulgence that is meant to be shared with others.

Texas Sheet Cake

2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
2 sticks Butter
1 cup Boiling Water
½ cups Buttermilk (I use regular milk with a touch of vinegar, let sit for 5 minutes)
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla
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FOR FROSTING:
½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
1-¾ stick Butter
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.
In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.
While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.