Bread with the Brisels

This salad is one of my very favorite side dishes to serve in the summer when it's just to darn hot to turn your oven on. I use the term "salad" very loosely here as this dish certainly does not fall into the category of health food. :) We ate this salad for dinner tonight along with some grilled brats and as Dustin took a second helping he said "why is this salad so good?" I hope you add it to your summer line-up! Frito Corn Salad Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus time for chilling  Servings: 6  Ingredients: 2 cans of whole kernel corn, drained 1 green pepper, diced 1 red pepper, diced 1/2 red onion, diced 1 cup of mayonnaise (preferably Hellman's) Chili Cheese Frito chips for topping Directions: Put corn, red/green peppers and onion in a bowl and stir to combine. Add mayonnaise and stir.  Cover bowl and refrigerate.  Just before serving, cover with Chili Cheese Frito chips.  That's it! It really couldn't be easier or more delicious. :) 

I've been the biggest fan of pickle flavored items this year! Trader Joe's got me hooked with their variety of pickle flavored popcorn, mustard, cheese, chips...I could go on and on. :) I found a dill pickle pasta salad recipe online and tweaked it until it was a perfect side dish to go with dinner on the grill!  Dill Pickle Pasta Salad Prep Time: 15 minutes     Servings: 6 Ingredients:  1/2 box of medium sized shell pasta 2/3 cup of mayonnaise (I like Hellman's) 1/3 cup of sour cream (reduced fat works great!) 4 tablespoons of pickle juice 3/4 cup of chopped dill pickles (I like the refrigerated kind)  1/4 cup of diced white onion 1/2 cup of diced cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill  Couple shakes of paprika Salt, pepper  Directions: Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil.  Dice/Chop your dill pickles, white onion, cheddar cheese, and dill. Then place in the bottom of a bowl.  In another bowl, mix the sour cream,...

During the summer months I don't like to spend much time getting myself ready for the day, and prefer for products to be light and easy to apply. As far as skincare goes, I consistently use the Arbonne Age Well collection. These products are my "ride or die" products and I've used them faithfully for the last 5 years. When it comes to makeup and body care, I really like to switch things up for the seasons and try new products. These are some of my favorites lately! #1: SuperGoop! Mineral Sheerscreen Sunscreen Year round I wear a sunscreen on my face that's in my Arbonne Age Well Day Cream, but during the summer I like to add another layer of protection. My dermatologist recommended a mineral sunscreen and I really like this one! It goes on very smoothly, has a SPF of 30 and doesn't leave a white residue. I add a drop the size of a blueberry to my palm, and mix it with... #2: Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti Pollution Bronzing Drops with Peptides I was super intrig...

I typically associate my crock pot with cooking during the cooler months, but this chicken dish is bursting with yummy, tropical flavors. The best part is...it's only 6 ingredients! Dinner is served. :) Hawaiian Chicken over Rice Prep Time: 10-15 minutes     Cook Time: 4-5 hours    Serves: 6 servings Ingredients:  1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 1/2 cups of barbecue sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray's) 20 oz can of crushed pineapple in juice (I typically discard about 1/3 cup of pineapple in the can, but use all of the juice) Cooked white rice Diced red onion Diced red pepper  Directions:  Place chicken breasts in crock pot and turn crock pot on low.  Cover with barbecue sauce and crushed pineapple.  Cook on low for 4-5 hours, then shred using two fours.  When ready to serve place white rice in bottom of bowl, then put a spoonful of the chicken mixture overtop. Garnish with diced red onion and red pepper.  YUM!

     We kicked off our very first day of summer with a trip to Center Grove Orchard to pick strawberries! We've never gone strawberry picking before and Sammy couldn't pick them fast enough. It went a little something like this: "one for Sammy's bucket, one for Sammy's tummy."  We came home filthy, sticky, and hot. It was exactly how the start of summer should be!       Our house has a surplus of strawberries at the moment, so I decided to try making some strawberry crumb muffins to use some of them up. The strawberries become extra gooey when baked, and as you eat one it's almost as if you were eating a muffin slathered in strawberry jam. You don't necessarily taste the lemon extract; instead it adds a brightness to the muffins. The crumb topping makes it extra delicious and gives the muffins some texture. My family loved these muffins! Strawberry Crumb Muffins Preparation Time:  20 minutes     Servings: 14-16 muffins Muffin I...

I read five excellent books during the month of May! I'm super excited for it to be summer and to have even more time to read. Last year I got rocking chairs for our front porch for Mother's Day. One of my favorite things to do is to sit on the porch, rock on my rocking chair, and read. Summer is almost here! Book #1: "Reminders of Him" by Colleen Hoover I read this book to start the month, and I absolutely loved it! This was my first novel I read written by Colleen Hoover and I think it was a great one to start with. The storyline passes between modern day and past time, and from a few people's points of view which kept it interesting. The main character, Kenna, is released from prison after serving time for a terrible accident with her boyfriend. She returns to the town where the accident took place and attempts to re-enter her daughter's life, who she gave birth to while she was in prison. In the epilogue, Colleen Hoover wrote about how she didn't set t...

Vanilla is one of my favorite flavors, and I used vanilla bean paste to take these scones to the next level. These are inspired by the Starbucks Petite Vanilla Bean scones, and they are a delicious bite for breakfast or a snack! Sammy loved these, and called them "triangles." :) The glaze helps to keep the scones fresh, and I think they are best served chilled. This recipe takes a bit of time to pull together. Be sure not to miss the steps of chilling - it's important when making a scone or biscuit!  Vanilla Bean Scones  Preparation Time: 30+ minutes Cook Time: 18-20 minutes     Serves: 20 Ingredients:  Scones 3 cups all-purpose flour 2/3 cups sugar 5 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 2 sticks butter, cut into small cubes and chilled 1 egg 3/4 cup heavy cream, plus a few tablespoons 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste Glaze 5 cups powdered sugar  1/2 cup whole milk  1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste Directions: Measure 3/4 cup of heavy cream and add 2 teaspoons of...