Tropical Green Smoothie

Given a choice I will, more often than not, choose to "chew" my calories, rather then "drink" them. But the other day, I had green smoothies on my mind.  I did a quick survey to see what kind of ingredients I had on hand:  ripe banana...check...fresh pineapple...check...fresh baby spinach...check...and last but not least, coconut water.  I whirled them all up in my magic bullet, not sure what to expect, but was rewarded with a delicious, healthy, and refreshing afternoon snack.  Thus...the Tropical Green Smoothie was born! 

Easy Gazpacho

This month, for Allrecipes, my assignment was to create a unique gluten-free recipe using Classico® Tomato & Basil pasta sauce.  One of the recipes I came up with was for this Easy Gazpacho!  A gazpacho is a soup made from raw vegetables and served cold.  It usually has a tomato base (the pasta sauce in this instance!) and is a great option for the hot days of summer because it is so refreshing! It is also VERY figure friendly!  And did I mention, it tastes great too??

Pineapple Rice Pilaf

Pineapple Rice Pilaf is a tasty side dish that compliments just about anything!  Pineapple and pineapple juice give it a slight sweetness that makes it a nice change from your ordinary rice side dish.  It could not be any easier to make either, and since it's made from scratch, it is much lower in sodium than any of those boxed rice side dishes on the market.   

Chicken Saltimbocca

This is possibly my very favorite dish to order when eating out at my favorite Italian restaurant. Who knew it was so easy to make at home?  Chicken cutlets, seasoned with salt and pepper, wrapped with fresh sage and salty prosciutto, dusted with a little flour and sauteed until golden brown.  Then finished with a white wine pan sauce.  So delicious!  So easy!  You'll want to give this one a try!

Maple Walnut Granola

When Michele from Flavor Mosaic asked me to do a guest post for her this week, I was thrilled and honored.  I have been a big fan of Flavor mosaic for some time now and really enjoy all her delicious, flavorful recipes and gorgeous photos.  I have made several recipes from her blog and loved every one of them.  I brought her one of my reworked, diet-friendly, no refined sugar, gluten-free and absolutely delicious recipes:  Maple Walnut Granola.

Dilled Cucumber and Radish Salad

It's no secret I love a good cucumber salad...Easy Pickled Cucumber Salad and Lemony Cucumber Salad being two of my favorites.   But make room for the new kid on the block:  Dilled Cucumber and Radish Salad.  Crisp cucumbers meet crunchy radishes and dill in this delightful salad that makes a great accompaniment to just about anything!

Haute Dogs: New York Style Sauteed Onions and a Review

When I was asked if I wanted to review a copy of Haute Dogs: Recipes for Delicious Hot Dogs, Buns, and Condiments by Russell Van Kraavenburg I jumped at the opportunity. (Disclaimer:  This book was sent to me from the publisher, Quirk Books, for free to review.  All opinions expressed in this review are mine.) While I'm not a huge fan of hot dogs, I do enjoy one from time to time...but my husband, I think he might be hot dog's number one fan of all time.  The man LOVES hot dogs.  I think if he could only choose one food to eat for the rest of his life, hot dogs would be his choice.  

Easy S'mores Cups

I've never been a huge fan of s'mores.  Don't get me wrong, I love the concept.  Graham, chocolate, toasted marshmallow.  But the ratio of marshmallow and melted chocolate to dry crumbly graham crackers always seemed a bit "off" to me.  So when I saw a pin on pinterest that made the classic s'more into a bite sized morsel using graham crackers crumbs, I was intrigued! Sadly, I did not re-pin...so there was no chance of finding that particular recipe again.  But... I could NOT stop thinking about the concept. Lucky for me, I found a recipe I could work with...and finally, ease that craving for s'mores I had been having! 

Juicy Smokehouse Burger Recipe

If you are like me, and love smoky flavors, then you MUST make these Smokehouse Burgers!  I was searching for a good, flavorful burger recipe and stumbled on the original recipe for these burgers the other day. Of course, I tweaked them to my standards. With my tweaks I immediately fell in love with them. I've made them several times since discovering them.  I wanted to share these with you, because I think they would be an awesome burger to serve all of your smoky burger lovers!  

Sparkling Mint Lemonade

Summertime and lemonade were made for each other. The addition of mint and some carbonated soda really takes this Sparkling Mint Lemonade over the top.