Tuscan Panzanella Salad

Sunday, July 28, 2019
Oh, the taste of freshness is right here with basil, garlic, tomato, and cucumber, over a soft inside and crunchy outside, a delicious salad with parmesan herb bread.


This is a Tuscan salad from Italy (Florence to Rome) that Grandma made every summer in Upstate New York back in the 1960s.


I grew up in a fresh herb and vegetable garden so we made this salad very often.


In those days money was tight and we had to rely on eating frugally, as the peasants did in the 16th century and through depression times.


This was a most welcomed salad with freshly made bread after a few days old that got stale and garden vegetables.


For me, the best of memories of this was my dad working in a bread bakery so we would have lots of stale bread to add at the end of the week.


Besides having this delightful salad to use that bread up grandma would make her Bread Pudding for dessert with some for a treat.


This was always a treat dad looked forward to and now as years went by, it was a beautiful memory I still cherish and make in tradition.


A true banquet and perfect addition any time of the day.


Scroll down for this printable recipe!




tomatoes, cubed toasted bread in a panzanella salad



Homemade Hot Pockets

Friday, July 26, 2019
Hot Pockets are as much fun to make as they are to eat!


I love filling them with leftover meats like pulled shredded pork, leftover turkey or chicken, cooked chopped beef, anything can go in these you like!


Fun for back to school, after road trips, game day and so much more!


I usually love to make quick foods in cupcake tins like breakfast biscuits, but these were so much easier!


They are so versatile and perfect just about anytime you need a quick meal all in one crispy neat package!


I make quite a few at a time and freeze them, so when I am pressed for time ( I just reheat them).


These are perfect when I need something on the run, on the way to the beach, when someone is hungry in a pinch, with a new and creative idea almost every time.


The best part is how economical these are to make as most of the fillings we use are leftovers!

Holiday ham, turkey, and roast beef are perfect for these hot pockets.


These are so much healthier done in the air fryer, baked, or in a toaster oven.


So many possibilities to choose from whether you fill them with fruits for a sweet treat or making them for a quick dinner.


I always keep a few ingredients on hand that aren't perishable to make a quick hot pocket.


Using low-carb tortilla shells is a healthy alternative and really tasty!


Scroll down to my recipe card for all these great ideas!





these hot pockets with leftovers inside a flour tortilla shell and air fried or baked





Starbucks Copycat Glazed Lemon Loaf

Wednesday, July 24, 2019
If you have ever had the pleasure to have a moist slice of Starbucks Lemon Loaf then you know how good it is.

We are huge lemon fans here in our home, but this (with no pun intended) "takes the cake" to the next level of yum it's so full of lemon flavor, moist, dense, and rich. !

I often make sesame cookies lemon-flavored, a favorite pudding lemon ladyfinger dessert, and a holiday isn't complete without a lemon pie with mile-high meringue. Now our latest favorite is this wonderful lemony cake.

This batter is made with freshly grated lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice.

The cake stays moist for days, and that lemon glaze is delightful addition!

This easy cake is a favorite with coffee or tea and I love to make several around the holidays to give away as gifts in pretty wrapped bakery paper.

It's always appreciated by everyone who gets a loaf. One taste and they fall in love!

It's so darn quick and easy to make with simple pantry ingredients.

Honestly, if you are a first-time baker, this is the one foolproof easy all made from scratch recipe, you need to try.

For all the lemon lovers out there, this will be your next favorite recipe for lemon cake.

Scroll down to my recipe card at the end to see how quick and easy this is and print it off.

Get your whisk ready to make the best lemon loaf ever!



This is a lemon loaf cake baked with a thick drizzle of white frosting and fresh lemon slices on top. The cake is long and on a plastic pretty decorative tray to serve it on.



Old Fashioned 15 Beans Cowboy Style

Friday, July 19, 2019
This easy recipe is so hearty even a cowgirl will love these old-fashioned barbecued bean flavors!


These cowboy-style beans are the perfect side dish and with the addition of ground beef, a whole meal in itself!


We usually omit the meat in these beans for our summer cookouts and just make a plain ole smoky barbecued bean pot.


They are a perfect match for our grilled hamburgers, hotdogs, and other favorites when we have a cookout with grilled meats.


The pot is loaded with 15 types of beans and with the additional flavors when adding bacon or ham used in this recipe, these become the best camping food or picnic side dish all year long!


We add the ground beef usually in winter months when you need a hearty stick to your ribs bean dish that will warm you up!


These cowboy-style beans are great for feeding a large crowd perfect for all your friends and family gatherings, especially game day, cookouts, potlucks, and kinds of party events.


We love to serve them with pulled chicken, pulled pork, or any style of hamburger.


These can even be a topping for rice or baked potatoes!


We usually add ground beef during the winter months and this would act more like a hearty chili than a side dish.


Either way, everyone loves these tasty beans, packed with delicious flavors and that addition of bacon or ham is what gives this comfort food it's character.





this is a slow cooked recipe in a big white bowl of barbecued cowboy style beans using 15 kinds of beans



Eggplant Parmesan Pizza

Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Eggplant Parmesan Pizza is a great idea to satisfy eggplant parmesan and pizza lovers at the same time.

This pizza is very much like an open-faced sandwich of that favorite Italian vegetable casserole dish.

You may have had Eggplant rollatini, Eggplant Parmesan Casserole or even tried the famous Eggplant Sinatra Florentine recipes which are all fabulous by the way, so do try them if you love eggplant!

When mom would make fried eggplant, I always hoped there were leftovers for another meal and this would be my favorite, topping pizza with it.

Anyone that's ever ordered a hot baked submarine sandwich slathered with melted mozzarella cheese will appreciate this style of pizza!

Scroll down to the recipe card and print off the quick recipe for this homemade delicious gourmet-style pizza!



this is a whole pizza with eggplant on top


Watermelon Sorbet and Granita Recipes

These easy fruit sorbet, granita recipes that are dairy-free, I offer sugar-free and adult styles as well.


You don’t even need an ice cream maker to make them!


These easy fruit sorbet recipes are made with sugar, some with alcohol, then we made some dairy-free or even sugar-free.



 You don’t even need an ice cream maker, but if you have one, by all means, use it for a smoother texture!


First, they’re pretty much summer perfection, all wrapped up in a sweet, frozen, healthy treat.


These are so easy to make you should never buy sorbets or granita again!


Homemade in your own kitchen, safe, and you know what's in it.


You can adapt to any fruit flavor you like.


Just grab your fruit of choice, freeze it, and then puree it using a food processor or heavy-duty blender and you're on your way to a refreshing summer treat.


Ever since I started making homemade fruit sorbets, I’ve tried many different flavors and every one of them worked great!


I really like banana and blueberry.


If I use berries, I remove the seeds first in cheesecloth first.


For these easy printable recipes, just scroll down to the recipe card.





this is a martini glass filled with watermelon sorbet



How To Make Homemade Vanilla Extract

Tuesday, July 9, 2019
Homemade vanilla extract takes just two ingredient vanilla beans and alcohol.

It does take more time than I would like, especially getting ready for the holidays and gift-giving so you have to start early.


Give yourself two to three months for this to steep.


Surely, it's worth a bit of patience as you wait for the alcohol to extract the flavor from the beans.


The delicious results are going to make you and anyone you give this too appreciative for the taste and the results it gives for all their baking needs.


The best tasting vanilla you will ever have an so easy and much more economical for holiday baking needs.


Start Christmas in July, you will love the results from this easy homemade pantry staple!


Vanilla prices have climbed so high because of weather, cross-pollination and extreme weather issues.


All of these variables have made vanilla to soar to a very expensive spice, it's much more economical to make your own.


Bonus recipes at the end for Mint, Almond, Lemon, and Orange extracts too! Don't miss this post!


Scroll all the way down to the end to for a printable copy on How to Make Homemade Vanilla and more Extracts.






These are bottles of alcohol used to make homemade extracts with vanilla beans. In this photo are vodka, brandy bottles and the bottle of brown vanilla and beans all used in this recipe



Copycat Longhorn Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Saturday, July 6, 2019
Longhorn Parmesan Crusted Chicken is a delicious copycat recipe from Longhorn Steakhouse.

The menu item comes served with a piece of boneless grilled chicken topped with a creamy ranch sauce and parmesan crumb topping and our copycat recipe taste just like the restaurant.

With these easy step-by-step instructions, you're going to have a Parmesan-crusted chicken on your table that tastes better than a 5-star restaurant with the few tweaks we made in our adaptions.

As the family sat there taking the first bite, the look on their face was priceless with delight.

I loved how everyone kept eating another bite trying to find something wrong with it but instead said it was so much better than the restaurants.

I have to admit I was getting nervous with him not saying much, but the good news it was all gone and everyone has asked for this dish several times now.

If you love copycat recipes, and if you do also, then take a quick look at my other Copycat Roundup of Recipes we enjoy, and tell us how you like them in the comments at the end.

If you would like the recipe to print instead of reading, just scroll to the bottom where the recipe card hit the print button.

this is a copycat Longhorn Restaurant recipe for Parmesan Crusted Chicken on a white plate with a sprig of fresh rosemary on the plate



Strawberry Cream Pie

Monday, July 1, 2019
If you're looking for a cool creamy easy pie, this is it!


Whether you make a strawberry cream pie, raspberry, cherry, banana or even peach you can create a delicious confection with just a few ingredients.


This is one of the easiest desserts you'll find, and everyone I make it for raves about it.


Strawberry seems to be the top flavor in our home, but I have made these cream pies with just about every fresh fruit there is.


This pie doesn't have any cream cheese or sour cream in it.


The mixture is a blend of pudding and jello and so light with the addition of whipped cream.


I will give you some delicious ideas in this article below.


The pie is light with just a few steps of cooking that will take virtually more time in the refrigerator than with cooking time.


Fresh fruits are in abundance all summer long and you can enjoy your favorites by getting creative additions.


I love that you can even make this pie festive with colors of a Holiday theme, like a Patriotic theme by adding blueberries and more whipped cream.


This was so exciting to see how it turned out in flavor, ease, and with a few pantry ingredients, this will be your new favorite recipe for dessert.


Not only is this strawberry cream pie delicious to eat, it really is quite pretty to serve.


Scroll down and print it off once you see the ingredients, I know you're going to want to make this one ASAP!






this is a strawberry cream  pie filled with strawberries, whipped cream and a jello pudding filling. Topped with a flower arrangement pattern using strawberries and mint leaves on top