Black Bean and Corn Salsa

I just whipped this one up. It's the same as South GA Caviar, just add a can of rinsed black beans and subtract the black eyed peas. Good stuff for a hot Saturday!

South Georgia Caviar

I got this recipe from Paula Deen, but changed it up just a little bit. This has turned into a family favorite at almost every gathering and is perfect for tailgating and picnics, because it won't go bad if it sits out for a while.

Cooking Ingredients:
2 15 oz. cans of black eyed peas, drained
1 15 oz. of whole kernel corn, drained
1 can of Rotel
1/2 vidalia onion, chopped
2 cups of chopped red bell pepper
1 jalapeno, diced with seeds
1/4 bottle of light Italian dressing

Cooking Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and gently stir together. Refrigerate overnight if possible, and serve with corn chips.

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

I am so excited for football season this year! Only 43 days until the Dawgs kick off. Go Dawgs! Sic' em'! Woof! Woof! Woof!

Cooking Ingredients:
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix (dry)
1 stick of butter
6 sandwich buns
1 12 oz. jar of Louisianna Wing Sauce
Blue Cheese crumbles
Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing, light

Cooking Instructions:
Place your chicken in your crock pot. The chicken breasts should be rinsed beforehand. Put in the ranch dressing packet. In a small sauce pan, melt the butter, add the wing sauce and stir until combined. Add the wing sauce and butter mixture to the crock pot, reserving about 1 cup of the sauce. Set your crock pot to six hours and cook.

Remove the chicken breasts, place on a cutting board, and shred with two forks. Add the shredded chicken back to the crock pot and let it "resauce".

When ready to serve, place desired amount of shredded chicken on your sandwich bun. Pour the reserved wing sauce on top. Top with blue cheese crumbles and a drizzle of ranch dressing.

First Birthday Party Planning

Cohen's first birthday is just around the corner, so my time is occupied quite a bit these days with party planning. It's a blast planning these things and thinking back to how exciting it was to go to birthday parties as a child.

Stay tuned for pictures and other funny stuff.............

Mexican Steak Salad

This was one of those impromptu recipes that worked out really well for a weeknight!

Cooking Ingredients:
The steak:
1.5 lbs. of skirt steak
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon Teriyaki
1 tablespoon Worchestershire
pinch of red pepper flakes

The salad:
2 organic romaine hearts, washed and sliced
1 avocado, cubed
1 roma tomato, diced

Grilled vegetables:
1 organic bell pepper, sliced
1/2 medium vidalia onion, sliced
1 tablespoon butter, cubed
1 tablespoon Canola oil
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon garlic salt
1/2 tablespoon bouillon granules
black pepper to taste

Dressing:
1 cup of light sour cream
1 cup of organic salsa

Extra:
mammoth jalapeno for grillling

Cooking Instructions:
Marinate your steak with garlic salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and Teriyaki on one side. Flip and season with remaining ingredients on the other. Allow to marinate for as long as you can on a platter in the refrigerator. Take your platter out of the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before grilling. Prepare your vegetables and add all ingredients to a cast iron skillet, with the oil and butter in the bottom of the skillet. Preheat your grill to medium. Place the steak and cast iron skillet with veggies on your grill and grill until your steak is of the desired temperature. This being such a thin cut of meat, it will not take long- about 4 minutes on each side. Occasionally stir the vegetables that are in your skillet. Also grill your mammoth jalapeno turning every three minutes. You will blister the skin of the pepper and it will turn black. Remove your steak and veggies and let it rest while you chop your salad and prepare your dressing. For the dressing, just mix the light sour cream and salsa together until they are combined. Slice your steak into thin strips and serve everything on top of your romaine hearts.

Mexican Chicken and Brown Rice Bowls

Tasty and easy to prepare! Let me know if you want to see the recipe. Great with a cold margarita!

Passion Tea Lemonade

Beverage Ingredients:
6 Bags Tazo Passion Herbal Infused Tea
1/2 cup of sugar
2 cans of Minute Maid Lemonade
slice of lemon
water

Instructions:
I make my tea in the coffee maker instead of on the stove. So, put the tea bags in the coffee basket. Fill your coffee pot with water to make ten cups. Add the sugar in the bottom of the coffee pot and turn on. In a gallon sized pitcher, add the lemonade. Once the coffee has brewed, add it to the pitcher. The sugar should have warmed and be of a syrup consistency. Fill the pitcher to the top with water. Stir and let rest on your countertop for an hour. Refrigerate after an hour and serve chilled with a slice of lemon.

If you can't find Tazo tea, which I have found at both Target and Starbucks, look for a tea that is similar. This particular passion tea is infused with hibiscus, lemongrass, rose hips, mango, and passion fruit.

Cucumber Water

Peel and slice one cucumber. Add to your favorite glass pitcher and fill with water. Chill in the refrigerator for two hours before serving. Yum!

Spicy Rice

Cooking Ingredients:
10 oz. Spanish saffron rice
1 can of Hot Rotel
pinch of red pepper flakes

Cooking Instructions:
Bring three cups of water and 2 tablespoons of butter to a boil. Add the saffron rice and Rotel and stir. Cut your burner back to medium low, stir, add red pepper, and cover with a tight fitting lid. Make sure to stir often and keep covered so the rice can steam.

Grilled Chicken with Spicy Rice

Cooking Ingredients:
8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
garlic salt
pepper
Lawry's
Worcestershire
Teriyaki

Cooking Instructions:
Heat your grill to medium. Rinse your chicken and place on a platter. Garlic salt, pepper, and Teriyaki are all liberally sprinkled on the first side. Flip with a pair of tongs, then put Lawry's and light sprinkling of Worcestershire on the other. Using the same tongs, place your chicken on the grill and cook the first side for four minutes. Flip with a clean pair of tongs and cook for an additional six minutes. Serve with spicy rice (recipe follows)and top with diced onion, shredded cheese, and a dallop of light sour cream.

The leftover chicken breasts make for a great, healthy lunch or wonderful addition to any salad during the busy work week.

Happy Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July! Remember all of our soldiers at work in the desert today. I'm sure they wish they were at home grilling and drinking beer with their friends and family. Send a positive thought their way!

American Burgers

Why mess with a good thing? I have had a moment or two when I like to get fancy with my burger, but on the Fourth of July, I think we'll just go all American.

Cooking Ingredients:
1 lb. of 97% lean hamburger meat
1/2 tablespoon garlic salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon Lawry's
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire
1 tablespoon Teriyaki
1/2 tablespoon Chipotle Tabasco
red pepper flakes to taste
3 slices of 2% American cheese
3 hamburger buns
1/2 vidalia onion, sliced
1 Roma tomato, sliced
6 slices of bacon, cooked
mayonaise
mustard
ketchup

Cooking Instructions:
Cook six slices of bacon in a skillet and set to the side. Preheat your grill on high. Put your room temperature hamburger meat in a large bowl. Add garlic salt, pepper, Lawry's, Worcestershire, teriyaki sauce, Tabasco, and red pepper flakes to the meat. Gently work the seasoning into the meat being careful not to overwork it. Form three burgers from the entire pound. Throw your burgers on the grill. Cut the heat back to medium. Grill to desired temperature. Just before completion, add the cheese to each burger and allow 30 seconds to melt. Remove your burgers and dress with the remaining "fixings".

Stella Artois

Summer night, spicy Carne Asada, & Stella Artois....mummmm! It's a good night.

Infant Swimming Resource

Check out Cohen's new swim move! The spread eagle!

Carne Asada With Black Bean and Tomato Relish