easy recipes

Yummy + Easy Summertime Frito Salad

July 19, 2020 by Rachel 19 Comments

Listen, y’all. I’ll admit Summer is not my favorite season. Not by any stretch. It’s hot and I just don’t like the overwhelming humidity. But ya know what I do like? Easy Summertime meals like this yummy + easy Summertime Frito Salad.

What makes this salad special?

First off, it’s easy. Second, it’s a total guilty pleasure. Third, even my kids will eat it! So I suppose technically it’s only a salad in terms of ‘a bunch of items mixed together.’ You know, in the same way that tuna salad is a ‘salad’.

Honest to goodness, I personally love any salad that is not based in lettuce. It’s true! I just don’t love lettuce! Fruit salad? Yes. Pasta salad? Yep. Ham salad? Sure do love it! Rockne’s Firestone Salad (an Akron classic, if you ask me)? THE absolute best.

But I DO love a good delicious and simple Summertime salad! And, like I have said, this one meets all of the criteria for amazing. It’s fresh, tasty, and you won’t be able to stop yourself from going back for seconds!

Warning: It’s addictive, but not at all healthy!

If you are looking for something to bring to your potluck or end of Summer celebration, look no further than here. But if you are looking for something healthy, please don’t look at this! haha! I mean, seriously, this is NOT one of “those” meals! But it is delicious and it does switch up the normal potluck and mealtime routine.

This yummy + easy Summertime Frito salad will satisfy every craving!

Frito Salad

Ingredients

Fritos 9oz package
2/3 cup Sour Cream
1 Green pepper, diced
1 can of corn, drained (substitute fresh corn for a different take!)
Cilantro (optional)
1 tbs chili powder
1 tbs onion powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Dice the green pepper and combine in a large bowl with the drained corn.
Combine the seasonings and the sour cream until well mixed.
Add sour cream mixture to the green peppers and corn.
Just before serving, add in the Fritos and fold to combine. Top with chopped cilantro for an extra special touch!
ENJOY!

Notes

For an extra kick, mix in:

Chopped green or black olives
Minced jalapeno
Sriracha
Diced red onion
Diced tomato

PIN FOR LATER

Smoky Paprika Grilled Shrimp Skewers

July 13, 2020 by Rachel 25 Comments

Guys, it has been HOT across the midwest lately. Like, really, really, hot! In times like these I just cannot imagine turning on the stove or the oven to make dinner (and the other 5,000 meals a day my kids insist on eating). Luckily, the Instant Pot and the grill are my best friends! And these Smoky Paprika Grilled Shrimp Skewers are the most delicious way to beat the heat!

If you’re a fan of seafood, you’ll love these! They are just the right amount of ‘heat,’ but perfectly balanced from cooking on the grill! To get in our daily dose of veggies, we take whatever we have ready in our garden! Our zucchini and squash seem to be thriving this first year, so we have an abundance!

Speaking of gardens, this was our very first year growing and planting! Since moving into our new home almost two years ago, we now have plenty of space. We didn’t plant anything last year, as we were still getting settled. But this year I knew I wanted to plant as many veggies as possible!

Chad ordered two raised beds and we assembled them. Naively, I thought this would be enough space for everything. Guys — I was very wrong! While things are growing well and producing fruits and veggies, certain items are completely taking over! I, clearly, did not space seeds and plants out appropriately. And our cucumber plants are wrapping themselves around literally everything else!

I’ve certainly learned a lot with this first garden. And I’m already planning on purchasing several more raised beds after the season ends (in anticipation of next Summer)! In the meantime, we will enjoy the heck out of all of the zucchini!

So if you’re looking for a delicious, easy, weeknight recipe — then look no further than these incredible Smoky Paprika Grilled Shrimp Skewers!

Yield: 6-8

Smoky Paprika Grilled Shrimp Skewers

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
red pepper (to taste)
sea salt (to taste)
1 pound of shrimp, peeled and cleaned

Instructions

Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes in water before using.
Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, smoked paprika, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt together in a mixing bowl.
Add the shrimp to the bowl and mix until well-coated.
Let the shrimp sit for a minimum of 30 minutes in the fridge, covered.
Preheat the grill (or charcoal grill) to medium heat, oil the grates and grill the shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side until opaque.
Transfer skewers to a plate.
ENJOY!

If you’re looking for a dessert recipe to accompany these grilled shrimp skewers, be sure to check out this delicious chocolate tart!

PIN FOR LATER

PIN ME - SMOKY PAPRIKA GRILLED SHRIMP SKEWERS

Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe — Dairy Free

July 3, 2020 by Rachel 26 Comments

If you’re new around here, you may notice that I try to incorporate as many dairy free / vegan recipes into our life as possible. The reason being? Two out of three kids have had some sort of dairy intolerance. If you’ve ever shopped for dairy free products, you know it can get expensive. This is especially true when you have two kids who love yogurt. Enter: dairy free Instant Pot yogurt.

I have long heard about people brave enough to make their own yogurt in the Instant Pot. But I was always super intimidated with the process. I mean, it sounds complicated so it must be, right? I decided to try and figure out exactly what I would need to make it and I quickly realized it was a lot easier than it seemed!

What You’ll Need

Besides the Instant Pot, there were only a couple other “must-have” items for this recipe. First, you will need a vegan yogurt starter. I ordered this one from Amazon Prime and it arrived within 2 days. You’ll also need a cheesecloth, agar agar powder, and a reliable cooking thermometer.

Don’t Get Discouraged!

Once you have all of the items, it’s really quite simple! There’s a lot of waiting. Like, a lot. And I think the ‘time’ of all of it can be intimidating. But don’t let it be discouraging!

Tips for Making the Best Instant Pot Almond Milk Yogurt

Whatever you do, do not skip the thermometer step! Also, be sure that once the incubation period starts, you leave it. Don’t try and sneak a peek at the yogurt; this will have a negative effect on the results.

Yield: 8 servings

Dairy Free Instant Pot Yogurt

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 days

Additional Time 10 hours

Total Time 1 days 10 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

3 ¼ Cups of Ajoyo Sweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
½ teaspoon of vegan yogurt starter
4 teaspoons of powdered agar agar

Instructions

Turn the Instant Pot on by pressing the Yogurt button. Use this function and continue pressing until it reads “Boil.”
Pour Ajoyo Almond Milk into the Instant Pot. Add the agar agar. Whisk to mix well.
Use a cooking or candy thermometer to watch the temperature of the mixture. Wait until the temperature reaches between 110 - 115 degrees fahrenheit (this will take only a few minutes).
Once the temperature is reached, turn the Instant Pot off.
Use a mesh strainer lined with a cheesecloth to strain the mixture into a bowl.
Add the vegan yogurt starter to the mixture. Whisk until combined.
Pour the mixture back into the Instant Pot and close the lid. to start the incubation period.
Press the yogurt function, set pressure to “normal,” and set time to 24:00 (hours).
After 24 hours of incubation, remove the mixture from the Instant Pot and place in a covered container in the refrigerator for 10 hours.
Once the yogurt has sat refrigerated for 10 hours, mix the yogurt to combine (some will have settled). Sweeten to your taste (I prefer honey and almonds).
Enjoy!

Once your yogurt is done, top it with whatever you’d like. My kids prefer it a little on the sweeter side, so we use honey and strawberries to give it an extra kick! But I understand that a lot of vegans do not eat honey. You could also try sweetening with vanilla extract!

PIN FOR LATER

Boozy Red, White, and Blue Popsicles Recipe

June 23, 2020 by Rachel 17 Comments

Is it even the 4th of July if you’re not donning red, white, and blue and eating an array of themed foods? No — no it definitely isn’t! If I’m being honest, I am a tad bit obsessed with themed foods. For my eldest child’s first birthday party I used puns and themed foods for literally every. single. thing. While it’s been increasingly difficult to be that ‘extra’ with each subsequent child, I still go all-out for the important parties!

And, even though we’ll be homebound for this Independence Day, we’ll be holding our own little backyard celebration. Complete with mocktails, cocktails, and snacks of all kinds!

My favorite part, by far, is my delicious Boozy 4th of July Popsicles. Patriotic and the perfect adult frozen treat! Sure, there will be other goodies — like red, white, and blue kabobs! And even other adult beverages (helloooo, red wine!). But these “Adult Bomb Pops” are just too perfect.

But the best part of this recipe? Is it’s EASY! No blender required and nothing over the top. Just simple, straightforward fun!

I’m OBSESSED! And you will be, too! If you need a recommendation for freeze pop ziploc bags, check these out here.

Yield: 3 pops

Boozy 4th of July Popsicles

An adult version of the kid-favorite, BOMB POPS! Easy, unique, and FUN!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 bottle of Red, White & Berry Smirnoff Ice
3 ounces of Vodka
3 teaspoons of patriotic sprinkles
3 ziploc popsicle bags

Instructions

Pour 1 ounce of vodka into each of the Ziploc Popsicle Bags.
Pour Red, White, and Berry Smirnoff Ice into bag until fill line.
Add a teaspoon of patriotic sprinkles.
Seal the bag and shake before freezing overnight.
ENJOY RESPONSIBLY!

Tell me — what’s your favorite boozy beverage?!

PIN FOR LATER

PIN ME - Boozy 4th of July Bomb Pops Popsicles

Post may contain affiliate links.

The Perfect Summertime Grilled S’mores Recipe

June 20, 2020 by Rachel 32 Comments

With Summer plans in limbo for everyone, we’re all scrambling to find fun things to keep our families busy. What better time to get creative with Summer recipes, am I right?

All three of my kids are in this really picky ‘grilled cheese’ phase. You know the kind of phase. It’s where literally all they will eat is plain old grilled cheese and nothing else.

The funny thing about kids is that no matter how much they refuse real food, they will never ever turn down sweets. To tell you the truth, neither will I! I mean, we all love sweets, am I right?!

The great thing about ‘Summer recipes’ is that it doesn’t have to be Summer to create them. As much as we would like to be around the campfire, life doesn’t always work out that way. In fact, on the best of days a good backyard campfire can quickly be ruined by a quick rainstorm or a fussy toddler. So, why not bring the backyard favorite indoors?

For instance, a fun family favorite is S’mores. Everyone loves s’mores, right? Even I, someone who doesn’t really like chocolate, LOVES a good s’more. Truthfully, I prefer a non-traditional s’more with chocolate caramels instead of a chocolate bar. But a s’more is a s’more!

Tips for getting your s’more on indoors!

My first tip is this — don’t eat the chocolate (or the marshmallows!) before you start your s’mores! This is the most important and most difficult task!

My second tip is to use real butter. Margarine just doesn’t fry up and crisp the bread the way that real butter does! And I prefer salted butter — it just gives it a little salty-sweet flavor combo that is extra delicious!

Yield: 1

Grilled S'mores

Have this decadent and RICH Summer recipe year-round!

Cook Time 7 minutes

Total Time 7 minutes

Ingredients

2 slices of white bread
1/4 cup of mini marshmallows
1/4 cup of chocolate (dark or milk)
tablespoon of butter

Instructions

Butter one side of each piece of bread with real butter (works better than margarine).
Place 1 slice of bread onto a frying pan
Set the heat to low (electric level 1 or 2). The process is slow and steady!
Place chocolate chips and marshmallows on top of the slice of bread and top with second piece of bread (butter side up).
Cover with lid to frying pan until chocolate starts to melt.
Flip over once chocolate is melted. Fry other side until it is toasted (lid off).

Notes

This is completely addictive. I am warning you! Also, feel free to try with peanut butter cups or your favorite chocolate (like peppermint patties or ROLOs!).

As you can see, this recipe is simple and easy. I wish I could say it was also healthy, but it most definitely is NOT!

So tell me — what is your favorite chocolate for s’mores — milk or dark?

Easy Memorial Day Cherry Pie Bites

May 22, 2020 by Rachel 35 Comments

When it came time for a Mother’s Day celebration I had ONE request — cherry pie! It turns out that bakeries are hard to come by when you’re in lockdown. We couldn’t find one anywhere! And I had very few items on-hand.

But I did have cinnamon rolls! Queue the cherry pie baking!

I remembered seeing somewhere that someone had made pies using a can of cinnamon rolls. I thought, sure, why not? It’s basically combining two of my favorite foods — pie and cinnamon rolls. What a delicious combination, right?!

Cinnamon rolls are just something we always have on hand with three kids under 7. They are our special ‘weekend breakfast’ treat. It’s easier than going out for donuts, and all three kids gobble them up! And these were no exception!

With all of the bakeries running a minimal staff this weekend, I figured this is another great opportunity to try this recipe! I tried ordering an apple pie from my favorite local bakery, but they were sold out of pre-orders. So Cherry Pie Cinnamon Roll Bites it is!

Check out the full recipe for all of the details.

Yield: 8

Cherry Pie Cinnamon Roll Bites

Quick + Easy Bite-Sized Cherry Pie

Prep Time 8 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 23 minutes

Ingredients

1 can of refrigerated cinnamon rolls
Cherry Pie Filling

Instructions

Spray a regular-sized muffin tin with your choice of oil (avocado, vegetable, coconut).
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Open can of refrigerated cinnamon roll dough. Take each individual roll, and flatten it out with the palm of your hand.
Press into muffin tin.
Add one tablespoon of cherry pie filling to each of the 8 cinnamon roll cups.
Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through.
Once cool, drizzle icing from cinnamon rolls on top of cherry pies.
ENJOY!

And tell me — what’s your go-to “in a pinch” recipe?!