Chicken & Rice

Again, I know. But I LOVE it. Yum. I had my husband partial cook some marinated chicken breasts on the grill. I saved them for the following night and finished them off on the stove over med/high heat, I also added a little more marinade. And they turned out great. Of course I served them over rice, minute rice that is:) Uncle Ben and I are pretty good friends!!

Alright no recipe but I used Lawrys Mesquite w/Lime Juice Marinade and it was good enough to make the blog......or in other words go out and buy some, it's delicious!!

Fruit Pizza

I can't say enough good things about this one. I've made it multiple times and have never heard anyone who didn't love it. Easy, yummy and colorful! Who doesn't like cookies and fruit?! I've used so many different fruit combinations and it's always turned out delicious....use whatever is in season, make it colorful and it'll be a hit for sure!!

Fruit Pizza

1 Package Refrigerated Sugar Cookie Dough - 20oz

8oz Cream Cheese -softened

1/4C Confectioners Sugar

1 Carton (8oz) Whip Cream - thawed

1/4C Sugar

1/4C Orange Juice

1T Lemon Juice

2T Water

1 1/2tsp Cornstarch

Pinch of Salt

1 Pint Blueberries

1lb Strawberries - quartered or more depending on size

2-3 Kiwi - peeled, sliced & halved

3/4C Red Grapes - halved

1 Can Mandarin Oranges - drained

1/2 Can Pineapple Chunks - drained & sliced

Pat cookie dough into an ungreased 14" pizza pan (you can use larger, just try to keep it round and close to 14" round). Bake at 375* for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool before adding toppings. In mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and confectioners sugar until smooth. Fold in whip cream and mix well. Spread in an even layer over cookie crust and arrange fruit however you want.

In a small sauce pan bring sugar, orange juice, water, lemon juice, cornstarch and salt to a boil...stirring constantly for 2 minutes or until thickened. Cool and brush over fruit. Chill and store in refrigerator.

Corn & Blueberry Salad

I know right......corn and blueberries don't go together!! Well surprise, they do. I really liked this one (my husband wasn't as excited about it), it was light and refreshing. Not to mention gorgeous!! A perfect summer salad and since its a make ahead salad it would be excellent for dinner guests or potlucks.

Corn & Blueberry Salad

6 Ears Sweet Corn - cooked tender/crisp

1C Blueberries

1 Small Cucumber - sliced & quartered

1/4C Red Onion - diced

1 Jalapeno Pepper - seeds/ribs removed & diced

2T Lime Juice

1T Honey

1/2tsp Cumin

Cook and cool corn. Cut kernels from cob. In serving bowl combine corn, blueberries, cucumber, red onion and jalapeno. In small bowl combine remaining ingredients and stir. Drizzle over salad and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Spinach, Black Bean & Pineapple Salad

This was an interesting salad....when I read through the recipe I knew I wanted to try it, I just didn't know if I'd like it. Well we did. And it was pretty too. Food HAS to look good. It was a nice change from traditional salads. It was best when you had a little bit of all the ingredients in each bite.

Undressed

Dressed

Spinach, Black Bean & Pineapple Salad

6C Baby Spinach (I used regular, why is baby so much more expensive?!)

1 Can Pinapple Chunks - drained (I sliced them into smaller pieces)

1 Can Black Beans - drained & rinsed

1/2C Red Peppers - chopped

1/2C Yellow Peppers- chopped

1/2C Feta - crumbled

1/4C Balsamic & Basil Vinaigrette (or just Balsamic Vinaigrette)

In large bowl combine all salad ingredients, drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Serve immediately. Or you can make the salad a few hours ahead and drizzle with dressing just before serving.