Tag

Summer is just around the corner and with that comes garden fresh vegetables like cucumbers. We typically have an overabundance of cukes here on the farm so naturally, we make lots of creamy cucumber salad! This cool and herby salad is a huge hit as a side dish during dinner or served alone as an entree at lunch. Both young and old always enjoy slapping a healthy helping of this favorite summertime salad on their plate.

One of the best parts of making this dish is that if you’re like us, you’ll have most of these ingredients growing in your backyard. If you have always thought about maintaining a garden but have never done so, now’s the time to take the plunge. Just think of all the amazing cucumber salad you’ll get to have!

Recipe and photo courtesy of Spend With Pennies.

PLEASE VISIT THE NEXT PAGE FOR A LIST OF INGREDIENTS.

I love slow cooker recipes and here’s another great one!  This Crock-Pot Chicken and Black Bean Soup is great for summer eating but sure to warm you up any time of year. I know I will be making this all the time during the cold and windy fall weeks!

Sometimes, a nice bowl of soup with something simple on the side is just what you need. And sometimes, you just want to be able to dump a bunch of ingredients in a pot and do your own thing for a while.  This was a really nice recipe, with a nice splash of festive color, for enjoying the waning days of summer, particularly on a rumbly day such as this one.

Recipe and photo courtesy of  The Idea Room.

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS

Quick tip: Make a double batch because this soup only gets better the next day!

I love cakes and enjoy my frozen treats, too!  This Frozen Strawberry Crumble Cake recipe offers the best of both worlds.  It’s easy, too:  Just 20 minutes of prep, then let the freezer work its magic, and voila!  My favorite kind of recipe – super delicious and doesn’t take much effort to put together.

Unless you were totally sugar-restricted as a child, you probably have some fond memories of eating a fruity popsicle or two.  I know I do, and those strawberry ones were one of my favorites.  I also developed a love for cheesecake at a very early age…something about that crumbly crust and smooth, creamy inside just really did it for me.  This recipe deliciously combines the greatness of both these delicious sweets, and it is so refreshing to eat on a hot summer day.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Tablespoon

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS

Quick tip: Make this ahead and leave it in the freezer until you have guests coming over!

And for my last share of the day I offer you a light, dreamy Southern dessert. You won’t be able to resist this!

This Southern Sour Cream Coconut Cake is a lovely twist on your classic white cake. It is super-easy to make, bakes in just 40 minutes, and is melt-in-your-mouth wonderful!

This makes for a lovely summer dessert option for your family or next party. And you know what? If I wasn’t married already, I might even consider making this my wedding cake! Yes – it really is THAT delicious, and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear someone had this at their wedding!

Sometimes, I get so caught up finding those wonderful appetizers, entrees, and side dishes for all of you beautiful readers that I forget to share all of those irresistible desserts out there.  This Southern sour cream coconut cake should not be overlooked.  You don’t have to be a master baker to put this one together, and it is so moist and refreshing!  The way it melts in your mouth, it is like eating a sweet piece of cloud.  I really was carried away by the flavor.

Recipe courtesy of The Southern Lady Cooks

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS

Quick tip: Cut the cake into bite-sized pieces and freeze for a delicious treat when you want one!

Fried food really doesn’t have to be unhealthy.  These Pan-Fried Zucchini Fritters are cooked in olive oil, giving you great flavor with low carbs, a good helping of the “good fat,” and little or none of the bad.  You can make a nice batch in about 20 minutes.  It’s great for a family snack and a tasty choice for your next picnic or tailgate party.

Once the rain finally ended and the sun showed itself today, I felt inspired and wanted to find a nice, summery snack to enjoy and share with all of you.  I remembered reading about a lot of culinary enthusiasts looking for different things to do with all of the zucchini that their home-garden “Beasts” were producing this time of year, and this recipe just seemed perfect.  Oh, and remember that Wild Southwest Dip that I told you about recently?  It turns out that it and these zucchini fritters go wonderfully well together.

Recipe adapted by 12 Tomatoes

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS

Quick tip: If you’re not a big fan of dill, use your favorite fresh herbs instead!

Want a filling meal for summer but don’t want to spend loads of time by a running stove after you have spent all day dodging the summer heat?  Consider making this Southwestern Chicken Pasta Salad.  Put it together in under half an hour, with little stove heat required (just enough to cook a pound of cut-up skinless boneless chicken).  It makes a bunch and is great for a summer picnic or for those early football tailgates, when it is still rather warm outside.

There is plenty to love about good summer cooking.  After a while, though, you can get a little tired of standing by a hot oven or stove (or by a grill in the summer heat).  If you need something to cool you off a bit, a good cold salad does the job well.  (If you are looking for a main course, that is.  I love a bit of ice cream now and then, as I am sure y’all do.)  This recipe takes the basic pasta salad idea and kicks it up a notch, Southwestern-style.  It makes a bunch and is addictively tasty, so be warned!

Original recipe courtesy of Six Sisters’ Stuff

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS

Quick tip: This dish will taste even better the next day, so make sure you’ll have enough for leftovers!

If you are looking for a nice dip for an upcoming gathering (or for yourself), consider this delicious watermelon salsa! It’s a sweet twist on a tried-and-true classic, and very simple to make. Yes, this recipe is a little different from your typical salsa. To me, that is the beauty of it, though. Why settle for the same-old, same-old, when you can make a mouth-watering variation of it so quickly and easily? Give it a try. I did, and I was not disappointed.

I’m sure you’ve been here:  You’re planning a big barbecue.  Maybe it is for an elaborate Labor Day weekend, or maybe you and your S.O. just want to take advantage of the nice weather and cook a few things that you haven’t had the pleasure of eating in grilled form in a while.  You know that it is going to be a big ordeal, and while the S.O. is drinking beer and bragging about being grillmaster of the world, you’re probably going to be stuck doing most of the prep work.  You aren’t going to have a lot of free time to make something else fancy, but you know that you’ll need something to keep all of the rumbling of stomachs at bay, and you’d rather not go with a store-bought option out of a jar or can if you can help it.

If that is your predicament (or will be in the near future), consider making this watermelon salsa.  It is simple to make, really healthy, and just the right blend of flavors for a refreshing summertime snack.

Original recipe by Gimme Some Oven

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS

Quick Tip: Try this as filling for tortillas – delicious!