Grilled Potato Salad

*Grilled Potato Salad*

Ingredients:
6 medium potatoes (skin on), baked, cooled, sliced in half and grilled
4 tablespoons chopped olives (whatever kind you like)
4 ribs celery, thinly sliced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
Grinding of fresh pepper

When potatoes are cool after being grilled, slice each half horizontally in 3 strips, and then chop into chunks. Add chopped potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Add olives, celery, onion and dill and mix well.

In a separate small bowl, whisk oil, vinegar, mustard and garlic until well mixed and slightly thick (the mustard will emulsify the dressing). Pour over potato salad and mix well, Grind some fresh pepper over top, mix again and taste. Adjust seasoning by adding more vinegar, oil, salt or whatever you think it needs (a squeeze of fresh lemon juice?), to your taste.

Place in a nice serving bowl.

Nemo Sticks

Kelly from Crouching Mother, Hidden Toddler Submitted this to me. Thank you, I think this is such a cute idea.

Ingredients:
1 can salmon/tuna, drained
1 tbsp mayo mixed with 1 tbsp ketchup
2 green onions, sliced (green part only)
vegetable: such as canned corn or carrot - amount doesn't matter
Leftover mashed potato/sweet potato or fresh bread crumbs - approximately 1 cup
Salt and pepper
Flour, whisked egg wash and dried breadcrumbs for coating.
Cooked peas for the eyes, optional

Instructions:
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.Using your hands; form the mixture into fish-shaped patties. Dip the fish cakes into the flour, then the egg wash allowing the excess to
drip off. Next, coat them evenly in the dried breadcrumbs. Make a small indentation for the eye.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and sauté for about 5 minutes, turning halfway through until golden on both sides.

Placed the cooked peas on the fish-cakes for the eyes.

Perfect Summer Chicken

*Perfect summer chicken*

This chicken will go perfectly with THIS pasta.

Ingredients:
Any chicken that you like, I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
*drumsticks goes great with this as well as chicken breast.
Lemon pepper
Garlic salt
Canola oil

What to do:
Place chicken in a resealable plastic bag.
Add oil, garlic salt and lemon pepper in bag. (Add as much or as little you want of the seasoning)
Close bag and mix the ingredients around and let marinate for 4-6 hours. You could also make it within 20 minutes but the longer it sits the more flavor it gets.

Cook on a grill (indoor or out) and enjoy.
I also chop up the chicken and make tacos. YUMMY

For breast I butterfly the chicken before I marinate.
Cook time if you do this is 4 minutes on each side.

Drumsticks cook time 10 minutes on each side.

Boneless skinless chicken tights cook time 6 minutes on each side.
If you use tights with the bone in cook for 10 minutes on each side.

Fresh & Easy Pasta for the Summer.

*Fresh & Easy Pasta for the Summer*

Ingredients:
1 pound of angel hair pasta, break pasta in half (easier for toddlers to eat).
*if you have really small kids use short pasta for this.
Canola oil
Salt
Pepper
Parmesan cheese.

Cook pasta according to directions, leaving 1 cup of pasta water for sauce. Drain pasta. Combine pasta water, oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add pasta and parmesan cheese and toss.

This dish is very simple and doesn’t have that heaviness that meat sauces have so its just perfect for the summer months.

Taco Salad Recipe

*Taco Salad Recipe*

This taco salad recipe is super simple. With only five ingredients, this easy taco salad takes only a few minutes to prepare. But if you feel like dressing it up, tomatoes, black olives, green chilies or pinto beans make nice additions to this taco salad recipe.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef (90% or 93%)
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 cup salsa (which ever you like or homemade)
Tortilla chips
1-1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (cheddar and Monterey Jack)

Preparation:
1. Brown ground beef and chili powder in a large skillet.
2. Remove from heat and drain. Stir in salsa.
3. Arrange tortilla chips in a large salad bowl. Top with ground beef mixture and cheese. Top with your favorite taco toppings.

Enjoy.

You could make this heatlhy with ground chicken/turkey

Boxed Cake Mix Recipes

*Boxed Cake Mix Recipes*

~Cake Mix Cookies~

2 large eggs
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 16-ounce bag chocolate chips
1 box of your favorite cake mix

Mix ingredients together. Drop on cookie sheet. Bake in 350F degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

~Diet Cola Cake~

12 ounce can of diet cola
1 box of chocolate cake mix

In a medium mixing bowl, mix the soda and cake mix.Other than adding the other ingredients listed (do not add any eggs, milk, oil,etc.) follow the directions on the cake mix box.

And just like that, you have a delicious cake!

~Orange Soda Cake~

12 ounce can of orange soda
1 box of white cake mix

In a medium mixing bowl, mix the soda and cake mix.Other than adding the other ingredients listed (do not add any eggs, milk, oil,etc.) follow the directions on the cake mix box.

*all these recipes everyone will love.

Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken

*Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken*

Ingredients:
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups of plain bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 eggs
salt and pepper
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Mix cheese, bread crumbs and garlic powder.
3. beat up eggs in a bowl.
4. Dip chicken breasts in egg mixture; coat with breading mixture. Place in shallow baking dish.
5. Bake 20 to 25 min. or until chicken is no longer pink in the center.

I have also tried applesauce instead of egg. Just dip the chicken into applesauce before you coat with the breading mixture.

Cowboy Soup

*Cowboy Soup*

14 oz package smoked sausage, sliced
1 c thick salsa
1 c BBQ sauce
1 c corn, canned or frozen
15 1/2 oz can kidney beans, drained
3 lb 5 oz can pork and beans, drained
1 medium onion, diced

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve and top with cheese or sour cream.

Bubbly Apple Soda

*Bubbly Apple Soda*

Make Your Own Soda

Make your own soda with this quick and easy kids recipe. The apple juice even makes it good for you. You can also use carbonated water or Club Soda. Make it for your next party.

Ingredients:
1 -( 12 ounce) can, unsweetened frozen apple juice, thawed
3 juice cans of carbonated soda (7-up works best)
Large pitcher

Directions:
1. Use the empty juice can to measure out the soda. Pour the apple juice and soda together in a large pitcher.
2. Stir and enjoy. You have just made you own bubbly apple soda

Kid sized pizza's.

These are pizza's that can be make in the matter of minutes. Plus they are really simple to make and they are full of flavor.

What you need:
1 standard-sized bagel cut in half (use what ever you like, plain white or wheat)
Marinara sauce (homemade or from a jar)
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Toppings like diced green pepper, chopped onion, or chopped tomato (whatever you like)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325° F.
2. Spread marinara sauce on each bagel half.
3. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on each half.
4. Add your favorite toppings.
5. Put your bagel halves on the baking sheet.
6. Bake in the oven for about 5 to 8 minutes. You'll know they're done when the cheese is bubbly.
7. Let cool for a minute, and then enjoy your tiny pizzas!

Serves: 2 small toddlers or 1 hungry toddler.

You could also make these with the mini bagels and use them as appetizers at your child's next birthday party. *Just a thought*