Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts

Easy Homemade Lemonade


One of my favorite childhood memories is making fresh squeezed lemonade... OK, If I'm going to be real here, making lemonade as a kid, for me, meant ordering water with lemon from a restaurant and emptying infinite packets of sugar into the glass, watching it float to the bottom.

Thankfully I've upgraded my lemonade making skills.

My children and I really enjoy making homemade lemonade together. I do hope that it becomes one of the memories they hold near and dear to their hearts as they get older.  It's fun, easy and refreshing on a hot summer's day.

We took about 5 or 6 lemons and sliced them each in half. The kids took turns juicing the lemons with a fruit juicer. (If you don't have a juicer just poke the halved lemons with a fork and squeeze the juice into a cup, you may have to strain or scoop out the seeds).

While the kids were juicing the lemons, I made a simple syrup on the stove. That's just basically dumping a cup of water and a cup of sugar in a pot and stirring until the sugar dissolves.  Literally less than 5 mins.

Once the kids were done, I cut an additional lemon into slices. Filled a pitcher with 5 cups of water added the freshly squeezed lemon juice, and the simple syrup. I gave everything a stir, then added the lemon slices and placed in the fridge to chill.

Tip: It tastes sweeter if you drink it over ice, while listening to Beyonce's Lemonade album. Aye!!!


Here's What You Need:

6 Lemons
5 cups of water
1 cup sugar
1 cup of water


Here's What You'll Do: 

1. Slice 5 of the 6 lemons in half.

2. Using a juicer, juice the lemons (you should have 10 halves). If you are not using a juicer, poke the each of the halves several times and squeeze the juice from the lemons into a cup. You may need to remove seeds.

3. In a pot over medium heat add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved about 5mins.

4. Fill at pitcher with 5 cups of water.

5. Add squeezed lemon juice and simple syrup to the pitcher; stir.

6. Cut the remaining lemon into thin slices. Add to pitcher.

7. Place lemonade in fridge to chill.

8. Serve in a glass over ice.

3 Cheese & Spinach Baked Spaghetti (Vegetarian/Meatless)

This one is definitely a family favorite. The kids absolutely love it. You can sneak the spinach right on in and the taste practically goes unnoticed! The sharp cheddar gives this dish a power punch, while the cream cheese offers creaminess, and oh the mozzarella provides that ooey-gooey  goodness it's impossible to say no to.

This dish is perfect for those nights the kids have after school activities and you just don't have the time. Tonight's one of those nights for me. The boys have Cross Country.

Cook your pasta as directed. Warm the sauce in a skillet and add the spice blend.

 Once the sauce is warmed. You'll add your spinach and cream cheese. De-li-cious!
Drain your pasta and pour it into a baking dish.
Pour half of the sauce mixture over the noodles and coat pasta evenly.
Pour remaining sauce on top and cover with a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar.
Toss it in the oven until cheese melted.


Here's What You'll Need:

1 (16oz) box of spaghetti
2 (24oz) jars of pasta sauce (I used Food Lion's Chunky Onion, Oregano, Garlic)
1 (8oz) pack of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 (8oz) pack of shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups fresh spinach
2oz of cream cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp basil

Here's What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Put a pot of water on for pasta and cook as directed. Drain.
2. While waiting for pasta, in a skillet over medium heat combine pasta sauce and spices. Allow to warm.
3. Add cream cheese to sauce and stir until melted. Add spinach and allow to cook down.
4. Once pasta is cooked and drained, lightly oil a 9x13 dish.
5. Pour pasta into dish.
6. Pour half of the pasta sauce over the spaghetti, coating all the noodles evenly.
7. Pour remaining sauce on top.
8. Top with a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella cheese.
9. Place dish in the oven for 20-25 mins or until cheese is melted.
10. Serve warm.

Zuppa Toscana Soup

I'm in love with Italian food. I literally beg my wife to take me to Olive Garden every weekend. And most weekends I get my way. Most weekends.

Lately, we've been so preoccupied with the kids sporting activities that OG has become an afterthought and my palette is suffering from withdrawals.

 That's alright, we all know there's more than one way to boil pasta (wait is there)?
Anyway, today I'm bringing a touch of Italy to the kitchen, with one of my favorite soups, Zuppa Toscana.

This hearty soup is made up of red russet potatoes, sausage and kale.


It's based in chicken broth and thickened with a bit of cream.

It's up to you if you peel the potatoes or not, I think it's delicious with the peeling on (and saves time also).

This soup is a not only hearty, but a true comfort dish that's great to enjoy on a cool fall evening. 

Here's What You'll Need:
16oz of small red russet potatoes cut in 1/4 in slices and then quartered
 1 (16oz) pack of ground Italian sausage (mild)
A bush of Kale
 1/2 large yellow onion; sliced
 3 (14.5) cans chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
 1/2 tsp olive oil
3 tsp of garlic; divided 
Salt and pepper to taste
Shredded cheddar (optional)


Here's What You Do: 
1. In a skillet over medium heat warm olive oil.
2. Add onion and cook until translucent.
3. Add sausage (seasoning it with salt, pepper and tsp of garlic. Cook until meat is browned, then drain and set aside.
4. In a soup pot, over medium heat warm chicken broth and potatoes. Season with remaining garlic (and more salt and pepper if you'd like).  Allow to cook until potatoes are tender (about 20-25 mins).
5. Add meat and onion mixture to pot. Let cook until everything is warm again.
6. Pull kale leaves off steam and rinse.
7. Add cream and kale to pot and let cook for an additional 10 minutes.
7. Top with shredded cheddar cheese (if desired).

Zucchini & Squash Caserole

There is only a short time before summer officially ends. To be honest, I hate summer. It's hot, there's more wasp than you can count, and to be frank it's just too hot! Did I say that already? I mean the humidity here in the south is the worst. I'm so use to being in Virginia where there are beaches, that I have no idea what to do with myself here in Tennessee.

The only thing I can truthfully express that I will miss as fall approaches is the squash. I've been strangely addicted to it and zucchini the entire summer, adding it randomly to many of my family's meals.

As a side dish, one of my favorite's is my zucchini and squash casserole.

I'm about to share this recipe with you, but I must warn you, it is so good. I mean soooo good. I'm saying make you wanna slap your mother-in-law kind of good. Go ahead admit it, you wanna do that anyway.

Shhh I promise your secret is safe with me. And vice versa I hope.

Now that were newly established besties here's the yummy deliciousness you've been waiting for.

Here's What You'll Need:
2 medium zucchinis; quartered
2 crookneck squash; quartered
1/4 of large yellow onion; sliced
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
8oz bag of shredded Mozzarella cheese
Tbsp garlic powder (or more if you're a garlic feen like I am)
Tbsp butter; melted
salt and pepper to taste

Here's What You Do:
Preheat oven to 400F
Place zucchini, squash and onion in a large bowl.
Pour 1 melted butter over veggies.
toss with spoon to coat.
Add garlic, and salt and pepper, again tossing to be sure everything is seasoned.
In a 8x8 in pan pour a third of the veggie mixture into the pan.
Top with a layer of mozzarella. Repeat until all veggies are in the casserole dish.
End with a top layer of cheese.
Pour Italian bread crumbs on top.
Place in oven for 20-25mins or until veggies are cooked to desired.

By the way, true besties leave a comment, even if it's just to say hi. Go ahead. I'll come say hi back. Pinky Promise.
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