Simple Yet Gourmet

I think every cook should have a good pancake recipe. You can make them simple or really fancy, depending on how you serve them. My family loves pancakes, so I have tried many different recipes. Martha Stewart takes my vote for the best, the buttermilk is what makes the recipe. These are so good no matter what you serve them with. We love coconut syrup, pure maple syrup or in the summer, fresh fruit. Enjoy!

I have search high and low for a good bread stick recipe. I have tried many recipes but they seem to end in failure. But I will search no more, I finally found one worthy of my approval. They were super easy and fast to make. This recipe comes from another wonderful blog I have discovered.  Before I baked the bread sticks, I brushed them with butter then sprinkled garlic salt and Parmesan cheese on top. Mike and the kids ate the whole batch!!

I always plant basil in the summer to make homemade pesto. It is such a healthy and simply meal for those busy summer nights. This recipe adds cream and grilled chicken to the pesto for a nice twist. I like to make my own pesto but have found a good alternative at Costco and Sams Club. In the cheese section is fresh pesto that tastes just as good when you don't have time or just not enough basil to make your own. Enjoy!

Lemon Squares have always been a favorite of mine. This is one dessert I always remember my mom making for the family. Last past week I was craving them in a bad way so I had to make a batch and share them! Friends asked me for the recipe so here it is for everyone to try. Lemon Squares McCain Family Recipe Crust : 2 cups flour 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 cup butter Kneed together, put in greased 9x13 pan. Cook on 350 for 12-15 minutes. Filling: 4 eggs 1 1/2 cup sugar 6 Tbsp lemon juice 4 Tbsp flour 1/2 tsp baking powder Beat eggs, sugar and lemon juice for 8 minutes. Stir in flour and baking powder. Pour into baked crust and cook for 25 minutes, or until knife comes out clean.

Sweet and tangy, this drink is so refreshing and the perfect beverage for Summer! It does require a little bit of preparation before hand, but trust me...it's worth it!

Summer is a time for quick and simple meals. My good friend Katie passed this yummy recipe on to me last year and it has become one of our favorites. I love to add avocados to any dish possible so I serve an avocado and tomato salsa along with this dish (which I have included). The combination of cilantro dressing, avocados, tomatoes and chicken is amazing, you must give it a try!

I try really hard to add different categories of recipes to the blog each week. I have not really added any appetizers or drink, which I have many to share. So to make up for that here is one of our favorite appetizer/dip. It comes from a great recipe book, "The Essential Morman Cookbook, by Julie Badger Jensen. If you like the chili con queso at Chili's then you will love this! It is extremely easy and very tasty!

As promised, here is the green salad I made with the Grilled Island Chicken last week. With all the fresh veggies around this time of year, I am always looking for new salad recipes to serve my family. When I saw this recipe at melskitchencafe.com I knew I had to try it. I added pears as the recipe calls for but added apples too. It makes me happy serving my kids healthy, fresh food for dinner. Tyler, my 6 year old, ate 3 bowls of this salad with his dinner!! It's a winner in my book!

These have become my new favorite breakfast muffin! Annie says these are an excuse to eat cake for breakfast, but who would complain about that! These are so moist with the sour cream and so tasty with the orange juice. What a great way to start your day! I hope you will enjoy them as much as we did.