Simple Yet Gourmet

Please forgive my photography skills, or the lack thereof.  I wish I could have taken a picture that would have done this justice. That being said, this ice cream is AMAZING!  So much better than store-bought.  I'm normally a chocolate kind of girl, but this strawberry has taken the #1 spot in my heart.  I could eat it everyday, which is why I've had to exercise some serious self-control. Homemade ice cream may seem daunting but it is so simple!  Really!  Try it out sometime, if you haven't already, but be forewarned...you may never have a desire to buy store-bought ice cream again.

If I had my way we would have Mexican food every day, but Mike on the other hand would not be so happy! I love anything Mexican, so when I found this recipe I was very excited to give it a try. I have a similar recipe, but I liked the additional flavors and textures added to this recipe,

I have really been digging Mexican food lately and what's better to drink with it than a traditional Mexican Drink?  Horchata is delicious, refreshing, and easy to make, but it needs to be made in advance.  So with a little planning, and very little effort you can wow your family and make your meal extra special!

One of my favorite restaurants is a placed called Rubio's. They serve warm refried beans with fresh chips along side their wonderful soft chicken tacos. The only problem I have, is it takes me about an hour to get there! So I found a recipe that I can make at home when I am craving those yummy beans

Sorry for all the cookie recipes, but with all the different school events and birthday's etc. I have needed some new recipes. This one will be another one of my favorites! I added milk chocolate chips, mini chips chocolate toffee bites and chopped pecans to this recipe, which I will say was divine!

This is really not a recipe but rather a cute way to serve your kids fruit!  I found this picture and made these for the kids last night.  The excitement was over whelming as they sat down and saw this cute little boats made from cantaloupe and watermelon with little banana men

These have become my new favorite cookie! The crispy cookie, paired with brown butter frosting is amazing.  They are a quick and easy cookie to make for any occasion.  I promise you will be the hit of the party with this recipe.

Here's a yummy, good for you recipe.  I'm not one for dieting, but if I happen to find a healthy recipe that is also delicious, I'm all about that.  This orzo salad is loaded with black beans, corn, tomatoes, and cilantro. With a spicy, creamy buttermilk dressing drizzled over salad you may forget this is a "light meal".  I think the avocado really helped meld the flavors together.  If fact, the next time I make this I am going to dice up the avocado's and mix them in with the salad instead of serving them on the side.  The only other change I would make to this recipe is to substitute garlic powder for the crushed garlic.  I love garlic when it is cooked, but the flavor of it raw was a little too strong for me.  Other than that, it was perfect.  Something that I will definitely be making again!

Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, these taquitos are a winner in my book.  They are packed full of flavor and, because they are baked rather than fried, they are a healthier option than some others.  These were fun to eat for a Mexican Fiesta and were actually quite easy to make as well.  Flavor wise, they could stand on their own, but they were great for dipping as well.  I dipped mine in some sour cream ( I know, real healthy right?) , and I think the next time I make these I'm going to mix lime juice with the sour cream for an extra delicious dipping experience.  For those of you who like things spicy, try dipping them in some green salsa or mixing the salsa with some sour cream.  Either way, they will be delicious.

When I was 7 years old, my family packed up our station wagon and made the 5 day journey from Alaska to southern Idaho.  This granola always brings back memories of that trip as this is what we ate for breakfast every morning. Packed full of oats, nuts, and sunflower seeds this granola not only chases away your hunger, it also gives you a good amount of energy for your day.

This flavorful, good for you chicken recipe came from the BYU 5th ward cookbook.  This recipe was anonymous but stated " My absolute favorite recipe from my Italian grandmother".  That was enough to pique my interest.  I have been making this recipe for several years now and I love it as well. The chicken is initially browned, then cooked in a marina sauce making it flavorful, tender, and juicy.

This has been a favorite side dish in my family!  With summer upon us, we do a lot of grilling.  I am always looking for salads to compliment the grill.  This salad is great with barbecue chicken, sandwiches or sloppy joes.

Who doesn't love a good scone?  What I love about these scones is they are a) easy to make, b) yummy, c) they have lots of delicious strawberry pieces throughout, and d) they are sprinkled with sugar for a little extra deliciousness.  They come together quickly and are pretty tasty as well.  Perfect for a lazy Sunday morning, or any morning!