Simple Yet Gourmet

I know, I know.  Strawberry baked goods should probably be reserved for Spring and Summer.  Heres the thing though.  I bought some strawberries that were so sweet and juicy at my local grocery store that they had me dreaming of Spring and Strawberry Shortcake, and flowers, and nice warm weather.  So when I woke up last Sunday morning and it was bright and sunshiny and the birds were chirping I just knew I had to make some Strawberry Muffins.  Wow.  These really hit the spot! So full of strawberry flavor with the most delicious glaze on top.  I'll definitely be making these again! The original recipe was for a quick bread, which also sounds delicious and I will probably make at some point. The bonus with muffins is that they baked  much faster so we didn't have to wait for quite so long to get this delishish-ness into our bellies.

When I first made this I was hoping it would be a decent salad, but what I wasn't expecting was that it would turn out to be one of my favorite meals of the Summer! The combo of flavors and textures are just so delicious.  The creamy lime crema with the zingy BBQ sauce? So, so good!  Speaking of BBQ sauce, have you guys tried Guy Fieri's line?  We loved the Sweet and Smokey, Bourbon and Brown Sugar, and one other slightly spicy one that I can't remember right now. Anyway, enough about BBQ sauce.  Just give this salad a try!  And if you don't have enough time to grill the chicken, try using a rotisserie chicken and just mixing some BBQ Sauce into the cream sauce. 

These muffins are so yummy! Kirsti shared this recipe with us over Thanksgiving and we have made it several times since! A chocolate banana base is made even more yummy with the addition of chocolate chips, and as if that wasn't already enough, the top is sprinkled with sugar so it's crunchy and extra delicious.  Side note:  as I was typing this Danny leaned over and asked, "When can we have one of those cupcakes"?  Yep, he likes these and chances are you will too!

These tacos are so yummy!  So much better than traditional ground beef.  Grilled flank (or sirloin) steak is topped off with fresh corn, grilled zucchini, and tomatoes...or avocados, or whatever you want really.  But what really makes these special is the sauce and cotija cheese.  And don't forget to squeeze some fresh lime juice over the top.  So, so good! As a side note, some days when I'm feeling like eating a little healthier, i nix the tortilla and just have eat the toppings in a bowl.

 I love egg salad sandwiches.  They are quick, easy, and tasty, at least if you have hard-boiled eggs hanging out in your fridge...which I often do.  I like having them on hand for snacks, Brynlee's lunch, or this sandwich. Ok, back to the sandwich.   In the past I've stuck with the traditional components for Egg Salad: eggs, mayo, salt, pepper, and paprika.  Lately I've been making this version though and it's not going anywhere. At first the idea of adding bacon and cheese to egg salad sounded a bit strange to me but I have to admit, I think it's rather delicious.  The crunchy bits of bacon are the best! 

If you love the peanut butter/ chocolate combo you will love these bars! I made them last Summer for a ward party and they were gone within minutes with requests for the recipe following the party.  Sadly, I forgot to post them.  These bars recently popped into my head when I was trying to think of a yummy treat to make when my sister and her family were visiting so I searched out the recipe and made them again.  Both our families loved them! The second time I made these I halved the recipe for the peanut butter mixture but forgot to do the same with the fudge layer.  I thought about only putting half on but decided that it probably wouldn't be a bad thing to have twice as much chocolate, and it most definitely was not! * Just as a reference, this picture is from the first time I made these with a normal amount of fudge.  

I can't believe it's been almost a year since the last blog post! I haven't stopped trying out new recipes, just haven't posted them.  Life just gets busy I guess.  Anyway...on to the salad.  This Avocado Shrimp salad  is the perfect meal when I have a little extra time to prepare lunch (longer than it takes to make a protein shake) and want to eat something delicious, hearty, and healthy! I love the cajun seasoning on the shrimp! It gives it just the right amount of kick, and when mixed with the citrus dressing is so yummy.  If you aren't a shrimp fan, this could definitely be made with chicken instead!  I didn't add any fresh grilled corn, because it's winter her, but I'll definitely try that in the summer.  I also left out some onion, and cilantro but if you like those go ahead on throw them in.  Just try it out and adjust it to your liking.