Chocolate Frosting

When I moved out and started making my own cakes I always bought the frosting. I would wonder why mine never tasted quite like my moms. It turns out it is because she didn't cut corners on her frosting. She always made her frosting from scratch. It is so yummy. I will admit that I will never make a cake from scratch to this day cause the box usually taste better and it is cheaper, but the frosting is now homemade just like my moms.

3-4 cups powdered sugar
4-6 T cocoa
1/2 cup butter softened
1 tsp vanilla
4-5 T whipping cream or milk
Mix together in a mixing bowl. The frosting should peak when you pull out the beaters. It should spread easily but not run off. Just add more powdered sugar if to thin and more whipping cream if to thick. Enjoy!

Grandma Dorothy's Teriyaki Steak Sandwiches

If you know my family you know we love these sandwiches. These are a must whenever we have company over for a BBQ. My siblings always request this when they are in town. It doesn't look like much but, oh, it is delicious. My mom's side of the family always have these at big get togethers. They remind me of cousins, and having a wonderful time together. There is something so special about playing in the back yard with your family and the smell of the BBQ in the air. Oh, I love it. Seriously though, make these this summer. Try it out and tell me how you like it. My hubby doesn't love the butter on the roll, but I think he is missing out.

Sirloin Tip roast about 5 lbs. cut into thin slices (uncooked) We ask the butcher to cut it as thin as he can without it falling apart.

Marinade:
1/2 cup oil
2 T. Vinegar
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 T. minced onion
1/3 tsp garlic powder

Blend the ingredients. Toss with thinly sliced beef and marinate for 24 hours. Cook on grill for about 1 minute on each side until done. Serve on buttered potato rolls. and you will ENJOY (I promise) Serves about 15-20

Strawbana berry Smoothie

This is my kids most favorite breakfast. They love when we buy strawberries at the grocery store, which is practically every time. The first thing they ask is "Can we make a smoothie for breakfast?!?" I like it cause it is healthy. My little angel doesn't so much love fruit so this is the perfect disguise for her much hated fruit. She drinks this right up.


1 raspberry yogurt
1-2 ripe bananas
1 pint strawberries (about 8-10)
Handful of raspberries (optional)
Handful of blueberries (optional)
Handful of spinach (optional)
1 T flax seed (optional)
1 T Honey
1 cup orange juice
3 cups crushed ice

Add all ingredients together and blend until well blended. Add the ice and blend again. Blend until ice is chopped up. Serves 4-6 Enjoy!

Simple Barbecue Sauce

This sauce goes perfect with the Best BBQ Chicken recipe that I have. The molasses was the only thing that I didn't have on hand. My hubby found that on the syrup aisle. The Cider Vinegar is on the Vinegar aisle. It was all at my local grocery store. I think this sauce is good. I wouldn't write home about it. It is better than any store bought one I have tried but if you have a favorite this might not compare. Again this is a Martha recipe from her Everyday Food Recipe Book #54

Stupid me forgot to take a picture of the BBQ sauce before I threw it out.

3 cups Ketchup
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 cup water
1 T paprika
1 T onion powder
1 T Mustard powder
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce is thickened and reduced by a third, about 30 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before using. (To store, refrigerate up to 2 weeks.) Enjoy!

Best BBQ Chicken

My hubby and I have been trying out new recipes lately. Our newest and probably most favorite find is this delicious chicken from yes, you guest it Martha Stewart. It just looked mouth watering, so we decided to grill these bad boys up. It is probably the BEST chicken I have ever had. It doesn't take long to just add a little extra to spice things up. Mmmmm, Mmmmm good!

2 T paprika
2 T chili powder
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 cups Barbecue Sauce

Heat grill to medium, lightly oil grates. In a small bowl combine the paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper; sprinkle spice rub all over chicken. Reserve 1 cup of the bar-be-cue sauce for serving. Keep remaining sauce in another bowl for basting.

Grill chicken, turning often, until cooked through, 15-20 minutes. During final 5 minutes of cooking, baste chicken with barbecue sauce. Serve chicken with reserved sauce. Enjoy!
There will be a barbecue sauce recipe posted in the next couple of days. If you become a follower it will just pop up and let you know. There that is my little plug.

Moms Potato Salad

By far my mom has always had my favorite potato salad. Every time I try store bought I wish I hadn't. None of the salads I have had compare. It is so simple and yet it is my favorite. Let's face it mom always knows what is best:)

This is the perfect side dish to any BBQ. It is really easy to make. The only thing that I struggle with is remembering to make ahead of time. If you have this issue like I do, then just put the potatoes and eggs in the freezer while your meat cooks. It turned out great. Then I just added the rest of the ingredients (already prepped and in the fridge) right before the meat was served.

6-8 potatoes ( I use red potatoes just change it to 8-10 potatoes)
3/4-1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp dill pickle juice to taste
4 green onions chopped
3-4 hard boiled eggs, diced
1 cucumber chopped
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until barely done in salted water, still firm (about 20 minutes depending on size of potatoes, red potatoes take about 15 minutes) Boil eggs for 15 minutes. Dice both. Mix with the remainder of ingredients. Chill several hours before serving. Enjoy:)

Variations: Add parsley, dill, basil, i package Good Season's Italian dressing, Lawry's Seasoned salt, sour cream, bacon, chopped celery, or dill pickles.

Tomato, Corn, and Avocado Salad

This is another new salad. I loved this. It is very refreshing and healthy. My kids that don't like tomatoes were not fans at all. My kids that do like tomatoes gobbled it up. My hubby has mixed feelings about veggie's so he wasn't sure. Again in is a Martha Stewart recipe. I heart her...conviction and all:)

I definitely would serve this at a ladies luncheon but not a kids party. I loved the way that the corn popped in my mouth, and the delicious tastes all blend together so nicely. I think it is a perfect summer time salad. Mmmmmm
2 ears of corn (husk and silk removed)
2 pints cherry, grape, or pear tomatoes, halved, or quartered if large
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 T fresh lime juice
1 T olive oil
salt
Pepper

Stand ear in a large wide bowl; with a sharp knife, carefully slice downward to release the kernels. Discard the cob. Add tomatoes, avocado, green onions, lime juice, and oil to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and toss gently to combine. Enjoy!

Watermelon Lemonade

This is a new recipe for me. I made it with my kids and I recommend that you make it with older kids, cause my little ladies made a mess of my kitchen while making this. It was fun for them though. This may be an acquired taste. The mint leaves was not my kids favorite. Maybe eliminate the mint for kids. Then again my 5 year old had 3 glasses. My hubby was not a fan, but I liked it. I maybe would add less mint for my taste bubs

It is actually fairly easy to make and I think it is delicious. It is out of Everyday Food by Martha Stewart Issue 54. I LOVE her Everyday Food Cookbooks. They have some of my most favorite recipes in them. The cookbooks are coordinated by month so it usually uses ingredients that are good in that season. This issue is for July/August so of course she had a Watermelon recipe. I just happened to get lucky at Sam's Club. They were taste testing the yummiest watermelon. It is extremely early for here...so like I said LUCKY us.

2 Lemons, quartered
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 medium seedless watermelon flesh cut into chunks.

Squeeze lemons into a large pitcher; add squeezed lemon quarters. Add mint and sugar; mash with a wooden spoon until mint is bruised and sugar is dissolved

In a blender, puree watermelon in batches until smooth: pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher (you should have about 8 cups juice). Stir to combine. Serve over ice. Refiderate covered for up to 3 days. Enjoy!

Baja Chicken Kabob

Is there anything better than meat off the BBQ? Every time that I make kabobs I think of my mom with all of her different bowls of veggies, fruit, and meat that she is adding to the kabob. I do it just like her. It is funny when you think of the things that you do just like your parents.

Recently, I tried to make my own marinade. I think it turned out pretty good. I buy a marinade packet and read the ingredients on the back. I basically keep everything the same except I leave out the Silicon Dioxide and things like that. I mean really who needs Silicon Dioxide. :) I have done it with my fajitas and now with my kabobs. These taste pretty scrumdiddlyumpious so try them out.

1/2 tsp Paprika
1/4 cup minced or even blended red pepper
1 tsp grated orange peel
1 clove garlic minced
2 T Lemon juice
2 T Lime juice
1 T honey
1/4 cup canola oil
2 T water
2 T vinegar
2 lbs chicken cut for kabobs

Mix all the ingredients before you add the chicken. Add chicken coating all sides. Place in refrigerator for and hour or longer if you can.
Put kabob sticks in water for 30 minutes to prevent burning.
Arrange fruit, veggies, and meat on sticks. I like to use at least 3-4 pieces of meat per skewer.
I use:
Red Pepper
Green Pepper
Purple Onion
Mushrooms
Pineapple
Marinaded Chicken
Grill on a medium to medium low heat. If you grill smaller pieces of chicken it works out better. Sometimes if they are a little thick it might be better to grill them prior to the veggies, and fruit. Serve these delicious kabobs over rice. ENJOY!

Easy breezy Oreo Cookies

My sister found this recipe. She had a friend make it for her and she fell in love. She then gave the recipe to my mom and me. My mom made them for me and YUMMY! I love these cookies and could they be any easier to make. I think NOT! I suggest you run out to the store and have some Devil's food cake on hand for the next time you need to make some delicious cookies.


1 box Devil's Food Cake
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs

In a large mixing bowl add cake mix, oil, and 1 egg. Mix well then add second egg and mix well. The consistency resembles a tootsie roll. Roll in a small ball, place on a ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 9-12 minutes. Cool then Frost with Vanilla Frosting. Enjoy!