Healthy Grillin'

We've been feasting on some serious meat this week, so we decided to go healthy this time! As our last installment of our best grillin' recipes, we want this to be extra special: salmon! While strictly speaking, it's not a barbecue dish, it still makes for some scrumptious (and healthy) grilled feast.

GRILLED SALMON
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 pounds salmon fillets
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
4 green onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1. Place salmon in shallow dish. Combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Set aside 1/4 cup for basting; pour the rest over the salmon. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drain, discarding marinade.

2. Grill salmon over medium coals, skin side down, for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Baste occasionally with reserved marinade.

More recipes at www.allrecipes.com!

Happy Grillin' Part 2

We promised our best barbecue recipes for you this week, in celebration of the National Barbecue Month, and we will not disappoint!

If you loved our baby back ribs last time, you should definitely also try out this pork chops recipe from allrecipes.com! So simple to do, yet so scrumptious. Some even say, they taste like steak! Go give it a try and see (and taste) for yourself:

GRILLED LEMON HERB PORK CHOPS
Serves 6

Ingredients:
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 (4 ounce) boneless pork loin chops

Directions:
1. In a large resealable bag, combine lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt, oregano, and pepper. Place chops in bag, seal, and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Turn bag frequently to distribute marinade.

2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Remove chops from bag, and transfer remaining marinade to a saucepan. Bring marinade to a boil, remove from heat, and set aside.

3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill pork chops for 5 to 7 minutes per side, basting frequently with boiled marinade, until done.

More recipes at www.allrecipes.com!

Happy Grillin'

It's National Barbecue Month this month! And that means you better get those grillers out because there's no better time for some barbecue than at that perfect moment before the hottest season kicks in. (I don't know about you, but standing in front of burning coals on a sizzling Summer day doesn't make me a happy camper!)

So this week, we're giving you all our favorite barbecue recipes for you to enjoy with your family! Enjoy the remnants of Spring by having a get-together with your friends and loved ones. Then feast on some scrumptious barbecues. Here's one from allrecipes.com:

HOOT N HOLLER BABY BACK PORK RIBS
Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 racks baby back pork ribs (about 1 1/2 lbs per rack)
1 (12 ounce) jar of mesquite-flavored marinade
3 bay leaves
1 whole medium onion, peeled
1 cup prepared barbecue sauce (mild or spicy)
1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:
1. In a large stockpot, place both racks of ribs; add enough water to cover ribs. Add marinade, bay leaves and onion. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat. (This will create foam on top.) Reduce to medium-low heat; simmer 45 minutes or until ribs are just tender. Remove ribs from cooking liquid; drain on rimmed baking sheet. Heat grill to medium heat (about 350 degrees F.)

2. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, stir together the barbecue sauce and brown sugar. Brush over both sides of ribs. Place ribs on grill, bone side down, close lid. Grill for 7 minutes, turn and grill 7 minutes more.

Of course, when you have guests coming over, make sure your little girl is dressed to impressed ;) And we, as always, have just the thing for you. Here's a cute one and is one of our favorites, perfect for a fun day with family and friends:

Ramie Double Sequin Orchids

Happy grillin' everyone!

ABC Wednesday!

I is for Irresistible!

As these Easter Treats truly are! Easter is just hopping around the corner. So why not surprise your little one with these irresistible sweet treats from Disney Family Fun?

Easter Bunny Cupcakes

Ingredients:
a cupcake (baked from your favorite recipe)
white icing
shredded coconut
pink decorators' sugar
jelly bean nose
chewable Sweet Tart eyes
large marshmallow
mini marshmallows

Instructions:
1. Frost a cupcake (baked from your favorite recipe) with white icing and sprinkle on shredded coconut fur.

2. Cut a large marshmallow in half widthwise. Squeeze each half slightly to give it an oval shape, then decorate the sticky side of each one with pink decorators' sugar and set them in place for ears.

3. Add a jelly bean nose and either jelly bean or snipped Sweet Tart eyes, and mini marshmallows for cheeks. For a finishing touch, draw on decorators' gel pupils or whiskers if you like.

In the mood for some more fun recipes? There's more at Disney Family Fun here.

To pair off those sweet bunnies, here is an equally irresistible Easter Bunny clippy for your little girl.


This Pink Bunny clippy is made with high-grade velvet for that snug but soft hold. So you no longer have to worry about the clip slipping off or getting lost. But if you're not hoppin' happy with bunnies, there's more clippy styles to choose from here ;o)

If you're Itching to share something Interesting too, join ABC Wednesday!

PONDER, PONDER, PONDER...
What are your plans for Easter? Any interesting family traditions? And for the heck of it, do you like bunnies? (I do, I do!)

Cheerios!
Rach

Mmmm Pumpkin Pie!

One of my favorite things about this time of year is all of the opportunities to get in my kitchen and bake. Since I have many mouth watering holiday recipes I thought it would be nice to share them all with you and give my readers the opportunity to share theirs as well. I will be posting them one by one randomly throughout the next 2 weeks so stay tuned! At Halloween every year, as is tradition in my family, we not only buy big jack-o-lanterns to carve, we also buy what are called "pie pumpkins" which are smaller, sweeter versions of the traditional Halloween pumpkins, and bake delicious pies. This recipe is my grandmother's and I have stayed true to her original ingredients because I love it so much there is nothing I would differently!

• 1 unbaked deep dish pie crust (9 inch) (if you have the time to make your own pie crust by all means go for it!)
  
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 eggs
• 15 oz of pumpkin (See below on how to properly prepare pumpkin for pie)
  
• 1 can Evaporated Milk (12 oz)

After washing the pie pumpkin in warm water, cut in half diagonally. Scrap out the seeds and inside goop. Discard, unless you want to keep the seeds for roasting. Remove the stem and place in a steamer on the stove top. Cook for about 20-30 min until soft enough to easily scoop out pumpkin with a table spoon. Now you take the pumpkin and put it into a blender for about 2 minutes or until the consistency is smooth and creamy. Now it is ready to use for the pie!

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and salt. Beat eggs in a larger bowl. Mix together above spice mixture and pumpkin with the eggs. Slowly stir in evaporated milk and pour combined ingredients into pie shell.

Bake for 15 minutes first. Then lower temp to 350 degrees. Bake for another 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Let pie cool for 1 and a half to 2 hours. Enjoy!