Category Archives: Memorial Day Weekend

If you are searching for the perfect appetizer or side for your next cookout, look no further!  Grilled Jalapeno Poppers are the way to go!  They are stuffed with an addictive mixture of bacon, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese.  The rich and creamy combination of the stuffing contrasts the spicy jalapeno peppers leaving you wanting more. This is a great alternative to the breaded and fried version because they are fresh, cook up nicely on the grill, and are quite addicting 🙂 You can even skip the bacon for a vegetarian option if you prefer. The recipe can be found here. We own a Jalapeno Grill Rack that we use for this recipe, which I find quite wonderful to use.  If you don’t have one, I highly recommend getting one! Start by preheating the grill to 325 degrees F.  It can be tricky to keep the grill temperature consistent once … Continue reading

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The 4th of July is right around the corner and as things seem to be returning to normal, I’m sure a lot of people are planning a gathering with friends and family to celebrate.  I know we sure are!  The weather is predicted to be beautiful and sunny, and we haven’t entertained in a while, so we are really looking forward to the holiday. I have a few new recipes to share with you today.  They are all 4th of July themed and something you can easily add to your menu – or anytime throughout summer!  I plan on making a few of these this upcoming weekend and look forward to enjoying them at our party. The first recipe is for Firecracker Hot Dogs.  Think hot dog wrapped in breadstick or crescent roll dough and baked to perfection.  They are super simple to make, will satisfy even the pickiest eater, … Continue reading

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We don’t use our air fryer often but every now and again it’s fun to try a new recipe.  This time we tried an Air Fryer Blooming Onion.  A blooming onion is essentially a large onion that is sliced to resemble a flower, battered, deep fried, and served as an appetizer.  My recipe removes the deep-frying step and has you air fry it instead. The batter creates this lovely crust that is crispy, the onion is tender, and the dipping sauce adds a nice tang to each bite. The recipe can be found here. Start by preparing the onion.  Peel the onion and slice off the stem.  Do not remove the base on the other side of the onion – only remove the stem or end of one side.  Otherwise the onion will fall apart!   Turn the onion so the cut side is down.  Cut an inch from the … Continue reading

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Beer Can Whole Grilled Chicken is a fun way to cook chicken.  You need a beer can chicken stand to do this.  The stand along with the can of beer and chicken legs helps support the chicken on the grill, and the beer helps keep the chicken moist while grilling.  I don’t taste a lot of beer flavor in the chicken but if this is a concern of yours, you could easily swap out the beer for a can of pop – any cola flavor will work well.  Coca Cola or Dr Pepper seem to be the most popular, but I bet you could get a hint of citrus flavor if you used Mountain Dew. The recipe can be found here. Preheat the grill to 350 – 375 degrees F.  If you have an upper rack in your grill, remove it before preheating because the chicken will not fit with … Continue reading

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If you read my last blog, you know how much we love sandwiches (or sliders) at our house.  Another food we are obsessed with is chicken wings.  They are so easy to make and can be pair with tons of different sauces to create different flavor combinations.  I want to share with you 3 new chicken wing recipes that are inspired by Asian and Mexican dishes. Orange Chicken Wings Asian Zing Chicken Wings Taco Chicken Wings   All 3 recipes are pretty simply to whip up and have amazing flavor! First up is Orange Chicken Wings.  Think of the orange chicken dish you order at a Chinese restaurant – these chicken wings have a very similar flavor and are bursting with an orangey-citrus taste.  So good! The recipe can be found here. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the … Continue reading

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Who doesn’t love a good sandwich?  I’m always looking for new sandwich recipes, or slider recipes, in this case.  They make for a great tasty little bite, work well as appetizers, or can be packed for a light lunch.  My favorite thing to do is make a 9×13 pan of sandwiches that can be portioned out, wrapped in foil, and grabbed each morning on my way to work. Today I want to share with you 4 different recipes for sliders.  These are all simple recipes and are something the whole family will enjoy.  I like to keep these recipes in my back pocket for holiday weekends (like the 4th of July) or you could make a pan to serve at a sleepover when the kids have the late-night munchies! First up is Chicken Cordon Bleu Sliders.  Think traditional Chicken Cordon Bleu but in sandwich form.  You get the savory ham, tender … Continue reading

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Are you ever hosting a party or having a few guests over for dinner but don’t know what to serve?  I always struggle with what to cook because I want my guests to enjoy the meal but also want time to socialize and not be stuck in the kitchen.  Pulled chicken or pulled pork is always a good option.  You can prepare it in the slow cooker so it’s no fuss, it feeds a crowd, and is great to serve for a build-your-own-sandwich bar.  Or you can make it for yourself to enjoy for meals through the week or to freeze for later. Today, I want to share my 2 recipes for pulled chicken.  I haven’t tried these recipes with pork, but I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t substitute the chicken for pork to make pulled pork sandwiches.  If you do try this, let me know how it … Continue reading

Posted in 4th of July, Holidays, Labor Day Weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, Party, Poultry, Super Bowl, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken

Growing up I always loved a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  I mean, who didn’t?  It was a staple in my daily life and it’s making a comeback.  However, instead of sandwich form I’m pairing it with another food I love.  What for it……chicken wings.  Yes, peanut butter and jelly chicken wings.  A little louder for those in the back…PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY CHICKEN WINGS! The recipe can be found here. These wings are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G and will satisfy any craving.  They are the perfect combination of sweet and spicy while being incredibly savory.  The chicken wings are coated in a delicious peanut sauce and the raspberry jelly dipping sauce brings it all together.  The combination of peanut butter, jelly, and chicken might sound weird, but I strongly suggest putting your hesitation aside and giving these wings a try! Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees F and lining … Continue reading

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Sunday, July 19, 2020 is National Ice Cream day, and what better way to celebrate than with some homemade ice cream! There really is no better time to enjoy ice cream than a hot summer day!  You can obviously eat ice cream year-round but it’s such a cool and refreshing treat during the warm months.  With so many flavors to choose from, you’ll be sure to find your favorite.  I wanted to do something different for National Ice Cream day so I’m celebrating by making homemade ice cream. I have 5 flavors to share with you today; 3 require an ice cream maker and 2 require a high-speed blender, so you don’t necessarily need all the fancy equipment to make homemade ice cream.  It can be super simple and require few ingredients or it can be a more complex recipe with a variety of ingredients.  Basically, you can put as … Continue reading

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Hello Friends, Today we’re talking brisket!  One beautiful (and windy) weekend the family decided to throw a brisket into the roasting box and we made some White Mac and Cheese to go along with it. First, we made our Beef Brisket Rub.  The quantities listed were for our size roast, which was just under 10lbs, or about 1.5 Chihuahuas, for perspective. Recipe: Beef Brisket Rub: ½ cup kosher salt 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons garlic powder 1 tablespoon of onion powder t tablespoon of Lawry’s seasoned salt ¾ teaspoon Cumin ¾ teaspoon Chili powder   Brisket cooked to 180 degrees internal Can baste with equal parts of apple cider vinegar and water Meanwhile, we need to prep the roasting box.  You start off by just placing your charcoal in a pile across the top of the roasting box.  Amount of charcoal will vary.  Once ready we lit … Continue reading

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