Lime Mojito Recipe and Summer Living

Name: Tortellini Salad
Ingredients: 1 lb. frozen cheese tortellini; 1 lb. fresh arugula; 1 red onion (chopped); 1 cup feta cheese (crumbles); 1 cup olive oil; 1/2 cup red wine vinegar; 1/2 cup lemon juice; 2 tsp oregano; 2 tsp fresh parsley; 1/2 tsp salt

by RoxanneK, in category Outdoor Spaces, Recipes, Seasonal

Have you seen the back to school items creeping into the stores already? I never like to see that so early when we are trying to soak up every bit of summer while we can. Summer may unofficially end on Labor Day, but we still have plenty of time to make the most of the warmer weather. My favorite way to beat the heat is to hang out in the yard with my favorite drink – lime mojitos. (I’ll share the mojito recipe at the end of this post).

I was never one for mixed drinks until years ago when we went on a cruise and I had a mojito for the first time. It’s such a light, crisp drink, perfect for summer. After that vacation, my husband and I experimented with making our own until we found the right concoction. It’s been a favorite ever since.

Every year I plant mint in my herb garden (seen in the background) just for this reason.

A few years after we moved into our house, we planted the arborvitae trees along the fence. That is one of the best investments we ever made, they make a perfect privacy screen and stay green all year long. I prefer a relaxing weekend at home with friends as opposed to dealing with the summer crowds down at the shore.

You guys know I like to keep things simple and that is even truer in the summer. Outdoor entertaining doesn’t have to be complicated. I set out my favorite white mismatches dishes, and a pretty floral centerpiece I made using grocery store flowers.

We picked up the patio chairs right at the end of the season last year on clearance, we got all four around $120 which was a great bargain. This year we picked up this wooden table to go with them because our old table was really outdated.

The top is teak, very pretty and very durable. What is unique about this table is that it folds in half for storage so we can easily fit it into our shed come the winter months. Our yard is still a work in progress, but we are slowly getting there. Now is a great time to buy outdoor furniture as the prices are coming down.

Here is my mojito recipe for you, you can right-click the image to save it and print.

If you’re looking for an appetizer to go with these mojitos try this Simple Salsa recipe, they pair perfectly together! Let’s focus on easy summer living and making the most of it before it’s gone!

Everyone’s Favorite Tortellini Salad

I’m interrupting my usual home decor posts for a recipe today. To be honest with you, I really do not enjoy cooking. When I find a recipe that’s quick and easy to make as well as one that everyone likes, I think it’s worth sharing. This tortellini salad also makes a great side dish for parties, it can feed a crowd.

The tortellini and the dressing can be made the night before. On the day you want to serve it, all that you have to do is add the spinach, onion, and cheese. It’s really that easy. The recipe calls for a large amount of dressing with half is reserved on the side, but I’ve found that we never need that much. Now when I make this, I usually cut the dressing amount in half. I should note that I generally don’t like a ton of dressing on my salads.

I got the recipe from my sister-in-law who brought it to a summer gathering a few years ago. I immediately asked for the recipe. Now when I bring it to parties, I get asked for the recipe all the time.

When I find a recipe that my meat and potatoes husband likes as well as my vegetarian daughter, I know it’s a keeper! This tortellini salad is one of my go-to summer dishes, I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! You can also check out another family favorite, Bacon and Asparagus Pasta here.

Tortellini Salad

This simple tortellini salad is a crowd pleaser. It's easy to make, can be made the day before and only requires a few ingredients!

CourseSalads

Tortellini Salad

This simple tortellini salad is a crowd pleaser. It's easy to make, can be made the day before and only requires a few ingredients!

CourseSalads

Ingredients

1 lb. frozen cheese tortellini
1 lb. fresh arugula
1 red onion chopped
1 cup feta cheese crumbles
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp fresh parsley
1/2 tsp salt

Servings:

Instructions

Night before; cook tortellini according to package directions and drain. Mix well the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice. oregano, parsley and salt. In a bowl, combine the tortellini and half the dressing, mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Day of; Add the arugula, chopped onion, and feta cheese to the tortellini mix. Serve with remaining dressing on the side.

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Homemade Cornbread Recipe

I don’t share many recipes around here because honestly I’d rather be DIY’ing something. However, we do need to eat between projects and when I have a really good recipe, I will share it. Today I’m participating in another round of the Back to Basics series and the theme this month is tailgating. Tailgating makes me think of chili and nothing goes better with chili than this homemade cornbread recipe!

It’s really simple to make. I make homemade cornbread whenever my husband makes chili. I also like to pair it with crock pot macaroni and cheese (that’s another recipe I need to share one day!).

Here it is just out of the oven, it bakes to golden perfection.

When I make chili, I make it very basic with just chop meat, beans and tomato sauce. My husband likes to add pepperoni and hot sauce. I didn’t think I’d like his version, but it’s really good. To be honest, he is a much better cook than I am.

If you want to make a lower-fat version of this homemade cornbread recipe you can substitute applesauce for the vegetable oil when preparing the batter.

Click any of the links below to see my friend’s ideas for tailgating season!

An InLinkz Link-up

You can view my other recipes under my project gallery page. You can see last month’s Back to Basics post on styling coffee tables here. Thank you to my friends at 2 Bees In a Pod and The Crowned Goat for organizing this series!

Homemade Cornbread Recipe

Servings

Homemade Cornbread Recipe

Servings

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Servings:

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 11 X 7 inch baking pan. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until well blended. Pour the batter into baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted into the bread comes out clean.

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Tomato Salad With Cucumber Dressing

Florida is known for its oranges, but NJ is famous for its tomatoes. I don’t share many recipes here on the blog, because I’d much rather be DIY’ing that cooking. However, occasionally I have a recipe that is so good I feel compelled to share it and this tomato salad is one of them. It’s delicious, healthy and best of all it’s quick and easy to make.

The mix of seasonings and the red bell pepper give it a little extra flavor. To make it a meal you could serve it with grilled chicken or steak.

I used sea salt and black pepper grinders for my seasoning. Adding a bit of oregano to the seasoning would be an additional flavor that would work well in this salad. I love oregano.

Top with fresh parsley for garnish. You can make this in under 20 minutes. Sometimes on the weekends I will pick up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store and cut it up to use during the week over salad. We will also sometimes grill extra chicken or steak on the weekend for the same purpose. This is one of my family’s favorites, second only to my bacon and asparagus pasta!

Tomato Salad With Cucumber Dressing

Light and delicious sliced tomato salad with cucumber salad perfect for summer.

CourseSalads

Servings	Prep Time
4 people	20 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
4 people	20 minutes

Tomato Salad With Cucumber Dressing

Light and delicious sliced tomato salad with cucumber salad perfect for summer.

CourseSalads

Servings	Prep Time
4 people	20 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
4 people	20 minutes

Ingredients

3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cucumber peeled and diced
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 large tomato diced
1 medium red bell pepper diced
1 medium red onion diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
1 tbsp oregano

Servings: people

Instructions

For the dressing, combine vinegar, oil, cucumber and sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk until blended, set aside.
Combine tomato, red pepper, and onion with dressing, toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and oregano to taste. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

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Jan232017Jan 23 2017

Champagne Soaked Strawberries

by RoxanneK, in category Recipes, Uncategorized

I interrupt the usual home decor post today for a fun recipe idea. I make these Champagne Soaked Strawberries every year for Christmas Eve, but they would really be perfect for Valentine’s Day. They are a family favorite around here. I love them because they are so quick and easy to make.

First place your strawberries into any container that has a lid, I used a mason jar.

Pour the champagne into the jar until the strawberries are covered.

Put the lid on and place in the fridge for 24 hours. The next day, take them out, drain them, and place on a paper towel to dry.

After that, I used white melting chocolates that I picked up at Michaels’ to dip the strawberries in, followed by Valentine’s Day colored sprinkles. You can make these for any holiday and just use the coordinating sprinkles. I’ve tried other versions of this recipe, including dipping the strawberries in frosting but the white chocolate is the one that gets the best reviews.

They come out so juicy and delicious!

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What is your favorite Valentine’s Day treat?

Jan122017Jan 17 2017

Pineapple Spinach Smoothie Recipe

by RoxanneK, in category Recipes

This smoothie recipe is one that I’ve been meaning to share here on the blog for a long time. With the start of the new year many people are trying to develop healthier eating habits, so I figured now would be the perfect time to finally share it. To say I have a sweet tooth is a understatement, but this smoothie is so delicious, I’d actually choose this over cookies!

Don’t be put off by the list of ingredients. Cooking and food prep are two of my least favorite things to do, so I’ve come up with a few ways to make this quick and easy.

When I get home from the store on food shopping day, I cut up my pineapple right away so it’s ready to go when I want to make these. Sometimes I will cut up an orange or two as well, so that’s also prepped. I use the NutriBullet as my blender. The model I have comes with 3 cups that go right on top of the unit for blending. You can switch out the blade attachment with the included lid to store it in your fridge. I will sometimes fill the cups before bed, so in the morning, I just pop it on the base and blend. The extra cups are also convenient if you want to make different types of smoothies for different family members. This pineapple and spinach recipe is by far my favorite.

This recipe does not contain any milk or yogurt so it is a good option for vegans and it’s gluten-free.

The walnuts give it a little extra flavor as well as upping the vitamin count. On really hot days, I will also throw a few ice cubes in with the ingredients to make it extra refreshing.

You can print the recipe using the link below.

Print

Thanks to Wayfair for sponsoring this post! Visit the links below for even more amazing smoothie recipes!

Bright Green Door – Simple Green Smoothie

Create and Babble – Chocolate Strawberry Protein Smoothie

Dans Le Lakehouse – Layered Smoothie

Divine Lifestyle – Orange Carrot Smoothie

Embracing Homemaking – Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie

Endlessly Inspired – Peach Cobbler Smoothie

Harlem Lovebirds – Tasty Tropical Green Smoothie

Lucky and I – Spinach & Pineapple Green Smoothie Bowl

Only By Grace – Simply Strawberry Smoothie

Pretty Polished Perfect – Orange Carrot Ginger Whole Food Smoothie

Red Shutters – Spinach Smoothie

The Creative Goddess – Chamomile, Blueberry and Peach Smoothie

The Mom of the Year – Dreamy Lavender Smoothie

This Girls Life Blog – Green Detox Smoothie

Two Places at Once – Winter Citrus Smoothie

We Know Stuff – Banana Chocolate Pea Protein Smoothie

*You can read my full disclosure here.

Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes – Virtual Cocktail Party

Hopefully by now, most of your shopping is done and you are menu planning for the upcoming holidays. Today I’ve teamed up with some of my blogging friends to bring you a Virtual holiday cocktail party. How fun is that? We have all gathered up some our favorite cocktail and appetizer recipes, as well as table setting decor ideas.

I prefer appetizers and drinks over a full dinner any day! I am sharing one of my husband’s favorite appetizers, Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes which are always a big hit.

What type of tomatoes you use for this recipe is up to you. This time I used both the small, tri-colored cherry tomatoes as well as these mid-sized tomatoes. The mid-sized ones are easier to clean out and also stand up better on the plate. The little ones tend to fall to the side, they don’t make for a great presentation.

First, you clean and hollow out each tomato. To scoop out the insides of the smaller tomatoes, I used the end of a spoon.

Then you set them upside to drain while you make your stuffing mix. It gets a little messy.

Before you make the stuffing mix, you want to be sure that your cream cheese is softened. Once that is ready, you combine all of the ingredients together and mix well.

Then you place the mixture into piping bags. If you don’t have a piping bag (which I didn’t this time) you can cut the corner off of a Ziploc bag and use that.

That’s it, it couldn’t be any easier!

I used a pinch of oregano for garnish.

If you prefer to use the smaller tomatoes and they don’t stand up on the plate, you can pipe a dab of the cream cheese mixture onto the bottom of the tomato to get it to stay put.

Be prepared, these will disappear faster than you can make them!

Be sure to check out my friend’s amazing recipes and decor ideas below!

An InLinkz Link-up

<!– end InLinkz script —>

Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

Quick and easy delicious Stuffed Cherry Tomato appetizer recipe!

Servings

36 tomatoes

Servings

36 tomatoes

Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

Quick and easy delicious Stuffed Cherry Tomato appetizer recipe!

Servings

36 tomatoes

Servings

36 tomatoes

Ingredients

2 pints cherry tomatoes
1 8 oz. cream cheese softened
1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
1 tblspn milk
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
pinch oregano for garnish

Servings: tomatoes

Instructions

Rinse the tomatoes and pull off the stems. Hollow out the middle of each tomato by spooning out the center. Drain upside down. Cut up softened cream cheese in a bowl. Add all of the other ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag and pipe into the tomatoes. Garnish with oregano.

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Sep292016Sep 28 2016

10 Halloween Cocktails

by RoxanneK, in category Recipes

I’m switching things up a bit today and taking a tiny break from DIY to talk about Halloween cocktails. I was inspired by so many creative Halloween drinks that I’ve been seeing on Pinterest and around the web. Whether you are looking for a sophisticated Halloween drink to serve at your Halloween party, or an all out spine-chilling drink I’ve rounded up some ideas for you!

My husband and I used to go all out for Halloween. I’d go crazy making fun treats for the school parties (see my witches hat cookies) and we would host our own Halloween party every year as well. It was fun, but like anything else it loses some excitement over time. Plus my younger daughter was really afraid of spooky Halloween decor. We once drove an hour in torrential rain to a Halloween store to find a popular costume that my older daughter wanted. When we got there, my younger daughter was so horrified she refused to go into the store! Now if we host any get-together’s, we like to keep it simple and a lot less spooky. Whatever the size of your Halloween party this year, you are sure to find a drink recipe to inspire you on this list!

Caramel Apple Sangria

Liquified Ghost

Witches Brew

Candy Corn Cocktail

Autumn Spiced Cider Rum Cocktail

Witch’s potion – This recipe does not contain alcohol but would be easy to modify if you desire to!

I don’t watch the Walking Dead, but my husband does and I know its hugely popular. This Walker Blood Sangria would be a huge hit to the Walking Dead fans.

Pumpkin Spice White Russian

Two Ingredient Apple Cider Mimosa

The Blackbeard

The Autumn Spiced Rum Cocktail is the first one on my list to try, although they all look really delicious! Which one looks good to you?

Pin it for later:

Simple Raspberry Lemonade

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company. All opinions are mine alone.#AlwaysDelicious #CollectiveBias

If you’re looking for a refreshing drink to cool you down on the hottest of days, look no further. My oldest daughter has always loved lemonade, but to be honest I never really did. So in the summer I would make a pitcher of lemonade and a pitcher of iced tea. Until I decided to experiment with lemonade in order to come up with a recipe that we all would enjoy. This raspberry lemonade turned out so good, the whole family loves it. It’s the perfect drink for your summer gatherings! In fact, while taking these photos on a very hot and humid day I was drinking this the whole time.

It only requires a few ingredients, so it’s ready in a snap. I start with a bottle of Simply Lemonade® and mix in some club soda or carbonated water. I pick up my Lemonade at Sams Club because it’s a better value, and I go through it quickly. I grow my own raspberries in my garden so I add fresh raspberries and lots of ice as well. Simply Lemonade also comes in raspberry flavor, but I prefer to add my own.

I use Simply Lemonade because it contains only all-natural ingredients and does not contain any preservatives or artificial sweeteners. It’s as good as squeezing your own lemonade but without the hassle. I also have mint growing in my garden, so I garnish the glasses with a little sprig of mint as well. You can see my raspberry garden in the background of this next photo.

To fill the decanters, I use a ratio of 3 cups lemonade to 1 1/2 cups club soda. To fill a 2 quart pitcher, double those amounts.

My husband loves when I make him a glass of this while he’s outside working on the lawn on very hot days.

The taste of this raspberry lemonade reminds me a bit of a mimosa only without the alcohol.

You can find Simply Lemonade® on sale for only $3.58 (for 2 bottles!) at Sams Club all summer long in the refrigerated section. Cheers!

Linking up with Between Naps on the Porch

Simple Raspberry Lemonade

Quick and Delicious Raspberry Lemonade with no artificial flavors.

CourseBeverages

Servings	Prep Time
2 Quarts	5 mins

Servings	Prep Time
2 Quarts	5 mins

Simple Raspberry Lemonade

Quick and Delicious Raspberry Lemonade with no artificial flavors.

CourseBeverages

Servings	Prep Time
2 Quarts	5 mins

Servings	Prep Time
2 Quarts	5 mins

Ingredients

6 cups Simply Lemonade
3 cups Club Soda
1 cup Fresh Raspberries
1 sprig mint for garnish

Servings: Quarts

Instructions

Pour the Simply Lemonade into a 2 Quart pitcher. Add the club soda followed by the raspberries. Fill with ice. Pour into glasses and garnish with a mint leave if desired.

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Black Bean Salad Recipe

Every once in a while I take a break from DIY and design to share a recipe. This only happens when a recipe really inspires me because as I have mentioned before, I really don’t love to cook. Since this Black Bean Salad recipe is one of my go-to’s for summer time I decided it was worthy of posting about. It’s technically a salad, but it can be used as a dip with tortilla chips or spooned over grilled chicken, or whatever meat you like. It is the most versatile summer recipe! It’s also very inexpensive to make, feeds a crowd, is low in fat, and it’s healthy! Holla!

You can swap out an ingredient or two to customize it to your family’s preferences. For example, I use cucumber in mine, but you could swap out the cucumber for avocado or use both.

To make, you first will drain and rinse the 2 cans of black beans and drain one can of corn. Add them both to a large mixing bowl, then add the chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and onion. Combine the oil, vinegar and sea salt in a separate bowl before adding to the bean mixutre. (printable recipe below)

It’s that easy! I picked up the striped blue and white place mats at Home Goods recently. They’re so summery. And the rustic “we sell live crabs” sign was a fun find at my favorite flea market.

Be warned, this black bean salad is addicting!

Keep in mind, the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of olive oil, but I actually use a little less than that because it’s a bit too greasy for me. You may want to play around with the ratio to suit your taste. If you like your food with a little kick, you could also add in a hint of hot pepper sauce, or chopped jalapenos peppers. Enjoy!

Mexican Black Bean Salad Recipe

A delicious side dish that can also be used as a dip with tortilla chips or as a topping for grilled meats. Avocado can be substituted for the cucumber.

Servings	Prep Time
8-10	15 minutes

Cook Time	Passive Time
0	0

Servings	Prep Time
8-10	15 minutes

Cook Time	Passive Time
0	0

Mexican Black Bean Salad Recipe

A delicious side dish that can also be used as a dip with tortilla chips or as a topping for grilled meats. Avocado can be substituted for the cucumber.

Servings	Prep Time
8-10	15 minutes

Cook Time	Passive Time
0	0

Servings	Prep Time
8-10	15 minutes

Cook Time	Passive Time
0	0

Ingredients

2 cans 15 ounces black beans rinsed and drained
1 can 11 ounces corn drained
1 tomato chopped
1 cucumber peeled and diced
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
tortilla chips for serving

Servings:

Instructions

Combine the beans, corn, tomato, cucumber and onion in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl whisk the oil, vinegar and salt. Pour over bean mixture and toss to coat.

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