Tomato Salad With Cucumber Dressing

Name: Tomato Salad With Cucumber Dressing
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 people
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

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.

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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

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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?

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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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May302016Jun 6 2016

Simply Summer Cookbook

by RoxanneK, in category Recipes

Happy Memorial Day! We are taking a little break from DIY this weekend, just to catch up with things around the house and spend some time relaxing with friends. But I do have a treat for you today! One of the very talented ladies, Alexandria, who works behind the scenes at Wayfair came up with an idea months ago to put together a Summer cookbook featuring recipes from bloggers. After digging through tons of submissions, she and her team picked their favorites and made each and every one of these recipes in their test kitchen at Wayfair. I am honored to have my Simple Salsa included in this cookbook.

The cookbook includes everything from appetizers to desserts and the best part is it’s FREE! You can find the link to the Wayfair Simply Summer recipes ebook here. I am so inspired by this book, I’ve already tried one of the recipes, the Carrot and Cucumber Salad. It is sure to be your go-to cookbook this summer. I know it’s going to be mine! Here a just a sampling of the recipes you will find in it.

Roasted Red Pepper Spread from Emily at Stay Healthy, Stay Happy.

Summer Arugula Pasta Salad from Michelle at Sunshine and Superfoods.

Grilled Halibut with Tomato and Avocado Relish from Amee at Amee’s Savory Dish.

Watermelon Cucumber Boardwalk Lemonade from Keisha at Cupcake Wishes and Birthday Dreams.

Vanilla Bean Chocolate Chip Popsicles from Brittany at Oh My Dear Blog.

You can find all of these recipes and many more in the Wayfair Simply Summer Cookbook. Enjoy!

Feb12016Feb 5 2016

Irish Soda Bread

by RoxanneK, in category Recipes

Hi there, I hope you had a great weekend! I have so many projects in progress right now, that I haven’t been able to complete just one. I’ve been jumping all over the place lately! I do, however, have another recipe this week. I am a big fan of St. Patrick’s Day and I made this Irish Soda Bread Recipe to share over at SoFabFood.com. It’s a traditional Irish Soda Bread but with a twist. It’s really delicious! You can view the full post and get the recipe over there. I’ll be back with DIY projects later this week, enjoy!

Chocolate and Caramel Oat Bars

Hi there! We had a monster snow storm here this weekend, so I was able to get some baking done. I’ve taken a little break from my monthly recipe posts during the holidays but now I’m ready to get back to it. If you are new to this, once a month I switch up my usual DIY and home decor posts to participate in an ingredient challenge with some friends. This months chosen ingredient was chocolate, so how could I skip this one??

I decided to make these Chocolate and Caramel Oat Bars. My husband’s sweet tooth isn’t as big as mine, but he really loved this recipe! One tip to keep in mind when making this recipe is the mixture will be dry. When it bakes the butter melts and turns it to that golden brown color. When I took it out of the oven after the final baking step I did add a few more pats of butter to one or two leftover dry-looking spots. The photo below shows what the mix looks like before it goes into the oven.

A friend had shared this recipe with me awhile back and I was definitely skeptical the first time I saw this mix that it would come out right, but much to my surprise it did.

They come out of the oven very rich and gooey, and would be delicious topped with ice cream. You can print out the full recipe card shown below.

Don’t forget to stop by and see what my friends created using chocolate, they never disappoint!

linking up with Between Naps on the Porch

Chocolate and Caramel Oat Bars

These easy oat bars are sweet and rich, and can be topped with ice cream.

CourseDesserts

Servings	Prep Time
4 dozen	1 hour

Cook Time

35 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
4 dozen	1 hour

Cook Time

35 minutes

Chocolate and Caramel Oat Bars

These easy oat bars are sweet and rich, and can be topped with ice cream.

CourseDesserts

Servings	Prep Time
4 dozen	1 hour

Cook Time

35 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
4 dozen	1 hour

Cook Time

35 minutes

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups flour divided
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cups brown sugar packed
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cold butter
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 12 ounces
1 cup pecans chopped
1 jar caramel ice cream topping 12 ounces

Servings: dozen

Instructions

Combine 2 cups of the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Set half aside for topping. Press the remaining crumb mixture into a greased 13-in. X 9-in. X 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips and pecans. Whisk the caramel topping and remaining flour until smooth, drizzle over top. Sprinkle with the reserved crumb mixture. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool before cutting.

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