• Happy 4th of July

    July 4th is here…but do not worry here are some quick and easy last minute treats you can have ready for the BBQ this afternoon. First up is this delicious Lemon Berry Tart.  It is loaded with tons of berries and a delicious pudding filling with just a hint of lemon and one of the best tart crusts I have ever had.   Next up is Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.  This is my go to ice cream and my dad’s favorite.  It is rich, creamy and perfect for a warm evening under fireworks. Blueberry Pie Bars are a perfect quick treat.  They are loaded with tons of blueberry goodness and…

  • perfect for any celebration!!

    I love chocolate chip cookies!  I mean I L.O.V.E chocolate chip cookies and have been on the hunt for the perfect one for a long time. In the meantime I have a found a M&M Cookie Bar that is pretty amazing and SO EASY…much easier than any traditional cookie recipe I have found and OH SO GOOD! Bring on the fun The beauty of these bars is you can really add anything you want to them.  You can use the M&M’s like I did, or add in oreo cookies, or your favorite candy chopped up a bit.  You could also add in nuts, or butterscotch or peanut butter chips.  Some…

  • A new way to sundae

    Confession time…I never once had a traditional strawberry shortcake until I was in my 20’s.  Growing up my mom and grandmothers made their own version of “shortcake” with pie crust.  Yep you read that right…pie crust. It is all about the crust My dad’s most favorite dessert is crust and strawberries.  It is really as simple as it sounds….it is pie crust topped with chopped strawberries.    The key is the super flaky and very tender pie crust, and how we cut it.  Trust me this will change how you think about pie crust! Double duty crust recipe My MeeMaw and Mom have been using this recipe for both these…

  • A must make summer side

    The Holiday weekend is almost here and I am busy thinking about all the yummies I am going to fix.  One dish I know for sure is this Mexican Street Corn Salad.  It is a perfect side for this Holiday weekend. It is so much more than corn Ok, obviously corn is a HUGE part of this dish but that is not all there is to it.  There is also lime, cheese, herbs, chili powder, sour cream…and a few more things.   Let me tell you it all comes together to create a delicious corn salad, that you can serve warm or chilled, that everyone is sure to LOVE!! It…

  • The ULTIMATE Rice Krispies

    My brother, James, is a HUGE fan if Rice Krispie treats.  So much so that that is all he asks for when his birthday rolls around.  I am, of course, more than happy to make them because he has to be one the hardest people in the world to buy for.  If rice krispie treats make him happy I am in. Family Affair My brother has now got my nephew loving rice krispie treats as well.  Truth be told I love to make Wesley just about anything so rice krispie treats are becoming quite the regular treat around our houses. Taking it to the next level Me being me I…

  • Homemade Ice Cream has never been so good (& easy)

    Summer is officially here and it is ICE CREAM TIME!!  Honestly it is always ice cream time in my world, but especially in the summer.  I mean just look how refreshing it looks…it is the perfect summertime treat!! Homemade and OH SO EASY! Growing up my dad would always make homemade ice cream for every get together we had in the summer.  Way back then he used one of those old fashioned ice cream makers where you had to sue rock salt and it seemed to take FOREVER (at least to a kid it seemed like forever)!   Now I use a much smaller machine and it is done in…

  • Easiest Pie EVER

    Ok, Ok I now I talked a lot about how much I love all the berries right now yesterday, but I just have to share one more recipe with you.  This one is all about blueberries and they are SOOOO good!! Easiest Pie I have EVER made I love summer.  We are in the pool all the time.  Playing with my niece and nephew.  Enjoying the sun (& humidity).  Eating yummies whenever I want and loving every bite.   The only problem is I don’t want to spend a ton of time int he kitchen and lets be honest traditional pie takes a while…but these Blueberry Pie Bars don’t.  Trust…

  • Celebrate with this berry trifle

    The first long weekend of the summer is here.  School is getting out.  The days are getting longer and it is time to enjoy it all with family & friends.  Trust me this berry trifle is a perfect way to enjoy it all! Berrylicious Everything  Walking through the produce section of my local grocery stores and farmers markets I am overwhelmed with all the beautiful berries. With the long Holiday weekend here I want to highlight them in this amazing triple berry trifle.   Even better it is  red, white and blue making it perfect for Memorial Day (& the 4th of July too).  Ok really it is perfect for any summer party…

  • potato salad is a must have this weekend…

    Memorial Day is fast approaching and that means it is time to start planning for the big BBQ you are going to be having and potato salad is a must have on our menu…and this potato salad is a delicious one!! Now I have made my fair share of potato salads over time but this definately one of my favorites.  It all starts with the bacon.  I mean any recipe that starts with bacon has to be yummy.  Next comes the potatoes, I decided to roast the potatoes in just a tad bit of bacon grease (it’s just a little)…I mean I could have just stopped there and been so,…

  • Ribs by James…

    My brother James and my mom are HUGE fans of ribs.  Anytime we go eat at any of our local BBQ joints (which we have several of here in Texas) they always order ribs.  Me, I am more of a brisket and sausage gal, but that is for another day and another recipe.   It is RIB time OK… now back to the ribs…being that my brother loves ribs & he loves to grill and smoke things he took it upon himself to make the best ribs ever…and I will admit they are really, really good. He experimented with several variations of this recipe but finally found the perfect combo of…