• simple chicken, with TONS of yum

    Sometimes simple chicken really is the answer for dinner, and this simple grilled chicken is a perfect choice for dinner tonight!! A family affair One of my favorite family traditions is family dinner.  We try to all get together (at least with us that live in SE Texas) at least once every few weeks and there is always good food.  A few weeks a go The Brother and Sis-in-Law hosted family dinner and fixed this simple grilled chicken.  Not only was it delicious but it is now a favorite! Now don’t let the name fool you, it may be simple to fix but there is nothing simple about the flavor.…

  • grilled goodness for DAD

    Father’s Day is this weekend!  That’s so crazy.   I can’t believe it is already the middle of June and time to celebrate the men in our lives. Celebrating DAD In our home, Father’s Day has always included a home cooked meal, whatever my dad wants, and then typically we watch golf.  The US Open Golf Tournament is usually on so we have to watch, & that is a must watch. Over time we have had everything from BBQ sandwich’s to pasta, but this year we are going to take things up a notch and light up the grill.  Now I know what your thinking…the grill is Dad’s domain, but trust…

  • caramel makes me happy

    I LOVE caramel anything really.  I love it in my coffee, I love it on ice cream, I love it swirled into cakes and I especially love it with brownies.  Over time I have made a couple of caramel brownie recipes (like this one)  but this new recipe is The Hubby’s favorite one hands down. For most of my other caramel recipes I use my super easy homemade caramel sauce (recipe can be found here) but for this brownie recipe I used the caramel candies.  You know those little square bits of yummy goodness wrapped in that annoying cellophane…well just because I love caramel (& The Hubby) so much I unwrapped them…

  • Wes & the Asparagus

    Two of my most favorite people in the whole world are my niece and nephew Audra & Wesley.  Audra is just about 8 months and Wesley will be 2 next week and I am obsessed with them.  I try and talk to Wes once a day on the phone and see them as much as I can, and of course I am constantly spoiling them as much as I can.  One of my favorite helpers One of my favorite things to do for Wes is to cook for him.  From the time he could start eating real food I would bring him almost everything I made him…and sometimes when he see’s me he…

  • A slider to remember

    So there has been a ton going on my life lately and sometimes there just doesn’t seem to be the time (or energy) to make a big dinner so instead lets make a little dinner with BIG flavor….Blue Cheese Bacon Slider! A slider is a favorite for me and The Hubby.  We eat them out and at home.  Sometimes we like just a traditional cheeseburger slider with american cheese, other times we take it up a notch with some grilled onions, a fancier cheese, some veggies and maybe even an egg…but my all time favorite slider is blue cheese with bacon.  There is just something so delicious & yummy about the…

  • sweet & spicy…oh so good pineapple!

    It is no secret that we love to grill here in Texas.  I mean c’mon we kinda live on grilled everything in the spring & summer.  We will grill anything that will sit still on the grill (or not fall through the grates)….fruits such as pineapple. The obvious favorites are of course, steak (like this steakhouse steak), chicken, pork anything, veggies…but another big favorite is fruit!  Yes, I said fruit.  There is just something so yummy about fruits that have been charred a little…it really brings out the sweetness of the fruit while intensifying the flavor immensely.   I love grilled peaches for sure but my favorite grilled fruit is pineapple.  It’s so funny, I…

  • stay in for this favorite…fajitas

    The Hubby has started cross fit in the last couple of months…yes I said The Hubby is doing cross fit.  Now just to be clear, I am not doing cross fit The Hubby is doing cross fit and I am so, so proud of him.  He has been so committed and goes at 6:00 AM, 3 days a week and in turn I have been trying to feed him a little better (with a  few indulgences here and there). One of the things The Hubby has been really craving and needing is protein and I think he could eat grilled meat 6 times a day, and especially fajitas.  He has…

  • at home pork that is so, so good

    I don’t know about you but one of the hardest things to eat out, when you are trying to eat good, is Chinese food.  It can be loaded with tons of sodium, hidden calories and fat all the while being bathed in delicious sauces that make you want to keep eating.  The Hubby loves chinese food so I have been on a mission to find some lighter options, that can be made quickly but still with all of his favorite flavors…trust me this has been a challenge for sure.  I have had some success in the past…I made this skinny stir fry that The Hubby loved but he kept asking me…

  • kicky shrimp on the grill

    I love shrimp!  There I admit it…I L.O.V.E those cute little things!  Since I was a little kid I have always been a fan.  One of my earliest memories involves this favorite treat.  There was a restaurant in Houston that I loved, JoJo’s.  It was a family type of place that we ate at quite often and I would always get their fried shrimp.  To my 6 year old self this was without a doubt the BEST dinner ever…I didn’t care that they were frozen, rubbery or over cooked (really over fried, but I don’t think that is a legitimate cooking term)…none of that mattered to me … I loved my…

  • fajita skewers please…

    Who is ready for grilling season…I AM!!  There is just something so great about getting outside and cooking over an open fire (or having The Hubby do it) and experiencing the great flavors that come with it.    It just seems to make everything taste better, even the stuff that isn’t cooked on the grill….and especially these fajita skewers. Living in SE Texas definitely has its perks and one of the big ones is almost year round grilling and these fajita skewers are a must make.  Fajita’s are a favorite when we go out to one of our favorite Tex-mex restaurants but they can be loaded with extra fat and…