Kale & Bacon salad

Kale salads can be hit and miss. The key to a great kale salad is taking the time to prepare it and let it soak up the dressing. I harvested what I thought was a huge bunch of kale from my garden and turned it into a salad.... sadly after all that work it was only enough for 1 serving! This recipe is a little bit of this, little bit of that, no measurement recipe... but it was yummy!

Ingredients: Adjust to the amount of kale

Kale

Olive oil (enough to coat the kale)

fresh lemon juice

sprinkle of parmesan cheese

bacon cut into small pieces

salt & pepper to taste

minced garlic (I used 1 clove)

Directions:

1. Wash and dry your kale

2. Gather it into small pieces and roll it between your hands. 

3. Dice it into small pieces. 

4. Toss together with olive oil, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, bacon, garlic, and salt & pepper.

5. Let sit for at least 1 hour.

6. Enjoy

Blat

Gotta love fresh tomatoes and lettuce from the garden! This is an easy lunch that I make quite frequently in the summer. 

     

Ingredients: 

lettuce

bacon

avocado

tomato

shredded cheddar cheese

mayo

red onion

sandwich sprinkle from Penzeys

Texas toast

Directions: 

Toast bread in toaster

Pile on ingredients! 

Cooler

I've made a couple of these coolers for the weddings I have been to this summer. 

First, I cut out the letters on scrapbook paper using my silhouette. 

Then, I traced the letters with a fine line paint pen.

Finally, I colored it in using paint pen and this "Mean Streak" pen that is waterproof.

Strawberry Salsa

This recipe was a perfect way to use some Serrano peppers in my garden. As of July 19th, I have had over 65 Serranos from 2 plants! I also used herbs from my garden and freshly picked strawberries!

Strawberry & Serrano Pepper Salsa 

Ingredients

1 large carton of organic strawberries

2 large organic tomatoes

1 Serrano pepper (more if you like it hot)

1/8 cup cilantro, chopped

1/8 cup basil, chopped

5 mint leaves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon of honey 

1 teaspoon of sugar

1 tablespoon of limejuice

Splash of balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Remove the stems from the strawberries and dice them.

2. Dice the pepper.

3. Cut the tomato in half and squeeze out the seeds. 

4. Dice the tomato slices. 

5. In a large bowl, add the diced strawberries, diced tomatoes, cilantro, basil, Serrano pepper, honey, sugar. Stir just enough to mix.

Serve with tortilla chips or as a bruschetta! 

Pizza on the grill

I think I have finally mastered "Pizza on the Grill"....

The key is to do everything outside.



Start with the Kitchen Aid Pizza Dough. (I doubled it and it made 7-8 mini pizzas)
Brush the grill with olive oil and turn on Low.
Make the mini pizza dough shapes, brush with olive oil and place on the grill.
Don't let the grill get too hot, I kept opening it and closing it.
Using a large spatula, turn them over after 2-3 minutes.
Keep turning every 2-3 minutes until the crust is slightly golden brown.
Gather your friends and start an assembly line! Add the toppings.
Close the lid of the grill for 1-2 minutes and allow for the cheese to melt.
Open it up until the pizzas look perfect!

Enjoy!

Baby Farrah

Sweet Baby Farrah joined the world at the end of May. Being the first girl in her family, she needed some princess clothes! I whipped up a few of my favorites for her.

Handmade Gift Exchange

This is the 3rd time I have participated in the Craftaholics Handmade Gift Exchange. Twice a year, Craftaholics Anonymous hosts a Handmade Gift Exchange for readers and crafters everywhere. Participants make a handmade gift for another crafter with whom they are paired. This is a great way to make a gift.

I made this cute beach bag for my secret crafter, Destiny. I had made one for myself a few weeks before, and loved it. It is reversible, big, and has long straps! The best part is, its a 30 minute craft! I followed these directions from Something Turquoise.

In return, I received these "paper" towels that snap together! These have been on my list to make, but I never got around to it. If you know me, I'm kind of a recycle natzi, so these are a perfect way to go green! 

Thanks Destiny!

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Bacon Wrapped a Pineapple

This is a super easy appetizer! 

2 ingredients: BACON & PINEAPPLE

Cut the bacon in half, wrap in pineapple, place on cookie sheet lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 375* for 12-15 minutes, or until bacon is cooked. If you want it a little sweeter, sprinkle a little brown sugar on it before you pop it in the oven!