A Life in Food
Tomatoes are plentiful in most gardens this time of year and if you are fortunate enough to have them; odds are, you are looking for ways to use them up. Try stuffing them with a mixture of flavorful herbs and breadcrumb mixed with crab meat. For a Greek twist, try them stuffed with orzo, feta and Kalamata olives. Whichever recipe you try, they are the perfect side dish or light summer meal.
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Cherry Crisp is one of those obligatory summer desserts and I for one, happily oblige. Making a crisp couldn’t be easier. It’s nothing more than mixing a few things together and sliding it into the oven. This is a perfect dessert for those just learning how to bake and also those of us who happen to love cherries. No pie filling here or cake mix of any sort. This cherry crisp is made from scratch with only a handful of ingredients.
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Dinner. How many of you have stood in front of an open refrigerator trying to figure it out? You’re not alone. In other words, I’m guilty of this as well. It’s not always easy and therefore, we tend to get in a rut. Our primary goal is to make dinner a stress-free endeavor by giving you menu ideas every week. I fell off the wagon myself and now, I’m trying to get organized again. I know many of you have kids back in school, which means that organization is paramount. So, let’s do this!
How it works: Every Friday morning, a new meal plan will show up in your email. It will consist of 5 dinner options, plus 2 extras. Those two extras could be side dishes, dessert, drinks, etc. The Dinner Divas weekly menu plans will feature (mostly) healthy, seasonal foods that don’t take all day to prepare. Getting the weekly menu delivered to your inbox on Friday morning gives you the chance to make your shopping list and get organized for the week ahead. I’d love to hear from you & see your creations! Post a pic using #DinnerDivas and tag @pookspantry! I hope this weekly menu plan provides inspiration and makes life a little easier… one meal at a time.
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Steak sizzling away on a hot grill is my kryptonite. It will (and has) stopped me dead in my tracks, prompting me to fill my nostrils with that delicious aroma. Brush on a simple espresso and bourbon glaze and you have just upped your grill game exponentially.
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Ceviche is raw fish “cooked” by acid, usually lime juice. If you are a bit squeamish about raw fish, let me assure you that once the ceviche has marinated in the lime juice, you wouldn’t notice a difference had the fish been cooked in a traditional manner.
This is a very traditional recipe with the exception of the sweet corn. I added it for a bit of summer sweetness and texture with the super fresh fish for a wedding that I catered recently. The bride was very happy and thus, I was very happy.
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Welcome Back, friends! Our focus this week is salads. I don’t know about you, but just thinking about turning on the oven in the summer makes me sad. The air conditioning is already running 24/7 here and the thought of making it HOTTER in this house is unbearable. Besides the fact that I just spent the past 4 days eating All The Things in front of me, I could use a virtuous dinner.
How it works: Every Friday morning, a new meal plan will show up in your email. It will consist of 5 dinner options, plus 2 extras. Those two extras could be side dishes, dessert, drinks, etc. The Dinner Divas weekly menu plans will feature (mostly) healthy, seasonal foods that don’t take all day to prepare. Getting the weekly menu delivered to your inbox on Friday morning gives you the chance to make your shopping list and get organized for the week ahead. We’ve got so much good stuff this week! I’d love to hear from you & see your creations! Post a pic using #DinnerDivas and tag @pookspantry! I hope this weekly menu plan provides inspiration and makes life a little easier… one meal at a time.
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Fresh fruit and coconut yogurt make these popsicles guilt-free. A simple blueberry pureé, yogurt and fresh raspberries are the only ingredients in this icy treat. Summer is officially here and this is how I plan to beat the heat.
Recently, I met up with my friend Sue. She generously bestowed upon me pounds and pounds of fresh blueberries from her farm. I have to admit that I ate a quite a few. Have you ever heard someone describe something as “jammy”? Well, these blueberries were most definitely jammy. As in, they tasted like JAM. They were so incredibly sweet, I could help myself. That’s my defense. They were too good, so I had to eat them. Lots of them.
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The Divas are back, friends! It’s Friday and that means a week’s worth of dinner recipes along with 2 extras. From pizza to pasta, we have it all this week, including a fresh tomato tart and a gorgeous salad for lighter meals.
How it works: Every Friday morning, a new meal plan will show up in your email. It will consist of 5 dinner options, plus 2 extras. Those two extras could be side dishes, dessert, drinks, etc. The Dinner Divas weekly menu plans will feature (mostly) healthy, seasonal foods that don’t take all day to prepare. Getting the weekly menu delivered to your inbox on Friday morning gives you the chance to make your shopping list and get organized for the week ahead. We’ve got so much good stuff this week! I’d love to hear from you & see your creations! Post a pic using #DinnerDivas and tag @pookspantry! I hope this weekly menu plan provides inspiration and makes life a little easier… one meal at a time.
I am over the moon for this Pork Banh Mi Burger from Girl in the Little Red Kitchen, It has everything I love in a burger. Tons of flavor!
Next is this One Pot Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Spinach from The Chef Next Door. I don’t know about you, but Tuesdays are always harder for me than Mondays. This is the perfect low effort meal for me.
One of my favorite (and most popular) recipes. This Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart is a serious stunner. Although it looks quite fussy, it’s not as difficult to make as you might imagine. It’s a beautiful way to use up those luscious summer tomatoes!
This beautiful Strawberry Mango Salad with Strawberry Poppyseed Dressing from Comfortable Domestic is a great option for a light Summer dinner when it’s just too hot to cook.
Friday means PIZZA and Pastry Chef Online does not disappoint with her Sausage Gravy Pizza with Peppers and Onions.
It wouldn’t be summer without an awesome recipe for potato salad. Girl in the Little Red Kitchen brings Potato Salad with Bacon, Corn and Peppers as an extra treat this week. I would be first in line for this!
Finally, we close out the week with The Best Strawberry Shortcake from Comfortably Domestic. I can’t imagine a backyard gathering without it. What a perfect way to wrap up!
Thank you all so much for being here! Next week, our theme will be RED, WHITE & BLUE! Just in time to plan your 4th of July menu.
Remember, if you make any of these recipes, use the hashtag #DinnerDivas so we can see your creations! See you next week!
Blueberry season is here and I couldn’t be happier about it. I’ve been on a bit of a “blueberry bender” as of late. I have “blueberried” everything feasible including barbeque sauce, because, why not? This Blueberry Bourbon BBQ sauce will soon be your go-to for ribs. I paired it with a slab last weekend and it was wildly delicious. The copious amount of vinegar lends itself nicely to fatty pork. The sweet jamminess of the blueberries with the heat from the peppers comes together to make this bbq sauce out of this world.
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Rosé is my summer drink. It’s light, crisp and enjoyed chilled to combat the heat of summer. This rosé sangria with summer fruits is a great way to enjoy a less expensive bottle of wine. Filled with berries, stone fruit and lemons, it is the ultimate summer sangria.
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