CORN AND SHRIMP SALSA

Corn and Shrimp Salsa is a light and nutritious appetizer to enjoy all summer long. Avocado, tomatoes, and jicama make it fresh and delicious. It’s also and easy make-ahead dish for any occasion.

    

This salsa is loaded with shrimp and a whole lot of freshness. It was originally published on the blog years ago. I finally got around to replacing the original low resolution photos with new ones, and I’m excited to reintroduce it to you! Enjoy!

Below is the original post with added content and updated photos:

CHEESY TOMATO AND ONION TART

Juicy in season tomatoes, sweet chopped onion, and fresh basil make this cheesy tart perfect for summer. It’s great for brunch, as an appetizer, or serve with a side of greens for a fantastic lunch!

    

Garden fresh tomatoes is the epitome of summertime. They are succulent, fresh, and bursting with flavor. Apart from salads, I love having them with a light sprinkling of salt. So simple and satisfying!

ORZO RONI

If you like Rice-A-Roni, you are going to like this copycat orzo version. Orzo and broken spaghetti are toasted until nutty and simmered in a chicken flavored broth. It’s a perfect all-purpose side dish for any meal.

    

My husband loves Rice-A-Roni. If he had his way, it would be on the dinner table at least once a week. While this sounds fine, he always wants the same flavor—chicken. A little variety once in a while would be nice. Unfortunately for those of us who have to dine with him, he is man who knows what he likes and sticks to it! Often times, it’s easier to have what he has rather than add another item to the menu.

CRISPY CHICKEN TENDERS WITH SWEET PEPPER RELISH DIP

It’s hard not to love these crispy fried chicken tenders. They are breaded in flour and butter flavored cracker crumbs and served with a sweet pepper relish dip. Great for appetizer or a main dish!

    

Happy July!! I’m not sure if it’s the humidity or something else that is putting my blogging activity on neutral, but I can’t bring myself to cook and drag out all of my equipement for photoshoots. Instead, I find myself in front of the laptop doing maintenance work on the blog and photo editing. That resulted in the post I’m sharing with you today.

4TH OF JULY CANDY SWIRLED STRAWBERRIES

Summer fresh red strawberries coated with white and blue swirled candy melt is a perfect, easy to make dessert for or 4th of July or any patriotic event.

     

Hello friends. It’s good to be back after a short break to take care of some unexpected family matter. I won't delve into the details but will say the family suffered the loss of an elderly parent and a serious medical condition of another. It’s been one heck of a year—for all of us. I believe there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. We just have to walk through it one step at a time.

But let’s move onto something lighter and delicious!

CHICKEN CHOW MEIN SANDWICH

“Don’t knock it ‘till you try it” is my advice when it comes to this sandwich. The Chow Mein Sandwich is a regional classic in parts of southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It consists of a brown gravy chow mein served over crispy chow mein noodles and sandwiched in between a hamburger bun. You’ve got to try it!

       

You might look at this and think that’s it’s a lot of filling for the bun. But that isn’t so when it comes to the chow mein sandwich where the motto seems to be “the more, the better”. It is not uncommon to have a dinner plate filled with chow mein and noodles served with just one itty-bitty hamburger bun. 

STRAWBERRY CUSTARD BREAD PUDDING

This strawberry filled custard bread pudding is a light tasting and delicious dessert that repurposes unused bread. Serve with a generous drizzle of chocolate sauce, whipped cream or ice cream for a treat you will want to eat all summer!

       

I always have excess sandwich bread. With warmer temps and the increasing humidity, things are starting to mold a little more quickly and don’t keep long. My family can eat only so many sandwiches and toasts during the week. To reduce waste, I like make bread pudding.

Unlike many bread pudding recipes you might come across, this one is soft and custardy—just the way I like it! Although the ones with a higher bread-chunks-to-custard ratio are yummy, the custardy ones speak to my heart.

BANANA BLUEBERRY COCONUT BREAD

This moist and tender quick bread is chalk full of bananas, juicy blueberries, and coconut. It’s topped with coconut glaze, coconut flakes, and chopped pecans. Super easy to make and it doesn’t require a mixer!

       

I love combining banana and blueberries, and I love it even more with coconut. This quick bread has them all! It’s moist (sorry if you don’t like that word), tender, and delicious! The bread is a perfect combination of ripe bananas, succulent blueberries, and sweetened coconut flakes. To add extra goodness, it is topped with more coconut goodness and chopped pecans. 

Making it is a cinch. It requires minimal prep time, is easy to make, and entirely hand mixed. Use overripe bananas and fresh sweet blueberries, if at all possible for best results.