This is one of my favorite things to make for outdoor parties along with homemade tortilla chips. It’s yummy and refreshing, and guests love it!
What You Need:
4 limes
6 to 8 jalapeños chopped depending on your spice level
1 medium white onion chopped
27 to 30 roma tomatoes chopped
1 bunch of cilantro finely chopped
Salt for taste
Steps:
1. Chop all veggies and mix together in a large bowl.
2. Add your lime juice from the limes and mix well. Add salt lightly, mix, and taste until you achieve your desired taste.
*tip: taste test your pico with a tortilla chip. And always add salt gently. better to have little salt where others can add salt to their pico vs your salsa coming out too salty*
3. Serve immediately or allow to refrigerate overnight before your big party.
1 1/2 lbs of chicken thighs (bone in and skin removed)
1 large sweet potato peeled and chopped into bite size pieces
1 yellow squash sliced with skin on
1 head of broccoli chopped
1/2 of a sweet onion chopped into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon of olive oil plus 2-3 extra tablespoons
1 tablespoon of jarred minced garlic
1 packet of McCormick Seasoning Farmers Market Chicken And Vegetables SHEET PAN
Steps
1. Preheat oven to 400 and line a cookie sheet with foil. While the oven is heating up prepare your veggies and remove skin from chicken.
2. Place veggies and chicken on sheet pan. Prepare McCormicks seasoning packet. Rub majority of mixture on the front and back of the chicken. Any additional mixture add onto veggies.
3. Drizzle the extra olive oil on veggies, next add a few dashes of salt and pepper on veggies, and then add the minced garlic throughout the veggies. Mix well with your hands.
4. Ensure the chicken is directly on the foil surrounded by the veggies (see photo below) . Bake at 400 for 30 mins. Once complete, allow the chicken and veggies to rest for 10 mins.
Best served with rice or potatoes.
Enjoy!
The seasoning packet Before pan enters the ovenAfter the pan has been removed.
When you need a delicious quick dinner this is a great go-to! Now, I am not going to get specific with measurements of ingredients. Chop as much as you want, use as much as you want, just enjoy it!
What You Need:
Tostadas (Guerrero)
2 premade bags of beans (La Sierra Refried Beans)
Chopped up lettuce
Chopped up fresh cilantro
Chopped up fresh roma tomatoes
Queso fresco crumbled (Ranchero)
A couple of Avocados sliced up
A yummy salsa (your favorite)
Rotisserie chicken shredded
Lime sliced and ready for a good squeeze
How To Layer Your Tostada
1. Start with your tostada, then spread your refried beans. It works like glue.
2. Next add your shredded chicken or beef.
3. Then add your lettuce, tomato, cilantro, and cheese.
4. Top your tostada with an avocado slice and drizzle your favorite salsa. Squeeze lime juice all over and ENJOY!
We find ourselves with two mutually conflicting tendencies in the heart: the desire for adventure and the desire for security.
The desire for adventure is really the desire to know, to explore, to push beyond the real or imaginary limits. All of this requires going out of one’s comfort zone and can be potentially stressful and pain-bearing. What makes people go for it anyway is the tantalizing possibility of successful breakthroughs, which can be enormously fulfilling and pleasurable. All great discoveries and inventions have occurred through the spirit of adventure.
The desire for security is the desire to be safe, to avoid risks, and to accept certain limitations in return for peace of mind. We usually find security in what is familiar, be it a place, an idea, a person, or work. Some people seem to prefer the boring known to the exciting unknown. The desire for security is often connected with responsibility for dependents (one’s family, for instance)…….
……..In life we often go back and forth between these two tendencies—to be adventurous and to be safe. When certain adventures end in disasters, we pull back and become extra-cautious, preferring the security of the familiar to the thrill of the unknown. When we get bored by the endless routine of familiar chores, the mind becomes restless and we gather enough courage to try out something new … until we become disillusioned again and return to our own comfort zones. Some of us never really figure out how to handle these two tendencies. Getting the balance between the two is not always easy.
It is a helpful exercise to look within and find where we lie on the adventure/security spectrum. Rather than indulge in reckless adventures, it may be more helpful to be gently adventurous, pushing the boundaries firmly but in small measures.
You know how sometimes you don’t eat something for awhile and then you eat it and you remember how much you enjoy it? Well I’m going through that with baked sweet potatoes. I’ve been making them often and they are so good. Skin and all! Of course I add butter and brown sugar but what other way do you even eat it?
Enjoy!
What You Need:
4 sweet potatoes (wash, dried and unpeeled)
4-6 tablespoons of Olive oil
Salt
Unsalted butter and brown sugar for after baking
Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 400 and line a cookie sheet with foil.
2. Rub about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil onto each of the sweet potatoes. Next, lightly salt each sweet potato.
3. After the sweet potatoes have been rubbed with olive oil and salted you’re going to take a fork and jab it a few times into each sweet potato. 4-5 jabs in each.
4. Bake for 50 minutes or until a fork can be poked through smoothly.
5. Once done, slice each sweet potato and top with unsalted butter and brown sugar. Serve immediately.
This is the perfect lunch or dinner when you need something quick and super easy!
When the husband approves, it’s a win and worth sharing.
Although, I can’t really take full credit for this. I was inspired by this salad I get every so often at this restaurant in town. Unfortunately I don’t get to eat out often and enjoy it as much as I’d love to because I have 3 little ones that take up a lot of time and energy!
Sometimes you have to improvise when you can’t get your hands on the real deal. But sometimes you come up with something even better! And easier!
Honestly, it’s just buying stuff at the grocery store and combing it all to get this delicious salad full of flavor.
I’m sharing with you all this easy recipe you can make at home that everyone will love.
You won’t feel guilty after eating, perfect for enjoying outside in some nice weather, and pairs well with sangria or your favorite mock-tail.
Enjoy!
Ultimate Rotisserie Chicken Caesar Salad
Serves 4-6 people
(Takes less then 30 mins to prepare)
What you need:
One rotisserie chicken
1 box of suddenly pasta – Caesar flavor
1/2 can of black olives chopped finely (optional)
1/2-3/4 can of pinto beans
1 family size bag of Caesar salad kit
1/2 to 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
1 large ripe avocado diced
1-2 handfuls of grape tomatoes sliced in halves
(What to look for)
Steps:
Prepare pasta as it says on the box (including the seasoning mix) set aside in a medium bowl.
Shred your rotisserie chicken, chop your tomatoes, dice your avocado, open the can of beans and set aside.
Prepare the Caesar salad in a bowl.
Add the chopped olives (if doing) , pinto beans, and chopped tomato. Next add the tricolor pasta and the chicken. Mix well. Then add your diced avocado and mix once more.Top with cracked black pepper and enjoy!
I made these for my girls for breakfast and we indulged! They were so yummy! Especially with freshly chopped strawberries!
I hope you enjoy these as much as we did!
Servings: 6 pastry twists
What You Need:
1 17oz package of Pepperidge Puff Pastry
5 – 6 generous globs of Nutella (measure with your heart)
3 give or take tablespoons of softened unsalted butter
Egg wash (1 egg white and a dash of milk)
Steps :
1. Thaw out your frozen pastry (35-40 mins). Once thawed out preheat oven to 400.
2. Lay your first sheet of puff pastry on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Spread the Nutella evenly.
3. Lay the second puff pastry directly on top of the puff pastry covered in Nutella. Slice in 6 strips and twist. The twisting doesn’t need to be perfect at all.
4. Bake at 400 for 13-15 minutes. Bake until golden. Once the pastries are done remove from oven and brush with softened butter and allow it to melt all over the twists. Cool for 5 mins.
5. Serve with freshly chopped strawberries and powdered sugar.
Enjoy!
This is the puff pastry. Amazing!Slice in 6 strips.
This is an easy dinner recipe that’s even better the next day! Perfect meal for enjoying in this summer weather.
Cool crisp lettuce cups served with ground chicken, bell peppers, pineapple, and cashews in a sweet tangy Thai Sauce. Served over rice with sweet chili sauce for drizzling.
What You Need:
1 lb to 1 1/2 lbs of ground chicken
2 bell peppers sliced
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 – 1/2 cup of soy sauce
2-3 tablespoons of Thai Red Curry Paste
3 tablespoons of honey
3/4 cups of cashews
3 teaspoons of minced garlic
3/4 to 1 cup of pineapple
One bunch of cilantro finely chopped (extra for garnish)
1. Start by warming up your skillet on a medium heat. Add the olive oil, then your chicken. Season with salt and pepper and the ginger if using. Once the chicken gets cooking add the 3 tablespoons of butter, the minced garlic, and the 2 tablespoons of red curry paste.
2. Once the chicken is cooked through add your sliced bell peppers, cashews, and pineapple. Cook for 5 minutes. Then add your soy sauce and honey. Cook until everything is evenly distributed. Add cilantro and basil, mix, and cook for another minute. Remove from heat.
3. Serve the chicken and peppers mix over rice with lettuce cups on the side. Garnish with additional cilantro and drizzle over sweet Thai chili.
1 bell pepper any color you like, probably not yellow though
1 bunch of fresh cilantro chopped finely with a few leaves left out for garnish
1 jalapeño or Serrano pepper finely chopped
1/2 red or white onion chopped
2/3 cup of Mexican cheese (look for cotija or queso fresco) crumbled up
What You Need For The Dressing
3 tablespoons of sour cream
2 tablespoons of miracle whip (I prefer miracle whip over Mayo. It just has a different flavor to me)
2-3 limes for squeezing
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of chili powder
Steps:
1. Start by heating the olive oil on medium high in a skillet. Add the corn and cook until lightly charred. 7 to 10 minutes, once charred add to a large bowl.
2. Add the chopped bell pepper, jalapeño or Serrano pepper, cilantro, and onion to the large bowl with the charred corn.
3. In a small bowl add the ingredients for the dressing and mix well.
4. Add the dressing to the large bowl with the corn and mix well. Add 1/2 of the crumbled mexican cheese. Taste, and add additional lime or salt if needed.
5. Garnish with the remaining cheese and cilantro and serve. Or cover and place in the fridge for up to 8 hours.
1 pack of rice noodles (usually a pack is 6.75 oz, but I only add 3/4 of the pack of rice noodles)
6 cups of chicken broth
3 tablespoons of red curry paste or green curry paste (I’ve tried this recipe with both)
1 red bell pepper chopped up
1 tablespoon of grated ginger (optional)
1/2 to 3/4 sweet onion chopped
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 can coconut milk unsweetened (not the fat free either)
3 teaspoons of light brown sugar give or take
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
Salt and pepper for taste
1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro plus more for garnish
A handful of freshly chopped basil (optional but recommend)
Thinly sliced green onion for garnish (optional)
Steps:
1. Cook your chopped chicken on a nonstick skillet on low medium heat for 6 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. In a large pot drizzle 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté the onion, bell pepper, and garlic until soft. Stir in the red curry paste and ginger if using for about 1 minute.
3. Add your chicken broth and coconut milk. Add the brown sugar and fish sauce. Seasoning with salt and pepper. Bring to boil, then to a low simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to mix together.
4. Add 3/4 of your packed rice noodles to the pot and 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro. Allow to cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add your chicken. Mix well.
5. Serve immediately in bowls with fresh lime juice, chopped basil, sliced green onion, cilantro, and ENJOY!
The Wild Gems 