Warm Mango Salsa and grilled Tuna Steaks

Grilled Tuna Steaks with Mango Salsa

Tucher anxiously awaiting his ''leftover'' plate!

WOW! Things around our house have been super busy lately-lots of out of town trips can make you really appreciate a night-in with a fresh and delicious meal. That is just what we did on Friday night. I had to work on Saturday and then we headed to ATL to celebrate a 30th Bday party with awesome friends - so Friday night was low key.

I made this delicious dinner for Ryan and I and it is something that you need to make soon! This recipe is a keeper, promise!

Seared Tuna with Mango Salsa - Ina Garden, Barefoot Contessa Parties!

• 2 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for searing
• 1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion (2 onions)
• 2 teaspoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 ripe mangos, peeled, seeded, and small diced
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeno pepper, to taste (1 pepper)
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh mint leaves
• 2 tuna steaks

Directions

Saute the olive oil, onions, and ginger in a large saute pan over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the mangos, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 more minutes. Add the orange juice, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, and jalapeno; cook for 10 more minutes, until orange juice is reduced, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and add the mint. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Heat a saute pan over high heat for 5 minutes until very hot. Season the tuna liberally with salt and pepper. When the pan is very hot, add a drizzle of olive oil and then the tuna steaks. Sear for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until the outside is browned, but the inside is very rare.

Serve the tuna on top of the mango salsa.

Here are a couple of pics from our fun weekend celebrating a birthday in ATL.

Ryan and I

San Francisco vacation and the Kind Diet

We just got back from San Francisco and visiting the surrounding areas of Saulsalito, Napa, Sonoma, and the coastline on US 1. It was a fun trip with lots of great food and great times with the hubby. We drank more wine than one should followed by lots of great California Food. Now it is back to reality, unpacking the suitcases (the worst part of a trip), laundry, cleaning, etc....But first, a few pics from our wonderful trip!

Details about the trip:

Stayed at Hotel Monaco. Loved the decor of this hotel and the location was wonderful! They had daily wine tastings for free in the lobby from 4-6. Great coffee bar in the am and the service was amazing. We didn't have time on Sunday to mail all of our wine back to Alabama, so we left it in their luggage room. On Monday, one of the men who work there went to a packing store, bought the boxes to pack the wine in and shipped it to us... Talk about SERVICE! Oh, and he didn't charge for the boxes.... They also are pet friendly which says a lot about a hotel in my opinion (they will walk your dog daily for you while you are out exploring the city).

Restaurants: We ate at Zuni cafe, recommended by a friend. Loved the drinks and the food was so fresh and seasoned perfectly. Didn't get to go to Chez Panisse though... One day i will get to Alice Waters restaurant, love her Slow Food Movement influence and her cookbook! We also enjoyed Scoma's Restaurant. Of course you cannot forget the SOURDOUGH bread! Ate several sandwiches and clam chowders that included this amazing bread!

Saulsalito: We LOVED saulsalito. I could move there tomorrow! NOT KIDDING. We ate at Sushi Ran which had amazing sushi. Great place to walk around or get on a bike and explore further.

Activities: Walked through China Town, explored Golden Gate Park, drove down Lombard Street, went to Alcatraz (wouldn't do again, but recommend to do at least once), saw the Golden Gate Bridge, experienced the stench associated with Fisherman's Wharf (my least favorite thing we did, likely because it was so touristy), and did lots of shopping around Union Square

The Golden Gate Bridge with all the clouds that pour over San Francisco during this time of year... making it freezing, highs around 60 and lows in the 50's! Nice refreshing break from 110 degrees and very humid!

Ryan and I in Napa, heading into Pejo Vineyard

Wine Tasting at our favorite... Cakebread!

In the tasting gardens at Cakebread

On our trip I read the "Kind Diet" by Alicia Silverstone, recommended to me by Sara. It got me thinking a lot about vegetarian diets and adding more veggies to all of our meals. I of course support local and organic ingredients, grass fed beef, cage free chickens, etc...which I always thought was good enough... however, how can I eat even better for my health was what I started debating. So, starting on Monday, I started eating less meat, more veggies, more fruit, and being even more aware of what is in food. I went on a large grocery store shopping spree, buying different veggies that I had never worked with. I made roasted chick peas (amazing), homemade granola (yummy), and a delicious pasta dish that even Ryan liked!

The basis of this book focuses on a macrobiotic diet, protecting our furry animals (she is very pro-animal fyi), eliminating "nasty" foods and eating "kind" foods that support our energy and the environment. Am I saying that this book made me believe in global warming... no. Am I saying that I will never eat meat again... no! But, I am trying to change the choices I make, adding more nutritious things (veggies, fruits, whole grains) to my diet and trying not to crave meat all the time. This type of change definitely doesn't occur overnight, but hopefully in the long run I can make it work for us here in the Pearce Family! Trying to convince meat lovers like myself and Ryan is hard to do, but this book has really got me thinking a little differently!

Look at this picture...

This is my Nephew petting our limousin and angus cows

Our cows on our farm are well taken care of by my brother... they get petted and roam wherever they want... If only all cows were treated like this, maybe we wouldn't have the animal cruelty cases that are appearing in lots of slaughter houses...

Here is a yummy new recipe to try, it makes a lot so you will have great leftovers!

Rustic Pasta - from the Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone

• 1/4 pound pasta, whole wheat
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 vidalia onion, thinly sliced(if in season, if not just a yellow or white onion)
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1/4 cup shoyu (by the soy sauce)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
• 5-6 tbs of organic or homemade marinara sauce (look for ones with no sugar)

Cook the pasta, until al dente and drain.

While the past is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium to high heat and add the onions. Cook for about 6-7 minutes until they are softened, add the garlic and saute for 3 minutes longer, until the onions are turning golden and the garlic is fragrant. Now add the celery and saute for 4 minutes. Then stir in the shoyu, salt, garlic powder, and cabbage. Saute for 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes longer. Now add the pasta to the skillet, add the marinara sauce, and toss all together. Cook for about 2 minutes on medium-high heat until everything is simmering and well mixed. Serve!

On a side note, I picked about 10,000 tomatoes from my garden, so I added 3 of these tomatoes to the mixture and it worked very nicely with the flavors.

Give this recipe a try, serve with a nice salad, and you have a delicious, hearty, vegetarian meal!

Where are the Pearces???

This should give you a little cue:

Enjoy your week/weekend, we will!

And Tucher wants Jaxon to know that he misses his play partner... too cute of a pix not to post!

Ice Cream!!!

The Heat Advisory today suggests that people stay inside and down water. It is supposed to be up to 106 degrees! I love it, much better than snow in my opinion. I love it because I can stay indoors with little interaction with the heat. I love it because I can whip up this ice cream, head to the gym while it freezes, and then eat the calories that I just worked so hard to burn! At least I added some fresh blueberries for some antioxidants...

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream - From the Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

• 1 cup organic milk

• A pinch of salt

• 3/4 cups organic sugar

• 1 vanilla bean (I used a vanilla bean from Penzey's)

• 5 egg yolks

• 2 cups organic heavy cream

1. Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the milk with the tip of a paring knife. Add the bean pod to the milk.

2. Stir together the egg yolks in a bowl and gradually add some of the warmed milk, stirring constantly as you pour. Pour the warmed yolks back into the saucepan.

3. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula. Strain the custard into the heavy cream. Rinse the vanilla bean and put it back into the custard and cream to continue steeping. Chill completely, then remove the vanilla bean and freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.

As soon as it is ready, get ready to dive into the most delicious vanilla ice cream! Ryan loves it and requests is all the time! This recipe is a keeper. Please enjoy this ice cold ice cream while watching the beautiful butterflies in your backyard (until your dog chases the butterfly away!)

"Karem" Hummus

I have no picture for this post, but I have a recipe from my friend here in Bham who makes bomb hummus and have to share it! This was my first time making hummus and it was out of this world... after my "taste" tests, there was really hardly any left to share! Please enjoy and I will upload the picture soon, just couldn't find my camera/USB cord tonight...

"Karem" Hummus:

1 can (15 oz) chickpeas (garbanzos)

2 cloves of garlic, peeled

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup tahini

1 lemon - fresh juice

Drain the chickpeas, keeping 1/4 cup of the liquid from the can. Put the liquid from the chickpeas, garlic cloves, chickpeas, lemon juice, salt, and tahini in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Place in a serving dish... It is delicious just like this; but for added benefits, garnish with cayenne pepper, olive oil, and feta. We also have tons of banana pepper and pepperoccini in our garden, so I topped those on as well since Ryan loves them!

Serve with fresh veggies, tortilla chips, pita chips, or whatever else... This Hummus will make anything taste good! Thanks for sharing Rebecca!

Scalloped Summer Veggies

This is our new favorite side dish to go with anything we grill or cook up in the kitchen! We have served this alongside parmesan pork chops as well as chicken kabobs. It was so yummy the first time that we made it 2 days later once the leftovers ran out!

Scalloped Summer Veggies:

And just to make your mouth water...Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops... must come back and visit the site when I post this delicious recipe!

Scalloped Summer Veggies: Adapted from Ina Garten

• Olive oil (I used Bennissimo Italian flavored olive oil)
• 2 cups of bread from a french boule (I used a whole wheat round bread loaf) - cut into cubes - bite size
• 2 1/2 lbs of the freshest tomatoes roughly chopped (I used heirloom, roma, and plum tomatoes - variety). Take the juice and seeds out of roughly half of your tomatoes while chopping to prevent a soggy dish...
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 1-2 zucchini or summer squash, roughly chopped
• 1/2 vidalia onion, diced
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 tbs organic sugar
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup julienned basil leaves
• 1/2 to 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat some of the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and stir to coat with the oil. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 5-9 minutes. You want the bread to be evenly browned and kinda close to the consistency of a fresh crouton (crunchy outside, soft inside).

While the bread is crisping, combine the tomatoes (removing any excess liquid after you cut the tomatoes), zucchini, bell pepper, garlic, sugar, salt, pepper, onion, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. When the bread crumbs are done, take out and place to the side. Add a little bit more olive oil to the pan, add the tomato mixture, and stir while cooking on medium high heat. Cook until the veggies are slightly tender (not getting soft). Turn off the heat, stir in the basil. Then combine the bread crumbs to this mixture, and stir.

Pour the whole mixture into a 9x13 baking dish (want it to be shallow). Sprinkle evenly with the parmesan cheese and bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and tomato mixture is bubbly. This can be served hot or cold...

I have to admit that I have eaten it straight out of the fridge cold!

I like this dish because it has great taste and uses all of the fresh and local ingredients that are in season right now! Plus, it is a great and healthy side dish with tons of flavor!

Will post the parmesan pork chops next - super yummy!!!

Grilled Pizza!

Kamado Joe PIZZA!!!

Simply the best pizza you will eat... OK, maybe if you are in Sicily they might have better pizza, but here in Alabama, this is the best!

Here is a pic of a delicious BBQ pizza cooking on the grill

Once again, this grill is getting lots and lots of use!

Preparing pizza is a lot of fun... Here is the summer veggie with pepperoni pizza before cooking

Pizza Dough: Adapted from Pioneer Woman

makes 2 crusts

1 tsp active dry or instant yeast

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cups olive oil

1 tsp dried rosemary

Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm water (make sure water is warm, not lukewarm). Combine flour, salt, and rosemary in the mixer bowl. With the mixer running on low speed, with the paddle attachment on, drizzle in olive oil until the flour and salt mixture is combined with the oil. Pour in the yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined. Coat a separate mixing bowl with ah light drizzle of olive oil and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat the dough in the olive oil then cover the bowl tightly and store in the fridge. It is best to make the dough ahead of time, at least 24 hours or 3-4 days! When you go to make the pizza up, use 1/2 of the dough mixture, this recipe makes 2 crusts! Before you start assembling pizza, spread a little bit of olive oil on top of crust.

BBQ pizza:

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

3 slices bacon, cooked

2 cups (approximate) of BBQ sauce (we used the homemade sauce posted under the BBQ section of my blog!)

1 Red or Yellow Bell Pepper, diced

Mozzarella cheese

Cheddar cheese

handful of chopped cilantro

1-2 Pepperocini peppers (serve on the side)

To Prepare:

Spread BBQ sauce on pizza crust. Then add the chicken, bacon, and bell pepper. Sprinkle the top with mozzarella and cheddar cheese until crust is covered. If you are baking, get your oven up to 500 degrees and bake for 10-12 minutes. However, please try it grilled! We placed the pizza stone on our kamado joe and got the grill up to 425 degrees - for 10 minutes. Add cornmeal to the pizza stone before placing pizza on top (keeps it from sticking!!! very important). Then place the pizza on the pizza stone and bake it on the grill for about 10-15 minutes. Take off the grill and let it cool slightly before devouring! Serve alongside pepperocini peppers and sprinkle cilantro on top of pizza.

The reason grilled pizza is so amazing is because when it is grilled on good charcoal it will bring out the nutty flavor in the crust. It also cooks more evenly and the crust is slightly crunchy but doughy in the middle.... ahhhh mouth is watering now!

Veggie/Pepperoni Pizza:

1 zucchini, sliced in bite size pieces

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1 bell pepper, diced. (I used yellow or orange to add more color)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 onion chopped

Tomato sauce

pepperoni

pepperrocini (on the side)

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tbs olive oil

Mozzarella cheese

parmesan cheese

Turn broiler on high. Combine zucchini, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and minced garlic on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Add red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil. Combine well and place in oven on top rack close to the broiler. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring half way thru.

To prepare pizza, roll out pizza crust, drizzle lightly with olive oil. Spread the tomato sauce evenly on the crust. Add the zucchini mixture on top (Note, you don't want to add any of the liquid from the cookie sheet- think of adding dry veggies!). Top with pepperoni. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top until covered. Then sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese (please fresh grated and not from the "green" can!). You can get creative on this pizza, try adding different veggies sometimes!

See instructions above for grilling and baking!!!

Enjoy these!

The Best BBQ!

Testing out the KAMADO JOE! And the Man of the Grill!

Tucher enjoys all the time in the back yard catching frisbees!

A little bit of tailgate toss! Great outdoor fun!

Sausage and Cheese plate... Like they serve up at Rendezvous in Memphis... AMAZING. Such a quick and easy appetizer to serve!

Just a glimpse of some of the ribs... my mouth is still watering!

Recently we got a Kamado Joe... Actually it was Ryan's Birthday Present and we LOVE it! The best food we have made in the last few weeks have come off of that grill. We have made pizzas, chicken, steak, and the last thing we grilled was baby back ribs!

Cajun Rub for our Baby Backs - From Girls on a Grill

8 Tbs Hungarian paprika

1 Tbs cayenne

1 Tbs red pepper flakes

5 Tbs fresh-ground black pepper

6 Tbs garlic powder

3 Tbs onion powder

6 Tbs Kosher salt

3 Tbs dried oregano

3 Tbs dried thyme

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Store in an airtight container. Will keep in a cool, dry, dark place for about 3 months.

This was the rub we used on our ribs, from Girls on a Grill (link above). It was absolutely amazing and just the right amount of heat to it. Make sure to use a good quality paprika...

For our ribs, we put this rub on the night before and let soak in thru the night. Our ribs went on to the Kamado Joe for 4 hours, cooking around 225 for the majority of the time. When they were done, we took them off, chopped them up and basted them in some HOMEMADE BBQ sauce (also compliments of girls on a grill!) This sauce was unbelievable so of course I will share the recipe. After the ribs were basted, we turned on our gas grill on high heat and basically stuck the ribs on for a few minutes to basically caramelize the sauce on them! Then, took them off and enjoyed!!!

Black Jack BBQ Sauce - from girls on a grill

1 cup strong black coffee

1 cup worcestershire sauce

1 cup catsup

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 Tbs chili powder

2 tsp salt

2 cups chopped onions

1/4 cup minced hot chili peppers (I used 1 jalepeno, 1 serrano, and 1 poblano... think next time I may try a habenero in there... to spice it up even more!)

6 cloves garlic, minced

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and simmer for at least 25 minutes. I actually simmered mine for over an hour! Strain the sauce into a bowl using a mesh collander. With the solid stuff left in the collander, place this in a food processor and puree until smooth. Add back to the liquid strained mixture. This makes 5 cups... So, if you have a lot of ribs (we had 8 slabs) you will need to double or tripe the recipe!

Be sure to refrigerate what you don't use!

This is absolutely the best BBQ sauce! I loved it and so did everyone else... We loved it so much that I actually considered using it on my cereal the next morning.... haha, but it would be great on a BBQ pizza! It really took those amazing ribs that Ryan smoked to a whole new level!

What great timing to try this out for the 4th of July weekend!!!! Run to the grocery, get the stuff and start grilling. And, please look into getting a Kamado joe!!!!

Guacamole

Perfect Summer Guacamole

The hot and humid summer has set in here in alabama, and I love it! Reminds me of Florida and how it is always hot and humid there! We had a little BBQ cookout with great friends and the guacamole went fast! So, here is my recipe for the guacamole. I don't really follow a person's particular recipe, so I will call it mine! After all, there is only so many ways to make guacamole!

Guacamole:

3 avocados (ripe) - skins removed

Juice from 1/2 of a lime (FRESH)

Handful of Fresh Cilantro, washed and finely chopped (add more or less to your taste for cilantro)

2-3 heaping spoonfulls of sour cream

1 jalapeno - seeds removed and finely diced

1-2 garlic cloves - minced (add less if you don't like garlic as much as we do!)

Sprinkle of Salt

Sriracha Sauce - just a couple of squeezes (this stuff goes a long way - spice wise, but it adds the heat and it "was" my "secret" ingredient)

If you like tomatoes, chop those and add to the guacamole!

Place ingredients in molcajete, stir together with a spoon or fork. I like mine kind of chunky so don't over mix if you like yours this way, if you like it creamy, continue mixing! Guacamole is as simple as that! Make sure to buy higher quality yellow or blue corn chips. This refreshing appetizer will be a real crowd pleaser!

Broccoli Slaw

This broccoli slaw is delicious and simple. Lately we have been grilling out and often do the traditional sides... rice, pasta, baked beans... You get the point. To mix things up a bit, this slaw though goes well with pork and chicken and pairs nicely with a sandwich for lunch.

Greek Broccoli Slaw:

1 package of organic broccoli slaw (Found typically next to the bagged lettuces)

1 pint of cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)

about 15 green olives (sliced in half)

1 jar of marinated artichokes (glass jar, NOT a can)

1/2 bottle of Newman's Own Greek style dressing or Family Italian (I use whichever I have in the pantry...)

Feta Cheese, add as much as you would like to your liking!

salt and pepper to taste

couple of dashes of red pepper flakes

Mix all the ingredients together, but add the dressing Last. This will allow you to see how much dressing you are adding because it is not exactly a 1/2 bottle, sometimes more, sometimes less depending on the size package of broccoli slaw you buy. I add the dressing until it looks slightly coated, but NOT dripping in the dressing. Place in fridge and chill. Then, enjoy!

Tucher's Brother

Three BEAUTIFUL AUSSIES!!!!

And the Big Brother, Coby. He is such a handsome boy!

Living about 8 1/2 hours from my hometown sometimes is hard. Particularly during the summer when it is unbearably hot and all you want is to hang out in a backyard that has a pool! Many summer memories were made in our pool back in Florida! But, for Tucher, this is the time that he really misses his family back home, where his grannie and his brother, Coby, have a pool.

He loves his real brother Coby and really hopes to see him soon, whether in Alabama or Florida! I realize that the pics above are for Christmas, but I loved the pic of Coby and his whole family celebrating together. I wish that I had one of Coby doing his favorite thing... FRISBEE! However, you cannot get a shot of him doing just this because he is fast as lightning!

So, Coby, will you invite Tucher home to come for a swim, and he will invite you up for a snowy winter!

Birthday Dinner

Ryan celebrated his 28th birthday yesterday and we had a great time celebrating with him! I enjoyed planning and cooking up a yummy dinner for him and our friends. With the help of Mandi, everything came together!

Fresh cut sunflowers... they are beautiful and add a lot of happiness to our table!

The theme was skewers! I made rosemary skewers and chicken/beef kabobs. The chicken kabobs were like last recipe that I posted, but the beef was a new recipe and it hit the spot! The rosemary skewers were beautiful and delicious. They add a lot of presentation to food!

We had ALOT of kabobs! This was before they were cooked:

And for the Recipe - Here are some pics of those beautiful Rosemary Skewers!


Rosemary Skewers:

I used about 15 rosemary sprigs. I didn't buy cut rosemary at the store because in those little packets, you usually only get the top part of the rosemary sprig. I instead bought a whole rosemary plant from a local nursery and clipped off my own springs from the plant. And, I will be planting it in our garden for future rosemary! This allows you to have more sturdy "skewers" so you can thread more on!

Ingredients: Adapted from Pioneer Woman

15 rosemary sprigs

Kalamata olives (pitted)

Marinated Artichokes in a glass jar

Salami

Mozzarella (I bought the buffalo mozzarella that was already formed into bite-site balls, or you could easily cut a block of mozzarella into bite size cubes)

For the dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil

3 Tbs balsamic vinegar

salt

pepper

red pepper flakes

roasted garlic (1-2 cloves, diced or mashed - i.e. almost like a paste)

Directions:

Thread your ingredients on the rosemary sprig "Skewer". I started with an olive, added a piece of salami, then a piece of mozzarella, next the artichoke... you get the picture!

Then, plate your skewers and wisk the dressing ingredients together. Pour dressing over skewers and Viola! I didn't use all of the dressing, but you would if you made more than 15, fyi. I refrigerated mine until the party started, so they can definitely be made ahead of time and ready for your guests when they arrive! This actually gives the rosemary time to "infuse" into the ingredients and make it that much more yummy! I am thinking and getting pretty crazy with other things to add to these.. My first would definitely be roasted red bell pepper or cherry tomatoes. Just a thought!

I leave you with this recipe that will make you salivate! I will put up the beef kabob recipe next time... Oh, and I made Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream as well.... More on that later!

Summer time = Kabob time

Chicken and Vegetable Kabobs

When it is really hot and humid outside, it makes me think of grilling everything! We just recently finished out back porch extension (although, it is still a work in progress) and now we love to sit outside and enjoy our backyard. Of course, Tucher loves it because he gets lots more attention and gets to catch more frisbees! When we get everything situated just like we like it, I will post some pics of the new porch!

One of our favorite meals to grill are these chicken kabobs. They are delicious and very healthy.

Chicken and Vegetable Kabobs:

1 1/2 lb chicken breast

3 Tbs olive oil or canola oil

1/4 cup honey mustard

zest of 1 lemon

1 Tbs red pepper flakes

3 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 lb button mushrooms

1 eggplant, cut into bite size chunks

2 bell peppers (I like yellow, orange, or red- a mixture makes it more colorful)

1 vidalia onion, cut into large pieces

2 zucchini, cut into bite size chunks

If using wooden skewers, soak the skewers in water for 30 minutes. Preheat the grill. In a bowl, combine the oil, lemon, red pepper flakes, garlic, salt, and pepper. Toss in the chicken to the marinade. This can be done ahead of time. Begin to thread the meat and veggies. I like to start and end with a piece of onion, it just seems to hold everything nicely. I alternate all the ingredients on the skewers. Baste the whole kabob with the honey mustard. Place the kabobs on the grill, it took about 10 minutes with the grill on a medium heat. We turned them occasionally to get those nice sear marks!

I served these with wild rice pilaf and a side of honey mustard for dipping. As you can see, you can get really crazy with the different varieties you can make with these and each time, I mix it up. These can be great to get rid of extra veggies you have in the fridge. We have even made just veggies kabobs to go with a grilled pork tenderloin. In that case, I marinated the veggies in Newman's Own Organic Family Style Italian Dressing beforehand and then grilled. Veggies kabobs are a great side dish! And EASY!

And, to finish off this post, had to post this beautiful picture of Jaxon! This is my mom's Aussie, and you know that my family LOVES aussies. I took this picture last time he came to visit, and tucher and I have to say that we miss you jaxon! Hope that you come visit soon! He is such a handsome dog, and very sweet! Oh, and what you don't see in this picture is Tucher right beside him being selfish by having ALL 3 tennis balls in his control, so Jaxon had nothing else to do but look so adorable!

Vacation and new recipes!

Where have we been?!!!? Answer: Paradise! It has been a while since blogging but it is with good reason... For memorial day we headed down to Long Boat Key in Florida with my family. It was a great time, went off-shore fishing (first time for Ryan) and caught lots of baracuda, kingfish, spanish makarel, cobia and shark hits. Then did some surf fishing and I caught TWO pompanos! It was such a great time and of course I loved being with my family and especially JOHN PIERCE! He is the most precious 2 year old and he loves his aunt and uncle!

Me reeling in a HUGE Kingfish!

Ryan getting one of his MANY fish!

John Pierce and me on the beach at night

Our FUTURE home in the upper left of the picture! The houses here are INSANE! Oh, and me and my bro are fishing in the water, where I caught the pompano

He is such a handsome boy!

It was a great weekend! We got back to Bham and then left for Destin with Mandi and Jared. It was a great time! We saw our friends Destin and Chris and went to celebrate Billy Bowlegs! Great times and lots of sun!

Ryan and I enjoying the vacation!
At Billy Bowlegs with Destin and Julie
Me and Mandi!!!

Jared and Mandi and KJ's

So, as you can see, we have been having a great time. Needless to say this week was devoted to getting everything at home back in order! I have cooked a lot this week (in hopes to DETOX!)

This recipe that I made is delicious. We grilled some chicken and made delicious grilled chicken sandwiches with a goat cheese pesto spread. And the salad that you see... yes, that is the best homemade ranch I have had in a LONG time! I think that I dipped about everything I could in this ranch! Probably not good for the whole ''detox'' thing if you will, but it made me eat my veggies to say the least! Make it soon!

Homemade Ranch - Recipe from Our Best Bites

*note that all spices/herbs listed below are dried. If substituting fresh, use the rules 1 part dry = 3 parts fresh.

1 cup mayo

2/3 cup buttermilk

1/4 t white vinegar

1 t parsley

1/8 t dill

1/2 t garlic powder

1/4 t onion powder

1 1/2 t dried chives

1/8 t black pepper (or more to taste)

1/4 t seasoned salt (i.e. Lawry's)

1/8 t dry mustard (a must)

Directions: Combine mayo and buttermilk, whisk together until it's lump-free. Add in vinegar and all spices. Then keep stirring until it is all smooth and well blended. I made this before hand so that it could blend all the flavors together. Then refrigerate if there is any left after you do your "taste" test! Serve over salad and top the salad with all of your favorites!

For the Grilled Chicken Sandwiches:

Marinate 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts in Newman's Family Style Italian Dressing. I did this about 4 hours. Then, get your grill hot and throw the chicken on. I immediately turned down the heat once I put the chicken breasts on, but this allows for great grill marks! Flip chicken every 5 minutes, pour remaining marinade on breasts when you do your first flip. Cook until done (mine were VERY thick chicken breasts and it took 20 minutes).

Goat Cheese Pesto - (found at http://www.foodpeoplewant.com/, originally adapted from Gourmet Magazine)

4 oz Goat Cheese (I used Belle Chevre - our absolute favorite)

2 oz softened cream cheese (I used the lower fat cream cheese for this)

1/2 cup pesto

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions: Combine Goat Cheese, Cream Cheese, and Pesto into food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I actually didn't add any at all, but it is up to you)!

To assemble sandwiches, I put mine on a regular bun because we had 2 leftover. It would be amazing on ciabatta buns though if you want to make it more gourmet! I toasted the buns, added the goat cheese spread (add ALOT or you will have to get up from the table to add more, it is that good), put the chicken breast on it and VOILA! Of course, you could add lettuce, tomato, and I think that the best thing would be roasted red bell peppers... I am going to try that NEXT time which will be SOON!

Thanks for sticking thru this LONG POST! I enjoy blogging and keeping you all connected with delicious recipes!