Tasty Tuesday: Grilled Summer Veggies

Quick, easy & good for you! What's not to love about these grilled summer veggies?

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The Ingredients:

• Zucchini
• Squash
• Cherry or full-size tomatoes
• Bell peppers -- red, yellow & green
• Onions (purple, red or yellow... whatever you prefer)
• Whole mushrooms
• Anything else your family likes... like pineapple! Yum!
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• Your favorite seasoning (ex. cumin, lemon pepper, steak seasoning, or house seasoning)

The Directions:

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Cut everything up & put in large bowl. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper & seasoning of choice. Throw in a grilling basket & char to perfection!

You can also go the kabob route... it takes a few extra minutes, but it's so pretty :)


*Note: If you don't have a grilling basket or you don't live in a place that's grill-friendly, you can also put these veggies on a baking sheet & roast them in the oven at 400 degrees for 30-45 mins.

Tasty Tuesday: Antipasto Platter

I don't know about y'all, but I'm all about recipes where I just open a bunch of cans & jars & dump it all together! Here's a recipe for a quick & easy appetizer... it's a great go-to recipe when you need to bring a dish for a summer party or gathering:

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The Ingredients:

• 1 jar (24 oz) pepperoncini, drained
• 1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed & drained
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 can (6 oz) pitted black olives or kalamata olives, drained
• 1 package (3.5 oz) sliced pepperoni
• 1 can artichoke hearts, quartered
• 1 can hearts of palm, sliced
• 2 cups fresh mushrooms, halved or sliced
• 1/2 pound of provolone, mozzarella &/or feta cheese, cubed
• 1 bottle (8 oz) of your favorite italian or vinaigrette salad dressing
• Lettuce leaves

The Directions:

In a large bowl, combine first nine ingredients listed above. Add salad dressing & toss to coat. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Line a large platter with lettuce leaves. Pour antipasto mixture onto lettuce. Serve with toothpicks. Makes 14-16 servings.

hey mom, let's go to a movie!

Now that summer is in full swing for most of us, lots of mamas are trying to figure how to keep the kiddos busy. Or how to keep yourself from going crazy. Or both.

Now would be a great time to print out & implement this sucker... just saying! (And click here for more ideas from our mamas for each of these daily categories)

Click here to download the "Summer Schedule" printable.

Summer movies are a great option for you & the kids as well -- it's not horribly expensive (not like a full-price movie... OUCH), it's air-conditioned, it involves snacks, it's kid-friendly, & did I mention it's air-conditioned?

I've put together a nifty little printable that combines the schedules for the two theaters here in Anderson. Hope it helps with your summer planning!

Click here to download the "Summer Movie Time" printable.

Tasty Tuesday: Lime-Cumin Confetti Salad

Here's another salad that's great for hot summer days! You can eat it solo or pair it with tortilla chips... good stuff!

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The Ingredients:

• 2 cups (about 12 oz) shelled, cooked edamame. Most grocery stores have this in the organic/ethnic produce section.
• 30 oz canned black bean, rinsed & drained
• 10 oz frozen corn kernels, thawed & drained
• 1 medium sweet red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium orange bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium red onion, minced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced

Vinaigrette:

• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lime zest
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp cumin

The Directions:

In a large bowl, combine black beans, edamame, corn, peppers, onion & cilantro. In a small bowl, whisk together vinaigrette ingredients.

Drizzle vinaigrette over bean mixture & toss to coat. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

introducing our new theme!

MOPS International has published the theme for the upcoming year, & I love it! Check it out:

It's based on Ephesians 2:10, which says (New Living Translation):

For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Moms live in messes. The toys, crumbs & spit-up are our natural surroundings. Moms often feel like a mess. We are exhausted, unshowered & hormonal. Our past & present circumstances & decisions can leave us feeling inadequate for God's love & purposes.

A Beautiful Mess -- reminds moms that beauty can come out of our difficult spots. The grime of mothering young children brings the beauty of motherhood. The bruises of life can bring God's redemption.

Embrace Your Story -- reminds moms that our past, present & future can be used for good. God knows where each of us has been, where we are today & has set in motion where we are headed.

(adapted from mops.org)

Tasty Tuesday: Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Margaret shared this strawberry dessert... & I can vouch that it's so super-good. YUM.

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The Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
• 4 1/2 tbsp white sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese
• 1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 (6 oz) package strawberry-flavored gelatin
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 (16 oz) package frozen strawberries or 4 cups of fresh berries

The Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together pretzels, 4 1/2 tbsp sugar & melted butter. Press into bottom of 9x13 pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool completely.

In a medium bowl, beat 1 cup sugar & cream cheese until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread evenly over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.

In a medium bowl, stir together gelatin mix & boiling water. Mix in frozen (or fresh) strawberries & stir until thawed. Pour over cream cheese mixture in pan. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 1 hour.