Cucumbers in Greek Yogurt

I go back and forth from healthy to Better than Anything Brownies or Cake. I just need to find that happy middle ground, one where I can enjoy the delicious {bad things} and also enjoy the healthy things, and maybe the healthy things a little more often. Today I am sharing a quick and easy healthy snack, Cucumbers in Greek Yogurt. We love cucumbers around here and what better way then to pair them with a healthy greek yogurt to make them even more scrumptious.

Cucumber in Greek Yogurt
created by me: Tina Hudgens

2 cucumbers (peeled and diced)
1 small container plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp sugar (or less to taste)
1 tsp fresh pepper

Peel and dice the cucumber into small pieces. Mix together yogurt, sugar and pepper. Mix all together and enjoy for a delicious and healthy afternoon snack.

Tomato & Avocado Salad {SECRET RECIPE CLUB}

It's time to go healthy. I haven't blogged much since the new year start and it's because I am on a diet. I joined a neighborhood Biggest Loser Challenge, and I am eating veggies, fruit, some protein and no recipes are being made in my kitchen right now. It's bitter sweet, because I LOVE to cook, I am enjoying the lost pounds, but I've got to find a way to get back into the kitchen. When I saw this recipe on my Secret Recipe blog, I knew that this was a healthy recipe, but I had know idea I would enjoy it so much.

Here is my SECRET RECIPE CLUB post for the month of January, and this will be my last post with this club for a little bit while I try and get my blogging back up to where it was last year. My plate is full and I just need to take a step back and regroup. The blog I had was called Canela Kitchen and I pinned a whole bunch of fun recipes to try, but this one made it to the top of the list, because it was everything I could eat on my diet.

Here we go with my 21st post for the Secret Recipe Club; Group C .

I would say, I liked this dish just a LITTLE! :-)

Tomato & Avocado Salad
original recipe found at Canela Kitchen
made this for 1 serving

1 red tomato, cut into wedges
1/2 avocado, sliced and diced
1/4 cup white grated cheese (Mozzarella or Monterrey Jack)
1 tbsp chopped chives
1tbsp soy nuts
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

In a serving size dish layer tomato wedges and diced avocados. Sprinkle in white cheese, chives and soy nuts. Serve with a small dish of the olive oil and vinegar.

Here is a list of my past Secret Recipe Club recipes:

• Blueberry Muffins (Gluten-Free)
• Bean Roll-Up (extra post)
• Cucumber Salad
• Raspberry & Nutella Pizza (extra post)
• Pioneer Woman's Chicken Pot Pie 
• Frozen Breakfast Burritos
• Pink Pearl Applesauce (crock-pot)
• Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cake (extra post)
• Cake Mix Cinnamon Chip Brownies
• Sweet and Smokey Roasted Cauliflower
• Cheesy Bacon Ranch Dip
• Trail Mix Cookies
• Creamy Noodles
• German Chocolate Cracker Candy
• Brownie Trifle
• Raspberry Greek Breakfast Parfait
• Dutch Apple Pie
• Banana Bread (special post)
• Homemade Granola Bars
• Chocolate Peanut Buddy Bars

Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce

This is one of those recipes, the YEP I've found it, this is IT, kind of recipe. I don't think I will make asparagus any other way, ever again. I made this recipe a while back when I was assigned this blog for one of my Secret Recipe Club assignments, and I know I am just now getting around to posting it (too many recipes, not enough days in the blogging-week), but it's now here for you to enjoy. Better late then never.

I am posting this for you now because I will be making this recipe again this week while we are on our 16-day road trip from California to Missouri. It's an easy recipe, it's delicious and what better thing to make while camping and enjoying other delicious food.

Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce
recipe found at Wives with Knives

1 bunch of asparagus (cooked to your liking, broiled or oven cooked)

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

4 tbsp boiling water

2 large egg yolks

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Melt the butter and keep it warm. Heat the lemon juice until just warmed. Have small saucepan with boiling water and a measuring spoon ready.

Place the top of a double boiler or a medium bowl over hot water. Place egg yolks in the double boiler and whisk until they begin to thicken. Add 1 tablespoon boiling water. Continue to beat the sauce until it begins to thicken. Repeat with the remaining water, one tablespoon at a time, whisking the mixture after each addition. Keep the heat low enough so the eggs don’t begin to scramble. Remove the double boiler from the heat.

Whisk in the warmed lemon juice. Beat the sauce like crazy with a wire whisk as you slowly pour in the melted butter. Add the salt and cayenne and beat until sauce is thick. Serve immediately.

If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in hot water, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency. If the sauce begins to separate you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cream and beat with a whisk until it is smooth again.

Juice Smoothie 50/50

I thought this was so interesting, a split of 50/50 Vegetables and Fruit for smoothies! WOW, what a concept, we have such a hard time getting in vegetables, fruits are easy.

I made this smoothie and was quite surprised, I will for sure be sneaking in more veggies now to our smoothies.

Juice Smoothie 50/50
idea found at Vegan Yack Attack

3 Carrots
3-4 Small Tangerines, Peeled
1 Small Fuji Apple, Cored
1-1/2 Cup Green Grapes
3-4 Stalks of Celery

Place all ingredients through your juicer (Magic Bullet), stir juice together and if you’d like it colder, serve over ice or mix up some ice in your blender.

Baked Zucchini Sticks

We LOVE fried Zucchini, anywhere! anytime! We have a restaurant called Black Angus, they make it the BEST! I wish, I wish I could figure out their recipe, but until then we are on a quest to try out as many Zucchini recipes as we can. In sticking with the healthy part of our diet, I thought baking these would be wonderful, and they were! We enjoyed them almost as much as the famous Black Angus Zucchini. These are quick, easy and a sinch to throw together as a side dish for dinner! We had roast tacos and baked zucchini! It was a delicious light meal. Enjoy!

Baked Zucchini Sticks
recipe found on King Arthur Flour Blog

3 medium zucchini, unpeeled, cut into 3"-long stick

1 tbsp sea salt

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp Herb de Provence or Italian Seasoning

2 large eggs; lightly beaten

Cut zucchini lenghth wise in long sticks, then in half again to make smaller sticks. Place the cut zucchini sticks in a colander over a bowl and sprinkle with the tablespoon of sea salt. Let the zucchini drain for 1 hour or longer; rinse and pat dry. (I was amazed at how much liquid and water came out). This step is a MUST so that you do not get soggy zucchini sticks, who knew!!! We all know NOW! :-)

Combine the Panko, Parmesan, and seasoning; set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment, and spray the parchment with olive oil or Pam spray. Dredge sticks a few at a time in the egg, then roll in the crumb mixture. Place the sticks on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake sticks for 12 minutes, turn over, and bake for an additional 12 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Serve immediately, with onion dip, cucumber dip or your favorite ranch dressing.

Sweet and Smoky Roasted Cauliflower: SECRET RECIPE CLUB

SECRET RECIPE CLUB

Sweet and Smoky Roasted Cauliflower

This month I am participating in Secret Recipe Club; Group C! All it really means is that I've moved from the second Monday to now posting on the third Monday of each month! And I now have a leader, Angela from Big Bear's Wife. (yea me!!) This is my 10th post for the Secret Recipe Club and I just love meeting new bloggers, making new things from other bloggers and enjoy everything this club have to offer. I stepped down as a leader and decided to just have some fun participating! :-)

I was assigned my blog and as always I jumped right on over and started pinning. I think I PINNED about 5 or 6 recipes, that someday I hope to make from my secret blog. The blog I was assigned is called Feast on the Cheap, it looks like a fairly new blog (so go check it out if you haven't already) and is written by a mother and daughter. I love seeing these close mother/daughter relationships. It just warms my heart, maybe someday my twin daughters will join me in the kitchen or on my blog. Just yesterday one of my twins said (they are 18 years old so not little twins). She said "mom, I pinned a recipe on Pinterest, did you see it? I replied "yes". She said "please please make it for me", I replied "Um, you can make it yourself, you know where the kitchen is". She said "Ok, if you help me, I will make it and I will even LET you take pictures of me in the kitchen so you can post it on your blog". Spoken from a true food bloggers family! I LOVE IT!!! (no we haven't made that recipe yet, but I see it in my near future)

Yes, my daughter has started pinning too... and she has a board named "FOOD FOR MY MOM TO MAKE"! I truly do love it! (and since the count down has begun for my girls to go off to college... everyday is precious!) Right now we are counting down months, so we are at 5 months. I am sure will will get down to weeks, days, then to hours!!! Happy, Excited, Scared and a little Sad all at the same time!

Here are a few of the other recipes that I hope to be in my near future from this new blog discovery Feast on the Cheap. I will be making this cake for sure during this years apple picking season Spiced Cider Bundt Cake with a Cinnamon-Cider Glaze and I know it would pair perfectly with this Cider-Roasted Pulled Pork Sliders with Braised Red Cabbage and Crisp Apples. I think I just found the perfect meal for the first night of camping while apple picking. (yes, when you camp in luxury motorhomes, you can make these fancy meals)

Sweet and Smoky Roasted Cauliflower
recipe found over at Feast on the Cheap

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 med-large sweet onion, rough chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of black pepper
Pinch of brown sugar
Pinch of Sea Salt
1/4 tsp chile powder

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together all ingredients coating well. Spread cauliflower onto a large baking sheet – make sure everything has a little space. You want the veggies to roast not steam. Roast for 20-25 minutes until golden and tender.

Here is a list of my past Secret Recipe Club recipes:

• Blueberry Muffins (Gluten-Free)
• Bean Roll-Up (extra post)
• Cucumber Salad
• Raspberry & Nutella Pizza (extra post)
• Pioneer Woman's Chicken Pot Pie 
• Frozen Breakfast Burritos
• Pink Pearl Applesauce (crock-pot)
• Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cake (extra post)
• Cake Mix Cinnamon Chip Brownies

Veggie Cups

I just LOVE this idea! Perfect for a party or just serving for dinner! And portion control (although the more veggies the better), but perfect for making sure each child eats their portion too! And don't forget no need to worry about double-dipping toddlers or teens with these CUTE Veggie Cups!

Veggie Cups
idea found on Spearmint Baby

Cut up sticks of Celery & Carrots and put with about 1/4 cup of Ranch dressing in a clear plastic cup. Prepare right before event and set out or serve to family at dinner time.

THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS #61 (LET'S GET HEALTHY) and Cabbage Soup

THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS Linky Party

LET'S GET HEALTHY (Healthy Meals & Snacks)

Cabbage Soup

Let's Get Healthy 2012! That is my quest and I am sticking to it (haha, it's only January 2nd)! This Cabbage Soup is a fun Weight Watcher Recipe, Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe and eat as much as you like kind of food. It's easy, fun and delicious right off the stove (left-overs not so good!).

I do like it and love all the vegetables which makes it alot easier to eat (and enjoy!)

Today, we've stuck to our diet! Special K Cereal for Breakfast; Ham and an Apple for Lunch! Now dinner will be a challenge as we are going out ith out-of-town guests. But to stick to our no-carbs diet the girls and I vowed to have steak and a salad AND THAT'S IT! I hope we can do it! Wish me luck!

Cabbage Soup

found on food.com

3 cups of broth (we used our fresh chicken broth)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups chopped cabbage (1/2 green & 1/2 purple)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped & diced
1/2 cup carrot (chopped or sliced)
1 cup zucchini (chopped or sliced)
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
dash of salt & pepper

Spray pot with non stick cooking spray saute onions carrots and garlic for 5 minutes. Add broth, Tomato paste, cabbage, green beans, basil, oregano and Salt & Pepper to taste. Simmer for a about 5-10 minutes until all vegetables are tender then add the zucchini and simmer for another 5 or so minutes. 

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This Week's Cravings Upcoming Linky "THEMES"

Here is a complete list of the past and what's coming up next on THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS!

January 9 - Comfort Food (Soups & Casseroles)

January 16 - CHEESE LOVER DAY... any cheese recipe

January 23 - Homemade Pies (National Pie Day)

January 30 - Recipe from Your Favorite Cookbook

If you are new here browse around some past weeks at THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS and you'll see why we are having so much fun and we invite you to link up too. Your hostess for this party are: Tina from MOMS CRAZY COOKING, Angela from Big Bear's Wife, Nicole from The Daily Dish and Kristi from Veggie Converter. We host this theme linky party every Monday (and the party stays open all week long)! We hope to inspire you to make something with our theme or get an old post notice by linking it up to the linky party below.

If you are a regular, link-up we're excited to see what you made this week. Just follow our simple rules, so that everyone can enjoy the linky party! If you forget to follow the theme, your post will be deleted. Please don't feel hurt, just come back and link up a recipe that follows the theme. Thanks a million, we look forward to blogging with you!

The LINKY PARTY is opened ALL Week!

PLEASE do not link more then 3 recipes per week.
This week's theme is: HEALTHY MEALS & SNACKS
Please only link recipes with our theme!

This week's theme is: HEALTHY MEALS & SNACKS
Please only link recipes with our theme!

Baked Corn Casserole: Thanksgiving Feast 2011

This is a family-favorite recipe from my husband's side of the family and everyone loves it. We try when we can to go to Oregon for Thanksgiving, I am so thankful for those memories. My adult nieces are going to be there with their families, my brother-in-law from Washington with my niece and nephew (who I haven't seen in forever). I am a little sad that my husband and girls are not going to be able to make it this year and although I am bummed, I am happy that I am able to take my little guy Justin up there (we haven't been in a few years). It will be a really cool mother-son trip and we are taking the train (Justin is praying for snow). Living in Southern California there is NO snow. About 12 years ago my husband took my step-son on the train and they still talk about it today. I hope my son has those same great memories. I know for sure that this corn casserole will be on the menu for Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving Feast

Turkey with Apples & Butter

Olive Garden Bread Sticks; Copycat Recipe

Pepper Jack Macaroni & Cheese

Crash Hot Potatoes from Pioneer Woman

Grandma's Baked Corn Casserole

Cranberry & Sausage Stuffing

Cranberry-Pomegranate Sauce from Pioneer Woman

Grandma's Pumpkin Bars

Baked Corn Casserole
from my mother-in-law Charlotte

1 heaping spoon of flour (about 2 tbsp)
3 eggs
1 tbsp sugar
salt & pepper
1 can Cream of Corn
2 cans regular Corn, drained
1 tbsp of butter, melted

Whisk together flour, eggs, sugar, salt and pepper then set aside. Mix together all three cans of corn and butter. Add the egg mixture to the corn mixture and place into an 8x8 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes and/or until it starts to bubble in the middle. Serve Hot!

Baked Potato with Chicken & Asparagus

I have just way too many recipes to post. Thus two posts in one day. I just can't wait til tomorrow, because tomorrow I have another new recipe for you and then Friday is the second posting of CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE, and we've got over 100 Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes to bring you! YUM!

This was a recipe intended for crepes, but I made it for on top of a baked potato. Now, I don't know if we will ever have it the other way. We just LOVED LOVED it this way. I guess that's the way recipes go sometimes.

Baked Potato with Chicken & Asparagus

from Tina Hudgens

4 extra large baked potatoes, pre-cook and have ready to go

3 tbsp butter

2 tbsp onions, finely diced

1/2 lb fresh Asparagus, trimmed and cut into pieces

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1 tbsp parsley, herb de provence, dill or whatever is your favorite

2-1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, pre-cooked (I buy the pre-made one at the grocery store)

3/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Kosher Salt & Pepper

In a skillet over medium-high heat melt the 3 tbsp of butter. Add in onions and cook for about 1 minute. Add the asparagus and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Add in the chicken broth, lemon zest, 1 tbsp of your favorite herb and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the shredded pre-cooked chicken, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and season how you wish with kosher salt & pepper. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes until cheese melts. Serve mixture on top of Baked Potatoes and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Rush-Hour Stir Fry

If you need a quick dinner, running home after work, getting the kids homework started, sports, dance or cheer practice, then this is the perfect recipe for YOU! This works great with left-over meat, stew meat, roast, pulled pork, any kind of chicken and even hamburger meat. And it doesn't even matter what the meat was already marinated in, it just adds to the flavor. Plus this is a perfect meal for any left-over vegetables you need to use up. No, fresh veggies left then this works great with frozen vegetables too.

Rush-Hour Stir Fry
originally found in Kraft Food & Family, but so many changes were made

left over meat, shredded or diced
1 pkg frozen vegetables or whatever fresh veggies you have in the refrigerator
2 cups Broccoli Slaw (or other fresh/frozen vegetables, I used fresh broccoli this time)
1/4 cup Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Heat large skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add already cooked meat; stir-fry for 5 minutes. Add in all of the vegetables, for additional 5 minutes or until heated through.  Stir in dressing, soy sauce and garlic powder; cook on medium heat for 2 to 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and Serve.

One Year Ago Today: Grilled Chicken Salad

Green Beans with Pine Nuts

Light, Summery (is that a word?) and perfect for a side dish or a nice easy lunch. Is Summer REALLY over? Since when did kids start school in August? (it's been two years now that my kids started school before Labor Day, and I DON'T like it)

School started on Monday for my kids and I can not believe I have two SENIORS and a 7th Grader! I am feeling old! Let the year begin, and may this be my best and most memorable year ever... my girls are really going off to college (that story is for another post... soon)!

Green Beans with Pine Nuts
from magazine clipping

1 slice Red Onion, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 lb green beans
1/4 cup water
Salt & Pepper, to taste
3 tbsp Pine Nuts

Saute' red onion in a skillet with olive oil, 5 minutes. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and green beans; cook 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water and salt & pepper to taste; cook until beans are tender, 7 minutes. Stir in toasted pine nuts; Serve.

Cucumber Salad: Secret Recipe Club

Secret Recipe Club
Cucumber Salad

This month is my second month in the Secret Recipe Club and I am now a Co-Host for SRC Group B. Today, is reveal day for Group B and I am so excited to be partnering with all of you to bring this great post today that is sharing over 60 recipes from all different kinds of bloggers.

If you've never heard of Secret Recipe Club then you are in for a treat. It works like this, all of us below that you see linked up were assigned a blog at the beginning of the month, we read, get to know and then bake/cook from that blog (but, it's a SECRET), we know someone is looking at our blog, but we don't know who until reveal day, TODAY! If you'd like more information on joining the SRC, then hop on over to our Secret Recipe Club Blog and check it out!

My Secret Recipe Blog this month is: Lady Behind The Curtain

This blog is just not about cooking/baking, it's also about parties! And I LOVE hosting a party! I found a few recipes I'd love to make, but since my house is "dieting" this week, I decided to pick a light recipe and her Cucumber Salad was just perfect. I didn't want to eat the cucumbers alone, so I made a nice Garden Salad, that was just right! I think I will be enjoying another one of these today for lunch. (I love left-overs!)

Cucumber Garden Salad
found and adapted from Lady Behind the Curtain

4 cucumbers
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup Splenda (I used real sugar)
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill (I used 1/2 tbsp dried dill)
1/4 tsp pepper

Cut cucumbers into thin slices. Toss with 2 teaspoons of salt. Marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. Drain liquid from cucumbers and add remaining ingredients. Stir, cover and refrigerate 3 hours before serving.

To make a Garden Salad: I added lettuce, tomato, avocado and my favorite dressing: Poppyseed.

Thank You Lady in the Curtain for letting me poke around your blog!

A few other recipes I would love to try or at least they were too cute not to mention:

Cranberry Wheat Pancakes

Kids Chocolate Floats

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcake

And if only it was 4th of July still... I would have totally made these. I think they are so darn CUTE!

Mini Firecracker Cupcakes (I will have to remember these for next year)

THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS Linky Party #42 (SPECIAL DIETS) and Pineapple Sweet Potato Bake (GLUTEN-FREE & DAIRY-FREE)

THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS Linky Party #42

The Theme is: Special Diets (GLUTEN-FREE & DAIRY-FREE)
(Please share with us your favorite recipe for Special Diets!)

One of my 17-year old twins is still having a ton of problems with her stomach! We have another series of doctor appointments coming up, as they ruled out Celiac but they still do not know what's wrong with her. All we do know is that when she eats Gluten-Free and mostly Dairy-Free, it almost fixes itself, weird, I know. I have been sharing recipes on here every so often that are Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free, check them out if you are in need of things like this.

I came across this amazing cookbook, that I just LOVE LOVE; Cooking for Isaiah by Silvana Nardone. It is fun delicious ideas with all Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free meals. The author is Editor in Chief of Everyday with Rachel Ray and Isaiah is her son. She also has a great blog; Silvanas Kitchen. If you are looking for GLUTEN-FREE and/or DAIRY-FREE, I encourage you to check her out. All of her stuff looks amazing!

Sweet Potatoes are a new food for my family, as I never ever liked them growing up (sorry mom, but out of the can just doesn't cut it), they are so gross. Then I discovered fresh sweet potatoes, absolutely scrumptious. And my girls love them too! Now, we just look for different ways to prepare them. We already know we do NOT like them mashed, I don't know why, we just don't. Here are a few of our favorite Sweet Potato recipes.... Magic Sweet Potato Muffins, Sweet Potatoes & Apples, and now we have a new favorite Pineapple Sweet Potatoes.

Pineapple Sweet Potato Bake

(Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free)

adapted from Cooking for Isaiah Cookbook (many changes were made)

4 to 6 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 (20 oz can) crushed pineapple, drained

1 bag marshmallows

Preheat the oven to 350, Grease a 9x13 baking pan. Cut sweet potatoes in 1" slices and lay on the bottom of the pan. Mix together brown sugar, olive oil and salt. Spread the pineapples over top the sweet potatoes. Bake stirring once, until sweet potatoes are fully cooked, about 45 minutes. Top the sweet potatoes with as many or as few marshmallows as you wish, press lightly and then bake until toasted, about 5 minutes.

(Any left over sweet potatoes are great to blend up and use to make our delicious Magic Sweet Potato Muffins or the Banana Sweet Potato Muffins)

LIST OF "FOOD" LINKY PARTIES: It's MONDAY already! Let's do this bloggers... it's a fresh start to a NEW week! I can't wait to mix and mingle with all of you and see what has been cooking in your kitchens!

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This Week's Cravings Upcoming Linky "THEMES"

Here is a complete list of the past and what's coming up next on THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS!

August 22 - Peach Recipes "Eat a Peach Day"

August 29 - Labor Day BBQ Recipes

September 5 - After School Snacks & Munchies

September 12 - What recipes do you make with HONEY?

This is a BLOG Party hosted by From My Tiny Kitchen, Delightful Country Cookin' and MOMS CRAZY COOKING. If you are a regular link-up we're excited to see what you made this week. If you are new please read and follow the simple rules, so that everyone can enjoy the linky party! If you forget to follow the theme, your post will be deleted. Please don't feel hurt, just come back and link up a recipe that follows the theme. Thanks a million, we look forward to blogging with you!

The LINKY PARTY is opened ALL Week!

This week's theme is: SPECIAL DIETS (GLUTEN-FREE, DAIRY-FREE, NUT FREE & MORE)
Please only link recipes with our theme!

THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS Linky Party #41 (Summer Vegetables)

THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS Linky Party #41

The Theme is: Summer Vegetables
(Please share with us your favorite recipe for Summer Veggies!)

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In the Disney film Mars Needs Moms, Milo avoids eating his broccoli. These kid-friendly recipes transform the traditional "yuck" of eating veggies into a "yum!"

Check out these fun recipes!

This Week's Cravings Upcoming Linky "THEMES"

Here is a complete list of the past and what's coming up next on THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS!

August 15 - Special Diets

August 22 - Peach Recipes "Eat a Peach Day"

August 29 - Labor Day BBQ Recipes

September 5 - After School Snacks & Munchies

This is a BLOG Party hosted by From My Tiny Kitchen, Delightful Country Cookin' and MOMS CRAZY COOKING. If you are a regular link-up we're excited to see what you made this week. If you are new please read and follow the simple rules, so that everyone can enjoy the linky party! If you forget to follow the theme, your post will be deleted. Please don't feel hurt, just come back and link up a recipe that follows the theme. Thanks a million, we look forward to blogging with you!

The LINKY PARTY is opened ALL Week!

This week's theme is: Summer Vegetables
Please only link recipes with our theme!

Chicken and Zucchini Spaghetti

Friday on MOMS CRAZY COOKING is Recipe Only
Enjoy Your Wonderful Summer Weekend!!!

Garlic Green Beans

We discovered this green bean recipe two summers ago and have been making it ever since. I never knew fresh green beans tasted so good, and were actually so easy to make. I was raised on can green beans, but fresh is definitely better. Way Better!!!

Garlic Green Beans

from the kitchen of Tina Hudgens

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp minced garlic

pinch of Cayenne Pepper

1/4 cup finely diced mushrooms

2 cups fresh green beans

pinch of sea salt

pinch of sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup chopped pecans

fresh pepper, to your liking

Melt butter in a skillet on medium heat; add in minced garlic, cayenne pepper and diced mushrooms. Cook until heated through. Add in fresh green beans, sea salt and a pinch of sugar. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes. Add in 1/4 cup water, cover and cook for additional 6 minutes; uncover and boil until water evaporates. Season with fresh pepper and toss with chopped pecans.

Lemon and Broccoli Pasta

What do you do with a whole bag of lemons given to you by a friend?

Look for lemon recipes and make something!

She actually did the same thing after her son picked bags and bags of lemons.

She found this wonderful recipe (and I stole it from her)!

This was a perfect light summer pasta recipe! ENJOY!

Lemon and Broccoli Pasta Salad

original idea take from Neely's Pasta Recipe; many things changed to my liking

Salt

1 box Bowtie pasta

1 pound broccoli (or asparagus)

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp clove, minced

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 tbsp Garden Blend Seasoning (your favorite or Spike or Mrs. Dash, any will work)

1 container of Original Philadelphia Cooking Creme  

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse. Set aside.

In another large pot of boiling salted water, add the broccoli (or asparagus) and blanch until bright green and slightly tender, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and shock in icy cold water. Remove from the water and dry well. If using asparagus trim the ends and cut into bite-size pieces on the bias.

Whisk together the mustard, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Combine the reserved asparagus and pasta in a large serving bowl. Add the tomatoes, dill, cream cheese, and the mustard dressing. Toss with tongs to coat the salad well. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if needed.

I LOVE Linky Parties, (CLICK TO SEE ALL PARTIES). Today, we will link to these wonderful linky parties, check them out and join in!  Full Plate Thursday, Prairie Story Recipe Swap, Strut Your Stuff, Thrilling Thursday, Try New Adventures Thursdays, What's Cooking Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Show Off Your Stuff, Hookin' Up with House of Hepworths, It's a Keeper Thursday, Transformation Thursday, Chic & Crafty Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, 
Ultimate Recipe Swap