Did you know that I have 3 giveaways going on right now? It is a little bit of over kill, and I would have liked to have them more spread out, but this is just how the timing worked. Don’t miss them – the are all awesome!!
$500 Amazon gift card
King Arthur Flour goodies
$50 Walmart Giftcard
Pretty sure everyone could use these!
 |
Posted in Side Dishes
Tagged homemade salad dressings, lemon garlic dressing, vinaigrette
I am exhausted! Moving is way too much work! Seems like it has been weeks since I have not been surrounded by boxes in one way shape or form. I think I see a light at the end of the tunnel now, but it is still a long tunnel. My in laws get here tonight, and then we set to work on painting and hanging ceiling fans. Getting my sons room painted will be a huge step in the right direction. Then we will actually be able to unpack and set up his room. Right now he is wall to wall boxes with a mattress on the floor.
You didn’t come here to listen to me complain, so I will move on. Vinaigrette! I love vinaigrette’s. Whenever we go to a restaurant all I want to know is what kind of vinaigrette dressing they have. I don’t like thick and creamy dressings, so I enjoy playing around with different flavors in vinaigrette’s. This uses the fresh basil in my garden, and delicious sun-dried tomatoes.
I used this as a marinade and then a sauce for grilled chicken, and it was wonderful. My husband loves balsamic vinegar, so he picked that out immediately. I will be making this again, it was a big hit on the chicken! There was a tiny bit left that I had on a salad the next day too. This might be the first jar of sun-dried tomatoes that I have purchased, I am not sure why it has taken me so long to use them!
 |
Posted in Dinners, Side Dishes
Tagged fresh basil, marinade, salad dressing, sun-dried tomatoes, tomatoes and basil, vinaigrette
We are only a week away from Memorial Day, are you ready? If not, I have something for you today that will surely help! A few of us have teamed up with Celebrations.com to bring you a Virtual Potluck, with a complete Memorial Day menu. Be sure to check out the other great recipes at the end of this post.
I decided to bring a side dish to the party. I wanted something light, but full of flavor, and perfect for this start of summer day. I wasn’t in the mood for a lettuce salad or even a pasta salad. Quinoa sounded like a fun alternative. I have been trying new things with Quinoa lately, and I think this is my favorite so far. It is great hot or cold, so it is perfect for a potluck.
I sauteed zucchini for this, but you could use just about any veggie you like. For more color, and another veggie I also threw in some frozen corn, I thawed it first 
I would have loved some diced avocado in here as well, but I didn’t have any on hand. The lime and cilantro vinaigrette was the perfect thing to tie it all together!
 |
Posted in Side Dishes
Tagged cilantro lime, cold quinoa salad, potluck salad, quinoa, vinaigrette
We close on our house today!! Unfortunately we don’t get to move in for another 60 days 
But, things are moving forward at least. Also this weekend my in-laws are visiting. They got here late last night. My 6 year old didn’t know they were coming, they wanted to surprise him for this birthday. So needless to say, he was shocked when he woke up!
Today is also cooking club. Unfortunately, because of everything that is going on today, I can’t attend. The theme was Mediterranean. I had already planned what I was going to make before I realized the conflict of dates. I decided to go ahead and make it anyway. I was looking forward to it, so why not make just make it earlier in the week?
This Greek Vinaigrette is great for a salad, a pasta salad, a marinade for chicken, or even a sauce for pasta. It is fresh, and perfect for spring. Plus, it only took 3 minutes to make! Just throw a few things in a tupperwear container, and shake!
 |
I just have to brag for a minute. My 6 year old came home from school yesterday with an award in his folder. He was given a ROAR Award for being attentive and a role model to other students. As a mom you always think your kid is the best, no matter what. But, it is so nice for someone else to recognize you have done something right with your kid. Because really, there are so many ways you can mess up your kid, you just hope you are doing the right thing.
So now on to the food! I love making homemade salad dressing. I don’t do it nearly enough, but when I do it always makes me wish I did it more. It is so easy, there really is no reason not too. I saw this recipe by Julie, and knew I had to make it. I love the flavor of roasted garlic, but it is something I don’t cook with often. So I was excited to try it. This dressing was delicious! I ate it on plenty of salads, dipped bread it in, and I might have thought about eating it by the spoonful. It did seize up in the fridge, but I just microwaved it for 10 seconds, and it was back to dressing consistency.
Seriously! Go make this dressing, it is great for just about any salad!
 |
Posted in Side Dishes
Tagged garlic, roasted garlic, salad dressing, salads, vinaigrette
