Rice Krispy Berry Yogurt Cups

Check out these mini treats.

Add them to your breakfast spread, dessert table or even offer them at snack time.  They are refreshing AND red, white and blue!

Rice Krispy Berry Yogurt Cups are filled with vanilla yogurt and juicy berries.

Pop those babies right in!  Quite a sweet treat!

originally from Peter Callahan Bite by Bite

Ingredients for 1 dozen:

nonstick spray

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

6 large marshmallows

1 cup krispy rice cereal

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

extra butter for shaping the cups

12 raspberries

12 blueberries

Directions:

Lightly coat a 12 cup mini muffin pan with nonstick spray.  In a saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over low heat.  Add the marshmallows and stir until melted.  Remove from heat and stir in krispy rice cereal.  Spoon about 1 Tbsp into each muffin cup.  Work quickly before mixture hardens.  Butter fingertips and press krispy rice cereal to form a cup shape in the muffin cup.  Let sit 10 minutes before removing each krispy rice cup.  Spoon in 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla yogurt.  Add a blueberry and raspberry.  Serve immediately.

Rice Krispy Berry Yogurt Cups printable recipe

Love these little treats!

Easy to put together, yet impressive to serve.  Some ordinary ingredients that you can take to the extraordinary.  Less than 10 ingredients!  AWESOME!

Celebrate the little things that make life sweet,

Christine

Places I am going to party!

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Red Velvet and Blueberry Ice Cream Mash Up

Well hello there!

I'mmmmm back!

I bet you didn't even know I was away.  The hubby and I went down to South Beach, Miami (SOBE) to celebrate our 25th anniversary!  Don't laugh, but this is the first time my husband and I have traveled without the girls...EVER!  That would be almost 20 years!  I know, I know but it just never worked out before and NOW that we have done it, well, it needs to be an annual event!  It's awesome to reconnect with your "favorite boyfriend" in a beautiful, sunny beach environment.  I AM SO HAPPY WE WENT.  Lots to share about what to see, what to do, where to go, where to stay and what to eat.  I'll share that with you soon, so make sure to check back.

Anyway, back to reality, laundry and clouds....yep, cloudy/rainy again in the Midwest and I have a mountain of laundry to do.  (I think I will postpone the laundry-that reality is no fun)  Since the 4th of July is this week let's focus on ALL things red, the white and the blue, starting with a cheater's way to make a fabulous frozen treat!

Mash Up's are a super easy cheater's way to take plain ol' ice creams to ice cream parlor worthy ice creams!  No churning!  Just some mashing up!  Great way to get the kiddos involved!

Grab a scoop and some ice cream cones!  Let's rock n roll with this frozen treat!

Ingredients:

1.5 quart of vanilla ice cream

1 cup blueberries, rinsed and dried

2 cups red velvet brownies, crumbled (use a box mix, follow directions for making red velvet brownies)

Directions:

Soften  1.5 quarts of vanilla ice cream.  Fold in blueberries and crumbled red velvet brownies.  Return ice cream mixture to the freezer for 4-5 hours before serving.

Red Velvet and Blueberry Ice Cream Mash Up printable recipe

I love the red velvet cake pieces in the ice cream mixed with pops of blueberries.  What a festive frozen treat.  Make it ahead and have it ready for after the fireworks!  See, once the firework displays are over there is no need for the festivities to end!  

Celebrate the little things that make life sweet,

Christine

Linking up with my favorite bloggers!

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Easy July 4th Donuts

Can you believe it?  It seems like summer has just begun and it is already July 4th!

This week is going to be all about red, white and blue with a breakfast recipe or two and desserts.

Check back often this week because it's all about being patriotic.

Starting with a super easy throw together breakfast donut!

Shhhh...starts with a prepared donut from the grocery store...told you it was easy.

Start your July 4th off with a bang!

Purchase plain donuts, coat them in vanilla icing and then top them with some fresh raspberries and blueberries.  Sometimes you just need something easy, right?

Ingredients:

1 dozen plain store bought donuts

1/2 cup fresh chopped blueberries

1/2 cup fresh chopped raspberries

1 can prepared vanilla frosting

Directions:

Place the donuts on a sheet of waxed paper.  Heat frosting, in container, for 30-40 seconds until pourable.  Pour over each donut and quickly top with blueberries and raspberries.  

Easy July 4th Donuts printable recipe

It's a donut covered in vanilla icing with blueberries and raspberries!

A quick and easy way to start your July 4th off with a bang.

Celebrate the little things that make life sweet,

Christine

Linking up with my favorite bloggers!

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Queso Smothered Burgers

Let's great right to this week's Burger Quest installment.

A burger SMOTHERED in Queso!

Now that's what I am talking about!

This summer, the weekend has been all about burgers!  In order to keep up with the quest, one must be taste testing various burger options 'cuz it's all about the research!  So, why should queso be reserved for chips only?  It shouldn't!  Let's smother a burger in it!
An easy to make home-made queso can be be in a snap while your burgers are out on the grill.

Ingredients to make slider size Queso Smothered Burgers:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

salt and pepper to taste

1 8 ounce block of white cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp each of salt, fresh ground pepper, chili powder and cumin

1/4 cup chopped red pepper

slices of red pepper and banana pepper

pretzel slider buns

Directions:

Get your grill going.  Shape ground beef into patties the size of your pretzel slider buns.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Grill over medium high heat until cooked to desired doneness.  While the burgers are grilling, in a saucepan, place shredded white cheddar cheese and heavy cream.  Stir over medium heat until melted.  Add all the seasonings and chopped red pepper.  Place cooked burger on the bun and smother in Queso sauce.  Top with additional red pepper and banana pepper slices.

Queso Smothered Burgers printable recipe

Smothering a burger in cheese is heavenly!  The cumin gives the Queso that smoky flavor.  I think this burger needs a fork!  YUM!

Remember to pick your favorite.  Just click to the link and then choose how you want to share on social media.  Just 2 easy steps!

Pub Burger

Nacho Burger 

Pineapple Teriyaki Burger

  

Celebrate the little things that make life sweet,

Christine

Linking up with my favorite bloggers!

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Baked Coconut Chicken

Back in the ol' days, we used to have to collect coconuts from the beach.  Crack them open with a machete and then shred the coconut meat on the inside.  If you believe that, I got some waterfront property to sell ya!  Ha!  I may have lived in the tropics, but I could get coconut from the grocery store just like those in the Midwest.  There were times that my dad would find a coconut at the beach ,no, he didn't scale a palm tree, it was just lying on the sand.  He'd bring it home and we would enjoy the coconut freshness.  You could do that...scale a palm tree, crack it open and shred the coconut OR you could just skip on over to the grocery store.  Either way, you'll be wanting some to make some...

I know chicken nuggets are BIG in your house.  They always were in ours.  So why not mix it up and make a tropical variety for summer?  Provide some sweet key lime dip or some sweet chili sauce.

Easy to make and baked right in your oven.

Let's get baking some tender coconut flavored chicken and then let's get started on the dipping!

Ingredients for the Baked Coconut Shrimp:

1 cup flour
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup coconut milk
3 Tbsp key lime juice
2 Tbsp pineapple juice
2 chicken breasts cut up into strips

key lime dip and/or chili sauce
Ingredients for the Key Lime Dip:
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp key lime juice
4 Tbsp crushed pineapple
4 Tbsp shredded coconut

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  For the chicken, place the flour in bowl 1.  Mix together the milk, key lime juice and pineapple juice.  Put the liquid into bowl 2.  In bowl 3, mix together the Panko bread crumbs and coconut.  Take each chicken strip and dredge through the flour of bowl 1, dip in the liquid of bowl 2 and coat with the coconut mixture of bowl 3.  Place on an ungreased pan. Place pan into a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.  Flip over the chicken halfway through the cooking time.

While the chicken strips are baking, mix together all the ingredients for the key lime dip.  Serve that on the side with your chicken and/or include sweet chili sauce.

Baked Coconut Chicken printable recipe

Celebrate the little things that make life sweet,

Christine

Places I like to party!

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Cuban Style Empanadas

Originally from South Florida, I just loved going down to Miami to explore.  All of  the Cuban influence made heading down there a fun experience.  So, anytime I can whip up a recipe with a little Cuban flair, I am all over it!

One of my hubby's favorite sandwiches is a Cuban Sandwich.
He used to eat them all that time when we were living in South Florida.
But, living up here in the Midwest, those yummy sandwiches aren't as easy to find.  I never even thought of making one.  Weird, right, especially since the hubby loves them.  So, when I made these Cuban Sandwiches empanada style...let's just say I had one happy hubby!

Do you know what's in a Cuban Style Empanada?
Well, all the fixins' found in the sandwich like ground pork, ham, Swiss cheese and dill pickles in a neat little pocket.  The pickles just add a whole new dimension to all the flavors in these empanadas.  And, you know what?  Perfect picnic food in the making!

 

Ingredients:

1 sleeve of prepared pie crust

2 ounces of ham (chopped)

1 pound ground pork

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1/2 cup dill pickle chips, halved

stone ground mustard

mayo

water

1 egg

Directions:

In a small saucepan, cook ground pork over medium high heat until cooked through.  Drain.

Cut pie crust into circles using a circle cookie cutter or a glass.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In the center of each pie crust circle, spread a little bit of mayo and a little bit of mustard.  Add a small spoonful of cooked ground pork, a couple of pieces of chopped ham and some Swiss cheese.  Add  pieces of dill pickle.  Place water in a small bowl.  Dip your finger in the water and wipe your finger around the edge of the pie crust circle.  Fold in half and press to seal.  Use a fork to seal the edge.  Whisk egg in a small bowl.  Use a pastry brush to put an egg wash on each empanada.  Place empanadas on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes.  Serve warm or cold.

Cuban Style Empanadas printable recipe

I think I hear Gloria Estefan singing her praises for these empanadas.

No, I am sure she wouldn't do that, but they are pretty close to the real thing!

Make a batch for your next picnic and you just might get on your feet and start the conga...sorry, couldn't resist!

Celebrate the little things that make life sweet,

Christine

Linking up at some awesome link parties!

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