A is for Apricot (and Chicken)

We're big chicken eaters at my house. It's very healthy and I buy in bulk at the ever-so-awesome Costco so it's pretty budget friendly. I love doing interesting things with chicken to make yummy meals and the other night was no exception. My husband was working and since he hates anything having to do with apricots, I took advantage of the opportunity to make an apricot glaze for some chicken. It was very easy to make the glaze and the chicken so this dish is definitely going into rotation.

Fresh and Spicy Mango Salsa

Salsa with tilapia fillets

I love creating fresh and good for you salsas. They're so tasty and they can pretty much go with anything from fish to chicken. I first created this mango salsa as an accompaniment to pork chops but now I use it for so much more. 
I was cooking some simple pan-fried chops one day and was looking for something to go with them. My first instinct was to make a sauce, but nothing really sounded appealing and I was looking for a lighter option. A lot of sauces tend to be too heavy and they can bog down a good piece of meat, taking away from the main attraction.

Katie & Ryan's Invitations

I designed and assembled these invitation for my friends' upcoming wedding. They will be having an amazing wedding (which I'm thrilled to be part of as a bridesmaid!) and these invitations served as the first glimpse of the big day. The main colors of the wedding are champagne, wine, and forest green (to match the Groom's uniform). It's going to be a formal affair so the invitations needed to reflect the look and attitude so the guests know what to expect.

I loved designing these custom, handmade wedding invitations and accessories (which will be posted soon). Creating invitations is one of my biggest passions because it's something that is so personal in so many ways. Having the opportunity to be involved in something for such a special day is amazing and I'm grateful for that every time I get one of these projects.

Summer Garden Pasta Salad

Pasta salads seem to be getting the cold shoulder from anything that doesn't resemble a party. It just doesn't seem fair! The only time I ever see one of the nice, cool and refreshing salads is at a potluck, family reunion, or other get together. I never saw that in the cooking rule book and I think it's time to bring the dish back to every day life.

I made a pasta salad the other day for lunch. Yes, lunch. There was nothing fancy going on that day, and it was a pretty normal Monday, but I just had the urge to make one and eat one. It was a little creamy, a tad crunchy, and after only four bites, I was full. Was it good? Yep. Was it that filling? You betcha!

My Mongolian Meal

Chinese food might be my 2 year old's favorite type of food. In fact, he would probably eat orange chicken every day if I let him! My husband and I also love it but ordering take out is pretty expensive. I like to make my own versions every once in while because it really cuts down on cost and it's much healthier. Since it's no secret that Chinese food is loaded with salt, cooking meals at home allows me to control the salt content a little bit. Most restaurants also fry the meat used in their dishes so I use minimal amounts of oil to saute the meat rather than have it soaked with oil.

My version is pretty basic but has all the flavor. It has just the right amount of sweetness without being overwhelming and it's a meal you can feel good about giving to your whole family.

Freezing Summer Berries

It's sad, but berry season will be ending soon. This is about the time that I buy a couple pounds when they're on sale and freeze them for a later use. Frozen berries can be used in so many things (sauces, drinks, desserts, etc.) so it's worth it to stock up before the prices go up.

Freezing berries is pretty easy to do. If it isn't done properly though, the berries will all mash together and it's virtually impossible to separate a few berries at a time if it's all one big, frozen lump.

Here'a a simple step by step guide for freezing berries. A lot of tip sites will have you freezing berries individually on a baking sheet before storing them, but this isn't doable in my house. I have a side by side fridge/freezer so I've devised my own little technique...

Time For A Drink: Banaberry Colada

I usually post meals and such that are friendly for the whole family but I'm changing things up a bit today. Sometimes it's nice to have a something - perhaps a drink - that's just for grown ups.

One of my favorite drinks is a Pina Colada. I love 'em! I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that I believe coconut is one of the best flavors ever, right? (If I could make everything in the world taste like coconut, I would in a heartbeat.)