Homemade Snow Cone Syrup

One of our favorite traditions in the summer is getting snow cones, but this year, I decided to change things up a bit and make our own with some homemade snow cone syrup to go with it!  The weather here in Utah where I live has been super hot lately so we’ve been splitting our time between going outside in the morning and staying inside in the afternoon. To beat the heat, we’ve been eating lots of popsicles and now we can add snow cones to the mix! I got this recipe in an old neighborhood cookbook that was given to me by a relative as a wedding gift, but it wasn’t until recently that I actually started going through it and trying out recipes. And let me tell you, this homemade snow cone syrup is a winner!

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Hello Dollies (7 Layer Bars)

Growing up, we almost always had some kind of homemade treat on the counter in our kitchen.  My mom has a sweet tooth and loves to make desserts.  One she made regularly was called Hello Dollies, which I found out later are also called 7 Layer Bars.  I still have no idea why they are called Hello Dollies, but hearing the name always reminds me of one of my favorite musicals: Hello, Dolly.

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Galaxy Bars

What is it about outer space that is so fascinating to us?  Maybe it's the idea of the unknown or just the thought that there are things out there that we haven't seen, but know they are there, like giant stars and black holes.  From a young age, I remember learning about the planets, moon, stars and galaxies and finding it all so interesting.  My kids are getting to the age where they are experiencing the same wonder and it's been fun to relearn with them.  (I even got to tell my kids about how "when I was a kid, we had nine planets".  Talk about feeling old!)  Today I'm sharing a family recipe with you that I've adapted to go along with the space theme and I'm calling them Galaxy Bars.

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Cinnamon Roll Bites for Two

One of the first things I learned to make in my 7th grade Home Ec class was a classic monkey bread using refrigerator biscuits, cinnamon, sugar and butter.  While I was familiar with baking and did it a lot at home, I'd never made these before and thought they were delicious, especially when eaten warm from the oven.  I found out quickly however, that monkey bread left to cool, sit and eat reheated was hard, crunchy and not nearly as good as fresh.  I've tried out different recipes for monkey bread over the years, but it wasn't until I stumbled upon one calling them cinnamon roll bites that a light went off in my head.  With a little bit of tweaking, I was able to create a recipe for cinnamon roll bites for two and the bonus is that they taste just as good when you reheat them. *wink*

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Apple Pomegranate Fruit Salad

One of the first things I learned about my husband's family when we were dating is that they were very serious about two things: pies and his mom's fruit salad.  Because we started dating in the late fall, I was around his family a lot during the holidays so I got to taste both of these "food groups" first hand. *wink*  I remember sitting at the kitchen counter helping my future mother-in-law de-seed a pomegranate for the fruit salad she was making.  I had already helped prep the rest of the fruit and the pomegranates were the last bit to go in.  Even as I was about to take my first bite of the completed dish, I was nervous that I wouldn't like it.  How was I going to be a part of this family if I didn't like their legendary fruit salad?  The good news: I loved it.  The better news: I got the recipe.

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Orange Creamsicle Cake with Orange Zest Cream Cheese Frosting

This cake almost didn't happen.  Between sick kids and feeling a little under the weather myself, this week completely slipped by and before I knew it, it was Thursday night and I realized that I had nothing, nothing, that I could share with you for this month's Year of Color theme of orange.  But my husband saved the day by running to the grocery store at 9pm last night and grabbing me some oranges and orange soda.  All so I could make this absolutely dreamy orange cake for you.  You're welcome. *wink*

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Halloween Popcorn Box Party 2017 + Marshmallow Popcorn

I will be the first to admit that Halloween is not my favorite holiday.  I could easily do without the stressing about costumes, buying treats for kids I don't know and scary, creepy things that pop up (sometimes literally) this time of year.  Maybe it goes back to the year my dad took me to the neighbor's "spook alley" which completely freaked me out and gave me nightmares and which I still remember to this day over 20 years later, thank you very much.  But give me pumpkins and cute witches and I'll be content to make my way through another Halloween season.  *wink*

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Blueberry Peach Cobbler Cake

The week started out warm enough but today it's been cloudy and windy and rainy.  Fall is shoving its way in which means that's my cue to start wearing hoodies every day and feeling like I can bake more often since my house won't turn into a giant oven. *wink*  Truthfully, it's been a while since I shared a recipe and it's about darn time, wouldn't you say?  I've been keeping this one hidden up my sleeve until this time of year because it uses peaches, which are in season right now, and blueberries, which are delicious in desserts and especially with peaches.  I got this recipe from my sister in law who passed it along to me.  Every time I make it, I am never disappointed in the flavor and texture.  It's sweet without being overbearing and the fruit adds a nice burst with each bite.

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Crock Pot BBQ Country Style Ribs

Using my crock pot in the summer is one of my favorite ways to save time, conserve energy and beat the heat.  A couple of years ago I found a recipe for BBQ crock pot country style ribs and after a couple of tweaks, it quickly made its way into our meal time rotation.  Country style ribs are a great meat alternative to chicken or beef/turkey and they are generally inexpensive and not very fatty so you get more meat for your money.  We've use this recipe for our own family, but it works equally as well when serving larger crowds.

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Mother's Day Dinner Menu 2017

Ever since my husband and I got married, we spend at least half of our Sunday evening meals each month at a family member's home.  The family hosting plans the meal and then asks those who are coming to pitch in and bring something to share.  It's been a great way to both save on the cost of food and enjoy time with family.  With Mother's Day coming up, I know many people, including my family, are going to be getting together to celebrate mothers, wives, sisters, aunts, grandmothers and other special women in their life.  This year, my husband and I will be hosting Mother's Day dinner at our house, which means we get to plan the meal. 

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One Pot Taco Pasta

One day I was browsing through my saved recipes on Pinterest and found one that looked promising.  It was a one pot dish that only took 30 minutes to make.  If you've been following me for long, you know that those two things are like magic words.  I love cooking, but don't usually have a lot of time to devote to it so the majority of meals I make take about 30 minutes or less to prep and then leave all day in the crock pot or take 30 minutes from prep to table.  This new one pot taco pasta I'm sharing today will have you jumping for joy because it's quick, easy and delicious.  Plus it uses basic ingredients that I always have on hand.

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Raspberry Cake Mix Cobbler

Last weekend, I had a hankering for a dessert that my mom used to make when I was growing up.  I can't tell you how many years it's been since I even had it, but all of a sudden, it sounded like the best thing in the world.  So I called my mom who immediately knew what I was talking about.  I got ready to write down the ingredients but the list was so short I didn't even have time to grab my pen. "3 ingredients?"  I asked her.  "Are you sure?"  She assured me that was all and with disbelief I finished the call.

12

5-Ingredient Chicken and Rice Casserole

Growing up, we had a lot of casseroles for dinner.  It was one of the fastest, easiest and most inexpensive ways to feed a family.  I danced and played other sports and had a high metabolism which was the perfect combination for needing to consume a lot of calories each day.  Forget boys, I was a growing girl!  *wink*  As a mom now, I totally understand why my mom made casseroles as often as she did.  I just don't have time to slave over a meal that takes hours to prepare.  The recipe I'm sharing today is perfect for an easy weekday dinner, a Sunday meal or when you need to feed a lot of people without spending a lot of money.

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Conversation Heart Cookies

Growing up, one of my favorite candies to receive during Valentines were those little conversation hearts.  You know the ones.  They have all sorts of silly phrases or words on them and the only color that tastes good is the white.  When I was younger, my mom would buy a big bag of them so we could grab a few and put them in with our Valentine cards for our classes at school.  I was that kid who always had to sort through and find the hearts that matched the person I was giving them to.  My best friends got ones like: U R CUTE or 4EVER.  The cute boys in class or my crush got the ones that said: CALL ME or LOVE U.  (I doubt anyone actually read the hearts before they ate them, but it was still part of the fun to think that maybe they did.)  Now I've got a bigger, and better tasting, treat that I like to make around Valentine's Day: Conversation Heart Cookies.

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Copycat Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake

Three years ago, my husband celebrated his 30th birthday.  I wanted to do something special for him but he's not big into parties or being in the spotlight.  However, one thing my husband loves is lemons.  Any dessert with lemons in it and he is in heaven.  So I set out to find a lemon cake that would blow all other lemon cakes out of the water.  And guys...I found it.

22

White Chocolate Popcorn & Pretzel Snack Mix

At the beginning of this month, one of my friends handed out a delicious popcorn, white chocolate, pretzel snack mix and I literally devoured it in about 2 minutes flat!  It was so good and I was so sad I didn't have more (so were my kids and husband).  I asked her how she made it and she listed off the ingredients and directions and I couldn't believe how easy it was!

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Pumpkin Cake

I am not even kidding when I say I have been waiting all year to share this recipe with you!  Pumpkin cake has been a family favorite of ours for years.  We actually stopped making pumpkin pie and make this instead every year for Thanksgiving!  Yes, it is that good.

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Crock Pot Pork Roast

Sunday dinner in my house means enjoying time with family.  Sometimes it's just dinner with my husband and two kids.  Other times we eat with my siblings and parents or my in-laws.  When it comes to Sunday dinner, I try to make it as easy on myself as possible so I have more time to spend with my family and less time in the kitchen.

11

The BEST Zucchini Brownies

When my husband and I bought our home a few years ago, we knew we wanted to make space in the backyard for a garden.  The first year, we grew cucumbers, tomatoes, peas, carrots and (my favorite) zucchini.  At one point, I ended up with a zucchini that was as long as my arm from my elbow to the tips of my fingers!  That is a ton of zucchini my friends.  And what do you do when you have ridiculous amounts of zucchini?  Make some amazingly easy, yummy, chocolate-y zucchini brownies with melt in your mouth, gooey frosting of course!

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Lemon Squares

When my husband and I were first dating in college, he invited me to a get together with all of his best friends and their wives/girlfriends.  I was a little nervous because these were his best friends and I wanted them to like me.  So what did I do?  Well, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach so I decided I would make a treat to bring and share.  Out of all the recipes I could have chosen, I chose one of my best tried and true desserts: lemon squares.  It didn't hurt that my then-boyfriend, soon-to-be-husband's favorite desserts are anything lemon.  I wasn't going to take any chances. *wink*

Long story short, his friends all liked me and all the wives/girlfriends wanted my lemon squares recipe.  Win-win!

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