Tailgating season is upon us. Here in Kansas City, that means barbecue season. I mean, a Chiefs game, a Sporting KC game, they’re just not the same without some delicious shredded pork, drizzled with Kansas City style barbecue sauce, and slapped on a bun… thinking about the fall, tailgating season, pulled pork… it makes my mouth water! So when it comes to making the perfect side dish in KC, well, it needs to pair well with barbecue. This pasta salad works because not only does it pair well with barbecue, but it contains delicious, slow cooked pulled pork right there in the recipe. Now, I can’t tell you that this pulled pork pasta salad is a miracle or a lifesaver, but I can tell you that every member of my family went back for a 4th helping, so… well, you do the math.
Semi-Homemade
Barbecue Chicken Skewers with Creamy Ranch Dip
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BackYourSnack #CollectiveBias
I cannot believe Jeffrey is starting high school this year. While he’s still homeschooled, many of his friends, and our exchange student, are in public school, which means when school lets out around 3:00, our house becomes the social hub as all of his friends come over. It means we need snacks, LOTS of snacks, to satisfy the insatiable study group we have around our house these days. Luckily, I’ve come up with a foolproof snack that everyone loves. And, if you’ve got a Snack Hack using FarmRich and Walmart Fresh items, you could actually win $10,000, so keep reading and share YOUR back-to-school Snack Hack. Mine snack hack? Delicious barbecue chicken skewers with creamy ranch dip. With only 4 ingredients plus some herbs and spices you probably have on hand, it’s the perfect recipe for snack time.
“The Chicken or the Egg” Hashbrown Casserole
This casserole is for breakfast. Wait! No. It’s for dinner. Wait! No. Brunch. Actually, it’s for anytime! This casserole won’t answer the age-old question of which came first, but it does put chicken and egg and hashbrown in one delicious casserole… which is pretty special, actually.
Tips for Avoiding Heat Stroke (With Water Infusion Recipes)!
I was at the drive in with my son, having a really great time. And then, suddenly… I just felt weird. As soon as the movie was over, we opted not to stay for the second one, and the more I drove, the worse I felt. I felt dizzy. I had a horrible headache. I was a little confused, struggling to find my turns. I was nauseated. And it was getting worse. As I struggled to continue driving, I pulled into a nearby restaurant, and made a call to my mom. 3 IV bags later, I found out I was suffering from heat exhaustion, which, if left to get any worse, would progress to heat stroke, had I remained for the second movie. Don’t make the same mistake… here are some ways to protect yourself against heat stroke.
The Power and Insanity of a Multi-Tasking Mom (Plus, Orange Dream Cooler Recipe)
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WaterOnlyBetter #CollectiveBias
It started after Zach was born. I had never really noticed it before, but when he was born, it really did start. Late nights spent breastfeeding meant late nights where I’d just be… awake. So, I did something I swore I would never do. I got hooked on reality TV. See, my mind wasn’t awake enough for reading, and it really couldn’t handle TV with actual plot, either, so there I’d be, lying there awake after Zach had drifted off to sleep, realizing I needed to be doing…. well, something. Anything. if I wasn’t sleeping.
Slow-Cooker Tex Mex Chicken Tortilla Soup
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CampbellSavings #CollectiveBias
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No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake For Summer Parties
I love a good cheesecake. I hate all of the work that goes into it. Baking. Springform pans. Actual effort. See, 90% of the time when I’m cooking, I just don’t do actual effort. Especially in the summer– who wants to heat up their house for a dessert when they can get away with effortless chilled desserts, anyway? This is a no-bake chocolate cheesecake, so it doesn’t require any heat at all, and it’s great because it gets thrown together pretty quickly, meaning you can go back to enjoying summer before you know it.
Bangin’ Hot Buffalo Chicken
I LOVE spicy food. I just love it. Buffalo chicken is a great way to serve chicken, but I’ve just never been able to make it at home. Until now, that is. This buffalo chicken is so delicious, and the marinade so versatile that you could use it to coat storebought popcorn chicken, too. But these buffalo chicken breasts? They’re where it’s at– I love them by themselves, or cut up over rice, pasta, or in tacos. There’s just something spicy about them, and I’m so glad I found this recipe in my family recipe box to share with all of you. My grandfather must have known what he was doing to serve this super-spicy Buffalo Chicken!
Lemon Icebox Cake
I hate turning my oven on in the summer if I an avoid it. For me, summer is the time for fresh salads, using the fridge, and sometimes the crock pot, as my main source of cooking power. That’s why I love this lemon icebox cake– it takes no heat at all, meaning you’re staying nice and cool while cooking and while eating. Plus, it’s semi-homemade, so it only takes a few minutes to prepare. What’s better than that?
Start the cake by placing a layer of graham crackers (honey flavor works best!) in the bottom of a 9×13 pan.
Here’s the hardest part of the recipe… are you ready? The hardest part of this recipe is to mix powdered sugar, softened cream cheese, and whipped topping.
That’s it. Simple enough for a busy summer day?
Spread the mixture onto your graham crackers to form the second layer of the cake.
Top that with a layer of graham crackers. I seriously love graham crackers for snacking, but they become the perfect substance to this cake to make it a delicious treat.
You can use homemade lemon curd here, but that kind of defeats my “no heat” mantra, and it’s kind of a pain in the booty, so I just use my favorite store-bought lemon cream for this recipe! You’ll want a full can of it.
Spread that evenly over your graham cracker layer. Look at that beautiful lemon yellow! Doesn’t it look refreshing? I fully give you permission to lick the spoon after this layer– I know I did (I promise I got a new spoon to finish the recipe!)
Top the lemon layer with… you guessed it, more graham crackers. You see, the graham crackers make the “cake” layers as they soften between the creamy layers, making a perfect layered cake with NO baking. Hooray for staying cool!
Top the whole thing with the rest of your whipped topping, then place it in the fridge for about 2-3 hours before slicing and serving.
To me, there’s just something really summery about lemons. Probably the thought of sitting on the front porch sipping a tall glass of lemonade, or just enjoying a lemon sorbet. It just whispers “summertime,” and that’s what makes this dish so special– the hint of lemon just makes it so summery.
- 1 box Honey Graham Crackers
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 package Cream Cheese, softened
- 1 can Lemon Curd or Lemon Creme Pie Filling
- 1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip or other whipped topping, divided
- Place 1/3 of the crackers in a single layer on the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
- In a bowl mix 1 cup Cool Whip, 1 cup powdered sugar, and 1 package cream cheese, reserving the remainder of the Cool Whip.
- Spread mixture on top of graham crackers carefully.
- Top with a second layer of graham crackers.
- Spread entire contents of lemon pie filling over cracker layer.
- Top with a third layer of graham crackers.
- Top with remaining Cool Whip.
- Chill for 2-3 hours before serving, or until graham crackers are slightly softened.
If you LOVE all things summer, you’ll love these Bacon Wrapped Cheeseburger Dogs, another make-ahead dish perfect for summer cookouts. Don’t forget to try my Crystal Light Ice Cream, too (I used a sour apple flavor, but try it with a lemonade packet instead!)
Of course, you can also check out this awesome pinterest board with some of the best summertime eats!
Follow MamaPlusOne’s board Summertime Gladness: Eat on Pinterest.
What flavor screams summertime to you? Let me know in the comments below!
Easy Cheesy (Dinner in 8 Minutes) Biscuit Pizzas
Ugh. It was nearly 5:30, and I had forgotten to lay anything out for dinner. Again. It seems like in the summer, this happens more and more often as busy schedules take over, and Zach needed to eat before baseball practice. I asked what he wanted, and he said “Pizza!” Pizza? Usually that takes me all day because the crust has to rise from morning. How were we going to have pizza in time for practice? Easy. With biscuit dough.