Roasted Cinnamon Almonds

These are delicious and easy to make!


-The Sister's Cafe

1 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg white
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups almonds

Preheat oven to 250. Cover a 13x17" baking sheet with parchment paper (or Silpat), or grease well. In small bowl combine sugar, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. In a large bowl slightly beat the egg white. Add vanilla and beat until very frothy, but not stiff. Add the almonds and stir until well coated. Add the cinnamon mixture and toss until evenly coated. Spread evenly on the prepared pan. Bake for one hour, stirring half way through. Allow to cool, then store in an airtight container.

Vanilla 'Hunny' Shake

At the beginning of summer, I had the kids go through the most recent Family Fun magazines and pick the activities and recipes they would like to try. This was one of the recipes, and we all enjoyed the subtle honey and cinnamon flavors.

-Family Fun, June/July 2011

Makes about two 8oz servings.

1 cup vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tsp. honey
Pinch of cinnamon

Blend until all ingredients are combined. Pour into chilled glasses and serve immediately.

Dijon-Rosemary Steak Kabobs

We had these kabobs for dinner at a friend's house and they were amazing! I made them for dinner tonight and although I need to fine-tune the grilling, they were really flavorful and delicious. Yay for an easy summer meal. This recipe was perfect for our young family, but you might need to increase it to accommodate your family.

-Food Network via Jessica Winger

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, stemmed
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
cherry tomatoes
onion, cut into 1 inch squares

Whisk together all of the ingredients (except the steak) in a bowl. Toss the steak in the mixture until evenly coated. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Soak bamboo skewers for at least one hour to prevent burning on the grill.

Assemble kabobs and grill directly over heat source for about 10 to 15 minutes, turning 1/4 rotation every 2 to 3 minutes, or until the meat is cooked throughout.

Orzo with Parmesan and Basil

I thought I'd branch out and try a different side dish and tried this recipe from allrecipes.com. It was yummy and a great way to use some of the basil from our garden!

-Allrecipes.com

2 Tbsp. butter

1 cup uncooked Orzo pasta

1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

salt, pepper (and garlic salt), to taste

Fresh basil sprigs for garnish

Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in orzo and saute until lightly browned. 

Stir in chicken broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.

Mix in Parmesan cheese and basil. season with salt and pepper (and garlic salt). Transfer to shallow bowl. Garnish with basil sprigs.

4th of July Strawberries

Fun and festive! Next time I think I'll use blue sprinkles - I wasn't too fond of the sanding sugar texture. 

-Family Fun

Strawberries
White dipping chocolate or white chips
Blue tinted sanding sugar or sprinkles

Homemade Magic Shell

When I found this recipe I thought it was too good to be true. We love the Magic Shell topping for ice cream, but I didn't really love the fact that it was probably made of wax. If you're in the same boat, here's the solution! This one is a MAJOR hit with our family. I will say that it tastes a lot like an Almond Joy because of the coconut oil. We love Almond Joys, so this is actually a plus for us. I got an extra-virgin coconut oil at the health store, because I didn't know they carried it in the normal grocery store. I'm wondering if just a 'regular' coconut oil would make a difference in the coconutty taste. In any case, coconut oil is very healthy for you, so maybe in a small way your ice cream can be healthy... :)


-AlphaMom

1 1/4 Cups Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup Coconut Oil (measured when solid)


Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave about 1 minute (depending on your microwave). Allow to sit a few minutes to allow the heat of the oil to melt the chocolate chips and then stir until smooth. It will be runny.


Store in a squeeze bottle or a mason jar. (I store mine in the cupboard. If it's colder than 76 degrees in your house then it will solidify, so you'll need to heat it up in the microwave for a few seconds.)

Berry Syrup

I usually make this syrup when we have baked french toast, but it's good on anything! 


1 package mixed frozen berries (The Walmart brand is good)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Bring to boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat and simmer until thickened.