Blueberry Walnut Salad

One of my favorite  salads. Easy and delicious,  and perfect for any season, with berries, nuts, and greens. For an entree add chicken, diced apples, and diced green onions! For the fourth of July add Strawberries.

 (10 ounce) package mixed salad greens

1 pint fresh blueberries

1/4 cup walnuts

1/2 cup raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a large bowl, toss the salad greens with the blueberries, walnuts, and raspberry vinaigrette. Top with feta cheese to serve.

Refreshing and a must have in the summer

Homemade lemonade

Homemade Lemonade

From the Pioneer Woman blog, one of my favorites:

Ingredients

• 4 cups Sugar
• 6 cups Water
• 24 whole Lemons, Juiced
• 8 cups Water (additional)
• Lots Of Ice!

Preparation Instructions

Heat 4 cups sugar with 6 cups of water in a medium saucepan until it's dissolved. Set this in the fridge to cool.
Chill the lemon juice if you have the time.
Pour the lemon juice into a large vat. Pour in 3/4 of the syrup, then top off the vat with ice. Pour in 8 cups of water (give or take), stir it around, then give it a taste. Add more syrup if it needs sweetness, or more water if it needs dilution.
Serve immediately!
Add 2 cups raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, or sliced strawberries to the lemonade for different flavors.
Make hard lemonade by adding 2 cups light rum or tequila to the lemonade. (Naughty! Adults only!)

Happy Easter and Fun with Spring Cleaning

Clean Sweep

• Throw open your cabinets and pull everything out—all the spice jars, all the half-empty sacks of flour, all the old cans of beans: everything. Small packages and little bottles of spices always end up getting pushed to the back of the cabinet or tucked behind a box of crackers. You won’t be able to see what you’re working with until it is all out in front of you; you might even find a few forgotten gems. When everything is pulled out, take a second to wipe down the shelves and replace any torn or stained shelf liners.

Purge

• Purging your cabinets of unused or unnecessary foods can be a tough activity for some people. Steel your nerves and remind yourself you deserve new, fresh kitchen staples.
• Start by tossing all the accumulated half-empty boxes of sugar and bags of flour. Declutter! Declutter!
• Toss or combine any duplicate spices. One home does not need four 2/3rds-full jars of celery salt.
• If you know you’re not going to use it and it’s unopened and unspoiled, consider donating it to a local food pantry or non-profit. If it’s opened, toss it.
• If you’re feeling like you’re in need of a fresh start, toss the high sugar cereal, sodas and snack cookies too!

Package

• Standard flour bags and sugar boxes are just terrible. They let in moisture, tear easily and they keep you from seeing how much product is left inside. Invest in a set of resealable, airtight jars to store your pasta, flour, sugar and salt and other dry goods.
• Switching from the manufacture’s packaging to resealable jars may also encourage you to shop in bulk, saving you money and trips to the grocery store.

Restock

• Now that your pantry has been stripped to its bare essentials, it is time to restock the essentials and fill in the holes with a healthy and indispensable products.
• A well-rounded pantry provides the structure for a range of meals. Make a list of your 10 favorite weeknight dinners. Strip those recipes down to their non-perishable ingredients and—if space allows—make sure your pantry has everything it needs to handle cooking each recipe once.

Organize

• As you put everything back in your fridge take some time to consider when and how you’ll be using everything. Seasonal products (like holiday cookie cutters or pumpkin pie spices) don’t need to be stored in the prime real estate.
• Reserve the front and center shelves for healthy snacks and ingredients. You’re more likely to eat it if you see it!

Once everything is put back in its proper spot, pour yourself a glass of wine. You deserve it!
For more tips on keeping a clean and healthy pantry check out Kelsey Nixon’s Kitchen Confidence and the upcoming Perfect Pantry from Geoffrey Zakarian.

Chocolate Waffles by Ghirardelli

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup(s) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup(s) Unsweetened Cocoa
• 2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon(s) baking powder
• 2 tablespoon(s) granulated white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 4 tablespoon(s) canola oil
• 2 cup(s) whole milk

1 ¹/₂ cups Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips
1 cup Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
¹/₂ teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, separated
4 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups whole milk

Read more at http://ghirardelli.com/recipes-tips/recipes/chocolate-waffles#UpYI6K4XF4uSK4Yr.99

INGREDIENTS

1 ¹/₂ cups Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips
1 cup Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
¹/₂ teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, separated
4 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups whole milk

Read more at http://ghirardelli.com/recipes-tips/recipes/chocolate-waffles#UpYI6K4XF4uSK4Yr.99

Preheat a waffle iron according to the manufacturer's directions. Sift the flour, cocoa, and baking powder into a bowl. Add the sugar and salt and whisk to thoroughly mix. In another bowl, whisky together the milk, egg yolks, and oil. Add to the flour and whisk gently until just combined. In clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric beater at medium speed until they form soft peaks. Fold into the batter and mix in the chocolate chips. Ladle one-third of the batter onto the center of the waffle iron. Close the top and cook until the waffle is crispy on both sides. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for cooking time. Serve immediately

Read more at http://ghirardelli.com/recipes-tips/recipes/chocolate-waffles#UpYI6K4XF4uSK4Yr.99