Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Seriously...only 3 ingredients. Only 3 ingredients and still soooooo good!!! If you are like me and hate to turn you oven on in the summer because it makes you whole house feel like you are living in Dubai OUTDOORS, you will definitely want to be making this crockpot meal at least a couple times this summer!!!!



Pulled Pork Sandwiches
submitted by Camille
(from The Girl Who Ate Everything)

• 1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin (pork shoulder or butt can also be used)
• 1 (12 ounce) can of root beer
• 1 (18 ounce) bottle of barbecue sauce
• 8 hamburger buns

1. Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker and pour the can of root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until pork shreds easily with a fork.
2. After pork has cooked, drain and discard the root beer. Shred the pork and place it back in the slow cooker. Pour the barbecue sauce over the pork and stir to combine. Serve immediately or keep warm in slow cooker until ready to serve. Serve on hamburger buns.

Strawberry and Chicken Salad

Mmmmm...this salad was soooo good!!!! We had it for dinner the other night, and then had it again for lunch the next day!!! So yummy, and refreshing!



Strawberry and Chicken Salad
submitted by Camille

1 head of Romaine lettuce
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 can (15 oz) mandarin orange segments, drained
2 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
Poppy Seed dressing

Toss romaine in large bowl with chicken, oranges and strawberries.

Sprinkle with peanuts.

Serve with dressing.

Turkey Burgers

Love this time of year, we are GRILLING again!!!! Food taste so much better when it has been grilled outside....why is that? I mean, I HATE marshmallows....yet I LOVE smore's!!! Isn't that funny? All I can think is because they are made outside!!! LOL!!!!
I don't usually like Turkey Burgers, they always seem so dry to me....but these were very good!!! And not dry at all!!! My hubby, 4 kids, and my daughters friend who was over for dinner, all LOVED them!!!!



Turkey Burgers
submitted by Camille
(from Annie's Eats)

Yield: 8 burgers
Ingredients:
3 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. ground turkey
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
1 tbsp. minced fresh sage
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
Directions:Heat the coals of a grill to medium-high. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 2 minutes longer, until the onion is tender. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl; let cool.
Once the onion mixture has cooled, add the ground turkey, salt, pepper and herbs to the bowl. Mix well so everything is evenly blended. Mix in the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Form the mixture into 8 equal sized patties. When you are ready to grill, oil the grates of the grill with additional olive oil or vegetable oil. Cook until evenly browned and cooked through, about 4-6 minutes per side. Serve with toasted buns, lettuce, tomatoes, and condiments as desired.

Light and Easy Jello Pie



These pies were just light their name: Light and easy. I found the recipe from Kraft foods, and adapted it to work with what I had on hand. They were very light and refreshing. Perfect for a spring or summer dessert.



Light and Easy Jello Pie

submitted by Michelle

(adapted from Kraft foods)

2/3 cup  boiling water

1 pkg. (3 oz.) Strawberry/Lime/or any flavor for that matter Gelatin

  Ice cubes

1/2 cup cold water

1 tub  (8 oz.) lite Whipped Topping, thawed

1 ready-to-use reduced-fat graham cracker crumb crust (6 oz.)

Add boiling water to gelatin mix; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to cold water to make 1 cup. Add to gelatin; stir until slightly thickened. Remove any unmelted ice.
Whisk in Whipped Topping. Refrigerate 20 to 30 min. or until mixture is very thick and will mound. Spoon into crust. 
Refrigerate 6 hours or until firm.
Optional: Top with sliced berries.

Baked penne with Chicken, Broccoli and Smoked Mozzarella

I love me a good pasta dish. Must be why I married a man who lived in Italy for 2 years. This was one of those comfort foods that you just want to eat for the rest of your life. SO. GOOD. Not only did I think so, but my professional food testers (the Hubs and 4 kidlets) all gave it two thumbs way up!

I couldn't find smoked mozzarella anywhere, so I used regular mozzarella. I also didn't add thyme because I am not a fan of it.

Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli and Smoked Mozzarella
submitted by Michelle
(from Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

*Serves 6-8

Topping:
3/4 cup bread crumbs (store-bought or make your own)
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
1 bunch broccoli (about 1 ½ pounds), stalks cut off, florets trimmed into 1-inch pieces
12 ounces penne pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
6 medium garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3), trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
3 ounces smoked mozzarella, shredded
8 ounce jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped into pieces

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and butter and set aside. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and make sure the oven rack is placed in the middle of the oven. In a large pot, bring the water for the pasta to a boil. Stir in one tablespoon salt and the broccoli. The broccoli cooks quickly so stay close! Cook the broccoli for 1 minute, until it is bright green. Quickly remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon to a plate. Return the water to a boil and add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than how you would eat it normally (it will cook a bit more in the oven while baking). Drain the pasta in a colander and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Leave it in the colander and set it aside.
Wipe the pot dry. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the flour, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the broth and cream; bring to a simmer, whisking often. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and smoked mozzarella.
Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the sauce; stir to combine. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the bread crumb topping. Bake until the casserole is bubbling and the crumbs are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.