You’re having a Fourth of July picnic this year.

Your guests are asking what they can bring…

Perfect!

You now have the opportunity to throw a fun picnic, without a lot of hassle.

And with this handy July Fourth recipe guide, you can easily divide up the recipes among your guests, and ensure the entire picnic menu is a smashing success…

First up, homemade guacamole.  It’s an easy starter, and when paired with salsa and chips, is one that everyone enjoys.

And for those guests who want to snack on something a little more interesting, this lemony shrimp and scallop cocktail appetizer is sure to satisfy.  It’s light and tangy, and perfect for cooling down an otherwise hot afternoon.

Since it’s already hot enough outside, there’s no need to fire up the grill.  Instead serve up a delicious curry chicken salad, as well as some fresh crab salad, and pair with sliced pita, crackers and cut veggies for an easy and satisfying main course.

And finally, pull it all together with two amazing, interesting, and perfect-for-a-hot-summer-day salads.  First up the arugula and watermelon salad for the foodies in the group.  It may sound weird, but trust me, it’s good.  And then second, the chopped wedge salad, which if you love a traditional wedge, will make you one extremely happy picnicker.

Each of these recipes on their own are amazing, and they’ll be talked about for a long while … not to mention requested at picnics for years to come.

And since all of these recipes can be prepared in advance, don’t require a lot of additional prep before serving, and most importantly, don’t involve the grill, you can plan to kick back, relax, and enjoy the festivities with your guests.

Of course these recipes also have the potential to save the picnic in the event of a grilling mishap involving a slightly intoxicated grill master, too much lighter fluid, and some missing eyebrows.

(Yes, I speak from experience.)

So if you’re hosting the Fourth of July  picnic this year, go ahead and tell your guests you’d love for them to bring something.  You have the perfect recipes for a low-stress picnic, that both you and your guests will enjoy.

Until our next meal,

Rebecca

P.S. Have a fun and safe Fourth of July!

The first picnic holiday is right around the corner …

Food, fun, friends, and a 3-day weekend. What could be better than that?!

This year want to host the Memorial Day Barbeque. But there’s just one catch …

You don’t want to spend all day in the hot sun, slaving away over an even hotter grill. You want to enjoy the party!

Now I love to host a good party. Feeding people is something that has been part of my DNA since birth.

But being Irish, I also love to be part of the party, rather than watching it from the kitchen. So when I’m hosting a big food event like a Memorial Day barbeque, I’m all about serving foods that can mainly be made before my guests even arrive.

That way I can kick back and enjoy the food, fun and friends like everyone else!

Last year my Memorial Day menu was a big hit. Luckily, I put together a mini cookbook so that this year would be a snap. And today, I’m passing that cookbook on to you.

So the next time you plan on hosting the Memorial Day barbeque, get ready to enjoy the party with your guests. You’ve got the perfect recipes for EASY party that can be pulled together before your guests even arrive.

Until our next meal,
Rebecca

Five Delicious Recipes for Your Memorial Day Festivities

Ok, I know it’s far-fetched.  Ice cream to “spare?”

BUT … hear me out. I think vanilla ice cream is boring.  

Don’t get me wrong. It has its place.

And in my mind, its place is to further strengthen another dessert.

Take for example, brownies. I love a warm, rich, chewy, chocolaty  brownie. BUT … add some vanilla ice cream and chocolate fudge, and oh my look out. Now you have a dessert worth writing blog posts about.

And while I could share my brownie recipe here, the warm brownie sundae would be too cliché.  So instead I’m going to share with you my cherry crisp recipe.  

Of course you can also turn this recipe into an apple crisp, peach crisp, blueberry crisp … it’s really your choice. But this recipe is SO good … served warm … with vanilla ice cream.  

And it’s so easy, your guests, your husband, your family, whomever, will feel like you really put in special effort, even though you really just made it to use up the vanilla ice cream in your freezer.

So the next time the grocery store has a sale on vanilla ice cream and you can’t resist, go ahead and buy an extra gallon.  You have the perfect companion for a dessert guaranteed to make even us “non-appreciative of the vanilla flavor” ice cream lovers get excited.

Until our next meal, Rebecca

Warm Cherry Crisp

Ingredients:

Cherry Crisp

• 2 and 1/2 Cups Frozen Pitted Cherries
• 3 Tbs White Sugar
• 1 and 1/2 Tbs All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Cup Regular Rolled Oats
• 1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 Cup Butter or Margarine, Softened
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Nuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Thaw the cherries, but do not drain, and then place them in a 2-quart baking dish.
3. Stir in the white sugar and 3 tablespoons flour.
4. For the topping, in a medium bowl combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, and nutmeg.
5. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
6. Stir in the nuts, and then sprinkle the topping over filling.
7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the topping is golden.
8. Cool slightly. If desired, serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Tip: I love this stuff warm and by itself.  So don’t feel like you have to buy vanilla ice cream in order to make it.  With or without, it’s dessert worthy. Enjoy!

A random cold snap hits over the weekend. The weather is awesome.

You literally want to sit outside every minute and bask in it.

On Monday, the beautiful weather is still hanging around.  Which can only mean one thing … a last-minute cookout happening at your place this evening.

Burgers, dogs, beans and dessert are already being taken care.  

All you need to come up with is a salad.  Something fast but tasty.

People are coming over an hour after you get off work, so that doesn’t give you much time.  And it would be nice to have the salad already made so that you can just whip it out of the fridge when the rest of the food is ready.

Enter the ever-popular greek salad.  Chop up the ingredients, mix up the dressing, and throw it all into a container.  When the burgers and dogs are done, it will be ready to go as well.

So when your “plus one” sends you an email at 2PM letting you know that he’s invited your friends and their dogs over for a last-minute cookout, tell him to pick up the veggies below on his way home.  You have the perfect recipe for a greek salad that will leave you relaxed and ready to party.

Until our next meal,

Rebecca

Absolutely Fabulous Greek Salad

Ingredients:

Fresh Greek Salad

• 4 Medium Tomatoes, Chopped
• 1 Green Bell Pepper, Chopped
• 1 Cucumber, Chopped
• 1 Small Red Onion, Chopped
• 1 (4 oz) Can Sliced Black Olives
• Crumbled Feta (Served On the Side) 
• 1/4 Olive Oil
• 1/3 Red Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Dried Oregano
• 1/2 Tsp Dried Basil
• 1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Pepper
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tsp Dijon Mustard

Directions:

1. In a large container with a tight fitting lid, combine the tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, onion, and olives.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard, and all the spices.  
3. Pour dressing over the salad, put on the lid, turn over once or twice and put in the refrigerator. Turn container over a few more times before serving.

Tip:  This greek salad dressing is great on all salads.  Just double the ingredients to make a full batch of it.  And for an easy way to mix dressing, check out my video tip below!

Ok, so you made pulled pork from scratch, along with my sweet and tangy BBQ sauce.

But you feel like I left you hanging!

You’ve got the meat … you’ve got my baked beans recipe … the cornbread … but what about the coleslaw!?

Not to worry!  As I always promise, I’ve got you covered.

There are so many great coleslaw recipes out there, ranging from tangy, to tart, and even spicy.  But this recipe is for a classic simple and sweet coleslaw.  

Very similar to what you would find in most barbeque restaurants.

So the next time you want to go all out with your barbeque, know that you’re covered.  You have the perfect recipe to round out your menu.

Until our next meal,

Rebecca

Sweet and Creamy Coleslaw

Ingredients:

Sweet and Creamy Coleslaw

• 1 (16 oz) Bag Shredded Coleslaw Mix 
• 2/3 Cup Miracle Whip
• 3 Tbs Olive Oil
• 1/2 Cup White Sugar
• 1 Tbs White Vinegar
• 1/4 Tsp Salt
• 1/2 Tsp Poppy Seeds

Directions:

1. Place the coleslaw mix (or else your own shredded cabbage and carrots) into a large bowl.
2. Whisk together the salad dressing, olive oil, sugar, vinegar, salt and poppy seeds in a medium bowl.
3. Pour dressing mixture over coleslaw mix and toss to coat.
4. Chill at least 2 hours before serving to let the flavors meld together.

Tip: Want an easy way to mix the dressing and coleslaw? Check out my video below.  This tip is great for any time you need to mix salad greens with a lot of ingredients.

Memorial Day is around the corner.

This year, you’re having the barbeque at your house. And you’ll probably have a pretty good turnout because the weather has been gorgeous!

So you’ll have a big group to cook for, but really want to spend time enjoying the party rather than …

Warning to Men: Feel free to skip ahead to the recipe at this point. Because you may not like what you’re about to read.

Ok ladies, where were we?

Right. You’d rather spend time enjoying the party than messing with the grill.

It’s supposed to be 98 here in Texas tomorrow. And I’m sorry, but that is just too hot to stand over the grill for an afternoon picnic. I’d much rather spend time laughing and carrying on, enjoying myself with everyone else.

This recipe actually came as a request from Jaclyn, a WhatToCookWhen.com reader. She was specifically looking for a pulled pork recipe, and asked if I could help.

Get ready, because this recipe is to die for! And if you like sweet and tangy barbeque sauce, then hold on to your hat cowboy. Because you are never going to want to buy pre-made sauce again. This sauce would rock on ANY meat you pour it on. Brisket, chicken, ribs, whatever.

IT … ROCKS.

And don’t get overwhelmed by the number of ingredients in the sauce. They’re all spices you should have on hand anyways. You’ll use them in a lot of my recipes. And besides, the sauce is worth it. It’s that good!

So the next time you’re having the gang over for a barbeque, but just don’t want to fire up the grill, open a cold one and enjoy the outdoors. You have the perfect recipe for a barbeque that doesn’t require a single piece of charcoal.

Until our next meal,

Rebecca

P.S. Have a recipe request for me? Visit the new recipe request section of the site.

Pulled Pork with Sweet and Tangy Barbeque Sauce

 
Pulled Pork Ingredients:

Sweet and Tangy Pulled Pork

• 6 Pounds Boston Butt Roast
• 4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 Tsp Seasoning Salt
• 2 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
• 1/8 Tbs Cayenne Pepper
• 1 Onion, Chopped
• 3 Cups Barbecue Sauce (recipe below!)

Pulled Pork Directions:

1. Rub garlic, seasoning salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste onto roast.
2. Place roast in a large Dutch oven or pot and fill half way with water add onion.
3. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
4. Reduce heat simmer and let cook until meat falls off the bone. This should take at least 3 to 4 hours depending on the size of the roast.
5. Place hot roast in a serving bowl and pour on your favorite barbecue sauce.
6. Stir until well blended. The meat will literally pull into little pieces as you stir.

Tip: If making this for a smaller group, you can also buy Boston butt boneless country ribs. Just shorten the cooking time to when the meat breaks apart when touched with a fork. For 2 pounds it takes about an hour and 45 minutes.

Sweet and Tangy Barbeque Sauce Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Ketchup
• 2 Cups Tomato Sauce
• 1 1/4 Cups Brown Sugar
• 1 1/4 Cups Red Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 Cup Unsulfured Molasses
• 4 Tsp Hickory-Flavored Liquid Smoke
• 2 Tbs Butter
• 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
• 1/4 Tsp Chili Powder
• 1 Tsp Paprika
• 1/4 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tsp Coarsely Ground Black Pepper

Barbeque Sauce Directions:

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix together the ketchup, tomato sauce, brown sugar, wine vinegar, molasses, liquid smoke and butter.
2. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper.
3. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for up to 20 minutes.
4. For thicker sauce, simmer longer, and for thinner, less time is needed. Sauce can also be thinned using a bit of water if necessary.

Tip: The pulled pork is super tasty, so pair it with a simple green like roasted asparagus. Learn how to easily make some by watching the clip below!

Have you tried this recipe? Or do you have any questions for me?  

I invite you to leave a comment below!

It happened again.

You went to the store to buy chicken breasts for your favorite recipe.

It was just you and your friend for dinner though, so you only needed two breasts.

But for some reason, the store insisted only packaging them in threes.

You don’t want to throw out the extra one.

But you know if you put it in the freezer, you’ll just end up throwing out the freezer-burned thing in a few months, along with the other third breast from the last time you bought chicken.

Now while chicken salad is certainly not a unique concept, this recipe give an old standby a unique spin that will change the way you look at extra chicken.  

In addition to the blend of flavors and crunch texture, what I love about this recipe is once again it allows for your own creativity in the kitchen.  

Maybe you prefer more mayo, or you hate nuts.  Maybe you’d like to try substituting dried apricots for the golden raisins.  Or you’re allergic to apples, so you want to replace them with chopped celery.  It’s totally up to you! 

So instead of cursing the meat department at your local store, grab a pot of water, bring it to a boil, and throw the breast inside. Boil it until it’s cooked through, and then shred it up into small pieces. You have the perfect recipe for a delicious chicken salad, that will have you thanking the meat clerk for his ridiculous three-piece chicken breast packaging.

Until our next meal,

Rebecca

Curry Chicken Salad

 
Ingredients:

Curry Chicken Salad

• 2 Cups Cooked Shredded Chicken
• 1/4 Cup Mayo
• 2 Tsp Curry Powder
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Granny Smith Apples
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Pecans
• 1/4 Cup Golden Raisins

Directions:

1. Mix the shredded chicken and mayo in a medium bowl.
2. Add the curry powder and mix until blended.
3. Stir in apples.
4. Stir in nuts and raisins.
5. Serve alone, on a mound of greens, or in a pita pocket for a tasty lunch treat. 

Tip: If you prefer to use fresh chicken over canned, learn how to easily shred cooked chicken by watching the video below!

Have you tried this recipe?  Or do you have any questions for me?

I invite you to leave a comment below!

When you have a house full of guests, and the weather is beautiful, it’s inevitable that a good old-fashioned cookout will take place.

So like any good hostess, you’ll want to plan ahead and find the perfect recipe for baked beans. 

Now if you’ve ever tried to find a good baked bean recipe online before, you inevitably came across hundreds and hundreds of recipes.  And every one claimed to be the best.

Well today is no different!

Today you are going to be introduced to THE recipe. 

The one that perfectly matches the ribs, burgers or hot dogs also on the plate.   

That perfect blend of salt and sweet.

Not too over-powering. And no one flavor standing out above any others.

Not too runny.  And just sticky enough, to ever so gently grip the fork.

So if you’re ready to fire up the grill, and serve up your barbeque fare with a side of smokin beans, look no further.  You have just found the perfect recipe.

Until our next meal,

Rebecca

The Best Baked Beans Recipe Hands Down

Ingredients: 

The Perfect Baked Beans

• 2 16 oz Cans of Pork and Beans
• 1/4 Cup of Jack Daniels
• 2 Tbs Liquid Smoke
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
• 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 Tbs Dry Onion Flakes
• 1Tbs Cinder Vinegar
• 2 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Tsp Lemon Juice

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350 F.
2. Combine all ingredients in a pan.
3. Bake for one and one half hours, stirring occasionally.

Have you tried this recipe? Do you have a question or comment for me?
I invite you to leave it as a comment below!

You get an invite from a friend.  You’re invited to her let’s kick off the Spring picnic.

Everyone is supposed to bring something. 

You’ve been assigned the picnic salad.

What will you bring!?

Now you may think to yourself,  “but it’s only the picnic salad.  It’s not like the main course or dessert.”

But you couldn’t be more wrong.  The picnic salad stands out above everything else.  It’s STARTS the meal, and if you do it right can have more taste and flavor, and be more memorable than those ‘plain jane’ burgers and hot dogs your host will be grilling up. 

This is your moment to bring the picnic item that will be most talked about, most remembered, and most requested for future picnics, and quite possibly could save the picnic in the event of a grilling mishap involving a slightly intoxicated grill master, too much lighter fluid, and some missing eyebrows.

This picnic salad will be adored by fellow guests, the guys and gals will equally love it.  (That’s correct guys, it has bacon.)  The broccoli base gives you something a little different than your typical salad, the combination of salty and sweet is perfectly blended, and the crunchy finish ties the perfect little bow on this wonderful package of flavors.

So go ahead and RSVP yes, and let the host know that you have the perfect recipe for a picnic salad. 

Until our next meal,

Rebecca

Broccoli Salad With Bacon and Sunflower Seeds

The Perfect Picnic Salad

Ingredients:

• 10 Slices of Bacon
• 1 Head Fresh Broccoli, Cut Into Pieces
• 1/4 Cup Red Onions, Chopped
• 1/2 Cup Golden Raisins
• 3 Tbs White Wine Vinegar
• 2 Tbs White Sugar
• 1 Cup Light Mayonnaise
• 1 Cup Sunflower Seeds

Directions:

1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat until evenly brown.  Drain, crumble and set aside.  (Shortcut: Cook in the microwave on a plate with five paper towels underneath and five on top for about 3-4 minutes, or until bacon is cooked through.)
2. In a medium bowl, combine the broccoli, onion and raisins.  In a container with a tight lid, add the vinegar, sugar and mayonnaise, seal, and then shake until the ingredients are blended.  Pour over the broccoli mixture, and toss until well mixed.  Refrigerate for at least two hours.  (This salad only gets better with time!)
3. Before serving, toss salad with crumbled bacon and sunflower seeds.