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Category: Weekend Bites

Weekend Bites Summer Refreshers

Welcome Back to Weekend Bites! Summer heat has set in, it’s time for some Summer Refreshers.

Visit my co-host Debi at Practical Parenting Ideas

1. Link up your any food related post below

2. Browse the linky, visit some new blogs, and share if you feel so inclined.

3. Please only link up 3 posts. This lets us visit as many of you as possible.
4. By linking up you give me permission to feature your photos on Home Maid Simple (always linking back to you of course!)

5. Each month I send out a newsletter with the most popular links from the previous month – you may be featured!! This is a once a month newsletter, every first Friday of the month, no spam involved! Sign Up

I get it, it’s summer. No one is cooking as much, and we’re definitely not sitting inside on our computers as much these days, right?! I miss your links, though, so hopefully these enticing beverages will bring you back! Show me what you’re mixing up in the kitchen, then whip up a summer refresher and go enjoy the outdoors with your kids, or you know by yourself in peace and quiet.

Summer Refreshers

Strawberry, Lemon & Basil Infused Water from Pink Heels Pink Truck

Jalapeno Cucumber Lime Infused Water from Sparkle Living

Lime Sherbert Punch from The Gold Lining Girl

Strawberry Lemonade from The Perfect Storm

Vanilla Chocolatey Chip Frappe from Real Coake

Moose Tracks Milkshake from Lemons for Lulu

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July 8, 2016
Weekend Bites featuring Silver Foodie

Welcome back to Weekend Bites! The weekend Food Party you don’t want to miss.

Visit my co-host Debi at Practical Parenting Ideas

1. Link up your any food related post below

2. Browse the linky, visit some new blogs, and share if you feel so inclined.

3. Please only link up 3 posts. This lets us visit as many of you as possible.
4. By linking up you give me permission to feature your photos on Home Maid Simple (always linking back to you of course!)

5. Each month I send out a newsletter with the most popular links from the previous month – you may be featured!! This is a once a month newsletter, every first Friday of the month, no spam involved! Sign Up

Summer has finally arrived here. My kids are on schedules…well sort of…OK they’re not, but everyone is happy, and that’s what matters right? I’ve been going on more trips this summer than I have most summers. I started June off with a trip to Colorado to see family. Then last weekend we camped out at the Indiana State Dunes with Mark’s family, and in just over a week Mark and I are taking an adult trip to Chicago for SoFabU On The Road.

About a year ago I started featuring individual bloggers here on Weekend Bites instead of just their recipes. I’d like to do that again with Silver Foodie. She’s been sharing her delicious recipes with us for awhile now, but in case you’ve missed them, now you can see more and learn a bit about her too! Who is the Silver Foodie? Janet Vinyard is a retired Dietician. Her mission with Silver Foodie is to bring you recipes that you can enjoy eating as your body ages and changes. If there’s one thing she wants you to remember though, it is to Savor the Flavor.

Here’s just a sampling of what you can find when browsing Silver Foodie

Don’t forget to share your recipes after the features.

Chicken Souvlaki

Banana Hotcakes with Honey Pecan Butter

Chocolate Pistachio Cake

Guava Pinwheels

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June 30, 2016
Weekend Bites: Breakfast Lunch Dinner and Dessert

Welcome back to Weekend Bites! Today you’ll find something for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert! Enjoy.

Visit my co-host Debi at Practical Parenting Ideas

1. Link up your any food related post below

2. Browse the linky, visit some new blogs, and share if you feel so inclined.

3. Please only link up 3 posts. This lets us visit as many of you as possible.
4. By linking up you give me permission to feature your photos on Home Maid Simple (always linking back to you of course!)

5. Each month I send out a newsletter with the most popular links from the previous month – you may be featured!! This is a once a month newsletter, every first Friday of the month, no spam involved! Sign Up

June has been a fantastic month for me. I kicked it off with my 30th birthday, then spent a weekend in Colorado with all my female cousins, and at the moment you are probably reading this, I’m hanging out on the shore of Lake Michigan. Could life get any sweeter? It does when you have a full menu planned out for you. While I enjoy my mini getaways with family, I’m also looking forward to coming back and trying some of these recipes.

FEATURES

Strawberry Basil Jam

from The Country Chic Cottage

I can almost taste this jam on a piece of breakfast toast.

Greek Classic Chicken Souvlaki

from Silver Foodie

Souvlaki has quickly become one of my favorite meals, usually if I’m cooking just for myself.

Thai Flank Steak Kebabs

from Simply Stacie

Summer and Kebabs go hand in hand – one kebab for each hand that is.

Smore’s Bars

from Winnish

I plan on making these as soon as I get back to town. I’m practically drooling over how good these sound.

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June 23, 2016
Weekend Bites Summer Salads
Welcome Back to another Weekend Bites! Warm weather is here, and so are Summer Salads.

Visit my co-host Debi at Practical Parenting Ideas

1. Link up your any food related post below

2. Browse the linky, visit some new blogs, and share if you feel so inclined.

3. Please only link up 3 posts. This lets us visit as many of you as possible.
4. By linking up you give me permission to feature your photos on Home Maid Simple (always linking back to you of course!)

5. Each month I send out a newsletter with the most popular links from that month – you may be featured!! This is a once a month newsletter, every first Friday of the month, no spam involved! Sign Up

Summer to me means spending less time working, and more time enjoying the world around me with the people I enjoy. So as we get together, I find myself asking what food can I bring – and it’s usually a salad. Wouldn’t you agree salads are the perfect accompaniment to any get-together? They can feed a large group, and usually, everyone enjoys them.

The best thing about salads, though, is it can take so many different flavors, and be made to fit anyone’s preference. There’s pasta salad, wedge salad, green salad, side salad, potato salad, and even dessert salad! Here are 9 Summer Salads you shared last week. Which one will you make first?
1. Grilled Chicken Ranch Pasta Salad from Honey & Birch
2. Tomato Corn Pasta Salad from My Suburban Kitchen
3. Pesto and Sausage Pasta from The Real Thing with the Coake Family
4. Cucumber and Avocado Salad with Feta from Sparkle Living
5. Grilled Romaine Caeser Salad with Asiago Cheese Toast Points from Old House to New Home
6. Chicken Fajita Chopped Salad from My Suburban Kitchen
7. Homemade Egg Salad Sandwich from OhMy! Creative
8. Bacon-Cheddar Potato Salad from Home Cooking Memories
9. Strawberry Pretzel Salad from Embellishmints
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Do you have a favorite Summer Salad?

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June 16, 2016
Weekend Bites Food Party

Welcome back to Weekend Bites. The FOOD Party.

Visit my co-host Debi at Practical Parenting Ideas

1. Link up your any food related post below

2. Browse the linky, visit some new blogs, and share if you feel so inclined.

3. Please only link up 3 posts. This lets us visit as many of you as possible.
4. By linking up you give me permission to feature your photos on Home Maid Simple (always linking back to you of course!)

5. Each month I send out a newsletter with the most popular links from that month – you may be featured!! This is a once a month newsletter, every first Friday of the month, no spam involved! Sign Up

Where did my day go? I don’t even know, because I had everything carefully planned out, and then nothing happened like it was supposed to. You know? I couldn’t even remember what day it was for a good portion today, but thankfully there were little reminders around for me…and a phone that tells me the date helps too.

So HEY HEY! It’s almost the weekend, and that means meal planning, and running around with the family, or maybe even just relaxing. Whatever is in store for your weekend, make sure to take some time to enjoy it. I know I’m going to be enjoying these delicious recipes from Simply Stacie, Healthy Helper, and The Country Chic Cottage. Reall, just take a look at these.

Who knew Ramen could be used in a dessert?! Definitely making these Chocolate Peanut Butter Ramen Bars for the kids soon.

This Thai Basil Peanut Dip also looks so fantastic! I’m sure you could pour this over a bowl of Ramen Noodles as well.

Well, it’s not peanut-y, and you probably wouldn’t want any Ramen with it, but it’s Cheesecake! If you didn’t know, I live for Cheesecake! I can’t wait to try these Pineapple Cheesecakes in a Jar!

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June 9, 2016
Weekend Bites Chicken Dinner 4 Ways

Welcome back to another Weekend Bites! Featuring Chicken Dinner 4 ways.

Visit my co-host Debi at Practical Parenting Ideas

1. Link up your any food related post below

2. Browse the linky, visit some new blogs, and share if you feel so inclined.

3. Please only link up 3 posts. This lets us visit as many of you as possible.
4. By linking up you give me permission to feature your photos on Home Maid Simple (always linking back to you of course!)

5. Each month I send out a newsletter with the most popular links from that month – you may be featured!! This is a once a month newsletter, every first Friday of the month, no spam involved! Sign Up

When Mark and I were first married we ate a whole lot of ground beef. It was affordable on our limited newly married college student income. These days, we rarely eat it with how expensive it’s become and opt for more chicken instead. I even made my first purchase through Zaycon (affiliate link), and will be getting 40lbs of Fresh Chicken Breasts this Thursday. Thankfully my sister in law is splitting it with me because neither of us have that big of a freezer.

I adore Chicken Salad Sandwiches, and this Rotisserie Chicken Salad Sandwich from Gluesticks has me craving them. They’re the perfect get together food. Speaking of get-togethers, if you’re planning a cookout this summer, I’d try the Vinegar Marinated Chicken Wings from As the Bunny Hops, or these Sweet Honey Chicken Kabobs from The Country Chic Cottage.

Now normally I save soup for the winter, but we’ve been having some chillier nights still, and I could easily find myself warming up to a bowl of Simply Stacie’s Chicken, Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup.

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June 2, 2016
Weekend Bites Cookout Fare

Welcome back to Weekend Bites! School is out and I’m ready for a good old cookout! This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you lick through and purchase.

Visit my co-host Debi at Practical Parenting Ideas

1. Link up your any food related post below

2. Browse the linky, visit some new blogs, and share if you feel so inclined.

3. Please only link up 3 posts. This lets us visit as many of you as possible.
4. By linking up you give me permission to feature your photos on Home Maid Simple (always linking back to you of course!)

5. Each month I send out a newsletter with the most popular links from that month – you may be featured!! This is a once a month newsletter, every first Friday of the month, no spam involved! Sign Up

Now, I’ve always called a backyard get together that includes the grill a Barbecue. Talking with a friend here, I learned that around Indiana, and I’m guessing other states as well, they’re usually called a CookOut. Barbecue is reserved for a cookout where actual barbecue is served. It makes sense you know. I’ll still probably invite people over for a BBQ, and serve up hot dogs and burgers, and hopefully no one will realize that there isn’t any actual BBQ.

Looking through your recipes last week I realized just how excited I am to host some cookout’s this summer. The kids are officially out of school, today being there first full day home. It’s been pretty decent, but it was also Mark’s day off. So we’ll see how tomorrow goes, but we’re ready to invite friends over and enjoy some classic backyard foods. If you want to go with a traditional Barbecue, you can try this delicious looking BBQ Rub from the Country Chic Cottage. For those more inclined to burgers and dogs, this Smokehouse BBQ Burger from Delightful E Made looks fabulous, and stuffed with goodness!

You can’t forget the sides and desserts! Any good cookout will have homemade Coleslaw, and Little House Living shared an easy recipe for it. The Coconut Creme Ice Pops from Simply Stacie will wrap up dessert and a hot summer day perfectly.

How will YOU enjoy summer? Tell me in a comment.

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May 26, 2016
Weekend Bites: Corn Recipes

Welcome back to Weekend Bites! This week I’m feeling inspired by corn! Check out the featured corn recipes, then share your own.

Visit my co-host Debi at Practical Parenting Ideas

1. Link up your any food related post below

2. Browse the linky, visit some new blogs, and share if you feel so inclined.

3. Please only link up 3 posts. This lets us visit as many of you as possible.
4. By linking up you give me permission to feature your photos on Home Maid Simple (always linking back to you of course!)

5. Each month I send out a newsletter with the most popular links from that month – you may be featured!! This is a once a month newsletter, every first Friday of the month, no spam involved! Sign Up

So much corn! I love adding corn to my dishes, and with summer practically here, we tend to eat it a lot more frequently. What I truly love about corn, though, is it is a versatile addition to any dish. Making a casserole? Add some corn. Salsa for those chips? Add corn. Salad? Hey, let’s add some more corn! Even corn all by itself makes a fantastic side dish to any summer meal.

If you’re having a BBQ or Cook-Out this summer, you’ve got to try this fantastic looking Mexican Corn recipe from The Jenny Evolution. If you’re not a fan of corn on the cob try a side of her Fire Roasted Corn and Chorizo Dip. You could also turn it into the Corn and Feta Salad from A Dish of Daily Life. Not a fan of Feta – hey I get it, it took me awhile to acquire that taste – then try Calabacitas Salsa with Queso Fresco from Atta Girl Says. We’re going to cook out a lot this summer so I can try all of these!

You don’t have to wait for a BBQ to enjoy corn this summer. You could throw a Mexican night and indoors and make Avocado Corn and Black Bean Taquitos from Hello Nature. You could also try these Charred Corn Veggie Tacos from The Jenny Evolution.

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May 19, 2016
Weekend Bites Berries Galore

Welcome to Weekend Bites! This week we’re featuring delicious recipes for all those berries coming into season.

Visit my co-host Debi at Practical Parenting Ideas

1. Link up your any food related post below

2. Browse the linky, visit some new blogs, and share if you feel so inclined.

3. Please only link up 3 posts. This lets us visit as many of you as possible.
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5. Each month I send out a newsletter with the most popular links from that month – you may be featured!! This is a once a month newsletter, every first Friday of the month, no spam involved! Sign Up

Black-blue-red-rasp berry. So many berries! I love this time of year when the berries start producing, and our desserts are a little healthier as we toss these delicious berries into just about everything. I made a special 2nd trip to Aldi this week just to get some of the blackberries on a 99cent special. At that price, yes I brought home a whole flat of blackberries. 3 cartons went in the freezer, and 3 went in the fridge. That was yesterday actually, and would you believe the 3 cartons in the fridge are already gone! We had one in our cereal this morning, and I used the other 2 to make this amazing dessert from Frugal Foodie Mama – Blackberry Lemon Almond-Oat Bars.

We had company over for dinner, and it was the perfect way to end a fabulous dinner that my neighbor cooked. Normally I won’t cook something I haven’t tried before, for company, but I couldn’t resist those blackberries. The frozen berries may easily find their way into Mom’s Messy Miracles Blackberry Cake Pops or as a nice refresher in the mocktail version of this Blackberry Moscow Mule from My Suburban Kitchen.

If you’re more a raspberry fan, don’t you worry! The internet has you covered too! I am quite frankly in awe, and can’t stop checking out the Raspberry Brie Grilled Cheese from the Kittchen. Then there’s this Raspberry Amarillo Cheesecake Skillet Blondie from Lemons for LuLu. Or you can just toss all the berries in together for this Mixed Berry Grilled Poundcake Shortcake from The Gold Lining Girl.

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May 12, 2016
Weekend Bites: Hummus

This week I’m feeling inspired by Hummus recipes! Check out the collections below and you’re sure to find something to enjoy.

Visit my co-host Debi at Practical Parenting Ideas

1. Link up your any food related post below

2. Browse the linky, visit some new blogs, and share if you feel so inclined.

3. Please only link up 3 posts. This lets us visit as many of you as possible.
4. By linking up you give me permission to feature your photos on Home Maid Simple (always linking back to you of course!)

5. Each month I send out a newsletter with the most popular links from that month – you may be featured!! This is a once a month newsletter, every first Friday of the month, no spam involved! Sign Up

When I started writing up this post and going through your recipes from last week, I had planned to feature some breakfast recipes. After all, it is Mothers Day Weekend. The more I looked, though, the more inspired I was by the variety of Hummus recipes shared. A few years back, and I tried hummus for the first time. I was less than impressed and decided I didn’t need hummus in my life. Fast forward to our move here and my sister in law always has hummus pulled out when we eat together. I’m never one to fully give up on something, so I gave it another try, and what do you know! It has become one of my favorite snack foods. Way better than veggies and ranch.

So the moral of today’s story is to never give up! Whether it be a food you don’t think you like or larger then life dreams. Give it time, and keep on trying. And have some hummus along the way.

Mexican Street Corn Salsa Hummus

from Lemons for LuLu

Easy Healthy Toddler Meals with Hummus

from Fab Working Mom Life

12 Hummus Recipes

from The Super Mommy Club

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May 5, 2016