Peach Cake Bars

This recipe has been hailed as the "best" recipe on Pinterest.

And I wasn't just going to let that title go by without sampling!



Boy, oh, boy- it is good!

I made a few adaptations using fresh peaches but overall, left this recipe as is because it is delicious! Light, fresh and refreshing! Perfect to use up those scrumptious peaches that are in season right now but the base recipe would be great to throw in apples or berries, too.

Peach Cake Bars

Adapted slightly from Just a Pinch

Yield: 12 large bars

Prep Time: 15 min. Total Time: 1 hour (includes both cooking times)

Ingredients:

-1 box yellow cake mix

-2 eggs

-1/3 c. butter, room temperature

-8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

-1/3 c. sugar

-1 tsp. vanilla extract

-Scant 4 cups of fresh peaches, peeled and sliced into 1/4 in. slices (I used 4 large peaches)

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray.

-Combine cake mix, 1 egg and butter in a medium bowl with fork until crumbly. Reserve 1 c. for topping and press the rest into the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

-Sprinkle the peaches on top of the partially baked crust.

-With an electric mixer until creamy, combine cream cheese, sugar, 1 egg and vanilla extract. Pour and spread over peaches.

-Top with remaining 1 c. reserved crumbs and bake for 30 minutes.

-Let cool completely before cutting. Store in refrigerator...if you have any left to store!

Enjoy!

Laura



Broiled Peaches

A huge pro of Colorado is that it is home to Palisade which grows some of the most delicious peaches I've ever had! They are at all the farmer's markets and grocery stores this time of year and for the cheap price, you can't afford to load up and eat juicy peaches to your hearts content!

This is our favorite way to eat them at the Ellison household.

Warm, juicy and topped with Greek yogurt and balsamic vinegar.

Broiled Peaches

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 5 min. Total Time: 10 min.

Ingredients:

One peach, sliced in half (this recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, etc!)

Granulated Sugar

Greek Yogurt

Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:

-Turn the oven on to broil on high. Line a cookie sheet with foil and lay halved peaches skin side down (so the inside of the peach is up) and sprinkle generously with sugar.

-Place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until sugar is bubbling and light brown. Watch closely as they can burn quickly!

-Remove from oven and top each peach half with a spoonful of Greek yogurt and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

To kick it up a notch, I use Vanilla Balsamic Vinegar from my favorite local store, the EVOO Marketplace. But even mixing in a little bit of vanilla extract with your balsamic would be delicious!

Enjoy!

Laura



Cornflake Chicken

How have I not blogged about this before?!

I talk a lot about simple recipes that are "go-to" for me. This dinner hits the nail on the head for that.

It is one our favorite summer dinners and is perfect to take to lunch in the park, a picnic dinner or a casual night at home!

Cornflake Chicken!



I've tried multiple versions but the best one is found here by Kellogg's. The only modifications I make is using boneless, skinless chicken tenders instead of chicken pieces (as called for in the recipe) so they only take about 15 minutes in the oven.

Next time you're at the grocery store, look for the boneless, skinless thin chicken tenders to be on sale and stock up in your freezer! You can also pick up some boneless, skinless chicken breasts and ask the grocery store butcher to slice them into thin strips for you (free of charge!). They really are better as little chicken fingers because you get a lot of crunch from the coating that way!

We always have a box of cornflakes on hand for when I'm in a dinner rut. This is great because you probably have all the ingredients, except the cornflakes, at home so you can pick up one ingredient at the store and- voila!- dinner is served.

Click here for the original recipe!

Enjoy!

Laura



Cheesy Jalapeno Popper Baked Chicken

I've said it before, and I'll say it again- Skinnytaste strikes again!

I'm trying to come out of my recipe rut and man, oh, man, did I ever. I made these Skinny Cheesy Jalapeno Popper Baked Chicken breasts last week and they were a hit! I used 3 chicken breasts sliced in half, so that's 6 pieces for you non mathematicians, and we enjoyed them for leftovers all week long!



It's the perfect combination of everything you love about jalapeno poppers- cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon and a kick from the jalapeno- in dinner form! A winning summer dinner!

These will definitely be making an appearance around this house soon!

Here is the link to the original recipe: Cheesy Jalapeno Popper Baked Chicken.

Enjoy!
Laura

Go-To Dinner

SkinnyTaste strikes again!

I've found our new go-to summer dinner and it is a complete hit!

Spaghetti with Sauteed Chicken and Grape Tomatoes.



via

It's a light, fresh, scrumptious dish that is easy to make and easy to clean up! I also love that it doesn't require a lot of extra ingredients from what I already have at home so I can quickly pick them up at the grocery on short notice!

Trust me on this one, y'all. It will be your new go-to, as well.

I followed the original recipe found here and added in a large splash of balsamic vinegar inspired by here!

Enjoy!

Laura

Mocktails

Have y'all heard of these?!

Crystal Light Mocktails!



Sold with the lemonade and other Crystal Light flavors at the grocery store and easily mixed up in a pitcher! We had Peach Bellini flavor at a bachelorette party in March and it was the perfect mixer for whatever you chose. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find the peach bellini flavor since but they make up for it with Mojito, Margarita and Appletini.

This is great for when you need a little something besides water and would be so easy in a large drink dispenser at a bridal shower or summer cookout. Or even better, a baby shower to make the mom-to-be feel indulgent!

Also, if you have a Sam's Club near you, I saw a 3 pack with all the flavors there last week!

Makes you feel better about having a mojito with breakfast on a Tuesday,
Laura

I really love my...{Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker}

(see here for all previous posts in the I really love my... series!)

I really love my Cuisinart Pure Indulgence Ice Cream Maker! My brother gave me this for Christmas a few years ago and, I'll be honest, it took me a while to finally get it out of the box and give it a whirl. And now, I'm hooked!



It is so simple to use and I love being able to lighten up full-fat ice cream flavors or make homemade frozen yogurt! It's great for using up leftover cookies, candy, cake or fresh fruit from the farmer's market.

You simply freeze the inner freezer bowl for 24 hours before use, mix up your milk/cream/vanilla etc. (see yesterday's post for the most amazing ice cream recipes), pour it into the freezer bowl and turn it on for 25 minutes! Voila!

Everyone will be so impressed! It's a must have for the upcoming summer months!

You can purchase it from the Cuisinart website and Amazon.com, to name a few!

Have fun!
Laura