Juicy, fresh corn wrapped in a crisp layer of salty bacon. Bacon Wrapped Corn On The Cob is a great twist on your usual side dish.


I'm here today to bring you two things my friends; bacon...and corn.

Say whaaat? Yes, bacon....wrapped around my favorite summer grilling side - fresh corn! If you've never tried corn like this, then you've been missing out. Now, the idea of this dish had an immediate reaction from my six year old, he wisely predicted as only a kid can, "Mommy, THAT is either going to be really delicious...or really, really gross."

I have to agree, the idea of crisp, salty bacon and sweet, juicy corn sounded great...but the thought of a limp, greasy slice of meat sliming up my corn didn't sound as appetizing. The only way to find out was to try it of course, so we dove in feet first. Wanna find out how it turned out? Head on over to Culinary Covers where I'm contributing today, and you can find out...and grab the printable recipe too! That should be a hint - would I have you print the recipe to greasy, slimy, meat corn?? :) Enjoy!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal. Mine was full of waaaay too much good food, followed by promises to myself that I would never eat again, which were quickly broken by stealthy trips to the kitchen to pilfer leftovers.

One of my favorite leftovers to eat, is this sweet potato casserole that has been a part of Thanksgiving that dates waaaay back into my childhood.

Of course, when I left home it was one of "those" recipes that I just had to take with me. Thanksgiving just isn't the same without sweet potato casserole.

This casserole is full of perfectly fluffy sweet potatoes, topped with the best crunchy sweet pecan streusel topping. We're not re-inventing the wheel here, many of you have probably had this recipe in some form another. But every year I say, "I need to share my mom's sweet potato casserole."

So here it is.

Whew! I’m still unpacking boxes and getting the new house in order. It’s actually a bit chaotic since we’re also remodeling. Right now, my entire downstairs is a lovely subfloor, with a beautiful, light misting of dust that seems to perpetually cover everything.

Needless to say, I haven’t been in the kitchen much lately.

I did have the forethought to make a few posts up ahead before we moved, since I knew I wouldn’t have easy access to my kitchen.

This recipe for Savory Corn Crème Brulee is another Tasty Kitchen recipe that I have found and loved. I love crème brulee, and the idea of a savory twist with a toasted parmesan crust really had me itching to try it out. This is a real winner, a perfect side dish to impress company.
As usual, you can find my full post over on the Tasty Kitchen Blog, where you can also snag the handy printable recipe.

Do you have a favorite vegetable? I do. I love Asparagus. Serve it to me any way, grilled, roasted, pureed in a soup...thrown across the room while I catch it like a seal. Yes, I am slightly weird. Yes, I love it that much.
With spring in full bloom, it's the perfect season to enjoy my favorite vegetable. So when I came across this Tasty Kitchen recipe for Skillet Asparagus Tart, my watering taste buds were begging me to make this dish. Not only does this tart feature the most amazing vegetable ever made, it's filled with lemon zest, cream, and fresh parmesan. When you top it with fresh basil or any other herb of your choice, the result is truly delicious.


For the recipe, head on over the the Tasty Kitchen Blog, where you’ll find my post and you can snag this yummy recipe. Thanks Tasty Kitchen!

There are some dishes that truly are guilty pleasures. You know the ones. They lure you in with their addictive deliciousness, even though you know once that bite passes your lips it will likely sit on your hips forever. 

Knowing this, you don’t even care.

This dish is one of my guilty pleasures.  Filled with cream cheese, mayonnaise, cheeses galore…oh yeah, there’s a teensy bit of spinach and artichoke in there too. So that’s healthy….right?

Baked to warm, gooey perfection, this dip will win you friends. I made this for our Easter dinner along with the Pineapple Coffee Cake, and it was quickly gobbled up.  It really is simple to throw together, and can be made up ahead and then just thrown in the oven when you’re ready to eat inhale it.

Spinach Artichoke Dip
Serves 8-10    Printable Recipe

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 package Knors home style vegetable soup & dip mix
1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and WELL drained
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
2 packages (12 oz each) Parmesan/Mozzarella cheese
pinch of minced garlic (optional)

Directions:
In a medium size bowl, combine cream cheese, mayo & Knors dip mix.  Stir in the drained spinach, artichoke hearts and 1 1/2 packages (3 cups) of the cheese.  Spread mixture in 9 x 12 baking dish, sprinkle with remainder of cheese.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until lightly browned at edges.  Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

I love versatile dishes. The ones where you can easily swap out ingredients to come up with any number of tasty concoctions are always my favorite. 

Like these Baked Cheesy Cherry Tomatoes.

You may notice that it’s very similar to my Roasted Parmesan Asparagus, and it’s basically the same dish.  You just change the asparagus for juicy, sweet cherry or grape tomatoes, and use your cheese of choice.  I also threw in some fresh thyme, but you can use any herb that you like.

Easy dishes like this will be sustaining us for the next month. We just got back from our house hunting trip, and we were able to put a contract on a house we love. It only took looking at 23 houses in two days.

So, the next month I will be very busy cleaning out closets and getting rid of my junk – the stuff I don’t want to have to move - and all the hoopla that goes with moving. Hopefully I can convince my 5 year old that he doesn’t need to bring every headless and armless action figure with us.
Baked Cheesy Cherry Tomatoes
(Serves 4)        Printable Recipe

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
sea salt, to taste
fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup grated cheese (parmesan is great, and I also love a sharp cheddar blend)
2 tsp fresh herbs (thyme, oregano, basil, etc.)


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Place tomatoes on a baking sheet. I like to slice some of them in half and leave some of them whole. Drizzle with olive oil and toss gently to coat. Season with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste. Sprinkle your cheese evenly over the tomatoes.

I love asparagus. From their flowery little heads to their crunchy stalks, I could eat it all day long. My favorite way to fix it is really yummy and just as quick and simple. I’m all for quick and simple side dishes!
You just need a few pantry staples, olive oil, sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper….and the finishing touch a generous sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan cheese. Roasting it really brings out the delicious flavor!
Next time you need a quick side dish, try this one out, I’m pretty sure you’ll like it.


Roasted Parmesan Asparagus
(serves 2)    Printable Recipe

12-15 pieces of fresh asparagus
1 tbsp olive oil
sea salt (to taste)
fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese


1. Preheat your oven to 400 F.
2. Cut the ends off the bottom of the asparagus stalks and discard.
3. Arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet.
4. Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil over the asparagus.
5. Generously sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste.
6. Sprinkle the parmesan over the asparagus.
7. Roast in oven for 5-7 minutes, until the asparagus just begins to soften and the cheese has melted and starts to turn golden.



Serve hot and enjoy! Don’t forget to scrape the crunchy cheese goodies from the pan – that’s the best part.

If you had told me a year ago, that I would be posting a recipe for Brussels sprouts, I would have taken you by the arm and whisked you to the nearest nut farm. Now, I like my vegetables. Green beans, corn, broccoli, root vegetables, asparagus, kale, spinach…the list could go on and on.

There were however, until now, two vegetables that were most definitely NOT on my veggie love list. Brussels sprouts, and pickled beets.  As a kid, I remember them being bitter and soggy, not two adjectives of something you want to put in your mouth.  I guess I’ve never been brave enough to venture out and try them again…until now.  I had some left over from the winter vegetable soup I made, so I wanted to use them up.

This simple way of fixing the little b-sprouts (sorry, I don’t know where that came from), has raised the yum factor of these round little guys in my opinion.  All you’ll need is a little olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Oh yeah, and a nice hot oven. Got to get ‘em nice and caramelized.

Crispy Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Printable Recipe

1 lb fresh Brussels sprouts, stems removed and quartered
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 c. water

Move oven rack to the upper third and preheat to 425 degrees.

Put the Brussels sprouts, minced garlic, olive oil, water, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Toss to combine. You can add more salt and pepper to taste, as needed.

Empty the bowl onto a shallow baking pan or oven-proof skillet, and roast until tender and Brussels sprouts begin to turn crispy and caramelized, about 25-35 minutes. Every oven is different, so check your sprouts and adjust time as needed.

Remove from oven and toss Brussels sprouts in the pan, scraping up the good crispy bits. Enjoy!

I love Guacamole, and yet, it’s  something that I rarely make at home.  I don’t know why. It’s full of heart healthy fat and tastes so good, that I always wonder why I don’t make it more often.


This guacamole isn’t your typical run-of-the-mill guac. It’s packed with vitamin rich fruit! 


Yep. You heard me. Fruit.


Now hold on there a minute, before you start screeching the brakes, it really is worth a try. 
Sweet mangos, juicy peaches, tart granny smith apples, and fresh basil turn this guacamole into something truly special.


I added a little cilantro too, for the traditional zippiness (is that a word?).


Serve with tortillas chips, or if you’re trying to be a little more conscious of your waistline, scoop it up with fresh celery spears or sweet pepper strips.

• 2 avocados
• juice of one lime
• 1/4 yellow onion, diced
• 1 mango, peeled and diced
• 1/2 yellow peach, peeled and diced
• 1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
• 1/4 habanero pepper, seeds removed, minced (optional)
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
• salt & pepper to taste

I like vegetables, but I get bored with fixing them the same old way.  It doesn't help that I have a picky husband whose list of "approved" vegetables can be listed on one hand.  Add to the mix a veggie cautious preschooler, who peeks curiously at his Daddy whenever a new vegetable is served, waiting to see if this is something he should eat or not.  Because of this, I have threatened - er - nicely requested that my husband give a big grin and two thumbs up to any veggie served, to avoid the dreaded picky-eater-syndrome being passed on.

My husband complies with me on this, since I nonchalantly pointed out that the aforementioned "non-approved" veggies could come back to haunt him...anywhere, at any time.

Stuffed in his socks for instance.

Or piled under his pillow.

My imagination could come up with any number of possibilities I told him...and that was the end of my wifely persuasion:)

So, after being on the search for a new vegetable dish one day, I came across this recipe that I just had to try.  Roasted Butternut Squash and Apples.  I quickly headed to the store and picked up the squash, loaded a few apples in the cart, and was on my way home to roast the heck out of some veggies.  This dish is packed with vitamin A, vitamin C, and is a great source of fiber, magnesium, and potassium.

Not to worry, you're kids will never know it's good for them, once you sprinkle a little brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter on top.  My little guy even ate his with no prodding, while my big guy kept wisely silent.

I'm guessing he didn't wan't to find squishy squash in suspect places.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apples
Prep time: 20 minutes / Cook time: 40-60 minutes / Serves: 8

1 Tbsp vegetable oil  (to grease pan)
1 butternut squash (about 2 lbs, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
3-4 medium apples (peeled, cored, and cubed)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly grease a large baking dish.  In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Peel and cube your butternut squash.  Peel, core, and cube your apples.


Combine the butternut squash and apples in the pan.  Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the squash and apples, then pour the melted butter over the top.  Cover the dish and bake for about 45 minutes, until the squash is fork tender.  Uncover the dish, and continue baking until the apples and squash turn golden.  About 15 more minutes. 

**This giveaway is now closed.**

How about another giveaway? Could you use a little extra something to do something nice for yourself? The kind folks at CSNStores.com are at it again, and will be sponsoring another giveaway for a $35 gift certificate, redeemable at any of their stores. You can find just about anything you need among their multiple stores; modern bedding, coffee tables, kitchenware...you name it.  Obviously their kitchenware gets the most of my attention.  If you'd like to enter, you can find the details of the giveaway at the end of this post, where you can leave a comment to enter.  Now for the recipe...

I picked up some giant tomatoes at the store the other day, already knowing what I had in mind for them.  These modest 'maters were destined to become a scrumptious concoction of herbs, cream cheese and fried goodness.  I present:  Fried Cream Cheese Tomatoes.

We grilled some steaks for dinner tonight, and I made a comfort food side dish that is one of my husbands favorite things.  Cheesy Cornflake Potatoes.  They are very simple to make, but don't underestimate the melty, cheesy, goodness.  The recipe is from my mother-in-law, and uses two cans of condensed soup, but you can use homemade condensed soup, or a white sauce if you don't want to use the store bought kind.  Sprinkled with a buttery, cornflake topping, these potatoes shamelessly tempt you to have a second helping.