Slice of Southern

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Strawberry Lime Slushy

I'm loving the California strawberries this year. They are so sweet, plump and a juicy red!

There nothing better than biting into a juicy strawberry on a hot day, don't you think?

Well possibly one thing that could be better is drinking them instead, preferably while sitting in the pool cooling off!

So I grabbed my fresh strawberries and started out making us fresh drinks with a virgin strawberry margarita in mind but more on the slushy side with lots of crushed ice. Perfect for a hot day while lazing by pool.

With very few ingredients and using all fresh fruits you can create a wonderful cooling drink! Just throw it all in a blender and give it a whirl. It's as simple as that...but tastes like HEAVEN!

Enjoy!

Strawberry Lime Slushy

serves 2

1 c water

2 T lime juice

4 T sugar
2 c fresh strawberries, hulled
2 c ice cubes

Optional: Straws for drinking

Place all the ingredient in a blender. Blend until ice has crushed and everything is blended. Pour into glasses and enjoy!

Friday, July 29, 2016

Slow Cooker Beef Tacos

Yum

I want to talk a minute about Mexican food.

Oh, how I love thee, let me count the ways! If you love Mexican food as much as I do, then this recipe is for you. How great is it to come home with dinner already cooked and almost ready to put on the table by using your slow cooker?? It's AWESOME!

Today's recipe is perfect for your TACO TUESDAY. These shredded beef tacos are easy to make and will satisfy even the pickiest eaters. It also satisfies my cravings for Mexican food that occurs about every other day! Actually there isn't anything better in my book than a taco. Using a roast gives you lots of shredded meat, and is more economical too. Add some tomatoes and spices and you have the makings of a wonderful base for your tacos. All this from a slow cooker? Yes! Oh, and remember that any leftover meat can be frozen in portions to use another day.

We made a soft taco bar that was set up with all the fixings. It was a quick and easy meal on a weeknight. Since the meat only has a few ingredients your preparation is done quickly in the morning. All that's left is a little chopping and warming of the tortillas. Serve your tacos with a salad or some Mexican Rice like we did. A quick easy meal is hard to beat, and a Mexican one...SCORE!

Slow Cooker Beef Tacos

2-3 pound chuck roast
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes with onion and peppers

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

2 Tbls cumin

salt & pepper
Flour tortillas

Toppings:
Grated cheddar cheese
Chopped Cilantro
Chopped onions
Salsa
Guacamole
Sour Cream

Place chuck roast into a large slow cooker on medium or high heat. Add tomatoes and sprinkle with cumin, salt & pepper. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. About 30 minutes before serving add the sliced bell pepper.

Remove beef from slow cooker and remove all but 1 cup of liquid from the cooker. Shred the beef and place back into slow cooker.

Serve with warmed tortillas and any optional toppings.

NOTE: Freeze any leftovers.

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Snickerdoodle Pancakes

Yum

Hi there, and happy Saturday!

Do you have a favorite cookie???

I have to admit I have several. Chocolate chip being one and my other favorite is Snickerdoodles. I have such great memories of mom making snickerdoodle cookies. Oh, the smell that filled the house when they were baking had me running for the kitchen to get one hot out of the oven!

There is something about cinnamon that I love. Maybe it's the deep earthy scent. Or, it could be the combination with the sugar. Either way I love it. I use cinnamon in my baking all the time, it's definitely a go to spice in our home.

So what do cookies have to do with pancakes? Well I thought I'd combine the flavors of the two and turn our Saturday morning pancake breakfast into Snickerdoodle flavored ones. Oh yes! They are good, I mean really, really good! The scent of cinnamon hits you and everyone comes running and can't wait to sink their teeth in the best tasting pancakes.

This pancake is a little special though. Not only is there cinnamon in the batter, but you cook a cinnamon sugar mixture on the top of one side of the pancake, which creates a crunchy caramelized crust. Pour some hot syrup and a pat of butter on top, take a bite and oh man! Heaven!!!

Enjoy your weekend!

Other cinnamon recipes:

Cinnamon Streusel Banana Bread
Quick and Easy Mini Sticky Buns
Cinnamon Oat Pancakes

Snickerdoodle Pancakes

1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbls brown sugar
¼ tsp of salt

1 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbls canola oil
1 egg
1 cup 2% milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Topping:

2 Tbls sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

In a medium bowl add dry ingredient (flour through cinnamon). Stir to combine. In a small bowl whisk together the oil, egg, milk and vanilla. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring until combines. Allow to stand 5 minutes.

Add butter to a skillet over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup scoops of the pancake mix in to the hot skillet and sprinkle 1 tsp of topping on each pancake (the wet side). Cook until bubbles pop on the surface and the bottom is golden brown. Flip and cook another minute or so until the pancake is browned and fully cooked inside. This side will have a crunchy cinnamon sugar side cooked in. Remove from skillet and keep warm.

Continue cooking until all batter is used. Serve immediately with maple syrup and butter if desired.

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