July

So much good food. I love eating.

The Really Good:

Whole Wheat Strawberry Mango Pancakes: I made these for Matthew’s birthday breakfast, and I dare say they were the best pancakes I’ve ever had. Even though they were whole wheat, they still were light and fluffy, and the strawberries and mangoes in them just made them perfect.

Homemade Oreos: Again, made these for Matthew’s birthday, then made another batch to send to my brother… and then another batch with my brothers. They tasted like a good version of an oreo (not a big fan of just plain oreos. Love oreo flavored stuff though).  Soft and delicious.

Orange Chicken: Very, very good. Loved this.

Strawberry Bruschetta: I thought that this was such a clever idea. We ended up not doing the exact thing that appears on the link. With Matthew, we just did olive oil toasted bread with cut strawberries+sugar. With my mom and family we put some Boursin cheese on it too. Loved it with Boursin, it sure disappeared fast and my mom said it was to die for.

Chicken and Spinach Lasagna: A slightly healthier version of lasagna. I’m not lasagna’s biggest fan ever, but this was a very fulfilling meal. Also, we just made enough for a bread pan of lasagna, so we didn’t have to keep eating lasagna for weeks on end—a very wise decision.

Panko Crusted Chicken Stuffed with Ricotta, Tomatoes, Basil and Spinach: We made this for my dad when he was in town the other weekend, and then again with my whole family in MN and boy did it disappear fast both times! Really, a scrumptious combination of flavors and textures that made a great meal.

The Good:

Smores Milkshake:  I really enjoy graham cracker crumbles, and this milkshake which incorporated graham cracker, mallow and chocolate chips hit the spot.       

Guacamole Salad: Tomatoes, avocado, beans, corn and a bunch of other stuff made a healthy yet delicious salad thingy that I enjoyed for lunch one day.

Strawberry Lemonade Bars: Like lemon bars but with pureed strawberries mixed in the filling. Note: We had to double the amount of pureed strawberries and increase the baking time quite a bit. A fun twist on a classic dessert.                                   

Toffee Crunch Cookies: These didn't exactly turn out like the description (the marshmallows and rice crispies were supposed to turn into a toffee-resembling flavor?) but they were still solid cookies. No complaints, just no rave reviews.,

The Probably Won’t Make Again:

Grilled chicken tostadas with Grilled Tomatillos and Queso Fresco: Ok so this wasn't really that great, but we didn't follow the recipe very closely and omitted several things. Also, we didn't grill anything and the tomatillos were just... squishy. 

I'm not sure which one was my favorite of the month. Maybe a 3-way tie between the Oreos, the bruschetta and the stuffed chicken? Something like that...