Raspberry Iced Tea

I really like Raspberry Iced Tea. But I've never thought about making it. Until today. I think the heat is really starting to get to me. So I decided to do a quick recipe search. And I found this recipe on All Recipes. It sounds yummy. And I actually made a pitcher. I'm just waiting for it to chill. I can't wait to try it! ♥E

Ingredients

1 gallon water
3 (3 ounce) gallon-size tea bags
1 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup powdered lemonade mix (such as Country Time®)
ice cubes

Directions

Bring the water to a boil in a large pot, and stir in the tea bags, raspberries, and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Allow the mixture to steep until the desired level of tea flavor is reached, 3 to 5 minutes; remove tea bags, and stir in the lemonade mix until dissolved. Pour tea into pitchers, and add ice to cool.

Grilled Portobello Sandwich

This is what I made myself for lunch today. Not the one in the picture. I got that from All Recipes, where I found this recipe. I seen it a few days ago. And I knew that I just had to make it. I know that Paul wouldn't be too over the moon about it. So I waited until he was working. And that was lunch. It was delicious! And gigantic. I can't believe it.

I made the entire recipe. And figured I could have lunch for a few days. I ate 1/8 of the total recipe for lunch. And it was really good. But it was a lot of food. Just keep that in mind. Happy Friday! ♥E



Ingredients

1 red bell pepper
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
4 portobello mushroom caps, cleaned
4 slices onion
4 Kaiser rolls, split
4 teaspoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon roasted garlic, mashed into a paste (optional)
4 ounces buffalo mozzarella, thinly sliced
4 slices tomato
16 fresh basil leaves, divided


Directions

1.Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.

2.Place the red bell pepper onto the preheated grill, and grill until the skin is completely charred on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Place the pepper into a plastic bag, seal the bag, and let the pepper cool. When cooled, remove the charred skin, slice the pepper into quarters, and remove the seeds. Thinly slice the pepper and set aside.

3.Mix salt and pepper into the olive oil in a small bowl. Brush the smooth side of the mushrooms with the seasoned oil, and grill, oiled side down, until the mushrooms show grill marks, about 3 minutes. Brush the gill sides of the mushrooms with more seasoned olive oil, flip the mushrooms, and grill until the mushrooms are softened and juicy, about 3 more minutes. Set the mushrooms aside and keep warm.

4.Lightly grill the slices of onion until softened and lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Spread the rolls out onto the grill to toast, about 1 minute. Mix the mayonnaise and roasted garlic in a bowl.
5.Spread each roll with garlic mayonnaise, and make each sandwich with 1 mushroom cap, 1 ounce sliced mozzarella cheese, 1 slice of tomato, 4 basil leaves, 1 slice of grilled onion, and 1/4 the roasted red pepper slices. Repeat for remaining sandwiches.

Best Lemonade Ever

We're really enjoying the time at home. It's not really a vacation from work for Paul. But more of a "regular" work schedule for Paul. He's working from Monday-Friday. And we're not traveling. We also have the weekends off.

Therefore, I've decided to focus a lot more on being a "Happy Homemaker." :) Starting with jazzing up what we're eating and drinking. Paul has been enjoying the last few weeks. New recipes. And I found this yummy one on All Recipes.



It's really yummy. And if I hadn't decided to juice all the lemons, I might make this way too often. But it was a bit of work. Either way, it was delicious! But I'm thinking this good be a nice treat a couple of times a week. ♥E



Ingredients

1 3/4 cups white sugar
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups lemon juice


Directions

1.In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until chilled.

2.Remove seeds from lemon juice, but leave pulp. In pitcher, stir together chilled syrup, lemon juice and remaining 7 cups water.

Christmas Cookies in a Jar

Earlier this week, I was looking for a good cookie recipe. I really wanted to bake cookies. And I'm going to admit it, we still haven't finished unpacking. So I couldn't find my holiday recipes. I decide to go looking around All Recipes. And I found this recipe.



I immediately thought that this idea would be great for some holiday gifts. For our friends. Who doesn't like a good cookie? And even for some of our family. So I'm going to get started. I have a bunch to make! But I did manage to bake some cookies for Paul and I. They were delicious! I think you should try out this recipe too. But if you're not into sweet cookies, I'd half the chocolate chips. ♥E

Ingredients

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup orange flavored dried cranberries
1 cup vanilla or white chips


ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions

1.In a 1-qt. glass jar, layer the sugar and brown sugar, packing well between each layer. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; spoon into jar. Top with oats, cranberries and chips. Cover and store in a cool dry place for up to 6 months.

2.To prepare cookies: Pour cookie mix into a large mixing bowl; stir to combine. Beat in butter, egg and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drop by the tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Cherry Cobbler

Yes my friends, I made Cherry Cobbler tonight. Using a recipe from All Recipes. It was super easy and fast! When the mini cobblers were bubbling and hot, we added a scoop of vanilla ice cream.



It was the perfect treat for Paul and I. Especially on a cold night like this. I made 6 mini cobblers. And I just put 4 in the refrigerator. I can't wait to have leftovers tomorrow! ♥E



Ingredients

1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling
1 (4.5 ounce) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, separated
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Set aside some of the pie filling, including five cherries, for garnish. Divide the remaining filling among five ungreased 6-oz. ramekins or custard cups. Top each with a biscuit; brush with butter. Combine sugars and cinnamon; sprinkle over biscuits. Bake at 375 degrees F for 14-18 minutes or until biscuits are browned. Top with reserved pie filling.