More is Better

 My sist er -in-law made these simple app crackers. Recipe from ALLRECIPES.com Can't wait to make them myself! 36 buttery crackers such as Keebler Club® Crackers 12 slices bacon, cut into thirds ¾ cup packed light brown sugar Step 1 Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Line two rimmed cookie sheets with aluminum foil. Step 2 Arrange crackers on the prepared cookie sheets in a single layer. Place a piece of bacon on top of each cracker, then put about a teaspoon of brown sugar on top of the bacon. Step 3 Bake in the preheated oven until bacon is browned and crackers and bacon are glazed, about 45 minutes. Drain on paper towels before serving.

  Another fabulous recipe from a woman who loves S'mores - My sister-in-law. Recipe is from ALLRECIPES.com 8 graham crackers, crushed 1 pound semisweet chocolate chips 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk ¼ cup unsalted butter 2 tablespoons vanilla extract 1 (10.5 ounce) package miniature marshmallows Step 1 Line an 11x7-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Sprinkle half of the graham cracker crumbs on bottom of dish. Step 2 Melt chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, butter, and vanilla extract in top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching. Step 3 Pour half of melted chocolate mixture into prepared baking dish; sprinkle about half of the miniature marshmallows over the top, covering the chocolate mixture. Repeat with the remaining chocolate mixture and graham crackers, respectively. Step 4 Refrigerate until solid, 3 hours to overnight.

 Fr om Liz Symon on Michaels Cooking Show - this is sure to become a summer favorite! 2 cups tart cherry juice  8 ounces of your favorite bourbon    2 tablespoons Simple Syrup 8 dashes bitters   2 cups ice    4 thick slices orange peel, for serving  The night before, pour the cherry juice into ice cube molds and freeze.  To a blender, add the bourbon, Simple Syrup, bitters, cherry ice cubes and regular ice cubes and blend until smooth.  Pour into rocks glasses or insulated tumblers and garnish with a thick orange peel.

 From Michael Synon --so fun can be done on grill or indoors. We halved it so it is a little shallower than his was but it was really really good!  3 tablespoons unsalted butter  1 small yellow onion, small diced  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper  1 red bell pepper, seeded and small diced    3 tablespoons all-purpose flour  2 cups whole milk  1 cup shredded Cheddar  1/2 cup cream cheese  1 cup diced ham  1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg   8 large eggs    1/2 teaspoon chili flakes  Set up your grill for indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, build the coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only. Allow the temperature to reach 350 degrees F.  Place a heavy-bottomed saucepan over the direct-heat side of the grill. Add the butter and allow it to melt. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook until beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the peppers and cook until sl...

 Another great gilled salad recipe from PIATTI cookbook. Was very easy to assemble. And very good perfect we served it with steak. 2 round heads  radicchio cut through roots into 6 wedges for each head. 4 T plus 1t EVOO kosher salt 2 ears corn shucked 2 T full fat plain yogurt ( we used Greek) 1/4 c lemon juice 2T lime juice 1/4 t grated garlic 1/4 t honey freshly ground black pepper 1/2 packed cup very thinly sliced fennel from about 1/2 medium bulb, plus fennel fronds finely chopped chives for garnish flaky sea salt In a large bowl tossed radicchio wedges and 1 T plus 1t EVOO and sprinkle with salt - toss to coat. Medium high heat grill cook radicchio  - well charred and ears of corn - lightly charred about 6-8 minutes. Once slightly cool slice corn off cob. In medium bowl combine yogurt, 3 T EVOO, lime juice, lemon juice, honey , a pinch of kosher salt and generous amount of pepper with whisk. add half the corn and fennel into dressing and coat. Then nestle radicchio i...

 This is a recipe that Christine used to make for lunch when we were at the beach - packed with vegetables and served in a toasted tortilla bowl. Romaine lettuce chopped Tuna fish made with mayonnaise and finely chopped celery green onion sliced tomato sliced into cubes or halved cherry tomatoes cucumber quartered and thinly sliced almonds, sliced mandarin oranges in light syrup, drained balsamic vinaigrette dressing ( I used Trader Joes for convenience) Fajita sized flour tortilla -baked to make bowls

 From Ina Garten -so easy and so great a perfect summer side dish or light lunch! I cheated of course and used a refrigerated pie crust. For the Pastry: 1 cup all-purpose flour Kosher salt 1/4 pound (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, diced 3 tablespoons ice water For the Tart: 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts, spun dry (4 leeks) 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 pound heirloom tomatoes, cored and sliced 3/8 inch thick (see Cook’s Notes) Good olive oil 4 ounces creamy fresh goat cheese, crumbled 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash Chopped fresh basil leaves and chives For the pastry, place the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse to combine. Add the diced butter and toss carefully with your fingers to coat each piece of butter with flour. Pulse 12 to 15 times, until the butter is the size of peas. Wh...

 K evin has his favorite new summer salad recipe - this is mine by far -so delicious!!! From DELISH. INGREDIENTS FOR THE HOT HONEY 1/2 c. honey 2 tsp. ground cayenne FOR THE CANDIED PECANS 1/4 c. granulated sugar 2/3 c. toasted pecans Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper FOR THE CAPRESE 3/4 c. basil leaves 3 medium peaches, sliced 1 (4-oz.) burrata Lemon wedge Mint, for garnish Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving (optional)                 Make the hot honey: In a small pot over medium-low heat, bring honey to a simmer. Add in cayenne and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking until honey bubbles vigorously, about 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and let cool completely.                 Make the candied pecans: Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat. In a large pot over low heat, pour sugar into an even layer. Heat sugar until mostly melted, then add in pecans, a pinch...

 Again from our new PIATTI cookbook. This was so good Kevin declared after 2 bites we were making again next week for company! 2 red bell peppers 2 yellow bell peppers 3 T olive oil Kosher salt 6 oz fresh mozzarella, coarsely torn into large pieces 2 colorful cherry peppers ( we used jarred peppadews) 2 large pickled pepperoncini, plus some juice from jar Roast bell peppers on grill until blackened on all sides and tender about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for about 20 minutes. Peel skin off with paper towel or your fingers. Remove stems and seeds and slice pepper into thick strips. Drizzle platter with olive oil and season oil with salt. Add cooked peppers then nestle mozzarella in and sprinkle spicy peppers and pepperoncini. Drizzle with pepperoncini juice and EVOO and black pepper.

 These we re very nice and enjoyable! We had these out on the boat and I forgot the pitcher and stemless flutes! 2 oz orange juice 1/2 c tequila 1/4 c lime juice lime wedge for rimming coarse salt for rimming 1 bottle prosecco orange and lime slices for serving In a pitcher combine oj, tequila and lime juice -stir to combine rim glasses and pour in oj mixture and top with champagne

 From Delish --this was a delicious version of Mimosa- we totally loved it!! We had them out on the boat and it was a lot of fun! Just realized I forgot to do the coconut rim! 1 bottle prosecco 12 oz coconut rum 1 c pineapple juice 1 lime wedge 1/2 c finely grated coconut rim glasses with lime and coconut fill each halfway with prosecco  add 1 oz coconut rum then top with pineapple juice

 We had no crusty bread to go with our Seared Italian Sausages but I did have refrigerated Pillsbury pizza crust and found the recipe below- Kept it very simple just the shallots and fresh rosemary and garlic salt and halved the recipe. 1/2 cup olive oil 8 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots (about 3 oz) 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt 2 cans (13.8 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury™ Classic Crust Pizza Crust 1/2 cup Italian or kalamata olives, chopped 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz) Heat oven to 350°F. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add prosciutto, shallots and chopped rosemary; cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly, until shallots are tender and prosciutto is browned. Spread 4 tablespoons of the oil over bottom of 13x9-inch pan; sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon of the garlic salt. Unroll 1 can of dough; place in pan. Gently stretch and press do...

 This recipe is from a new cookbook PIATTI given to Kevin from Daniel and Jaime. We have already made 3 recipes from it in less than a week! Actually a very simple and delicious recipe. 3 pints (2 1/2 lbs) ripe cherry tomatoes (on vine if possible) 4 small shallots ( ~ 6.5 oz) peeled and halved lengthwise 8 garlic cloves in their skins (I peeled them) 2 T olive oil, plus 2 t used later 1/4 t kosher salt freshly ground black pepper 3T cold unsalted butter, thinly sliced 4-6 hot or mild Italian Sausage links ( I used a combination) Fresh basil leaves for garnish crusty bread for serving Preheat oven to 400 In a 9x13 baking dish scatter the tomatoes, shallots, and garlic, Drizzle with 2 T olive oil and salt and pepper. Top with butter pieces scattered around pan. Bake until tomatoes are wrinkled and some juices pooling in pan, about 25-30 minutes. Meanwhile, pierce sausages in a place or two with paring knife to allow some juice to escape while cooking. In a large skillet over medium ...

 Kevin found this very simple recipe and it was delicious - smoked with 2 very smal pieces of applewood so it didn't over power  the wings. We served it with MAMBO sauce --the mild version -so good just drizzled and tossed over after cooking. Apologizing in advance as 'someone' had been already sampling before I took final pic! 2 pound chicken wings- pat dry 2 T flour 2 t salt Mix flour and salt in a large gallon zip bag. Toss wings in bag.  Lay wings on a cookie sheet and spritz with a little canola oil spray. Smoke directly on grill at 300 degrees for an hour. Enjoy with your favorite sauce or plain.

 From Bobby Flay we really enjoyed these a lot the mushrooms and Taleggio cheese were so good! A cazuela is a ceramic cooking vessel kind of like a small bowl. I ended up using a cast iron pan to cook them in on the grill and it worked fine. Mushrooms:  2 tablespoons olive oil  1 pint cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper  2 cloves garlic, chopped to a paste  1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves Burgers:  12 ounces ground pork  12 ounces ground chuck (80 percent lean)  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper  Olive oil, for the cazuelas  2 teaspoons ground fennel  2 teaspoons paprika  4 brioche buns, split  12 ounces Taleggio cheese, thinly sliced  1/4 cup ketchup  Fresh oregano leaves, for serving Heat a gas or charcoal grill to high heat. Place a large heatproof skillet on the grill (alternatively, you can use a stovetop over medium heat).  Place 4 cazuelas on ...

 From Bon Appetit we found it did not disappoint unfortunately we had no maraschino cherries -we also used frozen pineapple chunks 1 1/2 cups equals half of a fresh pineapple. ½ fresh pineapple, peeled, cut into 1½-inch pieces  6 ounces sweetened cream of coconut (preferably Coco López)  2 ounces unsweetened coconut milk  8 ounces white rum  2 tablespoons fresh lime juice  2 ounces dark rum (optional)  Maraschino cherries and lime wedges (for serving)  Preparation  Step 1 Place pineapple pieces in a resealable plastic bag, laying them flat. Freeze until solid, at least 3 hours.  Step 2 Shake cream of coconut and coconut milk in their cans before measuring. Purée pineapple, cream of coconut, coconut milk, white rum, lime juice, and 3 cups ice (about 15 oz.) in a blender until smooth. Transfer blender cup to freezer and freeze until mixture is thickened (it should be the consistency of a milkshake), 25–35 minutes.  Step 3 Blend again ...

 From Costco Connection magazine and California Walnut Association. Thought it would be a perfect warm weather dessert! These grilled peaches are the perfect summer dessert. The grill naturally caramelizes the peaches and the toasted walnuts offer a welcome crunch. We enjoyed very much as a dessert but would be great with chicken or pork as well!! INGREDIENTS 4 medium ripe peaches, halved, pit removed 1 tsp vegetable oil 1/2 cup ricotta  1/2 cup California walnuts  1/4 cup honey  4 fresh mint sprigs PREPARATION  Preheat oven to 350°F. Place walnuts (for marinade and salsa) on a baking sheet. Toast walnuts for 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Roughly chop when cool.  Preheat grill to medium high heat. Clean and lightly oil your grill. Brush each peach half with oil (or spray with cooking spray) on both sides. Grill peaches cut down for 4-5 minutes until grill marks form. Flip with tongs and grill another 1-2 minutes until peaches are slightly tender. Remove peac...

 From Delish a nice summer side. Perfect with burgers , chicken or steak! 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil  Juice of 1 lemon 1/4 tsp. cumin Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 3 avocados, cubed 1 pt. cherry tomatoes, halved 1 small cucumber, sliced into half moons  1/3 c. corn 1 jalepeño, minced (optional)  2 tbsp. chopped cilantro        In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lime juice, and cumin. Season dressing with salt and pepper. In a large serving bowl, combine avocados, tomatoes, cucumber, corn, and cilantro. Toss with dressing.

 So on our recent trip to CO we stayed at Mac's Creek Winery and Brewery in Nebraska. They had Creek Nachos on their menu and this became our dinner. It was so good we had to recreate- again and again! We even bought the seasoning that they used. We used Wegmans Queso and Sweet Baby Ray original sauce. The rub they used was Holen One Farms java rub and can be ordered online. Sprinkled with chopped cilantro as well. "Tortilla chips in yummy queso and house smoke pulled pork. Served with BBQ sauce" Naturally we had it with Cadillac Margaritas! Here's their version and a beautiful sunset!

 Giada made this on the Today show and I couldn't find millet so swapped it out with Pearl Couscous. Nice summer salad -not always a huge fan of mint she mentioned swapping it for basil which we had a ton of so swapped that too. 1 cup raw millet ( couldn't find used pearl couscous) 1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (about 1 large bunch)  1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (subbed basil) 1 shallot, chopped fine and rinsed under cold water   1/2 cup peeled and diced English cucumber  1/2 cup chopped strawberries   1½ teaspoons kosher salt   1 lemon, juiced   1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil  baby arugula, baby spinach, or baby kale (didn't use ) 1. Place the millet in a saucepan with 2 cups lightly salted water and bring to a boil over medium heat.  2. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the millet for 20 minutes.  3. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Let cool.  4. Place 1 cup of the c...

 This is a Pampered Chef recipe so that is why so much of the equipment is listed. It ended up a night of substitutions - I had nectarines not peaches, the pork was a leftover pork tenderloin and I grabbed burrata inste ad of goat cheese! All in all very good and will make it next time without all the subs!! Pork & Peaches 1   pork tenderloin (about 1 lb./450 g), trimmed ½ tsp (2 mL) salt ¼ tsp (1 mL) black pepper 2   peaches  Canola oil for spritzing Salad 2   heads butter lettuce, washed and dried ¼ cup (50 mL) pecan halves, toasted 2 oz. (60 g) goat cheese, crumbled Dressing ⅓ cup (75 mL) canola oil 3 tbsp (45 mL) red wine vinegar 1 tbsp (15 mL) honey ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter ½ tsp (2 mL) fresh thyme leaves DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Heat the  12" (30-cm) Nonstick Grill Pan  over medium-high heat fo...

 Ina Garten with another great summer cocktail! I like the way she beverages and cooks! 6 ice cubes 1/4 cup Campari 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1 1/2 cups sparkling water (recommended: San Pelligrino) Orange slice, halves Place the ice cubes in a highball glass. Add the Campari, orange juice, and sparkling water. Add a slice of fresh orange and serve ice cold.

 By Michael Symon have been wanting to make this for quite awhile. We did not have as much success getting the egg whites whipped into peaks with the immersion blender - next time we will drag out the big kitchen aid! 4 large eggs  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper   2/3 cup grated Gruyere cheese   1/4 cup soda water  2 tablespoons unsalted butter   Thinly sliced fresh chives, for topping  Thinly sliced fresh flat-leaf parsley, for topping  Separate the egg yolks and whites into 2 separate medium bowls.  Add 1 tablespoon of water to the egg whites and, using a hand mixer, beat on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes. Season the yolks with salt and pepper and beat until smooth, thickened and slightly pale in color.  Fold one-third of the egg whites into the egg yolks and thoroughly mix until there are no streaks.  Add half of the Gruyere and the soda water.  Pour in the remaining egg...