We had a busy weekend filled with delicious, yet not so healthy, meals and treats- which left us craving our fruit and veggie filled smoothies this morning. I had also fallen a bit behind on my 2017 Cooking Challenge of cooking a new recipe each week- between busy work schedules and a visit from my Mom, I didn’t quite find the time to search for a new recipe and give it a try. So I made up for it this weekend!

Saturday and Sunday were full of time spent with Conor, a Fish Fry dinner with friends,  starting some projects for the home, as well as a couple hours of solid beach time in the mix. In between I took every chance I could get to try out some new recipes!

Below you’ll find recipes for a delicious Broccoli Salad, a sweet Special K Bar treat, and an awesome Buffalo Chicken Pizza.

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I have always been a huge fan of Broccoli Salad.  Every time it’s served at a BBQ or any time at all I always find myself going back for seconds and thirds, it’s just that good. This Broccoli Salad even has a little kick to it with some crushed red pepper. I brought this salad as a side to the Fish Fry this weekend and it was a huge hit. Check out the recipe and give it a try at your next get together.

BROCCOLI SALAD:

INGREDIENTS:

1.  6 cups small broccoli florets
2. 2 cups finely chopped kale
3. 1 cup chopped red onion
4. 1 apple, chopped (I did half Granny Smith, half Honey Crisp)
5. 3/4 cup dried cherries
6. 3/4 cup cooked bacon, chopped
7. 3/4 cup sunflower seed kernels
8. 1/4 cup dried cranberries
9. 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Dressing:

1. 1 cup low fat mayonnaise
2. 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3. 3 tablespoons honey
4. 1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
5. 1/2 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION:

1. Chop broccoli, kale, onion, apples, bacon, and walnuts.
2. Mix all  dry ingredients together in large bowl.
3. In a smaller bowel, mix together mayo, vinegar, honey, crushed red pepper, and salt.
4. Once thoroughly mixed, pour dressing over salad and continue to stir.
5. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to one hour.

This recipe is great because it makes a large serving (up to 12 people) and with any extras you can store in the refrigerator for up to a week. Unfortunately we only had a small bite left to bring home which Conor packed up in the cooler to bring to the beach to eat there. Next time, I’ll be sure to make us our only little serving to keep at home.

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Before we left for the Fish Fry, I decided I’d whip up a quick go-to dessert as well. Though this recipe isn’t a new one to me, it’s still a crowd favorite so I figured I’d go ahead and bring it. These were always known to me simply as “Special K Bars,” however I’ve also heard of them called Scotcheroos. So, call them whatever you want, but know that these things are addicting and you’ll never be able to eat just one.

SPECIAL K BARS (SCOTCHEROOS)

INGREDIENTS:

1.  1 cup light corn syrup
2.  1 cup sugar
3.  1 cup peanut butter
4. 7 cups Special K cereal
5.  1 cup chocolate chips
6.  1 cup butterscotch chips
7.  1/2 cup butter

PREPARATION:

1. Melt together corn syrup and sugar
2. Turn off heat and add peanut butter, stir until thoroughly mixed
3.  In a separate large bowl, add special K cereal
4. Pour syrup, sugar, and peanut butter mixture over cereal
5.  Continue to fold and stir cereal until combined
6.  Dump mixture into a lightly greased 9×13 pan, pressing lightly to flatten mixture
7.  On low heat, melt together chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and butter in small sauce pan. Continuously stir until all combined.
8. Pour over bars and spread.
9. Place in refrigerator to allow the bars to cool.
10. Cut into small squares once finished

In my opinion, with the number of times I’ve made these bars now, I find that they come out the best when I let them cool over night. I will take them out of the refrigerator just a couple of hours before I need them, allowing them to soften a bit, and will then cut them into squares.  This has always given them the perfectly chewy texture that keeps people coming back for “just one more.”  a few more.

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Over the weekend I had purchased a magazine that I came across in the check out lane at the grocery store. The front of it caught my eye as it was an issue of Southern Living, and right across the front it read  “Almost Homemade.” Really, that’s what I’m all about with starting out with these recipes. I don’t yet trust myself to fully dive into things completely homemade yet. I purchased the magazine on a whim and I’m SO glad I did. Though it IS a magazine called Southern Living, meaning it doesn’t contain the healthiest of recipes, it’s got tons of quick and easy dinners that both Conor and I are so excited to try.

At the Beach on Sunday we were flipped through the magazine trying to find something for dinner that evening. Conor picked out a quick and easy Buffalo Chicken Pizza recipe that turned out to be absolutely delicious. Best part about it was that it used a rotisserie chicken from the store (that’s the almost homemade aspect to the recipe) which made preparation super quick and simple. Check out the recipe below:

BUFFALO CHICKEN PIZZA:

INGREDIENTS:

1.  1/2 cup Buffalo-style hot sauce
2.  1 (16oz.) package pre-baked Italian pizza crust (we used Boboli crust)
3.  2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
4.  4oz. shredded provolone cheese
5.  1/4 cup bleu cheese crumbles

(These ingredients are for one pizza. yet when we shredded both chicken breasts it gave us enough chicken to make two pies, so we did that for left overs).

PREPARATION:

1. Coat cold cooking grate of grill with cooking spray, and place on grill. Preheat grill to 350 degrees
2.  Spread hot sauce over crust, and layer with chicken and cheeses
3.  Place crust directly on cooking grate. Grill (covered) for about 10 minutes, rotating the pizza half way through.

**To bake the pizza in the oven rather than grill- assemble pizza and bake according to package directions for pizza crust.

 

 

It was such a beautiful night on Sunday, we were really wishing we had an outdoor table on our patio. Then, Conor came up with the idea to just move our table outside for dinner. It’s small enough to fit through the double doors to the patio. At first I was hesitant, but we just went for it. And am so glad we did. We looked pretty silly but it was so nice to sit out there and enjoy the evening.

 

 

It was a wonderful weekend- beautiful weather, great time spent with friends, and amazing food on top of it all! But after a weekend of food like that, we are most definitely  back on eating lighter, healthier, and catching up on hittin’ the pavement with Jaggs- and maybe even practice his coordination with the tennis ball…..