Seven: When I Dip, You Dip, We Dip

Yesterday, I enjoyed a day off at the beach. The beach is easily one of my favorite places to be - sit me up in a beach chair with a book and an occasional dip in the water and I am pleased as punch; that is, until the people around me forget how to beach. I'm not saying that there are strict rules to be followed at the beach, however, I'm sure many of us can agree that there are some unspoken rules to go along with that would just improve everyone's overall beach experience. Let's go through some, shall we?

1) Don't sit on top of me. If you don't know me, give me some space. Even if the beach is crowded, there are ways to find space without forcing me to participate in your conversations and not parent your children as they run over my towel over and over again. If you are going to sit that close, you better be offering me whatever it is you're pouring in your cooler. I see your pink drink and your solo cup and I probably want one, too.

2) Watch your kids. When they have a water fight that results in my friend getting doused in water, even if it's 100 degrees out, you should probably have told them not to play so close to other people AND you definitely should apologize. It's common courtesy. Also, if your kid is having a full blown meltdown and refuses to take his socks off at the beach, I'm going to have a few questions and will be watching to see how the drama unfolds. Again, if you weren't sitting on my lap, I'd be less likely to be able to eavesdrop. (It isn't eavesdropping if I have no choice).

3) Firmly stake your umbrella in the ground. Now, I'm not claiming to have mastered the putting the umbrella in the sand situation, but this is where I have a little self and spatial awareness to not even bring one at all. Don't walk away from your open umbrella and then be surprised to see it flipped inside out and on the ground when you got back because the people around you had to chase it down the beach for you in your absence. You might put it up again because your friends think it's funny to take a snapvideo of you as you struggle to flip it right-side-out but I can tell you what the rest of us are thinking. Just don't. Know when to call it quits. If by chance your umbrella sneaks off while you are sitting there and manages to smack me in the face and then scratch my friend across the stomach as it skedaddles down the beach, do apologize upon retrieval. Maybe one of those pink drinks would make things a little better or at least match the noticeable scratches on my friend. Also, if you are sitting near an escaped umbrella, feel free to shout "heads up!" as you see it enter neighbor territory. Really, it's for the best.

4) If you don't finish your food and decide to take a swim, make sure your trash is hidden away from the pigeons of the ocean, the monsters we call seagulls. When your blanket gets swarmed by seagulls, I will start to panic and have flashbacks to when I was bit by one when I was 10 in California (I was holding a sandwich and it bit my hand). It is not the responsibility of people around you to shoo them away and throw away your trash (shout out to the woman who did this for the duo who forgot this rule yesterday - you da real MVP).

5) This one seems to be the most obvious to me, but some people don't get it, but please, oh please, do not feed the seagulls. You are reinforcing their bad behavior, only egging them on to practically incite a riot. Have some respect for the people around you who I am confident want NOTHING to do with these devil birds. Really, I'm sure of it.

Once we get those few out of the way, I'm sure we'll have a grand ol' time. I'm happy to overhear your conversations that weren't meant for me, but sound travels so easily on the beach. I'm also happy to see you confidently rock that bathing suit, because if you have a bikini and a body, you have yourself a bikini body. Here's hoping for a few more beach days this summer! Despite the often broken rules, the sand, the sun and a dip in the ocean are always calling my name.

The next part of this post is dedicated to my favorite kitchen appliance - the food processor. If you don't have one, you probably should get one. Saves so much time and allows me to whip things up, like dips to share with family,friends and coworkers in a jiffy! I'm going to share a few of my most requested dip recipes (and one I just tried this week and received rave reviews). Quick FYI - I stopped following an actual recipe or measuring these dips a long time ago but I did a little google searching to find correct amounts. You're welcome.

Recipe Ten: Spinach and Artichoke Dip

1 block of cream cheese
1 cup greek yogurt
1 box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 14 oz. can of artichoke hearts, quartered and drained
2 cups parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced garlic

Honestly, I just throw all of these in the food processor and pulse until well mixed. Sometimes you may need to stir it up a little in the middle of pulsing (not while pulsing but while blades are off). If you don't have a food processor, you'll chop the artichokes into small pieces and mix all ingredients by hand until well mixed.

Move into greased casserole dish and bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until bubbly around the edges. Serve with chips, crackers, bread, you name it!

Recipe Eleven: Jalapeno Popper Dip

2 blocks of cream cheese

1 cup of greek yogurt

2 4.5 oz cans of chopped green chiles

Jalapeno wheels, drained (I used about a cup of pickled jalapenos and it's got a good kick, but use your discretion based on your heat level of choice)

Bread crumbs

Again, I toss all ingredients but the bread crumbs in the food processor and pulse until well mixed. If you don't have one, chop the jalapenos into small pieces, then mix all ingredients by hand.

Move into greased casserole dish, top with bread crumbs, and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly around the edges. Serve with tortilla chips.

Recipe Twelve: Bacon Cheeseburger Dip

* You've been warned - this one is a labor of love*

1 lb lean ground beef

8 oz. bacon

1/4 cup ketchup

1 block of cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup of sour cream

1/4 cup mustard

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 onion diced

1 cup shredded cheese of your choice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Cook ground beef in a pan over medium heat until brown. Remove from heat and drain grease.

Cook bacon in pan according to directions on package. You will want the bacon to be crispy. Remove from heat and drain all but a little grease. Add onions and saute until tender. Add garlic and saute for one minute. Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. (This is where I would toss the cream cheese, sour cream, mustard, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce in the food processor and pulse until well mixed before adding it to the beef, cheese and bacon but I've done it by hand before also - you do you!)

Once well mixed, pour into greased casserole dish and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, until top is slightly browned and edges are bubbly.

Serve with a sliced bagette or chips or whatever your heart desires. Top with chopped pickles, tomatoes, or shredded lettuce if you wish! (I highly recommend the pickles!) 

Recipe Thirteen: Texas Caviar Dip

*Shout out to a great friend for this delicious dish!*

1 can corn, drained

1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 jar jalapenos, drained (add chopped up as desired)

1 jar red pimentos, drained (add chopped up as desired)

1/2 red onion chopped in small pieces (if you're not a giant fan of raw onions like me, to kill some of the fragrance, soak in iced water for 10 minutes prior to cutting)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup sugar

Bring olive oil, vinegar, and sugar to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.

Combine the rest of the ingredients. Pour olive oil mixture over bean and let soak in the fridge overnight.

Drain all the vinegar and oil out prior to serving.

Serve with tortilla chips.

I hope that you'll enjoy some of these dips with friends very soon! I've got a few more up my sleeve, but we'll save them for another post. Any favorite dips you want to share with me? You can never go wrong with chips and dip. I once hosted a BYODW night (bring your own dip and wine) night where each guest brought a different dip and bottle of wine. I'll have to host another one soon! Keep an eye out for your invite!

Happy Cooking!

- Kela

Six: If You Like It then You Should've Put a Taco Ring on It

In honor of tonight's Bachelorette finale, I figured I'd do a bit of a throwback post to when I hosted last season's finale viewing party for the girls I watch the show with weekly. To preface, I love theme parties. Not necessarily dressing up for theme parties, but connecting the food and decorations with whatever the theme is and going wild. (Again, not wild with partying - I'm pretty much a grandma and don't like having fun past 11pm). As soon as I offered to host, I let my creativity flow. Each of the food and beverage options were a play on a food/love/Bachelor related pun. Hello "It Takes Two to Mango Sangria", "Heartbreak and Ice Cream Sandwiches", and "Put a Taco Ring On It". The girls also provided "Will You Accept This Pepperoni Rose?" and "Jalapeno Pop The Question", as well as foods that we would classify as "Perfect Pairs", like cheese and crackers and chips and salsa. I spent time making everyone personalized sangria glasses filled with Ring Pops, Hershey Kisses, and the most giant (plastic) engagement rings you've ever seen. I printed out pictures of Lauren B. and Jojo's faces and slapped them on popsicle sticks so we could proudly cheer for our favorites. And then, of course, there was a jar to collect money because we each filled out a bracket after watching the first episode of the season and the top three scoring brackets got to walk away with a little cash (I came in 5th - not my best showing). We all wore our hair in the ever popular half-up bun that the ladies on this past season of The Bachelorette rocked (mockingly at first but I've pulled it out a few times since then more seriously - stop judging me right now). Ultimately my girl Lauren B. pulled out the win and Jojo got picked to be the next Bachelorette (great choice up until this past episode where I'm slightly concerned she's going to end up heartbroken with her two finalists, but alas, it's her choice and not mine or the rest of America who obviously agree with me).

Tonight I am not hosting the finale viewing party, but I am breaking out a few dips (I haven't earned the title Dip Queen for nothing). On top of Spinach and Artichoke Dip, I'm also bringing a Texas Caviar salsa (shout out to one of my beautiful friends for passing along the recipe!) in honor of Jojo being a Dallas girl. I have my money riding on Jordan winning her heart and proposing - I have a witness who heard me call this the second he got out of the limo. That would make two seasons in a row of correctly predicting the winner AND I would come in second place this time around in the bracket and walk away with a little cash. Even if he doesn't win (which why would you ever choose Robby in the first place and Luke should have won the whole thing), I've thoroughly enjoyed every Tuesday night (so we can watch early and skip commercials) with these girls, hysterically laughing over our commentary, often too hard so we have to rewind because we've missed something that we think could be important or just to watch Alex say he could rap and then rhyme the words Jojo and liquor store (I'd say nice try but I'd be lying -your first grade teacher is so proud) or the constant sharing of The Bachelorette related articles about how Alex, Chase, Robby, and Jordan called their room The Garden because they always got roses (if my eyes could do a full 360 in my head right now, they would). Can't wait to find out who our next Bachelor is, even though we'll have to wait until January to start up our brackets. It should probably be Luke, right? Maybe I'd throw an application out there and hope for the best (I wouldn't).

Recipe Number Nine: Taco Ring

This is one of my favorite recipes to make - it's always tasty and a combination of tacos and bread so you can't ever be wrong. The original recipe is from Pillsbury and I follow it mostly to a T (except I hate when lettuce gets warm so I typically avoid it in everything but salads). Just realized I'm posting this on Monday night so get pumped for your next Taco Tuesday! Enjoy!

1 lb ground beef

1 package of taco seasoning mix

2 cans of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

1 cup shredded cheese

1 small can of diced green chiles

All the taco fixings of your choice

Heat oven to 375°F. In nonstick skillet, cook beef until no longer pink. Drain fat. Add green chiles, taco seasoning mix and 1/2 cup water. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes or until slightly thickened. In medium bowl, mix beef mixture and cheese.

Unroll both cans of dough; separate into 16 triangles. On ungreased large cookie sheet, arrange triangles in ring so short sides of triangles form a circle in center. Dough should overlap and look like a sun!

Spoon beef mixture on the half of each triangle closest to center of ring.

Bring each dough triangle up over filling, tucking dough under bottom layer of dough to secure it. Repeat around ring until entire filling is enclosed (some filling might show a little). Mine never looks as pretty as Pillsbury says it should but I promise it is still friggen delicious.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until dough is golden brown and thoroughly baked. Cool 5 to 10 minutes. Deck out with your favorite taco fixings!

I hope your next Taco Night is everything you hoped it would be and more, just the same way I hope that Jojo's love story has a happily ever after ending, even if I'm not either guys' biggest fan. Check in with me to see how my bracket finished up and let me know if you'd like to join in the fun next season!

Happy Cooking!

- Kela

Five: Time to Be Shellfish

What is it about summer that makes time get away from us? If you're anything like me, you've packed every ounce of your free time with plans and have ended up with no free weekends until October. I've created a cycle of work, plans, sleep, plans, work, repeat that has the summer flying by yet I'm not sure that I've taken enough time to stop and be where my feet are. I'm consistently looking ahead to the next thing on the calendar. Hell, I haven't even had time to sit down and blog for over two weeks and it's something that I thoroughly enjoy. That isn't a complaint. I LOVE spending time with my friends and family. I am so lucky to have people in my life who fill my free time with laughter, good news, and good company but I've started to wonder if I've been fully present with them. I'm very guilty of reciting my schedule to anyone who will listen; how often do we find ourselves talking about what the rest of our weeks, months, seasons look like instead of providing a space for someone to share their story? Lately I've felt like a chicken with my head cut off (I hate this phrase - anyone have a better one that means the same thing?), running from one thing to the next without taking the time to breathe, often losing the opportunity to be in the moment due to the constant calendar scrolling through my head. I think that what I'm missing is balance. We often hear a lot about a work-life balance but what about a life-life balance? Are you taking the time that you need for yourself this summer? The time that you need to recharge in order to be more present during your busy weekends or weeknights from here until October? Have you recognized your limitations? Do we just feel guilty for saying no, we aren't free next Thursday, not because we have somewhere else to be but because we need a night to bring us back to normal? I know that I fall into this category, the "feel bad about saying no even though we have a lot on our plate so we say yes anyways" category. And it doesn't mean we love our friends and family less or that we don't want to spend time with them but instead we just need some time for ourselves. Stop. Smell the roses. Be selfish. Take time for you. Reset. Recharge. Relax. Catch up on sleep. You deserve it. Your friends will understand because they will want you to be the best version of yourself (and if they don't, then it's time for a different conversation. We'll save that for another blog.) Then get back out there and be where your feet are (hopefully in the sand somewhere).

Recipe Number Six: Crab Stuffed Salmon

This past week, my mom was in town. Despite her staying with me, we only had one free night together (the curse of the summer schedule) so I said I would cook. My mom has always loved salmon (it took much longer for it to grow on me due to unfortunate timing with a stomach bug and my being stubborn - TMI? Maybe. My bad.) My mom loves it grilled (throw some marinade in a Ziploc bag along with the salmon, leave it for a few hours, and then toss it on the grill on a fancy grill pan and she'll be pumped about it). The majority of my family loves it this way too and so it made regular appearances on the dinner table. I, however, don't love to repeat meals too frequently. I'm not someone who could eat the same thing every single morning for breakfast or have the same meal every Monday night. I get bored. Anyways, I knew I could have gone with our old faithful recipe, but I opted to push the envelope and make crab stuffed salmon. And let me tell you, I am so glad I did! I loved this meal and would eat it again and again (until I get bored). This recipe will be making a more regular appearance in my house - probably only for company so you better get yourself on the busy calendar. I'm sure you could incorporate any sides you wanted, but I went for my favorite Balsamic Roasted Brussel's Sprouts from my girl Ina Garten (find that recipe here) and some baked sweet potato fries (had to use the Ziploc bag trick somewhere - add olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika to the peeled and cut sweet potato fries before baking at 450 for 20 minutes, flipping occasionally - sorry, didn't measure this time around but can quote my mom and let you know that they were the best sweet potatoes she's ever had).

4 large salmon fillets
1 lb lump crabmeat
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 lemon (cut in half)
1 egg lightly beaten
3 tablespoons fresh parsley
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Spray cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix crabmeat, egg, breadcrumbs, juice from half the lemon, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Cut a slit down the middle of the top of each salmon fillet (careful not to cut all the way through). If the skin is on the salmon, remove prior to stuffing and cooking.

Stuff the pocket of each fillet with the crabmeat stuffing. I used all the stuffing so the pockets were overflowing - made it so I had stuffing with each bite and it was so, so good.

Drizzle juice from the other half of the lemon over the top of the salmon before baking for 30 minutes or until salmon is cooked through.

Recipe Number Seven: Grilled Shrimp in Foil Packets

Tested out this recipe today on my day off before the big thunderstorms came rolling in. Delicious and so super easy. Found the recipe here. Can't wait to try other grilled foil packet recipes!

4 corn on the cobs snapped in half

4 red potatoes washed and cubed

20ish uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined (I bought frozen shrimp on sale and let them thaw prior to peeling)

1 lb sausage (I chose hot Italian sausage because we know I love the spice), cut into slices

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 lemon, cut into quarters

Melted butter

Cajun seasoning

Salt and pepper

Fresh parsley

Heat grill to 400 degrees.

Evenly distribute the corn, sausage, potatoes, lemon, and shrimp among 4 heavy-duty sheets of aluminum foil (12x18 if you can swing it).

Drizzle melted butter, chicken broth, and seasonings over each packet before tightly sealing the foil by folding up the sides over the food and folding over each seam. There should be no openings in the foil.

Grill 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender, rotating packets around the heat of the grill once or twice while cooking. Be careful when you check on the contents of the packet, as steam will be released once the foil is open. Let cool for a few minutes before enjoying! I chose to sprinkle some fresh parsley over the top before digging in!

I'm hoping to try a grilled dessert in a foil packet soon - I'll get back to you on what I decide! Have you tried any grilled packet recipes before that you would like to share with me? Leave it in the comments!

Happy Cooking!

- Kela

Four: Take Another Little Pizza My Heart

Back in February, I went on a date with a guy from online that wasn't anything special. We both realized we weren't compatible (I think I knew before I went but I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, so I met him at his suggestion - the townie bar - for drinks). There was mutual ghosting at the end but there was one part of the date that's stuck with me. He wasn't much of a chef (he joked about eating Hot Pockets on the regular) but did talk about making pizza in a cast iron skillet and somehow this idea has been in and out of my head ever since. (Sadly, or not so sadly, this guy hasn't been in my head until right now that I've practically dedicated a blog post to him. If you're reading this, I'm still not interested, but thanks for the cooking idea!) It took me almost 6 months to buy one (super cheap on Amazon - what up free shipping?!) after the Williams Sonoma that's closing next door to me at work reminded me that I should have one (and I wasn't selling my first born child to get one from there, even if the entire store was 50% off).

Consider me a mutual friend between you and this cast iron skillet pizza. Because at the end of the day, we all just want a friend who knows our online date to tell us that they aren't a serial killer, or a serial dater who thinks you won't notice that they're dating a few people at once, or someone who's going to break up with you via a text message (a modern day version of Berger breaking up with Carrie on a post-it on Sex and the City), or someone who doesn't get married to someone else while you're dating, or someone who didn't just get out of jail for vehicular manslaughter, or who won't pocket your change at the end of the date, or who will at least look you in the eye once during dinner, or any other ridiculous bad date story my friends and I have experienced through the years. But we keep on trucking, and until then, you may have found the love of your life, but we don't have to share our pizza.

Recipe Five: Deep Dish Pizza

Recipe inspired by the Minimalist Baker.

Hey - I'm all for making it easier when you can, and I didn't have all the time in the world, so I cut some corners. Here's the recipe I followed with my shortcuts. You're going to love it, promise!

1 store-bought crust

1/2 cup pizza sauce - I added a little hot sauce to bring the heat (highly recommended if you are looking for a little spice)

1 cup mixed veggies of your choice  - I went with broccoli florets, artichoke hearts, and mushrooms, but you do you!

Meat of your choice - I bought too much pepperoni for my tortellini salad last week so I used the rest of the stick for my pizza

1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Grated Parmesan cheese

Fresh basil

Garlic

Olive Oil

Leave dough out on counter prior to cooking so that it can come to room temperature before use. I did for a little over an hour.

Once you're ready to cook, preheat oven to 450 and get to work on your toppings!

Heat a few teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet (not your cast iron skillet - save that for your dough). Add chopped garlic and stir over medium heat for about a minute. Add veggies and sauté together for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Next, coat a cast iron skillet (or round baking dish if you don't have one but you should get one) with extra virgin olive oil and run a garlic clove around for seasoning. Plop your dough down into the pan and push it up around the sides about 1 to 1.5 inches. Let rest for a few minutes while preparing the rest of your toppings.

Since I used pepperoni, I chopped mine into small slices and then zapped them in the microwave for a minute to cook down some of the grease before putting it on the pizza. Learned this trick from my Dad before we made pizza at home.

First sprinkle in 1/2 of mozzarella cheese, then add veggies, then sauce. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese, italian seasonings if you're feeling fancy and grated parmesan cheese (the real stuff, please).

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese and sauce are bubbly. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting, then serve immediately to yourself or to your SO or your family or whatever.

This pizza was GOLD when it came to taste - honestly might be one of my favorite things I've ever made. Next time, I'd work harder at the crust. Mine was a little too crusty for my liking so I wouldn't push it up as high on the sides. I was the kid who never ate my crust - I've grown into an adult who does eat it, but it isn't my really my favorite so it's on the list of fixes for the next time. There will absolutely be a next time, and probably soon! Even the leftovers have been phenomenal - last round tomorrow for lunch!

So take my word for it. Get yourself a cast iron skillet. I promise it will be a match made in heaven, or if not, at least you'll get a meal out of it (isn't this how we rationalize nerves on a first date?) Feel free to set me up with some of your favorite meals!

Happy Cooking, friends!

Kela

Three: Insert Corny Joke Here

Two weeks ago I started a new job that's different from your typical Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm schedule. In adjusting to my new job, I've taken advantage of my days and nights off by packing them to the brim with plans. I started writing a blog about food, often late at night, because it's something that I've found out I love to do and get an immense amount of gratification from posting. I'm not getting enough sleep. I feel like I've barely been home in the two weeks since coming back from vacation, including just finishing up my laundry a few days ago. I stand at work for 8 hours a day on the flimsiest flip flops, often sending me home with tired, sore feet. I suppose if I wanted to, I could find a bunch of other things to complain about, but I won't. Because in lieu of the sleepiness, the achy bones, and the lack of hours in the day to get things done, I am happy.  You read that correctly. I'm happy; really and truly happy.

I've known this for a while now. And I also know why. 

I am surrounded by some of the greatest people on this planet. This post is dedicated to the people who perpetually have my back. I hope you all have some of these friends - the friends who show up to your house with a bottle of wine and willingly sit outside with you next to your closed pool despite the lack of break from the heat or chat with you on your couches until all hours of the night; the friends who you haven't lived in the same state or time zone as in years but take time out of your hectic schedules to make your bi-weekly phone date where you laugh and cry over the ridiculous moments happening in your life, knowing that though you may be separated by hundreds or thousands of miles, you'll be completely heard and unjudged; the friends who you're in a group message with and could tell the story of your love life of dating more frogs than princes through the memes you've sent back and forth to each other; the friends who will let your team "win" a game of Kan Jam only for you to legitimately win the next two games and celebrate by wearing the cans as masks and holding the Frisbee like it's your first born for your victory photo shoot; the friends who you get together with weekly to watch the Bachelorette and fill out brackets with like it's March Madness because though you like sports, rooting for people to find the love of their lives is an inherent part of your hopeful romantic self; the friends who surprise you with little "just because I saw it and it made me think of you" gifts; the friends who support your crazy ideas, whether it be for a "M" or "B" (million or billion) dollar business plan or tell you to go for it when you tell them you're thinking about starting a blog because they believe in you; the friends who leave you love notes on your desk or in your mailbox, telling you all that you're worth and worthy of in this world on days or weeks or months when you're feeling down on yourself because someone or something tried to dull your shine. These friends, the ones who are your cheerleaders, your secret keepers, your laugh 'til you cry or cry 'til you laugh partners, are, in fact, the real MVPs.

The way those summer salad side dishes support your hamburger and hot dog BBQ, these friends support you. Because what would the Fourth of July be without a little potato salad? And though these sides don't always get the recognition they deserve, it would be remiss of me to not acknowledge these friends (some disguised as coworkers and family members) who have built me up to this point of true happiness. If I ever tell you that you're my pasta salad, this is why. Go tell the french fries to your cheeseburger that you'd be a little lost without them, and if you thought that was a little corny, time to stop reading.

I really hope you had a great Fourth of July. Next time you're looking for a fun side to spice up a cookout, here are two of my favorites! One of the reasons I love summer side dishes is that you can toss a few different ingredients chopped up in a bowl, add a little dressing (oil vs. mayo - you decide) and you've got yourself a salad! What are some of your favorite summer sides? Let me know in the comments - I'd love to give them a try!

Recipe Number Three: Corn Salad

Recipe inspired by the Barefoot Contessa's Fresh Corn Salad. Find that recipe here.

5 ears corn, shucked (or a couple of cans of corn drained and rinsed would probably do the trick if that's more up your alley)
1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium red pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for about 3 minutes. Drain and immerse it in ice water to stop the cooking and to set the color. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.

Toss the corn in a large bowl with the red onions, red pepper, red vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Chill until ready to serve then add the basil and toss until adequately dressed.

Recipe Four: Tortellini Salad

Recipe inspired by my dad :)

2 lbs. cheese tortellini

8 oz. cheddar cheese, cubed

6 oz. black olives, sliced

1 stick of pepperoni

1 head of broccoli, chopped (I use much more of the florets than the stem but that's personal preference)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Olive oil

14 oz. artichoke hearts, chopped (I didn't use them but I wish I had)

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions. Drain water and add to large mixing bowl.

While the tortellini is cooking, saute garlic in 3 tbsp. olive oil in a skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Add broccoli and toss in the garlic and olive oil until broccoli becomes bright green and tender. Remove from heat and add to the tortellini. Toss broccoli and oil with the tortellini to prevent pasta from sticking together. Add pepperoni, black olives, and artichokes. Dress with olive oil until lightly coated. Chill for 2 hours. Add cheddar cheese (don't do it before chilling because the cheese will melt due to the heat of the tortellini and broccoli). Salt and pepper to taste; then serve.

I hope you had a great holiday weekend and are feeling rested for the upcoming week. Give these side salads a try for your next summer cookout and keep me posted with your recipe modifications!

If you haven't yet, please like "Just a Single Serving" on Facebook to stay up to date with posts!

Happy Cooking!

- Kela

Two: Wax Paper On, Wax Paper Off.

I'm a perfectionist. I told you that last post, but I want to tell you a little more about it so you get to know me a little better. I'm not exactly sure when this stage of my life started, but it was the worst it has ever been while I was in graduate school. I was balancing two jobs and a full course load in my first semester after taking three full years off from being a student to pursue a career that I ultimately decided wasn't my true path. I was really nervous about my ability to jump back in to school after that much time away but, much to my nerves delight, I managed to pull off a 4.0 in the first semester. Some time after that, it became the driving force for the rest of my time in grad school. I pushed every semester, added internship hours to my schedule, bringing me to working seven days a week, interning for two, and classes for three, yet told myself I had to maintain my 4.0. It consumed me, especially while working on major assignments. The stress manifested into physical symptoms; I often rocked a mean eye twitch during the last few weeks of the semester (I've never quite figured out how to wink - the eye twitch is the closest I can get). I would pace around my house to burn off anxious energy or catch a dance class when it would fit into my schedule, but my favorite stress reliever was spending time in the kitchen. I could whip up some buffalo chicken mac and cheese or some chocolate chip cookies and take my brain off of the giant research paper on the legal history and intricacies of sexual harassment on college campuses. (Quick synopsis: don't do it).  When I'd show up to work the next day with food for all, it was known that the treats were a result of stress due to my neurotic obsession with getting perfect grades.

For the most part, I could keep the perfectionism tied to school work, but that wasn't always the case. Here's an example. 

I spent the last Fourth of July at work (and the one before that and this year's, too). When possible, I would bring treats in to the girls at work to show them some love for working on a holiday (as if that really made up for it, but I was trying!) I then went to a free Andy Grammer concert where he didn't sing one patriotic song but that's neither here nor there. I don't exactly remember where I got the idea to make Rice Krispie Treat Flags, but alas, I went for it. (Quick side note: when was the last time you had Rice Krispie treats?! If you haven't had homemade Rice Krispie treats since you were 12, you should probably make this happen for this weekend. You're missing out. They're delicious and this recipe was easy, or at least I thought it should be).

Basically, you make a batch with red food coloring and press it into a cookie sheet, make a batch with no food coloring and press it into another cookie sheet, and a batch with blue food coloring into a deeper baking pan. There's some assembly required (we'll go over that in a second when you see the recipe), but I thought it was easy peasy (is that how you spell peasy? Have you ever typed it out before? Is it a word that should ever be typed out or just something your third grade teacher told you when you were told the rhyme on how to remember how many days are in each month?) Anyways, I go through the motions of making three different colored batches and go to press them into the cookie sheets and baking pan only to find out that I must have larger than normal cookie sheets and the melted Rice Krispie treat mixture doesn't take up the entire space. I'm not panicked yet. I think, I'll just grab the wax paper out of the pantry and use it to push down and spread the melted layers to the edges of the pan. It doesn't 100% work, but I leave the wax paper on each batch and give it time to cool down. Once they are sufficiently cooled, I go to peel the wax paper off only to find IT WON'T COME OFF. Now, I'm not the creator of wax paper nor would I ever claim to know the science behind wax paper, but I'm fairly certain people use it when they have sticky food things that they don't want to stick. Am I wrong? Why did it stick? I mean super stick like trying to take a sticker off of a mirror that the edges only peel up and you have to use some sort of machete or google home remedies to figure out how you're going to get it off.

As you can probably imagine, I am NOT amused by this. Not at all. Now, my mom was in town from Arizona at this time and she witnesses me throw what I'd classify as an adult hissy fit. I'm not proud of this. She probably had flashbacks to my childhood where I apparently would scream bloody murder in the car that she was driving in the wrong direction on our way home from my Grandma's when she wasn't. (I honestly have a killer sense of direction right now so maybe I knew something she didn't in my wise age of 3). I can't be sure, but there was probably tears and a curse put on Snap, Crackle and Pop. I was frustrated. I wanted the Rice Krispie treat flags to come out perfect and instead, I had wax papery treats that weren't symmetrical because the cookie sheet was too big. This is where I tell you how my mom is Supermom. She spent a long time with me slowly getting square centimeter by square centimeter of wax paper off of each grain of Rice Krispie. Much, much later, I was able to finish the assembly and get a handful of good looking flags and a bunch of pieces that didn't make the cut but still tasted like freedom or heaven or Rice Krispie treats. I survived my meltdown about the melted wax paper and my team got some patriotic goodies. (I also took a wooden hanger to the face this day and ended up with a black eye but that's a story for another time).

At the end of the day, would the wax paper fiasco or less than a 4.0 be the end of the world? No. They wouldn't. And that's something I've had to learn in order to keep the eye twitching to a minimum (unless I'm actually attempting to wink but I usually know better). I'm sure everyone has something that causes them stress but I imagine that a lot of that stress is out of our control. How could I have known that the wax paper was going to fail? Did perfect grades really mean anything then or now that I'm a year post graduating? In the words of my good friend Mase, we have to "breathe, stretch, shake, let it go". Celebrate your successes and your learning moments like you will the Fourth of July - eat a hot dog and run around your backyard with a sparkler. I'll be there, spelling out my name and singing "Three Cheers for the Red, White, and Blue" (because if Andy Grammer won't do it, I will).

Recipe Number Two: Flag Rice Krispie Treats

1 Large Box of Kellogg’s Rice Krispie Cereal

2 16 oz. Bags of Mini Marshmallows or 3 10 oz. Bags

2 Sticks of Butter

Red Food Coloring

Blue Food Coloring

Salt

First, make two batches of Rice Krispie Treats (Each batch: 5 tbsp. butter, 5 cups mini marshmallows, 5 cups Rice Krispies cereal).  Leave one plain and color the second with red food coloring.  For best coverage, put the food coloring into the melted marshmallow mixture and then add the Rice Krispie Cereal.

To make the Rice Krispie Treats,  melt the butter in a medium sized pan on medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the marshmallows. You don’t want the pan to get too hot or the marshmallow mixture to boil or you will have tough/chewy Rice Krispie Treats. Stir the marshmallows slowly as they melt. This process should only take a few minutes. As soon as the marshmallows are melted, turn off the heat and add the food coloring. When the marshmallow mixture is the color you want add the Rice Krispie cereal and a pinch of salt (trust me - the salt makes it delicious).

Press the plain and red Rice Krispie Treat mixtures into two cookie sheets (make sure they are the same size) in a thin layer. If you're going with the wax paper, be sure it's going to peel or maybe use some nonstick cooking spray to give yourself a little assurance. They should only go up about 1/2 of the way up the side of the cookie sheet.  Let them set for approximately 15-30 minutes.

Cut the sheet of Rice Krispie Treats into three equal pieces. (Look at the cookie sheet horizontally and make vertical cuts). Each of these will be a “stripe” in the flag.  If you want, make a guide with a piece of aluminum foil to help make even cuts.  Repeat with the sheet of plain Rice Krispie Treats.

Start with a red layer, then place a plain layer on top of the red. Repeat one layer of each color to create the base of the flag.

Cut the remaining third of plain and red Rice Krispie sheets in half vertically. Layer the red, plain, and repeat on the right side of the base.

Make up a smaller batch of blue Rice Krispie Treats (3 tbsp butter, 3 cups mini marshmallows, 3 cups Rice Krispie Treats.)  This is where I used the deeper baking pan. It shouldn't cover the entire bottom; condense it to make a thick blue section for the flag. You will want to butter up your fingers a bit so you can mold the blue piece into its place on the base of the flag (remember, no one likes when thing stick to things they shouldn't).

Try to make sure the top was as flat as the bottom.  Once completely cool, use a knife to cut you Rice Krispie Treats Flags.  Trim off a little bit on the left and right edges if necessary.

For a play by play of this recipe with picture steps, visit here.

I wanted to post this ahead of the holiday weekend so some of you brave souls could give this a whirl for your upcoming celebrations! I will be attending a cookout on Sunday and plan on making some fun summer sides. I'll be sure to keep you posted so you are ready to impress at your next BBQ!

Happy Cooking!

- Kela

P.S. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the love after my first ever post. You sure know how to make a girl smile! If interested, feel free to share the blog with friends!