Watermelon Sherbet Cake

Upon Scott's request, Scott's mom would make a watermelon cake for his birthday. This is super easy, looks great and is nice and cool for the summer.

Watermelon Sherbet Cake

Lime sherbet

Pineapple sherbet

Raspberry sherbet

Mini chocolate chips

Line a bowl with plastic wrap. Make a layer of lime sherbet about an inch thick. Add a thinner layer of pineapple sherbet. In a separate bowl mix softened raspberry sherbet with mini chocolate chips. Place mixture in bowl over pineapple layer. Freeze to harden softened sherbet. When ready to serve, turn the bowl upside down on a large plate and use the plastic wrap to get the cake out of the bowl. Slice like a watermelon and serve.

 Make a layer of lime Sherbet

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

One year Scott bought me an ice cream maker attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer. It might be one of the favorite gifts he's given me. It is so easy to use and makes enough ice cream for the 2 of us. Scott's favorite flavor is mint chocolate chip. This is the recipe that we use and it tastes a lot like Breyer's mint chocolate chip (but better!)

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream 
2 cups 2% milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. peppermint extract
3 drops green food coloring if you want, we prefer ours white.
1 cup shaved chocolate (or mini chocolate chips made smaller in a food processor)

In large bowl stir milk, cream, sugar, salt vanilla and peppermint extract (and food coloring) with a spoon until sugar is dissolved. Make ice cream according to your ice cream makers directions. If you're cool like me, yours will be done in 20 minutes and your taste buds will be so happy.

Zesty Shredded Chicken

This is a copy-cat recipe I found for Cafe Rio shredded chicken. Honestly I have never had Cafe Rio shredded chicken (because if you don't get the sweet pork you are crazy), so I can't say it's comparable but I really like it, and it's so easy. We will make burritos, soft tacos or quesadillas with the meat.

Zesty Shredded Chicken
3 chicken breasts
4 oz. zesty Italian dressing
1/2 TBS minced garlic
1 pkg. ranch dressing
1/2 cup water
1/2 TBS chili powder
1/2 TBS cumin

Place all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8 hours. Shred chicken and let simmer in juice another 30 minutes. Makes 8-10 servings. 3 WW SP/8 servings

A Favorite Meal

This is not really a recipe but an idea. We love grilled chicken and in the form of chicken tenders is the best. They are a lot healthier than legs, thighs and wings and if you marinate them right, they are oh so good. And they take less time to cook than a chicken breast.  We love the Lawry's Balsamic Herb marinade. We have tried all flavors and that is our favorite, with sun dried tomato being a close runner-up. We will usually marinate the chicken all day.

One of our favorite meals is grilled chicken tenders, some pasta-roni and grilled asparagus , It is simple and so good. We usually have this a couple times a month.

Zesty Pasta Salad

Confession: I never had pasta salad growing up. If I went to a party and it was there I usually didn't take some. When I married Scott he told me that for his birthday he always got to pick what they had for dinner. He always wanted smokies, pasta salad and potato salad. So I made it a point to learn his mom's recipes when we got married so that he could have these things on his birthday. I still haven't perfected the potato salad, but I make the pasta salad several times a year. It's super simple, it just takes time to chop fresh veggies.

Zesty Pasta Salad
Package of penne pasta (prepared as directed on the package)
1 cucumber sliced and quartered
Can of sliced olives
1 8 oz. cube cheese cubed into 1/2 inch squares- we use cheddar or Colby jack
3 Roma tomatoes diced
Pepperoni quartered
Wishbone Italian dressing

Place all items but dressing into the bowl. Mix well and then add dressing. We usually use about 1/2-3/4 bottle and let it cool in the fridge and add more dressing before serving, as the dressing soaks in and the pasta loses the flavor. I love that it's so colorful! 

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

A yummy, easy summer recipe. Prep time is only about 10 minutes, which is exactly what I love about it (plus it's super good!) Just a side note, you can use a pork shoulder for this but I always use a center cut boneless pork roast, or a pork loin. It has a lot better quality meat, and you waste less because it's so lean (even though it's more expensive).

Pulled Pork
1 (2-3 lb.) boneless pork roast
1 onion chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
2 cups BBQ sauce
2 TBS mustard
2 TBS honey
1 TBS soy sauce
Salt and Pepper

 Scatter onion over bottom of slow cooker and place pork on top. Add broth (or water), cover and cook on low until very tender, about 8 hours. Remove meat and let cool.  When cool enough, pull meat into thin shreds, removing all fat and gristle. Drain liquid from slow cooker. Return pork to slow cooker. In a bowl mix BBQ sauce, mustard, honey, and soy sauce. Poor over pork, season with salt and pepper and stir to blend. Cook one hour longer on low. Serve on hamburger buns or kaiser rolls.