Green Stuff:

This is one dish I have grown up on my whole life and I don't think I'll ever get tired it!
My mom and grandma used to make this salad all the time! Pappy always called it "rainbow stew"!!! I have no idea why! I've also heard some people call it Watergate Salad........we always call it Green Stuff.  It's so easy to make, and I think we make it for just about every occasion - Christmas, 4th of July, family reunions, whatever!! We've tried different Jello Salads and things instead of this salad, and people have said "it's good, but just doesn't take the place of Green Stuff"!
If you're not a huge fan of pistachios, don't worry! It only has a very slight pistachio flavor that you hardly notice! It's such a great dish for the summer, and I hope you'll give it a try!



2 (3.4 oz.) boxes instant pistachio pudding mix

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, do not drain

2+ cups mini marshmallows
1 (16 oz.) container Cool Whip

In a large bowl, mix together pudding and pineapple until well combined. Stir in marshmallows - start with 2 cups and add more if you want! Fold in the Cool Whip. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve!

Mini Freezer Omelets:

These are so easy to make and fabulous for a fast and easy breakfast!

I like to make some with just meat and cheese, and then some with other mix-ins. That way everyone can find something they like! I hope you give them a try!

8 eggs

1/2 cup milk

Mix-ins of your choice:

Shredded cheddar cheese

Sauted peppers, onions and/or mushrooms

black olives

chopped tomatoes

crumbled, cooked bacon

crumbled, cooked sausage

chopped ham

Place eggs and milk in a large bowl. Mix with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Divide evenly between 12 paper-lined muffin cups (with foil and paper liners). Add small amounts of any mix-ins you like! Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until eggs are set. Allow to cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Place on a cookie sheet and freeze until completely frozen. Place in a gallon zip-lock bag and return to the freezer. 

To Re-heat:

Remove foil muffin cup, and place omelet on a plate. Microwave for 45-60 seconds or until heated through!

Note:

-I actually love to eat these with grits over the top!

-If you don't use the muffin-liners with paper and foil, the regular ones will stick to the omelet really bad!

Five Guys Burgers and Fries:

Just added to the "Eating Out" Tab on the right hand side!!

I've never been to this restaurant before, but I've seen them in lots of different places.

Be sure to read their story on the website! It's pretty interesting how they got started!

Funny story: my brother just helped do some landscaping at one of the "5 guys" vacation homes!!!

I hope you check it out!

Let me know if you try anything from this restaurant and how you liked it!

8-Hour Chicken Marinade:

I love to mix up a meat marinade in the morning and let the chicken, pork, steak or whatever it may be, just soak there all day! It's almost like a slow-cooker meal, really. Prep it in the morning and let it just get better and better as the day goes on! 

This one is definitely better the longer is goes! I really don't know how to describe the flavor - it's not sweet, but not tangy or spicy either! The ingredient list kind of surprised me, but everything went together really well and I thought it was really yummy! I served it just plain with roasted asparagus and french fries on the side, but it would also be great chopped up over a salad as well!

Hope you try it out!

1/4 cup cider vinegar

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard (I only had Honey Dijon, so that's what I used)

2 tablespoons minced garlic

3 tablespoons lime juice

4 & 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

6 chicken breasts

Place chicken in a gallon zip-lock bag. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour over chicken and seal bag, getting out as much air as possible. Shake well to evenly coat. Chill for at least 8 hours (can be more). Place chicken breasts on grill and discard remaining marinade. Grill until done!

Pat-In-the-Pan Pie Crust:

I have a pretty good Pie Crust Recipe on the blog already, and I really do like it, but I've really struggled getting it to that "amazing" point. It's by far the best of that type that I've tried and it is definitely good, but I'm just not sure how to compare it to this one! I always have a hard time transferring the rolled pie crust to the pan in one piece! Plus the entire process of making a pie, just takes a really long time. 

Until now. 

A friend lent me a magazine called "Cook's Country." You may be familiar with it, but it was something new to me, and I just loved it! It was super interesting and had some great tips.

And that's where I found this recipe.

I didn't have anything to loose, so I gave it a try and was beyond thrilled! 

Granted, you can not use it for a two-crust pie, but for a single pie crust, it's amazing! SUPER fast and easy to make and REALLY yummy! 

The ingredients and directions were a little surprising to me, but trust me, they all work and I hope you'll try it out!! 

1 & 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp. xanthan gum

2 tblsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 stick (8 tblsp.) butter, room temperature

2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

Lightly coat a deep dish 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray; set aside. 

In small bowl, whisk together the flour, xanthan gum, sugar and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl and beaters as needed. 

Add flour mixture and mix on medium-low until mixture resembles course crumbs - about 20 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and beaters. 

Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until dough begins to form large clumps - about 30 seconds.

Turn dough out onto plastic wrap. Form into a ball and then flatten into a 6-inch disk. Transfer to prepared pie plate. 

Press dough evenly over bottom of pie plate toward sides, using the heel of your hand. You can hold it up to the light to make sure that it's pressed out evenly. 

Continue pressing up the sides and slightly over the edge of the plate until even.

Flute the edges. Wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. 

To make a pre-baked pie shell:

Adjust your oven racks so that one rack is in the center of the oven and pre-heat to 325 degrees. Lightly prick bottom of crust with fork. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

To fill a pie and then bake:

Prepare according to your recipe directions and bake as directed. 

Note:

-When I made the apple pie in the above picture, the directions on the apple pie filling can said to brush the crust with an egg white wash. I really don't think this crust needed it at all. As you can tell from the picture, it got plenty golden-brown and almost burnt. I think it would have browned just fine on it's own, with no egg white wash!