Jolene's Recipe Journal

Brats are summer staple here and there are so many varieties now.   I tend to buy the links that are 6 to a pack and just need to be heated through because they make for a nice quick meal.   When I saw this recipe created by the Taste of Home Test Kitchen, I knew that I had to make some of that grilled corn relish.

  It's getting to be that time of year when most of my cooking is done outside.   The guys can get sick of the same old burgers and hot dogs pretty quickly, so I'm always looking for new ways to dress them up.   I pinned these Caesar Burgers while back, and waited patiently for the rain to stop so I could make them.   

How can you go wrong with bacon and cheese?  You can't, not at my house!   There are just some recipes that you know will be a hit with your family, and this was one of those.  I had all of the ingredients on hand except the green onions, so I substituted dried chives.   As written, it's a stove top to oven meal, but I had my oven in use for dessert.  

There are so many great dishes associated with Derby Day, like Hot Browns and Mint Juleps, that I had a hard time deciding what to make.  I chose these Angel Biscuits because I love that you can pretty much eat them all day long.  Serve them up at brunch with butter and jam, add some sliced country ham for lunch, pair them alongside stew for dinner.  

I've eaten fried ice cream lots of times, but have never attempted making it at home.   I found this recipe on Taste of Home, and thought it would be fun to make with my son.     While it's not a difficult recipe, it does require a lot of chilling time.  We made ours on a warm day and had to hustle to keep it from melting while coating.  

I've started this post about a dozen times.   This is my first Mother's Day without my mom, and I've been struggling a bit.   She was smart, creative and funny.  She made the most beautifully decorated cakes.   There was always food on the table, but she didn't love to cook the way I do.

  When life gives you leftover corn tortillas, make chips!  I know, that's not how the saying goes, but that's exactly what I thought when I moved the package of tortillas around the fridge for the 5th time.     I searched for an easy recipe, and up popped these Zippy Tortilla Chips.

Our forays into Mexican cuisine are pretty boring and Americanized- quesadillas, tacos, fried ice cream.   I searched through the Taste of Home site hoping to be inspired and boom, there it was- Churro French Toast.  Been on a big French toast kick lately. It's something we all love and makes a nice filling meal.