Jolene's Recipe Journal

I absolutely love where I live.  Sure, spring is a bit elusive here, and weeks of soggy weather can force you to grill while holding an umbrella, but there are so many wonderful things about New England too.   We have beaches, forests, mountains, plus there's maple season, wild blackberries, apple orchards, and bread baked in a can.

I'm wrapping up BBQ Week with an festive and delicious dessert, Sugar Cone Chocolate Chip Cookies.  My guys love cookies in all forms, but ones with chocolate chips always go over especially well.  These are even more fun because they have little bits of ice cream cone and sprinkles! 

When you're having a barbecue, the last thing you need is to be stressed out, it's supposed to be fun! For me, one of the best ways to avoid that is to choose a few simple make ahead recipes, like this Balsamic Three Bean Salad.

  So happy that the weather is finally starting to turn and I can start grilling more of our meals!  We eat chicken at least a couple of times a week and it can be a challenge to change it up so we don't get bored with it.  One of the best ways I've found to do that is with marinades. 

Today is day 2 of BBQ Week and I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am!   I like to see green salads at barbecues, because they go well with so many things. I especially like them when they’re paired with fruit, like strawberries.   

May is National BBQ Month, and this week the Festive Foodies and I will be sharing lots of great recipes that will be perfect to serve at your next get together!  

One of the very first local veggies we can get each spring here in New England is asparagus. This year, the wait seemed even longer than usual, but finally I saw posts on the local farm's Facebook page saying it was in and I headed right over.

It's been a while since I've been able to join in with the Baking Bloggers, but I'm glad I was able to participate in this month's theme, Baking for a Tea Party! 

I'm one of those people that preparedness makes all of the difference.  If I have easy snack and meal choices ready to go, then I can resist the call of the drive through.  I've been enjoying baked eggs for a while now, usually with sauteed peppers and onion, on top of a whole grain English muffin.  When Dunkin Donuts came out with their new Power Breakfast Sandwich I immediately thought, I can make that at home!

I've had this recipe for Taco Joe Dip sitting in my to-try file for a while, and what better excuse to pull it out than Cinco De Mayo!  I used low sodium versions of the beans, and taco seasoning.