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Whew! It has been a busy month. Between my intense one month graduate class (which is thankfully over till the next one starts in a few days), t-ball, our enormous garden and our summer travels I haven't had much time to think, much less blog. Ok, so it's only been a couple of weeks, but I have missed you and writing about my favorite topic...food of course.
In all of our busyness, dinner has been a lot of things this month...pizza, takeout, cereal (gasp), and on occasion a good home-cooked meal. One of our new favorites that made the rounds twice this month because 1) it's super easy and 2) we love it, is this amazing balsamic grilled chicken, strawberry, and feta salad. 
Balsamic glaze is a lot like balsamic vinegar only a little sweeter, richer and thicker. We fell in love with it a few years ago when we went to Italy and it is a favorite on salads and sandwiches. 
I make a simple balsamic glaze and baste the chicken while grilling. When I say simple, I mean simple like two ingredients, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. I bring about 1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar and 1/3 cup packed brown sugar to a low boil then reduce the heat stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes or longer until the balsamic glaze coats the back of a spoon. Don't worry too much about thickness, the glaze will be delicious and will thicken up some as it sits. Thin or thick, it's delicious either way. If you want to skip this whole process, you can buy a store bought balsamic glaze (no judging here...I have some too and love it). 
Simple, hearty, cool, perfect for summer. Enjoy this delicious balsamic grilled chicken, strawberry, and feta salad anytime...even on busy nights. 
Balsamic Glaze:
1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar 1/3 cup packed brown sugar Bring balsamic vinegar and packed brown sugar to a low boil then reduce the heat stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes or longer until the balsamic glaze coats the back of a spoon. Don't worry too much about thickness, the glaze will be delicious and will thicken up some as it sits. Thin or thick, it's delicious either way. Store extra glaze in the fridge for drizzling over salads or grilling. Balsamic Grilled Chicken, Strawberry, and Feta Salad: Serves 3-4 (depending on how large you make your salads, this is plenty for our family of 2 adults and 3 children). 1 head red leaf lettuce, cleaned and torn into bite size pieces 3 chicken breasts 1 lb. strawberries, cleaned and sliced 1 pkg. crumbled feta cheese Balsamic glaze (recipe above or store bought) 1. Grill chicken, basting with balsamic glaze until done. 2. While chicken is grilling, prepare salads layering lettuce and strawberries on each plate. 3. When chicken is done, slice and portion on salads. 4. Top with crumbled feta and drizzle with balsamic glaze.
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Disclosure: “The Nature’s Harvest® bread information, coupons, gift card, gift pack, and additional giveaway have been provided by Nature’s Harvest® bread so that I could try the product and share my thoughts and information about Nature’s Harvest® bread. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions of Nature’s Harvest® bread.”
Have you seen the new movie "Finding Dory"? Just in time for it's release (which was today) I made these adorable "Finding Dory" inspired Sparkle Seaweed Toasts and Sea Cucumber Toasts. 
Now through July, fans can purchase any four Nature’s Harvest® breads and receive a free, limited edition Dory TY® Sparkle Eye Beanie Boo™ plush toy. Swim by www.wholegrainsplash.com for more info!
The boys love our new Dory TY® Sparkle Eye Beanie Boo™ and they really love our new sea inspired cookie cutters. They were so eager to help make our Dory inspired toasts and couldn't wait to use the new cookie cutters. 
To make your own "Finding Dory" inspired toast, you will need Nature’s Harvest® bread, cream cheese, cucumber, seaweed snacks, and sea themed cookie cutters. 
Aren't these Dory's Sparkle Seaweed and Dory's Sea Cucumber Toasts adorable? Plus you can feel good about serving your family Nature’s Harvest® bread because it’s not baked with artificial flavors, colors or high fructose corn syrup. 
I love how cute these cucumber whales turned out. 
Perfect for a "Finding Dory" themed party or a fun summer lunch with the kids. Plus your kids will beg to help you make lunch.
Enter to win the Make a Splash with Whole Grains Sweepstakes: Nature’s Harvest® bread will be accepting entries for the Make A Splash with Whole Grains Facebook Sweepstakes from April 28 to July 7. See official rules here . All entrants will have the chance to win weekly prizes, including movie tickets, autographed posters and more. No purchase necessary
Dory's Sparkle Seaweed Toast and Sea Cucumber Toast
Ingredients: Nature’s Harvest® bread Cream cheese Cucumber, thinly sliced Seaweed snacks, torn into small pieces Sea themed cookie cutters These are so easy to make. Simply toast the bread, then cut with cookie cutters. Next spread with cream cheese, followed by seaweed pieces or cucumber slices.
Enter to win my giveaway for two (2) fish-shaped cookie cutters and one (1) coupon valid for up to $5 off any Nature’s Harvest® bread. I am responsible for the giveaway and Nature’s Harvest® bread is only providing the prize.
Linking up at Share the Wealth, Family Joy
I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program (greenmomsmeet.com), May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of this product.
We were excited to try Santa Cruz organic Agua Fresca since we love fruity drinks, but try to make healthy choices too. After trying both Pomegranate and Mango Passion Fruit we all decided that pomegranate was our favorite. (There is also a grapefruit flavor, but we haven't tried it yet.) It is a light fruity drink that is perfect for hot summer days. Since it's an Agua Fresca, it's first ingredient is water making it hydrating and refreshing when you are really thirsty, but still want something flavorful. 
Santa Cruz Organic Agua Fresca is the perfect drink for on -the-go.
Santa Cruz Organic Agua Fresca is made with organic fruit juice, sugar, and a hint of lemon juice. It contains USDA Certified Organic ingredients, including organic juice/fruit puree as the first ingredient after water. These refreshing and lightly sweetened beverages are Non-GMO Project Verified and Gluten-Free.
Be sure to follow Santa Cruz Organic on facebook, twitter, and pinterest. Interested in trying healthy eco friendly products? Visit Moms Meet for more info. Which flavor of Santa Cruz Organic Agua Fresca do you most want to try? 
There are lots of recipes out there for bourbon chicken, but surprisingly most of them don't even have bourbon in them. Since we are now Kentuckians, I thought it only fitting to make bourbon chicken with real Kentucky bourbon. If you are a food nerd like me you'll find this interesting. Wikipedia defines bourbon chicken as a dish named after Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana and for the bourbon whiskey ingredient.
I use chicken thighs when making bourbon chicken to add more juicy flavor (thighs have more fat than breasts and are in my opinion more flavorful), but you can certainly use chicken breasts if you prefer. 
Enjoy this fairly simple and incredibly delicious bourbon chicken. Our whole family loves it. In fact, I think it is my boys' favorite meal. 
Ingredients:
2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut up 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil Salt and pepper 1/4 C. bourbon 1 garlic clove, minced 1/4 tsp. ground ginger 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 C. warm water with 1 T. honey dissolved in it. 1/3 C. brown sugar 2 Tbsp. ketchup 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar 1/3 C. water 2 Tbsp. soy sauce 1. Heat burner to medium-high heat to heat up the skillet. 2. Drizzle oil in the hot skillet. 3. Add chicken, salt and pepper it then cook until golden brown. 4. Reduce heat. Add bourbon and deglaze pan, scraping up any browned bits (for flavor). 5. Add remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat until thoroughly mixed. 6. Add chicken and bring to a low boil. 7. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through. 8. Serve over rice or your favorite asian noodles. Additional note: Garnish with chopped green onions if you like.
Linking up at Share the Wealth, Create with Joy
Enjoy these easy, healthy, and delicious Watermelon and Mango Slushies when you are craving a fruity cold drink on a hot summer day.
Speaking of cravings...I have been craving fruit and fruit juice like crazy this pregnancy which might explain why I decided to make watermelon and mango slushies. Plus the boys are out of school for summer and I knew they would love these. Yeah! I am ready for summer too. No more early morning drop offs and after school pick ups. Time to relax, enjoy the warm weather, and sip some icy cold watermelon and mango slushies. 
I only used two ingredients (besides ice) to make these delicious and refreshing slushies. I used one half of a chilled sugar baby watermelon and one mango. That's it. No added sugar or flavors. Of course the sweetness of your slushies will depend on the sweetness of your fruit. If you want to add sugar, stevia, or another sweetener go ahead. I served our smoothies without sugar since the fruit was already sweet enough and I don't generally add much sugar to our drinks. 
So start summer off right (it is June after all), find a cool spot under a shade tree and sip some icy watermelon and mango slushies.
Ingredients: 1/2 of a chilled seedless sugar baby watermelon 1 mango, peeled and chunked or 1/2 to 1 cup frozen mango ice 1. Cut the half watermelon in half again and scoop the watermelon pulp from each quarter into a blender pitcher. 2. Add the mango and a couple of big handfuls of ice and blend. You can add more ice to get the desired consistency. Additional notes: Serve soon after blending so it stays icy and slushy. For a special touch, you can garnish with fresh mint. |
Welcome to Home Ec @ HomeHi, I'm Faith, a former Family and Consumer Science teacher turned food blogger. I love God, my family, and food. You can usually find me in the kitchen preparing family friendly, homemade recipes and taking lots of pictures. 
Still Goldens, Southern, IL
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