Cooking Show: Spring Fever...or What to Cook When You're Wishing for Summer!

On our recent episode of the cooking show, we tried to come up with a menu that tastes like summer.

Chase those winter blahs away with grilled beef and tropical fruit!

We started with Pineapple Sangria.  

Actually, this picture was taken just as we finished.  Finished the second pitcher, that is.  

 Then it was time for Watermelon Salad with Seared Halloumi.

Have you ever had Halloumi cheese?  It has a very high melting point, so you can sear it until it's golden and crunchy. It makes a great salad topping! That is, if you and your friends (ahem--Kerry, Amy, Kelly and Christine--I'm talking to you!) can keep your hands off of it long enough to have any left to use for said topping.

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak

When you're trying to chase away the winter blahs, the only thing better than grilled steak would be summer itself.

Click here for the printable recipe.

And finally, Cookies n' Cream Cheese Cookies.  

With a little bit of cream cheese, for creaminess and fluffiness.  And Oreos®, because Oreos®.

 Chocolate Strawberry Oreos®, because we were trying to stick to the summer theme.

Cooking Show: Recipes to Beat the Winter Blahs

Do you like winter weather?

The wind is howling and the snow is falling fast and furious as I type this. Depending on the source, we are expected to get anywhere from nine to eighteen inches of snow by the time this blizzard ends.

I've been cooking my share of soups, stews and crock pot meals throughout this winter...and I think it's about time to switch it up a bit. Recipes to end the February doldrums!  

And since Valentine's Day is coming up, there's a teensy bit of chocolate.  

Camera-hogging chocolate.

Okay, that's better.  We'll start at the beginning and work our way toward the chocolate finale.

White Lasagna

Filled with chicken, mushrooms and spinach.  

Flavored with rosemary, nutmeg and lemon...the béchamel, that is.  Did I mention that the reason it's white is because of the glorious béchamel?  

Here's the printable recipe.

Chocolate Raspberry Martini

Because sometimes you just can't wait until dessert to get a chocolate fix!

(Click on the title to be taken to the printable recipe.)

Arugula Salad

I'm not exaggerating, it took me 3 minutes to throw this together.  

This has been part of our dinner menu at least twice a week for the past couple of months and I have been eating it for lunch at least three times a week.  I had it for lunch today.  I will have it for lunch tomorrow.

Click on the title to be taken to the printable recipe.  Greens, cheese, nuts and a simple dressing.  Make it today!

And then you can enjoy that teensy bit of chocolate that we were talking about...

Chocolate Raspberry Brownies

Thanks to a brownie recipe that I found on the back of a package of Baker's chocolate, I have been making these brownies, using this recipe, for decades.  

Spreading raspberry jam onto the brownies and pouring a heavenly ganache on top takes them over the top!

Here's the printable recipe.