Sunshine Smoothie!

3/4 c. milk

1 small container vanilla yogurt (or however much you want)

1 c. frozen raspberries or blackberries

6 strawberries

(1 banana-optional)-may need to add more milk if you add more ingredients

1/4 c. sugar-more or less to taste

Add all in blender and blend!

Who doesn't crave a delicious smoothie every now and then? O.K. I always crave smoothies. The problem is every time I go to make one I never have the stuff. Then when I finally do get the ingredients my smoothies always turn out funky. I like my smoothies really thick and very cold, but they always end up warm and melted. So I decided that I was going to find a smoothie recipe that worked for me and I could actually make. After going through a few recipes I stumbled across this one, and found that it worked perfectly for me!

Berry Yummy Ingredients
Since I never seem to have the ingredients I need for my smoothies and fruit goes bad so fast, I decided to get frozen fruit. I got frozen strawberries and frozen raspberries. Luckily I already knew where to find the frozen fruit thanks to my strawberry cake. The frozen fruit also helped with making the smoothie stay cold. I went ahead and got a tub of vanilla yogurt because I knew I would want mine really thick. I already had milk, and I had sugar from the broccoli salad. I got a banana but I ended up not using it because it tasted so good just with raspberries and strawberries.

Blending Up Sunshine!
Making a smoothie was probably the easiest of all the recipes, but the most useful to me in my college life. The ingredients are things I can keep around if I get frozen fruits, and it is something I usually crave. I started off by putting the 3/4 c. of milk at the bottom of the blender. Always start with the milk at the bottom so when you turn on the blender it is easier for the blender to mix. Then I added 2 c. of yogurt to the blender, which would be more than one container because I like mine thick. After that, I added the entire 10 oz. of frozen strawberries, and about half the bag of frozen raspberries. This was the perfect amount of fruit. Since the strawberries were sweetened I only added half the amount of sugar the recipe calls for. Then I blended! I was shocked when my first sip tasted so delicious. I had to split it up into tiny portions and make everyone in the room try a little. It got rave reviews. This smoothie recipe will definitely be a keeper!

Sunny Broccoli Salad!

1 bunch of broccoli
1/4 c. sunflower seeds-or less
1/2 c. raisins-or less
4 green onions-chopped
4 strips of bacon- crisp

Put all these ingredients in a large bowl, big enough to stir it all together.

Dressing:
1 c. mayo
1/3 c. sugar
2 Tbs. cider vinegar

Mix together dressing ingredients. Pour over other ingredients. Mix well and chill to allow to blend. The longer the better.

Broccoli Salad is always a food I think of when I think of the summer time. It goes well with any dish, and it is absolutely delicious. My mom got me hooked on this dish a long time ago as a way to get me to eat my vegetables.

Shopping for Sunny Salad
I never realize how little I know about cooking until I go try and buy the ingredients for my recipes. We all remember what happened with the strawberry cake. Let's just be glad I had taken my boyfriend with me to the grocery store. Green onions are not onions that are green, they are the skinny, tall onions that make little circles when you chop them up. Also, I had to call my mom on the phone to make sure that cider vinegar was the same thing as apple cider vinegar. I didn't want my salad apple flavored! Even though my boyfriend was telling me it was the same thing, I just had to make sure. Luckily, I already knew what mayonnaise, sugar, and raisins were.

Stirring Up Sunny Salad
I started off by putting all the broccoli into a giant mixing bowl. I suggest putting the broccoli into a big bowl because stirring the salad can get very messy. I then chopped up all four of the green onions and threw them into the bowl. I threw in more sunflower seeds than the recipe calls for and less raisins than the recipe calls for. I love sunflower seeds and I am not a huge raisin fan. I also added an extra strip of bacon because I really like the extra crunch the bacon adds. So, I didn't quite follow the exact recipe, but with this salad you can mix and match to go with the tastes that you like. While the bacon was cooking, I threw together the dressing. It really does not look very appetizing while you are mixing it together, but I promise it tastes great! After the dressing was ready I poured it all over the rest of the ingredients. Then I had to mix in the dressing really well to make sure it got all over the broccoli. This is where the big mixing bowl comes in handy. After your arm gets sore from stirring so much, it should be ready. The longer you let it sit in the refrigerator the better it will taste. It allows it to cool and allows the broccoli to absorb the dressing and the full flavors of all the ingredients. Once it has been in the refrigerator long enough to satisfy you, then enjoy your sunny salad!

Cheeseburgers in Paradise!

buns
ground beef
cheese
salt
pepper
garlic salt

Patty out the beef, season the patties, cook the burgers, enjoy!! How easy is that?

Cheeseburgers are probably my favorite food ever. I can't believe this wasn't the first thing I learned how to cook. My boyfriend and I have a cheeseburger night about once a week and it never crossed my mind that I could actually cook them for once. So when I needed something else to learn to cook for my blog I realized this would be the perfect thing!

Cooking a cheeseburger is actually a very simple thing and I was upset with myself for not learning sooner! Think of all the cheeseburgers I have missed out on eating because I didn't know how to make them myself. They can be a great summer food too! Just throw them on the grill at a party and go!


Preparing for Paradise!
Just get enough ground beef to make as many burgers as you want to make, and enough to make them as thick or as thin as you like. I personally like my burgers really thick. I think my boyfriend and I get in a fight over who's burger is thicker every time he makes the burgers. Well, now we won't have to because I can make them myself! Get whatever kind of buns you prefer and however many you need. I prefer French bread or Italian rolls over normal buns. I think it adds something to the taste of the burger. I like to top my burgers with a slice of American cheese and a slice of provolone cheese. Most people just do one slice of American cheese. I also like my cheeseburgers with a slice of pepper-jack cheese. It is really all about what taste you like! I'm sure most households have salt, pepper, and garlic salt, but if not pick those up too!

Making Your Burgers "Paradise Perfection"
First start by forming the ground beef into patties. You do this by rolling the meat into a ball, and then flatting the meat out into a circle that is the width and thickness that you desire for your burger size. Do not play with the patties too much or the meat will not stick together and the patties will start to break apart. Then it is time to season your patties with the salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Do not, however, spill a heap of garlic salt onto your burger while trying to take a picture. ( Pictured to the right.) You can add the desired amount of seasoning for the taste that you want. More seasoning, more flavor! Now it is time to cook the burgers! The best taste comes from the grill, but since I live in an apartment I learned how to cook my burgers in a skillet. Turn the stove on medium/high heat, and set your patties in the skillet. You will be able to tell when your skillet has heated up because your patties will start to sizzle. Once they have started to sizzle it will be about seven minutes for each side of the patty. A good trick to remember is to know when your burgers are done cooking is to watch for when the juice runs clear. Right before you are about to pull the burger off the skillet is when you add your cheese. Let it melt and then take the burger off! Set the burgers on paper towels when you take them off, to let the grease drain off the burgers. Do not put them straight on the bun because this can make the bun soggy with grease. Once they have sat and cooled for a second you can put the cheeseburger in your bun and enjoy!

Summer Time Food!

In my next few blogs I am going to be making a few fun summer time recipes. From a smoothie to a cheeseburger I will walk you through how I made these tasty treats. I will be making "Cheeseburgers in Paradise", "Sunny Broccoli Salad", and a "Sunshine Smoothie" in my next three entries. You are getting ready for the summer time and now you can prepare your summer food without mistakes after reading through my blogs!