I have been in a salad state of mind for the last few weeks. I haven’t been home much to have access to my little grill and I just can’t bring myself to heat up the house with a hot stove or oven. This is why I have been making mostly no cook salads for dinner like this Seven Layer Salad I made today for dinner. This Seven Layer Salad is a salad I used to have to make when I worked in the deli of a local grocery store. This was one of the most popular recipes we sold…
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Continue ReadingSeveral years ago on a trip to Mexico, a bartender made me The Chelada one morning after a fun night out the evening before. He promised me The Chelada would cure my hangover. I watched him make the the chelada using beer, clamato juice, lime and a few other of his secret ingredients. When he brought it to me it looked suspiciously like a bloody mary but not as thick as a bloody mary and not decorated with a salad bar of garnishes. I wasn’t sure about it when I first saw it because a bloody mary isn’t my favorite…
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Continue ReadingI had an idea for this Asian Inspired Pasta Salad for a few weeks now and I spent some time sorting out the recipe in my head before actually creating it. I knew I wanted this pasta salad to be slightly sweet and have super crunchy vegetables, but I wasn’t sure about the rest. I didn’t decide all the ingredients for this recipe until I was actually in the store. I spotted the creamy poppy seed dressing that I used in this and built the rest of the pasta salad around it. I also had the idea to add mini…
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Continue ReadingThe funny story about this Tomato Pasta is that I found the recipe in an old cookbook and decided to make it for my boyfriend at the time. I can’t remember the name of the cookbook now, but the recipe was so good that for years after we broke up, my ex would mention this pasta to me any time I ran into him. I made some changes to the recipe from the original one that I found in the cookbook back then. I think this version of Tomato Pasta is the best one because it uses such simple ingredients…
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Continue ReadingI love making these Cheesy Grilled Chicken & Peppers packets for the grill. The ingredients are so simple and fresh. The recipe take minutes to prep and the best news is, you can eat right out of the packets! No dishes to wash! This recipe has all the flavors of Summer. What I love most about this recipe is the crunchy sweet texture of the peppers that you use and the tangy glaze of teryaki. The grilled pineapple adds another great layer of flavor. I chose to use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe because I find them to…
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Continue ReadingI know that it’s all the rage to put all the toppings you possibly can on a cheeseburger, but when it comes to burgers I think simple is best. I make these White Cheddar Bacon Burgers on the grill when the weather cooperates and they are always a hit with whomever I make them for. These White Cheddar Bacon Burgers have very few ingredients but the few they do are quality ingredients which is what makes them extra special. The two ingredients that are a MUST are: Good Quality Cheddar Cheese Good Quality Ground Beef I like to buy the…
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Continue ReadingSummer weather has arrived in the Midwest, at least some days it actually feels like Summer. For Mister Tipsy and Me, this means beach days, and lots of time sitting on our deck. For others it means feeding their kids all day long. Summer is a great time to keep easy to grab and eat snacks and meals on hand. These Mexican Tortilla Roll Ups are just one of many easy to make, and easy to eat recipes I always have in my fridge in the Summer months. What I love about these Mexican Tortilla Roll Ups is how versatile…
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Continue ReadingAs you may or may not know depending on how long you have followed me, I am a brand ambassador for a local Chicago, 92 year old, family business called Chateau Dumplings. I work closely with them to develop recipes using their products, photographing them and managing their social media and marketing events. The partnership was a natural one, as I grew up eating these delicious Czech inspired dumplings most of my life. Traditionally, the bread dumplings were served steamed with a Czech recipe for roast pork. You also served gravy and red cabbage or sauerkraut with this dish. If…