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Chef Julie’s Cherry BBQ Sauce
There are so many options for you at the store for BBQ sauce. In the summer months when we are outside grilling more, I personally LOVE BBQ sauce. So many of our favorite brands though include sweeteners that are not awesome like high fructose corn syrup. One way I like to get around that is just to cut down on the refined sugar by using natural alternatives like cherries or you could go with peaches too if you’d like. I do think that many people in the U.S., myself included, prefer a semi-sweet BBQ sauce. You can easily make BBQ sauce at home with ingredients you might have on hand…
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Mustard Pork Chops
Father’s Day is coming up and I would definitely recommend this delicious meal. If you have the opportunity to grill these chops, I would go for it. I found two fresh pork chops for around $2.50. I served them with some cabbage salad and made a delicious dinner for two for about $4 a piece. Talk about a bargain. If you’re going to grill them, Start by seasoning with a little kosher salt and a pinch of garlic powder. I don’t like to use too much pepper in this recipe. I have tried a light dusting of cayenne or even paprika tastes pretty awesome. I added a few teaspoons of…
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Knife And Fork Turkey Jalapeno Burgers
I love burgers, but I only eat them occasionally although even more in the summer season. When I do eat burgers, 99% of the time I make them at home so I can fill them with unique ingredients and less judging from waiters on my specific requests. 🙂 A leaner meat to use for a burger that is just as juicy and still really amazing is turkey. I also found that these burgers hold together perfectly without needing breadcrumbs. Therefore, it’s great protein and even better, gluten free. I made these burgers cheesy and pretty big. We call these type of burgers, knife and fork burgers. You could still certainly…
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Spinach And Salmon Pasta Salad
We love fish in the Pacific Northwest. We have plentiful areas full of rivers and oceans to harvest items like salmon and crab that are local literally in my neighborhood or region. It’s great when you have the opportunity to utilize local ingredients in creative ways. There aren’t a lot of foods that could top just snacking on crab legs with melted butter but it’s not too creative of a meal. The only fun you would get from that on this blog would be if I was secretly videotaped cracking those crab legs. Salmon filets are a pretty plain option albeit a healthy and quick choice most of the time.…
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A Berry Good Day Wrap
I had sinus surgery this week and I’m still in recovery mode but the ambition to create and the need to show more patriotism by sharing red, white and blue foods with my loved ones beckoned me. I have a lot of love for our soldiers and love a day where we honor them in the past, present and future. I truly believe this country is the home of the free because of the brave. My prayer for this holiday and for the future is that we can stand on that bravery in the face of fear and do better at uniting. Celebrating our differences and honoring our country as…
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Asian Pear Salad
Apples are abundant in the state of Washington. We are fortunate and can have a sense of pride here because apples are such a nutritional powerhouse. They are so versatile too. You can enjoy apples a million different ways and they always hit the spot, don’t they? I love how many different kinds of apples there are. Today though, I want to mention a fruit that resembles an apple in flavor (the guts, not the skin) that is now grown in the United States and is just as nutritional. It’s called an Asian pear. Plantings on the west coast exist in Yakima and Wenatchee, Washington, and in Hood River and…
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Mango And Cod Tacos
Fruit salsa is a great thing to have around for picnics and potlucks this time of year. Making a fruit salsa from scratch is really easy. It’s a great topping for salads which I eat all the time when the weather is warm. You can use fruit salsa as a chip dip and you can use it to top chicken, beef, fish or even tofu. Don’t forget that fruit salsa can be really good on top of desserts too. There are just a few variations that are necessary to remember depending on what you use the salsa for. When it comes to savory dishes like on top of meat, I like…
