Summer

Summer is just about here.  The weather is getting warmer, the days longer and the food lighter.  

Here's my approach to food and cooking...during the fall and winter months, you just can't get me out of the kitchen.  Every day my stove is bubbling with something, dessert is baking in the oven and coziness finds itself in my kitchen.  

When spring arrives, I set out for the farmer's market, open the windows and enjoy the cool breeze and lighter fare.  

But summer...summer is the time to be away from the kitchen.  Summer is when you eat outside, light up the grill, slice open a watermelon and sit by the pool.  Summer is for salads, burgers, ice cream and fireworks.  Summer is not for burning up in the kitchen. 

So this summer over here at the Mama's house, we're going to be sharing recipes and methods that allow you to spend more time outside with your family, more time away from the kitchen, more time making life simple and savoring the long days.  We're going to take it easy this summer.  We're going to make your life simpler this summer.  It's going to be a great summer.

By mid-August, I will already be in deep into fall food.  I'll be coring apples, baking pies, opening cans of pumpkin and roasting butternut squash.  This fall, I will also be posting Meal Planning Mondays to make your grocery shopping a little bit easier.  And, I will have a new recipe to make...maybe 100 times.

So, let's sit back and relax from here until August.  Let's enjoy summer Mix and Match Mama style.

Bundt Cake #91: Marble

A yellow and chocolate marble cake...it's the best of both worlds all swirled together.  I kept my cake unfrosted...but of course, you could add a variety of yummy frostings to the top.  Simple, delicious and sure to satisfy both the chocolate lover and the yellow cake lover in your family.

Shopping List

1 box of yellow cake mix

2 small boxes of instant vanilla pudding

1/2 cup of veggie oil

1 1/4 cups water

 4 eggs

1 cup chocolate chips, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease (I use Pam) a 10 inch bundt pan

In mixing bowl, combine cake mix, puddings, oil, water and eggs with electric mixer.  Pour two-thirds of the  batter into prepared pan.  Take your melted chocolate chips and beat them into the remaining one-third of the batter.  Pour the chocolate batter on top of the yellow batter.

Taking a knife, gently swirl the two batters together inside the bundt pan.  (Be careful not to swirl them too much.)

 Bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let cake rest on counter in pan 10 minutes.  Then, invert cake onto serving plate to finish cooling. 

So simple, right?  And fun!  Who doesn't love a cake that gives you the best of both worlds?

What to eat this weekend!

Hello Friday!  I've missed you.  A lot.

This weekend, the Shull family is headed to the pool for the first time of the season.  It's going to be a glorious May weekend and we should all go outside...with something yummy to eat.  Here are some suggestions...

My yummy Scallop Kabobs and Corn are perfect for an easy, outdoor weekend.

And I love Swiss cheese...so my Swiss Stuffed Burger makes me reallllly happy!

And if you're in the mood for pasta, my BLT Pasta will do the trick!

Looking for something sweet?  My super easy and super delish Strawberry-Pineapple Ice Cream Sandwiches would be perfect poolside! 

As would my Lemon Neiman Marcus Bars!

Don't forget to check back on Sunday for Bundt Cake #91!!  Can you believe it?!  We're almost to 100!

And the winner of our Story Company Giveaway is...

Mia Nuttle!

Congratulations!  Email me at mixandmatchmama@yahoo.com to claim your prize.

Happy Weekend!

Dinner Tonight: Chicken & Lemon Pasta with Dill

Whoa!  Check out my new Pinterest hover button-thing (that's a technical term, I'm sure...).  All you do is hold your mouse over my photograph and then you can instantly pin it!  Easy, easy, easy!  

Just because it's summer doesn't mean you still can't have a bowl of pasta for supper.  Pasta is the ultimate comfort food...even on warm summer nights.

Shopping List

1 pound spaghetti noodles (I used whole wheat, you use what you like)

2 cups chopped leeks (see below for cleaning instructions)

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 pound chopped, cooked chicken (click here to see how I get my chicken)

1 (7 oz) container of store bought pesto

1 tablespoon lemon zest 

1 cup chicken stock

Parmesan cheese to garnish

Chopped dill to garnish

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Salt and Pepper

Bring a pot of water to boil over medium-high heat.  Drop your pasta and cook to al dente (about 7 to 8 minutes).

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute your leeks and garlic in a drizzle of EVOO with a pinch of S&P for about 5 to 6 minutes.  When the leeks are tender, add in your cooked chicken and pesto.  Lower the heat to low and let simmer.  Stir in your lemon zest and your stock.  Continue to simmer.

Once your spaghetti is cooked, drain the water and add the hot noodles to your pesto chicken mixture.  Toss to combine everything together and to get the noodles covered in sauce.

Serve each plate of pasta garnished with Parmesan cheese and dill.

Because you're using store bought Pesto, this meal is really simple to whip up.  If you wanted to make it vegetarian, you could simply omit the chicken all together and use veggie broth instead of chicken broth.  The dill and lemon zest really bring out the pesto flavors and compliment each other.

Ok...here's the scoop on washing your leeks...

Before you begin sauteing the leeks, you need to first chop them into bite sized pieces.  Then submerge them in a bowl of cold water and swish them around to get the grit out.  Remove them from the water on to a clean kitchen towel and lightly press them with the towel to remove the moisture.  Then you'll be ready to saute them.  If you don't chop them first and then clean them, they'll never get clean on the inside.

If that sounds too complicated for you (I'm speaking to my mother here), then just substitute a chopped red onion instead.  Simple.

Happy dinner!