Summer Market Potato Salad

Inspired by some gorgeous veggie finds at my local farmers market (and some fresh green beans from my parents' garden), I decided to combine all that summer freshness into one delicious and healthy potato salad.  Not only is this potato salad better for you (no heavy mayonnaise here!), it is also really flavorful and can be served cold or warm.  I had it both ways- warm right after I made it with dinner, and cold the next day and both were equally tasty. ;)

I have a favorite vendor at the farmers market for my potatoes each week.  They grow and sell such a unique variety of local potatoes.  From Yukon Golds to Cranberry Reds, and All-Blue to Russian Banana Fingerlings.  I am pretty sure my husband and I have tried just about every variety they offer by now.  Their booth is always my first stop when I visit the market.  I have to get our weekly potato fix before they are sold out.  For my Summer Market Potato Salad, I used a combination of their All-Blue and their Yukon Golds.  You could use a combination of any potatoes, or just one kind of potato.  But the All-Blues were just too beautiful to not use in this salad...

Summer Market Potato Salad

by Frugal Foodie Mama

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30-40 minutes

6050382

Ingredients (8-10 servings)

• 2 lbs potatoes (any variety or combination of varieties as long as they as smaller)
• 1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
• 1 medium summer squash, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
• 1/2 lb green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard
• 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• Fresh basil, chopped
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

Heat your oven to 450 degrees.

Clean the potatoes under warm water. Cut the potatoes into 1 1/2 inch chunks. Place in a large saucepan and cover the potatoes with water. Bring to a boil and continue to cook the potatoes until they are almost fork tender. Remove from heat, drain in a colander, and set aside.

While the potatoes are boiling, combine the cut up zucchini and summer squash in a medium sized bowl. Pour a touch of olive oil over them and toss well to coat. Turn out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes.

Now for a quick blanch on the green beans. Bring salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Boil the green beans for 3 minutes. Quickly drain in a colander and then plunge into an ice bath. This can be in a large bowl or sink filled with cold water and ice.

Combine the potatoes, squash, zucchini, and green beans in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, olive oil, fresh chopped parsley and basil, and cider vinegar.

Pour the Dijon dressing over the veggies in the large bowl and toss well. Taste your potato salad and add salt and pepper to your liking.

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This salad makes about 8-10 servings and is perfect for a barbecue or family get-together.  And since it is mayonnaise free, it is safe to leave at room temperature. 

Looking for other tasty ways to use up all those glorious, in-season veggies from your gardens and local farmers markets?  How about my...

Summer Pomodoro Sauce

Potato & Summer Squash Chowder

Summer Gazpacho

Sweet & Spicy BBQ Stuffed Jalapenos

Stuffed with a creamy cheese filling and topped with sweet pineapple, these Sweet & Spicy BBQ Stuffed Jalapenos are the perfect way to start your backyard barbecue...

This content was created in partnership with Kroger Family Stores using free products provided by Kroger.

This recipe post first appeared on the Kroger Inspired Gathering site.

Who else is excited that barbecue season has finally arrived? I have two reasons for my love of grilling season: 1) I adore barbecued food! and 2) My husband is the primary tender of our grill, so this lady gets the evening off from cooking when we decide to cook out. 






While I love a good rack of ribs or a juicy grilled steak, sometimes it's hard to wait that long for that delicious grilled flavor. That's why I like to have a couple of simple and quick summer barbecue finger food recipes on hand like these Sweet & Spicy BBQ Stuffed Jalapenos that I am sharing with you all today.






A few tips for these stuffed jalapenos ... Buy the straightest jalapenos that you can find! If your jalapeno pepper has a curve in it, it will not lay flat on the grill rack, and that cheesy goodness will spill out. Just remember- a flat pepper lies flat. 






The most time-consuming part of this recipe is the halving and seeding of the jalapenos, so if you're planning to whip these up for an evening barbecue, just cut and seed them a few hours before, cover, and refrigerate. Stuff them right before throwing them on the grill.

Sweet Honey BBQ Peach-Ginger Pork Chops

Sweet, juicy peaches come together perfectly with the bite of a good ginger beer and the smoky sweetness of KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce Mix & Dry Rub Sweet Honey in these tender, flavorful slow cooked pork chops...

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of KC Masterpiece. The opinions and text are all mine.

While I have been grateful for the warmer weather here lately, we just can't seem to catch much of break with the rain. I seriously think it has rained almost every day of the week for the past few weeks save a day or two here and there. Needless to say, it has put a slight damper on our springtime grilling. Ever tried barbecuing in a downpour? It never works out very well for the person grilling or for the meat being grilled. ;) 

So what is a girl to do when it just. won't. stop. raining, and I am craving some good BBQ? I break out my slow cooker and one of my new favorite KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce Mix & Dry Rubs, & get down to work creating a slow cooked dish that has all the smoky goodness of backyard barbecue without the outdoor charcoal grill. Everyone stays nice & dry, and we still get to satisfy our barbecue cravings. I call that a win-win, folks. 

For these Sweet Honey BBQ Peach-Ginger Pork Chops, I went all sweet and smoky with these babies. Sweet, juicy peaches come together perfectly with the bite of a good ginger beer and the smoky sweetness of KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce Mix & Dry Rub Sweet Honey in these tender, flavorful slow cooked pork chops... :)

Summer Simple Syrup 3 Ways

It would suffice to say that I love summer drinks.  

Be it with rum or vodka... or without. ;)

Believe it or not, I made simple syrup for the very first time at home just earlier this summer.  Yes.  I was one of those people who actually bought a bottle of sugared up water at the liquor store. 

Once I read how ridiculously easy it was to make your own simple syrup at home, I literally planted a palm to my forehead.  

Had I really been paying for sugar and water??  Oy!

Those of you who have been following me for the past couple of months know my obsession with mojitos.  You probably saw (and hopefully pinned!) my recipe for Spiced Pineapple Mojitos.  Or perhaps you caught my drinks contributor post on White Lights on Wednesday for my Blueberry Ginger Mojitos.  ;) 

Well, simple syrup is essential for the perfect mojito, my friends.  

Essential.

I decided to start experimenting with infusing simple syrups with my favorite flavors of summer- strawberry, blueberry, and basil.

The results were amazing.

Today I am going to be sharing with you all the recipes for my Summer Simple Syrup 3 Ways, but over the next couple of weeks I will be sharing some delicious and refreshing beverages you can easily make with them.  

And think WAY beyond the mojito, folks.  That would be too easy... ;)

Summer Simple Syrups 3 Ways

by Frugal Foodie Mama

Prep Time: 2-5 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes (includes steeping

6051202

Ingredients (3 pint jars of simple syrup)

For the simple syrup base (you will need this for all 3 simple syrup recipes)

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water

For the Basil Simple Syrup

• 1 large handful of fresh basil leaves, torn

For the Strawberry Simple Syrup

• 1 cup of hulled and chopped strawberries (about 5 large strawberries)

For the Blueberry Simple Syrup

• 1 cup of fresh blueberries

Instructions

To create the simple syrup for each flavor, you will need the base of 1 cup of sugar to 1 cup water. You will combine the sugar and the water in a small saucepan and heat until slightly boiling and the sugar is completely dissolved. You can choose to leave this plain- If you do so, just allow it to cool completely before transferring to a glass jar.

You could also choose to make all 3 syrups at one time. To do this combine 3 cups of sugar with 3 cups of water in a large saucepan. Heat til slightly boiling and all the sugar is dissolved. Then divide into 3 different bowls to infuse.

To make the Basil Simple Syrup

Drop the handful of basil leaves into the simple syrup immediately after removing it from the heat. Give it a quick stir. Allow the basil leaves to steep in the syrup for at least 30 minutes. The longer you allow it to infuse, the stronger the basil flavor will be.

When done infusing, strain the syrup through a wire mesh strainer into a glass jar. Refrigerate.

To make the Strawberry Simple Syrup

Saute the strawberries in a small frying pan for 2-3 minutes. Drop them into the simple syrup immediately after removing it from the heat. Give it a quick stir. Allow the strawberries to steep in the syrup for at least 30 minutes. The longer you allow it to infuse, the stronger the strawberry flavor will be.

When done infusing, strain the syrup through a wire mesh strainer into a glass jar. Refrigerate.

To make the Blueberry Simple Syrup

Saute the blueberries in a small frying pan for 3-4 minutes. You want most of the berries to burst open. Drop them into the simple syrup immediately after removing it from the heat. Give it a quick stir. Allow the blueberries to steep in the syrup for at least 30 minutes. The longer you allow it to infuse, the stronger the blueberry flavor will be.

When done infusing, strain the syrup through a wire mesh strainer into a glass jar. Refrigerate.

The jars of lidded simple syrup will keep in the fridge for 1-2 months.

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I actually made all 3 of the syrups right before our 4th of July barbecue. I whipped up a picture of plain mojitos (sans the simple syrup) and let my family pour their own mojitos and then add whichever (and how much) of the flavored simple syrups themselves.  It was a fun self-serve mojito bar- perfect for a cookout! (And I wasn't stuck muddling limes and mint all evening when someone needed another drink- genius!)

These simple syrups are also perfect for simply flavoring and sweetening your favorite iced tea or a glass of club soda. 

I have 3 fun drinks coming your all's way using these Summer Simple Syrups.  

Believe me when I say they will be going WAY beyond flavoring and sweetening your simple mojito.

If you could infuse a simple syrup with a flavor that says summer to you, what would it be? :)

Sweet & Sassy Raspberry Garlic BBQ Sauce

Yes, I know fall officially made it's entrance on Saturday.  And while I am excited for the fall season to be upon us (it is my favorite season after all!), I am also not quite yet ready to give up summer.  The husband and I are still breaking out the grill at least once a week, and probably will continue to do so until the first snowflakes start to make their appearance here.

The other evening we decided to grill some drumsticks basted in homemade barbecue sauce for dinner. 

Making barbecue sauce from scratch is much easier than you probably think.  Mince up a little garlic, dump everything into a small sauce pan, and let it simmer.  That is not to say that I am not sometimes guilty of using the store bought bottled stuff, but none of them have compared to my own homemade sauce.  

I base my favorite barbecue sauce off of THIS ONE from Martha Stewart.  I had a handful of golden raspberries sitting in my fridge and decided to incorporate them into my sauce.  You could also use regular raspberries.  There happens to be a vendor at our local farmers market who grows golden raspberries in her garden, and we were lucky enough to snag a pint of them over the weekend. 

What you will need:

1/2 cup of raspberries (golden or otherwise)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup of ketchup

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp of whole grain Dijon mustard

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Heat a small sauce pan over medium heat.  Toss in the raspberries and the brown sugar. With a wooden spoon, mix and mash the berries allowing the brown sugar to slowly melt.  Add the rest of the ingredients to the sauce pan, and continue to cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.  

Turn down the heat to low, and allow the sauce to simmer for at least another 5-10 minutes until it has thickened up.

Remove from heat.  Brush it on your chicken and grill, basting it often with more of the barbecue sauce.

So, sit back and savor summer just a tiny bit longer.  There will be plenty of time for the pumpkin flavored everything soon. ;)

10 Must-Do's in Pittsburgh Before Summer's End

Looking to plan a little end of summer getaway to the Steel City soon? Then you definitely need to check out my 10 Must-Do's in Pittsburgh Before Summer's End...

My family & I traveled to Pittsburgh as part of a Kidsburgh press tour with Visit Pittsburgh. All opinions and thoughts-as always- are 100% my own.

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them helps support this website.

A couple of weeks ago, my family and I had the pleasure of joining five other travel bloggers and their families for three fun filled days in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Any of you all that have been following me now for a while probably already know of my family and I's love for the Steel City. We make the 2 hour drive to the city several times throughout the year, so when I received the invitation to attend the Pittsburgh is Kidsburgh press tour I knew that we would all be there with bells on. :) 

The wonderful thing about Pittsburgh is that no matter how many times my family and I have visited there we always seem to discover something new and exciting to do there, and our most recent trip there was definitely no exception. 

For many of us, the summer is winding down and the first day of school is just around the corner or maybe it has already arrived for you and your kiddos. But that doesn't mean we should throw in the towel and declare summer over! Not when there are plenty of warm weekends left until the chill of fall arrives. 

Looking to plan a little end of summer getaway to the Steel City soon? Then you definitely need to check out my 10 Must-Do's in Pittsburgh Before Summer's End...

Beer & Ranch Chicken & Potato Kabobs

Juicy chunks of chicken and hearty potatoes are marinated in a simple 4 ingredient marinade, skewered, and then grilled to perfection in these Beer & Ranch Chicken & Potato Kabobs...

Is the 4th of July really just 3 days away??

I don't know about you all, but the Fourth always calls for a barbecue filled with good food and good times with friends & family.

And this year, that barbecue will be followed by sparklers, a fire pit with s'mores, and fireworks from the front yard... 

Yes, folks... from our front yard.

We discovered that little gem last summer after having already crowded into our little town the night before and waiting for well over an hour with a restful toddler to watch the big fireworks display.

The next night we heard some booming coming from outside our house & were greeted with a very lovely fireworks display from the lake community adjacent to us.

From the comfort of our own front yard.

Needless to say, we will not be making the trek into the city this week to sit in a crowded parking lot on the bumper of our car to see a fireworks show.

Co-hosting Mom's Test Meal Mondays & a Recipe for Summer Market Potato Salad

I am a busy, busy birthday gal today!  A co-hosting extraordinaire, if you will.  ;)  Today I am sharing a recipe and co-hosting with Jaime of Mom's Test Kitchen for her Mom's Test Meal Mondays.  

And now I will let Jaime take it away... :)

Welcome to week #6 of Mom's Test Meal Mondays y'all!! I'm so excited to have y'all joining me in the kitchen again! We had some amazing slow-cooker recipes shared last week! If you missed the features, you really should go check them out!!

I hope you are all having a great holiday weekend!  I hope you are getting to spend time with your family & friends and enjoy some good fun & food!  This week in honor of the holiday we are going to share our favorite potluck/cookout recipes!  And to kick us off, my amazing friend Carrie from Frugal Foodie Mama, who just so happens to be celebrating her birthday this weekend too, is sharing a scrumptious potato salad recipe with us! 

Inspired by some gorgeous veggie finds at my local farmers market (and some fresh green beans from my parents' garden), I decided to combine all that summer freshness into one delicious and healthy potato salad.  Not only is this potato salad better for you (no heavy mayonnaise here!), it is also really flavorful and can be served cold or warm.  I had it both ways- warm right after I made it with dinner, and cold the next day and both were equally tasty. ;)

I have a favorite vendor at the farmers market for my potatoes each week.  They grow and sell such a unique variety of local potatoes.  From Yukon Golds to Cranberry Reds, and All-Blue to Russian Banana Fingerlings.  I am pretty sure my husband and I have tried just about every variety they offer by now.  Their booth is always my first stop when I visit the market.  I have to get our weekly potato fix before they are sold out.  For my Summer Market Potato Salad, I used a combination of their All-Blue and their Yukon Golds.  You could use a combination of any potatoes, or just one kind of potato.  But the All-Blues were just too beautiful to not use in this salad...

What you will need:
2 lbs potatoes (any variety or combination of varieties as long as they as smaller)
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 medium summer squash, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/2 lb green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Fresh parsley, chopped
Fresh basil, chopped
Salt & pepper, to taste

Heat your oven to 450 degrees.  Clean the potatoes under warm water.  Cut the potatoes into 1 1/2 inch chunks.  Place in a large saucepan and cover the potatoes with water.  Bring to a boil and continue to cook the potatoes until they are almost fork tender.  Remove from heat, drain in a colander, and set aside.

While the potatoes are boiling, combine the cut up zucchini and summer squash in a medium sized bowl.  Pour a touch of olive oil over them and toss well to coat.  Turn out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.  Let cool for at least 10 minutes.

Now for a quick blanch on the green beans.  Bring salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Boil the green beans for 3 minutes.  Quickly drain in a colander and then plunge into an ice bath.  This can be in a large bowl or sink filled with cold water and ice. 

Combine the potatoes, squash, zucchini, and green beans in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, olive oil, fresh chopped parsley and basil, and cider vinegar.  Pour the Dijon dressing over the veggies in the large bowl and toss well.  Taste your potato salad and add salt and pepper to your liking. 

This salad makes about 8-10 servings and is perfect for a barbecue or family get-together.  And since it is mayonnaise free, it is safe to leave at room temperature. 

How perfect is this for a cookout?!?  Thank you so much Carrie for such a great recipe!  I know y'all loved this recipe, so make sure you head over and check out the rest of Carrie's site!   You can also follow her via Twitter, Facebook & Pinterest.

So now, lets see what y'all are enjoying this weekend!

Just the reminders:

• Myself & Carrie would love to have you as new friends!! Please take a minute to follow us both via GFC, Twitter, FB, or any other social media you prefer ~ you can find my links in the sidebar & Carrie's are listed above.
• Please stick to the theme for the week and only link up your recipes that go with the theme.
• Please feel free to grab the button in the sidebar or add a direct link back to the week's party that you are linking up to
• And finally, go make some new friends ~ spend a few minutes checking out some other recipes that you might want to try out yourself & comment! Everyone loves comments!!

And remember, if anyone is interested in being a co-host for Mom's Test Meal Mondays, please email me at momstestkitchen (at) yahoo (dot) com! I'd love to have you!

Antipasto Panzanella Salad

Two classic Italian salads are combined into one in this delicious Antipasto Panzanella Salad that's perfect for backyard BBQ's & potlucks...

This content was created in partnership with Kroger Family Stores using free products provided by Kroger.

This recipe post first appeared on the Kroger Inspired Gathering site.

Having grown up in an area with a strong Italian influence, Italian food has definitely become my love language. It means home to me. 

From antipasto salads topped with lots of hard meats like pepperoni and salami to traditional panzanella salads that make tasty use of day-old loaves of Italian bread, these dishes take me back to my childhood with just one bite. For this simple yet flavorful Antipasto Panzanella Salad, I combined my love of two favorite summertime Italian salads into one big, tasty feast.





There is so much flavor and freshness packed into this salad, folks! It lends itself perfectly to the fresh and ripe flavors of summer like garden fresh juicy tomatoes and crisp cucumbers. This Antipasto Panzanella Salad is the perfect starter or side dish for a summer get-together or barbecue, but it is definitely substantial enough to stand on its own as a light meal...

Mango Chipotle BBQ Sauce

You are going to want to slather this sweet & spicy Mango Chipotle BBQ Sauce on everything you are grilling this summer! 

It is hard to believe that in just a few short weeks the school year will be upon us again! Anyone else wondering where the summer went to?  

Of course, grilling season is still here.  Just because the back-to-school sales are now in full swing doesn't mean that the fall temps have arrived here yet.  We are still sporting 70 and 80 degree days here, so that means plenty of grilling days left for now. ;) 

I actually made this Mango Chipotle BBQ Sauce for the first time for the 4th of July barbecue we hosted for my family.  We grilled half the chicken with this sweet, sticky, & slightly spicy BBQ sauce and the other half of the chicken we marinated all day in my Basil Balsamic Marinade.  Both were a huge hit with my family.  Maybe the Mango Chipotle BBQ sauced chicken was just slightly more popular.

This recipe makes enough sauce for 4 pieces of chicken, but you could easily double or triple this recipe if needed.  You can make this sauce in under 20 minutes, so there is no excuse to opt for the bottled BBQ sauce route. ;) 

Mango Chipotle BBQ Sauce

by Frugal Foodie Mama

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5-7 minutes

6051190

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tbsp chipotles in adobo (be sure to finely chop any peppers & remove seeds if you would like to reduce the heat a little)
• 1 quarter of a fresh mango, peeled and chopped
• A little juice or water
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp molasses
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

Instructions

In a blender, combine the peeled & chopped mango with a little juice or water. I used mango juice, but you could easily use a splash of OJ or just plain old water. Puree and then pour into a medium saucepan.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the saucepan and mix well.

Simmer over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and thickened a bit.

Brush on your chicken and grill. Be sure to baste the chicken with any leftover sauce as you grill it.

Enjoy!

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How are you all spending (aka, savoring) the last few weeks of summer before the school year starts?

If you love homemade BBQ sauces that come together quickly and easily, then you will also love my...

Sweet & Sassy Raspberry Garlic BBQ Sauce

Blueberry Ginger Mojitos

A classic summertime cocktail gets a delicious twist with the addition of fresh blueberries & ginger ale in these refreshing Blueberry Ginger Mojitos...

Post updated 7/9/17- This tasty Blueberry Ginger Mojito post deserved some updated photos. I did leave one of the originals below just so you all can see for yourself why this recipe so desperately needed a little face lift. ;)