A new take on an American classic, this burger wakes you up with flavor and it’s a fast, simple recipe for hamburgers.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons hickory brown sugar barbecue sauce
• 4 slices Colby-jack Cheese
• 4 hamburger buns, split
• 4 lettuce leaves
• 4 slices large tomato
Directions
1. Form meat into four patties 5 inches in diameter and about 1/3-inch thick. Sprinkle pepper over both sides of patties.
2. Grill patties, covered, on preheated medium-hot grill, 4 to 5 minutes per side or until no longer pink in center. Brush barbecue sauce over patties; place cheese over patties. Place rolls, cut sides down, on grill. Continue to grill 1 minute or until cheese is melted and rolls are lightly toasted.
3. Serve patties in rolls with lettuce and tomato.
This flavorful salad is both colorful and delicious; I think the key to making this salad is to use resh vegetables and to mix the minced garlic, balsamic vinegar and olive oil well before mixing it with the vegetables.
Serving: 8
Ingredients
• 6 ears corn, husked and cleaned
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ground black pepper to taste
Directions
1. Place the corn in a large pot with enough water to cover, and bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes, until kernels are tender but crisp. Drain, cool slightly, and use a knife to scrape kernels from the cobs.
2. In a large bowl, mix the corn kernels, red bell pepper, onion, tomato, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic. Season with pepper. Chill 15 minutes before serving.
This is a creamy potato salad; I've made it numerous times at the request of friends and family. It's quick and easy, perfect for a backyard cookout.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
• 2 pounds red potatoes, cut in 1-inch cubes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
• 6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Paprika
Directions
1. Place the potatoes in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally. Cool for 15 minutes.
2. Transfer cooled potatoes to a large bowl; add onion, eggs, bacon, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Sprinkle with paprika if desired.
The best juicy and sweet pork chops you’ll ever eat! You will be amazed of how juicy and tender these pork chops turns out.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup apple juice
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 boneless pork chops
Directions
1. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.
2. In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, oil, soy sauce, ginger, salt , and pepper. Bring to boil. Combine water and cornstarch in small bowl, and whisk into brown sugar mixture. Stir until thick.
3. Brush grate lightly with oil before placing pork chops on the grill. Cook over hot coals for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once. Brush with sauce just before removing chops from grill. Serve with remaining sauce.
Soup is liquid comfort. This soup can be served either hot or cold. Garnish with sliced cucumber and chopped parsley.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
• 2 cucumbers
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon farina
• salt to taste
• 1/8 tablespoon dried tarragon
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions
1. Peel, seed, and chop 2 cucumbers.
2. Cook the chopped scallions in the margarine until soft. Add the chopped cucumbers and the wine vinegar. Pour in the broth, and stir in the farina. Salt to taste, and add tarragon. Let the soup simmer for 20 minutes, or until the cucumbers are soft.
3. Put the soup into a blender, and puree it.
4. Pour the puree into a bowl, and whisk in the sour cream. Taste the soup for seasoning. Pour the soup into bowls, and garnish with cucumber slices and chopped parsley.
This recipe is great absolutely delicious! The whole family will love it even the finickiest.
Ingredients
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (28 ounce) can peeled and crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• salt to taste
• 2 cups instant mashed potato flakes
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Directions
1. Heat oil in frying pan. Add chopped onions, and fry until golden brown. Add ground beef, and keep stirring until meat is browned. Add crushed tomatoes, and continue to cook until liquid from the tomatoes evaporates. Salt to taste.
2. In the meantime, prepare the mashed potatoes as directed on the packet.
3. Spread the meat mixture into the bottom of an oven proof dish. Cover with a layer of mashed potatoes, and top with grated cheese.
4. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C), or until cheese has melted and browned.
These muffins are really good, and easy to make. They have a great cream cheese flavor to them. They are easy enough to make on the week days and perfect for company.
Servings: 8
INGREDIENTS
1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 -1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Oil bottoms only of medium muffin tins.
Mix together cream cheese, 1/4 cup white sugar, lemon peel, lemon, vanilla, and 1 egg with an electric mixer. Set filling aside.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/3 cup white sugar, baking powder, and salt until well blended. Beat remaining egg, and stir in milk and oil; pour into flour mixture, and stir until moistened. Fill muffin cups about 1/2 full. Spoon 1 teaspoon filling onto batter. Top with batter to 3/4 full
You have a strong relationship and a busy, happy family. But he travels constantly for business and you’re getting tired of it. How do you cope with it? First: Know that you are not alone. Read on for some friendly advice!
Love is the last thing on your mind…
You love your husband and cherish your relationship but recently his job has taken him away from you and the kids for weeks at a time, while you’re left playing single mom. In between single-handedly doing third grade math problems, dealing with a colicky baby, a prepubescent tween who thinks she knows more than you, lunches, nighttime potty breaks and laundry- you’re feeling completely overwhelmed.
Sure your husband calls every night and the kids get to chat him up on the phone, but his long absences away from your family are taking a toll. In fact, when he finally does make it home after a business trip, every fiber of your being feels like pouncing on him the minute he walks through the door (and not in a sexy way). In fact on several occasions you’ve felt compelled to throw the laundry basket at him; grab his car keys and take off.
While you’re well-aware that is not a mature, viable option, your patience with his increasing absences is beginning to take its toll on you physically and the hostility you’re feeling is beginning to taint your every interaction with him.
So what’s a stressed out mom supposed to do?
According to Craig Malkin, PhD, Director YM Psychotherapy & Consultation, Inc., the most important step a frenzied mom can take is to devote less time to being angry at her absent husband and more time thinking about what will make things better.
“Our tendency is to find the nearest person to blame when we feel like we can’t escape a bad situation—and in marriage that’s usually our spouse, ” says Dr. Malkin. “But no amount of anger at your husband will change that being a full time mom without enough help is overwhelming. Only taking steps to reduce the load can do that.”
4 tips to help moms deal with frustration when their husband is away and they’re on their own
#1 Send an SOS.
Call out to anyone and everyone, especially extended family, who might be able to pitch in. You need breaks. If you can find anyone to relieve you for just a few hours, or help out with laundry. The stress relief alone might save you from one more fight with your two-year-old over giving “boppy-the-bear” a bath.
#2 Pay for a break.
If you can’t find support around you, consider working a few hours just to get a break from the house—and hire a sitter; even if you break even financially, you’ll find that the time away from home lightens the load of being a single parent.
#3 Ask your husband for ideas.
It was your choice to marry him, but it was also his choice to marry you and have kids—which means even if he’s away, he can and should be a part of parenting by generating solutions.
If you stop blaming and just tell him you’re trying to figure out ways to get a break, he might at least pitch in with some ideas. For that matter, involve him in other child-rearing problems, too by asking advice. It’ll help him feel less absent and more like a father.
#4 Anger can be a cover for feelings of sadness and loss.
You have to ask yourself are your really mad that he’s away, or is it just too hard to feel sad right now? You might need to talk with friends and family about missing him and seek support to reduce the sadness that’s driving the frustration.
Welcome home
Once your husband returns home try these suggestions instead of getting locked in a battle of wills and dumping your frustrations onto him:
Connect first, talk later. Being able to relax and enjoy time together is a stronger predictor of marital satisfaction than solving problems—which means you don’t need to hash things out to feel close. Plan walks, movies, dates, maybe even some mindless fun, and you’ll find that many of your frustrations fade when you’re having a good time. You may feel less need to talk about what irks you, but even if there’s something still on your mind, you’ll have and easier time talking about it if you’ve both connected first.
Keep in mind, practice makes perfect. You’ve spent a lot of time learning how to run the house while he’s away, so however smart and capable he is, he can’t hold a candle to your efficiency. He may even feel inept. Invite him to do chores with you, gently pointing out your tricks.
Touch him while you’re helping. It’ll put him at ease and help you feel closer. If he picks up enough, he may even be able to do a few tasks while you take break, but don’t expect him to keep your pace. He’s new to this.
And when he’s gone to keep your long distance marriage from dissolving under the weight of the distance, Dr. Malkin suggests, trying to follow current events or stories together so you can talk about them.
“These are the little things you used to share,” says Dr. Malkin. “Keep him in the loop so you can keep sharing them. And if you have the chance, throw in some sexy phone or internet chat, to keep the home fires burning.”
