Tuesday, July 31, 2012

What we've been up to...

So it's been a pretty quiet month here on the blog.  We've been busy and I just haven't had much time to catch up on here.  But here is a quick peak into what's been going on around these parts!

We tried out the sprinkler for the first time this summer....and while hesitant at first, Lucy ended up loving it!  Roxy loved it too :)
Slowing approaching...
Water!


The weather in our area has been VERY dry!  So dry that there has been a burn ban for most of the summer resulting in no bonfires or fireworks!  BUT--we recently received enough rain which lead the burn ban to be lifted!  So we had our very first bonfire of the summer this past weekend.  It was so much fun (and a little nerve-wracking to be honest....toddlers and fires make for nervous parents!).  We invited my dad over and had some s'mores!  Lucy really just wanted to snack on the graham crackers but it was so much fun!

A little wheelbarrow fun with Grandpa
Matching Marshmallows :)
Lucy had a little fun with some stickers this past weekend and Pat was a really good sport about it! :)

And here is a fun treat that Pat and I shared a few weekends ago.  We made little ice cream bombs together and they were oh so good!  It was really fun as the options are endless.  We choose Butter Pecan and Strawberry Ice Cream  Some of our topping choices included:  shredded coconut, coffee, cinnamon, sprinkles, lime zest and sea salt.  We LOVED the coffee topping!  You can find the recipe here.

Toppings!
Pouring melted chocolate over our ice cream
Finished product!  YUM!

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

BBQ Salmon Burgers aka....yummy goodness!

Ok so the truth is, I was pretty skeptical about this recipe.  Sure, I love salmon.  Like, love it- love it.  But the thought of grinding it up and frying it like a burger, well, it made me a little uneasy.  But then I took my first bite and I got over that uneasiness real fast!  These suckers are awesome!  So awesome in fact that I might even recommend ditching the whole burger concept and just eating the little salmon patties straight!  Pat and I both found that it's awesome flavor was slightly lost in all the burger toppings.  However, that didn't stop us from chowing down on them anyways.  So the choice is up to you whether you treat them like a salmon cake or a salmon burger, but either way I beg you to make them!  You won't regret it.  And the bonus is, it's a pretty quick and easy meal that will totally knock your socks off!

BBQ Salmon Burgers
Adapted from How Sweet It is

Ingredients

2 lbs fresh, raw salmon (skin removed)
2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
4 tbs bbq sauce
2 tbs whole grain dejun mustard
2 tbs freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
Olive oil
whole grain buns for serving

Directions

Add skinless salmon to bowl of food processor and pulse until it's fairly ground.

Remove the salmon and add to a large mixing bowl.  Combine with panko breadcrumbs, bbq sauce, mustard, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper, onion powder and smoked paprika.  Use hands or spoon to mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated.  Form into 7-8 equally sized patties.  

Heat skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat and cook burgers on each side until golden, about 3-4 minutes per side.  Make sure not to over cook!

Serve with additional bbq sauce and burger toppings or eat on it's own as a salmon cake.

Enjoy!

I hope everyone has a great 4th of July tomorrow!!!