Creamy Cucumber Salad: Recipe

Happy Friday, everyone! Today, I am busy having my anatomy scan (finally!) and then shopping with a friend... so I thought I'd leave a light, yummy recipe with you all. Enter: creamy cucumber salad.

You may remember my crazy aversion to cucumbers early on in my pregnancy. It was awful. I LOVE cucumbers. I could eat them every day. But there was a time (that lasted about 15 weeks... eek!) that I couldn't even stand to be around them. Dan would cut one for his salad, and I'd be all the way across the house and start gagging. No fun.

But... no worries anymore! Cucumbers are back in the rotation, thank goodness! I made this recipe for Easter and for a spouses' recipe club event. I don't know how anyone could NOT like it... unless, of course, they don't like cucumbers. Silly people. 

I recommend chilling this in the fridge for a while after mixing it all together... that way, the flavors can really mesh, and you'll get the best possible outcome.

Or you could eat some right away because it's tough not to... it's still good, I promise. I know this from experience. 

Now I'm craving this again. Maybe I'll pick up some fresh cucumbers at the local farmer's market and go crazy. 

Do you like cucumbers?

What's your favorite side dish?

    

Easy Waldorf Salad: Recipe

Is it already Friday again? Hey, I'm not complaining! But that means it's time for another recipe, and I am so excited to share one of my favorite cold side dishes ever... Waldorf salad! 

If you are having company over and need one more item to go with the fabulous meal you have prepared, why not try this out? Now that it's warming up outside, it's even better - but I won't lie: Waldorf salad is even on my Thanksgiving menu. Yum. 

It goes great with BBQ, grilled meats, or anything heartier. It lightens up the meal just enough... and I find that even people who claim to not like celery enjoy this salad. Maybe it's the crispness of the green apples... I don't know. But it's a winner for sure.

A lot of people make this with grapes instead of raisins... and I totally like it that way sometimes. Just know that you can substitute them, and the salad will still be delicious. And I also wanted to point out how I love that this is called "salad" because it's definitely not very healthy... but it makes me feel better. 

You can also choose to use walnuts instead of pecans. I enjoy both, but sadly, I am allergic to walnuts... so I try my very best not to eat them. Luckily, pecans are just as delicious, and they work very well in this recipe. You choose whichever you like best! There's a lot of room to play around. 

I just made this for Easter last month, but now I want it again. Just reading the ingredients list has me craving it. I guess there are worse dishes to crave, right? ;-) 

Do you like Waldorf salad?

What's your favorite side dish?

    

Blackberry Almond Baked Brie: Recipe

I know, I know. It's been a few weeks since I've had a Food Friday on the blog. I apologize... life (aka being in the hospital) kind of gets in the way sometimes. That said, I am super happy to share one of my favorite holiday appetizers today. And heck - you don't have to make this ONLY for the holidays. I don't. I just happen to make it for all holidays in addition to the random times. It's a crowd pleaser for sure. I bring to you...

The recipe for this week's installment of Food Fridays is... you guessed it... Baked Brie. This isn't just baked cheese, though. This is ooey-gooey French cheese deliciousness... covered in blackberry preserves, crescent dough, and almonds. Can it get any better than that?! I think not. 

This recipe is seriously so easy too. The ingredients may look pricey, but I was able to find all of these at my local Aldi's. The whole wheel of Brie was only $3 - score! I should have bought them all. 

I should also note that if you don't like blackberries for whatever reason, you can easily substitute any type of jam, jelly, or preserves. I've made this with blueberry and raspberry before, but I bet even apricot would be delightful.

Doesn't that just scream, "eat me with a fork... right now!" because I totally think it does. 

And now the good part... I know you want this recipe. You should serve it the next time you host an event. But you should probably make it for a taste test before that... just because you want it. And you'll be able to eat the whole thing at once. Oh, is that just me? 

I usually use Triscuits to dip into this, but I have definitely eaten it plain before too. It's all a personal preference, so enjoy this however your cheese-loving self desires. 

Do you like brie?

    

Tangerine Butter Cookies: Recipe

Welcome to my very first installment of Food Fridays! One of my goals this year is to share one new recipe every week on, you guessed it, Friday!

Luckily for you, I have been baking my tail off since early December, and I've been documenting it all. I'll try to sneak in some actual food along with all the goodies, but I make no promises.

Today's recipe is my favorite cookie to share: Tangerine Butter Cookies. I made six dozen of these to take to a cookie exchange, and I made another dozen to take home with me for the holidays. They're different than any other cookie I've ever tasted, so they're always a winner! (I may or may not even have a bag of dough in my freezer so I can make more of these whenever I feel like it...)

Not only do these cookies taste light, fruity, and wonderful, but they are made with REAL tangerine peel. I love to zest it right into my cookie dough, and I'm anxious to try making these with lemons and limes as well. I think they'll turn out just as great, but I am a big lover of citrus fruit.

Don't they look so light and refreshing? They are, and they're EXCELLENT served with champagne. I haven't met anyone yet who hasn't liked these when they tried them. They're just so different from other cookies. If you try them, let me know what you think! 

To save the recipe, just click on the image, and then right click to save the recipe card. It is 4x6 inches, and if you print it on cardstock, you can add it right in with your other recipe cards! 

• Do you like tangerines?
• What is your favorite type of cookie?
• Do you enjoy baking?