Carne Asada Marinade

I don’t know about you but we absolutely love grilling when it’s hot outside so we don’t have to turn on the oven!! It it took us a few tries to get it right but this carne asada seasoning mix is so perfect that we have grilled steak that has been marinated in it THREE TIMES in the past WEEK. Yes, it really is THAT delicious and soooooooo easy!!

I love the citrusy notes of this marinade. It adds a subtle sweetness without added sugar. Mix that with the saltiness of the soy sauce and the deep warm spices and oh my goodness it is heavenly.

We like our meat grilled to medium and sliced thinly against the grain, then served on small flour tortillas with a simple garnish of cilantro or parsley, red or sweet vidalia onion and a squeeze of lime- it’s so mouthwateringly delicious. But you do you with the toppings!! (We have also added rice or small roasted potatoes to the tortillas - pico and guacamole is amazing too.)

Marinade Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup lime juice

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp cumin

1 Tbsp oregano

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp dried cilantro (or 2 Tbsp fresh)

1 tsp chipotle chili powder

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Just throw all the ingredients in a gallon size ziploc bag, add in 1-1/2 to 2 lbs of steak, (we actually love petite sirloin done in this but of course flank, skirt or flat iron are wonderful too), and squish the bag around till everything is covered then let it sit in the bag for a minimum of an hour before grilling it. (Make sure you don’t over grill!) Let the meat rest at least five minutes, tented with foil, before slicing to serve.

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Instant Pot Turtle Cheesecake

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I'm telling you, instant pot cheesecake is my favorite texture cheesecake. I don't know that I will be able to buy store bought ever again. The number of flavor combinations you could do with this base is unlimited. (Think any kind of fresh fruit, pie filling, baking chips, nuts - what couldn't you do?)

As always, remember that it is super important to have room temperature ingredients. This helps the cheesecake be smooth and creamy and NOT grainy! Also, you don't want to over mix the cheesecake batter once you are adding in eggs, so beat it as smooth as you can with the other ingredients…

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Now this is not the kind of meal you make every week. It's the kind of meal you make when you just need complete comfort food. I have been making homemade mac and cheese for years now and I always make it exactly the same, but for some reason I decided to switch it up a little bit this last time and make a couple of tweaks. All I can say is WOW... we were in gooey cheese heaven, so here is my new and improved recipe with a few tweaks from my original. It is hands down the best mac and cheese I have ever made. The family agreed.

Note: If you want to add in some different cheese, feel free to switch out 8oz of the cheese in the sauce for your favorite. My two favorites are Gouda or Gruyere and if I have one of those on hand I will use 8oz of one of those, replacing half the sharp cheddar in the sauce.

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1 stick butter (8 Tbsp)
4 Tbsp cornstarch
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This bread is SO quick to throw together and requires simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. Just flour, salt, yeast and water! The hardest part is letting it do it's thing for a minimum of 8 hours but up to 24 hours. (Every recipe I have read says the best flavor starts with at least 12 hours of counter time.) Best practice for me is to just mix the ingredients together the night before you want to eat it, cover in saran wrap and leave it to do it's thing till you are ready to bake the next day!

Is it bad that it's becoming a habit to m…

Caramelitas

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Ingredients:
2 (11oz bags) caramel bits (in the baking aisle)
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Melt the caramel bits and whipping cream toge…

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I got this recipe from Nestle Toll House years ago, in fact the original recipe was a cut out from somewhere and stuck on a piece of paper in a make shift recipe box because there were no recipe websites back then! I knew when I saw this recipe that it was something I had to try and that it would be something my hubby would love because he LOVES warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies. I was not wrong in my assumptions. This pie is definitely as good as you think it's going to be. A flaky crust, gooey filling and slightly crispy top makes it heavenly!

Ingredients:
1 unbaked pie shell, (you can use a store bought or your favorite recipe OR there is …

The Absolute Best Massive Chocolate Chip Cookies

My son brought home the most MASSIVE cookies from a place called Chip in SLC a few weeks ago. I'm not going to lie, they were absolutely delicious. So I did what I always do and looked for a copycat recipe. No such luck, but I set to work anyway! After a few test runs, I got the cookie exactly as I wanted... stuffed with chocolate and nuts with a perfect crunch on the outside and a soft, slightly gooey center. These are complete heaven, and we all agree that it is the best cookie I've ever made hands down. I have made and delivered literally hundreds of these cookies to friends, neighbors and co-workers and everyone loves them. I've even been told they are better than Chip or Crumbl! (You will have to be the judge.) Give them a try and be everyone's favorite baker! (If you aren't grasping how big these suckers are, check out the 16oz glass of milk behind them!)
Ingredients:
1 cup cold butter, cut up into cubes
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated s…

Sweet Cream Pancakes (Copycat Black Bear)

I don't know what it is about Black Bears pancakes that make them so much more delicious than most pancakes, at least I didn't know until I did a little digging and and found out they are what they call "sweet cream" pancakes! Have you ever tried sweet cream pancakes? They are made with heavy cream which gives them a light, fluffy texture with golden edges that just melt in your mouth.
I've never met anyone who doesn't love a good pancake. It's perfect for a crowd as you can just get out a big griddle and set out all kinds of different toppings to make it fun. These are my families favorite and we love sprinkling them with pecans, chopped bananas and pure maple syrup, or serving them with fresh raspberries and whipped cream. You do you though! The possibilities are endless!!
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This recipe makes 8 pretzels and I will admit to you that each of us ate two, no problem at all. In fact, it's a good thing it only makes 8 or we would have probably kept eating them. My seasoning of choice is the everything bagel seasoning, (I get mine at Trader Joes), but you can use coarse sea salt or even sesame seeds if you prefer.

Ingredients:
1 cup very warm water
2-1/4 tsp yeast
1 Tbsp sugar - I like brown, but either works
1 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp salt
2-1/2 to 2-3/4 cups AP flour

8 cups water
1/2 cup baking soda

1 egg whisked together with 1 Tbsp water
Everything bagel …

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Ingredients:
1 28-32oz pkg fr…

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I was in the middle of making beef with au jus for french dip sandwiches when I realized I was out of Lipton beefy onion soup mix, a main ingredient in my au jus drippings. Not wanting to stop what I was doing to run to the store, I decided I would quickly try and make my own. All I'm going to say at this point is that I will definitely not be buying those little packets again. I can make a TON of this with ingredients I already have in my spice cupboard, and it was soooooo good. The best au jus I have ever made!
Ingredients:
8 Tbsp beef bouillon powder (I like the Knorr beef granulated bouillon for this)
1/2 cup minced onion flakes
3 tsp parsley
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper

Place all the ingredients in a mason jar or other airtight container, secure the lid and shake till well combined. Keep in your spice cabinet or another dark, cool place.

2 Tbsp of this mix should replace 1 package of soup mix in your dip, …

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