It's SUMMER!!!

From the time I was 16 until I was 29 Summer didn't mean much…then I became a stay at home mom.  No more days spent inside at work, missing out on all of the summer goodness.  The kiddos and I have been busy finding ways to spend our days the past couple of weeks…swimming, the library, picnics, VBS…it's been pretty great and we still have two more months of Summer to go!I'm ridiculously excited.  

Also exciting?  Summer food. 

Cool, creamy salads and delicious meats smoked on the grill.  I think my favorite, though is a combination of the two that I invented (and had published on Allrecipes!)- Asian Chicken Salad. 

It's definitely not necessary to use smoked chicken (I sure don't when pressed for time) but that smoky flavor truly pushes the flavor over the top in this recipe.  The seasoning amounts are really easy to play with- it's fairly mild in flavor as published, I usually kick up the sriracha, lemon juice, garlic, and sesame oil when I make it for my family.  Anyway, it's delicious.  Cool, crunchy cabbage and savory chicken all mixed together with Asian flavors.  It's my absolute favorite meal in the whole world!  My husband loves it served in little bread bowls, but you can serve it on lettuce, a sandwich, or even by itself.  Definitely give it a try!

Engaging Ideas with Sargento Cheese

One of the things that I most love about cooking is the way it is universal. No matter what the occasion or company, food is the tie that binds. Whether it be a hearty family meal for the holidays or a special meal cooked to impressive a new love, food brings us together. Personally, I adore feeding people I care about and having a hand in bringing them together at the table. This year Allrecipes.com has partnered with Sargento, a company that says that, “for every moment, there’s a meal. And for every meal, there’s a perfect Sargento Shredded Cheese to go with it!”

Click on the picture for the recipe!

I have to say, the news that we get to work with Sargento has made me even happier than usual to be an Allrecipes Allstar (if that's even possible)! I mean really...who doesn't love cheese??

Allrecipes and Sargento asked the Allstars to create a recipe for one of life's little moments using Sargento Shredded Cheese and I was assigned a sweet moment that I couldn't wait to get started on- getting engaged.