Welcome to the weekend, my friends! Can you believe how close we are to summer vacation?? My guys are pushing through their last classes and they’re all looking forward to the summer break. We have a long road trip planned for this summer, visiting as many state and national parks as possible this time.

We’ll be spending five weeks on the road with stops in Missouri, Texas, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Washington, Montana, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. I can hardly wait!

ON THE BLOG this week: Spicy Barbecue Sauce with enough heat to bite the back of your throat and just barely sweet enough to balance that heat, this is the sauce I was craving.

Sweet apples and cranberries are combined with crunchy cabbage and then tossed together in a tangy lemon dressing to make this Apple Coleslaw.

Tender chunks of savory chicken or turkey and vegetables are baked together inside of a flaky pie crust. My whole family gives this Leftover Turkey Pot Pie two big thumbs up!

Lighter than a traditional pound cake, this Glazed Lemon Cake is tender with a bright sweet flavor and the lemon glaze adds the perfect touch–the literal icing on top.

Have you tried the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso from Starbucks? It is so good and as soon as I tasted it, I knew I needed to make it at home too! Brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon provide terrific depth of flavor for this awesome drink.

What I’m CRAVING: This Shrimp Sushi Stack from Feel Good Foodie caught my eye this week and it looks so good! This is a shortcut recipe for all the awesome sushi flavors I love without the hassle of rolling anything. I saw Gina’s version years ago (it’s a brilliant method for making them!) and meant to try it then. I just put it on our meal plan!

My FAVORITE THINGS this week are these glass straws. I enjoy drinking from a straw, but I’m just not a fan of the stainless or silicone straws that I’ve tried. I really love the feel of these glass straws. (And at about a dollar each, they’re much more affordable than others I’ve looked at in the past!)

If I find they aren’t as sturdy as they initially seem or if they break, I’ll let you know. The straws were very well-reviewed when I purchased them.

What I’m WATCHING: Lost Season 2. The kids and I are back to watching Lost and still loving it. 

Have you tried the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso from Starbucks? It is so good and as soon as I tasted it, I knew I needed to make it at home too! Brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon provide terrific depth of flavor for this awesome drink.

It’s been a couple of months and I’m still amazed by how much I’m enjoying this dairy-free iced coffee drink. I’ll forever love my Cafe con Leche, but sometimes (especially in the summer months) iced drinks are where my heart is.

Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso

My cousin Hannah came to visit a few weeks ago and introduced me to the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso at Starbucks. (Side note – WHY must their drink names always be so darn long and ridiculous to order?)

I know I’m late to the oatmilk game, and you likely also know that I’m a die-hard member of team real dairy products. However, in this drink, the oatmilk contributes a distinct flavor that I truly love. Thanks to this drink, oat milk has earned a dedicated spot in our refrigerator now.

Newfound love of oatmilk aside, if you’re solidly in the team dairy category and aren’t interested in trying oatmillk, this drink is also delicious with real milk.

We made our drinks a couple of different ways while Hannah was here and I’ve been making this shaken espresso daily since then.

Ingredients for Oatmeal Shaken Espresso

• brewed espresso
• light or dark brown sugar
• unsweetened oatmilk
• ice cubes
• ground cinnamon (optional)

Oatmilk Shaken Espresso

1. Combine the hot espresso and the brown sugar in a cup and stir to melt the sugar. (If you wo

Lighter than a traditional pound cake, this Glazed Lemon Cake is tender with a bright sweet flavor and the lemon glaze adds the perfect touch–the literal icing on top.

Glazed Lemon Cake

This cake recipe comes from my friend Christi’s new cookbook, The My Little Pony Baking Book. I loved this book from the moment I first opened it. Then I tried this lemon cake recipe and fell in love even more.

The My Little Pony Baking Book is a truly awesome dessert cookbook, whether or not you’re a My Little Pony Fan. Anyone who loves a great-tasting dessert should have this baking book on their shelf.

It has recipes suited for experienced cooks and new bakers alike. These are some of the best dessert recipes you’ll ever make.

Cake with Lemon Glaze

I’m a big fan of lemon desserts and enjoy making them often. Everything from Lemon Bars to Lemon Coffee Cake has had its moment in the spotlight in my kitchen.

This simple loaf cake with lemon glaze turned out moist, light and tender with plenty of bright lemon flavor. And nothing could be easier or tastier than the simple lemon glaze recipe that goes on top of the finished cake.

Lemon Glaze for Cake

Almost everyone enjoys a creamy, thick topping of buttercream frosting from time to time but some cakes call for a lighter more delicate

Tender chunks of savory turkey and aromatic vegetables are baked together inside of a flaky pie crust. My whole family gives this Leftover Turkey Pot Pie two big thumbs up!

This leftover turkey pot pie takes the remaining turkey and makes excellent use of it. It has become one of my new favorite recipes for using up those leftovers.

Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

I have always loved chicken pot pie and this Turkey Pot Pie is the same recipe that I’ve made for years. So, lucky for us all, we can make this pot pie year-round.

If you don’t have leftover turkey in the house, you can make this pot pie with a store-bought rotisserie chicken or whatever leftover chicken you happen to have on hand.

Using the store-bought pie crusts saves a lot of time during prep, but if a homemade crust is more your style, go for it. And, the filling here? It is absolutely fabulous.

When I was a little girl, my grandmother would often bake those individual frozen pot pies for dinner. This leftover turkey pot pie reminds me of spending the night at my grandma’s house, but truthfully in a much more delicious way.

As an adult, I have to admit that frozen pot pies are less appealing. But, the nostalgia of the meal remains. So, I happily make my own pot pie to satisfy the craving.

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

After the big meal, we’re usually left with a whole lot of leftover roasted turkey.

And delicious as that roasted turkey is, I can only do so many sandwiches, soups, casseroles, and pastas before I reach for a new recipe idea.

Pot pies are one of my favorite uses for leftover turkey or chicken and I try to have enough turkey on hand to make it the week after Thanksgiving. (If you

Sweet apples and cranberries are combined with crunchy cabbage and then tossed together in a tangy lemon dressing to make this Apple Coleslaw.

We make this salad through the year, but even more often as the weather begins to warm up.

I shot the video for this recipe last week when I was making this salad yet again.

(And because so many of you have asked, the bowls in the video are no longer manufactured, but this set of mixing bowls is a close match in style to the bowls I used in the video. I love the lids!)

We are definitely in the season for side salads. We’ve been grilling chicken, burgers, or hot dogs several times a week for a month now and I’m craving all kinds of simple salads for side dishes.

I’ve made this Cranberry Apple Coleslaw a couple of times over the past month and I’m still loving it.

Apple Coleslaw

Crisp sweet apple slices are a natural addition to a cabbage coleslaw. The dried cranberries in this recipe add a tartness and pop of flavor that everyone in my family loved.

While other coleslaw recipes use mustard or vinegar, this recipe calls for lemon juice. The lemon pairs well with the cranberry adding a bright citrusy note to the slaw.

Not to mention how nice these colors all look together in the bowl. Okay, no one eats coleslaw for its looks but the combo of green cabbage, white dressing, and red apples and cranberries is just about as pretty as a coleslaw can get.

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