Creamy and sweet, this grape ice cream is an unexpected delight on a hot summer afternoon. If you enjoyed grape popsicles as a kid, this ice cream is a nostalgic flavor bomb.

I mentioned a few weeks ago, when I shared the Nerds Ice Cream with you, that I was working on a recipe for grape ice cream. And thanks to a suggestion from an awesome reader, (Hi, Tim!) I have a terrific new ice cream to share with you at last.

After attempting to make a grape-flavored ice cream using grape juice, soda, and even snow cone syrup, and not loving those ice cream attempts much at all, I made this batch of ice cream with a simple packet of grape Koolaid. And what a difference it made!

The most popular question I get is whether it’s possible to make ice cream without a machine. The answer is YES. You can make ice cream without a machine. Find the full directions here!

Grape Ice Cream

This ice cream tastes like grape candy turned into ice cream, and I’m thrilled to tell you that even this non-grape-flavor-loving girl enjoyed it. And the grape candy lovers in my life? Oh man, this ice cream was an enormous hit.

I’d started doubting we’d ever find an ice cream in this flavor that we would like enough to share with you, but this one? It’s a huge success. If you enjoy grape-flavored treats, you’re likely to flip for this ice cream.

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Tender, garlicky shrimp, creamy avocado, crisp vegetables, and a tangy-sweet dressing combine in this irresistible shrimp and avocado salad. Every bite makes me grin when I’m eating this salad.

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

It takes just a few minutes to cook the shrimp, and the rest of the time required here is spent just prepping the vegetables. You can make this one ahead of time, too, if you want to make it even easier at dinner time. Just add the avocado and toss with the dressing right before serving.

The salad base is made with crunchy lettuce, spring mix, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, and fresh parsley. If you haven’t yet tried a salad with an abundance of fresh parsley in it, you’re missing out.

Parsley brightens savory flavors similarly to the way lemon brightens the flavors in countless sweet and savory dishes. The vegetables in this salad are tossed in that honey dijon vinaigrette I shared earlier this week. It pulls all the flavors together perfectly.

Avocado Shrimp Salad

The shrimp are cooked in a bit of butter with garlic and then drizzled with a little lemon juice, leaving them super juicy and full of flavor. Pairing that shrimp with creamy avocado, crunchy crisp vegetables, and a simple vinaigrette adds up to a salad that’s anything but boring.

Whether you’re making this for yourself or serving it to friends, it’s a salad that looks great and tastes even better. It’s one of those meals that leaves you feeling satisfied and full without being too heavy.

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If you enjoy making your own salad dressings (and you already know that I do!), this honey dijon vinaigrette is a great one to keep on hand. It’s made with simple ingredients from the pantry and fridge, it’s quick to make, full of terrific flavor, and works with just about anything—from simple side salads to grilled chicken or roasted vegetables.

Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

All you need are a few basic ingredients: olive oil, vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Everything gets added to a jar and shaken until it comes together. That really is it. There’s no whisking, no blender, and no mess.

The flavor is tangy from the vinegar, a little sweet from the honey, and just bold enough thanks to the mustard. You can adjust the honey if you want it to be a bit sweeter or use a little more Dijon for a stronger kick. I usually use white balsamic vinegar because it’s smooth and a little sweet, but apple cider vinegar works great too.

You already know that a homemade honey mustard vinaigrette is going to taste so much better than anything you can grab off the shelf at the store. However, I honestly can’t think of a single homemade salad dressing for which that isn’t the truth.

You’re certain to find several homemade dressings in my fridge at any given time. From classic ranch dressing (with almost 2,000 comments and 5-star reviews!) to this smoky, slightly spicy blackened ranch, dill pickle ranch dressing, or this spicy green chile ranch (just like Dion’s – for those of us who live too far away to keep it on hand) there isn’t a ranch dressing or dip that my family doesn’t love.

Whatever you’re craving, th

One Pan Mexican Chicken Skillet with Zucchini

This One Pan Mexican Chicken Skillet with Zucchini is an easy dinner ready in under 30 minutes! It’s made with simple ingredients: chicken, seasonings from the pantry, beans, zucchini, yellow squash, cheese and all the Mexican toppings! Easy weeknight chicken dinner, here I come!

If you’re looking for more tried and true Mexican recipes with chicken you’ll love this 10 Minute Sticky Mexican Chicken,  Mexican Chicken Burrito Bowl, or this Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Why You’ll Love this Mexican Chicken Skillet

Even though this recipe is super simple, Mexican chicken skillet with zucchini is still a recipe you’ll be throwing into your regular dinner rotation because it’s:

• Easy. Can you chop and sit? You can make this chicken skillet! (And you can also handle this tasty Ground Beef Enchilada Skillet.)
• Healthy. Veggies, lean protein, whole grains…the gang is all here.
• Tex-Mex Inspired.  Like Cafe Rio Chicken and Chopped Tex Mex Salad, these flavors are easy to love, especially for kids!
• Adaptable. This recipe is a cinch to make your own. Try different veggies, beans, no beans, meats etc and make it the way your family likes it! 

Basically, if you want a simple, healthy, delicious meal that’s ready ASAP, Mexican chicken skillet is for you! 

One Pan Mexican Chicken Skillet with Zucchini

I have “skeeter syndrome”. I know, it 100% sounds made up. Basically everyone gets mosquito bites and hates the itch, but I have the blessing of being extra, EXTRA allergic.

We sat outside talking to some friends for a quick 15 minutes and I came in with 9 mosquito bites that by the next day were each the size of a tennis ball.

Taco Tuesday Idea

We love Taco Tuesday as a family, so the last time I sprung this chicken recipe on my family for a new Taco Tuesday idea you’d think I broke hearts across the table! Even with baseball arms I needed to get something quick and easy and Mexican inspired on the table.

And guess what, even without the tortillas, they loved it!! Like, asked-for-seconds, loved it! And we’ve been making it again, and again, and again ever since. Hello, Read more

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! It’s been a peachy keen week over here, and I’m admittedly happy to be almost done with the peaches. (Okay, technically, I’m a little over half done, but since the rest of the fruit is destined for this jam and this jam, it doesn’t feel quite so overwhelming now.)

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK:  Inspired by the cottage cheese ranch dip that I shared a few weeks ago, this cottage cheese taco dip is creamy, loaded with spicy southwest flavor, and reminiscent of the old-school layered taco dip we all know and enjoy.

Every bite of this garlicky shrimp zucchini stir fry is pure shrimp-loving heaven – and you can make it start to finish in under 15 minutes!

This fun twist on cucumber corn salad features a creamy dressing with a touch of spicy sweetness, reminiscent of the bold, crave-worthy flavors of Mexican street corn.

Savory ground beef mingles with tender carrots and peas beneath a cheesy layer of mashed potatoes in this Irish cottage pie.

This ranch potato salad never fails to make people grin and ask for the recipe. If you, or anyone you know, just really love anything ranch-flavored, this one is especially for you.

Crisp-edged, crunchy cookies with an intense but perfectly balanced vanilla flavor make up these homemade vanilla cookies. These bite-size cookies go way beyond putting traditional ‘Nilla wafers to shame, they’re a whole new ballgame.

Creamy sweet and tart lemon ice cream is swirled with beautiful blueberry sauce in this refreshing lemon blueberry ice cream. Made with fresh or frozen blueberries, you can enjoy this sunshiney taste of summer year-round.

What I’m CRAVING: Truth? Something not made with peaches. As much as I love my favorite summer fruit, I’ve been eating peaches nonstop all week long. So, I’ll take some salmon or steak, asparagus, and potatoes now, please. 

My FAVORITE THING this week is my Read more