The Little Things Newsletter #408 – Life, laughter, and lots of great food!

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Welcome to the weekend, my friends! It’s been a gorgeous week for walking outdoors here in Ohio, despite a couple of tornado warnings – those were a first for this desert girl! I’m grateful that we didn’t have any property damage near our home and we’re praying for all of the families in Logan County who suffered so much loss. 

My mom has been visiting this week and we’ve enjoyed the time with her. She’s headed home today, and just in time to keep our house from feeling too empty, my brother and his fiance arrived last night to spend next week with us. (Have I mentioned how much I love having friends and family visit??)

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK:  Do you like Reuben sandwiches? If so, you might go a little bit crazy over these corned beef sliders – my family sure did!

Corned beef dip is a creamy, cheesy, slightly tangy dip generously filled with chunks of corned beef along with a bit of sauerkraut and caraway to give it that unmistakable Reuben sandwich flavor.

Hearty meatballs, sweet pineapple, and colorful bell peppers are tossed with your favorite barbecue sauce and simmered in the slow cooker to make these sweet and sour meatballs that the whole family craves.

Gently sauteed in maple syrup and butter these maple glazed carrots are a side dish that disappears fast every time I make it.

Crispy cauliflower, toasted bread crumbs, and nutty, savory parmesan are wonderful together in this scrumptious side. This roasted garlic parmesan cauliflower is snackable right off the pan.

Bursting with the sweet tang of blueberries in every bite, blueberry compote is one of my favorite ways to top a serving of crepes, a no-bake cheesecake, or a bowl of ice cream.

Rum raisin ice cream is full of rum-soaked raisins mixed in custardy vanilla ice cream with a hint of rum. This recipe is a little bit old school and a whole lot of creamy delicious.

What I’m CRAVING: These California roll sushi bowls look so good! They’ve been stuck in my head for a couple of days now. 

My FAVORITE THING this week is this water bottle. Here’s the deal. We own a lot of water bottles. If there’s an addiction to trying new water bottles, I may have it. However, I’m obsessed with this water bottle. I’ve been trying to up my water drinking game and thi

Corned Beef Dip

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Corned Beef Dip is a creamy, cheesy, slightly tangy dip generously filled with chunks of corned beef along with a bit of sauerkraut and caraway to give it that unmistakable Reuben flavor.

Served with toasted rye bread, rye chips, crackers, or bagel chips this is a dream-come-true snack for everyone who loves a great Reuben sandwich!

bite of reuben dip on toast

Hot Reuben Dip

Have we established well enough just how much my family enjoys Reubens? The idea of a hot Reuben dip might’ve been the easiest sell ever in the history of recipes we’ve tried.

My kids scraped this bowl clean just minutes after I set it in front of them. It was good that I had set aside a portion for Sean to try later, because there was nothing left at all by the time he made it to the kitchen.

cheesy baked dip with corned beef

Corned Beef Dip

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

  • cream cheese
  • mayonnaise or sour cream
  • Thousand Island dressing
  • caraway seeds
  • horseradish
  • sauerkraut
  • corned beef
  • shredded Swiss cheese
  • toasted rye bread, rye chips, crackers, or bagel chips
corned beef and swiss cheese ingredients added to cheese dip Read more

Classic Lemon Bars Recipe

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Classic Lemon Bars Recipe

A white plate stacked with bright yellow classic lemon bars recipe and strawberries in a dish behind it

The best lemon bars are a classic spring recipe made with a buttery crust and gooey lemon filling. Top this lemon bar recipe with powdered sugar and you’ll have an easy and delicious spring dessert!

When April and May hit is just means lemon desserts like iced lemon cake, lemon meringue pie, lemon cheesecake cookies and these lemon bars! There’s nothing better than a sweet and tart lemon recipe to finish of a party or dinner as we head into the summer months.

Lemon bars are one of those classic recipes that you probably think of when you think lemon treats. For good reason! They’re delicious.

The trick to a good lemon bar? Lots of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.

You’ll also want a soft and buttery crust for your lemon bar recipe. All that gooey filling has to top something!

Ingredients for the Best Lemon Bars

You will need a few basic baking ingredients to make these bars along with a few fresh lemons. Here is what you will need to make this delicious recipe:

Crust:

  • Sugar: just regular granulated white sugar
  • Unsalted Butter: needs to be softened to room temperature
  • Flour: all purpose flour is all you need
  • Salt: cuts through the sweetness and tartness and enhances all the flavors
  • Lemon Juice: the juice of about 1 lemon

Filling:

  • Eggs: creates the richness and creaminess of the filling
  • Sugar: adds sweetness and balances the tartness of the lemons
  • Flour: helps thicken the filling and gives it structure
  • Salt: enhances all the flavors
  • Lemon Juice: fresh lemon juice is preferred and you’ll need 3-4 large lemons
  • Lemon Zest: you’ll need the zest from about 1 lemon
  • Powdered Sugar: used for garnish to balance out the tartness and to make the bars look extra pretty

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post. BONUS: If you want a gluten free lemon bar, check out our gf lemon bar recipe.

How to Make Lemon Bars

There are two parts to this recipe – the crust and the filling. Both parts are super simple! Here are the steps:

Crust:

Start by creaming 2 sticks of softened butter and sugar in a large bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. This will be the base of your really tender crust. Then you’ll add the flour and sugar to bring it all together to form a dough.

The dough will likely be a little crumbly at this point so add in a bit of lemon juice unti

Corned Beef Sliders

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Do you like Reuben sandwiches? If so, you just might go crazy over these Corned Beef Sliders – my family sure did!

close up of sliders with melting cheese in baking dish

Reuben Sliders

The soft, sweetness of the slider rolls complements the savory flavors of corned beef and sauerkraut. Add in plenty of melting cheese and you have a fun new twist on a Reuben sandwich. My kids devour these every time we make them.

Sean’s all-time favorite sandwich is a classic Reuben; rye bread piled high with corned beef, sauerkraut, and melting Swiss cheese. We love Reubens so much, Rye bread has become a staple in our freezer – because you never know when the craving will hit.

That said, these Reuben sliders satisfy that Reuben craving and they get bonus points for being easier to make for the whole family. That sprinkling of caraway on top of each corned beef sandwich provides that unmistakable aroma and hint of rye flavor from the classic sandwich.

Reuben Sliders on cutting board

Corned Beef Sliders

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

For the Sliders

  • slider buns or Hawaiian rolls
  • Thousand Island salad dressing
  • horseradish
  • corned beef
  • Swiss cheese
  • sauerkraut

For the Topping

Easy Homemade Fish Tacos Recipe +Video

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Easy Homemade Fish Tacos Recipe +Video

Easy Homemade Fish Tacos Recipe +Video

Discover the secrets to creating delicious fish tacos in the comfort of your own kitchen. From seasoning the fish to assembling the tacos, follow our step-by-step guide for the perfect homemade meal.

Cade loves fish tacos, so being the kind and considerate wife that I am😁, I worked for months to get this recipe just right! I wanted the breading to be light and flavorful and for the fish taco sauce to be perfection. This homemade fish tacos recipe is sure to be a hit for all our seafood lovers! And Cade can’t get enough of them!

What is the Best Fish for Fish Tacos?

For fish tacos, you want a white fish that is firm and mild in flavor. For this recipe, we are using cod, but other good options would be tilapia, halibut, or mahi mahi. If you’re not in the mood for fish, shrimp would work great for this recipe too!

Ingredients for Fish Tacos

There are three different components to this recipe – the fish with the ingredients for the breading, the toppings for the tacos, and the items needed to make the fish taco sauce. Here is what you will need…

  • Buttermilk: helps marinate the fish and helps the breading stick to the fish pieces
  • Cod: the fish should be cut into strips that are 1″ by 3″, see section below for choosing good fish
  • Flour: main component for the breading on the fish
  • Seasonings: smoked paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper
  • Peanut Oil: has a neutral flavor, is very affordable and has a high smoke point so that fish cooks quickly
    • TIP: Use corn oil, canola oil or vegetable oil as a substitute if needed.
  • Butter: combines with the oil to pan fry the fish pieces
  • Corn Tortillas: Vista Hermosa brand is our favorite for corn tortillas
    • TIP: If you aren’t a corn tortilla fan, flour tortillas work great too.

Toppings:

  • Green and Purple Cabbage: adds freshness
  • Limes: adds acidity
  • Cilantro: adds flavor and freshness
  • Jalapeno Slices: adds heat
  • Avocado: adds creaminess and flavor

For the Sauce

  • Seasonings: garlic powder and smoked paprika
  • Cilantro: adds flavor and color
  • Mayonnaise: adds creaminess
  • Sour Cream: adds creaminess
  • Lime Juice: adds acidity, fresh limes are always preferred

NOTE: If you want to add some heat to the sauce, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a dash of sriracha sauce.

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card below so keep scrolling for all the details.

How to Choose Good Fish for Fish Tacos

When you are picking out fish for fish tacos, you want it to be firm in texture, and even in color with no darkened areas. It should appear moist

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