I’d like to introduce you to the 3 minute mocktail that I can’t stop making. Over the past year, this has become my most frequently made drink for friends and family. And for what it’s worth? I absolutely love the convenient fun of these deli container drinks too.

There aren’t many things I like more than to sip a fancy drink while chatting with a friend on the porch or late at night while the house is quiet. There’s just something that feels extra special about it. What I don’t love is that feeling the next day, not hungover, don’t get me wrong, just not great. You know? So, I’ve been making most of my favorite cocktails sans the alcohol for a long while now, years in fact. It turns out that the Blackberry Bourbon Smash that everyone enjoys so much is also absolutely delicious without the bourbon and it was the inspiration that finally led me here, through a lovely delicious mocktail path.

Easy Mocktails

I saw a video this past spring making a deli container drink, and it inspired me. You know the kind, like they make at food trucks or at the fair, punching a hole in the lid of a deli container. Don’t worry, I’ll show you how it’s done. Just hold on a moment and stick with me. Anyways, I immediately had to try it.

I was hooked from the first sip, there’s just something extra fun about handing these drinks off to friends when you’re hanging out on the porch or camping in the summer. Over the past few years, I’ve been making more and more alcohol-free drinks, in an attempt to both drink more water and stay more hydrated. Basically adding citrus and mint to everything. Adding a splash of juice to my seltzers. You get the idea.

Well, I’ve hit on a simple Smashed Berry Mocktail that has been a huge hit with family and friends this summer and enough people have asked exactly how I make these drinks, I decided to write up my method for easy mocktails and share it here.

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When it comes to summer grilling, this balsamic chicken marinade is the one I come back to every single time. Made with just a handful of pantry staples, it delivers bold, tangy, savory flavor that works on any cut of chicken and comes together in about two minutes flat.

This balsamic marinade has been years in the making, tweaked and tested until it hit exactly the right balance. Balsamic vinegar brings the tang, olive oil adds richness, garlic gives it depth, and a pinch of sugar ties it all together. That is truly it.

No complicated ingredients, no special equipment, just a ziplock bag and a little time in the fridge. It works beautifully on chicken breasts, thighs, drumsticks, and kabobs, making it the most versatile marinade in my rotation. This is one of my favorite chicken recipes!

Balsamic Chicken Marinade Ingredients

Seven simple ingredients that you almost certainly already have on hand. Here is what each one brings to the marinade:

• Olive Oil: The fat base of the marinade that helps it cling to the chicken and keeps everything juicy and tender on the grill.
• Balsamic Vinegar: The acid component that tenderizes the chicken while adding that rich, tangy, slightly sweet depth of flavor the whole marinade is built around.
• Dijon Mustard: Acts as an emulsifier that helps bind the oil and vinegar together while adding a subtle tangy depth to the overall flavor.
• Honey: Balances the acidity of the vinegar and mustard with natural sweetness and helps create a beautiful caramelized finish when grilled.
• Garlic: Freshly minced garlic adds a bold, savory punch that infuses into the chicken as it marinates.
• Dried Basil: Brings a subtle, herby, Italian-inspired flavor that complements the balsamic beautifully.
• Salt: Seasons the chicken all the way through and enhances every other ingredient in the marinade.
• Black Pepper: Adds a gentle heat and a little bite that keeps the marinade from being one-note.

This recipe uses pantry staples, making it perfect for meal prep or feeding a group. Measurements can be found in the recipe card below. 

How to Make Balsamic Chicken Marinade

This could not be simpler. Here is all it takes:

1. Combine: Add all the ingredients to a ziplock bag or airtight container and mix well.
2. Add: Place the chicken into the bag with the marinade and seal tightly, pressing out as much air as possible.
3. Marinate: Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours for the deepest flavor.
4. Cook: Grill, bake, or pan sear the chicken using your preferred method until cooked through. Using a meat thermometer ensure the chicken reaches an Internal Temperature of 165 F 

The longer the chicken marinates, the d

Satisfy your craving for crispy, cheesy goodness with this delicious corn fritters recipe. Perfect as a side dish or appetizer, these fritters have a crispy exterior and a gooey, flavorful center. Perfect for any occasion!

I love summer! Being warm in the sun and sitting by the pool while the kids play is my happy place (I’m writing this post in the middle of winter so it sounds especially lovely right now!)! I love busting out the grill to make our grilled flank steak or mango salsa grilled chicken. And I love allllllll the summer produce. Fresh tomatoes from the garden (hello, tomato cucumber salad!!) or raspberries straight from the raspberry bush…there’s just nothing better!

All that being said, I’m always trying to find new ways to use that tasty summer harvest. These cheesy corn fritters are my latest obsession for using fresh corn on the cob. Extra bonus…Cade and kids gobbled them up too! We have been eating them as a side dish with all our summer dinner recipes.

Ingredients for Cheesy Corn Fritters

You only need a few household ingredients to make these tasty corn fritters! You won’t believe how quickly they come together. Here is everything you will need:

• Eggs: bind all the ingredients together
• Milk: adds richness and helps form the batter
• Salt: adds flavor
• Cayenne Powder: adds heat and flavor
• Flour: just regular all purpose flour
• Cornmeal: adds corn flavor and helps bind everything together
• Sugar: adds flavor
• Baking Powder: gives the fritters a little fluffiness
• Corn Kernels: adds texture and real corn flavor to the fritters
• Scallions: adds flavor and freshness
• Triple Cheddar Cheese Blend: You could honestly use any cheese you want, but Tillamook’s cheddar cheese blend is our favorite. It adds flavor and that melty gooiness.
• Oil: used for frying the fritters – canola oil or vegetable oil

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Corn Fritters with Cheese

Now that you’ve watched how this corn fritter recipe is made, let me write out the steps for you. These step-by-step instructions will walk you through how to make these tasty fritters that are perfect for an appetizer or as a side dish. Here are the basic steps:

1. Whisk: Combine the eggs, milk, salt and ground cayenne powder in a large bowl and whisk everything together.
2. Combine: Add the flour, c

This crunchy, cheesy Sauteed Cauliflower has me over here make the same side dish on repeat multiple times a month lately. It’s jaw-droppingly easy to pull together, and my boys like it so much they snag pieces right out of the pan.

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that I’m a longtime fan of simple, satisfying, and just downright tasty side dishes that I can throw together on busy nights, and sides like sauteed broccoli and asparagus are often seen on my meal plan.

Sauteed Cauliflower

And this cauliflower? It falls right in line with that: hearty, cheesy, and just plain easy to make. From start to finish, all the prep and cooking for the dish can be done in less than 30 minutes with a minimum of fuss.

I love the contrast of textures in this dish, too. The cheesy cauliflower and crunchy breadcrumbs pair together so well. One of my boys, normally a fierce critic of any dish containing cauliflower, even came back for seconds!

Ingredients and Substitutions

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This quick and simple recipe for creamy baked peach chicken is perfect for a busy weeknight. With the sweet and tangy flavors of fresh peaches and tender chicken, it’s sure to become a family favorite. 

While I was working on our roasted peach chicken recipe, I kept thinking that a creamy baked version would be so good! So I set to work on testing a creamy peach chicken recipe and this is it! It is so delicious and a perfect way to use those juicy summer peaches! We pan sear the chicken first and then let it finish cooking in the oven. It’s so easy!

Last year we ordered our first box of peaches from Pearson Farm, and we will be doing that from now on! Peach season is so short here in Utah and those sweet Georgia peaches are so dang good!

Now don’t get me wrong, I am allllllll about using peaches in sweet dessert recipes! Those are some of absolute faves! Our peach crisp is phenomenal! Then there are the peach cobbler and peach dumplings. I could go on and on, but there is something so unexpectedly delightful about peaches in a savory dish. The peaches really shine in this creamy peach chicken recipe!

Ingredients for Creamy Peach Chicken

This recipe requires ingredients for a chicken marinade, a roasting sauce and a dry chicken rub. There is nothing too fancy or complicated, but everything combined is so tasty. Here is everything you will need:

• Chicken Breasts: We prefer to use bone-in and skin-on chicken breasts for maximum flavor, but often end up using boneless skinless chicken breasts for ease.
• Marinade: Peach Preserves and Heavy Cream
• Roasting Sauce: White Wine Vinegar, Thyme (fresh or dried), Dijon Mustard, Olive Oil, Shallots, Garlic, Sea Salt, Black Pepper and Peaches
• Dry Rub: Chili Powder, Smoked Paprika, Cinnamon, Salt and Pepper

The measurements needed for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Creamy Peach Chicken

If you’re looking for a quick and easy weeknight dinner, then add this chicken recipe to your menu this week! It is full of flavor and simple to make. Here is your step by step guide for making the recipe:

1. Marinate: Add the peach preserves, cream and chicken to a ziploc bag and squish to combine. Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for at least an hour, up to overnight.
2. Prep: When you’re ready to cook it, pull the chicken out of the marinade and save the marinade. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and pat the chicken breasts dry.
3. Rub: Combine all the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl and stir to combine. Rub the chicken all over with the rub mixture.
4. Make the Sauce: Whisk all the ingredients for the sauce together in a separate bowl and set aside.
5. Sear: Heat a large cast