Easy Strawberry Shortcake

I'm so glad Kristine introduced me to this easy, yummy dessert all those years ago :)

It's the perfect summer dessert because it uses up all those perfect summer strawberries. I LOVE summer fruit. This shortcake is so easy and yummy- everyone I've ever made it for LOVES it.

All she does is follow the instructions on the side of the Bisquick box for the shortcake, but instead of making individual ones, she puts the dough into an 8x8 pan and tops it with the sugar. Then when it's done baking, you slice pieces. It's much faster and easier. Fill with sugared strawberries and FRESH whipped cream for a super yummy dessert. I feel like all of the guys I've served this to especially love it.

Easy Taco Salad

Every week I ask my husband what he wants for dinner, and every week he says "taco salad". It's kind of become a joke because I feel like it's such a random thing to crave all the time. I don't make it every week, but I try to fit it in as much as my taste allows. It's a super easy and fast dinner, and it's completely customizable which is good for us because we like a lot of different toppings!

Here's some things you need for 2 servings:
1 head Romaine, chopped small (or any leafy green. Spinach works too)
1/2 pound of Ground beef, cooked and drained (we eat everything cool on the salad, not hot)
1/2 can each Kidney and pinto beans, drained and rinsed (I freeze what we don't use for the next time)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Handful of crunched up tortilla chips on top
We top our salads with either a dollop of sour cream or homemade ranch dressing
I've also added olives, chopped tomatoes or salsa, cilantro, limes, diced onion or green onion and avocado!

The meat and beans are hidden underneath!

We pile everything up in a big bowl and top each salad with our favorite things. It's a fun dinner especially for guests, I think, because you get to pick and choose your toppings. Hope you enjoy!

Pot Roast- In the Crock Pot!

I think one of everyone's favorite Sunday meals is the trusty pot roast and vegetables. It was a common smell on Sunday afternoons when we got home from church. My favorite part was always the yummy, tender veggies. I think I thought it was a difficult dish to make, when really it takes less than ten minutes to get it all in the pot and cooking! I heart crock pot meals. I especially love buying a bigger piece of meat on sale for a meal like this and then I use the leftovers for one or more meal remixes. I turned this leftover meat into yummy fried shredded beef tacos.

Here's what you need:
Serves at least 4 people (just two of us ate this and I had a ton of leftovers)
3-4 pound chuck roast (depending on the size of your crock pot)
3 non baking potatoes (I really prefer the creaminess of yukon gold)
Half a red onion
1 cup baby carrots
Big handful of green beans, stems cut off
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon season salt
All I did was put the roast on the bottom of the pot, put the season salt on it, then threw in the veggies, potatoes and onion cut into big chunks and everything else thrown in on top. Then I covered them in the seasonings and salt and pepper. You can add other seasonings if there's a flavor you prefer- These are just the seasonings we like here. I put the top on, put it on high for four hours (or you can do low for six or more hours). When we ate, the meat was SO tender, the veggies were perfect and not overdone or soggy. I took some of the juice at the bottom of the crock pot, ladled it into a pot on the stove and simmered it on low to reduce it a bit for a quick pan gravy. Make sure to taste it for seasonings because I added a little more salt. Serve the meat with the veggies and top it off with a little of the gravy. It's an all in one meal pretty much. All it needs is a little bread on the side. I think this dinner is fancy enough for Sunday dinner but simple enough for a weeknight meal, like we had it last week. Yum!