With school back in session, there are a lot of lunches to be made. So, to avoid the PB+J on repeat, I came up with 3 make-ahead salad’s in a jar that use one rotisserie chicken. Last week we all ate these yummy salads for lunch. Today I’m ready to make another batch so that we can avoid another week of boring, unhealthy lunches.

It’s hard to pick a favorite –  Asian Chicken Salad, Pesto Caprese Chicken Salad and Curry Chicken Salad give you lots of flavor options.

You can find all three of these recipes over on eHow today!

Curry Chicken Salad

Asian Chicken Salad

Pesto Caprese Chicken Salad

Making these salads ahead of time sure save me a lot of time in the mornings. Do you have any other morning time-saving tips or ideas? I’d love to hear.

I had so much fun creating a fun sweet and spicy ‘Night Cereal’ a couple weeks ago. The Chocolate Chipotle Granola is gone and I might have single handedly eaten it all by myself. So when got milk?, CA Milk challenged me to create another savory twist on cereal and milk for a fun night snack or even meal, I was ready for another challenge.

This was a easy flavor choice our family. One of our favorite things to eat is curry, especially coconut curry. This latest savory cereal recipe is another sweet and spicy combination. The heat of a little curry is balanced with sweet mangos and pineapple. Olivia, my youngest, is always ready to help in the kitchen. And I find that if kids help with cooking and prepping meals they are more likely to eat whats put before them. She loves measuring the stirring so I happily took the help.

We’ve survived the first couple of weeks of school, but we have a crazy week ahead of us. With sports, band, church activities, and homework I know there is going to be an evening when this savory cereal is going to hit the spot as a late night snack or even dinner that my kids can grab for themselves.  Curry Coconut Cashew Granola

• 3 cups of rolled oats
• 1 cup of dried coconut
• 1 cup cashews
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 2 1/2 tbsp. curry powder
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom
• 1/4 cup dried pineapple (chopped)
• 1/4 cup cup dried mango (chopped)

In a small pot, combine the coconut oil, honey, sugar, curry powder, cumin, salt and cardamom. Warm over medium high heat until the sugar and honey dissolve. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl combine the oats, coconut, cashews. Pour the melted honey and coconut oil mixture over the oat mixture. Stir till all the ingredients are wet.

Pour the granola onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.Spread out on the sheet evenly. Bake in a 325 F oven for about 25 mins, stirring the mixture halfway through the baking time. Then add the pineapple and mango pieces and bake 5 mins. more.

Cool completely and then break apart the bigger clusters of granola. Store in an airtight container. Serve with cold milk or use as a yogurt or ice cream topping.This post is brought to you by got milk? (Food loves milk!) Thank you for supporting the companies that help make this blog possible. 

I love a challenge, so when got milk?, CA Milk challenged me to create a savory twist on cereal and milk for a fun night snack or even meal, I knew this would be right up my alley. I already love food with an unexpected twist. I’m the girl that’s always going to order the weirdest thing on the menu. For my ‘night cereal’ recipe, I quizzed my kids on some of their favorite flavor combinations. One of their favorite treats is these Chocolate Chipotle Donuts – we all love that rich chocolatey flavor with a touch of heat. So, I came up with a sweet, spicy and crunchy granola that my whole family loves – Chocolate Chipotle Granola.

Cereal is a perfect late night snack or even dinner on a busy evening (yep, I’m that mom once in a while). Sometimes, when I have a lot on my plate or we have a million after school activities, my big kids just have to fend-for-themselves when it comes to dinner. With one in high school, one in middle school and one in kindergarten, our family is BUSY! Some evenings we aren’t all home at the same time. This yummy granola is a great dinner option for kiddos who get home late after cross country or marching band. All of my kids are pretty adventurous when it comes to food. So, having a gourmet twist on a breakfast staple works in our house.   Don’t be intimidated, granola is one of the easiest things you can make. And once you make one batch, you’ll be coming back to bake more. It’s important to me to know what’s going into my food. This homemade granola is full of fiber and protein and really doesn’t have very much sugar at all. Served with ice cold milk, this cereal is really makes a filling and nutritious meal.

Chocolate Chipotle Granola

• 3 cups rolled oats (not the quick cooking type)
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. ground chipotle pepper
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds
• 1/4 pepitas
• 2 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 1/4 coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup raw sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

In a small pot, combine the coconut oil, honey and sugar. Warm over medium high heat until the sugar and honey dissolve. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla.

In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients (the first 7).  Stir to combine.  Pour the melted honey and coconut oil mixture over the oat mixture. Stir till all the ingredients are wet.Pour the granola onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.Spread out on the sheet evenly. Bake in a 325 F oven for about 25-30 mins, stirring the mixture halfway through the baking time.

Cool completely and then break apart the bigger clusters of granola. Store in an airtight container. Serve with cold milk or use as a yogurt or ice cream topping.I love this combination of sweet with a little heat. Late night snacking just got a whole lot better in the McConnel house.

This post is brought to you by got milk? (Food loves milk!) Thank you for supporting the companies that help make this blog possible. 

I love a portable treat! And hand pies are pretty much the cutest snack out their right now. Move over cupcakes and macarons, I think hand pies are the next hot item. I love that they are so versatile and can be either a sweet dessert or a savory, hand-held meal (like these Buffalo Chicken and Blue Cheese Hand Pies).

Peaches are ripe and in-season and do you get anymore quintessential Summer dessert then a peach pie? I love playing with fruits and herbs together. Woodsy thyme and sweet, juicy peaches are a perfect pairing in these yummy Peach Thyme Hand Pies.

Head over to ehow for this easy-to-follow recipe.

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Yep, you read that right, just two ingredients to make the sweet and creamy sorbet. While I don’t have any tropical vacations planned (boo), I can enjoy the taste of the tropics with this yummy Pina Colada Sorbet. And if you serve it in a coconut, it’s sure to taste like an island getaway.

Sunday is National Pina Colada Day, so we will be whipping up another batch of this right away. Pina Colada Sorbet

• 3 cups pineapple juice
• 1 1/2 cups cream of coconut

In a bowl, combine the pineapple juice and cream of coconut. Whisk together well. Chill for a couple hours. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the directions on your machine. This took about 20 mins to freeze. Note: It does not freeze as solid as ice cream.  Remove from ice cream maker and freeze in an air tight container over night.

Serve scoops in coconut shells and garnish with a couple leaves from the top of a pineapple.

This is an easy 2:1 ratio recipe.  2 parts pineapple juice to 1 part cream of coconut. So, you can make as much or as little as you like. The recipe serves 4-6 people. 

If you are a fan of sorbet, you might like these recipes as well:

• Ginger Mint Watermelon Sorbet
• Grapefruit Mint Sorbet
• White Nectarine Mint Sorbet
• Frozen Lemon Mint Sweet Tea

(I guess I have a thing for mint in sorbet.)P.S. I’m sorry for the lack of posts this week. This whole house move is time and energy consuming. Thanks for sticking with me.  I’ve got lots of fun stuff headed your way very soon.

As promised, here are a couple yummy grilled corn on the cob recipes you’ll definitely want to try. I teamed up with West Elm to put together this post, so you can find the Parmesan Thyme recipe on their blog today. And here’s my new favorite way to eat corn, Coconut Curry Grill Corn. Coconut Curry Grilled Corn on the Cob

• 6 ears of corn, husked
• 3/4 cup of olive oil mayo
• 2 tbsp. curry powder
• 1/2 cup finely shredded coconut

In a bowl, mix the curry powder and mayo. Coat each ear of corn with a generous amount of the mayo mixture.  Wrap the corn in foil and place on a high heat grill.  Grill for about 10 minutes total, rotating the corn every couple of minutes.  Remove from the grill when the corn is golden and just a little charred in places.  Roll each cob in the coconut.Instead of the traditional red, white and blue, I chose to set the table with subtle pink and a touch of red. Napkins // Table // Plates // Butter Dish // Bowl 

Have a fun and safe Independence Day weekend friends!

Yep, it’s about time we had another mocktail recipe, and just in time for the 4th of July weekend. This smooth, mellow lemonade does sport a little blue of the red, white and blue. So, let’s just call it festive.

Local friends, if you are a fan of a fun mocktail or cocktail, join me this Saturday, June 2nd from 2-4pm at World Market here in Bakersfield.  I’ll be there demonstrating some fun patriotic mocktails just in time for the holiday weekend.  It’s a free event, and I’d love to meet you.  Let’s hang out and I’d happily help you shop! If you don’t live in Bakersfield, be sure to contact your local store, there might be a blogger hosting an event like this at yours as well!While we were in Canada, I had the yummiest bourbon vanilla lemonade at a fun sandwich shop in Edmonton. I knew it was a flavor I needed to replicate. The blueberries and vanilla add a smooth layer to a normally tart, bright flavor of lemons. The combination is a winner! This one is adult and kid tested and everyone in my house definitely approves. Blueberry Bourbon Vanilla Lemonade

• 2 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. bourbon vanilla
• 1-2 tsp. simple syrup
• 1/2 a bottle Original Blueberry New York Seltzer
• crushed ice
• blueberries

In the bottom on the glass, add the lemon juice, vanilla, simple syrup, a few blueberries and stir. Add a generous amount of crushed ice. Then top with blueberry seltzer and stir once more. Garnish with a slice of lemon. 

If you are local, I hope I see you this Saturday at World Market.

With Summer just around the corner, it’s time to eat outside and cook on the grill.  Is jam packed with recipes. I’ve got two tropical kabob recipes and a really yummy Pineapple Couscous Salad recipe as well.

Cost Plus World Market is one of my favorite places to shop and it’s not always for their gorgeous furniture, or unique global home decor, it’s for their awesome food section. I always find something interesting and new when I wonder the aisles. I’ve come up with some fun tropical themed recipes using some of World Market’s ingredients.

I’m a huge sucker for a fancy soda. And Lemon Lime Bitters is one of my all time favorite drinks. When I throw a small, casual dinner party, bottle drinks can be fun to serve. They feel special and add a little color and interest to the table as well.

We just got a huge upgrade with our brand new outdoor dining table. Our talented friend Jayson, welded and powdered coated the legs for this 12 foot long table. (If you are local and in the market for a table, send him a message for sure.) The top is gorgeous barn wood from my husband’s family farm. I can’t wait to have a bunch of folks over to dinner. I think we are going to be able to fit a lot of people at this table.

Pineapple Couscous Salad

• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup Tri Color Couscous
• 1 whole pineapple, reserve 1 cup of the fruit
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. curry powder
• 2 tsp. grainy mustard
• 2 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 3 tbsp. olive oil

Bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add the couscous, cover and remove from the heat. Allow the couscous to sit for 5 minutes. Then fluff with a fork and chill in the fridge.

Cut the pineapple in half and remove all the fruit. Set aside 1 cup of the fruit and finely chop (the rest of the pineapple can be used for the Chicken Kabobs below). In a bowl, whisk together the curry powder, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper and olive oil.  Pour over the chilled couscous. Stir in the onion, pineapple and cilantro. Serve in the 2 pineapple halves.

Mango Coconut Pork Kabobs

• 2 lb pork tenderloin (cut into 1 inch cubes)
• 1 cup Mango Coconut Grilling Sauce (plus more for dipping)
• 1 tbsp. Minced Lemongrass
• 1/4 cup fine shred coconut
• 1-2 mangos cubed
• red onion, sliced

In a bowl place the pork, Mango Coconut Grilling Sauce and Lemongrass. Allow to marinate at least 2 hours. Place the pork, mango and red onion on wooden skewers. Grill for at least 5 minutes on each side or until the meat is cooked through. Serve with more Mango Coconut Grilling Sauce for dipping.

Chicken Satay Kabobs

• 3-4 large chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut in 1 inch cubes)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. minced ginger
• 1 tbsp. garlic finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. mince lemongrass
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1 tbsp. chili flakes
• Peanut Satay Sauce
• 1 red bell pepper cut into large pieces
• 1 cup of pineapple cubed

Combine the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, honey, and chili flakes in a bowl. Mix and add chicken. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 2 hours. Remove from the marinade and alternate chicken, pineapple and bell pepper pieces on wooden skewers.  Brush the Peanut Satay Sauce on each kabob. Grill for about 5 minutes on each side. Serve with more Peanut Satay Sauce for dipping.

A big thanks to World Market for providing the ingredients to make these fun recipes. Thanks for supporting the companies that help make this blog possible. 

And don’t miss World Market’s Sweepstakes happening now! 

Grand Prize Package: Getaway for 4 to a beach house in Maui, Hawaii (5 nights/6 days – airfare and accommodations), $1,000 World Market gift card, Plus, 5 First Prizes: $500 World Market gift card (Sweepstakes ends 6/17/16).