Before I get to food links, I have two things to share with you that I’m loving.

First off, I started wearing Birks. As in Birkenstocks, specifically the Gizeh sandals. I received them as a gift last fall at a Ladies’ Home Journal event but didn’t start wearing them, despite my sister-in-law Hannah who works in fashion in NYC telling me that people were totally wearing them again. Then I bought a standing desk and my feet started hurting from standing so much and then I pulled out the fancy new Birks and THEN I FELL IN LOVE. Just thought I should let you know. My feet never hurt when I wear these. Plus, they’re actually kinda cute.

Second, a new company started by a mom contacted me about trying out their product, the Kupp’. My kids are absolutely loving it! I love that they are made out of glass, given my goal to phase out plastic as much as possible from our lives, but the silicone sleeve makes them very kid-friendly. And my kids love having their very own cup to be responsible for. They basically haven’t used anything else for two weeks!

Here’s my post on Babble this week. My kids and I were supposed to try a Disney recipe out and report on how it went. The popsicles are made from non-fat, plain yogurt, bananas and blueberries with just a bit of honey. I honestly didn’t think my kids would like the popsicles that much, but I was so wrong. They loved them! This is a great recipe for kids:

• 3 Kids, a Mom, & a Kitchen: Sofia’s Magic Amulet Frozen Yogurt Popsicles

And food fun on Cosmo:

• 15 Perfect Peach Recipes You Need to Try This Summer
• 15 Incredible Three-Ingredient Desserts
• 12 Unexpected Ways to Use Peanut Butter
• 10 Amazing Ice Cream Sandwiches You Must Try This Summer

As always, please share anything you like!

The last night we were in New Hampshire this summer we were planning to build a fire and make s’mores. But then we got lazy and didn’t feel like doing the whole fire thing. But we did still feel like doing the whole s’more thing, especially since we had amazing chocolate bark and homemade coconut marshmallows from the Granite State Candy Shoppe that needed to be s’morified stat.

I was suggesting that maybe we just microwave a few s’mores. This does not make for the very best s’mores in the world but the technique works when you find yourself in a s’more emergency, which I’m sure happens all the time. My sister-in-law Hannah, however, suddenly had a stroke of genius, and that genius was quickly named the S’Morrito (she’s good with words like that). The grill was still fired up from dinner and she figured wrapping s’mores up in foil (s’mores that look like burritos…s’morritos…get it?) and throwing them on the grill should work pretty well. It actually worked great.

Not only is this a great way to make s’mores, but it’s an especially great way to serve s’mores at a party. Here’s what I recommend:

• Set up a s’mores bar, complete with graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows, as well as a bunch of pieces of aluminum foil and a Sharpee marker.
• Everyone then makes their own s’mores, wraps the uncooked s’mores in foil and puts their initials on the foil with the marker.
• Put all of the completed s’morritos on the grill and, voila, s’mores everyone can enjoy at the same time!

As for the taste, I’m sure some of you have questions. Yes, s’morritos taste good. Yes, the warmed graham cracker is actually totally and completely wonderful. Yes, the marshmallow gets a little browned on the edges even in the foil. Yes, your s’mores will be totally gooey but who cares because they’re supposed to be. Yes, the marshmallow and chocolate heat very evenly. Yes, I may never make s’mores the old way again. (Fair warning: the s’mores are hot and super gooey when you first take them off the grill. If you let them cool for 5-10 minutes, they become less so.)

S'Morritos!

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

6 mins

Total time

11 mins

 

S'Mores on the Grill - a great way to serve s'mores to a crowd!

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

• Graham crackers
• Chocolate of your choice (I've stopped buying Hershey's bars and we use Dove chocolates now - it's just that much better. And, if you really want to go gourmet, buy some super fancy chocolate like we did in NH. It's kind of amazing.)
• Marshmallows
• Foil

Instructions

1. Heat grill on low. (If you want to try this in your oven, go for around 400º F)
2. Place graham cracker on the center of a piece of aluminum foil. Layer with chocolate then marshmallow then another graham cracker. Wrap carefully so you don't break the crackers inside.
3. Place on grill chocolate side UP, close grill lid and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Open grill, flip s'morritos then cook for another 2-3 more minutes. (Experiment with the time based on how hot your individual grill gets.)
4. Remove from grill, unwrap and dig in.
5. The s'morritos are especially gooey when it comes to s'mores since everything is warm and melted. You can dig in right away, but you've been warned. If you let them cool for 5-10 minutes, they may be a bit more manageable. If you decide to eat them hot off the grill, be sure to lift them out of the foil by lifting from the bottom so as to avoid squishing all the good stuff out before you even take a bite!

3.2.2708

Hello! I seriously can’t believe it’s time to plan another menu. This summer is going by too quickly!

Let’s just get to it today!

MONDAY:
– Chicken Tortilla Soup

TUESDAY:
– Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe (thanks for the link, Bonnie!)
– Sauteed summer vegetable medley

WEDNESDAY:
– Chicken Caesar Wraps with fresh fruit

THURSDAY:
– Leftovers

FRIDAY:
– Cheeseburgers on the grill
– Watermelon and a side salad

SATURDAY:
– Take out night
– Cate is going to the Sara Bareilles concert with me, her first concert!

SUNDAY:
– Waffles
– Fresh fruit

Click here for the free printable of this week’s menu plus the shopping list!

As usual, please pretty please with a delicious summer cherry on top share your menu for the week! 

Happy Friday! Happy August!

I don’t have anything particularly awesome to share today because I just spent three hours getting new tires on my car. Because I drove over a construction tool on the way home from the beach on Wednesday. And, you know what? As much as it all was completely inconvenient and expensive, I never freaked out. I remained surprisingly calm. On a related note, a few nights ago I got pulled over for not stopping completely at a stop sign and, again, was calm and collected. My friend Barbara said I was “cool as a cucumber.” (In the end no ticket, luckily!) So, I guess my big share today is that maybe I’m getting a little more zen than I used to be. Maybe. I am trying. Because, honestly, even when the crappy stuff happens, what do I have to complain about? I got to hang out with my kids this week, work at jobs I love, go to the beach, look at stuffed animals (literally) at the natural history museum with little people who for some reason just really love taxidermy. It’s all good, popped tires and all.

Okay, time for some fun food links!

On Babble, my kids and I tried another one of the Dishes by Disney recipes:

• 3 Kids, a Mom & a Kitchen: Spicy Veggie Chips and Popcorn Party Mix

And all kinds of yumminess on Cosmo:

• 10 Amazing Ice Cream Sandwiches You Must Try This Summer
• 21 Charming Ways to Use Cinnamon
• 13 Genius Spiked Popsicles
• 12 Flawless Ice Cream Cakes You Need to Make This Summer

Please share your own thoughts/links/blog posts/accomplishments/anything!