Pesto Croutons

 Last week while traveling to New Orleans, I had a delicious salad from Stanley on Saint
Ann Street (Jackson Square). It was a mixed green salad with pesto croutons and roasted
pine nuts and the croutons were so good I knew I had to try to make them at home.

Walnut Pesto

Summer is my absolute favorite time of year!
I love the warm temperatures, hanging out with friends at our pool, wearing flip flops every chance I get and eating lots of fresh fruits and veggies.

I also love having fresh herbs right outside my kitchen door!

My basil has been doing pretty well, so I decided to make some pesto. 
I hardly ever use pine nuts and didn't have any around, so I decided to try walnut pesto.
I think I will make it this way from now on!
It was delish on my pesto baked salmon with couscous and veggies!

This recipes makes a small batch, but it was perfect for just the hubby and me.
Feel free to double the recipe if you need more.

Walnut Pesto

1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
4 T freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove
juice of half of a fresh lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Pulse basil and walnuts together in a food processor.
Add the garlic and olive oil and pulse again.
Add parmesan cheese, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Pulse just until blended.
Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides and pulse a few more times.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Recipe from Kiss My Spatula

Cinnamon Honey Butter

Don't you just love the yummy butter they serve with the rolls at Texas Roadhouse. 
So sweet and delish!
Now you can make it at home for yourself or put it in a cute little mason jar and give some to your friends :)

Cinnamon Honey Butter
1/4 lb. unsalted butter, softened
3 T honey
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. kosher salt

Combine honey, butter, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl.
Mix until all ingredients are combined.
Spread on warm rolls and enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Butter

Thanks to my friend JoAnn who left a can of Libby's Pumpkin on my door step, I was finally able to bake some pumpkin muffins!  I had searched pretty much every grocery store around town and couldn't find it for weeks, but JoAnn came to my rescue.  What a friend!  I'll even have some left over to add to my oatmeal this week - so good.

These muffins are great by themselves, but the cinnamon cream cheese butter makes them even better.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Recipe from Nest of Posies

1 2/3 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 T pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup Libby's pure pumpkin
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 cup chocolate chips

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together.  Mix wet ingredients into another bowl,
Combine all ingredients and add chocolate chips.
Scoop into lined muffin tins with an ice cream scoop.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Butter

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 T butter, softened
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 T confectioners sugar

Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth.  Add cinnamon and confectioners sugar.
Beat until all ingredients are combined.

Spread onto muffins and eat - YUM!

Linking To:
Made By You Mondays

Fresh Garden Salsa

I stole some tomatoes from my parents garden when they weren't home.
Shhh....don't tell.
Oh yeah - my mom reads my blog - busted!
Hi mom - hope you don't mind :)

You see....I was in a salsa kind of mood and I already had the jalapeno peppers from my own container garden and I had the onion (from a previous theft - ha ha) and why pay for tomatoes when your own parents have a million of them.  Seriously....they do! 

Anyway, I took my stolen goods and made some awesome salsa. 
It was so easy - give it a try :)

Fresh Garden Salsa

3 tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1/2 cup onion, diced fine
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
1/3 cup chopped,  fresh cilantro
1 tsp. salt
juice of one lime

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
Place in the fridge for at least one hour for the flavors to combine.
Serve with multi-grain tortilla chips - yum!

Note - To easily peel tomatoes, place them in boiling water for about 20-30 seconds and then put them in ice water for a few seconds more.  The skin peels right off.
To remove the seeds, cut the tomato in half and give it a little squeeze over the sink. 
Then scoop out the rest with a spoon.