Tag Archives: Melanie Bolke

Cherry Popsicle (Green) Smoothie

19 Jun
Take a trip down Memory Lane with the nostalgic taste of this Cherry Popsicle Smoothie.

Take a trip down Memory Lane with the nostalgic taste of this Cherry Popsicle Smoothie!

I love smoothies! Even after 12 weeks of nothing but soup and smoothies post jaw surgery, I still love smoothies!

I especially enjoy adding all things green to my smoothies. This smoothie tastes like childhood to me – and I promise that you cannot taste the spinach. Your kids won’t even know it’s in there if you don’t tell them. It’s that good!

It’s super-tasty, really easy, and reminds me of fun Michigan summers with lots and lots of cherries!

Cherry Popsicle (Green) Smoothie Recipe

Simply blend the following ingredients in a blender on high for approximately one minute:

–1 cup apple juice

–1 large handful frozen raspberries (don’t skip this – it’s a key ingredient!)

–1 large handful frozen dark cherries

–2 heaping handfuls of fresh baby spinach

Makes ~ one 20 oz. smoothie

Note: I tend to like my smoothies a bit on the runny side. If you prefer a creamier consistency, add 1/2 frozen banana (optional) and/or use less apple juice. You could also dilute the apple juice with water to reduce the amount of sugar.

Looking for more smoothie recipes? Click here.

To your health this summer,

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Thank You Isn’t Enough

27 May

This American flag flies outside my home on Memorial Day as a way to remember.

I pulled up this post I wrote last year with the intent to use this photo again and write something new. After reviewing the post, I realized that it’s exactly what I want to say today as much as it was a year ago…

Around My Home, we fly the American flag on Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and several other times a year. It’s one way we can publicly display gratitude for our troops.

I am able to experience many enjoyable moments during this three-day weekend: grilling in the backyard, getting in some much-needed rest, and spending time with my family. I am able to enjoy these things and relax in relative safety, thanks to the men and women who have fought to defend this country that I love.

My uncle served in the Air Force, my brother was in the National Guard and now serves as a police officer, and my grandfather was a firefighter for more than 20 years. Although I know that the fire department is not part of the military, I always thought of my grandfather as a public defender and patriot.

So, though it doesn’t seem like enough, thank you to the men and women of our military who selflessly protect the freedom that I cherish.

And thank you to the families that love them.

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3 Grilled Chicken Recipes You’ll Love This Summer

9 May
Grilled Stuffed Chicken

Grilled Chicken Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Roasted Red Peppers

Following my grilled teriyaki salmon post a few weeks ago, I had a number of readers ask me to share some tips on how to grill chicken.

Detailed here are three of my favorite go-to grilled chicken recipes:

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken 

Citrus Grilled Chicken

Grilled Chicken Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Roasted Red Peppers

Any of these meals are perfect for summer entertaining or dining al fresco!

1. Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Step-by-Step:

The easiest of the 3 recipes here (though they are all fairly simple), this teriyaki chicken is melt-in-your-mouth tasty and turns out perfectly every time!

The easiest of the 3 recipes here (though they are all fairly simple), this teriyaki chicken is melt-in-your-mouth tasty and turns out perfectly every time!

Instructions:

–Prepare chicken breasts by rinsing and patting dry with a paper towel.

Chicken Prep

–Flatten chicken with meat tenderizing tool and pierce several times with a fork. Flattening the chicken results in more even cooking and a tender taste. Piercing it with a fork before marinating results in more flavor.

Chicken Pounded

–Pour marinade into shallow glass pan and place chicken breasts one at a time in the pan, using a silicone brush to smother the chicken with your marinade.

Same marinade I used for my grilled salmon recipe a few weeks ago. Try their Very Very Teriyaki, too!

Same marinade I used for my grilled salmon recipe a few weeks ago. Try their Very Very Teriyaki, too!

–Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Drench chicken with marinade in a glass dish and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

–Heat grill to ~400.

–Cook chicken on one side for ~5-7 minutes, flip and cook on remaining side for 3-5 minutes, depending on how well-done you like your chicken.

–Serve with steamed broccoli and brown rice, or pick your favorite sides!

2. Citrus Grilled Chicken, Step-by-Step:

Citrus Grilled Chicken

Instructions:

Continue reading →

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Dinner Tonight: Teriyaki Salmon on The Grill

5 Apr
Don't be afraid to cook fish! A simply seasoned salmon fillet on the grill is healthy, delicious, and super-easy!

Don’t be afraid! A simply seasoned salmon fillet on the grill is healthy, delicious, and super-easy.

We’ve invited family over for dinner tonight and we’ll be enjoying the salmon pictured here, a scrumptious salad, and some amazing grilled pears.

GRILLED SALMON RECIPE:

–Place salmon fillets (I prefer Wild) skin-side down on a piece of aluminum foil, large enough to wrap up the edges and create a “foil boat” for the fish.

–Smother the salmon with your marinade of choice, close up the foil boat at the top, and refrigerate for ~30 mins, or a maximum of 1 hour (unlike beef or poultry, fish begins to degrade if left in marinade for too long).

Try their Very Very Teriyaki, too!

Soy Vay makes some great-tasting marinades. Island Teriyaki is what I’m using tonight (pictured here). Try their Very Very Teriyaki, too!

–Pre heat grill to ~400

–Brush grill grates with canola oil

–Remove salmon from foil boats and brush the fish lightly with canola oil. Place on grill, skin-side up for ~3 mins

–While salmon is still on grill, brush the skin with oil and carefully flip the fillet(s)

–Cook skin side down for 5-7 mins depending on thickness of the fish. Salmon should be close to opaque all the way through once fully cooked and flake easily.

–Remove salmon from the grill and serve with The Only Salad You’ll Ever Need To Make.

The simple toss of a few ingredients in a light olive oil dressing will cause your guests to rave!

The simple toss of a few ingredients in a light olive oil dressing will cause your guests to rave!

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The Origin of Spring Cleaning: Passover

13 Mar
Spring Cleaning Broom

I imagine my ancestors scurrying about with oil lamps and brooms, removing all traces of yeast from their homes in preparation for the Passover week.

Every Spring, a number of Jews and Christians observe Passover as a reminder of their ancestors’ exodus from Egypt.

In celebrating this annual holiday, one of the instructions outlined in Chapter 12 of the Book of Exodus is to rid our homes of all yeast for the duration of the week-long festival.

I consider myself an Hebraic Roots Christian, so we’ve been observing Passover Around My Home for several years now.

Each year I seek to find and get rid of all the yeast products and each year I inevitably miss something. In the freezer. The pantry. Even my son’s diaper bag.

I begin to take inventory of our food items about a month prior to Passover, in an effort to consume what we can beforehand. While clearing our home of yeast products, I’m always surprised to find yeast (also known as leavening) in products I didn’t expect to. I even discovered it in one of our favorite barbecue sauces one year!

Barbecue sauce?

The annual lesson for me is how hard it is to both find and get rid of the yeast. In Scripture, yeast symbolizes sin.

It’s hard to identify, spreads easily, is difficult to get rid of, and too often tastes delicious!

Sound familiar?

Continue reading →

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Ladybug Hunting

27 Feb
Sweet Little Ladybug On My Julia Child Rosebush.

Sweet Little Ladybug On My Julia Child Rosebush.

As much as i like this shrub, it's got to go. It attracts too many wasps and horseflies close to the house.

This shrub has got to go. It attracts too many wasps and horseflies close to the house.

The shrub pictured at left attracts far too many wasps and horseflies, so it’s coming out tomorrow. In its place, my beloved mandarin orange tree will take up new residence.

Trouble is, this Japanese Yew has also been serving as home to a large family of ladybugs. As any gardener knows, ladybugs are wonderful outdoor friends. Not only are they delightfully cute, but they also devour menacing pests such as aphids, which commonly wreak havoc upon roses, hydrangeas, and other beautiful plants.

So this morning, I took my son ladybug hunting. He is almost two now and completely fascinated by these delightful creatures. Our goal was to capture as many as we could find before they are evicted tomorrow. We plan to relocate them elsewhere in our garden by week’s end. With temperatures in the low 40’s, the ladybugs were dormant, so it was the perfect time to catch them. I captured at least two dozen and placed them in a clear plastic container with small air holes, which I immediately transferred to the refrigerator. The refrigerator maintains the same temperature the ladybugs were being exposed to outside. This approach does not harm the ladybugs and will keep them asleep for a couple of days until the weather warms again.

Later this week, I will release the ladybugs into my rose garden, which I hope will be a happy new home for them.

If you’re wondering how to attract ladybugs to your garden, you can actually purchase them at some plant nurseries. They will likely be refrigerated when you acquire them and may even look dead, but they’re not. They are simply asleep. In fact, they may start moving around as they start to warm up. When you get home, immediately place the ladybugs in the refrigerator until you’re ready to release them. The best time to release ladybugs is dusk, since they don’t travel at night. If you release them during the day, they may leave your yard in search of food and may not return.

Looking for more outdoor tips this Spring? Take a look at my Quick-Start Guide to Gardening in 5 Easy Steps.

Happy Outdoor Living!

P.S. Happy 48th Anniversary, Mom and Dad! I love you!

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Paper Or Plastic? It’s Illegal In Austin, Texas

13 Feb
shopping-bag

Remember to bring your re-usable shopping bags with you if you live in or visit Austin!

Beginning March 1st, both residents and visitors in Austin, Texas will be subject to Ordinance No. 20120301-78. The new mandate prohibits business establishments from providing single-use, carryout bags to customers.

There are 3 reasons I don’t like the new ordinance:

1. Austin is a destination city. We have many visitors, some of whom may shop at a grocery store while visiting our city. If they don’t think to pack re-usable grocery bags in their carry-on luggage, they will be subject to an “emergency” surcharge of $1 in order to carry out their groceries.

2. Most of the people who walk their dogs in our neighborhood are responsible pet owners who clean up their dog’s waste. What do they use? Plastic grocery bags. I’m concerned that the new inconvenience will result in an increase in the amount of pet waste I’ll have to clean up in my front yard to keep my little boy from picking it up to play with it, or worse…

3. We use both the paper and plastic bags more than once Around My Home. We use the plastic bags as lunch bags, diaper-changing bags on the go, and trash bags. We use paper bags for yard clippings, composting, weed control under mulch, instant coloring pages for my toddler, and bringing meals to friends.

I like many of the services that the City of Austin provides, such as residential recycling service, and I do my part to participate in such programs and be responsible.

I know that there are many people who support this new ordinance. I’m just not one of them.

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