By Amanda from The Best Mom On The Block

I am a coffee addict. Have been since I was five and my grandma started sharing her morning pot with me (more cream and sugar than coffee but it did the trick!). There’s nothing I love more than the smell of coffee brewing, and my hands wrapped around a big mug first thing in the morning is the best way to start my day. I curl up in my husband’s chair sipping and checking my social media accounts as my kids sleepily watch cartoons and play. (Sounds idyllic doesn’t it? It’s more “chaotic” than that but the coffee helps with the rose colored glasses!)

When the temperatures outside start to creep up I love to trade in my hot mug for a cold glass of iced coffee. I refuse to pay coffee chain prices for my daily fix (or three) so I started making a big pitcher at home to enjoy whenever I want! It’s pennies a glass and just as yummy as any glass you can get at a coffee shop. Slightly sweet and indulgently creamy, this iced coffee will be the perfect start to your day.

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By Jennifer Howard from Chasing the Firefly

My two youngest children began going to school long enough this year to require a lunch. These two are the picky eaters of the family. One lives on air and Pixy Stix, the other would be happy drinking milk all day long. I knew I would have to be a little more creative when making their lunches. I decided that making Bento Box lunches would work perfectly.

There are many reasons why I chose to make Bento lunches but the biggest reasons would be:

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These are very simple chicken kebabs with a bit of zing from cumin and oregano.  Serve them with orzo, rice or couscous. The tzatziki is by no means essential to the success of the dish, but adds extra interest and helps the chicken and any starch you serve it with co-mingle deliciously. The salting, rinsing and squeezing of the cucumber is an added step, and if you find it annoying, skip it. The tzatziki will be a bit thinner from the liquid in the cucumber, but other than that, no real harm done.

Lemony Yogurt Marinated Chicken Kebabs
Serves 4 to 6

• 2 large lemons, washed
• 1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons finely minced shallots
• Coarse or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup minced fresh oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless thighs or breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

1. Cut one lemon in half, and each half into 6 wedges. Then cut the wedges crosswise so that you have 24 small pieces of lemon. Pick out any pits. Zest the other lemon and squeeze and strain the juice; you should have about 1 1/2 tablespoons juice.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the yogurt, shallots, salt and pepper, lemon zest and juice, oregano and cumin.  Stir to combine.
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Makes 6 burgers

If your kids don’t like their burgers with a lot of punch you can separate out some of the meat, and season them with less of the spice mix, about a ½ teaspoon or so per handful of meat, so that the burgers have more interest, but aren’t too spicy

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 ½ pounds ground chuck (about 80% lean)
• Sliced Monterey Jack or Provolone cheese (optional)
• 6 hamburger buns to serve, toasted if desired
• Condiments, sliced tomatoes, lettuce to serve (optional)

1. In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, paprika, dry mustard, cumin, coriander, oregano, salt, pepper, and cayenne.
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Serves 4

How often do you buy a bunch or herbs (or two or three) for a recipe, and later that week find the remainder of those herbs laying listlessly in the vegetable drawer, with only days to live?  It’s so aggravating to less them go to waste, but sometimes you’re not in the mood to be hyper-creative about finding ways to use them up.

This is a simple, versatile recipe that allows you to turn most any kind of fresh herb into an uncooked sauce for dinner, kind of like an herb pesto, without the nuts.  I served it over sliced chicken breasts, but it certainly would work over fish and seafood or pork, or even beef. If you have an herb garden, you can keep trying different combos all summer long.  This is nice served with orzo, couscous or rice.

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup or so mixed fresh herb leaves, such as basil, thyme, oregano, marjoram and parsley
• Coarse or kosher and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing the chicken
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

1. Preheat the grill to medium (or preheat the broiler).  Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and gri or broil for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until cooked through.  Let the chicken breasts sit for 3 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, combine the herbs, salt and pepper, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice and puree until completely combined.

3. Slice the chicken attractively on the bias, and drizzle/dollop the herbs sauce over the fanned out slices.  Serve warm, or at room temperature.

A simple pasta salad recipe is one of those things everyone needs all summer long.  This one is very easy, super portable, and kid-friendly while still a bit sophisticated.  The capers add a little salty punch, but if you don’t mention them to the little ones, they probably won’t notice.  Add more of those, and more red pepper flakes, if you want a bigger kick, and add diced cooked chicken or cooked shrimp if you want to make it more of a main dish.

• 3 cups roughly chopped broccoli
• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1. Bring a very large pot of water to a boil  Add a couple of tablespoons of salt, return to a boil, and cook the pasta according to package directions, until just al dente.  About 2 minutes before the pasta is tender, add the chopped broccoli.  Drain when both the pasta and the broccoli are just tender, and rinse with cold water.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, rice vinegar, mustard, onion, capers, salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes if using.  Turn the rinsed pasta and broccoli into the bowl, and use a rubber spatula (or your clean hands) to mix everything together until the pasta is well coated with the dressing.  Add a bit more olive oil if it seems too dry.