Proving that Sour Grapes are Not Always Hard to Swallow

Another delicious Summertime treat on a hot Summer day are nice, cold and refreshing Sour Patch Grapes. Like a Sour Patch Kid, these grapes are sweet and sour. There are a lot of recipes on the internet for this recipe, but we added something to make them extra sour and not just sweet like the other recipes. My boyfriend is a huge fan of sour candy so he had to try this. Considering that it's basically grapes and Jello, this is also an excellent alternative to candy, a great way to cool down on a hot day and a fantastic way to incorporate more fruits into diets. I'm not a fan of sour candy, and I loved these. Now to figure out a way to make these alcoholic. 

Sour Patch Grapes Done Right

• 1 package green grapes
• 8 oz package Lime Jello (unprepared)
• juice of 3 lemons

Rinse grapes in a colander.

Place into a bowl with the lemon juice and toss around. Let sit for a few minutes and continue coating them in the lemon juice.

Empty contents of the lime jello into a Ziploc bag.

Strain excess lemon juice from grapes, but be sure they are still saturated. 

Place all grapes into the Ziploc with the jello powder and shake.

Put into a bowl, bag, or plate and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes or until powder has hardened a bit and looks like little crystals. 

Try not to eat them all.

Summertime Treats- Chorizo Burgers

Summertime is almost here. I'm not to happy about that. My favorite part about summertime is staying inside with the air condition around the 60's. It's the reason why I live on the gulf and still manage to stay incredibly pale. I'd much rather be indoors having fun than in the heat being eaten alive by mosquitoes like they're some sort of salt bath crazed homeless man. I'm from Texas so I can't even say that barbecues are my favorite part. We do that all year. It's not even uncommon to walk outside on Thanksgiving and smell the scent of mesquite smoked chicken and fajitas grilling over the barbecue pit.


I do like cooking seasonally though. This weekend my boyfriend made us all some delicious gourmet chorizo burgers. They were spicy and words can't even describe how yummy they were. He cooked these on an indoor George Foreman grill, but we have cooked these over a barbecue pit before and it's even more delicious.

Chorizo Burgers 

• 8 oz Mexican chorizo 
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbs McCormick Grill Mates Hamburger Seasoning
• hamburger buns
• cheddar or pepper jack cheese
• lettuce, tomato, avocado, sliced onions

Mix the chorizo, beef , eggs and seasoning together in a large bowl then form into about 8 oz patties.

Place over heated grill and grill until cooked all they way, which should be about 4-5 minutes per side.
Once done, place patties on a baking sheet and put cheese on top.

To help melt the cheese put them into an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1-2 minutes or until chesse is fully melted.

Place on buns and top with your choice of chopped veggies. 

Dinner Challenge!

A few weeks ago I had a friend of mine post two recipes, an entree and a side dish, and I had to cook them and post pictures. At the time I was living with someone that did not like onions or mushrooms. That made it even more challenging for my friend to find a recipe for me. In the end she came up with Jamie Oliver's Chicken in Milk and a recipe for Potato, Spinach and Red Bell Pepper Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette. I was happy about the warm potato salad but I was a bit apprehensive when it came to chicken in milk. It just didn't sound appetizing. I accepted the challenge anyway and I'm so glad I did. I made a few alterations to the recipes to suit my tastes such as adding 5 strips of bacon to the salad instead of the suggested one, and I used chicken breasts instead of a roasting chicken in the chicken in milk recipe.

I was so surprised to taste how amazingly flavorful the chicken in milk was. It was tender and lemony and the perfect springtime meal. I have made it three times since. The potato salad was sweet, salty, tangy and bacony. I even made it for Mother's Day.

Why does this matter? Because I want to do this again. I need everyone to suggest recipes for me and on the 1st and 15th of each month I will pick one entree and one or two entrees to cook, feature on this blog and on the Facebook page along with your name, pictures of the meal and the recipes.

• Recipes can be from other sites, cookbooks, family recipes, concoctions you've made, whatever! 
• I enjoy making both easy and complicated dishes. Overnight recipes are welcome too. 
• I enjoy food from different cultures. I'm very familiar with Italian, French, Indian, Chinese, Mexican and Spanish cuisine.
• Vegetarian dishes are welcome too.
• Diet friendly recipes are even okay. Low calorie, fat free, diabetic, gluten free; all fine.
• My family does not have any restrictions on what they won't eat. Onions, veggies, all proteins, etc. They're all welcome.
• Desserts are fine too.
• Keep in mind that I live by the Gulf so fresh seafood is easy to come by.
•  All I ask is that they at least be somewhat budget friendly. Meaning I can't make dishes featuring white truffles, but I can probably make something featuring Portobellos.

I can't wait to try some of the things you guys dare me to make. 

Chicken in Milk on a bed of fresh spinach with a side of Potato, Spinach and Red Bell Pepper Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette