Hi Cooking Moms, Dads & Friends,

TGIF! I hope you're having a great week. Here in Wisconsin we sure did! It was so exciting to see the Bucks win the NBA Championship for the first time in 50 years! What a game. Let’s just say there’s not much left of my fingernails. LOL!

This weekend it looks like it’s going to be steamy here. I plan to keep my cool. No turning on the oven for me. Instead I’m tossing up a bunch of salads. I love going to my local farmer’s market on Saturdays in Sheboygan. I’m excited to see all the fresh produce this weekend. As summer goes on there’s more and more every week!

Sometimes a great big salad just hits the spot on hot summer day. My Barbeque Chicken Salad is one of my favorites. When I grill BBQ chicken, I make a few extra pieces and turn it into this amazing salad another night. This is one serious salad! You will not leave the table hungry after this bad boy! It’s loaded with chicken, avocado, beans, corn, tomatoes and cheese. My shortcut BBQ ranch dressing makes this salad extra yummy. You gotta try it!

We eat a ton of pasta salads in the summer. They are great to pack on a picnic or eat on the beach. If you like a good bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich you’ll love my BLT Pasta Salad! It’s so easy and so good!

My Tuna Noodle Salad is my summer go-to. I make it all the time! The fresh dill makes it extra special. Click Salads for more sensational summer salad recipes.

My Mango and Black Bean Salsa is the perfect start to a backyard BBQ. Serve it with tortilla chips and eat all you want because it’s healthy. LOVE THAT! I always double or triple the recipe. Leftovers are delicious served over grilled pork, chicken or shrimp.

My Nesco slow cooker gets a workout on hot summer days. Slow cookers aren’t just a winter thing. Pull yours out and make my Slow Cooker Honey Lime Chicken. It’s great piled on salads or tortillas, a fun twist to the traditional ground beef taco night. Try it! It’s nice and healthy too. So go ahead, have seconds! Click Nice ’n Lite and Appetizers for more light and summery recipes.

Got a crowd coming for your backyard BBQ? You can’t go wrong with my Baked Beans in the Slow Cooker. They are ALWAYS a winner no matter what you are grilling! Perfect for potlucks too when you need to bring a dish to pass. Man, I missed those pre-vaccination. It’s so fun to see family and friends again! I’ve been a hugging fool this summer!

My mom is still visiting from Arizona. We’re having the best time. Like me she loves chocolate. I’m going to treat her to my Chocolate Flourless Cupcakes. They're super dense and fudgy. Crazy easy too. Just 5 ingredients! I bet you have everything to make them. She’s gonna love them! In the summer I serve them with ice cream or fresh whipped cream and berries. Total yum!

Summer is a great time to get the kids in the kitchen. Bake some brownies or pick some up from the store and make my Strawberry Pineapple Dessert Kabobs. The kids can help! Aren’t they cute? Click Desserts for more summer recipes.

My January 2022 Trip to Puerto Vallarta is ON SALE! Join me!

Have you heard I'm hosting culinary vacations? Join me on these trips of a lifetime! Let’s beat the winter blues and spend a week in one of my favorite cities, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! This is gonna be one heck of a trip! My sister and her husband are joining me! Plus, some great friends too. We’ve got a SUPER FUN group going with room for you! Bring on the margaritas! We are holding a few more rooms but we have to release them soon so time is running out to book this trip. Join me! We’ll stay in a super small (just 70 rooms), 4-diamond luxury beach front resort. All of your gourmet food and wine and top shelf cocktails at the resort are included! We’ll also join local foodies in search of Puerto Vallarta’s freshly made warm tortillas, the ultimate tacos, tamales, amazing fresh seafood, and fabulous cocktails too. It will be whale watching season during this trip. We are currently offering a discount of $140 per person! Call Brittany at Bon Voyage Boutique Travel 920-725-2880 to book your spot. Click Join The Cooking Mom in Puerto Vallarta to see pictures and get lots more details.

Ireland in April 2022

I’ve always dreamed of going to Ireland! Let’s experience it together! This trip is booking up. From Irish cooking classes, to scone baking, whiskey tasting, a VIP tour of Guinness, and so much more. We’ll do it all. We’ll even stay in a real castle outside of Dublin! I can only take a small group so get your reservation in soon! Click Join The Cooking Mom in Ireland to read more about this trip and find out how to reserve your spot!

Wait List for Italy in September of 2022!

My trip to Tuscany in September of 2022 is sold out. Call Brittany at Bon Voyage Boutique Travel 920-725-2880 or email her at brittany@bonvoyagebt.com if you would like to be on the wait list in case we have any last minute openings.

To find why my trips are so special check out my blog post by clicking on Culinary Vacations with The Cooking Mom.

We also want to know where you want to go! We are starting to plan now for my culinary vacations in 2023! Would you be interested in joining me on Mackinac Island next summer? What about France? A river cruise through Europe? Greece? Scotland? Closer to home eating our way around New Orleans? Wine Tasting in Napa or Oregon? These are all on my bucket list! What about yours? Email me the trips you’d be interested in at info@thecookingmom.com!

Order Amy's Cookbooks!

If you like my recipes, I think you will love my cookbooks. Both of my cookbooks are full color, and each is filled with nearly 200 unique recipes. Lots of secrets, tips and fun stories, too! Click Amy's Books on Amazon to order.

Please Invite Me!

Now that life is getting back to normal, I’m excited to start doing live cooking demos again! I'd love to come to your town and meet you! Tell your library about me. I’ll come do a cooking demo for your company or event too. Click Hire Amy for more ideas for how we can spend time together!

I hope you have a great weekend. Gotta run! You can always see what I'm up to on Instagram. Follow me! I'm also on Facebook and Twitter. Check out my videos on YouTube, too.

Cook up some memories!

Take care,
Amy, The Cooking Mom