Hi Cooking Moms, Dads & Friends,

Happy Friday! I hope you had a great week. We have a weekend with no set plans. Gosh I love those weekends! Last weekend, we went on a monster bike ride and stopped to smell the roses at the beautiful West of the Gardens in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Have you ever been? They are absolutely gorgeous and entrance is free! I’m hoping we can go back again this summer.

I’m excited to go to the farmer’s market this weekend. The cucumbers are finally here. Those little pickling cucumbers are my FAVE! They are so crunchy and full of flavor. I love serving fresh sliced cucumbers, bright colored peppers and sugar snap peas with my homemade Dill Dip. It’s the BEST EVER veggie dip. Super quick and easy too! You just gotta try it! Click Appetizers for more of my favorite summer dips and appetizer recipes.

Speaking of cukes, I’m hoping to buy a bucket this weekend so I can make pickles. I LOVE homemade pickles! But, I’m not a big fan of canning them. It’s a lot of work. I have a short cut! My Quick Fridge Pickles are the way to go. You can have fresh pickles in a couple of hours. These are so crazy easy and so good! Everybody loves them and they stay nice and crisp. LOVE THAT!

I pile the pickles on my Super Easy Pulled Pork Sandwiches! SO YUMMY!

They are great on my Sloppy Joes for a Crowd too! Click Sandwiches for more super good sandwich recipes.

Get out that slow cooker and use it this summer! It’s not just a fall or winter thing. I use mine all year round.

My Slow Cooker Mac ’n Cheese is cheesy and creamy and delish! No boiling the macaroni. Just dump it all in there. LOVE THAT! Your gang will too!

Same goes for my Baked Beans in the Slow Cooker. They are always a HUGE hit! I love the leftovers over toast. Makes a nice light lunch or dinner. If you are cooking for fewer people, you can easily cut the recipe in half too.

Click Slow Cooker for more delicious slow cooker recipes!

Summer is all about a good salad! My Best Ever Layered Salad is a family fave. It was a recipe passed down from my grandmother. It’s always a hit. I love that you can make it ahead. Perfect for potlucks and backyard BBQ’s.

For dessert why not keep it all outside? You can make my Coconut Peach Dump Cake in a foil pan on the grill. Served warm over vanilla ice cream it’s heavenly!

And, if you like S’mores, the kids will love my Texas S’mores. They are my daughter Ireland’s FAVE! Click Desserts for more delicious summer sweets recipes.

GIVEWAY ALERT! Follow The Cooking Mom on Instagram to Win!

I’m giving more stuff away! Congrats to Jennifer Hess of Kansas. She was the big winner this week. I’ve teamed up with my friends at Nesco to give away their famous roasters, slow cookers and electric skillets. They are the ABSOLUTE best! I use them all the time. You could win too! It's EASY. Just click on Instagram and look for the Nesco Giveaway post for more details. And hey, if you need a new Nesco Roaster, Slow Cooker or Electric Skillet, now’s a great time to order one. Click Shop to get 20% off.

Watch Amy Cook LIVE on Facebook Next Week!

I’ll be cooking on Facebook LIVE from my kitchen a few times next week at 3:30pm CST. I’ve got lots of new fun recipes for summer. I can’t wait to share them with you! Thank you to all of you who are watching!

Looking for New Recipes? Why Not Order My 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.

It’s supposed to be another beautiful weekend here in Sheboygan. I’m hoping to fire up the grill and maybe go kayaking!

You can always see what I’m up to on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. I’ve got lots of recipe videos on YouTube, too! Follow me!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Stay safe and cook up some memories!

Take care,
Amy, The Cooking Mom

Order Amy's Cookbooks Online!