sopsky salad

While in college, I spent a semester living abroad in Prague, Czech Republic. I will not say "studying" abroad because there was very little studying that took place during my stay. It is still to this day one of the best experiences of my life, and this city will always be special to me.

Czech cuisine is nothing to write home about, but the beer, oh my, the beer. Our dorm had both a pub and a vending machine with beer, so that shows you how they prioritize. See why there wasn't much studying going on?

There was one salad served at a lot of restaurants that I still make at home during the summer. It's called the sopsky (pronounced shop-ski) salad and it's just four simple ingredients. There is no dressing, but the liquid from the veggies and the cheese sort of come together to make a dressing. It's so tasty when the tomatoes are at their best! This salad is the perfect side dish to take to that backyard cookout or pot luck dinner.

Sopsky Salad

2 medium tomatoes

1 cucumber

1 green pepper (red, yellow, or orange works too)

1/2 cup feta cheese

Instructions:

Chop veggies into similar sizes, about 1/2 inch pieces. Mix in feta cheese. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Makes about 4 cups.

peanut butter protein bites

These peanut butter bites are a great snack for kids and grown-ups alike. I'm thinking that they will be a great addition to lunch boxes when we go back to school next month (NOOOO!!!). You could easily swap out the peanut butter for any nut butter.

These bites are pretty sweet and are not considered a low calorie, so try to resist eating them all in one sitting!

Peanut Butter Protein Bites

1 c. natural peanut butter (or other nut butter)

1 c. oats

1/4 c. almond flour

1 tbsp flax seed

2 tbsp raw honey

2 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions:

Combine ingredients, then roll into ping pong size balls. Keep in fridge.

Makes about 20 balls.

foaming hand soap

I did a post about making your own hand soap, but for some reason my boys like the foaming kind. Something about the suds makes them scrub their hands a little better, and who can argue with that? This recipe takes about 60 seconds (and three ingredients!) to make.

Foaming Hand Soap

2 tbsp Dr. Bronner's liquid castile soap

2 tsp fractionated coconut oil

1 cup water

10 drops essential oil (optional)

Mix soap, coconut oil, and essential oils in a foaming hand soap pump (either reused or new). Then fill the rest of the bottle with water. Give it a little shake every now. So easy!

Recipe Notes:

Fractionated coconut oil is a liquid form, unlike regular coconut oil, which is a solid. It has no nutritional value, but is great for soaps and lotions, as well as diluting essential oils. 

Do not use regular coconut oil in this recipe as it will solidify.

I used lemon and orange essential oils for the antibacterial properties.

homemade fruit and veggie wash

I used to think a quick rinse under the water faucet was enough to wash all the gunk off my fruits and veggies. Wrong! Produce, even organic, is covered in all sort of nasty stuff. Think about how many hands have touched that apple at the store. I'm no germaphobe, but that's just gross. And if you're not buying organic, then your produce is more than likely also covered with pesticides. There are a bunch of great fruit and veggie washes on the market, but it is so easy (and cheap!) to make at home.

Homemade Fruit and Veggie Wash

4 parts water

1 part distilled white vinegar

Mix ingredients in a spray bottle. Spritz mixture on produce and rub it around a little. Let it sit for a minute or so, then wash off.

You can also mix up a big batch of this in a bucket or your sink and soak all of your produce at once. It's easy to just throw everything in, let it soak for a bit, then rinse. Now all your produce is ready to eat!

two ingredient ice cream

My sister in law told me about putting strawberries and a banana in the blender, and out comes ice cream. Actually she said it feel just like Dippin' Dots in your mouth. Say what? I just had to give it a try and you know what? She was totally right. Delicious! And it's the most beautiful shade of pink you ever saw. I'd like a pair of pants in this color, please.

Two Ingredient Ice Cream

10 frozen strawberries

1 banana 

(I used an unfrozen, ripe banana. I'm sure frozen would work great, too)

Blend in a blender or food processor. Blend longer for a smoother consistency. Shorter for the "Dippin' Dot" consistency. 

Makes about 2 cups

Stand there in awe at the beautiful creation you just made.

smoky sweet potatoes

We started eating sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes when I did my first Whole30 about three years ago. I have grown to love them way more than their white relative. These sweet potatoes are smoky and sweet at the same time. They have become a staple in our house, and it doesn't matter how many I make, there are rarely leftovers.

Smoky Sweet Potatoes

3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cayenne (less if you don't like a little kick)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and cube sweet potatoes, add to a bowl and toss in olive oil to coat. Mix all spices in a little bowl, then sprinkle over the potatoes. I usually sprinkle a little, then toss to coat. Sprinkle a little more, toss to coat, until the potatoes are nice and coated. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the potatoes out on the pan. Bake for 30 minutes, tossing about half way. Then bump the temp up to 425 degrees and bake for 15-20 more minutes, or until slightly brown.

cold brew coffee

Hello, my name is Katie, and I'm a coffee addict. It's seriously what gets me out of bed in the morning. Well, other than the two small people in my house who refuse to sleep past 6am. Come on, boys, it's summer for crying out loud.

I've always been a hot, black coffee in the morning kind of gal, but a few years ago my mom turned me on to iced coffee during the summer afternoons. The problem with iced coffee is the minute you pour hot coffee over ice, it turns into watered down coffee. Now we can't go around drinking watered down coffee, can we? Enter cold brewed coffee.

This recipe takes a little time, but trust me, the result is so worth the wait. This recipe is very forgiving, so don't worry if your measurements aren't exact.

Cold Brew Coffee

4 oz coffee grounds (about a third of a bag)

8 c water

Put grounds in a large bowl and pour the water over the grounds. Give it a good stir, then cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 12 hours. Line a mesh strainer with cheesecloth, or use a nut bag, and set over a pitcher or other container. Pour the coffee/water mixture through the strainer, then discard the grounds. Store coffee in fridge. 

There are so many ways to jazz up this coffee to fit your liking. I drink it straight up, over ice, but it would be tasty with cream or almond milk added in, too.