Here is a delicious vegetarian recipe where you will find  quick and easy directions offered to us from Real Simple,   so we can happily sink our teeth into these grilled lovelies!  You could try this same recipe with some amazing Heirloom tomatoes, even splice up some cherry tomatoes and top the greens with a splash of lemon pepper along with the capers and it would be love at first bite that is for sure!  Enjoy!

From Real Simple here are the ingredients  you will need:

In this article,  Real Simple says to add an apple to your bowl of tomatoes to ripen them more quickly! What a great idea.   I can’t tell you how many times I have turned to grab a tomato to add to a dish or when making a salad and found it to be under ripe.   I had heard about ripening fruit and veggies in a brown paper bag, but not this!

Many more tips if you click through Real Simple’s post.  Enjoy and make sure to check out the idea of using aluminum foil and a baking sheet to substitute for a baking pan.  Great ideas!  BIG LEMON KITCHEN LOVE For this one!

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OOH LA LA!  I am SO loving that Cooking Channel has posted this today.   Just when I needed a little boost and something for fun for some upcoming parties.   I can’t wait to give this Ice Cream CAKE recipe with Ice Cream AND Cookie Dough a Lemon Kitchen try!

You have to be kidding me, who wouldn’t LOVE this!!!!!! Cooking Channel doesn’t joke around people and has shared this wonderful recipe from The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook, by Lindsay Landis, copyright (c) 2012. Published by Quirk Books. Give yourself a look at this great homemade recipe and try it for your next event or birthday party.   Enjoy a look at this great cook book and recipe today!

I woke up this morning and opened my laptop and first thing I saw was this glorious mouth-watering beauty.   From Cookingchanneltv.com, this Croque Madame is seriously what I am utterly obessed with this morning.   In order to make this beauty, you will need to make a homemade bechamel sauce first, then broil the gruyere cheese and ham over your slices of bread.. Now I had a thought, since we are trying to do as much gluten-free as possible that you could actually use toasted Gluten-free bread as well and follow the directions here.

Another idea is that you could even hold the bechamel if you so choose…and simply rely upon the buttery yolk as the way to tie the cheese, ham and bread together and it would still melt in your mouth!  I leave that part up to you and how much time you have in the mornings.  For now, enjoy this lovely recipe for breakfast, lunch or dinner and get your Monday Morning Croque Madame via Cooking channel and the amazing Bobby Flay today!

But seriously, there is a great site out there called www.muffintinmom.com.  Lemon Kitchen loves this site!  This Muffin Tin Mom  has amazing ideas on there for all kinds of snacks you can use your muffin tins for!

Here is my attempt at muffin tin madness….

Basically this all started because I hosted Easter brunch at my house and then I was invited to an Easter dinner and had to bring some apps for adults and kids.  I had just heard about Muffin Tin Mom, and thought hmm… Maybe I can throw together a bunch of snacks and apps all in one place and have it LOOK like an amazing Easter fun spread. SO, to my amazement, it did look AWESOME, it rocked and everyone loved it. The  kids AND adults loved it and the best thing, is that is was VERY inexpensive to put together but got alot of bang for the buck!

I realized I had goat cheese and quickly added honey and some dill and mixed together to taste (this by the way is a GREAT spread that my sister-in-law Emily introduced me to.  It is so easy because you literally mix it up and put it on crackers and it is gourmet and good to go.)  So, that is one DIP I put in my muffin tin for the adults and the ranch is for the kids. I added some crackers, goldfishy type crackers, veggies, dried figs, raisins etc, and I was good to go.  So, there you have it! Easy peasy, healthy and inexpensive! Try it and take some time to check out this Muffin Tin Mom’s site and you will get lots of new ideas!

This recipe calls for just a few ingredients you usually have around the house, but the presentation is second to none.  You will need onion, grated potatoes, a little butter, eggs, cheese and salsa. 

Really just 5 or so ingredients and you can have this melting in your mouth today! From The Food Network,  Lemon Kitchen gives this BIG LEMON KITCHEN LOVE today!

Fry 1 cup each chopped onion and grated potato in a cast-iron skillet with butter until crisp. Add 1/2 cup grated cheddar and crack in 2 eggs. Bake at 425 degrees F until set; top with salsa.
Photograph by Yunhee Kim

BUT seriously?  LEMON PIE has to be one of my all time favorites. I had to post this recipe I found online so you could just see what Real Simple has been up to. They have been busy compiling ALL things Lemon. Love some Lemon today people! Enjoy! Click this pie and see what LEMON desserts you can make this spring!

Click the pic for exact recipe but here are the ingredients you will need according to Real Simples take on Lemon Pie … With just a handful of ingredients, you CAN make this!
Taken from Real Simple’s site directly, credit goes to Charlyne Mattox, April 2012. Thank you Real Simple and Charlyne!

Ingredients
9 ounces gingersnaps (about 35)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus more for serving, plus 1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
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Directions
Heat oven to 350° F. In a food processor, process the gingersnaps until fine crumbs form. Add the butter, granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon of the salt and pulse until moistened. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate, using a straight-sided dry measuring cup to help. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the edges are dry and set, 16 to 18 minutes. (Note: The bottom will still appear moist and soft but will become firmer as it cools; this is a crunchy cookie crust, not a soft, graham cracker-style one.) Let cool.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, condensed milk, lemon zest and juice, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Pour the mixture into the crust and bake until set in the center, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool and then refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
Using an electric mixer, whip the cream and confectioners’ sugar on medium until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Spread on the pie, sprinkle with the additional zest, and serve immediately.
By Charlyne Mattox, April 2012

For a kid-friendly snack, my mom used to offer me dried dates stuffed with cream cheese and we’d have them out at parties around the holidays.  So, here is my twist on my mom’s version… FIGS and FUN!

So, years later I am now trying all kinds of things with my own kids.  I try to create different tastes whenever possible so that they can expand their tastes as well!  Here you find a VERY SIMPLE easy snack.  Kids and adults will enjoy all around!

To make FIGS and FUN —Slice and lay out Conadria dried figs, dried dranberries and low-fat cream cheese. THATS IT only three ingredients.  But look at how gorgeous the display is for helping to decorate your table and my kids LOVE this snack.

Next, lay the cream cheese on the sliced fig themselves and top it off with a cranberry or two. We also have topped this off with dried salted pistachios!  YUM! Try this easy appetizer and snack today –any dried figs, dried apricots etc will work!

Try all the different possibilities and put them in cute ramekins and you are set!

Lemon Kitchen loves these Cinnabar Tidbit bowls.. just 4″around.. they make me smile.  I can’t wait to serve this to my kids and family.   Just three ingredients, some blueberries, strawberries and one star sugar cookie or just a little homemade whip cream on top will make a big splash with guests.

Just a little color on the dining table, some healthy fruit and a little sweet treat on the side, make for a spectacular show for your guests.

How cute would these be for Valentine’s Day, 4th of July, and Christmas time. I will be using these all the time.  Using color on the table draws smiles from across the room. Light up the room with creative ways to use colorful dishes and the healthiest of foods–colorful fruits and veggies to compliment your decor.