Alright...

I know I've been missing in action but you didn't need to send Chuck Norris after me with his wicked ninja skills..

So... Happy day after the 4th, everyone! I'd like to tell you I was really busy and that's what kept me away, but to be honest, I was suffering major burn out. Felt like I didn't need to have a food blog anymore because everyone and their DOG seems to have a food blog right now and I didn't feel I had anything special happening here.

Thank you to those of you who have contacted me begging me to come back. Your words and well wishes meant a lot (they still do) and here I am, ready to fight the good food fight. If you're a fan of this blog, let me know! It really keeps me motivated when I know there are people out there reading, making my recipes, and ENJOYING them!

Before I share a couple new recipes, I want to give you some breaking news: I'm moving my blog. The layout of Creating Post it Notes is boring me and I'm looking for something a little better. It's not going to happen overnight but within the next few weeks, I'll be moving my recipes to my new home. A whole new facelift and I can't wait to get it up and running.


For our 4th of July, Jim, the girls, and I went to West Point Military Academy to enjoy the festivities. I packed a picnic dinner of BBQ Chicken Salad, homemade bread, fruit salsa w/ cinnamon tortilla chips, watermelon slushes, and for dessert? Peach cobbler in jars for easy transportation. De-LICIOUS!

BBQ CHICKEN SALAD

This salad is so quick and easy to make. I normally grill up chicken and cut up, but I was running short on time and used Tyson Chicken Strips, slathered them with BBQ sauce, and baked them in the oven.

Here's a list of ingredients I use:

• Iceberg and red leaf lettuces (you can use any kind you want)


• Shredded cheese


• Grated carrots


• Roasted corn, cut from the cob


• Red onion, sliced


• Cucumber, peeled and sliced


• Bacon (chopped into bits)


• Black beans, drained and rinsed


• Tomato, diced


• BBQ Chicken, chopped up

For the dressing, I made ranch dressing (from the packet *gasp*) and added a little BBQ sauce (use whatever kind you like), cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. So quick and easy, but so delicious.

Did I mention I made peach cobbler in Ball jars???? These were *perfect* for our picnic. Baked in individual jars so all I had to do was pass them around and we were good to go. See how good these look?

Maybe a little closer????

And just a little closer. I am going to make these for my next big BBQ but I'm going to use the short Ball jars. Guests can stop on by and pick one up, maybe put a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top and walk away. It can't get more perfect than that.

And to finish this post - WATERMELON SLUSHES!!!! This drink is perfect on a warm summer night. Or if you had a party and have a lot of watermelon leftover and you don't want it to go to waste... use it for this drink!

Take a watermelon and chop up the center flesh. Put it in a blender and puree. Mix in a couple tablespoons of sugar. I didn't add very much because watermelon is already super sweet and I don't like sickeningly sweet drinks.

Pour the puree in a 9x13 pan and put in the freezer. Stir every hour or every two hours until you have the perfect watermelon slush. Spoon into glasses and pour ginger ale on top. Garnish with a sprig of mint. *OR* if you're looking for something a little more grown up, you can add vodka, tequila, or rum - whichever poison you prefer.

My watermelon lover was all over this drink. Enjoy!