by Ami Lee

When I think about Sizzle, I can’t help but think of the typical Arkansas summer. Heat is nearing the triple digits can be unbearable at times. Let’s look on the bright side. Here are my 5 Sizzling Summer Essentials from my Common Sense Kitchen to help you chill out, even if only for a few minutes.

These recipes are also simple enough that you don’t even have to remember the recipes. Stay cool and check out these 5 Sizzling Summer Essentials.

Lemon Mint Infused Water

Infused waters are becoming very popular and are available in a wide variety of flavors. I enjoy doing everything myself. It allows you to control the quality of the ingredients. While I always suggest whole food, organic ingredients, do the best you can.

Here’s what you’ll need for this refreshing water:

• 2 Organic Lemons 
• 5 to 10 Mint Leaves
• Filtered Water
• A Large Pitcher

Are you ready for how easy this is? Add all of these ingredients into a large pitcher (or tea jug as we southern families refer to it as). Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours to overnight. Make sure to share this with a friends and kiddos! It’s a great way to beat the heat (and convince kids that water is great)!

Grilled Shrimp

Summer is also known as grilling season. I can’t think of anything better than listening to music and hanging out around the grill. Unfortunately in Arkansas, the humidity can be a bit relentless. We can’t stop grilling though! Don’t. Don’t stop, but maybe choose something a little quicker than a big ole steak. Shrimp, especially raw shrimp, can be intimidating until you realize it has it’s own, natural timer.

Here’s what you’ll need for the best grilled shrimp:

• Raw Shrimp, Shell On but Deveined
• 1 Stick of Grassfed Butter, Melted or Ghee
• The Juice of One Large Lemon
• A Pinch of Pink Himalayan Salt
• A Pinch of Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
• Skewers

If you buy your shrimp frozen, throw it into a colander and rinse the shrimp under cool water until defrosted. Carefully poke each shrimp onto a skewer. Don’t crowd the skewers. Throw your shrimp on the grill and baste with a brush. When the shrimp turn pink, flip them. Do not over cook. Shrimp take only about 2-3 minutes tops to cook. Add these on the side of a dish or put them on top of a salad with your favorite fixin’s. Easy and delicious. My favorite combination.

Watermelon Juice

Arkansas summers wouldn’t be complete without watermelon in some form or fashion. You can’t drive far without seeing a local melon for sale. But, let’s keep our cool and hit the easy button. Eating watermelon can be messy, but let’s cut the mess in half.

Here’s what you’ll need for this amazing juice:

• Fresh Local Watermelon from your Favorite Farmer 
• A Juicer (You can choose anything from a Breville to a Black and Decker.)

This is the only mess you’ll make. Cut up that watermelon and add the pink part into the juicer. The juicer will remove the fibrous parts of the watermelon leaving the delicious juice. Now, fresh juice does spoil quickly, so make sure to consume within three days. I made this a couple years ago for two of my kiddo’s birthday party and it was a hit!

A Cool Summer Salad

Salads are essential in our house during the summer. Yes, I have three kids that are nearly 6, 5, and 3 years old who eat salads! Salads are perfect for summer because you can still put tons of amazing fresh, and light ingredients while getting a healthy and balanced meal.

Here’s our salad favorites:

•  A Handful of Baby Spinach
• Fresh Arkansas Blueberries
• Slivered Almonds
• Grassfed Ground Beef cooked with Dill
• Kalamata Olives
• Cucumbers
• Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette

Salads are light and easy. You don’t even have to have my ingredients. Pull out whatever you have in the fridge. Cook your protein (or leave it out our vegan/vegetarian friends), assemble your salad then enjoy! No need to over heat the house every night.

Juice Popsicles

Our most recent discovery has become my kid’s favorite treat. To cool off after a hard day of play, work, or school, we love to cool off from the sizzling summer heat with juice popsicles. You can find some popsicle trays at the dollar store for next to nothing. The best part is, it’s as simple as finding your favorite organic juice (or homemade) and freezing it. I’m a big advocate for ‘Do it Yourself’ so that you are in control of what is is or isn’t in your treats (such as high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors/flavors). Mom and Dad want a popsicle too? Try those infused waters I mentioned for a more grown-up twist.

Here’s what you need for this sweet, icy treat:

• Organic Juice, Infused Water, or Homemade Juice
• Popsicle Trays

Mix Up, or pour out your favorite juice into the tray. Make sure you don’t overfill the tray. Freeze overnight and enjoy the next afternoon. If you have trouble getting them out of the tray, run the bottom of the tray under some lukewarm water. All that’s left to do is sit back and watch those kids enjoy their treat on the front steps.

I hope you enjoy these five mini recipes for our 5 Summer Sizzling Essentials. Feel free to treat these mini recipes as guidelines. Get creative and have fun. Never forget to let your children get involved with you when they can. Stay cool this summer and enjoy!

By Renee Birchfield

Have you noticed the temperature rising, I know in Central Arkansas it is getting h-o-t! Most everyone knows they should stay hydrated and wear sunscreen while it is hot out, but many people forget to think about their pets. They get hot too and there are ways to help and protect them while we ride out the summer heat.

Dogs can suffer from many of the same problems that people can when in the sun and heat. Such as heat stroke, sunburn, and dehydration. Here are some tips to keep your dog safe.

• NEVER leave your dog in the car, even if you crack the window.
• Always have clean water available. If it’s cold that is even better.
• If your dog is kept outside make sure the water is in the shade so that the bowl doesn’t burn them. A good way to keep the water cold is to use half ice and half cold water to fill the bowl.
• If you are out with your dog make sure to have an extra water bottle and container for them to get a drink.
• When walking your dog first test the ground they will be walking on. If it is too hot for you to stand on for less than 30 seconds then it is too hot for them.
• Try to walk in the morning or evening when the ground is not as hot. Also letting them walk on the grass can help.
• If your dog is outside with you for a long time make sure there is shade for them to lie in. Their skin can burn if they are exposed to the sun for long periods of time. 
• If you go to the lake or for a hike use a dog-safe sunscreen, or clothing that can protect their back.
• Keep your house cooled off to a reasonable temperature. Your dog can get hot inside too if they have been active and have a lot of fur.

My dog recently was having some heat-related symptoms while being inside. We realized she was dehydrated. It was not from a lack of water available, but she was too distracted to go get a drink. We have found that giving her ice cubes often is keeping her cool and hydrated, plus she loves them! We have also lowered the air conditioner so that while we are gone she is staying nice and cool.

Our pets are like family so remember to be aware of their safety in the dog days of summer. We don’t want any sizzling hot dogs, well unless they are off the grill! 

Renee shares her favorite things in life at Married and Hungry. Hoping that her newlywed situations and thoughts will help another new wife out there, and to let them know they are not alone. Being a self-proclaimed food nerd, with a degree in Food and Culinary Science, she shares her recipes and experiments.  Her and her husband call Central Arkansas home for now. You can find her at home making the kitchen a mess, trying to cross stitch, or playing with their two dogs. Keep up with her over on Twitter, and Married and Hungry’s Facebook page. 

by Crisitn Davis

I believe the key to creating sizzle in the kitchen is learning how to spend as little time as possible in the kitchen. 

You see, I am extremely unqualified to write a post on cooking or kitchens in general. I’m what I like to call a hit or miss cook. Sometimes my dishes turn out amazing by sheer luck and at other times even the dogs refuse to eat my cooking. I tend to think measurements are merely guidelines and sometimes throw in extra ingredients just because they happen to be in the vicinity. Once when I was in my early twenties an older lady attempted to teach me the culinary art because she said I’d “never catch a man” unless I learned to cook. I wanted to tell her my desire to catch a man was only marginally less than my desire to catch the flu and, should I change my mind, I was pretty sure even without culinary skills I already had some adequate bait and tackle. There are many ways to a man’s heart and only one of them is through his stomach. I didn’t tell her this, though, because I’m from the South where ladies aren’t supposed to say such things and I was tired of living on boxed macaroni and cheese. Anyway, in spite of all her efforts, my cooking didn’t improve although I did eventually find a man worth catching. Thankfully, we’ve been married for over a decade and not only is he a good catch and a good cook but also very diplomatic when it comes to describing my culinary creations…not to mention tall enough to disable the fire alarm until I’ve managed to get the kitchen cleared of smoke when I forget I was cooking something.

I’ve discovered two simple recipes that have never let me down and utilize some ingredients grown in my own backyard. When prepared while wearing a cute retro apron they can also create more than one kind of sizzle in the kitchen.

First up is what I’ve always called “Those Awesome Tomato Things”. My husband introduced me to these as a snack when we were dating. Now it’s our favorite go-to dinner on hot summer nights when the kids are at the grandparents’ and we have burgeoning tomato vines. Tomatoes are the official fruit and vegetable of Arkansas so I can’t think of a better way to show my state some love. It’s also light enough to keep the two of us from spending date night passed out on the couch in a romance fizzling food stupor. 

Open-Faced Fresh Tomato Sandwiches

• 4 slices bread *
• 1 large tomato sliced ½” thick  
• 4 slices or 1 cup shredded cheese**
• 12 fresh basil leaves
• Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Place 1 tomato slice on bread and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Arrange 4 basil leaves on top of tomato.
3. Top with one slice or 1/4 cup shredded cheese. 
4. Place directly into toaster oven or bake at 350 degrees in regular oven until cheese has completely melted. 
5. Serve immediately. 

 Notes:

*I’m lazy so I tend to use store bought whole wheat or Ezekiel bread. If you’re not lazy I recommend homemade or artisan bread. 
**I prefer sharp cheddar, Swiss or chevre but anything that melts easily works perfectly.

I like to chop any leftover tomato and serve these sandwiches with a salad. In my opinion, if you add a salad to a meal it qualifies as health food even if it is smothered in cheese. I also consider cheese a condiment, though, so you should take my opinions with a grain of salt. 

It’s not healthy, low fat or organic but I’ve found this recipe a marriage saver. You see, I have pet chickens and while I love my chickens my husband, well, let’s just say he tolerates them. We agreed I could have my own incubator only if I promised to practice population control by butchering and cooking the extra roosters myself. The problem with this arrangement is I always put it off as long as possible. I pretend this is because one doesn’t really know what a rooster will look like until he’s gone through his second molt but really I just hate butchering chickens. Either way, by the time I get around to dispatching these surplus roosters they are usually past prime eating age.  There are many different ways to tenderize meat but I designed this recipe to help any of those along. My preferred method for cooking old rooster is to fill a large pot with water and simmer the entire chicken for at least 3 hours. These fowl are skinless but that’s only because I hate plucking so I skin my birds instead. The most important thing to remember is that high heat causes protein fibers to harden even further, so low heat and long cooking times are important.  If you’re using a young or store bought chicken you can skip this step. The only thing that really matters is the entire chicken is fully cooked.

Foolproof TexMex Rooster Casserole

• 1 whole skinless chicken, cooked, boned and shredded* 
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes**
• 1 large jalapeño pepper, sliced 
• 3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese***
• 1-large bag tortilla chips

1. Place shredded chicken in a large bowl.
2. Using a food processor or blender combine garlic, tomato and sliced jalapeño until well blended but not pureed. 
3. Pour the tomato, jalapeño and garlic blend over the shredded chicken and mix well. 
4. Empty the entire bowl into a large saucepan and simmer 1-3 hours. ****
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Empty half bag tortilla chips into an ungreased 11×7 baking pan and crush until you have a fine layer ½” thick, adding more chips if needed. 
7. Pour chicken mixture over chips and spread evenly. 
8. Cook in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
9. Remove pan and top with an even layer of cheese.
10. Place dish back in oven until cheese is completely melted- usually 5-10 minutes. 
11. Remove from oven and serve.

Notes:

*The chicken can be baked, broiled, boiled…whatever works for you. I’m sure it goes without saying that it doesn’t have to be a rooster, but I’ll say it anyway. This is not a sexist recipe. Hens are welcome. The flavor is greatly improved when you use fresh chicken, though, so if you don’t raise them I’d recommend buying locally produced poultry.

** You can also replace the fresh tomatoes and jalapeño with two 10 oz. cans diced tomatoes and green chilies. Simply drain the cans and use as you would the fresh ingredients.

***Once again, I’m lazy so this is what I use most of the time. It also works well with cheddar or queso fresco. 

**** When it comes to this step, I feel the longer you simmer the better your end result if you are using a tough old bird. The acid in the tomato juice helps further tenderize chicken and also infuses it with more flavor. Store bought chicken has a tendency to go mushy, though, so cooking time depends on your meat.

You can, and I usually do, use stale tortilla chips. I have an awful habit of buying 5 bags to save an extra dollar or two and so I sometimes end up with chips that aren’t past their expiration date but are a tad too stale to serve alone.  

These recipes are best served hot and sizzling right out of the oven.      

Cristin is a mediocre gardener, obsessive book collector, chicken enthusiast and mom who happens to be both blonde and really, really awkward.  She has adult onset fitness, loves babies and other wild creatures, has ridden bulls and trained horses but refuses to call herself a cowgirl. She’s from the South so she says ‘ya’all” a lot and tries very hard to be ladylike. This is undermined by the fact that she has the sense of humor of a two year old and usually has some sort of animal poop on her shoes. Cristin is also fond of fashion and wearing too much eye make-up. She knows a little about a lot of things and a lot about practically nothing, therefore she considers herself an expert on everything. She lives beside a lake in central Arkansas with her husband, 2 sons, 3 dogs, 3 horses and an ever changing number of chickens.  

by Kayla Dean

Right now, we’re in the thick of it.

The beginning of August signals the start of what my momma always called dog days. The promise of a cool dip in the pool is met with terrible disappointment as the water is too hot and glazed over with three months’ worth of sweat and chlorine. So the debilitating heat drives us indoors where we become prey to that ever-lurking monster, BOREDOM.

Well… at least our kids do anyway…right?

I mean, how many times a day do you hear from your child, “Mom, I’m bored!” as if you expected to jump around in circles to provide some form of entertainment.

But wait…don’t do that! I mean, unless you are bent on becoming a source of embarrassment for your teenager, then by all means, go ahead. On the plus side, you probably won’t have to worry about them bringing their friends around to laze around until noon, eat all your food, and prance about the house at all hours of the night. 

On second thought…go ahead and dance!

But seriously, if you are stumped when trying to provide some sort of activity for your teenager in this sweltering heat, you might want to take a look at my list of activities to keep their minds and bodies busy. Hopefully, they will keep you from hearing those dreaded three words and stop Boredom from seizing another victim. I promise that all of these activities have been teen-tested and approved.

1. Have a movie night

   Visit your local video rental supplier—or better yet, rummage through some of your own DVDs or VHS’s (they’ve probably never even seen those) and find a good flick. Then, have your teenager pullout the pillows and blankets and spread them across the living room floor. Pop some popcorn and curl up on the couch for a relaxing evening. You can also have a discussion after the movie about conflicting ideas or situations presented in the film that you may want to further examine. You could even allow them to invite some friends.
   
   

2. Get Scrappy

   You know all those old scrapbooks that you’ve been meaning to get to, but you haven’t quite found the time yet? Break some of those out. This could be a great opportunity to talk to your teen about the summers you spent at Great Uncle Don’s lake house. Tell them stories about when they were little; tell them stories about when you were little. Break out the home movies and baby books, and then, leave them with the materials to pick up where you left off. They just may be so inspired to finish that scrapbooking project for you.
   
   

3. Visit the Library

   I know, I know—libraries are uncool. But many of them still offer reading programs even this late in the summer. For the reader in your family, you may not have to prod much, but for the teenager who can’t stand reading, offering a cash incentive—or some other reward—may help. Plus, reading will help them gear up for school.

4. Check Out the Local Entertainment

   When was the last time you and your family went bowling? Or, heaven forbid, when was the last time you took a trip to the mall? What about getting in touch with your creative side? One of my favorite activities to do with kids of all ages is to attend a painting class at a local art studio. My three year old even got in on the fun at AJ’s Art Studio. He painted right alongside a few teenagers.
   
   

5. Venture Outdoors

   If all else fails, you may have to go back outside, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be prepared. Websites like Ultimate Camp Resource have excellent ideas for group games and water games to be played outdoors and/or indoors. Equipped with a resource like this, you could still fire up the grill for one last summer get-together and still have loads of fun while keeping cool.

By Kimberly Mitchell 

Didn’t summer just begin? Yet here it is, already August, and that endless summertime feeling is slipping away. Kids are heading back to school,  excited and nervous about what this year will bring. Teachers Parents pause to wonder how time is passing so quickly. Doesn’t it feel like August, despite its heat and humidity in Arkansas, is the start of something fresh?

After a long, hot summer wrangling kids, working, vacationing (and resting up from vacation), all our energy seems to fizzle out. Just when we need it to conquer busy fall schedules and still find time to pursue our writing goals.  

What’s a blogger to do? How can we make those lovely blog and writing goals set way back in stone cold January sizzle for the rest of 2015? 

Here’s five steps to infuse some heat and energy into your goals 

1) Check in. 

Where did you tuck away those hopes for 2015? I wrote my goals down on a 3×5  note card and pinned them to a bulletin board above my writing desk as a reminder of what I’m working towards all year. Find those goals and check in with your progress. 

If you didn’t write goals for 2015, do it now! Write down what you’d like to accomplish through the end of the year.  

2) Check off, Re-evaluate and Chuck Out. 

Which goals have you already accomplished? It’s time to draw that satisfying check mark next to it. 

Which goals have gotten bogged down or completely forgotten? Re-evaluate them. We have four months left in 2015. Is it realistic that you’ll accomplish that goal? What if you scaled back? Better? 

If not, don’t be afraid to chuck that goal for the rest of the year. You can always re-visit it in 2016. We’re feeling the heat now, and we’re concerned with the goals we can finish in the next four months.

3) Schedule, Schedule, Schedule

Do you have your newly revised goal list? You should feel more excited now. Accomplishing these gems by the end of 2015 is looking more manageable. 

Now it’s time to make time. Get out that calendar. 

Fall is hands down my favorite season. Football, soccer, and sporting events abound, hay rides, corn mazes, fall weddings and family time quickly fill up our calendars. If you don’t schedule time to work on your writing, blogging, website, etc., it won’t happen. 

Choose a day in August and take an hour or two to sit down with your calendar. First, fill in all those events you already know you can’t miss. For me, this includes Razorback football and soccer games, the upcoming literary festival in October, and holiday family time. If I know it’s happening, it goes on the calendar. 

Next, find those hours in your week when you can work specifically towards your goals and add it to the calendar. Maybe it’s two hours on Saturday morning before your son’s soccer game, or Monday afternoon during that lull after lunch. Find the time that works best for you, but schedule it and, here’s the hard part, stick to it! 

This is goal time, and it’s non-negotiable.

4) Get Enthusiastic

My favorite part about making goals in January is how excited I feel. I want that same enthusiasm in August, but it’s hot. I took my foot off the gas over the summer, and I haven’t blogged consistently. Maybe I should just let it go. 

Wait a minute! My goals won’t get accomplished like that. 

Enthusiasm is key to finishing what you’ve started. If you don’t have it, you need people around you who can carry the enthusiasm for you.

*Warning: Shameless plug for the ARWB conference here* 

It just so happens that Arkansas Women Bloggers is holding its yearly conference at the end of August. 

How perfect is that timing? Just when you need a boost, here’s a gathering of bloggers from across the state who are wildly enthusiastic and supportive of each other. It’s the pick-me-up a tired blogger needs in August. 

If you can find a way to make it to the conference, do so. It’ll inject life into your work.

If you can’t make it to the conference this year, there are other ways to achieve that enthusiasm. Host a mini work day with a few blogger/writer friends. Set aside one day to meet, encourage each other in your goals, and hold each other accountable.  

We don’t slack as much when we know others are watching our progress. Plus, it’s nice to have someone cheering for you. 

5) Celebrate – When you accomplish a goal, don’t just wipe your hand across your brow and say, “Whew, I’m glad that’s done.” Realize how awesome this moment is. You chose a writing goal, worked hard towards it, and now you’ve done it. It’s time to celebrate. 

I prefer cupcakes, or coffee with friends, especially if those friends have been part of my success. 

Choose your own rewards and don’t ignore the value of celebrating your accomplishments throughout the year. 

How do you feel about August now? Are you ready to make those goals sizzle? 

Kimberly Mitchell is pursuing writing and life in Northwest Arkansas. When she’s not writing and blogging or teaching preschool fitness, she’s cheering on the Razorbacks, playing soccer, and scheming ways to travel the world. Follow her on Twitter @KSMitch17 and check out her blog for updates on all of the above.