Mama Harris' Kitchen

Grilled Pineapple Asparagus Salad

May 28, 2017 by MamaHarris 1 Comment

Summertime is around the corner, which means it's time for fresh and easy sides to go with all that deliciousness coming off the grill. Why not add some veggies and fruit to the grill too? This Grilled Pineapple Asparagus Salad is the perfect summertime dish for the season. Served atop watercress and frisee with a simple lemon-white wine vinaigrette, topped with avocado and grilled asparagus, red onion and zucchini along with grilled pineapple, then topped with a sprinkle of goat cheese. It's effortlessly delicious! You may recognize this salad it was pictured and served with my blackened salmon recipe. I also used the indoor searing grill that I'm giving away in that post for this recipe too. Speaking of which, the giveaway is still open too, you should enter! I love cooking in the summertime, I try to make dishes and meals that are not only light and colorful, but also easy to put together. One thing I'm not interested in during this time of year is spending hours over the … [Continue]

Beef Fajita Brown Rice Bowls

May 20, 2017 by MamaHarris Leave a Comment

Special thanks to Sprouts Farmers Market for sponsoring this delicious recipe for Beef Fajita Brown Rice Bowls, it's absolutely perfect for the warmer weather months! The weather is getting warmer y'all, and that's the time of year that being tied to a stove or oven is probably the last thing you want to do. Of course, you and/or your family still need to eat, so simple meals are a must! I know my family really enjoys bowls year round, but especially in the summer. A few leftovers thrown together with some fresh seasonal produce and you have got some serious magic on your hands. i I recently took a trip to my local Sprouts Farmers Market and picked up some great items like fresh Pico de Gallo and their Sprouts Brand Hatch Chili Guacamole. I also grabbed lots of fresh produce, some tortillas to make little strips with and some fresh beef from the meat department that I knew would be just perfect for fajitas. Not just regular fajitas though, this was for the fajita brown rice bowls … [Continue]

Grilled Blackened Salmon with Creamy Cucumber Dill Sauce

May 15, 2017 by MamaHarris 44 Comments

Special thanks to Hamilton Beach for sponsoring this recipe for Grilled Blackened Salmon with Creamy Cucumber Dill Sauce and the opportunity for one lucky winner to receive a Hamilton Beach Indoor Searing Grill! One of my favorite things about living in California is the weather. In other parts of the country grilling season is only during a few short months in the summer, but here it's practically year round. Sure it might rain a little, but that's nothing compared to the frigid snowy weather my husband grew up with in the Midwest. Fortunate we may be with all of that sunshine, sometimes in the summer months it can be too hot. So hot, in fact, that I much prefer staying inside with the … [Continue]

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread with French Vanilla Glaze

April 18, 2017 by MamaHarris 1 Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SplashofDelight #CollectiveBias Every year this season is a busy one, this year has been no exception. Spring is always my favorite season, with more sunshine and pretty flowers, less wind and rain. It's also when we celebrate often, between two of our kids' birthdays, my birthday and Mr. Harris' birthday, Easter, Mother's Day - it's a busy time for us! It's also a time when we're looking back at old memories and creating new ones, but sometimes this mama can get tired. Planning all of these events and dealing with all that comes when the school year is winding down means that I often … [Continue]

Refrigerator Organization and Meal Planning Tips (FREE Printable!)

March 6, 2017 by MamaHarris 5 Comments

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #OrganizeWithBrilliance #CollectiveBias When is comes to meal planning, I have to admit that it's been a struggle to stay consistent. Having a big family means there are sometimes last minute projects, or a mystery illness, or different moods or likes/dislikes when it comes to food. Meal planning or not, it can be a struggle to consistently make dinner for a family of seven. When I'm feeling overwhelmed I'll go through the entire pantry and refrigerator to purge and organize. Then, I'll make a shopping list while planning the meals for the week. To accomplish this, you … [Continue]

Red Beans and Rice

March 2, 2017 by MamaHarris Leave a Comment

I love when I can cook a meal solely with food and items that are typically in my refrigerator and pantry. Even better when the meal is using affordable items, has tons of flavor, and serves a small army. This recipe for red beans and rice is everything I've mentioned and then some. My older kids and husband love rice, we literally have to buy it by the pound in order to keep up. So to have a recipe on hand that will use up any rice that utilizes leftover cooked rice is ideal, and I adore anything that leaves plenty of leftovers for the week. During the day I love to reheat leftovers for lunch and this red beans and rice recipe just seems to taste better as the days pass. To simplify … [Continue]

Cheesy Garlic Bread

February 21, 2017 by MamaHarris Leave a Comment

You ever make something so easy and simple that when someone asks you for the recipe you just feel silly giving it. It's literally the easiest thing. That's how I feel about this Cheesy Garlic Bread. This bread is basically a staple in my house. If I make spaghetti, ghoulash, chicken alfredo pasta, or any other assortment of meals that are traditional staples - you can guarantee that this bread is being made too. It's also the one thing that every single member of my family will eat, from the vegetarian to the health conscious to the picky littles. They all love the bread. Many of my friends and family will come to eat dinner with us, or visit during different time of day I'll often … [Continue]

Chocolate Cherry Valentine’s Day Bark

February 13, 2017 by MamaHarris 1 Comment

Valentine's Day is around the corner (literally, it's tomorrow!) and I decided to come up with this cute and super quick little treat to enjoy with my loves. We all know chocolate is synonymous with Valentine's Day, but I love those little cherry chips and try to incorporate them in Valentine's Day treats yearly. When planning for these treats, I knew I wanted something quick and easy, and sort of threw this delicious chocolate cherry Valentine's Day bark together with items I already had in my pantry. Of course, you can add nuts, crushed oreos, or really anything you desire. There are no rules, and the lovely thing about making bark is that the possibilities are endless. My little ones … [Continue]

Get Cute and Cozy this Winter with JORD Wood Watches {GIVEAWAY}

February 8, 2017 by MamaHarris 4 Comments

JORD wood watches Fieldcrest Zebrawood and Maple | Mama Harris' Kitchen

Special thanks to JORD wood watches for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are mine alone. See below for JORD’s exclusive discount (and a giveaway) for readers of Mama Harris' Kitchen! If you know me, you know that I am always running late. I've gotten better at this in recent years, but for a very long time it was a big problem. Oh, especially when the littles were a toddler and a baby, I was lucky to ever even make it for planned events. It's funny too, because I have clocks and watches and reminders and everything, so it's not like I loose track of time or anything. I'm just the one person that tries to do it all and end up overwhelmed and out of time, and I'm constantly … [Continue]

Light and Fluffy Blueberry Muffins

February 3, 2017 by MamaHarris 11 Comments

Blueberry muffins are quite the classic. When I think of muffins, they're usually one of the top three flavors I envision. The only problem is that, until now, I could never get just the right recipe figured out for them. They can be a bit tricky, what with those luscious berries that are known to sink to the bottom. So many recipes thicken the batter, but then the muffin itself is a bit dense. One time I tried fixing that by adding brown sugar to the mixture, but when the blue color ran through the batter it ended up turning a bit greenish. They tasted good, but not pretty for photos. After more than a few tries, I've finally gotten my recipe for these light and fluffy blueberry … [Continue]