No matter how crazy busy it gets in the morning with everyone running and dashing this way and that, my kiddos don't need any encouragement to stop and grab warm Old-Fashioned Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins!  Loaded with fresh blueberries, these are sweet, buttery and hearty.  A little sprinkle of sparkling sugar gives these the perfect little crunch on top, and the blueberries just EXPLODE inside these tender muffins so that every bite is loaded with fresh, juicy flavor.

​And smeared with butter to melt into all the little crooks and crannies, these might just be our most favorite muffins ever!

Don't say that I didn't warn you!  This is a salad that you will LOVE!  So colorful, so flavorful - everything that makes a salad wonderful.

​This is one of those salads that came about by accident - and aren't they always the best kind?  

​Start with Barbecue Chicken with Apricot Barbecue Sauce (or your favorite barbecued chicken).  Add colorful, fresh and flavorful grilled corn, hickory-smoked bacon, black beans, bright cherry tomatoes and avocado.  Isn't that a wonderful combination?  But drizzle with some homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing and the lighted drizzle of Apricot Barbecue Sauce, and you'll have a salad that everyone will be talking about all summer!

We are a grilling, chilling family, and one of our favorites is Barbecue Chicken with Apricot Barbecue Sauce - it's simply AWESOME!  The perfect blend of sweet and spicy, thick and sticky, and so perfectly moist and tender that you'll be screaming for more too.  

​Perfect with roasted potatoes and grilled corn, or serve it sliced cold in a delicious salad.  Guaranteed to be the BEST barbecue chicken you ever have - and don't you just love recipes that come with that kind of guarantee?

I'm going to let you in on a little secret...and it's awesome!

​To be specific, it's AWESOME SAUCE.  Once upon a time I created the most wonderful homemade barbecue sauce, and everyone told me that it tasted exactly like Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce.  So I tinkered and tried a few other things, because I really wanted to make this one my own.  The secret ingredient?  Apricot Preserves.  And so I started calling it Apricot Barbecue Sauce.  But everyone that tried it just called it AWESOME, so over the years, it has become known as "Awesome Sauce".  

Lazy summer mornings are just made for a quiet breakfast with these Honey Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins!  Sweet, buttery, extra soft and just loaded with fresh strawberries and strawberry rhubarb jam.  Don't you just love that swirl of strawberry rhubarb on top?  

​My family loves these warm, right from the oven with a smear of butter.  I had a warm basket of these out on the deck this weekend with our littlest kiddo, and we were joined by both butterflies and hummingbirds for our early morning breakfast.  I have a beautiful yellow hibiscus tree that is just bursting with beautiful flowers right now, and the tiniest little hummingbirds couldn't get enough nectar - and we couldn't get enough of just sitting quietly and watching them.  And we couldn't get enough of these perfectly sweet muffins either!  They were gone in a flash...

Who knew that something so simple could be so good?  We had such a snowy and cold spring that I was fearful that my dozen rhubarb plants would suffer a dismal and sad harvest, but the sunny, record high temps and lots of frequent May and June rainstorms have created a bumper crop this year!  Skipper thinks I'm a little crazy because I have so many different varieties of rhubarb plants, and I've got them planted all over the yard - each earmarked for a vintage recipe or something new, but always special!   

​One of the first things I make each spring is a batch of Rhubarb Simple Syrup.  This simple, slightly tart and slightly sweet syrup is wonderful in sparkling water, lemonade, iced tea, in your favorite summertime cocktail, or drizzled on ice cream, crepes or pancakes.  My favorite use for Rhubarb Syrup is as a cocktail mixer in Rhubarb Bellinis, Rhubarb Mojitos and Frozen Rhubarb Slushes.  SO GOOD!

My name is Mama V and I have a serious addiction.  Seasonal summer berries! The second you walk into the grocery store or farmers' market this time of year, you are met with baskets of the most glorious fresh berries.  And they all leap into my cart as I walk by...first the red luscious strawberries, next the plump blueberries, at least two baskets of sweet red raspberries, and perhaps some blackberries.  I just can't help myself!

​The task at hand is to find the sweetest and juiciest berries around, all so that I can make up a batch or two of our favorite French Toast and top that off with the freshest berries to tempt your eyes and tongue.  Whether we're camping or at home, one of our favorite breakfasts is French Toast with Fresh Berries, served with butter and warm maple syrup.  There's nothing fancy about this recipe, but it is consistently perfect and one that everyone wants on a lazy summer morning.  This family-favorite recipe has a little secret that just takes it over the top!

Have you ever seen anything that screamed 'SUMMER" more than these?  Sweet and easy, light and perfectly wonderful - my family loves these much more than a traditional shortcake.

​A perfect mini angel food bundt cake, topped with a cloud of sweetened whipped cream, dazzling with sliced fresh strawberries, and drizzled with fresh and sweet strawberry sauce.  Pretty, petite and perfect!