Shrimp Hearts

12 shrimp, peeled, tail-on
6 cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lime juice
squirt of sriracha sauce (maybe 1/8 - 1/4 tsp)
sprinkle of lemon/herb mix or lemon pepper
wooden skewers

Once you've soaked the wooden skewers in water for a few minutes, start with a shrimp and thread the skewer through two sides of the top curve.  Then through the top of the tomato and next through the second shrimp. Take a second skewer and pass it through the top of both tails. Isn't it cute?

Mix the olive oil, lime juice and sriracha sauce together and brush on 15-20 minutes before grilling.

Sprinkle with lemon herb mix.  I used this one from President's Choice, but you could use Mrs Dash or lemon pepper.

Grill your shrimp on medium high heat 2-3 minutes per side and serve on a simple salad.

This would be a great appetizer on Valentine's Day or anytime you want to show someone you love them.  (I know, mushy eh?)

Grilled Watermelon

I'll be honest with you, the jury is still out on this one. Some liked it, some didn't.  I actually enjoyed the leftovers the next day when it was chilled.

1/2 inch slices watermelon (3 cut into wedges)
1 tbsp fresh chopped mint
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp honey

Grill watermelon wedges 3 minutes each side and remove to a platter.

Mix the lime juice and honey together and drizzle on top along with chopped mint.

Summer Fruit Salsa

Once you've put this together you'll want to dig right in. And you could, but it also pairs well with salmon, chicken or pork. Great on a hot day like today.

3/4 cup English cucumber
2 cups watermelon
1/4 cup onion
3/4 cup mango
1 avocado

2 tbsps blueberries
zest of 1 lemon
6 basil leaves, finely chopped

Dressing: 
1/4 tsp pepper flakes
2 tbsps lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Cut both the mango and avocado in half to the pit and twist. Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. The avocado pit will pop right out, but you'll need to cut the mango away from it's pit.

Dice cucumber, watermelon, onion, mango and avocado. Toss in the blueberries, lemon zest and basil leaves. 

Mix up the dressing and toss just before serving.

Pimm's Jello

Why mess around with jello shots?
Have a bowl of Pimm's jello instead!

1  4-serving package lemon jello
1 cup boiling water
1 cup Pimm's
chopped strawberries ( I used about 20 fresh Quebec berries)

Dissolve the jello powder in boiling water then add the Pimm's.
Chop the strawberries and distribute evenly in serving bowls. I used 5 small bowls.

Pour the jello in and refrigerate to set.

Carrots Grilled on the Barbecue

Slice carrots lengthwise, 3-4 slices per carrot. I used 5 carrots but you can adjust the marinade according to how many carrots you need.

Parboil 5 minutes and drain.

In a ziplock bag mix together:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsps balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp lemon pepper

Add the warm carrots and marinate 30 minutes.

Grill 5 minutes,

flip and grill for another 4 or 5 minutes.

Great with steak or pork roast!

Magic Grout Cleaner that REALLY works!

Here's the formula:

7 cups warm water
1/2 cup baking soda
1/3 cup ammonia
1/4 cup vinegar

Now this much liquid didn't even come close to fitting into 
my tiny little spray bottle and it probably won't fit in yours 
either, so here is the recipe halved and quartered.

Halved

3 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup baking soda
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp ammonia
2 Tbsp vinegar

Quartered

1 3/4 cup water
2 Tbsp baking soda
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp ammonia
1 Tbsp vinegar

I used the quartered version for the pics below. I also wrote
the formula on a piece of paper and taped it to the bottle. 
Make sure never to mix bleach with ammonia, you will die or
something...

Here is the method:

First of all, it's not really magic. You have to use your muscles.

Mix the ingredients and give the bottle a good shake.
Spray the grout (I started with 2 tiles at a time) and let the spray sit and absorb a little into the grout. Be generous.
Grab a grout brush, scrub brush, or tile brush and scrub the grout vigorously where the spray has been sitting. Don't get it in your eyes, trust me.

Use a clean damp sponge to wipe each line of grout right after you scrub it to pick up all that dirty liquid, might be handy to keep a bucket of warm water nearby because you'll want to continuously rinse the sponge.
Wow, can you see the difference?

You'll want to mop the whole thing when you're done because the baking soda may leave some white residue. Personally, I mopped and towel dried the floor.

Alternatively you could use toilet bowl cleaner, but it has to be the one that contains bleach.

Works but way more expensive than the recipe above though.

Smorgastarta or Sandwich Cake

These sandwich cakes are a beautiful addition to any buffet table, be it for a sweet sixteen birthday, graduation, bridal or baby shower. Or just because.

Butter crustless slices of bread on both sides, use any sandwich filling you like such as egg salad, tuna, chicken or salmon.  And use different fillings/colours in each layer. Stack the sandwiches as high as you like and side to side as long as you like.

Now for the cake "frosting"
Whip 2 cups whipping cream until stiff.  Fold in 1  1/3 cups mayonnaise and frost your cake!
Garnish with cucumber or radish roses, egg slices, shrimp or whatever you fancy.

Best thing about these cakes is that they can be made up to 8 hours before serving.

Wish I'd taken a picture after it was sliced : (