Roasted Strawberry, Avocado, and Mozzarella Grilled Cheese

Hi, friends. I can't believe it's May already!! You know, if I hadn't already used my corny "May the fourth be with you" joke LAST year on May the fourth, today would totally be the day to break it out ;)

Today's post will be short and sweet. I was on Foodgawker today--it's one of my very favorite food blogger sites, and the inspiration for many of the recipes you see here on Foodie & Fabulous! Everything on there looks delicious, but there are some days when it seems that EVERY recipe speaks to me!

Sweet and Spicy Asian Salmon with Strawberry-Pineapple Salsa

As promised, I'm back again with the second recipe of the day! I couldn't be happier :) I really love salmon, guys. I find it flavorful, tasty, and it contains all those wonderful, heart-loving omega-3s!

I also love pairing salmon with fruit; particularly a bright, cheery salsa like the one I made today! It has fresh strawberries, fresh pineapple, a little bell pepper, and some cilantro. YUM. While we're on the topic of pineapple, it occurs to me that I rarely purchase fresh pineapple, and there's not really a good reason for it. I LOVE pineapple! I hereby resolve to make it a more permanent part of my kitchen staples :)

Strawberry Cheesecake Muffins

You know, I really hate it when I buy fresh fruit and vegetables and they go bad before I'm able to eat them. It's such a waste! That's what ALMOST happened with these strawberries, so to rescue them, I put them into these muffins before I lost them all!

Strawberries 'N Cream Pancakes

Did you know: this past Tuesday, March 4, was National Pancake Day? Normally, I celebrate at IHOP because on National Pancake Day, they serve free short stacks of pancakes all day long. Delicious! Of course, with free pancakes come long waits and crowded restaurants, so at the end of my busy day, I decided to make my own pancakes in hopes that they would be healthier and just as tasty (if not tastier).

Enter: Strawberries 'N Cream Pancakes! Wowww. These are as delicious as they are beautiful! It was really late when I started cooking (hence the poorly-lit photos--sorry!), so for simplicity's sake, I used a pancake mix shortcut--but to add a little fiber, I ground up some whole oats to make oat flour and added them to the mix. Bonus: it made for a heartier pancake, especially with the addition of freshly-chopped strawberries!

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

September is a busy birthday month for me, because all of my siblings celebrate their birthdays during this month! Hooray for birthdays--and hooray for birthday cupcakes!

Lemon Cheesecake with Strawberry Basil Topping

It's Labor Day! In addition to a lovely day off of work, I typically spend Labor Day with my family--we have a cookout and invite lots of friends. We have a cookout or some kind of food-related party for every holiday, which gives me a reason to experiment and come up with new desserts to please the crowd :)

I think today's cheesecake did the trick! Packed full of tart lemon flavor and topped with juicy strawberries and fresh, spicy basil, this fresh cheesecake delivered all of my favorite elements of summer (even though it's September now...come on, fall weather!!)

Strawberry Limeade Salad

Man, today was a hot day in North Texas. Even though, officially, the temperature was under 100 degrees, it clearly didn't matter, because the air was so suffocatingly thick, it felt like heat waves were radiating from the pavement. I'm surprised my shoes didn't melt!

On days like today, there's just no point in firing up the stove. I couldn't bring myself to do it (as I was too busy chugging a gallon of water to replenish everything the heat stole from my body!) So the dinner answer was simple: something refreshing.

Strawberry Mango Salsa with Baked Salmon

It's late summer now, and I am SO EXCITED because that means one thing: fall is coming!!! The way I see it: if you don't like fall, you're wrong. Fall is the best time of the year, ever. Period. I mean, come on--in addition to fall attire (boots, scarves, sweaters--hooray!), the weather is fabulous for football, bonfires...and fall FOOD?!! Oh, don't even get me started. Ugh, I can't wait! :)

In the meantime, though, I'm not trying to hate on summer, because summer definitely comes with so many AMAZING, fresh, wonderful flavors, like those showcased in the delightful salsa I made today! Mango, strawberries, cilantro, red onion, and lime juice = Strawberry Mango Salsa. Seriously, that's it. No salt, no pepper (unless you want to add it), and you have a bowlful of summer! Mmm.