Welcome to the weekend, friends! Brace yourself, I’m weather obsessed once again. It was 90 degrees on Wednesday and 60 degrees on Thursday. Fall has arrived and I am so very much here for it. I love the crisp weather, the sweatshirts, the warm mugs of tea and coffee in the morning, the crunching leaves on the sidewalks, and the brilliant blue skies that turn gray in a moment. I love it all.

I spent a day this week exploring Amish country with some friends and it couldn’t have been more perfect. If you’re anywhere near my area, I highly recommend both Yoder Amish Home Tours and The Farm at Walnut Creek. (The Farm is like nothing else I’ve ever seen!) I’ve already told my family that we’re going to drive up for a day soon. I can hardly wait to see my boys experience all of it.

ON THE BLOG this week: Crisp tortillas filled with saucy bbq chicken and melting cheese add up to these BBQ Chicken Quesadillas. They are a little bit spicy, and awesomely cheesy, and they are a very popular lunch in our house.

This Pineapple Mango Smoothie is a refreshingly delicious and naturally sweet kid-approved green vegetable and fruit smoothie.

Cranberry Apple Walnut Oatmeal is a tart and sweet body-warming dish perfect for filling those bellies before a busy day.

This easy-as-can-be sheet pan dinner has become a favorite in many of your homes over the past two years. It only takes about 5 minutes of effort to toss the chicken, potatoes, and green beans in a simple lemon and herb vinaigrette before roasting until tender and crisp.

Chewy edges, crazy moist blondies, and a crackling crust add up to these mouthwatering, slightly sweet Apple Brownies. Oh. my. word. Friends! How have I never had apple brownies before now? They are AMAZING. Huge thanks to my friend Katie for telling me about them and encouraging me to try the recipe.

What I’m CRAVING: This Apple Cider Sangria sounds so good! Fall is here and I’m ready for all the fun fall flavors. 

favorite things: these cute little pill boxes, this movie, and these books

My FAVORITE THINGS this week are Read more

Welcome to the weekend, friends! I spent the past few days in Rhode Island, exploring my friend Lynne‘s favorite part of the world. The foods we enjoyed this week were truly amazing; from lobster rolls to oysters, stuffies to clam chowder, scallop rolls to dough boys, chocolates, doughnuts, popcorn and Del’s frozen lemonades on repeat.

As much as I enjoy travel, it’s great to be home again. I’m looking forward to a fun weekend with all of my boys.

ON THE BLOG this week: Have you tried Hot Buttered Rum? A warm mug of hot buttered rum brings about a full body coziness that feels like you are being wrapped in a thick warm blanket. (You can make a non-alcoholic hot buttered “rum” as well!)

These chewy, richly spiced Hot Buttered Rum Cookies are the happy result of what can I do with the extra buttered rum batter I don’t want to freeze?

Chicken Enchilada Dip is a creamy, cheesy, spicy chicken-filled enchilada dip, a hit with everyone who tries it. Hearty enough for a main dish, this was an enormous success for our family movie night.

This skillet is a delightful combination of sweet potatoes, fresh corn, asparagus, and bacon with a drizzle of balsamic. It was something unexpected that I pulled together for a dinner side dish a few years ago, using odds and ends from the refrigerator. What resulted was a skillet full of magic. I know that sounds like I am exaggerating but I promise you I am not. This dish is so good it qualifies as a company coming over meal.

Espresso Ice Cream is quite easily one of my favorites. I love a simple, smooth yet rich and creamy authentically coffee-tasting ice cream. This is a simplified and egg-free version of my Cafe con Leche Ice Cream – and we LOVE it. 

What I’m CRAVING: Lobster Rolls! (Thanks a lot, Lynne.) I’m loving this version from my friend Heidi. She combines the buttery awesomeness of a hot lobster roll with the creamy dressing that I love on a cold roll. I need to try these lobster rolls soon!

My FAVORITE THINGS this week are these cheap little cork coasters. I have them all over the house. I originally bought them because my coffee was cooling way t

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I have big big news today. Some of you caught on with last week’s sneak peek – as I can tell by the recent flood of new email subscribers over there we launched a BRAND NEW WEBSITE this past month!

VegetableRecipes.com is up and running and if you are anything like I am, this is exactly what your meal planning needs! 

ON THE BLOG this week: Peaches and cinnamon pair perfectly in this recipe for Baked Peach Oatmeal. Eaten on its own or topped with whipped cream, it’s a hit. Anytime I bake peaches into something it reminds me of my favorite peach cobbler or crisp. What’s not to love?

Cabbage Soup with Sausage is loaded with great flavors and it’s filled with far more vegetables and meat than broth. Today, I’m giving you the first new soup recipe for the fall and I couldn’t be more excited about it – Italian White Bean, Cabbage, and Sausage Soup.

Sweet fresh peaches are baked between layers of brown sugar and oats to form a chewy sweet crust for these irresistible Peach Oatmeal Bars. It only takes a few minutes to stir the crust together and press half of it into the pan. Toss the peaches in sugar and spices and layer them over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining buttery crumbles over the peaches and pop it in the oven.

Sweet Potatoes with Sausage is an easy-as-can-be one pan dinner that my family would willingly eat every night. Weeknight meals especially need to be quick and easy, not only on the prep but the clean-up as well. This easy sheet pan dinner with baked chicken thighs, baby potatoes, and fresh green beans has become a favorite in many of your homes over the past two years.

What I’m CRAVING: I’ve been craving this Mango Corn Salsa ever since I made it. My original plan was to share it with my family, but after the first bite of sweet mango, crunchy corn, and mildly spicy jalapenos, I might as well confess that I stashed the rest of it in the back of the fridge for later snacking. This Watermelon Salsa is on my radar now  as well and I can’t wait to try it.

My FAVORITE THING this week is my new waterpik. This water flosser is so very cool! Put it on your Chr

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I’m looking forward to a few days off and I will be filling them with friends, family, and some of my favorite summer foods. (Looking at you, Ramen Noodle Salad and Six Threes Ice Cream!)

The weather is starting to cool off here, but it’s still plenty warm and humid most days. I am getting excited about fall though – isn’t everyone??

ON THE BLOG this week: Warm crisp tortillas layered with melting cheese and then filled with an abundance of vegetables add up to these loaded vegetable quesadillas and we love them! They’re absolutely irresistible for snacking or for a meal on their own.

Juicy, tender pan-fried chicken thighs with a golden-crisp skin are possible with just a spoonful of oil and a bit of patience. The hardest part of this recipe is waiting while they slowly cook on the stovetop. You want the skin to be golden-brown with all the fat rendered before you turn them over. This chicken is completely worth the wait!

Peach Crisp with fresh, sweet juicy peaches and a cinnamon, brown sugar topping served warm from the oven is a bowl of deliciousness. If you’re anything like me and can not get enough of the summer’s fresh peaches, this is happiness guaranteed.

Peach Crisp Ice Cream is creamy vanilla ice cream filled with chunks of peach crisp, a peach lover’s dream come true. With chunks of buttery brown sugar and oat crisp with syrupy peaches in every bite, this ice cream is irresistible.

Have you tried Hash Brown Waffles?! These are hot, crispy potato perfection (I filled the last batch with cheese and bacon too!) and there is absolutely no way you can eat just one, they are so good.

If you’re lucky enough to have any leftover grilled corn after this weekend, this grilled corn dip really needs to be on your list to try next. It is creamy, spicy, and slightly sweet and I could devour a bowl full of it pretty much any time of day. With loads of great flavor from cilantro, lime, chili powder, and cumin, this is an irresistibly dippable version of Mexican street corn.

What I’m CRAVING: Grilled Mahi Mahi Tacos sound so good right now. (My friend Holly never fails to make me hungry when I run across her recipes!) Topped with plenty of pineapple salsa, this is a surefire w

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! The kids are back in school, mornings are growing cooler, leaves are starting to fall and I am so very excited about all of it.

ON THE BLOG this week: Spicy strips of chicken, bell peppers, and onion are cooked together in this oh-so-easy crock-pot recipe for Chicken Fajitas. Crockpot Chicken Fajitas are a meal that you can start in the afternoon and they’ll be ready by the time everyone is hungry in the evening.

Rosemary Potatoes are everything I want in a side dish – easy, delicious, and loved by my whole family. We eat these as a side dish for breakfast or for dinner.

To say this Blueberry Coconut Bread is a huge hit every time I make it, doesn’t even begin to express how much we enjoy it. The contrast of the berries and the coconut made this my newest favorite banana bread from the very first bite.

You only need a handful of ingredients to make these chewy, Reese’s filled Peanut Butter Cookie Cups. Inspired by everyone’s favorite old-fashioned peanut butter cookies, these very simple to make four-ingredient peanut butter cookies have been a huge hit already. 

It may still be warm outside, but fall is definitely approaching. Luckily, we can still celebrate pumpkin season when we combine pumpkin with heavy cream and sugar to create this luscious, rich pumpkin ice cream.

This recipe for Roasted Asparagus Pasta has made me fall in love with asparagus all over again. The rich flavors of butter, garlic, and lemon come together with the earthiness of fresh asparagus to create a dish you will immediately crave again. I have never had leftovers when making this recipe.

A splash of cream combines with Parmesan cheese to make a rich, delicious sauce for this creamy cheesy sauteed corn. The nuttiness of the fresh parmesan along with the sweetness of fresh sweet corn will have you going back for seconds.

What I’m CRAVING: I adore a sweet chili sauce, so when this recipe for Korean Fried Chicken crossed my path this week, I immediately saved it to share with you. I can’t wait to try it!

My FAVORITE THING this week is my new splatter guard for cooking on the stovetop. It may not sound all that amazing, but after about 15 years, my old one was in need of a replacement and this one has a couple of tiny little improvements that absolutely thrill me. 

This is a surprisingly st