Welcome to the weekend, my friends! Good morning, good morning, good morning!! The weather this week has been glorious with another 70 degree day here in Ohio. I realize it’s a false hint of spring, but I am basking in it while I can. 

It won’t be nearly so warm today, but there’s no rain in the forecast, so I’m hoping to get out for a long walk or hike. Local friends, where are your favorite walks and easy hikes in the Columbus area?

ON THE BLOG this week: Fresh strawberries tucked into light and fluffy pancakes create the loveliest Strawberry Pancakes you can imagine. If you happen to have some berries on hand, you have the potential for a breakfast that is certain to make you grin today.

Tender chicken and sweet corn are combined in a creamy chicken corn soup with just enough heat to warm your mouth without setting it on fire.

Steaming hot biscuits topped with melted butter have proven irresistible to every member of my family. I’ve made this easy drop biscuit recipe at least half a dozen times over the past few months. It just doesn’t get old.

Crispy, toasty, and ever so slightly cheesy, I can make an entire meal out of this garlic parmesan roasted broccoli.

Saucy BBQ pork tucked into melted cheese in a buttery crisp tortilla? That’s something I can’t possibly resist. This pulled pork quesadilla is a quick and easy way to get a hearty meal on the table, even on the busiest of weeknights.

Crisp, tart, slightly sweet, and always fragrant, the classic mojito is a cocktail that I never get tired of sipping.

Bite-size potatoes and Brussels sprouts are roasted with spicy sausage and plenty of cheese to create an irresistible dinner.

Sticky Asian Meatballs are sweet and a little bit spicy. I typically serve these meatballs over rice, with some steamed or roasted vegetables on the side. However, they work great as a party appetizer too.

Have you tried the Sweet Kale Salad at Costco? It starts with shredded kale, thinly sliced Brussels sprouts, and a generous handful of broccoli matchsticks. The greens are topped with sweet cranberries and salty pepitas before being tossed in a tangy sweet poppyseed dressing. The awesomeness of the salad can not be overstated and now you can make it at home!

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Steaming hot easy drop biscuits topped with melted butter have proven irresistible to every member of my family.

I’ve made this recipe at least half a dozen times over the past few months and despite my best efforts to save some biscuits for breakfast the next day, it has yet to happen. The boys find my stash every single time.

Simple Drop Biscuits

While it doesn’t take all that long to roll out a batch of these much-loved classic flaky biscuits, sometimes we don’t have even that much time. That’s where these drop biscuits come into play.

For the longest time, at least the first ten years of our marriage, I didn’t really make biscuits. I hadn’t yet figured out that one of the most important things when it comes to biscuit making is simply to not mess with the dough too much.

Feel free to read the embarrassing story of my first biscuit making attempt in this post, at least now I can laugh about it. Fortunately for all of us, my biscuit-making skills improved over time and the biscuit recipes here have proven reliable now for even the least experienced of cooks and bakers.

Heck, if my three-year-old can handle it, I’m pretty sure we all can. My little one in this video is in junior high now and it still makes me grin.

Have I mentioned how much I love the smell of warm biscuits fresh from the oven? Hand me a hot biscuit topped with melting butter and you are speaking my language.

Some of my most used kitchen tools are these cookie scoops and I put the large one to use

Tender chicken and sweet corn are combined in a creamy chicken corn soup with just enough heat to warm your mouth without setting it on fire.

Chicken Corn Soup

My entire family loves this soup, even my non-spice-loving middle son. He says it is a warm mouth feel not a screaming hot need to gulp ice water hot. That description and the immediate visual of him flailing around grabbing for water makes me grin.

Combine how tasty it is with the fact that it takes barely 20 minutes to pull this soup together, and you’ll understand why this is a frequently eaten meal in our house! Quick soups our on our meal plan often throughout the fall and winter.

I am often surprised by how a few simple ingredients with the right combination of spices can create such amazing flavors. It almost feels like magic. Tomatoes, green chile, corn, and chicken serve as the base of this soup.

When I first made this soup, I used our homemade corn stock. (If you haven’t made corn stock before, put it on your list to do this summer. You literally just boil the corn cobs after the corn is gone. That’s it.)

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Crisp, tart, slightly sweet, and always fragrant, the classic mojito is a classic cocktail that I never get tired of sipping.

I’ve been a fan of mojitos for a while now. I tried my first mojito about 15 years ago, while on a camping trip with several families. Our friend Tony made the mojitos and I was hooked.

(Yes, that would be Tony, the same person who introduced us to the crazy delicious Slow Cooker Baked Beans recipe and Italian Cream Liqueur.)

We’ve tried quite a few mojito recipes over the years. I enjoy the Pineapple Mojitos and Basil Mojitos as well, but I always circle back to the classic cocktail made with plenty of fresh mint, lime, and rum.

Classic Mojito

Add in a refreshing splash of club soda and you have summer in a glass. This cocktail recipe is ideal for sipping at a garden party or for relaxing on the porch with friends on a warm summer evening.

And since I lived in one of the hottest cities in the US for a very long time, this drink became a favorite pretty much year-round.

I’ll warn you now that once you start making your own mojitos at home, you won’t be nearly as happy with anyone else’s. The exception to that is my friend Holly. She makes an absolutely fabulous mojito and I never turn one of hers down.

You can check out Holly’s recipe here,  if you want to give her version a try. You might notice our recipes are close to identical. (That just might be the reason I love hers too!) Great mojito-loving minds obviously think alike.

Mojito Ingredients

A classic mojito is simultaneously elegant yet simple. It brings to

Saucy BBQ pork tucked into melted cheese in a buttery crisp tortilla? That’s something I can’t possibly resist. This pulled pork quesadilla is a quick and easy way to get a hearty meal on the table, even on the busiest of weeknights.

Pulled pork is one of my favorite food leftovers to have in the house and these quesadillas make the most of it.

BBQ Pork Quesadilla

The beauty of quesadillas is that you can fill them with almost any cheese, meat, or vegetable combination and they taste delicious. Chicken and caramelized onions? Check. Cheesy pepperoni pizza? Definitely. Meat lover’s steak and cheese? Oh yeah. Fully loaded with all the vegetables from the fridge? Every chance I get.

There isn’t a quesadilla you can make that my crew won’t devour. (Or, if there is, I haven’t found it yet.) At our house, bbq pork, green chile shredded pork, and carnitas are made on a regular basis and plenty of that pork gets tucked into the freezer for quick meals later.

For something a little bit different, this Honey Lime Pork Roast is a little bit spicy and a little bit sweet, with just a hint of citrus.

Slow Cooker Mexican Pork is some of the best pulled pork you can make at home and it requires about 5 minutes of prep time before you turn on the crockpot and walk away.

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