Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I had a whole lot of fun this week cooking and shooting new recipes to share with you soon. The changing of the seasons always inspires me with new foods and flavors to play with in the kitchen. I’m all about peaches and blueberries, zucchini, corn, and tomatoes right now. What are you craving these days?

ON THE BLOG this week: Flavorful marinated strips of fork-tender beef are served with crisp hot onions and peppers in this recipe for Korean Beef Bulgogi. Bulgogi is one of the most well-known Korean foods and I’ve been making it at home for years now.

Fresh mushrooms, bell peppers, and sweet onions are sprinkled throughout this buttery, garlicky, Vegetable Rice Pilaf.

If you can imagine your favorite homemade brownies transformed into a smooth and creamy bowl of ice cream, then you have a glimpse of the awesomeness that is this Brownie Ice Cream.

Have you tried German Pancakes? Served with Grandma’s orange sauce, these are unforgettable. They are basically the world’s easiest to make giant popovers. These pancakes are baked in the oven, where they rise tall and they gently fall, instead of being cooked on a griddle like traditional pancakes.

Sweet Orange Sauce has been a favorite part of our weekend breakfasts for as long as I can remember. My grandmother always served this sauce over her German Pancakes and over crepes.

What I’m CRAVING: This Crispy Cajun Cauliflower brings a kiss of heat to this tasty, slightly crunch side dish. I’ve made it almost weekly for a while now. I LOVE it!

My FAVORITE THING this week is my recipe rock! I first told you about it over 3 years ago and I still use it almost every day. I’m ecstatic to see that it’s available again. I spent hours on the phone a couple of years ago trying to track it down for gift-giving and it was out of production.

Sean found it for me one year for Christmas and I’ll admit that I didn’t think it would actually work. But it does! If you’re like me and enjoy a printed recipe instead of using your phone or tablet while cooking, this nifty little contraption manages to hold a single sheet of paper upright with just the stone and magnet.

What I’m READING: Darksong Rising. Continuing with more of the same, this is the third book in the Spellsong War series. The books tell the story of an alternate world where magic is worked through music. It

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! We had a fantastic time in NM and AZ with our family this past week. I’m really glad we could get out there at last and see everyone. That said, it’s great to be home again. We’re getting ready for the new school year and definitely looking forward to fall.

ON THE BLOG this week: Tender buttery Peach Coffee Cake is filled with sweet bites of peach and topped with an irresistible brown sugar crumb topping – what is not to love??

This Italian Red Wine Roast Beef slowly cooks in the crock-pot creating an unforgettable dinner with almost no effort at all. This smells absolutely fantastic as it slowly cooks through the day.

Can a recipe ever go wrong when it starts with the words “double chocolate?” The first time I made these Double Chocolate Brownies, I took them to the park to share with friends and they disappeared within minutes.

Homemade Vanilla Pudding is a classic dessert that simply doesn’t get the love that it deserves. So, often we reach for chocolate or caramel or peanut butter to satisfy a sweet craving, but I’ve come to appreciate the awesomeness of a great vanilla dessert.

Ripe strawberries, bananas, and chunks of fudge brownies are layered into these Banana Split Brownie Trifles with vanilla pudding and whipped cream.

What I’m CRAVING: These Garlic Parmesan Stuffed Pork Chops from Spicy Southern Kitchen look so good! 

What I’m WATCHING: Miss Congeniality. If you need a laugh, this one never dissapoints. It still makes me laugh every time I watch it.

What I’m READING: The Spellsong War. This is the second book in the Spellsong War series (think sorcerers who can work magic through songs – it’s a fun idea) and I’m enjoying re-reading them all. 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 NIV

Wishing you a beautiful week full of little things that make you smile!

Mary

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I’m in Arizona this week visiting family and avoiding that swell summer sunshine as much as possible. It sure does make me miss my beloved Ohio. 

Anyone else enjoying the last days of summer while also getting excited about fall? I’m really enjoying the cooler mornings lately. (And yes, I know, I’m weather obsessed. That’s unlikely to change anytime soon.)

ON THE BLOG this week: This potato salad made with roasted potatoes is a whole new world of potato salad awesomeness and you need to try it asap. A tangy creamy dressing coats every bite of this salad along with hard-boiled eggs, olives, and pickles.

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream is an old-fashioned favorite when made simply with strawberries, sugar, and cream (or milk). Just a few ingredients adds up to a summer ice cream treat that everyone loves.

Cheese and refried beans meld together to create flavorful enchilada layers in these Cheesy Chicken and Refried Bean Enchiladas. We typically serve them warm with plenty of tortilla chips on the side for scooping the enchiladas.

Chocolate Quinoa Cake has the texture of a traditional cake, yet no special flours are required. This is pure, sweet Chocolate Cake made without any flour at all. This cake has blown my mind. Just writing about it here makes me grin as I think about how perfectly moist, rich, and chocolatey it is.

Grab a spoon, you are going to want to eat this Whipped Cream Frosting straight from the bowl, or go ahead and dive in with fresh strawberries.

What I’m CRAVING: This Spaghetti Pizza caught my eye this week and now we have to try it. I’m thinking it will be a big hit with my boys.

My FAVORITE THING this week is this super lightweight scarf. While I almost never actually wear a scarf, this one travels with me nearly everywhere I go. It’s a travel blanket on road trips, it’s a shawl if a movie theater is cold, and it does double duty as a pillow or a blanket on chilly flights. It folds or rolls to an almost unbelievably small size, making it perfect for tucking into a carry-on.

I bought what I have called for years “the perfect scarf” on a work trip about 8 years ago. Unfortunately, the brand discontinued the scarves and I’ve never found another one like it. (And I have tried a whole lot of different scarves that were listed as “travel scarves.”) But this scarf? I’m ecstatic over it. I love it every bit as much as my “perfect” one and I now have backup and a perfect scarf to share wit

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! We’re going to some great weather this weekend (YAY!) and then my younger boys leave for summer camp on Sunday. It’s going to be so quiet around the house next week!

I’m planning to soak up the quiet while we can because we’ll be surrounded by extended family the following week and quiet won’t be happening at all. It’s a fun way to wind up the summer though and I’m looking forward to all of it. 

ON THE BLOG this week: Creamy, rich Truffle Mac and Cheese is a fancy spin on the ultimate comfort food. If you’ve never tasted this awesomeness, you’ve been missing out and I can not recommend it highly enough.

Remember the year of our zucchini overload? These Zucchini Waffles were the happy result of that abundance. Crisp on the outside, and fluffy on the inside, homemade Zucchini Waffles make a terrific breakfast (or a dinner!) that we often enjoy when we have fresh zucchini on hand.

Tender pasta, fresh corn, and red onions are tossed with a creamy, spicy sauce to create this fantastic Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad. A reader tried this as soon as I shared it this week and this was his rave review: “I have to tell you, this was the most delicious thing I’ve made in years and I make a lot of stuff. I made it exactly to recipe and it was it was out of this world good. I can see why you said you can’t stop eating it! This is going to be my go to summer macaroni salad from now on. It’s so good it’s genius. Thank you for sharing this!”

Roasted Broccoli and Asparagus are two of my favorite vegetables to roast and fortunately, they pair deliciously with the varieties of summer squash that are at their best this time of year.

Crispy onions, tender potatoes, fresh bell peppers, and mushrooms create a mouthwatering hash that is hearty and filling for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Topped with an egg, this was a delicious meal that the whole family enjoyed. The leftovers keep well in the refrigerator as well. Simply toss them in a hot skillet and reheat when ready to serve them.

What I’m CRAVING: The best ever Southern Peach Cobber. I’ve always linked to other people here, but right now? I’m just obsessed with fresh peaches. I tested a peach coffee cake this week and it was AMAZING. I can hardly wait to share that recipe with you!

My FAVORITE THING this week is my pretty file organizer. I needed a way to contain all the files, clipboards, and papers that accumulate on my desk, and this file organizer ha

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! Whether it thrills you or bums you out, it’s hard to believe that summer is half over already. Now that we live somewhere with four glorious seasons, I find I start looking forward to the next season right about halfway through the current one. It’s so much fun to always have a fresh new season on the way! 

If you’ve never lived somewhere without four distinct seasons, you likely don’t understand and I’m sure you think I’m nuts. But right now? I’m just so happy to live where we do.

ON THE BLOG this week:  Tender, caramelized meat that clings to the bone and requires just a gentle tug to pull it off makes for the perfect Memphis-Style Spare Ribs. Best of all, you can make these mouthwatering ribs in the oven or on the grill.

Sweet and Spicy Coleslaw is a kicked-up version of our Memphis Coleslaw with a hint of heat from hot sauce and a barely wet dressing.

Chewy, thick, Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with chocolate chips are a treat that we’ve enjoyed for a lot of years now. Oatmeal cookies are such a versatile classic. The nuttiness of the oatmeal and sweet chocolate hit the spot every time.

Pineapple, strawberries, and grapes are tossed together with a sweet and tangy dressing to make this Honey Lime Fruit Salad. It’s finished with a pinch of salt and a sprinkling of poppy seeds to make a fabulously refreshing salad on a hot summer day.

Chunks of roasted chicken, sweet and tangy barbecue sauce, gooey cheese, and sweet onions combine in BBQ Chicken Enchiladas. Served sliced on a plate or scooped up with tortilla chips, the whole family cheers when these enchiladas are on the table.

What I’m CRAVING: I love a great Caprese salad and I don’t think I’ve ever seen prettier ones than the salad photos here at Preppy Kitchen. You’ll find me eating this quintessential summer salad as long as the fresh tomatoes are at their best.

My FAVORITE THING this week is my new Aiwa Exos-3 speaker. I can’t even tell you how much I love this thing. It’s beyond words, friends. We’ve had the Aiwa Exos-9 subwoofer in our home for over 5 years now and it’s incredible. I wanted to purchase it again for my office, but it wasn’t available anywhere. I took a chance on the significantly smaller Exos-3 and absolutely LOVE it. 

The sound it delivers is very close to the performance of the much bigger subwoofer (!) and it takes up