This chicken thigh marinade is the perfect blend of mustard (2 kinds!), garlic, maple syrup, brown sugar, vinegar and seasonings. It is so simple and so good, it could be used to marinate socks!

This is one of those marinade recipes that’s wonderful on every single kind of meat you could consume — salmon, steak, pork tenderloin, chicken in all its varieties, etc. I love when when I find a fail-proof marinade recipe like that! We used to make this chicken all the time when the blog first began, but over the years you slowly start to try new things and before you know it, without even meaning to, you’ve forgotten some of the things that you love the most. 

Boy, if that’s not symbolic of life, I don’t know what is!

This chicken thighs marinade recipe is one that is simply whisked together, can easily be adapted if needed (see notes below) and works just as well marinating 30 minutes as it does for hours. But beware, not all meats can handle it the same, so check out the entire post. 

And if you haven’t already, you absolutely must take a second to pin our other marinade recipes like:

• The Best Steak Marinade
• Marinated Chicken Breasts
• Asian Steak Marinade
• Steak Fajitas Marinade
• Marinated Smoked Chicken

Family Dinners

We are about to send our first off to college in a year, another is deep in the waters of Jr High and still our caboose is entering the battlefield of the elementary school playground. If there’s one thing I know for certain it’s that family dinners are an absolute must to stay connected to one another. I would bet that it’s even life-saving for families. But with three kids at three different schools and totally different needs I can easily feel like I’m running around and never slowing down. This recipe is loved by everyone around the dinner table!

Ingredients for Chicken Thigh Marinade

The best marinades have a little salt, a little sweet, a little acid, and a little spice. This marinade recipe checks all the boxes. Here is what you will need:

• Chicken Thighs: boneless, skinless
• Dijon Mustard: pale yellow in color but bold in tangy flavor
• Stone Ground Mustard: adds texture to the marinade and the teeny tiniest bit of heat
• Garlic: adds flavor
• Dark Brown Sugar: light brown can be used, dark brown just has a richer flavor
• Maple Syrup: be sure to use the real stuff, Grade A
• Oregano or Marjoram: I used dried herbs for this recipe, but you can use fresh if you want. You’ll want to half the amount down to 1/2 teaspoon.
• Rice Vinegar: add

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I’m a wee bit weather obsessed right now. I can’t get enough of the warm sunshine this week. I’ve been trying to get outside, even if it’s just for a short walk, every day.

We have chilly rainy days on the way next week and I’m looking forward to them. I love cozy sweater days and I don’t think we’re going to have many more of them this spring.

ON THE BLOGS this week: These easy, skillet-fried pork chops with balsamic and dijon are an awesome weeknight meal that comes together in under 20 minutes. I serve them with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes and Oven Roasted Asparagus and there is hardly a bite left over at the end of the meal.

Zucchini, mushrooms, and sausage are tossed with penne in a spicy sauce for an easy dinner win in this simple skillet meal.

Strawberries Romanoff is just about the most delicious thing I’ve made lately. My friend Lynne was here a few weeks ago when I made this to photograph it and we may have eaten the full recipe on our own. I probably shouldn’t admit these things, but yeah, we did that.

Holy, jaw-drop-level, almost unbelievably delicious recipe. I stood at the stove pretty much inhaling this Broccoli Mushroom Casserole after the first taste. (Yeah, I see what I just wrote, but it really is that good!) I started with just a bite of broccoli and then a mushroom. But then, well, I needed to taste the rice too, right?

Have you tasted a Flourless Chocolate Cake? If so, you’ll likely never forget that first bite. Unassuming in appearance and almost ridiculously easy to make, this cake is a fantastic decadent treat. Also, if there is one thing you need to know how to make from scratch, I vote that you know how to make whipped cream. Consider it a life skill.

Lemon Ice Cream is creamy rich ice cream with an unexpected and completely fresh brightness from the lemon. If you still aren’t convinced that you need to try this, my oldest son chose this ice cream over chocolate ice cream two nights in a row and he’s declared it to be one of the best ice creams we’ve ever made.

What I’m CRAVING: It’s almost embarrassing how often we buy frozen chicken taquitos from Costco. (If you haven’t tried them, they’re made with flour tortillas and they’re

This is Lemon Ice Cream like you’ve never tasted before! Sweet cream and tart lemon juice come together in this easy homemade ice cream recipe.

Lemon. Ice Cream. I’ve had the idea for this sweetly tart ice cream scribbled in my recipe notebook for over a year now and I can’t believe it took me so long to finally try it. I’ve made this quite a few times now and each time I’ve loved it more.

Ice cream in the winter? You bet. When the citrus season is in full swing, I can’t resist mixing up a batch of this creamy ice cream.

The tart lemon with the sweet cream is a combination that is refreshing and rich at the same time. Nothing beats having a carton of homemade ice cream stashed in the freezer.

Served over a slice of this lightly glazed Lemon Cake, this is a dessert worthy of a fancy dinner or a casual weeknight.

Homemade Lemon Ice Cream

When you think of frozen lemon desserts, you might think first of icy lemon sorbet. I love a refreshing fruit sorbet, especially on a hot summer day. But this homemade lemon ice cream is nothing like sherbet or sorbet.

This is creamy rich ice cream with an unexpected and completely fresh brightness from the lemon.

If you still aren’t convinced that you need to try this, my oldest son chose this ice cream over chocolate ice cream two nights in a row and he’s declared it to be one of the best ice creams we’ve ever made.

Lemon Ice Cream

For this lemon ice cream, I used sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, regular whole milk, and sugar as the creamy base.

Plenty of freshly squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, and a dash of vanilla adds the flavor that makes this ice cream irresistible.

I love how easy

Strawberries Romanoff is a dressed-up version of strawberries with whipped cream – it tastes so much fancier than it actually is!

The Romanoff sauce is made with a sweet and slightly tangy combination of whipped heavy cream, sour cream, and a bit of sugar. It takes less than ten minutes to assemble this irresistible dessert, making it a favorite all summer long.

Romanoff Sauce

Romanoff cream sauce is just about the most delicious thing I’ve made lately. My friend Lynne was here a few weeks ago when I made this to photograph it and we may have eaten the full recipe on our own. I probably shouldn’t admit these things, but yeah, we did that.

Leftover strawberries Romanoff for breakfast? Yes, please. Romanoff cream is the perfect complement to the summer’s sweet strawberries.

Fresh strawberries and cream is a combination of which I simply can’t get enough. In this case, the whipped cream adds a creamy, velvety texture that complements the strawberries perfectly. Strawberry Romanoff gets rave reviews every time we make it.

Strawberry Romanoff

While the combination of strawberries and cream isn’t a unique one, this particular dish has a place in history – regardless of which story you choose to believe.

If you scour the internet, you will come across several variations of Strawberries Romanoff, accompanied by diverse claims about its origin. One popular belief credits Marie Antoine Careme, who was the chef to the Russian ruler Nicholas I from the Romanoff family, as the mastermind behind this classic recipe.

Conversely, some attribute the creation of a similar recipe, known as Strawberries Americaine Style, to Chef Escoffier from the Carlton Hotel in London. His dish was served over ice cream and was later renamed Strawberries Romanoff by a self-proclaimed “Prince Michael Romanoff,” who opened a restaurant in Hollywood and pretended to be a member of the royal family.

The recipe I’m sharing has been very gently adapted from La Madeleine’s recipe. Their very famous Strawberry Romanoff gives a nod to both of those earlier versions. Since I don’t live in Houston and haven’t had the opportunity to enjoy theirs in person, I’m pretty happy to be able to make it at home.

Read more

These easy, skillet-fried pork chops with balsamic and dijon are an awesome weeknight meal that comes together in under 20 minutes.

I serve them with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes and Oven Roasted Asparagus and there is hardly a bite left over at the end of the meal.

Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops

These pork chops were originally inspired by the Balsamic Dijon Ham that we love so much. That mouthwatering ham has become a holiday tradition over the past ten years. In case you don’t already know it, pork with balsamic is a pretty darn amazing combination.

I was staring into the freezer trying to come up with something new and my eyes hit these really thick pork chops I’d picked up on sale and stashed in the freezer. As things tend to do in my brain, one thing led to another.

I decided to pan-fry the pork chops and finish them with a balsamic glaze. Oh, that was a great decision. Let me tell you, we basically licked that platter clean.

Pork Chops with Balsamic Glaze

The pork chops were ready to eat in barely 15 minutes and they were so tasty, my husband and I had a hard time sharing them with the kids. And no, I’m not kidding.

I immediately jotted a note on that recipe to remind me to double the recipe the next time we made them. I’ve updated the recipe below for more servings, since that is how I make it every time now.

However, if you don’t need as many servings, or have already made it and loved it exactly as it was initially, simply reduce all of the ingredients by half.

Read more