Welcome to the weekend, my friends! It’s been a nonstop week over here and I’m looking forward to a very chill Saturday with not much more happening than a yoga class, some puzzle time, and a bit of reading. It might not sound all that exciting, but I’m pretty darn happy about it.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: If you’re craving a hearty breakfast this weekend, I’ve got you covered with this Breakfast Hash Skillet. This hearty, soul-satisfying skillet full of sausage, potatoes, cabbage, and onions is a guaranteed hit that also delivers a serious punch of nutrition.

Sour Cream Banana Bread is a sweet, classic bread with a crisp-edged crust and a tender crumb. Spread with butter or sliced and eaten just as is, banana bread is a delightful and delicious quick bread that my whole family loves.

Simple, two-ingredient Maple Butter is heaven on earth when it is slathered on warm bread or biscuits fresh from the oven. Pair it with a slice of banana bread for an unforgettable treat.

Shredded Chicken Sandwiches are a Midwestern comfort food staple. With a taste reminiscent of a roasted chicken dinner complete with stuffing, these easy sandwiches are a sure-fire hit.

Roasted Carrots and Potatoes are proof that food doesn’t have to be complicated to be sublime. The lightly browned, crispy edged tender vegetables will keep you coming back for more.

Bring a little taste of the warmer months to your cool weather table by using frozen berries to make this heavenly and convenient Mixed Berry Cobbler. My family devoured this dessert in just minutes. It was a huge hit.

Pickle Ice Cream, my friends. No, I’m not crazy! It’s weird and it’s oddly wonderful all at the same time. Somehow it just works with plenty of sweet, creamy ice cream flavor and a tangy tart bite from those pickles. We’ve shared this ice cream with so many people now! It’s a hard one to describe and about half the people kept tasting it to decide if it’s a love or a hate thing for them.

What I’m CRAVING: Have you heard of Runza? This was new to me and now I’m craving it. Described as a buttery-beef, savory cabbage-and-onion-filled sandwich, I already know that my guys would love these hand pies.

My FAVORITE THING this week is my heavy duty drying rack. I can’t even tell you how much I love this thing. It handles an extra large load of laundry without flinching. I’ve been usin

Cozy Ham and Bean Soup [+Video]

Warm up on a cold day with this delicious and hearty ham and bean soup recipe. Packed with protein and flavor, it’s the perfect comfort food for using up leftover ham.

I wish there was a grand story behind this recipe, but the truth is, there isn’t! Sometimes I am given suggestions for recipes that would benefit the blog, and this was one of them. So away I went to make a perfect ham and bean soup, and this is it!

It is very cozy anyway without being heavy and I love that while it’s mostly broth it actually is a bit creamy from the white beans and doing a little trick that I love doing with soups. Keep scrolling to find out!

Ingredients for Ham and Bean Soup

We like to make this recipe with leftover Christmas (or Easter) ham, but if you don’t have, just buy a ham at the store. With a few vegetables and herbs, you’ll be making delicious ham and bean soup in no time! Here is everything you will need:

• Oil
• Celery Stalks
• Carrots
• Onion
• Garlic
• Fresh Thyme
• Fresh Flat Leaf Italian Parsley
• Ground Mustard
• Vegetable or Chicken Broth
• Ham Hock
• Ham
  • Leftover ham from any of our ham recipes would work great! Slow Cooker Ham, Best Brown Sugar Ham, Honey Baked Ham, or Garlic Honey Mustard Ham
• Great Northern Beans or Navy Beans
• Bay Leaves
• White Pepper (black pepper is also fine)
• Salt

All the details and measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Ham and Bean Soup

Soup should be easy! And this soup is so simple! I’m going to walk you through each step, and most of the time spent on this recipe is waiting for it to simmer and get all delicious! Here are the basic steps:

1. Sauté: Heat the oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or large pot and sauté all the veggies including the garlic until tender and fragrant.
2. Stir: Add the herbs and seasonings and stir. Then add in the rest of the ingredients and stir together.
3. Boil and Simmer: Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 2-3 hours.
4. Blend: Scoop out 1 ½ cups of the soup (avoiding the meat) and blend until smooth (using an immersion blender or regular blender). Add it back into the soup and stir to combine.
5. Remove: Take out the ham hocks and remove any meat left on the bones and remove the bay leaves.
6. Simmer: Let the soup cook for another 30 minutes and serve with crusty bread.

Keep scrolling to

BEST Homemade Spaghetti Sauce [+Video]

This homemade spaghetti sauce recipe is a family favorite and is sure to become yours too! Made with fresh ingredients and a secret ingredient that takes it to the next level. Watch the video to see how easy it is to make!

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

After years of trying to create the best homemade spaghetti sauce, we’ve finally found the perfect recipe. This spaghetti sauce from scratch is a recipe we’re happy to eat over and over again! 

After years of testing and retesting recipes for easy homemade spaghetti sauce, we finally have one that we want to shout from the rooftops. This spaghetti meat sauce recipe isn’t a quick recipe, but one that simmers and bubbles all day until it’s flavors are irresistible.

Although this spaghetti sauce requires 3+ hours to develop its rich, hearty flavor, it’s very easy to make. The prep work takes all of 10 minutes to complete, and then you can walk away from the stove to tend to other chores around the house. 

In this post, we walk you through how to make spaghetti sauce, and we also address a number of FAQs we’ve received about making homemade pasta sauce. 

Spaghetti Sauce Ingredients

If you’ve already scrolled down to the recipe card to see what’s in this homemade spaghetti sauce, don’t be worried about the longer ingredient list. Most of the ingredients are herbs you already have in your pantry! Here’s what you’ll need to make this spaghetti sauce recipe: 

• Fresh Tomatoes: I recommend Roma tomatoes for the best flavor.
• Garlic: Toss them in with the tomatoes with their skin on to roast. The skins will slide right off.
• Olive Oil: helps roast the tomatoes and garlic
• Salt and Black Pepper: adds flavor
• Onion: adds flavor
• Baby Bella Mushrooms: adds texture and flavor
• Red Bell Pepper: adds flavor
• Mild Italian Sausage: This can be omitted if you want a vegetarian sauce, but it does add great flavor and good protein to the sauce.
• Fresh Herbs: Parsley, Basil, Rosemary and Oregano – I’ve included the measurements for dried herbs in the recipe card too.
• Canned Tomatoes: I recommend Cento brand San Marzano tomatoes.
• Tomato