Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I’m spending this morning meal prepping in the kitchen, and then I’ll be headed out for a walk this afternoon to soak up more of the awesome pre-fall weather.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Pizza and salad might sound like total opposites, one’s cheesy, gooey, and indulgent, while the other is light, crisp, and refreshing. But put them together? You’ve got the best of both worlds in this pizza salad.

Smoked salmon pasta feels like spring or summer in a bowl. It’s light and lemony with a great balance of flavors. The lemon cuts through the creaminess, the salmon brings that slightly smoky depth, and the pine nuts add just the right crunch.

Let’s just get this out of the way now, I am obsessed with this vegetable confetti. For about 15 years now, I’ve kept a ready-to-eat vegetable box in our fridge, and we pull it out several times a day for snacking.

This confetti, on the other hand? It’s perfect for tossing with crunchy greens for a lightning-fast salad, or simply sauteing a bit of the mix to add to some scrambled eggs or add some to a bit of ground beef for quick tacos.

If you’re looking for a dinner that’s full of flavor, super simple to prep, and practically effortless to cook, air fryer Italian chicken is going to be your new go-to.

Crustless coconut pie is a simple custard pie filled to the brim with sweet bites of coconut. Best of all, it’s so easy to make, the kids can stir it together in about 5 minutes.

This is the cookies and cream ice cream of my childhood dreams. Frosted circus animal cookies dance through every bite of this animal cookie ice cream.

What I’m CRAVING: Rebecca shared these Greek yogurt brownies last week, and oh my word, they look incredible! No eggs AND no butter required, the Greek yogurt does all the heavy lifting to create these ultra-rich brownies. They are surely calling my name today. So, you can bet I’ll be trying them asap.

My FAVORITE THING this week is the new Guilty Pleas

This is the cookies and cream ice cream of my childhood dreams. Frosted circus animal cookies dance through every bite of this memorable ice cream.

Circus Animal Cookie Ice Cream

This recipe takes the best and easiest ice cream base and loads it up with big chunks of frosted animal cookies. You get the perfect mix of crunchy cookie meets creamy ice cream in every single bite.

And while the drop of pink food coloring that I added is completely optional, it sure does bring a grin when you’re topping each bright pink scoop of ice cream with a dash of fun sprinkles.

If you know someone who loves animal cookies even a fraction of the way that “I” love these cookies, they’re about to have the biggest, happiest smile on their face with every bite. Each scoop of this animal cookie ice cream is a trip down memory lane.

Cookie Ice Cream

While I’ve been known to add all sorts of fun food items to ice cream, cookies are my go-to ice cream add-in. The satisfying crunch of Nutter Butter cookies in creamy homemade ice cream makes this Nutter Butter ice cream positively irresistible.

Sweet strawberries mingle with crunchy golden Oreos whispering of summer in this lusciously smooth strawberry shortcake ice cream. Rich and creamy vanilla ice cream exploding with pieces of homemade chocolate chip cookies is what chocolate chip cookie ice cream is, and what makes it so irresistible. 

Creamy cookie mo

Pizza and salad might sound like total opposites, one’s cheesy, gooey, and indulgent, while the other is light, crisp, and refreshing. But put them together? You’ve got the best of both worlds in one bowl.

My love for big green salads has no limits, and I’ve been known to transform all kinds of comfort food into my kind of salad. I’m laughably known for my Fritos-Every-Day-Diet, as corn chips are my salad topping of choice most days.

Street tacos meet the Big Green Salad in this Carnitas Salad Bowl that I can’t get enough of lately. Crunchy lettuce is layered with juicy carnitas, tomatoes, avocado, onions, corn, beans, and cheese, then topped with a squeeze of lime. While I’m a huge fan of homemade salad dressings, this salad is so flavorful I just squeeze a lime over the top and finish with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

This BLT Salad is fully loaded with crunchy romaine lettuce, sweet tomatoes and fresh corn, salty bacon, rich and creamy avocado slices, cubed cheddar cheese, crunchy croutons, and the perfect ranch dressing.

BBQ chicken salad with sweet potato fries has become one of my favorite lunches over the past couple of years. This is a cold garden salad tossed with warm and saucy barbecue chicken, then topped with crisp, hot sweet potato fries.

All the awesomeness of the popular grinder sandwich is tossed into this salad with crunchy greens, juicy tomatoes, and a medley of meats and cheeses. Then it’s drizzled with a delicious creamy dressing to make this Italian grinder salad.

Pizza Salad

Fresh garden salad is topped with warm and cheesy pizza “croutons” for a fun and totally satisfying twist on pizza night. It’s playful, delicious, and as much fun to eat as

This pasta feels like spring or summer in a bowl. It’s light and lemony with a great balance of flavors. The lemon cuts through the creaminess, the salmon brings that slightly smoky depth, and the pine nuts add just the right crunch.

Smoked Salmon Pasta

I’ve fallen in love with the ease of dishes made with smoked salmon. The huge boost of flavor the salmon adds to the meal is wonderful, but best of all, the cooking time is minimal.

The sauce comes together in minutes with simple ingredients, just a splash of cream, plenty of lemon juice and zest, and a good amount of Parmesan to tie it all together. Toss in the pasta, sprinkle over some buttery pine nuts, and fold in silky ribbons of smoked salmon at the end.

This meal came together quickly for a weekend lunch. My husband really enjoyed this, despite the fact that pasta is not one of his favorite foods. My sons and I loved it as well. This recipe is a definite keeper.

Salmon Pasta

Salmon and I haven’t always had a great relationship, but over the past 10 years or so, I’ve grown to love this fish. There are near-endless ways to prepare it, and I can’t get enough of it lately.

Spicy, sweet, and slightly tangy glazed salmon with broccoli has been a family favorite for a long time. One delightfully simple sauce does double duty as a marinade for the fish and a flavor booster for the fresh broccoli.

This brown sugar salmon uses the air fryer to cook a piece of salmon to seasoned and subtly sweet perfection in mere minutes.

With flavorful salmon nestled on a bed of baby greens, fresh herbs, glass noodles, avocado, crunchy cabbage and carrots, pickled broccoli and a to-die-for chili lime dressing, this Asian salmon salad is a showstopper. This is a salad to get very excited for – just ask my friends and family. I’ve been talking about it for months

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Turkey Bacon Avocado Sandwich (Honey Avocado Sauce)

This Turkey Bacon Avocado Sandwich stacks the flavor in a whole new way! First, make a creamy honey avocado spread. Next, pile turkey, avocado, crispy bacon and tomato on your favorite bread. Finally, dig into the best sandwich you’ve ever eaten!

Make it on 7 Grain Bread or Scroll down to watch on Focaccia!

Turkey Bacon Avocado Sandwich Ingredients

• Favorite bread: Go for a good sturdy 7 grain or focaccia– trust me.
• Havarti cheese: Mild and creamy; a great complement, but not necessary.
• Bacon: Make it on a sheet pan, starting in a cold oven or pan for ultimate fat-rendering-crispness.
• Deli turkey: Choose fresh deli slices or use leftover Thanksgiving turkey if you’ve got some!
• Avocado: Use a perfectly ripe avocado for a creamier texture; slice thinly.
• Tomato: Always sprinkle a little salt and pepper on tomatoes in a sandwich!
• Greens: I love to used mixed greens or peppery arugula, but anything will do! Romaine or green leaf lettuce would be great!
• Honey Avocado sauce: Blend together the ingredients in a small bowl for the ultimate sandwich spread!

How to Make Turkey Avocado Sandwiches with Honey Avocado Dressing

1. Make sauce: Blend together the sauce ingre