Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I shared yesterday in a blog post that I’m taking a blog vacation for the rest of the year. I’m looking forward to lots of sleep, plenty of delicious foods (that I won’t be photographing), and as many walks outside as I can squeeze into the days.

You’ll still hear from me on the weekends with the newsletter though. And if you have questions on a recipe, please leave comments on the recipe post, so that I can help you out when possible.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Stuffed French bread with a savory combination of sausage, eggs, and cheese creates a hearty breakfast or brunch. Hollowed-out French bread is the perfect vessel to hold warm, seasoned sausage, creamy eggs, and gooey cheese.

Crisp-tender broccoli florets, charred to perfection, complement the caramelized sweetness of roasted sweet potatoes. Roasted Broccoli and Sweet Potatoes offer a delightful medley of textures and tastes, creating a delicious side dish.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers hold a savory filling of seasoned ground beef, rice, onion, and bell peppers. Topped with a zesty sauce and melting cheese, each bite delivers smokiness and a hint of heat.

The velvety sweetness of chocolate mingles with the nutty goodness of walnuts in these Chocolate Walnut Cookies.

Thick and soft-baked, chewy Molasses Crinkle Cookies are full of gingery, brown sugar, and molasses flavor.

Light, buttery, almond-flavored shortbread thumbprint cookies have been the most requested cookie I make for almost as long as I can remember. My friend Augusta gave me this recipe years ago and it became a forever favorite at first bite.

What I’m CRAVING: I’ve had Rebecca’s Sushi Bake on my must-make list for far too long. I’m planning to make it next week and I can hardly wait!

My FAVORITE THINGS this week are these bath salts. The eucalyptus and spearmint fragrance is fantastic and the salts are the perfect way to relax at the end of the day. I just reordered them last week and realized that I’ve been using them for several years now.

What I’m WATCHING: Four Christmases

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! This has been one of my favorite weeks of the year. I’m blessed with some amazing girlfriends who fly out every December so that we can spend several days together for Christmas. We’ve had so much fun and the icing on this perfect week is the fact that I have two of my brothers here now for the weekend. Here’s to more great food, loads of laughter, and all the Christmas memories.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: If you’d told me a few years ago just how delicious roasted beets could be, I wouldn’t have believed it. Now though? I absolutely love having them on hand in the fridge. Roasted golden beets are earthy, sweet, and tender. Their vibrant sunny color is intensified by roasting and the resulting beets have a slightly caramelized flavor. They’re a great side dish on their own and can be dressed up with a drizzle of balsamic or a bit of olive oil and herbs.

Those sweet roasted beets are combined with peppery arugula and then tossed with creamy goat cheese and crunchy walnuts to make the golden beet salad that I can’t stop eating. Drizzled with a vinaigrette or a balsamic glaze, it’s a vibrantly colorful and flavorful salad that I love.

Sea Salt Pecan Toffee is the answer to your snacking and sweet tooth dreams. The end. Do I exaggerate? Sometimes, yes. But right now? Not really. There aren’t a whole lot of foods that I label as “The Best Ever” or “crazy insane amazingly delicious” but this toffee recipe is exactly that. All of those things. It is EVERYTHING.

Mexican Wedding Cookies are tiny melt-in-your-mouth cookies that are known by many different names around the world. My grandmother called them Sugar Butter Balls.

Blueberry gelato is a delightful fusion of creamy, rich gelato married to an irresistible tangy fruitiness. When you combine the smooth richness of homemade ice cream with berries or a berry sauce, the result is always a refreshing, creamy treat – and this blueberry gelato doesn’t disappoint.

These mint chocolate chip cookies are an absolute dream come true for anyone who loves mint chocolate. (Both of my hands are waving in the air right now, by the way. That’s me – 100%.)

Creamy chunks of chocolate and crunchy candy canes meet up in perfectly chewy cookies with crisp edges to create these White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies. When I initially had the idea for these cookies, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but let me tell you that the results went way beyond my

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I’m in Buffalo, NY today to see Rowan Lindamood dance in The Nutcracker and I couldn’t be more excited! My oldest son is here with me and we’ll be enjoying the ballet tonight along with all the tasty foods that we can cram into the weekend.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK:

Baked Parmesan pork chops are tender and juicy with a crispy Parmesan crust. Pair them with a quick rice pilaf and some sauteed asparagus for a dinner everyone will enjoy. When I can make the whole dinner in 40 minutes or less, that’s a win in my book!

The sweet heat of honey sriracha Brussels Sprouts will have everyone devouring these little bites before they make it to the table.

Spiced ground beef, black beans, and cheese top these stuffed sweet potatoes to combine sweet and savory flavors in the best possible way. Each bite of these Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes blends the creamy, sweet potato with the boldness of a beefy taco, creating a delicious, wholesome fusion of Southwestern-inspired goodness.

Crisp and buttery on the outside, fluffy on the inside, this easy waffle recipe is perfection. Included are loads of options for sweet or savory waffles, plus all the toppings you could ever desire.

How many waffle toppings can you think of off the top of your head? My family has a well-established weakness for waffles and with that comes a weakness for all the awesome ways that you can top a hot crisp freshly made waffle.

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I’m looking forward to a pretty relaxed couple of days to finish off a week that was filled with family time, games, and laughter. I absolutely love having friends and family stay with us, and you know what else I love? That moment when the house is quiet and calm again. (We can admit that, right?)

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: This Brussels sprouts gratin is a savory delight, combining thinly sliced tender-crisp Brussels sprouts with a creamy sauce. A sprinkling of cheese and a breadcrumb topping finish it off nicely, creating a luxurious, comforting side dish.

Flaky buttery pastry tops a luscious medley of tender chicken, hearty vegetables, and a creamy, savory sauce in these puff pastry pot pies.

This tangy, sweet homemade cranberry sauce with lemon trumps anything you can buy at the store. Do you know how easy it is to make cranberry sauce? If you can boil water, I promise you can make cranberry sauce.

Captain Crunch ice cream is a whimsical treat that captures the essence of childhood breakfasts in a delightful homemade ice cream. The nostalgic cereal flavor infuses every scoop of this creamy, velvety ice cream.

These Chocolate Caramel Cookies – or more accurately, Caramel Stuffed Double Chocolate Chip Cookies – are a cookie that I crave every single time I see these photos. They are legitimately mouthwatering.

Buttery crunchy toffee and candy bar pieces are layered with whipped cream atop a dessert so deliriously rich, this Heath Bar cake should carry a warning label.

What I’m CRAVING: I don’t crave salad nearly as often in the winter, but right now? I’m looking forward to prepping all the salads for my lunches this week. I’m thinking I’ll roast a tray of this and this to toss into my salads this time around.

My FAVORITE THING this week is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. I know, I know, two book recommendations in a week? I was setting out our stack of Christmas books this week and couldn’t resist this one. I’m going to read it aloud again this year with my much older kids. (I still have trouble wrapping my mind around the fact that

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! There are just a few more days until Thanksgiving and we’re in full holiday mode over here. We put up the Christmas tree and hung some garland last night and I’m loving it.

Except for 2020, (because who didn’t need an early holiday pick-me-up that year?) we’ve never decorated for Christmas so early. We have family coming in this week and thought it would be fun to have the house sparkling with twinkle lights to surprise the little kids.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Creamy, nutty, and just a little bit salty, these four-ingredient cheese balls are incredibly simple to throw together, perfect for elevating your next charcuterie night.

Honey glazed carrots are a welcome side dish combining the natural sweetness of carrots with a light and buttery honey glaze.

Fresh green beans, a drizzle of oil, a dash of spices, and a generous sprinkling of cheese add up to these crispy parmesan roasted green beans. They’re wonderfully crunchy on the outside and tender inside with so many great flavors in the mix.

Rich with butter and cream, aromatic, and seasoned very simply with salt, pepper, and thyme, these herb mashed potatoes are simply delicious.

Without any added sugars at all, these whipped sweet potatoes are one of the best sweet potato dishes I have ever tasted. Fluffy, creamy, sweet, and fragrant with vanilla, these whipped sweet potatoes are so good, you just might find yourself choosing a second helping for dessert in lieu of pie.

Creamy toffee ice cream swirled with caramel sauce and then filled with bits of crunchy toffee is sure to satisfy any ice cream lover.

The sweet fluff of mini marshmallows and the crunch of slivered almonds make these decadent rocky road brownies a killer treat. You’ll find yourself coming back to the pan for just one more, more than once if you’re like me.

What I’m CRAVING: These cheesy spinach stuffed chicken breasts caught my eye yesterday and I’m still thinking about them. I think they need to happen soon.

My FAVORITE THING this week is my very basic to-do-list style, undated planner. I switched to this style of planner a couple of years ago and it’s been a great fit for me. Both the size an