Welcome to the weekend, my friends! My two youngest kids are at opposite ends of the country visiting family this week and next. I’m so glad they were able to do this, but man, the house sure has been quiet this week! I miss having them home.
I’ve headed out of town myself for a spur-of-the-moment weekend trip, so Sean and my oldest are going to have to hold down the fort and keep Oscar company this weekend. It’s hard to imagine a time when the boys won’t all be living at home, but I know that day is coming.
ON THE BLOGS this week: A colorful medley of garden-fresh vegetables is tossed in a light oil and vinegar dressing to make this tangy pasta salad a surefire hit at your next gathering.
Sweet onions, fresh zucchini, and grilled corn along with a bit of chicken and plenty of melting cheese made these some of the best vegetable quesadillas that I have made recently.
Roasted peanuts, ginger, garlic, and spicy red chilies give this easy kung pao chicken a kick that makes it quite unique. Kung Pao chicken is savory and sweet with as much spiciness as you might desire. The peanuts provide an additional nutty flavor that really brings it all together.
The robust flavor of artichoke hearts is perfect with the fiery kick of fresh jalapenos in this endlessly snackable artichoke jalapeno dip.
Learning how to roast beets is something that I am so glad I took the time to figure out. Getting those purple rocks soft and delectable is much easier than I imagined!
Sweet and earthy beets dance with tangy goat cheese, crunchy candied walnuts, and a drizzle of rich balsamic in this roasted beet salad.
Sweetly tart and tender rhubarb is baked to perfection under a crisp topping of brown sugar and oats in this easy rhubarb crisp.
There is nothing – and I do mean nothing – that compares with steeping whole spices and tea leaves to make an authentic pot of fragrant, spicy, sweet homemade chai. I’m warning you now, once you’ve made real chai you will never be as happy with the other versions.
Fragrant cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves are steeped with black tea leaves to infuse each scoop of this chai ice cream with the classic flavor of chai tea.
Sweet strawberries meet tart rhubarb, b