Creamy, spicy, pasta with bell peppers and sausage is a 20-minute meal that everyone loves. My family will happily eat this Cajun sausage pasta any night of the week.

Cajun Pasta with Sausage

I love the ease of using seasoning mixes for simple recipes like this one. Technically, there are only five ingredients in this recipe, but with a great seasoning mix there is an abundance of different flavors in the dish.

I shared this Cajun Seasoning Mix in The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook. The seasoning blend has been a staple in my pantry for quite a few years now. I figured it was long past time to share it here so that I can more easily link to it for easy access.

After you whip up that Cajun spice blend (it only takes a minute), you’ll be ready to make this delicious pasta.

Pasta with Bell Peppers

My family loves creamy pasta dishes, but I sometimes find them to be a little too bland. The bell peppers and the sausage help keep things interesting. This recipe satisfies both my family’s love of cream sauces and our need for a little more heat.

This meal starts by browning the sausage in a pan. Because spicy sausage already has so much flavor, it’s the perfect foundation for so many of our favorite meals.

Add in a few bell peppers for color and flavor, plus heavy cream and Cajun spices and you get an extra creamy sauce to toss with your pasta.

With regards to the cream in this recipe

Fresh strawberries are tossed with sugar and cinnamon before being layered under a sweet biscuit crust to make this Strawberry Cobbler. If you’re a fan of classic strawberry shortcake, this berry-filled dessert is going to thrill you.

This cobbler is loaded with strawberries and then topped with a generous cinnamon sugar crust that is both buttery and flaky while never becoming soggy, even after a day or two in the refrigerator.

I like to top each serving of Strawberry Cobbler with fresh Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream or Homemade Ice Cream. Don’t get me wrong though, storebought whipped cream and/or ice cream works beautifully too.

There is no wrong way to eat a fruit cobbler! While the Peach Cobbler of my dreams will forever rule fruit desserts, the Strawberry Cobbler is rapidly becoming a close second.

How to Make Strawberry Cobbler

I try to freeze a few cobblers worth of fruit each year, so we can enjoy this fresh taste of summer throughout the year.

To freeze strawberries for cobbler, combine the filling ingredients: strawberries, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a gallon size zip-close freezer bag.

Add the lemon juice to the berry mixture and stir to combine. Alternatively, you can seal the bag and shake gently to coat the fruit.

Place the bag flat in the freezer. I like to prepare and stack several bags of cobbler filling in the freezer each summer.

When you’re ready to bake the cobbler, thaw the fruit mixture in the refrigerator. Pour the strawberries and all liquid from the bag into the baking pan. Bake the fruit and proceed with the recipe as written.

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Sweet and slightly tart fresh blueberries are lightly covered in dark chocolate to create an irresistible sweet snack that doubles as a quick and easy dessert too.

Chocolate Covered Blueberries

Have you ever had that crazy “aha” moment where you wonder why you never thought of something before now?

My sister, Jenny, called me a few days ago and told me that she had been craving a dessert and there was nothing sweet in her house, so she melted a few chocolate chips and poured them over blueberries.

When she couldn’t stop talking about this new treat, I decided I’d better try it right away. She was right, oh so very right.

Who knew that chocolate-covered blueberries would be even more tempting than the ever-popular chocolate covered strawberries?

Dark Chocolate Covered Blueberries

Having made my share of desserts in the past, I can say that these chocolate-covered blueberries are one of the easiest recipes I’ve made.

All you’ll need to do is lay out your blueberries, prep a simple chocolate sauce, and pour it over the berries. Chill the berries in the refrigerator, and you’re done!

And what a delicious contrast! The combination of rich, creamy dark chocolate and sweet, refreshing, mildly tart blueberries is a match made in heaven. Serve these sweets while they’re slightly cold, and the flavor of the

Garlic Pesto Caprese Burgers

I love all the flavors of caprese, so making garlic pesto caprese burgers just seemed like the logical next step.

The juicy beef patty has pesto mixed in, and then we grill it and top it with melty Havarti cheese, tomatoes, crispy lettuce and a tasty garlic mayo between a toasty brioche bun.

I’ve never really been a hamburger girl. I’ve always thought they were too dry and grainy. I realize that may not seem too American to hate a hamburger, but I think I may always prefer a panini, turkey club or something of that sort. Well, that’s not true. Lately I’ve been trying hamburgers to see if I could find one I like. This garlic pesto caprese burger, well, I secretly kinda loved it…

Ingredients for Garlic Pesto Caprese Burgers

This is just an overview of the ingredients you will need to make these scrumptious burgers. For all the measurements and instructions for making the recipe, scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post.

For the Burgers

• Ground Beef Chuck: Go to your butcher and ask for a mix of this and ground sirloin. Having a good blend of meat makes a huge difference when it comes to flavor.
• Ground Sirloin: Combined with the beef chuck, it creates such great flavor.
• Pesto: You can make your own or buy some at the store.
• Salt and Pepper: adds flavor
• Brioche Hamburger Buns: You want a really good quality bun that is hearty enough to hold up to a juicy burger but also not so heavy that it takes away from the flavor of the burger.

Burger Toppings

• Green Leaf Lettuce: We love the way green leaf lettuce looks and tastes.
• Campari Tomatoes: These tomatoes have such great flavor, but if you can’t find them, you could go with a vine ripe tomato.
• Havarti Cheese: adds creaminess and just a touch of sweetness that is perfection on this burger
• Balsamic Glaze: You would use just balsamic vinegar if you don’t have a glaze.

For the Garlic Mayo

• Light Mayo: You don’t have to use light mayo, but it really tastes great and I like it to be lighter.
• Dijon Mustard: adds a little tanginess
• Garlic: adds flavor
• Salt and Pepper: adds flavor

Which Cheese is Best for Caprese Burgers

I decided that since we were doing a caprese style burger, then we might as well add Mozzarella, but ultimately it was the Havarti Cheese that really won us over. There’s slightly more flavor than mozzarella, yet it still melts down beautifully. The flavor is subtly sweet with a light note that pairs it perfectly with garlic and pesto.

How to Avoid Burger Shrinking when Cooking

I have discovered a little trick to keep them nice a

Sharing a roundup of my top 10 fave healthy living brands and why I love them so much. Whether you’re many years in your healthy living journey, or just getting started (yay!!), I hope you find something that resonates with you in the list below.

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you had a wonderful weekend! I had the most glorious four days at Miraval and am back, refreshed, Zen. And my friend time and inspiration cups are full. I always come back from our min-mind trips with new ideas and action plans. And am really excited to put them into motion. We brainstormed for my new program (launching later this summer/early August) and I can’ t wait to share it with you.

Today, I thought I’d share a roundup of my fave healthy living brands. Taking care of our health can significantly impact happiness, stress levels, productivity, etc. And there are plenty of factors that contribute to and help improve a person’s overall health and wellness. These brands stand out from the rest when it comes to championing health and wellness. And so today, I’m sharing a roundup of brands that can help you achieve your best state of health and wellness.

12 of my Favorite Health and Wellness Brands

I put a lot of time and research into the type of brands I like to support. And these are some of my tried and true favorites. They all make products that we use regularly in our house (or in my own personal routine). And many of them are B corps, which means they care for people and the planet.

Because I love these brands so much, I have longstanding partnerships with many of them. Affiliate links are included below, which do not impact purchase price. But they allow me to share a discount with you (and I also receive a small kickback). Thank you so much to those of you who shop through my affiliate links!

Thrive Market

Thrive Market offers convenient access to products that positively impact your health, including organic pantry staples, clean beauty products, and eco-friendly home essentials. They prioritize transparency, ensuring their selection is free from harmful additives. In addition, their mission to make healthy living affordable and accessible means you can enjoy up to 50% off retail prices. By choosing Thrive Market, you support sustainable practices and contribute to a more equitable food system.

If you want to try Thrive Market, you can use my link for 40% off your first purchase. This is such an awesome deal!! You can use this discount for some of my very favorite things like, almond butter, Siete chips, Simple Mills products, cleaning products, seaweed snacks, bars, dog treats, oatmeal and grains, the best rose sheet masks, essential oils, and so much more.

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