Hi friends! Happy Monday and I hope that my friends who were celebrating yesterday enjoyed a blessed Easter. We had a great day with our fam.

The fun started off with an Easter basket scavenger hunt. It prolonged the Easter basket fun and P loved following all of the clues. Their baskets were waiting for them in the garage:

(They always get new swimsuits in their basket; this year it was these. Liv also got a new slime, lululemon bag, and sports bra, and P got an otter puppet, action figures, and a little sloth. They both got some peeps and chocolate eggs, too.)

Next, we did the egg hunt outside – the Easter bunny was tricky with the hiding spots this year – and got ready for brunch at my aunt’s with my dad’s side of the family. Nana’s famous egg dish and French toast were there, along with fruit, salad, cinnamon rolls, ham, potatoes, bellinis, mimosas, coffee, and endless desserts. It was everything.

My contribution to the feast was Ina Garten smoked salmon tartines on homemade sourdough. SO easy and so so good.Read more

Strawberry Fluff Fruit Dip [+ Video]

This strawberry fluff fruit dip is one of the first recipes I fell in love with as a kid and I still can’t get enough of it. All you need is two simple ingredients!

When I was a teenager, I had this marshmallow fluff dip for the first time and while I think it’s from Shannon Mattson —one of the sweetest, spunkiest and most tender hearted people I know — I could also be totally wrong. Either way, this easy fruit dip is pure heaven and I’ve got three kiddos over here licking their bowls clean in order to not miss out on a single bit.

And the very best part? It uses just two ingredients. Boo-yah. There’s literally nothing easier than buying two things at the store, whipping them together and serving with a platter of fruit. 

I’ve actually mentioned this a few times, but in case you are new on this blog, fruit and I are the best of friends. I’d actually take it over chocolate most of the time. Most of the time. (I mean, who could ever turn down a hot, homemade chocolate chip cookie?).

Strawberry Fluff Fruit Dip Ingredients

Like I said already, this is such an easy fruity dip recipe! To make this strawberry dip, you’ll need: 

• Marshmallow Fluff – the jarred stuff you can buy at the store, Jet Puffed makes one called marshmallow creme. I’ve also heard you can buy strawberry flavored marshmallow cream, so if you can find that, go for it!!
• Strawberry Cream Cheese – Philadelphia is my preferred brand, it’s a 7.5oz container

Seriously, that’s all it takes to make this incredible cream cheese dip! The exact measurements for each ingredient and instructions for the making the dip can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Fruit Dip 

This strawberry marshmallow dip is so simple to make I think it takes less than 5 minutes to prepare! Here’s how to make fruit dip: 

1. Beat the marshmallow fluff and cream cheese together until smooth. 
2. Spoon into a serving dish and serve alongside your choice of fruit. 

Couldn’t be easier, right?! My kind of appetizer! It would be so cute at a baby shower for a little baby girl! Or a bridal shower! It is always a hit!

What to Serve with Fruit Dip

This is one of those fruity dip recipes that works best with strawberries and bananas, but really any fruit will work. Think: apples, pineapple, or even peaches and pears.Read more

When you know how to make homemade vanilla whipped cream, everything from fresh fruit to pancakes becomes a delightfully decadent treat.

If there is one thing you need to know how to make from scratch, I vote that you know how to make whipped cream. Consider it a life skill.

Did you grow up scooping cool whip onto pie? or squirting it from those handy cans – sometimes straight into your mouth? My mom was team cool whip for every holiday and I never gave it a second thought.

My sister first introduced me to freshly whipped cream on Thanksgiving day many years ago. Watching her pour cream into the bowl and then beat it into fluffy peaks was a game-changer for me.

This vanilla whipped cream draws a “WOW” from guests every time. It’s as if no one knows how easy it is to make. I can speak to that from experience.

Once you taste homemade whipped cream, you will never go back. Your tastebuds and your family won’t let you.

Vanilla Whipped Cream

My family will happily put whipped cream on just about everything. When I finally triumphed over Gluten Free Pancakes years ago, I wanted to make them extra special. I had fresh raspberries in the refrigerator and decided to whip some cream for a special treat.

My youngest son called it “ice cream” and we all thought the flavor was a perfect match for our favorite vanilla ice cream.

Subtly sweet, richly vanilla flavored, and slightly melted into the fluffy pancakes: that became an immediate favorite pancake topping for the whole family. I’ve been whipping cream to top pancakes almost every weekend since then.

I’m trying to talk myself out of baking something now for dessert tonight, if only so I can make another bowl of whipped cream to top it. Writing about fluffy bowls of vanilla whipped cream makes me crave it all over again!

Read more

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! Ohio teased us with some wonderfully warm days earlier this week but then sent a bunch of rain and chilly weather our way. Regardless of the temperatures at the moment, spring is definitely on the way. The trees on our property are flowering, there are sunshiny daffodils in the yard, and the sun continues to shine through the clouds.

Our Easter traditions are pretty laid back. We’ll be at church tomorrow morning, followed by dinner at home, and then, if I’m lucky, there is likely to be either a walk or a long walk in my future. I’ll happily take either option!

ON THE BLOGS this week: Do you like green chile chicken enchiladas? Do you like chicken pot pie? Do flaky buttery cheesy biscuits make you grin? If so, this Spicy Chicken Pot Pie Casserole is going to make you very happy.

Creamy slow cooker ham potato soup with soft chunks of buttery potatoes and salty-sweet ham is perfect with a salad or just some crusty bread.

Korean ground beef is the kind of dish that both beginning and experienced cooks need in their life. The meal comes together in minutes and is full of fantastic flavors. It is easier to make than ordering take-out, saves you money, and tastes better too!

Creamy, rich, chocolatey Nutella Ice Cream with a melt-in-your-mouth swirl of Nutella mixed throughout is a dreamy way to satisfy your sweet tooth this summer – or this fall, or winter, or pretty much any time of year, if you’re me.

Crunchy, tangy, sweet pepper cabbage slaw is a welcome variation on classic creamy coleslaw recipes. Last year, a reader emailed me this recipe for pepper cabbage (thanks, Amy!) and I’ve had it on my must-try list ever since. I finally had a chance to make it last week and it was a hit.

Sweet peas, salty bacon, and sharp cheddar cheese coated in a creamy, tangy dressing add up to an easy, tasty summer side dish. This bacon pea salad is a timeless favorite that is a great addition to any meal.

Ground beef fried rice is both savory and slightly sweet with a subtle touch of heat. Best of all, this is a dinner anyone can make in under 20 minutes!

If you could put sunshine and sugar in a jar, I am convinced it would taste just like this strawberry compote. If you have access to perfectly sweet and ripe Florida strawberries right now, you need to make this asap. And if you’re still waiting for strawberries to come into their season where you are, put this on your list to make this summer.

Speaking of strawberries, yo

Prosciutto Chicken Milanese

Crunchy panko bread crumbs, creamy taleggio cheese, salty prosciutto, fresh arugula and juicy chicken breast…chicken milanese… It’s what’s for dinner!

Soooo we don’t watch TV. Like, ever. It was a decision long ago to have more productive and restful evenings instead of glued to a TV and it’s been life-changing. Until Cade was on a business trip and saw Bobby Flay’s new show. It’s been so much fun to catch an episode here or there and one day we saw a little ad for a reel he’d made about chicken milanese.

Well, I’ve been trying to sell Cade on Chicken Milanese for years but every time we’ve had it there’s been capers (Cade’s nightmare) involved. I could not wait to try this prosciutto and taleggio cheese version. I will confess, I’m making this up entirely on my own, but inspired by what he did so please don’t kill the messenger if you find his recipe and it’s different.

But more importantly!!! This is our new favorite chicken!!! It’s light and crunchy, with a perfectly juicy inside. Then there’s this beautifully mild and almost a hint of tang from the creamy, melt in your mouth cheese. All topped off with perfect balance (remember in my cookbook how I talk about salt, fat, acid, heat?) of peppery arugula and bright, acidic red wine vinaigrette. It is amazing!!!

What is Chicken Milanese?

Chicken Milanese is one of the best recipes to learn when you’re starting to cook as it’s a great base which you can later experiment with sauces, toppings etc. So what is chicken milanese?

Chicken Milanese is an Italian breaded chicken which is made by first butterflying the chicken so it’s nice and thin, then dipping it in a breadcrumb and seasoning mixture to created the best breading for breaded chicken.

What Do I Need to Make Chicken Milanese?

This easy chicken dinner looks super fancy but the ingredients are actually really simple. Here is what you will need:

• Chicken Breasts – see section below for how to butterfly a chicken breast
• Flour – just regular all purpose
• Kosher Salt – adds flavor to the breading
• Black Pepper – freshly ground
• Eggs – helps the Panko stick to the chicken
• Water – blends with the egg to create an egg wash to help the breading stick
• Panko Bread Crumbs – a Japanese bread crumb that is extra crunchy
• Canola Oil – used to fry the chicken
• Prosciutto – an Italian dry-cured ham that is uncooked and unsmoked and oh so delicious
• Baby Arugula – gives a bright peppery pop of flavor
• Taleggio Cheese – semi soft cheese with a creamy texture and mild/earthy flavor, see section below for possible substitutes

Red Wine Vinaigrette

• Dijon Mustard – rounds out the flavor of this dressing so perfectly
• Red Wine Vinegar – gives the dressing that signature acid and tang
• Lemon Juice – freshly squeezed is best of course!
• Olive Oil – the base of the dressing, a good quality olive oil will make all the difference
• Honey – adds a natural sweetness to the dressing