Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I had a whole lot of fun this week cooking and shooting new recipes to share with you soon. The changing of the seasons always inspires me with new foods and flavors to play with in the kitchen. I’m all about peaches and blueberries, zucchini, corn, and tomatoes right now. What are you craving these days?

ON THE BLOG this week: Flavorful marinated strips of fork-tender beef are served with crisp hot onions and peppers in this recipe for Korean Beef Bulgogi. Bulgogi is one of the most well-known Korean foods and I’ve been making it at home for years now.

Fresh mushrooms, bell peppers, and sweet onions are sprinkled throughout this buttery, garlicky, Vegetable Rice Pilaf.

If you can imagine your favorite homemade brownies transformed into a smooth and creamy bowl of ice cream, then you have a glimpse of the awesomeness that is this Brownie Ice Cream.

Have you tried German Pancakes? Served with Grandma’s orange sauce, these are unforgettable. They are basically the world’s easiest to make giant popovers. These pancakes are baked in the oven, where they rise tall and they gently fall, instead of being cooked on a griddle like traditional pancakes.

Sweet Orange Sauce has been a favorite part of our weekend breakfasts for as long as I can remember. My grandmother always served this sauce over her German Pancakes and over crepes.

What I’m CRAVING: This Crispy Cajun Cauliflower brings a kiss of heat to this tasty, slightly crunch side dish. I’ve made it almost weekly for a while now. I LOVE it!

My FAVORITE THING this week is my recipe rock! I first told you about it over 3 years ago and I still use it almost every day. I’m ecstatic to see that it’s available again. I spent hours on the phone a couple of years ago trying to track it down for gift-giving and it was out of production.

Sean found it for me one year for Christmas and I’ll admit that I didn’t think it would actually work. But it does! If you’re like me and enjoy a printed recipe instead of using your phone or tablet while cooking, this nifty little contraption manages to hold a single sheet of paper upright with just the stone and magnet.

What I’m READING: Darksong Rising. Continuing with more of the same, this is the third book in the Spellsong War series. The books tell the story of an alternate world where magic is worked through music. It

Fresh mushrooms, bell peppers, and sweet onions are sprinkled throughout this buttery, garlicky, Vegetable Rice Pilaf.

I served this with Honey Spice Chicken Bites and Roasted Green Beans. The kids loved this meal so much that they begged for the leftovers and asked the very next day if we could make it again.

Vegetable Rice Pilaf

Rice pilaf can be made with rice alone or with a mixture of rice and pasta. We make and enjoy both versions. This rice pilaf is fluffy and flavorful, and it is made with rice alone.

I’m not a big fan of rice most of the time, but this was one of my favorite recipes things I ate over the weekend. The rice stayed nice and separate while the vegetables were tender and perfectly seasoned.

Mushroom Rice Pilaf

You don’t need fancy ingredients to make this mushroom rice pilaf and yet the results are loaded with flavor.

Mushrooms and peppers are sauteed in butter before the rice is simmered with garlic and onions until tender. With just a few extra minutes of effort, you’ll have a side dish that everyone is sure to love.

You can turn this into a full meal with some leftover chicken or some sliced kielbasa. My guys love it with some bacon or spicy sausage in the mix too.

Vegetable Rice Pilaf Recipe

1. Melt ½ tablespoon butter in a large skillet (I love this one!) over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and the mushrooms and saute for 2-3 minutes, until tender. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then remove the vegetables to a bowl and s

Sweet Orange Sauce has been a favorite part of our weekend breakfasts for as long as I can remember. My grandmother always served this sauce over her German Pancakes and over crepes.

Sweet Orange Sauce

Every time I make it, I remember times spent with my grandparents. We pour this sauce over pancakes, waffles, miniature German pancakes and just about any other sweet breakfast food.

This sauce is so delicious, that you’ll find yourself licking the spoon. Just try not to drink the sauce before you have the rest of breakfast ready.

These Cranberry Almond German Pancakes pair spectacularly with this sauce. They are loaded with seasonal flavors, making them one of my favorite holiday breakfasts.

Orange Sauce Ingredients

• water
• orange juice concentrate
• sugar
• cornstarch
• kosher salt
• butter

Orange Sauce Recipe

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients and set them aside. Combine the water and the orange juice concentrate in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk them together and then add the dry ingredients.
2. Cook the mixture, stirring frequently until the sauce is clear and thickened. This should take about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Serve warm.

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Have you tried German Pancakes? Served with Grandma’s orange sauce, they’re unforgettable. They are basically the world’s easiest to make giant popovers.

These pancakes are baked in the oven, where they rise tall and they gently fall, instead of being cooked on a griddle like traditional pancakes.

German Pancakes

I remember my grandmother waking early in the morning to start breakfast before anyone else was awake. We’d come downstairs and she’d already be working in the kitchen.

I’d peek through the oven door as the German pancakes rose so beautifully in the oven. German pancakes are a cross between a souffle and an omelet.

What is a Dutch Baby?

These are light airy pancakes with a unique taste. Often called Dutch baby pancakes, these are a real treat and a fun breakfast for a lazy weekend.

Have you made these? German pancakes rise amazingly high and then fall once they are removed from the oven. As a child, it was always exciting to watch the process. I waited years to attempt making them myself.

Once I discovered just how simple they are to make, I had to restrain myself from making them far too often. We love them with powdered sugar, or maple syrup, but my grandmother’s Orange Sauce is our favorite topping of all.

The sides of the pancake will rise high over the rim of the pie plate, as pictured below.

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Bourbon Chicken

This Bourbon Chicken is tender, moist, and full of flavor and so simple to prepare! I’ve been testing this recipe for 20 years exactly now, and it was time for a refresher on this recipe! It is my new fav thing!

One of the things that we absolutely love is that it’s so easy to spice it up or take it down a few notches depending on who you will be sharing your meal with. 

There was a great bourbon chicken, hold your breath, at the Washington Square Mall when I was in high school. I know, mall food. Can you even believe that I said that?! It’s completely ridiculous, and if I went back I’d probably be a bit disappointed now that my palate has evolved. Or, at least I hope that it has! And this sauce isn’t exactly like the one from the mall, it’s even better!

And I won’t even tell you about Hot Dog on a Stick. Or should I say…the cheese on a stick. I know, I know, it’s ridiculous. That one I’m still tempted to make a homemade version though…

Ingredients Needed for Bourbon Chicken

This chicken is sweet and sticky and made with tender and flavorful chicken thighs. You start by browning the chicken on the stove top with a simple dry rub and then it finishes cooking in the oven in the sauce. Here is what you will need:

Chicken

• Chicken Thighs – boneless and skinless thighs, you can also use chicken breasts if you prefer
• Salt – adds flavor
• Garlic Powder – adds flavor
• Onion Powder – adds flavor
• Pepper – chicken should just always be seasoned with salt and pepper
• Olive Oil – gives the chicken a good sear and keeps it from sticking to the pan

Sauce

• Garlic Powder – paired with the ginger, it is that essential Chinese food flavor combo
• Ground Ginger – it’s very fine and blends into the sauce beautifully
• Apple Cider – adds richness, tang and a fruitiness
• Water – thins out the sauce some
• Brown Sugar – adds the perfect sweetness to the sauce
• Rice Vinegar – gives the sauce a nice tang
• Soy Sauc