February 18, 2023

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! Sean and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary this past week with a few days away on our own. We stayed about an hour from home and it was a lot of fun to explore a new-to-us part of Columbus and a few new restaurants too.

So, that’s my excuse for the later-than-usual weekly newsletter today. I’m happy to be home now and ready for the fresh new week ahead.

ON THE BLOG this week: All the ingredients we love in classic Chinese Egg Rolls come together in this Egg Roll Stir Fry recipe. This is an irresistible bowl of deconstructed egg rolls and you’re going to love it.

Fluffy mashed sweet potatoes top a saucy mixture of seasoned ground beef and vegetables to make this Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie.

Creamy Smoked Salmon Chowder is filled with carrots, onions, celery, garlic, wine, and a hint of bacon. If you enjoy smoked salmon, you will love this chowder.

Crisp buttery blueberry waffles are a spectacular breakfast treat that will have you coming back for just one more bite until they are gone.

Speaking of breakfast treats, fluffy buttermilk pancakes filled with crumbled breakfast sausage add up to a whole lot of awesomeness in these Sausage Pancakes.

You know how much I enjoy making my own seasoning mixes, right? Smokey, salty with a hint of pepper, homemade french fry seasoning takes fries to a whole new level.

Roasted and drizzled with pure maple syrup, these classic maple roasted carrots are almost candy-like in their sweetness.

Sweet and just a little bit spicy, this honey sriracha chicken stir fry is filled with bite-size sticky sweet chunks of chicken and tender-crisp peppers. The whole recipe comes together in under 20 minutes.

favorite things: this cuticle oil, this movie, and this book

What I’m CRAVING: Have you tried Sticky Toffee Pudding? It’s one of those things that I can not resist when it’s on a dessert menu. Soft, fluffy, incredibly moist cake smothered in a toffee caramel sauce is unforgettable. This recipe is on m

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I’ve had a fun week in the sunshine while visiting friends in Utah. Shawn, Natalie, and I did an easy hike on Aspiration Trail one morning and snapped this photo at the top.

There are hundreds of rocks lining the path all the way up the hill and it was a great way to spend some time outdoors. If you’re visiting the St. George area, this walk/hike needs to be on your to-do list.

ON THE BLOG this week: Is there anything better than coming home to the smell of a meal that’s simmering in the crock-pot? Making corned beef and cabbage in the slow cooker is so easy it practically makes itself.

Lucky enough to have corned beef leftover? Crispy hot potatoes and cabbage are combined with bites of tender, salty, corned beef to create the corned beef and cabbage hash of your dreams.

My husband’s favorite soup takes all of the Reuben flavors you love and combines them in a steaming hot bowl of soup, perfect for these chilly nights. Don’t skip the rye bread for serving with the soup, it adds the perfect final touch.

For something a little different next time you’re making corned beef, baked corned beef with honey mustard glaze turns out moist and juicy with a sticky sweet glaze on top that no one can resist.

Tender, salty, corned beef, bite-size chunks of potatoes, and shredded green cabbage are combined in a savory broth to make this hearty corned beef soup. This meal never fails to make everyone in my family happy.

Chicken and vegetables simmer in a creamy filling underneath a flaky biscuit topping to make these individual chicken pot pies. Prefer a casserole? Just bake it that way instead. Whichever way you choose to make it, this dinner disappears fast.

Tired of making banana bread when those bananas on the counter have passed their prime? Banana pancakes with chocolate chips are a quick, easy breakfast that I’d happily eat for dessert as well.

Air fryer Brussels sprouts are the popcorn of the vegetable world. There is no way you can eat just one – they are such a great snack or side. I feel like brussels sprouts are finally getting the attention they have long deserved. Eat straight out of the air fryer or drizzled with a balsamic glaze, I could happily snack on these every day. 

What I’m CRAVING: These banana split freezer bites look like a lot of fun and they could al

February 4, 2023

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! It’s supposed to be a nice clear day here in Ohio and I’m headed out for a drive with my middle son in the driver’s seat – wish me luck. I need a service that will teach the kids to drive from day one, this just-getting-started bit is not for the faint of heart.

ON THE BLOG this week: It’s Saturday morning, so there’s no better time to remind you of this creamy, rich, peanut butter syrup. It makes a fantastic topping for your favorite stack of homemade pancakes or waffles. It will be pure heaven over a stack of banana nut pancakes or fluffy chocolate chip pancakes.

Creamy, buttery, cheesy potatoes with bacon are combined in this Loaded Baked Potato Dip to create a snack that is a guaranteed win for your football party. Everyone knows that potatoes and sour cream go together like football and snacks.

Another hit for game day, this slow cooker spinach artichoke dip explodes with flavor. Artichokes + spinach are a classic pairing for a reason. And, you will not believe how easy it is to make spinach artichoke dip in your crockpot.

With no advance planning required, these pan-seared Italian chicken thighs require just a few minutes of work in the kitchen. This recipe is a great one for using dried spices; as the chicken slowly cooks, it will absorb all of those great flavors. There is no need to marinate the meat, simply sprinkle each thigh with seasonings and drop it in the pan.

Made with ground beef, rice, and all the traditional flavors of cabbage rolls this fragrant cabbage roll soup is as cozy as it gets. It doesn’t get much better than a simmering pot of soup on a cold day.

Lightly spiced pear bread is a slightly sweet, fragrantly sweet snack that is great on its own or alongside a seasonal bowl of soup or salad.

Homemade peppermint ice cream is some of the creamiest ice cream I have ever made and for the record, it is worlds away from the mint-flavored ice creams you can find in a store.

What I’m CRAVING: This creamy tortellini soup caught my eye this week. I need to pick up some tortellini asap, so that we can make it. Paired with some of this Read more

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! It was a non-stop week of cooking and photographing new recipes over here and I’m ready for a weekend with my feet up on the couch. Rebecca and Lynne were here working with me and we ate some seriously delicious food all week long. I’m looking forward to sharing it all with you! 

ON THE BLOG this week: Tender chunks of chicken and vegetables are simmered together underneath a buttery, flaky biscuit topping to make this chicken pot pie casserole. I made it a few weeks ago and it was such a hit, it’s already been made three times since then.

When you pull this cheesy and delicious ham potato broccoli casserole hot and steaming from the oven everyone will be clamoring for a bite.

This Strawberry Blueberry Banana Smoothie brings summertime straight to your glass – even in the middle of winter. Sweet and creamy, this good-for-you smoothie is an easy way to start your day or refuel in the afternoon.

Pepperoni pizza dip is the perfect party appetizer. I mean, who doesn’t love a piping hot, melting cheese dip full of pepperoni?

Roasted vegetables dipped in Bang Bang Sauce, dare I say it, are better than vegetables with homemade ranch dip. I didn’t think that was possible but it IS! (And yes, this homemade ranch really is incredible.)

After eating parmesan-roasted carrots you will not want to make them any other way. Bite-sized and toasty perfect, you can’t eat just one!

Fluffy, buttery, sweet pancakes filled with bursting juicy berries are possible with minimal effort. Enough pancakes for the whole family can be cooked all at once on a single sheet pan!

Homemade salted caramel sauce is ridiculously decadent and delicious. This sweet sauce makes a terrific addition to countless desserts, like this amazing chocolate cake with salted caramel frosting.

What I’m CRAVING: Have you ever had a Profiterole?? They are Read more

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! We had a crazy storm here this week and one of our biggest trees came down. Fortunately, no one and nothing else was harmed, just a brief power loss. Super fun times over here. So, my guys have spent today starting to break it down for firewood. The boys are learning all kinds of nifty new things this week.

ON THE BLOG this week: This Sweet and Spicy Pineapple Shrimp Stir Fry is a skillet full of sautéed shrimp tossed in a spicy barbecue sauce with sweet chunks of pineapple and red peppers. This quick and easy meal earns two thumbs up from my whole family every time I make it.

Tender pieces of flank steak are simmered in their own juices creating a rich and super flavorful broth to create the Carne en su Jugo recipe (a.k.a. Meat in its Juices) that my family loves so much.

Would you believe that cauliflower can be air fried to crispy perfection with a simple package of frozen cauliflower? I’m here to tell you that this garlic paprika air fryer frozen cauliflower is absolutely delicious. All it takes is ten minutes and a few simple seasonings.

Sweet and slightly tangy, this creamy poppyseed dressing recipe has had a regular home in our refrigerator for several years now. Easy to make and adaptable as can be, this is the best poppy seed dressing I’ve ever tasted.

Cheesy, saucy, pizza quesadillas are as flavorful as you imagine they might be. They’re a messy, super fun, lightning-fast way to satisfy your next pizza craving.

Carrot Cake Pancakes topped with Maple Cream Cheese Syrup, just the name is enough to make me grin. This was a real breakfast treat.

Juicy fresh pears are topped with a generous cinnamon sugar crust to make this cinnamon spice pear cobbler. This unforgettable cobbler manages to be both buttery and flaky while never becoming soggy, even after a day or two in the refrigerator.

What I’m CRAVING: Ina Garten’s Chocolate Cake is what chocolate lover’s dreams are made of, my friends. My friend Sue shared the recipe and it’s been in my thoughts all week. It’s definitely time for me to do some baking.

My FAVORITE THING this week is this tiny keychain jewelry holder. It’s very small, and clips to your keychain, bag, or water bottle for the gym. It easily holds a few rings and I love how secure i