Welcome to the weekend, my friends! It’s a family-filled whirlwind of chaos over here this weekend with lots of family visiting and some very loud games in progress. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. 

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK:  Stuffed pork tenderloin is filled with sauteed broccoli, red peppers, and generous amounts of melted mozzarella for an irresistible main dish. It’s gorgeous enough for company, but easy enough for a family dinner.

Tender, spicy bites of chicken are tossed with fresh sauteed vegetables and plenty of Mexican spices to create this easy southwest chicken skillet with corn and zucchini.

All of the flavors in classic chicken parmesan are amplified in this simple chicken parmesan meatloaf. My whole family goes crazy over this dinner and every guest who has ever tried it agrees that it’s amazing.

Tomato pasta salad is the irresistible combination of tender, bite-sized pasta with red onion, super fresh tomatoes, and parsley in a garlicky vinaigrette.

Crunchy rainbow bell pepper salad in a flavorful Dijon mustard vinaigrette is a feast for the eyes and the stomach! Eaten on their own or added to any number of salads or sandwiches, these peppers are a win.

Cottage cheese ranch dip is a great tasting savory snack that just happens to be high protein and good for you, too! Scoop it up with cracker, crudités, bread, or chicken bites, but do make it!

If a thick, chocolate malt milkshake is your kind of treat, just wait until you scoop into this chocolate malt ice cream—it’s everything you love, frozen into pure nostalgic bliss.

What I’m CRAVING: Southern Peach Cobbler holds my heart today. My brother’s family brought a huge box of Georgia peaches with them when they drove up yesterday. These fragrant beauties are destined for cobbler tonight.

My FAVORITE THING this week is this new game. My friend Holly told me about Tapple a few weeks ago, and I immediately ordered it. It has been a huge hit with the family this weekend. YAY for a new all-ages friendly game!

What I’m LISTENING to: In Bloom by Jon Foreman. This album is so relaxing, and while much of Forem

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! It’s a muggy, warm Saturday here and I have a fairly blank day on the calendar. I enjoyed my yoga class this morning, then a church breakfast with friends. After I send this newsletter out, I plan to hit the couch with a book and turn myself into a vegetable for the rest of the day. Fortunately, the fridge is packed with leftovers and there will be no need to cook anything tonight. 

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Craving something quick, flavorful, and just a little spicy? This ground beef and cabbage stir fry comes together in minutes—with crisp vegetables, savory beef, and a subtle heat that keeps you coming back for more.

Frito pie casserole is the large scale, crowd-friendly version of walking tacos; seasoned taco meat with beans topped with melted cheese and crunchy corn chips. If you want to make it a meal in one, top as you would a taco with lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and cilantro.

This brown sugar salmon recipe uses the air fryer to cook a piece of salmon to seasoned and subtly sweet perfection in mere minutes. And while I stand firm that the air fryer rocks salmon, I understand not everyone has one handy, (or you might need to cook for a larger crowd!) so I’ve included the instructions for cooking it in a standard oven.

Creamy ham pasta with tender sweet peas comes together in less than 30 minutes for this pasta night favorite. Whether you start with leftover ham or grab ham specifically to make this, everyone will love it!

Give your tuna sandwich a high octane upgrade with this spicy tuna salad recipe. A little bit of hot sauce and some jarred jalapeños bring the heat to this anything-but-boring tuna salad. You’re going to look forward to lunch all morning long.

Homemade pie fillings taste infinitely better than store-bought! And to make things as easy as can be, you can make this cherry pie filling recipe with fresh or frozen cherries.

I have a well-established love of ice cream, with over 150 ice cream recipes here on the website, and yet I still make this simple ice cream recipe at least once a month. There’s a reason why we call this the easiest (and best!) ice cream you will ever make or taste.

What I’m CRAVING: My friend Rebeca’s crispy bang bang salmon bites are screaming my name. I’m borderline obsessed with salmon bites lately and that recipe and s

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I was in Park City, UT this week and the weather was fantastic. Lovely cool nights and gorgeous days with sunshine – zero complaints about any of that. I’m back in Ohio now though and enjoying a sunny, rain-filled day.

If you’d told me years ago, while we were living in Phoenix, that I’d someday watch the weather forecast and come to love the variety of weather changes we might see in a week, I wouldn’t have understood that. Now? I live for the changing seasons – winter, spring, summer, and fall surely have their beautiful moments and I enjoy them all.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK:  Pork, shrimp, and vegetables are folded into a paper-thin lumpia wrapper and then fried to crisp golden perfection in this traditional recipe for Filipino lumpia. Almost 30 years ago, I tasted lumpia for the first time and I fell in love with them at first bite.

Old-fashioned split pea soup is a hearty, satisfying soup made from dried split peas, savory ham, and tender chunks of potatoes. It’s a classic winter soup that is also perfect for a chilly, wet spring or summer evening.

Tiny bite-size pieces of chicken are tossed with spices and oil before they’re cooked to juicy perfection in the air fryer. These air fryer chicken bites have become one of my favorite lunches of late. The leftovers keep nicely in the fridge for a few days and they’re a great option for tossing into salads or eating on their own whenever I’m hungry.

Tempting and versatile, these rosemary garlic potatoes are tender roasted potatoes with a crisp garlicky, rosemary crust. They are the ultimate in potato side dishes.

Sweet corn, summer tomatoes and cucumbers, fresh basil, and parsley are tossed with a bright, tangy vinaigrette to create this summer corn salad.

Sweet berries, spicy jalapenos, onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime combine to make this strawberry salsa. This comes together in about 15 minutes and the salsa disappears almost faster than that every single time I make it.

Fresh and creamy strawberry ice cream is sprinkled throughout with Nerds candy to create this super fun Nerds ice cream, it’s a completely irresistible kid and adult favorite.

What I’m CRAVING: I tried bavette steak (also sold as “flap steak”) for the first time this week and it was so good! I’d never even heard of it before. The closest thing to it would be flank or skirt steak, but the texture is more delicate and tender.

My friend Sommer told me that that bavette is her favorite cut of beef and I have to agree now that it’s pret

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! As I write this, I’m listening to the birds outside singing their hearts out and there is a brilliantly red cardinal dancing for us on the back patio. I think the birds are as excited as we are for a lovely sunshine-filled day. 

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Did you know you can cook perfect shrimp (from frozen!) in the air fryer without thawing first and it turns out perfectly? The air fryer comes in clutch once again by making shrimp an even easier dinner option.

Tender jasmine rice with bite sized broccoli florets in a cheesy sauce makes this cheesy broccoli rice picky eater approved.

Cabbage crunch salad is a super fresh, crunchy cabbage slaw in a beautifully balanced tart and slightly sweet dressing with a hint of nutty sesame and almond.

Tangy, creamy, and packing a little mysterious kick, Russian dressing is a classic salad topper and dip that deserves a little more attention. Coming together in five minutes or fewer, you’ll want to have a bottle of this salad dressing in the fridge at all times!

Blueberry lemonade is as refreshing as it is beautiful. This vibrant magenta spin on classic lemonade is destined to be your go-to for summer sipping.

This coffee cake with fluffy coffee frosting is truly for coffee lovers. The coffee flavors both the cake and the frosting, cutting the sweetness without detracting from the flavor. But you gotta like coffee. A lot. Luckily, we do, so this is a very popular cake in our house.

Bright and colorful and decidedly retro in the best way, bubble gum ice cream is a unique ice cream with a whole lot of whimsy and hints of banana, cherry, and strawberry.

What I’m CRAVING: Have you heard of banana fritters?? These banana fritters with vanilla caramel sauce caught my eye yesterday and I dreamed about them last night. I think that’s a sign we need to make them soon. They sound pretty amazing!

My FAVORITE THING this week is this jewelry cleaner. If you’ve known me for long, you know that I sure do love sparkling rings, and it doesn’t especially matter whether they’re super fancy, not so fancy, or costume pieces – I like them all. Over the years, I’ve tried just about every jewelry cleaner on the market. This is my current favorite, just a few drops in some warm water and everything is sparkling.

What I’m LISTENING to