Posts

This poppy seed dressing recipe has been passed down from Paul’s Grandma Nash and it’s one of my most favorite dressings ever. It’s the perfect balance of acidic and sweet with the sugar and vinegar and oil, seasoned with a little dry mustard and grated onion and then studded with hundreds of delightful poppy seeds. I think it’s the prettiest of all salad dressings and it goes great with so many different salad combinations, although I especially like it with the pear, pomegranate and swiss cheese version that I’m sharing with you today....

We love using fresh produce during the summertime! Some of our other favorite recipes that we make from our garden or the farmer’s market are Fried Green Tomatoes, Peach Panzanella Salad, Southern Tomato Pie, and German Plum Cake. Every now and then I make something for dinner and Paul reacts by saying “I hope you photographed this for the blog” and then encourages me to post it sooner rather than later so everyone else can enjoy it....

Kids Lunches Whether you’re packing toddler lunch ideas for daycare or preschool, or lunch for school—or serving lunch at home—these easy kids lunch ideas are here to help. After 11 years of packing kids lunches and almost a decade helping other parents with easy ideas to pack lunches for their kids, I am so happy to share my best tips and ideas here. This list of easy kids lunches is meant to inspire you when you run out of ideas, so use these ideas as a starting point and adjust as needed for your kids preferences and the foods you have on hand....

Whether your looking for some amazing pastas, delicious braised dishes, cozy casseroles, or even fresh and healthy salads, you’ll find it all here. Once you try these Italian chicken dishes, you’ll know for sure why Italian cuisine is one of the most famous in the world. The problem is, there’s just too much to choose from! Cook your way through all of these incredibly tasty Italian chicken recipes, and let us know which is your favorite!...

Road Trip Snacks We’ve taken a few long trips as a family and boy oh boy, I know how unpredictable they can be when little kids are involved! But one thing that is easy to prepare is the food you bring. I’m of the belief that packing food is one of the easiest ways to keep the kids (and yourself) happy when in the car for hours and hours. You can eat whenever anyone gets hungry without the need to find options on the route....

These delicious little cornbread patties are the perfect snack, or accompaniment to a huge variety of Latin mains. Stuff them, top them, or enjoy them on their own, any way you eat arepas, they’re sure to please! Have you ever tried arepas, maybe in a local restaurant? Or maybe you’ve tried the frozen varieties available in supermarkets? They’re awesome, right? Well you’ll be amazed how easy they are to make at home!...

Baked Oatmeal Cups I love this method of making oatmeal into little cups that can be eaten with hands or a fork—because they are so easy to make ahead and stash in the fridge for easy kids breakfasts. You can make these in either a mini muffin tin or a silicone mold, and both will create little oatmeal bites that are super yummy. The ingredients are basically the same as you use to make a bowl of oatmeal, but the result is easy to pick up and bite and may have a more appealing texture for some kids....

This happens more often that I would like to admit, so sometimes we switch things up with coconut lime glazed banana bread or by adding walnuts and making banana nut muffins. But this easy banana bread recipe is definitely my go-to when I’m up to my eyeballs in bananas that I don’t want to go to waste. Banana bread is as delicious as it smells and this easy banana bread recipe will have your tastebuds salivating while it’s still baking in the oven....

We LOVE using our smoker and are always trying new recipes with it. Be sure not to miss our Brined & Smoked Turkey, Texas Smoked Brisket, and Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends! Best Smoked Pulled Pork Recipe When it comes to barbecue in our family, we love it all, but I am definitely all about smoked brisket and pulled pork. They are easily, no question, my two top choices every time....

It’s a vibrant mix of juicy caramelized pork meatballs shaped like discs, delicate vermicelli, fresh garnishes… All united by one refreshing, flavorful light dipping sauce. Every single bite is pure harmony. We have great admiration for Vietnamese cuisine. It brings together various ingredients that tingle all the senses in a way that is truly unique. Be it their popular phos or banh mi sandwiches, or this Bun Cha. Everything is delicately seasoned yet delivers a big flavor punch....

For more delicious breakfast recipes, check out my Easy Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole, Ultimate Breakfast Fritatta, Eggs Benedict, or my Make-Ahead Breakfast Sandwiches! It’s back-to-school season around here and these delectable little cheese Breakfast Sliders are the perfect way to start your day on a savory and satisfying note! The combination of warm and gooey cheddar cheese, perfectly cooked and buttery scrambled eggs, and tender ham is pure breakfast bliss. The Hawaiian roll adds a touch of sweetness that balances the saltiness of the ham and cheese!...

Luxuriously soft, melt-in-your mouth, juicy and bright flavor bombs. Welcome this summer delight into your life and it will add savory sweet deliciousness to any dish. These perfect beauties are what your typical summer time roasting would look like. Make a giant batch, as they freeze beautifully and can last for months. These beautiful roasted and blistered cherry tomatoes won’t take hours, like some of the old fashioned slow roasting methods....

I make a simple clear broth seasoned with herbs and aromatic veggies. It’s like a comforting bowl of chicken and stars that takes me right back to my childhood. Are you ready for soup season? We sure are! From hearty dishes like Hungarian Goulash and Birria Ramen, to light delights such as Caldo de Pollo and Finnish Lohikeitto, I am keeping those soup pots full. So What Exactly is Pastina?...

I could tell you to make this chipotle barbecue sauce because it’s incredibly easy. Or, I could encourage you to try it because it’s cheaper than buying bottled BBQ sauce. I could even tell you to make this recipe because it’s pantry friendly and whips up in less time than it would take you to put pants on and go to the store. Yes, even if you live next to the grocery store....

This Chocolate Pecan Crumb Cake has a layer of buttery cake topped with a generous layer of chocolate pecan crumbs that is almost as thick as the cake layer! Cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate chips make the crumb topping extra indulgent and there is a warm crunch from the cinnamon and pecans. Crumb cake is a cousin to coffee cake with similar flavor and texture profiles, except the layer of crumble or streusel filling sits loud and proud on top instead of half it it being swirled in a layer in the middle of the cake....

You guys, I don’t know how to convey the awesomeness of these crispy potato wedges. But I’m going to try because they definitely deserve it. When I was a kid, my favorite potato chips were the BBQ variety and these are sort of like BBQ potato chips, except in warm, oven-baked wedge form. If I don’t get leftovers put away, like, immediately, then Paul and I will walk through the kitchen snatching up just....

You should definitely try some of our other favorite cold salads like BLT Pasta Salad, Curried Chicken Salad, Roasted Beet Salad, and Grilled Corn Summer Salad. Tex-Mex Doritos Taco Salad Recipe Salads are my weakness. I don’t mean that in a pseudo-shameful way like I go hide in the closet to eat salad all that time – that would be what I do with chocolate chip cookies. I mean that salads are probably my biggest weakness in the kitchen....

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal In our house, apples are one of those fruits that tends to linger in the fridge long after everyone has eaten the grapes, berries, and citrus. Which means I try to find creative ways to use them that the kids are happy to eat. (A tall order, as you can imagine.) Thankfully, one apple shredded and cooked into oats can transform them into a delicious breakfast—because the hit of natural sweetness makes this apple oatmeal a bit hit with my kids!...

We recently had scones at a coffee shop and one of my kids loved them so much she asked me to make them at home. And while we can, of course, just go back to the coffee shop again, I wanted to make them because we frequently have overripe bananas to use up! This Banana Scone recipe includes whole wheat flour for a base of whole grains and an easy method....

My family loves traditional chicken salad, but when I’m craving a version with bold flavors, this curried chicken salad is my go-to. Just like the classic recipe, this version is made with a creamy dressing, tender chicken, and a variety of add-ins for flavor and texture, but the addition of fragrant curry powder really takes it up a notch! What Does Curry Chicken Salad Taste Like? Curry chicken salad is both sweet and savory, and thanks to the curry powder, it’s also earthy and aromatic....