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We don’t live anywhere near an Olive Garden so whenever I’m craving some of that chain restaurant goodness I have to make it at home. Not that I’m complaining, because in all honesty, most of their recipes just taste so much better made in our own kitchen. This ravioli carbonara is a fan favorite that combines the rich flavors of cheese ravioli with a creamy Parmesan sauce and bacon, reminiscent of classic Italian carbonara which is traditionally made with spaghetti pasta....

Most people’s experience with Orange Julius comes from stands at the mall, but the Orange Julius I grew up enjoying actually comes from a recipe in an old family cookbook with plastic comb binding. You know the kind, right? The ones that are put together by women’s groups at churches or collections from large family clans where everybody submits a few of their favorite recipes that get compiled into a book?...

If I can prepare dinner in the morning, go about my day, then return to a ready-made meal for my whole family, I’m a happy camper. Especially when that meal consists of juicy shredded beef and a rich, savory gravy with soft egg noodles in every bite! This is one of those soul-warming dishes you’ll obsess over every winter and continue to crave all year long. It’s super easy, great for feeding a crowd, and it also makes for amazing leftovers....

In this easy recipe, I just do a quick sauté of Italian sausage and a few veggies, toss it with some red pesto sauce and cream, and then add in my boiled cavatappi. It’s one of my my favorite pasta dishes out there. So I’ll tell you, I’ve followed this very same recipe with a lot of different pasta shapes. Farfalle go great, tubes like rigatoni and ziti also work well, but my favorite is cavatappi....

Love cheesy potatoes? Be sure to check out our Twice Baked Potatoes, Scalloped Potatoes [Au Gratin Potatoes], and Baked Greek Feta Fries! With Easter happening this weekend, I thought I would share one last component of our typical Easter dinner (along with a baked ham and this vintage Lemon Pineapple Jell-O) – these Creamy Potluck Potatoes. My friend Ginny shared this recipe with me years ago and they quickly became a family favorite, replacing the macabre named and often bland (in my opinion) “funeral potatoes” and the more labor and time intensive scalloped or au gratin potatoes....

We don’t do fried foods all that often, but when we do we go all out. Be sure to reuse your oil for Homemade French Fries and Idaho Finger Steaks! My family definitely has a thing for onions that are battered and fried. Whether it’s a bloomin’ onion, onion rings, or these crispy fried onion strings, we find them irresistible. It’s almost embarrassing how quickly we can devour them. Whenever I plan to make these fried onion strings to go on burgers or a casserole or something, I always double or even triple the recipe just because I know that no matter how many I make they will disappear....

Are you Team French Fries or Team Onion Rings? I’m a homemade french fries girl myself, but Paul will take onion rings over any kind of fries and I always steal a few of his because I love them too. Onion rings are a splurge for us. It’s not an everyday kind of food, but when we are having friends over and grilling burgers, I’ll whip up a batch of extra crispy onion rings and have them breaded and waiting in the fridge so all I have to do is quickly fry them when we are getting ready to eat....

Cucumber Yogurt Sauce Having kid-friendly sauces as a part of family meals can be an easy way to sprinkle in flavor that everyone can add (or not add!) to their liking. I’m always looking for versatile options that work with a variety of foods, and this cucumber sauce is a go-to. This cucumber dip is delicious with sliced cucumbers and snap peas for a simple pre-dinner snack. Or with cherry tomatoes and pita....

I didn’t like sugar cookies with royal icing for years but that’s only because I had only ever tried ones that tasted like cardboard with an edible cement icing on top that was hard enough to break a tooth. But then my friend Tiffany entered my life with her delicious edible works of art and showed me that there was a way to have your cake (erm, cookie?) and eat it too....

You don’t need fancy equipment or fancy ingredients to make good cornbread. This recipe is pantry friendly and will be ready before you know it! Even with the baking time! You can think of this as a base recipe if you’d like. You can add corn if you’d like, jalapeños, or even some vegan cheddar. But I usually enjoy it in its unadulterated form, because I’m honestly not even sure if it gets better!...

Pumpkin Recipes Like many of you, I get so into the flavors of pumpkin each fall. And since the veggie is full of vitamin A and fiber, and pairs so well with warm spices like cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, it’s a fun ingredient to share with the kids. I love using pumpkin in all sorts of recipes with it’s creamy consistency and subtle flavor. It works well in baked goods, oatmeal, smoothies, and pasta, and many times, you can punch up or tone down the flavor depending on how many spices and other flavors you add....

Cozy spices and a hint of molasses make these muffins a winter favorite—especially since they are easy to make and store. They are a great addition to a make-ahead Christmas breakfast or holiday brunch, whether or not you add the gold sprinkles on top. I love recipes like this that help introduce new flavors in an approachable way. My kids have really enjoyed these. We love to eat them plain, with a smear of butter or cream cheese, or alongside eggs and bacon....

This post is sponsored by Colavita Morning Glory Muffins I love a muffin that’s packed full of produce, and these are one of our all-time favorites. They have carrots, apple, chopped nuts, and raisins, so they are kind of the best of all muffin worlds. And you can vary them according to the preferences of your kids, which means you can omit the chunkier ingredients and just use ones that blend more finely into the batter....

Gingerbread Pancakes I love introducing new flavors to my family and since my kids love both my Gingerbread Muffins and my easy Gingerbread Cake, I knew it was time to try those warm spices in pancakes. This recipe has been such a fun one to have in the mix and we love them with fruit and maple syrup for breakfast. (I’ve also been known to make them for dinner!) These are as easy as making regular pancakes, but they get extra flavor from cinnamon, ginger, and molasses....

I love a good seafood pasta, from classic Clam Linguine to the fusion Jambalaya Pasta. Today’s recipe is along the lines of Shrimp fra Diavolo, having a spicy tomato-based sauce. But it amps up the seafood factor big time. What is Frutti di Mare? The Italian term “frutti di mare” literally translates to “fruit of the sea.” As a dish, it contains a variety of seafood tossed with pasta. It typically does not include fish, but instead species which are caught in ways more similar to fruit picking....

For the past few years, I have made 8 or more batches of this fabulous butter almond English toffee to go on plates of goodies (along with this Rocky Road Fudge) that we take around to friends and neighbors in our area, along with Christmas cards. And I always make a batch to be lovingly packaged up and shipped off to Paul’s grandma (our girls’ great-grandma), from whom this recipe comes....

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins These muffins, which simply mix together in a bowl, are made with a mix of pantry staples and get their sweetness primarily from ripe bananas. There’s a bit of added sweetener in the mix to help even things out and just enough dark chocolate to make these feel like a treat. They have healthy fats, potassium and even some fiber. But mostly…they just taste really good. I love the hint of peanut butter in these and that they’re a really satisfying muffin, either on their own or topped with more peanut butter, cream cheese, or butter....

Easy Family Recipes This month always brings a deluge of “healthy eating” emails, marketing, and messages and while I’m all for adding more produce, whole grains, and the like, I’d like to remind you that it’s all about the big picture—and kids never need to diet. (P.S. Diets don’t work for adults either.) Our bodies need regular fuel and there’s no such thing as a perfect toddler (or adult) diet....

Year ago my sister-in-law, Deborah, shared her grandma’s orange roll recipe with me so I could share them here on the blog and it was time for updated images! These citrus rolls are soft, fluffy, and brushed with a sweet orange glaze that makes them extra special. We love them with ham for Easter or Christmas dinner or as a special breakfast or brunch addition, but they can really be enjoyed all year round....

I love curry, and judging by how popular my curry recipes are, you guys really like curry too. And I have to say, my curry loving friends, homemade is SO MUCH better and fresher tasting! You really should try it! Now, I completely understand how it’s easy to just buy those little jars of prepared curry paste. But, with homemade, you get to control the level of spice you want, so you can add a TON of curry flavor without all the heat....