I love to bake, but lack the self-control to have homemade sweets around on a regular basis. (Oh, I’m in the kitchen, it must be time for a snack to hack off another piece of this cake/snitch another cookie/try not to let the kids see that I’m chewing something….) That’s why I’m so into zucchini snack…
Recipes
Flourless Chocolate Chip Zucchini Snack Cake.
A friend recently posted a picture of their kids eating something chocolate cake-y for breakfast. And said it contained vegetables. Obviously, I immediately wanted to have some in front of me. Now I’ve made it twice, and my three-year-old is in.love. It’s flourless, only a few ingredients, full of zucchini, and super tasty – definitely a…
A Quick Quesadilla Tip.
This is just a little quesadilla PSA. In theory, quesadillas are such a quick, easy, and cheesily delicious meal – but if you’ve ever tried to flip a 2-tortilla, overstuffed quesadilla and lost half of its innards in the process, this tip can save your dinner!
Italian Zucchini Boats.
We recently visited my mom while our house was on the market (remember my trolls?), and she made these yummy zucchini boats for dinner! If you haven’t made Nana’s Spaghetti Sauce yet, you need to make a batch. I love having a couple of containers of it in the freezer, and zucchini boats are a…
Back Pocket Chicken.
**This post is brought to you by my sister, Laurie!** I decided to call this chicken “Back Pocket Chicken,” because it’s the perfect recipe to keep in your back pocket for all sorts of occasions. It’s delicious enough to serve when company comes over, but it’s totally kid-friendly. Coated in bread crumbs and parmesan cheese,…
Crusty No-Knead Bread (with salty honey butter).
I can’t even count how many times I’ve made this no-knead bread…because it’s that easy. Four ingredients (if we’re even counting water as an ingredient), one bowl, no kneading – and the end result is piping hot, crusty-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside bread that also happens to be beautiful. And then you slather it with honey butter with a…
Ham, Potato, & Corn Chowder.
This is the soup that I promised to tell you about in my March meal plan. Whoopsies. It’s SO PERFECT for using your leftover Easter ham, though, right? ;o) I may or may not still have leftover ham from Thanksgiving in my freezer. I realized a few weeks ago that I needed to be a little…
All The Veggies Turkey Pasta.
It probably will not surprise you to hear that I’d rather follow a recipe than throw things into the pan and hope for the best. (What, my self-imposed blog rules tipped you off?) If I want to make a new dish I usually look at a few recipes first, and I choose one to follow or tweak,…
Griddled English Muffin & Eggs (my new favorite breakfast!).
A couple of weeks ago we had a North Carolina snowstorm that knocked out our power for over 36 hours. It got mighty chilly mighty fast with no heat, and fortunately some sweet friends of ours took us in for the night. Before we hauled 4 people and a dog (and approximately 30% of our belongings)…
Crockpot BBQ Beef.
I just love it when dinner cooks itself!! This is the best, best kind of crockpot meal – absolutely minimal prep, and at the end you have a pot of saucy, tender shredded bbq beef that makes a deliciously messy sandwich (or the perfect topping to a baked potato or rice – anything that will soak up…
Glenn’s Chili.
When I was in college, my roommate Rachel’s family moved several states away. Sweet family friends, Glenn and Trish, became her Florida family and by extension, an extra family for me! We would arrive at their house in Rach’s Camry, wearing our thrift store t-shirts and worn out from exams and a few too many tubes of…
Whole Wheat Banana Bran Muffins.
In my mind, there are two categories for muffins: fun, special occasion, at-what-point-do-we-call-it-a-cupcake muffins, and everyday, virtuous muffins. Like I mentioned in this post about cinnamon banana muffins (which are deliciously in the first category), category 2 muffins need to be all or mostly whole grain and low in added sugar (no more than a teaspoon or two…
Natural, Dye-Free Pink Icing (with beets!).
The first several years we were married, Jay and I had a Valentine’s Day tradition of going out to a different burger place each year. It beat fighting the crowds at a nicer restaurant, it fit our seminary budget, and frankly, there’s just not much I love more than a burger! Now that we have kids…
Creamy Chicken Tetrazzini.
I love a good baked pasta! This chicken tetrazzini is a big, comforting dish of creamy noodles, lots of shredded chicken, and a crispy-salty parmesan cheese topping. And even though it doesn’t have cream-of-anything soup, it still comes together quickly and is customizable to your tastes! It also makes a great freezer meal (see the recipe notes…
Smothered Maple Turkey Burgers (with caramelized onions & apples).
So – turkey burgers. They’re a fairly polarizing food, I’ve found. In fact, I used to be on the “wait, why isn’t this beef?” team. My 6th-grade self is rather infamous with good family friends for being appalled to discover the burger I was served at their house was made of – turkey. I had honestly…
Whole Wheat Pancakes.
I haven’t completely tested this theory, but I’m pretty sure I’m always in the mood for pancakes. Jay and I are big Parks and Rec fans, and this line from the first episode is one of my favorite Andy moments and one we quote to each other at least once a week: https://www.instagram.com/p/ydV4YVpBeD/ “Hey baby, if…
Baked Sweet Potatoes.
It feels a little silly to post a “recipe” for baked sweet potatoes. Like – poke some holes and stick ’em in the oven pretty much sums up the whole process. But if you’ve ever had the discouraging experience of baking potatoes for a dang long time only to discover that they’re still hard as rocks when…
Tender Roasted Potatoes and Butternut Squash (with melty cheddar).
A lonely butternut squash had been sitting on the counter for a few days, and I was planning to roast some vegetables to go with pork tenderloin for dinner. I was going to chop a few things up, toss them with olive oil and salt and pepper and throw them in the oven, but as I was…
Breakfast Cookies.
I’ve been on a quest to make the perfect homemade granola bar for years. I’ve tried lots of recipes and I’ve also tried to create my own recipe from scratch. Baked, unbaked, crunchy, chewy…they’ve certainly all been edible, and some have been good enough to make a second time, but I haven’t found The One. I…
Nana’s Spaghetti Sauce.
Spaghetti was one of my favorite meals when I was a kid. I remember being so excited for dinner when there was a big pot of this meaty tomato sauce sputtering and bubbling on the stove. And you know how there are things that your family does that you don’t know are super weird until…
Chicken Noodle Soup (Stocking the Freezer #2).
**Psst! I forgot a couple of things on my Christmas post – see the updated version here!** Confession: I have yet to master the art of roasting a whole chicken. I feel pretty lame about it, since it’s one of my favorite meals! The last time I attempted it my chicken was undercooked, and kind…
Cookie Dough Truffles (Christmas Cookie Week).
**This post is brought to you by my lovely sister, Laurie!** Once upon a time, I was at a potluck supper and found myself walking past the dessert table on my way to the end of a long buffet line. I snagged a little round chocolate something and took a bite… and found myself with…
Russian Tea Cookies (Christmas Cookie Week).
Welcome back to Christmas Cookie Week! Today’s treat is Russian Tea Cookies (which seem to have many aliases – Mexican Wedding Cakes, Snowballs, and Sand Tarts are ones I’ve heard). I love these nutty little cookies, with their delicate crunch and buttery richness.
Gingersnaps (Christmas Cookie Week).
Welcome to Christmas Cookie Week! I love holiday baking, and I’m going to try to control my exclamation points but I’ve eaten a lot of cookies this afternoon! And Christmas is coming! Christmas! Cookie! Week! In my family, there are certain foods that Must Be Made for certain holidays, and having tins loaded with cookies is a…