👩🏻‍🍳 Air Fryer

Hi there and Happy August! This summer is absolutely flying by! 

I know I’m late to the party, but I wanted to share my thoughts on our newest kitchen gadget, our air fryer!

We bought this Insignia model on a great sale from Best Buy, and we’ve been having lots of fun playing around with it. 

So far my favorite thing to use it for is reheating pizza! It tastes like it came fresh out of the oven! We’ve also made pita pizzas with it, we’ve made burgers, and we also made DELICIOUS roasted potatoes and aioli for dipping. Here’s the recipe if you’re looking for a good and easy side dish! (Sadly I have no photos, we ate them as fast as I made them! Haha)

Roasted Potatoes-

-Scrub, peel, and dice 4 large baking potatoes. 

-Toss in a bowl with 2 tbsp oil of choice (I used canola), garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper, paprika, and 1/4 c grated cheese (I used Pecorino Romano). 

-I cooked mine for 10 minutes at 400F, tossed them, and then cooked them for an additional 8-10 minutes. 

Aioli-

1/2 c sour cream

1/2 c Mayo

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper 

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Mix everything in a bowl, adjusting the seasoning to your taste. You can even add a bit of cayenne pepper to make it spicy! This is also a wonderful dip with veggies or potato chips.

They came out crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Seriously addictive!

Do you have an air fryer? What’s your favorite thing to make in it? Let me know down below, I love hearing from you. 

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)

👩🏻‍🍳 New Recipes

Hi there and thanks for stopping in! I thought I’d share some things I’ve whipped up lately in case you’re looking for some inspiration in the kitchen. 

Breakfast-

Cinnamon Raisin Baked Oatmeal Cups-

I made these on a Sunday night and they were great for quick breakfasts and snacks throughout the week. Here’s the recipe. 

Croissant Brunch Bake-

This was a big hit! I assembled it the night before and put it in the fridge. The combo of sweet, flaky croissant, mixed with salty ham and cheese is such a wonderful combo. Here’s the recipe. 

Lunch-

Turkey & Brie Panini-

I used a Costco baguette, and added some Brie slices (I didn’t use the rind) and turkey lunch meat. I then added a mix of strawberry jelly and Mayo, and warmed it in my cast iron skillet with a tad of butter. I pressed it down with my bacon press. It was one of the most delicious sandwiches I’ve ever had. 

Dinner-

Chicken Enchiladas-

I used a Costco rotisserie chicken to make this a quick weeknight meal. I shredded it and added a package of softened cream cheese and a cup of diced sautéed onions, along with some garlic powder and oregano and a handful of shredded cheddar cheese. I rolled up about 2 Tbsp of the mixture in some prepackaged tortillas, and used my favorite enchilada sauce recipe, here. I then topped it with another handful of shredded cheese and baked for 40 minutes, covered in foil. I broiled it for a minute until the cheese was bubbly. These were wonderful and I’ll make them again soon!

Roast Pork Loins Over Roasted Veggie Salad-

This was fantastic. On one pan I roasted some pork loins, topped with a mixture of maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and a shake of cayenne pepper. On another pan I roasted cubes of potato, onions, and pears. I toasted some walnuts in a pan and layered some baby greens, the walnuts and roast veggies, and topped with the sliced pork. I made this dressing to top it with. So fancy but so easy!

Have you tried any new recipes lately? Let me know down below, I love hearing from you. 

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)

PS~ A very Happy Father's Day to all the dads on Sunday. Love you to the moon and back, Dad! 💚💚💚

👩🏻‍🍳 Easy One-Pan Chicken Recipe

Hi there and Happy Monday! In case you need some inspiration for dinner this week, I’m sharing an easy chicken dish that would be perfect for a quick weeknight meal. It’s fairly healthy and uses one pan, making for easy cleanup. And most importantly, it’s delicious! Let’s get cooking. 

Creamy Chicken & Spinach Bake-

Ingredients-

1 lb chicken breasts, thinly sliced

8 oz baby spinach

1/2 c mayo

1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 c sour cream 

1 tbsp garlic powder

Pepper to taste 

1 c shredded cheese (I used Colby)

Method-

-Preheat oven to 450F

-In a greased 13x9 pan, place spinach and nestle chicken breasts on top. 

-In a small bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except the shredded cheese and spread over chicken. 

-Top with shredded cheese. 

-Bake 17-20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and cheese is bubbly. 

This was so tasty and I’ll be making it again soon. We served it over couscous, but I think it would be wonderful by itself, maybe even with some crusty bread and a glass of white wine.

If you give it a try let me know what you think, I love hearing from you!

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)

I'm taking some time this Memorial Day to remember in my thoughts and prayers those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country and their families. Land of the free because of the brave. Thank you. ❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙

PS~ A very happy birthday to my brother-in-law Charlie as well as my Grandma this week. Wishing you both a fabulous year of good health and happiness ahead. Love you both! 🎉🎉🎉

👩🏻‍🍳 Easy Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls

If you have a can of biscuit dough in your fridge right now, stop what you’re doing  and make these cinnamon rolls! They’re light, flaky, and absolutely delicious. And the best part, they’re super quick and easy. Let’s get baking!

Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls-

Ingredients-

1 can of refrigerated biscuit dough (8ct)

2 tbsp melted butter

1/4 c sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

Glaze-

1 c powdered sugar

2 tbsp milk

Splash of vanilla extract

Method-

-Preheat oven to 375F

-Unroll biscuit dough and pinch seams together, making a rectangle. 

-Spread melted butter on dough, and then sprinkle it with the sugar and cinnamon. 

-Roll up, short end to short end. 

-Slice into 1-inch pieces and arrange in a 9 inch pie plate

-Bake for 17-20 min

-While the rolls are baking, make the glaze by mixing ingredients until smooth. Pour over warm cinnamon rolls. 

-Enjoy!

These are lovely for holidays and houseguests, but really, they’re so easy you don’t need a special occasion! And the smell while they’re baking…heavenly. Give them a try and let me know what you think. 

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)

🌮 The Best Crockpot Tacos

Hello! Thanks for visiting!

If you’ve been reading here for a bit then you’ll know my love for my crockpot. Throw a few ingredients together in the morning, and come home to a warm and delicious dinner! 

I’ve been on the hunt for the best crockpot taco meat, and I’ve found my very favorite one (and my family agrees!). This one has such deep and wonderful flavor, and is juicy and not dried out like some others I’ve tried. This recipe also gets bonus points for not having to brown the meat first. It’s truly “set it and forget it”!

Let’s get cooking!

Crockpot Tacos-

Ingredients-

2 lb lean ground beef (we love the organic Kirkland brand from Costco)

1 small onion, diced

1 c chicken broth

4 tbsp tomato paste

1 packet taco mix (or the equivalent homemade-here’s the one I make-the oregano makes it)

Method-

-Combine all ingredients in crockpot, stirring to make sure meat is coated. 

-Cook on low for 4-6 hours. 

-Serve with tortillas, on nachos, or even on a taco salad!

I hope you try this recipe, it’s delicious and perfect for Cinco de Mayo on Thursday. 

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)

PS-Wishing a very happy birthday to my dad this Friday. And also a very Happy Mother's Day to my mom and all the mamas! Love you both so much.

🧀 Croque Monsieur Casserole & 🐰 Happy Easter!

Hi there and thanks for stopping by! 

Today I’m sharing a delicious casserole recipe that uses up leftover Easter ham. It can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, pairs perfectly with a green salad and a bottle of wine, and can be assembled the night before. 

Croque monsieurs are my favorite sandwich by far, and this casserole has all the same flavors. It’s not too heavy, the milk and eggs paired with the baguette give this casserole a lovely soufflé texture.

Let’s get cooking!

Croque Monsieur Casserole-

Ingredients-

1 baguette, diced into cubes

2 tbsp butter, melted

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

8 oz ham, diced

8 oz Gruyère cheese, shredded

4 large eggs

1 1/4 c milk (I use 2%)

Salt & Pepper

Method-

-Preheat oven to 400F. Grease a pan and set aside. (I used an 8x8 Le Creuset baking dish)

-Stir together melted butter and Dijon mustard. Pour over bread cubes in baking dish and toss to coat. 

-Top the bread with the ham, and then the shredded cheese. 

-Whisk together eggs, milk, salt & pepper. Pour into baking dish. 

-Bake for 30 minutes on a middle rack, until top is bubbly and internal temp reaches 160F. (This can be assembled the night before, covered with foil, and kept in the fridge. In the morning, remove from fridge 30 min before baking.)

-Enjoy!

For those who celebrate, I’m sending you peace, love, and Easter blessings!

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)

🏈 Super Bowl Snacks

Hi there and thanks for stopping by! With a little less than 3 weeks till kickoff, I thought I’d share some of my very favorite snacks and desserts to make. I think any of these would be perfect for snacking on while watching the game (and all the commercials…they’re my favorite part!)

Ina Garten’s onion dip is a must-try! It’s cream cheese based and is WAY better than that packet of onion soup mix we all grew up dipping our chips in. 

7 Layer dip is such a classic and is the perfect thing to have out on the counter for snacking. It’s easy to tailor this to your taste, you could easily leave out the meat to make it vegetarian, omit any ingredients you don’t care for (such as black olives), etc. I love this lightened-up take on the original. 

Buffalo chicken dip is a crowd pleaser! I love serving this with plenty of fresh cut veggies and some really good blue cheese dressing. It’s also makes great use of your crock pot, it keeps the dip warm the entire evening. 

Around my neck of the woods, I’m kind of know for these cream cheese pinwheels. If there’s a party, this is what I’m making. They’re flaky and creamy and they have bacon in them. What’s not to love? These use canned crescent dough, and are so quick and easy. 

And what’s a party without something sweet? One of my favorites is Nigella’s Chocolate Caramel Crispy Cakes. You melt down some Milky Way bars and unsalted butter, and mix in cornflakes. Spoon the mixture into mini muffin liners and you have dessert whipped up in no time!  

I hope you found this roundup of recipes helpful! If you have a favorite of your own be sure to leave it down below. 

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)

🥐 Ham & Swiss Croissants

Hi! Thanks for stopping by. Today I have a super quick and simple recipe that makes your regular old ham and cheese into a fabulous weeknight meal. The magic is in the sauce! Serve with a green salad and some champagne and voila!

Ingredients-

6 store made croissants, sliced

12 slices ham 

6 Swiss cheese slices

Dijon Sour Cream Sauce-

1/4 c sour cream

3 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp honey

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method-

-Preheat oven to 350F and line a large cookie sheet in foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup. 

-Assemble sandwiches-spread a little sauce and add 2 slices ham and 1 slice cheese to each sandwich. 

-Bake for 10-15 minutes. 

-Enjoy!

These delicious sandwiches would also make a fabulous brunch paired with some fruit salad, or you could even wrap in foil for an easy hot meal on the go!

Do you have any quick weeknight meals you’d like to share? Let me know down below, I love hearing from you!

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)

🥦 Ham & Broccoli Ring

Hey there! Today I have my own personal twist on a Pampered Chef favorite. It utilizes canned crescent dough and is a great appetizer or light meal. You could also serve it alongside some soup or salad.

I altered the ingredients and ratios a bit, making it lighter than the original. Give it a try and let me know what you think! 

Let’s get cooking!

Ham & Broccoli Ring-

Ingredients-

2 tubes refrigerated crescent dough, 8 oz each

(I highly recommend Annie’s brand-no artificial ingredients and no yucky hydrogenated oils!)

1 c shredded Swiss cheese

2 c chopped ham (I used sliced ham lunch meat)

2 c fresh broccoli, chopped into small florets, steamed and drained

1 small red onion, finely diced

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

Method-

-Unroll crescent dough and arrange in a circle on a large cookie sheet, with wide ends overlapping. 

-In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. 

-Spoon filling on wide ends, and tuck pointed ends under, forming a wreath shape (filling will be visible). 

-Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes, until top is golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before slicing. 

-Enjoy!

There’s also a cranberry turkey version that I’m dying to try next, it would be a great fall appetizer, perfect for Thanksgiving!

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)

🍳 Eggs in Purgatory

Hi there and thanks for stopping by!

Today I want to share a recipe that has totally opened up a new world of possibilities for us, using eggs! The same old scrambled eggs have gotten a little stale around here, so we gave eggs in purgatory a try and now we’re hooked! It’s more of a hearty brunch or even a light dinner. We added sautéed spinach to ours for a balanced one-pan meal, and it’s fantastic served with some crusty bread.

We used Nigella’s recipe (found here) but used my mom’s homemade tomato sauce and it was fantastic. I could seriously eat this dish once a week.

It would be fabulous with a Mexican flair to it with some hot sauce, sliced avocado and some crema or even a Greek version with chick peas and feta. The options are endless!

Give it a try and let me know what you think, I love hearing from you! 

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)

🧊 2-Ingredient Popsicles

Hi there and thanks for stopping by! During self-isolation my family and I have had so much fun trying new recipes and cooking up new things. We love making homemade treats and I want to share with you a delicious and simple popsicle recipe that is out of this world!

My husband ordered this adorable popsicle mold set on the Williams-Sonoma website and we got to work right away trying different flavors and recipes. Here’s the one we liked the most and the best part...it’s only 2 ingredients!

Let’s get cooking!

2-Ingredient Popsicles-

Ingredients-

1/2 c simple syrup (method down below)

3/4 c frozen berries (we love the Kirkland brand organic berry blend)

Method-

For the simple syrup-

In a saucepan combine equal parts sugar and water. Let it come up to a simmer and cook until sugar is completely dissolved. Let cool.

For the Popsicles-

In a blender combine half of the berries and simple syrup.

Add in remaining berries and blend until desired consistency (we like them to have chunks of fruit).

Pour into molds and freeze.

Enjoy!

If you don’t have popsicle molds you can easily use cups or even pour the mixture into a container and scoop it like sorbet.

I’m already dreaming up other flavor combinations, I’m thinking about making banana pops and dipping the top half of them in dark chocolate. Pineapple would also be divine. The options are endless!

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)

PS~ Wishing everyone in the States a fun, safe, and relaxing Independence Day!

"I believe in America because we have great dreams, and because we have the opportunity to make those dreams come true."~ Wendell L. Wilkie

🍦 Homemade Ice Cream & Gelato

Q-Why is ice cream so bad at tennis?

A-It has a soft serve. Hahaha 

🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦

Hi there and thanks for stopping by! Just in time for the kickoff of summer, today I'm sharing some favorite ice cream recipes.

One of our favorite gadgets we picked up during this pandemic is the ice cream attachment for our Kitchen-Aid. We’ve been having so much fun trying different flavors and toppings.

Out of all the flavors we’ve made over the past few months, our 2 favorites by far are a very simple vanilla ice cream, and the chocolate gelato recipe from Saveur magazine, only 4 ingredients each! (Did you know gelato has been around in Sicily since the 1600’s?) 

It’s a wonderful gadget to have and I’m not sure we’ll ever buy ice cream from the store again. Next up we're dying to try pistachio gelato. The options are endless!

Have you been enjoying any new kitchen gadgets lately? Let me know down below, I love hearing from you!

Thanks for reading, have a safe Memorial Day to those in the States. In loving memory of our fallen heroes. 

PS~This is a week of celebrating! Wishing my brother-in-law Charlie, my Grandma, and my little brother Gino the happiest of birthdays! Love you guys! 💗💗💗

🥣 “Cheater” Chicken & Rice Soup

Hi there and thanks for stopping by!

Here’s a super quick recipe when you’re craving a bowl of comfort. 

Actually, it’s not really a recipe, more of the order you throw everything together 

to whip up a batch of creamy chicken and rice soup in no time! (You can speed 

things up even faster if you have a container of white rice from your last Chinese 

take out order and a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket)

Let’s get cooking!

Quick Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup-

Ingredients-

2 large chicken breasts

1 medium onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

4 carrots, diced

8 cups chicken broth

1/2 c white wine

1/4 c heavy cream

1 Tbsp parsley

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method-

-Poach and shred chicken breasts (we poach ours in a little water in the 

microwave, for about 8 minutes, or until internal temp reaches 165F).

-Sauté or microwave veggies until fork tender.

-In a stockpot, add broth, wine, and veggies. Simmer until alcohol is cooked 

off and all flavors are combined.

-When ready to eat, reduce to low heat and add the heavy cream and shredded 

chicken. You can also add the rice at this point, but if you want leftovers I suggest 

keeping it separate so it doesn’t absorb all the broth. Season to taste.

-Enjoy!

                                      

Make sure to enjoy it with a glass of wine and some crusty baguette. This is a quick 

and hearty soup that doesn’t take hours but tastes like it does. Give it a try and 

let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)

🍽 Blue Plate Special~Chopped Steaks

Hi there and thanks for stopping by!

Today I’m talking about a nostalgic, comforting, filling meal my family and I whipped up recently. When trying to come up with a name for this post, Blue Plate Special is what came to mind.

Blue plate specials were low-cost square meals offered in diners throughout America in the 1920’s-1950’s. It was an economical special that usually included some sort of protein, a veggie or two, and a potato or starch. It was usually served on a 3-section plate (most oftentimes blue in color).

This isn’t the most healthy or photogenic plate of food I’ve ever featured on my blog, but it’s rib-sticking and totally delicious. Since we keep some ground beef on hand in our freezer, we had everything to whip this up in no time.

Today’s “Blue Plate Special” features chopped steaks smothered in sautéed onions over buttered noodles with steamed Brussels sprouts on the side.

We portioned our ground beef into 1/3 lb patties and baked them on a foil-lined pan in the oven at 400 F for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, we had quite a bit going on on the stove top. In a pan we sautéed 2 thinly sliced onions with salt and pepper and a bit of butter until soft and caramelized.

Next, we sliced Brussel sprouts in half and steamed them in our steamer and topped with a bit of butter when they were fork tender.

We also boiled a large pot of water and cooked up some egg noodles. We then drained them well and mixed in some butter and parsley.

Top it all with a squirt of ketchup and you’ve got yourself a diner special!

Do you make any hearty “Blue Plate Specials” you’d like to share? Comment down below, I love hearing from you!

Thanks for reading, have a fabulous day. :)

PS~A happy happy birthday to my dad on Thursday. Love you Dad and here's to many more!

Also wishing a wonderful Mother's Day to all the moms and mama figures out there on Sunday. Love you to the moon and back Mom, cheers!