My husband loves shepherd's pie- not surprising since it is a classic comfort food! This morning when I was thinking about what to make for dinner I realized that I had all of the ingredients on hand. How often does that happen when you're a few days behind in grocery shopping? … [Read more...]
Wild Rice Soup with Ham & Bacon
This one is definitely not vegetarian friendly, but it sure is yummy! This is one of my husband's favorite soups, so when he (finally) had an opinion on dinner and asked for Wild Rice Soup I happily made it that night. It's not very often he comes up with a dinner idea- I don't … [Read more...]
Bacon, Ranch and Cheddar Cheese Ball
Just about every Friday night in the fall and winter, my husband and I get together with our friends to play co-ed park district volleyball. We've been doing it for years and it's one of the reasons I'll be in Illinois (rather than Michigan) most of the … [Read more...]
Homemade Frosted Cinnamon Rolls with a Pumpkin Twist (or not!)
I'm not gonna lie, I love cinnamon rolls. Lucky for me our kids love them too, so over the years I have made a lot of cinnamon rolls. Even luckier for me, they are SO EASY to make - especially if you have a bread machine. I tinkered with this recipe for … [Read more...]
Pasta with Palomino Sauce: Store-Bought Sauce Taken to the Next Level!
So about a hundred years ago I saw a recipe for "Palomino Pasta" in a magazine. I love pasta and it looked so good, I knew I would want to try it. I ripped the page out of the magazine and went to work. It quickly turned into one of our favorite pasta sauce recipes and continues … [Read more...]
Copycat Bandera Skillet Cornbread with Chiles and Cheese
If you're from Chicago, or have visited this most fantastic city, odds are good that you've eaten at Bandera restaurant on Michigan Avenue. (And if you are from Chicago and you have not eaten at Bandera, go! It's a.maz.ing and you will have a wonderful time in the city, as … [Read more...]
Deliciously Easy Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting
I will be honest- I have not baked cupcakes in YEARS. I feel like I used to make cakes and cupcakes all the time, but then my oldest daughter went to culinary school and had a small, home-based bakery business. Of course I started ordering cakes and desserts from her as soon as … [Read more...]
Blueberry Breakfast Bake with Lemon Glaze
It's blueberry season here in west Michigan, so last week while my daughters were visiting we decided to go blueberry picking. It was a lot of fun! I was expecting the fields to smell like blueberries because the strawberry fields smelled like strawberries, but they did not. It … [Read more...]
Sweet Corn, Black Bean and Feta Salsa
A few weeks ago our softball friends came to the lake for a weekend of fun in the sun. Do you have groups of friends you label? We have softball, volleyball, old neighborhood friends, friends from volunteering...I do like to compartmentalize everything, you know. … [Read more...]
Baked Croissant French Toast with Strawberries and Blueberries
We have frequent weekend visitors, and when we're figuring out food for the weekend, it almost always ends up that our guests take care of breakfast and we take care of the rest. This is super calculated because this way I don't have to get up early to cook. ;) Not alllll guests … [Read more...]
Yummy Strawberry Tart with Graham Cracker Crust
Summertime is the perfect time for strawberry desserts, and a strawberry tart is one of my favorite summer desserts to make. I went strawberry picking for the first time ever recently and it was so much fun! Totally relaxing and the smell of the strawberry fields was … [Read more...]
Sweet and Easy Strawberry Muffins with Streusel Crumb Topping
It is summertime in western Michigan and where I live, out in the country, the strawberry crops are ready to be picked. Although my family came to this area for decades before my husband and I moved here last year, I had never been strawberry picking! As I was driving to town I … [Read more...]
Cilantro Lime Chicken Bowls – for dinner or meal prep lunches!
These chicken rice bowls will give Chipotle a run for their money! Perfect for dinner or a week of lunches, these bowls are delicious! The salsa reminds me of the “Texas Caviar” recipes – sooooooo good! You could easily add the rinsed beans to the salsa mixture, too, to skip a … [Read more...]
