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Thursday, June 30, 2016

Fantastical Sharing on Yummly

Hi, everyone! I am really new to Yummly, but you will now notice that there is a Yummly button at the top of each post for easy saving to your recipe box on there :) You can find my blog's page on Yummly here.

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Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies

Grab a glass of milk - you're gonna need it with these decadent brownies!
Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies // Grab a glass of milk - you're gonna need it with these decadent brownies! #brownies #dessert #peanutbutter #chocolate

These babies...let me just tell you about these babies...they are brownies - which by themselves are good, but these brownies are different. They are topped with a peanut butter "filling" and then a chocolate ganache. I definitely recommend having a big glass of milk nearby because you will definitely definitely need it. They are the perfect comfort food if you ask me - and I could have totally used one after the stressful week leading up to my sister-in-law's wedding. I don't know how wedding planners do it, but jeez Louise!! ;)

Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies // Grab a glass of milk - you're gonna need it with these decadent brownies! #brownies #dessert #peanutbutter #chocolate


Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Totcho Supreme

Nachos just got better with this loaded tatortot version topped with delicious carne asada!
Totcho Supreme // Nachos just got better with this loaded tatortot version topped with delicious carne asada! #recipe #beef #nachos #tatortots

I don't know if my blog demographic covers many Tenacious D fans, but if there are a few out there - one of the things that drew me to this recipe was the title. I couldn't stop giggling. Their song "The History of Tenacious D" features a lot of things that are supreme and I was so happy when the family asked what was for dinner and I got to sing totcho supreme and they looked at me like I was crazy (except for my husband who made me repeat it in a not-singing voice so that he could also sing it). I love the play on words here. This recipe is nachos using tatortots instead of chips and loaded up with all sorts of goodies - making it supreme, of course.

This is the exact type of meal I love to have when I'm craving Mexican food, but I loved having potatoes instead of chips.

Totcho Supreme // Nachos just got better with this loaded tatortot version topped with delicious carne asada! #recipe #beef #nachos #tatortots

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Copycat Ocean Water

This Sonic copycat is such a fun drink to make for kids during the summer!
Copycat Ocean Water // This Sonic copycat is such a fun drink to make for kids during the summer! #Sonic #beverage #copycat #recipe

I have not yet had an actual Ocean Water at Sonic, but I think it may be something on our summer bucket list, especially after making this recipe! The coconut is the perfect touch for a refreshing summer drink. The blogger who I got the recipe for dropped adorable Swedish fish into her drink, but I had a bit of trouble with that. Instead, I placed them on the lip of the mason jar. I still think they look mighty cute. My kids really loved them. They don't get to drink soda very often and I think the blue color appealed to them.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

One Pot Sausage, Tomato, & Pesto Pasta

One pot magic does it again with this delicious pesto pasta!
One Pot Sausage, Tomato, & Pesto Pasta // One pot magic does it again with this delicious pesto pasta! #recipe #onepot #sausage #pasta #pesto

Back again with another one pot meal! YASSSSSSS!! I seriously love them. Not only are they quick to make, they only dirty the one pot and I love that. Dishes are my arch nemesis. This recipe has lots of my favorite ingredients: pesto, pasta, sausage, tomatoes, and cheese! Like it could not be more perfectly catered to me if it tried. Favorite ingredients, quickly cooks, and only dirties the one pot. The original recipe called for 2 tsp. of basil pesto, but I added quite a bit more because I love pesto so much.

One Pot Sausage, Tomato, & Pesto Pasta // One pot magic does it again with this delicious pesto pasta! #recipe #onepot #sausage #pasta #pesto

Monday, June 20, 2016

Menu Plan Monday - Jun 20, 2016

Menu Plan Monday for Jun 20, 2016 // What I'm making this week #menuplanmonday #mealplan

It's going to be a very exciting week - my little sister (in law) is getting married. I am so happy for her and excited to officially gain another brother-in-law, even though we already view him as one. I am going to be making their wedding cake. I'm a bit nervous, but hoping it will turn out well. I've been practicing for a few weeks now. We're having a lot of old favorites this week and I am hoping making that choice will mean it is less stressful for me.

Monday
Italian Meatball Heroes

Pizza Buns #SecretRecipeClub

The perfect recipe for lunch or dinner - your family will thank you for these cheesy Pizza Buns!
The perfect recipe for lunch or dinner - your family will thank you for these cheesy Pizza Buns! #recipe #SecretRecipeClub #pizza #under30min #easy #maindish

It's time again for Secret Recipe Club reveal day for my group, Group C! What is Secret Recipe Club? It's a bunch of food bloggers separated into three groups that post once a month on a designated Monday. Each month, we are paired with another foodie from our group secretly (hence the name). We then pick a recipe (or two or more) from that blog and make it. On our reveal day, we reveal whose blog we had and what recipe(s) we chose all at the same time. It's like a Secret Santa every month, but with food and blogs! It's a great deal of fun :)

This month I had the pleasure of being assigned to Our Eating Habits run by Jamie. Jamie is a homeschooling mom of three who loves Christmas and Disney (can't say I blame her there! Two of my favorite things) plus she also has an epic mug collection to enjoy her morning coffee in. Although I've had to switch to decaf, my mug collection is what I would call epic too. It's honestly a problem for me to refrain from picking up new mugs - my coffee "hutch" doesn't have any room left in it.

The perfect recipe for lunch or dinner - your family will thank you for these cheesy Pizza Buns! #recipe #SecretRecipeClub #pizza #under30min #easy #maindish

I had absolutely no problem finding a recipe I wanted to make from Jamie's blog and I had actually put 4 or 5 on my meal plan for the month of June. So let me just share what made the list! There is the Saucy Pepper Steak which is a stir fry, Italian Meatball Heroes are actually our planned dinner for tonight, and I am always saving new chocolate chip cookie recipes, like this Biscoff Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe. Then there are these yummy Shepherd's Pie Loaded Baked Potatoes, Biscoff Muffins, and Nestle Delightfull Soft Peanut Butter Cookies. Honestly, I was really on a Biscoff kick...here's a third recipe: Biscoff Granola Bars. I know it isn't time for pumpkin yet, but I still saved this Double Pumpkin Poke Cake. I need to make this Butterscotch Swirl Cake and the Raspberry Dutch Baby.

The perfect recipe for lunch or dinner - your family will thank you for these cheesy Pizza Buns! #recipe #SecretRecipeClub #pizza #under30min #easy #maindish

Ultimately, I went with the Pizza Buns - although coincidentally I put her Mozzarella Caprese Omelets on my meal plan and was pleasantly surprised when I opened it up on my tablet to make it. That recipe will be posted at some point, but as I've said, today is all about the Pizza Buns. I immediately was drawn to them because it reminded me of something my elementary school served up for school lunch every once in a while. It was easy to make and a huge hit with the whole family! Just look at all that ooey gooey cheese! YES!


Friday, June 17, 2016

Happy Toddler, Happy Mommy featuring Gerber® Lil' Beanies(TM)! #GerberWinWin #ad

www.linqia.com

I am interrupting the normal recipe sharing schedule for a little bit of mom talk! This particular post is going to be about Gerber® Lil' Beanies(TM). As most of you all know, I have a bubbly little 15 month old toddler named Mason. What you all may not know if you don't follow me on my personal blog or social media is that we really struggled with the transition to table food with Mason. I had no experience with this problem because my older two kids transitioned normally from purees to table food. Mason did wonderfully on purees, but got to the point where he refused to eat them and still couldn't quite get the hang of table foods. Enter: Gerber® snacks.

https://ooh.li/fcfb090

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Salted Caramel Mocha Bundt Cake

This decadent chocolate cake is super moist with the addition of yogurt and topped with chocolate and salted caramel.
Salted Caramel Mocha Bundt Cake // This decadent chocolate cake is super moist with the addition of yogurt and topped with chocolate and salted caramel #recipe #dessert #chocolate #caramel #bundtcake

I rarely make bundt cakes, but the times that I do, I hate that I don't make them more often. I don't know why, but I just adore the vintage look to them. I love how they look and what the slices look like. That's probably the strangest thing ever, but it's what I think. Am I alone here? Some of my fellow Secret Recipe Club members participate in a baking group called Bundt Bakers and I have mulled over joining. I do have a little too much on my hands right now, so I have bookmarked it for when I do have free time. Each month, I fawn over their beautiful bundt cakes. Seriously, I just love them.

Salted Caramel Mocha Bundt Cake // This decadent chocolate cake is super moist with the addition of yogurt and topped with chocolate and salted caramel #recipe #dessert #chocolate #caramel #bundtcake

I was excited to make this cake because it was very close to a chocolate cake recipe that I have made multiple times and actually was recently (about a month ago) talking about with my sister-in-law, Kathleen. She was sharing with me the recipe to to the Labor Cake that she had made while waiting for her first little one to arrive. Even though it didn't make her go into labor, she said she had a hard time not eating the whole thing. As soon as she shared the recipe, I knew that I had made almost the exact same cake (the one linked a few sentences above this one). It's just a decadent, amped up cake mix recipe that has yet to fail me.

What I really was excited about for this particular version was the salted caramel. I am quickly becoming obsessed with salted desserts. The salt goes together perfectly with desserts and sometimes it just feels like it is missing when it's not there.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Herb Butter Sauce

 This fabulous dish not only looks impressive, but it tastes impressive too. However, it is easy to make!
Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Herb Butter Sauce // This fabulous dish not only looks impressive, but it tastes impressive too. However, it is easy to make! #recipe #chicken #pasta

I love to surprise my family with something that doesn't really take a high skill level to complete. I am fairly comfortable in my kitchen and I would say that I can tackle a lot of different recipes with ease. But I absolutely love putting on the facade of making something super fancy that needed amazing incredible technique :) Morgan (the blogger that I got the recipe from) said this recipe holds a special place in her heart for her because it was the first one she successfully made and she has passed it along to many friends that have, in turn, praised how easy, yet impressive it is.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Herb Butter Sauce // This fabulous dish not only looks impressive, but it tastes impressive too. However, it is easy to make! #recipe #chicken #pasta

I loved the crunchy, but tender and juicy crusted chicken, but the star was definitely the velvety butter sauce. There is nothing better than that. Honestly, there really isn't. Y'all have to try this recipe for yourselves and definitely report back on how you liked it and if your dinner guests (or family) were impressed by this dish.

Monday, June 13, 2016

Menu Plan Monday - Jun 13, 2016

Menu Plan Monday for Jun 13, 2016 // What I'm making this week #menuplanmonday #mealplan

In this week's meals, I think cover all my favorite cuisines - even if they are Americanized takes on the cuisines. We get a little Asian flare to Monday, Mexican on Tuesday, Italian on Wednesday and Thursday, and Southern style on Friday and Sunday. Anyways, bound to be a lot of happy bellies this week - I am really looking forward to it all!

Monday
Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Teriyaki Bowls

Wednesday, June 08, 2016

One Pot Burrito Bowls

A hearty, flavorful meal that you cook in one pot and serve up with as many or as few toppings as you want!
One Pot Burrito Bowls // A hearty, flavorful meal that you cook in one pot and serve up with as many or as few toppings as you want! #recipe #onepot #burrito #beef

I know this seems awfully close to the Taco Turkey Skillet I posted not too long ago, I promise that they are not identical. This one has a few more ingredients in it (black beans and green chillies - yum!) and does not use instant rice. The methods are just slightly different and this is also not a turkey dish, but ground beef instead. Via the blog I retrieved the recipe from, it can be served over a bed of lettuce with tortilla chips - which was a great way to eat it. It's also completely open-ended for toppings. Add as many or as few as you desire. This is a great one dish meal for busy nights - just like the other recipe. I definitely suggest trying both! :)

Tuesday, June 07, 2016

Pasta, Chicken, & Asparagus in Garlic Tomato Sauce

This pasta is served up with asparagus, seasoned chicken, and a light garlic tomato sauce.
Pasta, Chicken, & Asparagus in Garlic Tomato Sauce // This pasta is served up with asparagus, seasoned chicken, and a light garlic tomato sauce. #recipe #chicken #pasta #asparagus

Sometimes I get antsy to post a recipe before I've had a chance to make it again. This one is a fabulous recipe. The sauce is really light and not really so much a sauce as it is sauteed tomatoes and garlic. I did adjust the recipe some because I didn't have precooked asparagus or chicken. I did follow the original recipe as far as amounts go, but I feel that it would be better with more asparagus and the grape tomatoes halved. So that is definitely what I will be doing next time I make this lovely dish. And, of course, I will add more basil. Because basil is life.

Pasta, Chicken, & Asparagus in Garlic Tomato Sauce // This pasta is served up with asparagus, seasoned chicken, and a light garlic tomato sauce. #recipe #chicken #pasta #asparagus

Monday, June 06, 2016

Menu Plan Monday - Jun 6, 2016

Menu Plan Monday for Jun 6, 2016 // What I'm making this week #menuplanmonday #mealplan

It's June!! Whoop whoop! This month is bound to be busy, but I'm hoping that it will be full of fun activities with the kids. I'm gonna be a little brave this month and attempt to make three different recipes from my Secret Recipe Club assignment blog. Reveal day is two weeks from now, so I think I'll be good to go. We are all very excited about trying out the Pizza Bread Bowl on Friday - it was one of those Buzzfeed Tasty's videos on Facebook.

Monday
Secret Recipe Club recipe

Wednesday, June 01, 2016

Turkey Taco Skillet

 Y'all just have to try this one pot 30-minute meal for your next Taco Tuesday!
Turkey Taco Skillet // Y'all just have to try this one pot 30-minute meal for your next Taco Tuesday! #recipe #onepot #taco #turkey

I love how easy this recipe is to make. It reminds me a lot of a tried-and-true recipe, Slow Cooker Tex Mex Chicken. However, it is made in 30 minutes. Don't get me wrong, I love the slow cooker chicken version, but this is just as fabulous with all the ingredients (including the rice) in one skillet...plus I love that it has ground turkey.

Turkey Taco Skillet // Y'all just have to try this one pot 30-minute meal for your next Taco Tuesday! #recipe #onepot #taco #turkey

It's summertime now, but that doesn't mean I don't love 30 minute, one pot meals. We've been spending a lot of time outdoors and often come inside too close to dinner to have it on the table at 6 like I prefer it to be. It's nice to not have to worry about slaving over the hot stove in the kitchen after being outside where it was hot. Not to mention when we do start venturing out and doing activities around town this summer, I want to be able to put as little effort into dinner as possible, but still have something homemade that is yummy and fills our tummies! There is room for variation for toppings and each person can fix it to their liking. Myself, personally, I will load mine up. I love all the toppings! In the pictures, I only have cheese and sour cream because I believe that I forgot a bunch of toppings at the store. But you can even do sliced jalapenos or guacamole on top. The sky is the limit :)