Menu Plan Monday - June 18, 2018

Apparently, I didn't really look at what was going on because I made the most epic slow cooker meal week without realizing it. Guess this will motivate me to clean that sucker out every evening after the meal is put up!

Monday - Slow Cooker Spicy Chicken and Rice
Tuesday - Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers
Wednesday - Mimi's Cafe Carrot Cake Muffins // Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup
Thursday - Quick & Easy Beef Noodle Stir Fry
Friday - Cheeseburgers on Pretzel Buns
Saturday - Slow Cooker Pork Roast with roasted potatoes and mixed veggies
Sunday - Cinnamon Roll Donuts // Marble Cake

What are you having for dinner this week?
Feel free to leave a link to the recipe in the comments!

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Cherry Delight

This no-bake dessert is so easy to throw together and can feed a crowd! It's truly a delight

I love no-bake desserts that mimic cheesecake and I love any time I can get a cherry recipe because I don't have cherries enough. I think on the rare occasion I do, it's atop a sundae or milkshake. I don't think I have ever made anything from fresh cherries, so that's definitely on my foodie bucket list. But for now, I have to share this wonderful dessert that is no-bake and uses canned cherries. You can absolutely bake the crust for more sturdiness, but I actually like it better unbaked. This really reminds me of the Jell-O cherry cheesecake but a littler heartier.

Throwback Thursday #62

Today's throwbacks are both sweet. First up is a sweet breakfast recipe. These CINNAMON ROLL WAFFLES are kind of like those cinnamon roll pancakes that have been viral for years. Except less mess because you making the swirl separate and serve it as a topping. I personally am super biased and love a good homemade waffle, so I think these waffles are supreme!

The second recipe is a dessert that although is more of a wintertime dessert is one my husband would happily eat any day of the year. This PECAN PIE CHEESECAKE is the best of two desserts put together. The brown sugar cheesecake is brilliant on its own, but the pecan pie filling really is a lovely partner and adds a wonderful crunch to this dessert. I highly suggest making it!

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Coffeehouse Coffeecake Muffins

Coffeecake in muffin form - these buttery little "cakes" are perfect with a cup of coffee in the morning! Or afternoon!

I currently have a super picky 3 year old who is surviving solely on cheese and freeze-dried fruits. Occasionally, he will eat a cheese quesadilla or chicken or ham. If I'm really lucky, he'll eat pancakes or muffins. Mason LOVES these muffins and he ate most of the batch by himself this go-around. This recipe is not necessarily complicated, but you do move around some mixtures a little bit, so it's best to read the directions a couple times through before you start making it. The batter is also very thick, but don't worry, it's supposed to be that way. These muffins are buttery and full of lots of cinnamon sugar goodness with pecans all throughout them.

Cheesy Sausage Foil Packets

The perfect way to celebrate summer - by grilling fresh veggies with sausage!

I know what you may be thinking...where is the foil packet in my picture?! Well, I had a good foil packet picture in addition to the plated picture, but then *poof* I lost a ton of pictures when my computer crashed thanks to an operating system update. At some point, I will make this during the summer and get a foil packet picture. Regardless, it is such a GREAT one packet meal to throw on the grill and go. I find that I think some of the other bloggers may be cheating a little and broiling or searing some of their foil packets because I don't know how else you can get those crisp parts on things like the sausage or potatoes. So I threw my packets under the broiler (opened up) after grilling to get a little crunch! :)

Menu Plan Monday - June 11, 2018

Again, your girl has to get some new pictures for all these great recipes I've already made (with the exception of Tuesday). :)

Monday - One Pot Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta
Tuesday - Chicken Fajitas
Wednesday - Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins // Lori's 3-Bean Chili
Thursday - Chicken Yakisoba
Friday - Grilled Chicken & Bacon Pizza with Garlic Cream Sauce
Saturday - Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches
Sunday - Breakfast Scramble // Reese's Cookies

What are you having for dinner this week?
Feel free to leave a link to the recipe in the comments!

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Fantastical Friday: Top 5 Need-to-Try Candy Recipes

June is National Candy Month and I shared some of the recipes I am most excited to try. I'm keeping it short and sweet today with these five amazing recipes.

Easy & Awesome Creamy Corn Casserole

The perfect side dish for a good Southern meal, chili, or potluck!

My mother-in-law made this amazing corn casserole recipe last year and I have been craving it ever since. Lo and behold, I had a similar recipe saved from one of my magazines. She has all these tried-and-true cookbooks that she has made from since my husband was very young and I believe the recipe she used was a Taste of Home recipe. Mine is from All Recipes. It's simple to throw together and it is seriously so so delicious. I love that the cornbread comes out incredibly moist and then you get so much corn in every bite. It's the best side dish for chili or fried cabbage and sausage plus so much more!

Strawberry Yogurt Cake

Fresh strawberries and lemon are the perfect match in this lovely bundt cake

I love making bundt cakes and I wanted to attempt to make more in the past year or so. This one (although it didn't turn out super pretty) was very tasty. I loved the strawberry lemon combo and the Greek yogurt made it incredibly moist. I think this would be great subbing in blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries, but I really enjoyed having strawberries in a dessert. It seems like most of the time I don't get to bake with fresh strawberries. So this cake was a welcome rarity!

Southern Fried Cabbage with Sausage

This easy one skillet cabbage dinner is ready in under 30 minutes!

Recently, my computer crashed when a Windows Update went wrong. I lost a lot of pictures for my recipes because I had not backed them up in a while. So I made a mad dash to try and fit in all my upcoming recipes for the blog on my meal plan. I'm not at all peeved that I had to do it because I truly enjoyed all the recipes that I lost pictures for or they wouldn't be coming to the blog at all.

This wonderful main dish recipe is made in one skillet in under 30 minutes. The tomatoes are such a nice touch with cabbage and sausage, plus the cajun seasoning is the perfect bit of seasoning needed. You could definitely add more if you wanted. It's truly up to you.

Menu Plan Monday - June 4, 2018

All but Monday's foods are remakes due to losing pictures from my computer crash. I am looking forward to them all because I loved all of them! I'm not 100% sure I'll make everything though because we will have family in town.

Monday - Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken with corn and Kickin' Collards
Tuesday - Steak Fajita Pasta
Wednesday - Coffeehouse Coffeecake Muffins // Easy Egg Drop Soup (clipped recipe)
Thursday - Skillet Beef Broccoli Ramen
Friday - Fried Pickle Burgers
Saturday - Subwhales // Cheese & Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken
Sunday - Sourdough Waffles // Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake

What are you having for dinner this week?
Feel free to leave a link to the recipe in the comments!

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Slow Roasted Tomato BLT with Basil Mayo

Low and slow makes for the most wonderful tomatoes on this BLT sandwich!

I absolutely love BLTs. I mean what's NOT to love?! But then you add an element like roasting tomatoes plus throwing in a basil mayonnaise and you have peaked my interest for sure! I opted to grab a multigrain bread like the recipe called for and it was the perfect heartiness to go with the rest of the ingredients. I don't remember exactly how long I cooked my tomatoes, but I believe it was just under 4 hours. What a seriously great twist on a regular BLT.

Throwback Thursday #61

Today, I have two of my all-time favorite recipes ever ever to share. I know I probably say that all the time, but these two recipes I would NEVER turn down. Up first, GRILLED CHICKEN AND PASTA WITH BASIL-CREAM SAUCE is a recipe I made for Secret Recipe Club. The basil cream sauce really blew me away.

Although I haven't made the basil cream sauce pasta in forever, I have made this PIZZA BRAID recipe recently and do make it often. The first time I made it, I was impressed with how easy it was and the millionth time I have made it, I am still impressed. I have yet to stray from the fillings that the original recipe called for because why mess with perfection?!

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Banana Split Trifles

The perfect summertime treat that can be portable in lovely individual servings!

I love desserts that can be portioned individually and I love them even more when they can be portable, like in this recipe for these delish trifles. They take a little bit of time to make, but they truly aren't too bad. The cake is made from a box mix and is light and fluffy. The pudding is homemade which was a first, if I'm remembering correctly, for me. It was super simple and quick. Then it's just a matter of building your trifles into mason jars and you've got a great dessert for a cookout in the summertime. The fresh fruit was simply perfect in this - absolutely reminiscent of a banana split sundae.

Mexi Ranch Chicken Salad

I love this salad with chicken, corn, beans, tomatoes, tortilla chips, and an awesome salsa ranch dressing on top!

I have been all about fitting salads into my meal plan lately. Maybe it's because of the warm weather or maybe it's because I just love love love salads! This one is slightly different than most of the recipes I've been serving up on Taco Tuesdays. It has red beans instead of black beans and there are tortillas chips for some added crunch. I also loved the mix of salsa and ranch dressing too. I'm not sure if that is how Southwest Ranch is made, but it definitely tastes a lot like it.

Menu Plan Monday - May 28, 2018

Happy last Monday of May?! What?! I'm going to be working on remaking some recipes that I need pictures for because I ended up with a computer that decided to crash during a Windows Update and I lost my pictures. I did recover some of them, but not all. So you'll be seeing some repeats. Summer break is also fully underway and I do hope that with the assistance of my very interested older kids, I will make the breakfasts that I set out to make each week. Because it's been the same ones on the menu for like 3 years LOL

Monday - Southern Fried Cabbage with Sausage and Easy & Awesome Creamy Corn Casserole
Tuesday - Super Sonic Burritos
Wednesday - Coffee Cake Donuts // Dill Pickle Soup
Thursday - Baked Bruschetta Chicken with broccoli and salad
Friday - Baked Buffalo Chicken Bites and cheesy bread
Saturday - Pizza Meatloaf, green beans, and roasted potatoes
Sunday - Maple Bars // Cherry Delight

What are you having for dinner this week?
Feel free to leave a link to the recipe in the comments!

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Fantastical Friday: National Wine Day

Happy National Wine Day! Today I thought I would share a few of my favorite recipes that utilize wine. Only one of them is a drink recipe, but no worries, you can most definitely enjoy a glass of wine with these foods!

1. Double Layer Chocolate Cake with Red Wine Chocolate Buttercream - I adore the frosting on this cake so much!
2. Red Wine Bon Bons - chocolate, coffee, and wine, hello!!
3. German Beef Roulades - the wine is in the gravy and it's just magical.
4. Red Wine Pot Roast - I got to use my cast iron crock for this one and successfully cooked a pot roast in the oven.
5. Bowtie Chicken Alfredo - one of the few recipes with white wine on this list and what a difference it makes over using chicken broth.
6. Peach Blackberry Sangria - the other white wine recipe and the only drink recipe - I made mine into a spritzer.
7. Italian Pizza Burgers - I honestly didn't know that burgers were missing wine until I made this one.
8. Ree's Spaghetti - This is the fourth Pioneer Woman recipe on this list. I'm not at all surprised because I love Ree's recipes but I didn't realize so many of them contained wine. Maybe that's why I like them so much :)

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{Funfetti} Wild Things Cake

Let the wild rumpus start! This funfetti cake is so delicious - you'll eat it up and love it so!

What's great about having big families and enjoying baking is that sometimes you get tasked to make birthday cakes. My sister-in-law asked if I could make a Wild Things cake for her baby's first birthday and I, of course, jumped right on it. She did a lot of the decorations herself and did such an amazing job with his birthday. I was so happy to help out in any way. She showed me a picture of the cake she wanted and I did my best to replicate it. Fast forward and my little nephew is going to be TWO on Saturday. It's crazy!

The cake itself is a funfetti cake and then I used a classic buttercream and prepared fondant to create the monster look. Both her and I were super happy with how it turned out. It was adorable and tasty!

Berrylicious Smoothie Bowls

Start your day with this berrylicious recipe - loads of berries plus whatever toppings you want!

I've been wanting to jump on the smoothie bowl bandwagon for forever, but I'll be honest..I hate pulling out my blender so much. I don't have it out on the counter (although I would love to) and I also hate cleaning my blender. But I finally decided it was time to try one and it was super wonderful. Probably still not something I'll make all the time, but definitely a nice treat when you're craving berries in particular. I topped ours with blueberries, blackberries, banana, honey, coconut, almonds, and granola (cashew butter and cocoa nibs).

Jalapeno Popper Hot Dogs

Amp up ordinary hot dogs with jalapeno popper ingredients for a cheesy, spicy meal!

I have had this recipe saved for entirely too long. Last year, I got a salsa kit for my Aerogarden. Unfortunately, my cherry tomatoes never sprouted (probably due to Mason taking them out and tossing them too many times), but my jalapenos flourished. I started two more plants from seeds, but they didn't grow as quickly - probably due to lack of light from my light being so far up because of the large plant. That one large jalapeno plant, however, produced enough jalapenos to feed a small army.

And oh my gosh! They were so spicy. We're pretty accustomed to spicy food in our house. I don't have as much of a tolerance as my husband, but I can still handle a little bit of heat. I don't know what it was about these jalapenos but man...they were spicier than some of the habaneros we buy at the store. Nick agreed. They were awesome in this recipe and were balanced out beautifully by the cream cheese without taking away all the heat. It's a fairly easy recipe and definitely a great way to amp up a regular ole hot dog.

Menu Plan Monday - May 21, 2018

Another week with old favorites because I am stepping out of my comfort zone and making tuna steak. I'm really nervous about it, so I need things I know the rest of the week! I am hoping it turns out well though. The recipe I chose is supposed to be great for beginners. I also cannot wait for the bundt cake on Sunday. We were supposed to have it for Easter but we didn't have Easter dinner this year.

Monday - Beefaroni with broccoli and garlic bread
Tuesday - Chili Lime Chicken Salad
Wednesday - Salted Caramel Muffins // Jalapeno Popper Beef Chili
Thursday - Herbed Tuna Steaks with green beans and potatoes
Friday - Italian Burgers with Roasted Tomato and Caramelized Onions and fries
Saturday - Caprese Chicken with side salad and asparagus
Sunday - Italian Baked Eggs // Carrot Bundt Cake

What are you having for dinner this week?
Feel free to leave a link to the recipe in the comments!

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Summer Grilled Veggie Pasta Primavera

All the summer veggies grilled up in one perfect pasta dish!

Any sort of recipe with loads of veggies in it is sure to make my meal plan. I was initially intrigued by the grilled veggie part of the recipe because I recently acquired a cast iron grill pan. I decided to cut my zucchini in spears and grill it in the cast iron. Not only was I able to get these gorgeous grill marks on each piece and side, but the zucchini itself is absolutely addictive. I had a few extra zucchini that I grilled up and ate for a snack the next day. Just A+ in my opinion. You can grill and roast as many of the veggies as you'd like, but in the end, the simple flavors work so well together in this summer pasta dish!

Throwback Thursday #60

I'm convinced that this 3-2-1 FUNFETTI CAKE BATTER DIP is somehow made of crack even though it's literally 3 ingredients and I obviously made it. It's great for dipping fruit, pretzels, and graham cookies in!

I also wouldn't say no to some of these BACON WRAPPED JALAPENO CHICKEN BITES. Because there is nothing better than chicken with jalapeno and bacon. Only 4 ingredients needed! :)

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Strawberry Almond Chicken Salad #FantasticalFoodFight

Welcome to another Food Fight! Fantastical Food Fight is a group of food bloggers who will get a theme or ingredient each month and make some sort of variation for it. It could be traditional or nontraditional and can be found in a cookbook, on a blog, or be a blogger's own creation! For more details, check out this page.

This month's Fantastical Food Fight theme is SALAD. I'm ridiculously excited about this month's theme. It was chosen due to May being National Salad Month (in the US) and what a more perfect time than when loads of fresh produce is in season! I decided to share this salad that is easy to throw together and has blueberries, strawberries, and mandarin oranges inside it.

The chicken can be seasoned how you wish and then it's a matter of throwing the ingredients together with poppy seed dressing and your meal is ready to go.