Monday, June 28, 2021

Stars and Stripes Cookie Bars

Homemade cookie bars with red, white, and blue sprinkles and a fun herringbone effect on the frosting!

I always forget to make themed holiday treats unless it's one of three holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. But last year, I did remember to make a red, white, and blue treat for the 4th of July AND I have one planned for this year too. I don't really go ham on most holidays which is why I never really post any holiday recipes, but it is fun and brings me back to my childhood where I was always in the kitchen helping my mom or grandma make something fun for any holiday. I love cookie bars and there are a ton of quick ones that use box or pouch mix, but it was super fun to make a homemade version. You could also absolutely add star shape sprinkles on top since you have the stripes. Realistically, you could just switch up the sprinkles and the gel frosting colors and make this go for any holiday!

Friday, June 25, 2021

Slow Cooker Honey Teriyaki Chicken

This meal is made with homemade teriyaki sauce that comes together so quickly and then really shines after some time in the slow cooker.

I don't think I have many Asian-style recipes that I make in the crockpot because most are ones that are stir fry or ramen in nature and come together very quickly. What I love about this one is that it does have that element of quickness with making a homemade teriyaki sauce and then the prep time altogether for the crockpot part of the meal is about done. Just a little bit in the slow cooker and you have this wonderful meal!

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Mint Chocolate Chip Layer Cake

Triple layer chocolate cake with mint frosting and Andes mints for any mint chocolate fan in your life!

This was my oldest son's pick for a birthday cake in 2020 - he loves mint chocolate chip ice cream and I want to say he's almost chosen this cake multiple years in a row and then finally last year, he did choose it. It was relatively simple to make. I know it's going to be a perfect chocolate cake when there's boiling water to add to the batter. I'm not sure what science is behind that but it is always SO good. I have nothing much else to say about this one - it's a 10 out of 10!

Monday, June 21, 2021

Crazy Crust Pizza

This thin crust pizza is made with liquid batter for the crust and meat that cooks into the crust before topping with sauce and cheese!

I was really intrigued by this pizza - initially because of the name. Why is the crust crazy? Then reading the method behind it and I was like...okay this is a little crazy! You have a liquid batter and the meat goes onto it before the crust bakes?! Then comes pizza sauce and cheese. I reserved judgment until it was made and I had no problems whatsoever. It turned out beautifully and we all really enjoyed it. I mean, it was so easy and the crust was really yummy. The original recipe maker said they do different toppings all the time, so it doesn't have to be this specifically - try whatever combo sounds good to you!

Friday, June 18, 2021

Cheesy Kielbasa, Rice, and Broccoli Skillet

Extra cheesy one pot skillet meal that is so easy to throw together and is a crowd pleaser!

I think it's wild that I didn't like kielbasa years ago. It's one of my favorite things. I typically will buy turkey sausage and I'm not sure if that counts for kielbasa but I do like both. I really loved how easy this recipe was - it really reminded me of something I would have made when I was first married. I made a lot of easy skillet meals or casseroles and this was very much that.

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Bacon Cheeseburger Salad

When you're craving a bacon cheeseburger, but make it slightly healthier!

I have posted many salads at this point and may be beating a dead horse by once again explaining how I love eating salads for dinner. But I really like salads for dinner but also want them to be somewhat filling and these kinds of recipes are great for that because there are filling toppings. This one has all the yumminess of a bacon cheeseburger but without the buns. It's a great low carb option, but also could definitely work in a pinch if you forgot your hamburger buns or they go moldy or whatever. The dressing is easy and wonderful too!

Monday, June 14, 2021

Turkey Meatloaf

A slightly healthier version of an American classic with BBQ sauce instead of ketchup on top!

So I have this ongoing debate with my husband about how traditional meatloaf has ketchup or a tomato-based sauce on top. He thinks it's gross, but I keep telling him that's how it is made. In January 2020 when he was gone for army training, I took advantage and made meatloaf the way it should be made. This one was slightly different, what with the BBQ sauce instead of ketchup, but I really liked it. Plus this has the bonus of being turkey instead of beef, so it's a lower cholesterol version of meatloaf and I love that!

Friday, June 11, 2021

Giant Reese's Peanut Butter Cookie

When you're craving cookies but just one, but maybe more than one, make a GIANT cookie just for you!

Desserts for one/two are some of my favorites because I've been known to slam some cookies and having fewer in the house is better. Because I will eat way too many cookies. I wish I had thought to post the dough ball next to a banana for size reference but it was heavy and as big as my palm - it was crazy. My husband knew I was making cookies but didn't realize it was just one. His face when he walked in when I had this giant cookie was priceless. We ended up splitting it four ways and it was awesome!

Wednesday, June 09, 2021

S'mores Baked Donuts

These baked donuts are double glazed and then topped with marshmallows and graham crackers!

I could have sworn that I have made s'mores donuts before, but apparently not. I always forget how easy and quick donuts are to make and so I was really excited about these and they did not disappoint. They have a white glaze, then a chocolate glaze, then marshmallow topping, and graham cracker crumbs. Seriously...these are so good!

Monday, June 07, 2021

Chicken Gyro Salad

Gyros in a bowl - salad style!

I really love gyros and Mediterranean food. I also really love salads for dinner. Finding this recipe was kismet. I will say that the pita chips are such a fun addition but I prefer to mix them in right before serving and don't want extras in if there are leftovers because they will get soggy. This recipe of tzatziki sauce was really wonderful too! Just slightly different than I'm used to, but really great.

Friday, June 04, 2021

25-Minute Spicy Ramen

This ramen has ground pork, carrots, cabbage, sweet peppers, and a kick of heat!


My family has been eating different variations of ramen lately and this one was super fun because it has ground meat and seems like it's way easier to throw together than the others (it's really not but it seems that way with ground meat). I think this is one of the first ramen recipes I've made with any kind of nuts and I really love savory dishes with peanuts - SO MUCH. So all in all, this has a really great balance of flavors and textures. And it's quick to make!

Wednesday, June 02, 2021

Peach Crumble Waffles

Dessert for breakfast with fluffy waffles, peach pie topping, and a cinnamon oat crumble.

Over the years, I've made many different kinds of waffles - some of them were ones that I would all of a sudden be craving but had never had before. That is how these Peach Crumble Waffles were born. I was like, I want streusel on a waffle. I think I originally had set out to make blackberry crumble waffles but could not find any blackberry pie filling. I still would love to make it eventually. Basically, you could do any flavor of pie filling you can find: apple, cherry, blueberry, etc. Nick loves peaches though, so this ended up being a really good alternative to blackberries.