recipe round up

30 Easy Healthy Chicken Dinners Ideas

It’s the weeknight riddle that becomes less and less funny: What to make for dinner tonight? This list of 30 easy healthy chicken dinner recipes is the answer.

This time of year is ultra-busy for everyone – getting back in the swing of back-to-school, treasuring the memories of the last long weekend for a while, and soaking up those warm sunshiny days before Fall’s chill hits – so quick, easy dinner options are a must.

This list of 30 easy chicken dinner recipes makes cooking good healthy meals at home just as easy as picking up or ordering in. From whole roasted chickens better than any you’ll find at the grocery store check out, to the easiest ways to cook chicken breasts, this list of 30 dinner recipe ideas will satisfy every member of your family no matter how picky they may seem to be.

So break out your love of chicken and visit these chicken dinner ideas for tonight, starting now and lasting all year long. continue to the recipe… about 30 Easy Healthy Chicken Dinners Ideas

30-Minute Creamy Mushroom and Leek Chicken Breasts

One pan is all you need for this savory, and super easy, chicken with mushroom sauce that’s on the table in 30 minutes or less.

Chicken with Mushroom Sauce

“Oh, man. This is going to be epic for breakfast.”

When I hear my husband make this comment as he’s eating this 30-minute, one-pan, winner winner chicken dinner, it’s like he’s whispering sweet nothings in my ear. Yes. My love language is food.

And this is the literal translation of my husband’s love language: “This is so good I want to eat it for every meal and holy sh*t, it would be so good with an over easy egg on top.” Don’t forget the hot sauce. As if.

Why thank you, babe. Chicken for breakfast? Sure! Why not use up those leftovers any which way the cravings blow?

He’s a smart man, my guy, with good taste. If I do say so myself.

continue to the recipe… about 30-Minute Creamy Mushroom and Leek Chicken Breasts

20 Caprese Recipes You’ll Go Crazy For

From the best caprese salads to caprese skewers and the classic caprese sandwich, this list of 20 favorite tomato, mozzarella and basil themed recipes will have you going crazy for caprese.

You know those quizzes you see all over the internet touting, “Choose your favorite XX and we’ll tell you your personality type”? Well, if I had to choose, my favorite-salad-personality-clone would be the caprese salad.

There’s not much you can’t do with the basic ingredients of the classic caprese salad, from the classic caprese salad to caprese skewers to caprese-topped chicken dinners, all you need to get started is:

fresh and creamy mozzarella (any shape or size, and ultra-creamy burrata makes things even that much better)
the season’s best tomatoes (hopefully still warm from the garden)
spicy basil that smells of summer
the best fruity olive oil your wallet can afford
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper for that hit of spice we all need in our day

Alone as a preamble salad or served as a potluck side dish that will be the first to disappear, a classic caprese is pure love on a plate, in a bowl, or on a platter. But take those classically fresh Italian ingredients and add a dose of inspiration and you have so much more: a topper for chicken, or spritzing up toasts, or making breakfast eggs even more of the best way to start your day. The caprese personality is one everybody will love.

The season is now to capture the rapt ripeness of the best tomatoes. Get them before the getting’s gone. It’s time to get your caprese on.

Start with this list of 20 caprese recipes to crush on now.continue to the recipe… about 20 Caprese Recipes You’ll Go Crazy For

Simple Roasted Tomato Sauce

This roasted tomato sauce is made with 6 simple ingredients and requires less than 10 minutes of hands-on prep work. Enjoy now or freeze it for later!

“Toast to the tomato roast!” Or in perhaps more trendy speak, “totes tomahhhto roast.” Either way, roasting tomatoes has a hold of my heart, and I’m not letting go any time soon.

I spent this past weekend rocking the nostalgic. It was my yearly girlfriend getaway with my college besties. I’m a sorority girl, and because of the amazing friends I made in it, I’m damn proud of it.

The trip is the same as it is every year. No boys. No kids. Just the girls with cocktails and Jell-o shots, trashy magazines, and corn hole, and there always seems to be some sort of water in the form of an ocean, a river, a lake, or even just a hot tub. This year it was the tropical pool that saved us from the Las Vegas heat.

We are a group of girls that know way too much about one another’s past, and know one another well enough to help navigate the present in hopes of a fulfilling future. We’re nothing if not happy to share our opinions in helping one another grow.

It’s all in the name of love.

It was an anniversary year, one of those numbers that you never in your life would think would come so soon, and yet when it does, you marvel at the fortune you’ve found in developing a level of friendship and bond that runs this deep for this long. And the reason it does is because — it’s simple. It’s easy. We all put in and we all draw from the well. We just always have and we always will, at each and every milestone.continue to the recipe… about Simple Roasted Tomato Sauce

30+ Lucky St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

Sometimes hearty, sometimes boozy, whipping up St. Patrick’s Day recipes is the perfect excuse to gather friends for a potluck, brunch, and yes, even if you’re in the mood for easy green food ideas.

There are many reasons traditional St. Patrick’s Day recipes are so beloved. If you’re wondering what to serve or how the Irish actually celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, this list of recipes has you clovered. (See what I did there?)

There’s always my classic slow cooker corned beef and cabbage for the main meal or 20 different stout recipes for dessert, but don’t leave out these fun Irish brunch ideas below like potato pancakes to whiskey ice cream for dessert, and find the lucky dish to make your day complete.

continue to the recipe… about 30+ Lucky St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

30 Days of Soups, Stews, and Chilis Made to Keep Winter Warm

Sign me up for this list of 30 days of soups, stews, and chilis on repeat to warm up this body of mine and soothe my ever-loving seasonal soul all month long.

I know, I know–wintery weather blows in just about every 365 days from right about today, yet I’m never quite ready to give up on the gorgeous warmth of Indian summers and the fall leaves a-falling. I love me a snowy white winter, but fall has my heart.

While winter doesn’t officially begin until Christmas is nearly here, the change in weather and my freezing cold feet—now clad in fuzzy socks and boots— is the sure-fire signal for me to start craving the heartiest of rib-sticking comfort food.

This list of 30 soups, stews, and chilis are sure to warm us up and fill us up, but not fill us OUT, because each of these recipes are made with healthy, real good, real foods.

So what are you waiting for? Grab a spoon and dig in!continue to the recipe… about 30 Days of Soups, Stews, and Chilis Made to Keep Winter Warm

30 Super Savory Salads to Make In September

This list of savory salads that make a meal will have you eating salads every day of the month, all year long.

Summer may be coming to a close, but don’t give up those greens just yet.

I get it, I get it. It can be so hard to give up those warm summer days spent peacefully relaxing or jam-packed with awesome activities. And now that school’s back in session, and there’s a hint of chill in the morning air, it’s easy to fall into a ho-hum meal rotation, or start snacking on lunch box leftovers.

Stop in the name of love for salad!

This is the most bounty-ous time of year to take advantage of all the seasonal harvest favorites. Take your pick of kale, squash, apples, sweet potatoes, and so much more in this monthly roundup featuring 30 days of sumptuous salads that are a full meal in themselves, or an enticing side to any healthy dinner.continue to the recipe… about 30 Super Savory Salads to Make In September

37 Easy Healthy Breakfast Recipes to Jumpstart Your Day

What’s the best thing to eat for breakfast? All the good things! This roundup of 37 quick and easy, healthy and delicious breakfast ideas will give you all the sustenance and energy you’ll need to keep you going all day long.

When the alarm goes off in the morning, rudely interrupting your peaceful slumber to alert you it’s time to get going, breakfast is likely the last thing on your mind.

But it should be.

Food is fuel, and after being asleep all night, we need a major refill come AM. It’s time to get the energy we need to be alert and power through our day (with a little nudge from our friend caffeine, of course).

Whether we eat breakfast or not, and what that meal might be determines how we’ll feel for the next several hours — dazed and confused, or energized and ready to slay the day. We think we’ll take the latter.

But let’s be real for a minute. We admit, we’re not always on top of our breakfast game, especially on hectic mornings as we wait out traffic. On other frenzied mornings, it becomes something we sacrifice all together for five more minutes of sleep. And as delicious as those few extra z’s may be, they’re nowhere near as delicious as a hearty breakfast burrito or a piping hot bowl of oatmeal with all the fixins.

We know we can do better, we just need a little inspiration and a game plan.

Even if you’re not a morning person, with a bit of planning, it is possible to hit the snooze and have your breakfast, too. And if you’re not a breakfast person, we bet you will be after browsing through these easy, healthy, and totally tempting recipes.

So let’s rise and shine with this list of yummy brekkies!

How to Make an Easy Breakfast On the Go

We all have mornings where we’re lucky if we can get out the door on time, and with matching socks no less. On mornings like those, breakfast tends to get demoted to the bottom of the priority list, or something that escaped our attention entirely.

That’s where these dishes come in.

You can whip them up on the fly, and some can even be prepped the night before, so no matter how early your AM wake up call, you can just grab and go!

Microwave Egg Caprese Breakfast Cups from FoodieCrush

5-Minute Pesto Arugula Breakfast Sandwich from A Couple Cookscontinue to the recipe… about 37 Easy Healthy Breakfast Recipes to Jumpstart Your Day

30 Easy Comfort Food Casseroles to Make in November

These 30 recipe ideas for fall-flavored casseroles are great for whipping up homemade autumn-inspired dinners this month.

Happy November!

Cooler weather has finally arrived—unless of course you’re in L.A., and in that case, we’re sweating in sympathy with you. There’s something about chilly temps that makes us crave all things carb-laden and cozy, so for our 11th installment of our 31 Days Series, we’re bringing you 30 days of fall casseroles to warm up with this month, because nothing says cozy like a casserole. They’re the proverbial queen of comfort food.

A longtime staple in America’s cuisine, these baked concoctions appear at family reunions, holiday gatherings, potlucks, and more. Maybe you grew up on your mom’s tuna noodle casserole, or your grandma’s chicken and rice—either way, any time you take a bite of one, the nostalgia reigns and food memories come flooding back.

With casseroles, no matter what’s underneath, it seems the most popular have a thick blanket of melty cheese, crispy toasted bread crumbs, or some sort of breaded topping, totally canceling out their often plain Jane appearance. From French, to Mexican, to Cajun, to Italian, (with plenty of vegetarian options sprinkled in), we’ve got every kind of casserole you could dream of.

Ready to kick it old-school eatin’ style? Let’s’ dig in!

continue to the recipe… about 30 Easy Comfort Food Casseroles to Make in November

25 Healthy and Comforting Slow Cooker Soups & Stews

It’s the most soup-inspiring time of the year!

It’s the season for crackling fires in the fireplace, fuzzy socks and slippers, and warm-you-to-the-bone comfort food. When frigid cold weather rolls in, we love nothing more than hunkering down in our coziest attire (hello loungewear!) over a piping bowl of soul-warming soup. And don’t forget the dipping bread!

It’s even better if that soup is made in a crock pot or slow cooker, because what’s more reassuring than coming home after a long day to a house full of the wonderful aroma of dinner that’s already made?

Slow cookers and crock pots have made amazing improvements over the years. They come in various sizes, they’re programmable, and this one is even made to brown veggies and meats directly on the stove for a true one pot meal.

In fact, I’m adding to my slow cooker collection and gearing up to purchase an Insta Pot for the multi-cooker experience of having a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, sauté/browning, yogurt maker, steamer & warmer all-in-one. It looks awesome!

We gladly employ these cookers all year-round, but they definitely get more of a workout during the cooler months. So without further ado, here are 25 healthy and comforting soups and stews you can make in the slow cooker…on your mark…set…grab your spoon!

continue to the recipe… about 25 Healthy and Comforting Slow Cooker Soups & Stews

The Essential New Year’s Day Brunch Guide

New Year’s Eve gets all the hype, but if you ask me, New Year’s Day is where the real fun is.

Don’t get me wrong, I love dressing to the nines, eating fancy finger food and toasting flutes of champagne (this style is a fave) while counting backwards from 10 as much as the next person. I may even get a tad misty when we get to “1,” and Auld Lang Syne fills the room. (I can’t help but think of the end of When Harry Met Sally — spoiler alert.)

Mostly, there’s so much buildup leading to midnight, that once it’s over I’m flooded with an underwhelmed feeling, and occasionally a throbbing headache. Take heed, sloe gin is never a good idea, no matter how authentic your 1920s-themed party is.

New Year’s Day is full of optimism, resolutions and of course, brunch!

It’s the perfect way to ring in the first day of the new year. You’re allowed to sleep in (which you’ve rightfully earned) and it doesn’t require formal attire. It gives you the opportunity to reflect on the past year and bask in the promising glow of the new one, all while casually sipping mimosas.

So let’s celebrate and embrace the new year. But first, brunch!
continue to the recipe… about The Essential New Year’s Day Brunch Guide

5 Ingredients That Make Boring Food Taste Good

If your food doesn’t show off the wow factor you wish it would, these 5 toppings can put a flavorful spin on an otherwise boring dish.

Chicken. Popcorn. Plain old white rice or steamed vegetables.

Too often some of our mealtime staples can put us into a serious flavor rut. They may be on our weekly meal planning lists, but end up being, simply…boring.

If you’re baking, cooking, or plating and feel that your food doesn’t show off the wow factor you wish it would, sometimes just changing up the accoutrements and toppings puts a fantastical spin on an otherwise normal (aka, boring) dish.continue to the recipe… about 5 Ingredients That Make Boring Food Taste Good

25 Lightened-Up, Healthy Chicken Dinner Recipes

Throw a winner of a chicken dinner together on the fly with these 25 healthy recipes!

Most likely, say…7 times out of ten, when someone in the family asks, “What’s for dinner?” the phrase, “Winner, winner, chicken dinner,” is the saucy reply.

The first time I heard “winner, winner, chicken dinner” was from my sister-in-law at one of our various family functions. I can’t say it was even about dinner, chicken or anything to shout out loud about.

But where’d the phrase come from? I’ve heard it in a myriad of situations but Urban Dictionary says this:

“Years ago every Las Vegas casino had a 3 piece chicken dinner with potato and veggie for $1.79. A standard bet back then was $2.00, hence when you won a bet you had enough for a chicken dinner. So now you know the rest of the story.”

That high stakes Vegas chicken dinner was most likely deep fried and served with an extremely boring medley of frozen veggies consisting of diced carrots, peas and beans that always needed more butter, more salt and please, can someone pass the flavor?? Not much to shake the dice for there.

Man, have we come a long way.continue to the recipe… about 25 Lightened-Up, Healthy Chicken Dinner Recipes

20 One-Pot Wonder Meals—They’re What’s for Dinner

One Pot Meals are a weeknight saving grace, and here are 20 delicious, easy recipes you’ll want in your dinner rotation!

One-pot meals are the saving grace for busy home cooks everywhere and make the dish washer that much happier. FoodieCrush contributor Hayley Putnam shares 20 of our faves from across the www.

I have a confession to make. I dirty a lot of dishes when I’m cooking. Enough to warrant teasing from my husband, who’s such a good sport about doing the copious dishes I regularly seem to accumulate. Every spoon, whisk, bowl, and knife are at my mercy…and eventually his, by default.

We’ve been sick with colds, and cooped up inside due to ice and snow, so we wanted something simple and low-maintenance for dinner the other night. Since I have a knack for inadvertently choosing the most time and labor-intensive recipes to attempt mid-week, this seemed like the most sensible solution. A simple, no-nonsense weeknight meal to warm us up and fill our bellies.continue to the recipe… about 20 One-Pot Wonder Meals—They’re What’s for Dinner

20 Detox Salads to Put You Back On Track

These 20 healthy but delicious detox salads are the perfect way to atone for all of your holiday food indiscretions and start the new year (or even just the week) off on the right foot!

If you’re anything like us, you’ve been eating well lately.

You’ve consumed many a cookie and canapé, and chances are you’re struggling to pull yourself out of the crazy indulgent carb overhaul that was the month of December.

Now, our bodies are craving fruits and vegetables. It’s time to assess the damage we’ve done and wipe the slate clean with the proverbial January detox salad.

These salads are just ticket to redeem all your gluttonous follies and get you back on track. Not only do they look insanely delicious, we can’t resist their mesmerizing colors-of-the-rainbow appeal.

Let’s grab the new year by the horns, and dig in!

continue to the recipe… about 20 Detox Salads to Put You Back On Track

Moroccan Soup with Kale and Chickpeas

This hearty vegetarian soup of chickpeas, kale, butternut squash and potatoes gets it’s exotic flair from the vibrant Moroccan spices of saffron, cumin and cinnamon and is so easy to make.

Happy to the new, to the year, to you!

Let’s start off the new year exactly where we should, with a big, fat THANK YOU to all of you readers. Cheers to your eyeballs, graciously deep bows for your desires to peruse this blog, and high fives for making recipes that are featured here. I wouldn’t be here without you, and, why would I want to be? It would be mighty lonely around here if you weren’t in it here with me.

Whiz, bang, boom. 2014 seems to have come and gone in the wink of an eye. Or was it just that jolly old man in the red and white suit? Either way, 2015 is already shaping up to be fit for a king.

But wait? Who wants to be some old, rolly-polly bully who sloths about his castle draped in old furs while wielding turkey legs and brandishing silver goblets of the most expensive wine as servants attend to his every whim.

Maybe I’m painting too rosy a picture here because that actually doesn’t sound half bad.

But no! This year we’re going to keep things balanced. We’re going to rely on our instincts, on our guts, and make the most of every bite of fresh, ultra-flavorful food to nourish our bellies and our souls.

continue to the recipe… about Moroccan Soup with Kale and Chickpeas

White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn and Cashews

White chocolate, salty cashews, and refreshing peppermint oil make for a surprising trifecta of flavors for this festive popcorn you won’t be able to stop snacking on! It’s also perfect for stocking stuffers and gift giving.

December brings out the best in all of us with the bestest of intentions.

We overcommit. “Yes! We’d love to get together with friends we haven’t seen all year! I’ll host!”

We overindulge. “Oh why not? I already had one **___fill in the blank here___**, what’s the harm in just one more?”

And we overspend and overdo. “I just need to get a little something for the mailman, their teachers, my hairdresser, their coach, his clients, my Secret Santa, the neighbors, the dogwalker and the list never ends. never ends. never ends.”

At this stage of the gift giving game, your time to be a jolly old elf is slipping away like stealthy Santa and his reindeer-led sleigh. If you eschew gift cards (“they’re convenient but so lame!”) and Chia pets aren’t really your thing (Duck Dynasty, really?), jump into the DIY gift giving scene with an easy enough lesson from me.continue to the recipe… about White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn and Cashews

20 Make-Ahead Holiday Breakfasts

Spend more time with your fam and enjoy not cooking on Christmas morning, because you can prep these easy 20 holiday breakfasts the night before so all you have to do come morning is pop them in the oven!

You don’t actually have to slave away in the kitchen all morning on Christmas day to enjoy a decadent breakfast or brunch. It is totally possible to have a relaxing, leisurely meal on Christmas morning without barely lifting a finger.

Twas the night before…

These recipes require all of the prep the night before, so all you have to do in the AM is turn on your oven. Your impressed family will think the elves did it. You can savor watching the kiddos open their presents, stay in your pajamas until noon (at the very least), and enjoy more of the magic that is Christmas morning.

continue to the recipe… about 20 Make-Ahead Holiday Breakfasts

15 Holiday Appetizers with 5 Ingredients or Less

Holiday entertaining is made easy with these 15 festive appetizers that have just 5 ingredients or less!

The holiday season is in full swing, which means all month-long we’ll be toasting and hosting–a–plenty as we walk out of the room to adjust our waistbands to make more room for more. More. MORE!

In between decorating and shopping, we’ll be scurrying off to holiday dinners and parties of all sorts, as well as throwing our own. Since December brings such a flurry of activity, and our time is limited and precious, we’ve gathered up 15 simple but amazing holiday appetizer recipes using five ingredients or less.

Simple to make? Yes! Short on flavor? NO WAY!

From the usual suspects, like baked brie and crostini, to a made-over version of the nostalgic party fave—the cheeseball—these festive 5-ingredient appetizers are the perfect way to spread the cheer with the ones you love, and give you more time to mingle!

continue to the recipe… about 15 Holiday Appetizers with 5 Ingredients or Less

Holiday Artisan Mac and Cheese Basket and a Free Printable Recipe Card

Holiday gift giving calls for sharing your favorite things. Just ask Oprah.

One of my holiday traditions is delivering gifts to the neighbors, something to make their day a little better, a little brighter and a lot creamier.

And to be completely transparent, it doesn’t hurt to build a little good will for those times we forget to bring in the garbage cans, or when my husband’s outdoor speakers are left on all night, because let’s face it, not everyone likes to slumber the summer nights away to Led Zeppelin. Hand held high!

And that’s why this year I’ll be delivering a Mac ‘n Cheese Gift Basket to some of my favorite friends in the ‘hood. It’s a gift that’s perfect for families in need of an easy meal after hitting the school holiday sing along or for contributing to the cheesy spirit at the neighborhood Ugly Sweater Party. Whoa, pun totally intended! Cheesy.

continue to the recipe…

20 Bodacious Bundt Cake Recipes Round-Up

There’s just something about bundt cakes. Here are 20 of our favorite recipes.

We like big bundts and we cannot lie. We like little ones too — they’re adorable, and French looking, and we can always talk ourselves into eating more since they’re so small.

But while there’s certainly no reason to discriminate against any cake, there’s just something extra special about bundts. Maybe it’s their simplicity. We can drizzle, pour, or quickly drip our luscious icing over them, rather than worry about tedious crumb coats or flawless frost jobs.

Or maybe it’s just that it’s fun to say “bundt.” We’re giving you 20 good reasons to get your “bundt” on, plus some bundt cake goodies you can’t resist.

continue to the recipe… about 20 Bodacious Bundt Cake Recipes Round-Up

Sweet Corn, Gouda and Farro Risotto Plus 15 More Farro Recipes You’ll Love Forever

Move over quinoa, there’s a new grain in town.

Well, now, wait a minute. Farro is far from new with its roots running deep, deep, deep (pun intended) and this ancient grain is making major waves in the foodie scene.

The 90’s were all about couscous (which I still adore), the 00’s saw the wave of wild and unusual rices, and who can’t open a cookbook / food blog / food magazine for the past few years without seeing the glories of quinoa being extolled from the high heavens. But do you farro? If not, you should.

Farro is one of those wonder grains that to a lot of us mainstream eaters in the U.S., seems a bit outlandish and even exotic. But is it? If you consider the grain of choice that ancient Egyptian kings dined on as exotic, then yes, exotic it is. I mean, they were KINGS! But that hardly makes this grain unapproachable or intimidating. In fact, farro might be the easiest grain of all to cook and it’s versatility will have quinoa looking hard and fast in the rear view mirror, just waiting for farro to take over it’s first place run in the superfood popularity polls.

continue to the recipe… about Sweet Corn, Gouda and Farro Risotto Plus 15 More Farro Recipes You’ll Love Forever

Scrambled Eggs and Sausage Breakfast Burrito Plus 5 More Recipes to Fold and Go

Breakfast is big deal at our house.

It might not always be big in portion or production value (hey, I’m all good with frog in the hole or a microwave egg sandwich or even basic scrambles) but we do make it a point to have something substantial and wholesome in our bellys before we walk out the door (Smudge and my man), or down the hall (me), to face the day.

We’re privy to spending a little more time on the process come weekend time. Isn’t that always the case when it comes to cooking?

So while my man was easing into his Sunday by flipping through the channels with switch ups of Meet the Press (“Hey, I’m digging the new addition of Chuck Todd,”) to Food Network (“Babe, we should make this for dinner,”) and settling upon the FOX NFL Sunday (“Kaepernick said WHAT?”), I was staring at a refrigerator full of blog post leftovers that had no combination value for breakfast, too many condiments and an overflowing crisper of farmer’s market finds.

This scrambled egg recipe isn’t so much about a “recipe” per se, but what you have in the refrigerator that needs to be used up. Choose flavors that meld together, in this case, our breakfast burritos went in an Italian migration sort of way.

continue to the recipe… about Scrambled Eggs and Sausage Breakfast Burrito Plus 5 More Recipes to Fold and Go

Fair for All: 25 Crazy Fair Foods You Can Make at Home

The weather’s getting cooler (let’s hope it stays that way), the kids are back in school (thank God!), and carnivals and state fairs have been in full swing where crazy food is the main attraction.

Where else can one make a meal of those giant medieval turkey legs that bring out the caveman in us, a side of deep-fried Oreos, and a caramel apple (because, balance?).

Some of us love the fair just for the food—particularly the melt-in-your-mouth, deep fried doughy goodness kind. Gimme all the funnel cakes!

That’s my go-to—the funnel cake, though we called them elephant ears, which is cute and also disturbing if elephants are your favorite animal. Doused, not dusted with a generous white cloud of powdered sugar, the doughy concoction with the upturned crispy edges never failed to put a smile on my face, or sate my wicked sweet tooth.

A Taste and Tell Fair for All

Last harvest season we followed one of our favorite food bloggers, Deb from Taste and Tell, around the Utah State Fair where she and her family romped with rubber duckies, got cotton candy stuck in their hair and enjoyed some good old fashioned fair food.

Afterward, Deb shared her favorite recipes for fair food in the summer issue of FoodieCrush magazine. And that inspired us to hunt around for even more crazy fair foods from food bloggers across the web.

continue to the recipe… about Fair for All: 25 Crazy Fair Foods You Can Make at Home

Summertime and I’m Feelin’ Pie: 20 Classic Pies to Love

As far as summertime in America goes, it doesn’t get much more patriotic than pie.

This quintessential all-American treat beckons nostalgia with every bite, conjuring memories of baseball games, bare feet and catching fireflies in mason jars. Pie comes in many incarnations these days — in bars and milkshakes, gussied up with pretzel brownie crusts, booze, and salted-caramel-vanilla bean-caramel whatever. Perhaps the most overly ambitious variation has been the cherpumple — you remember, that awkward dessert with the major identity crisis, the cake/pie hybrid? It might sound like the best of both worlds, and we’re not pie prudes, but it’s actually a hot mess.

Glammed up pies are fine and dandy every so often, but sometimes less is more, and sometimes we just want pie. Unadulterated, old-fashioned, make-your-mama-proud pie like Mountain Fresh Peach Pie or Caramel Apple Pie ala FoodieCrush.

We’ve found 20 classic recipes to conquer your hankering for comforting goodness, and render you homesick for your childhood. Andie MacDowell’s adorable pie song from the ’96 film Michael says it all, “Me oh my, I love pie.” So put on your best apron and get rolling.

continue to the recipe… about Summertime and I’m Feelin’ Pie: 20 Classic Pies to Love

Friday Faves Firecracker Style

Snap, Crackle, POP! and a Happy 4th of July!

This weekend I’m heading to the hills for our annual quest to see just how much recipe creating we can do in between kayaking lake time, cabin nap time and deck drinking time. It’s a tradition that’s much needed since I’ve realized that in 2 more weeks, summer for me will be half over. Major sad face.

The next few weeks are going to fly by with as I hit my old stomping grounds and some brand new frontier. You’ll be seeing my adventures on Instagram, so follow along and let’s see where we go.

But enough about what’s down the road, let’s look at what’s right in front of us and set the weekend on fire with a few Friday Faves.

continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves Firecracker Style

Dill Cucumber Salad and 5 More Super Simple Cucumber Salads

In our house, when it comes to cucumbers the mantra is “the more, the better.”

I hear the chanting of “CUKES! CUKES! CUKES” almost as loudly as “USA! USA! USA!” combined with a bunch of screaming at the TV during the final game of the World Cup. What an amazing ride that was!

From cucumber martinis to homemade bread and butter pickles and my crunch-a-licious Greek salad with avocado—and cucumbers, of course—these elongated melons are always around.

When it heats up outdoors, we keep it cool inside thanks to the constant opening of the refrigerator door to dip into our favorite—and insanely easy—cucumber salad. Please don’t report our non-eco-friendly behavior to the energy police. It’s simply a casualty of summer snacking and sometimes that short blast of cold air is exactly what the day calls for.

My husband is a fiend for cucumbers and while he’s known to eat a cucumbers sprinkled with salt in the same fashion others eat bananas, this Dill Cucumber Salad has made its way into his heart. And his cuke-obsessed belly.

We’ve tried to grow cucumbers ourselves, but for one reason or another they are never a success. So I leave the cucumber growing to the professionals and put my cucumber talents where they do best: eating them.

continue to the recipe… about Dill Cucumber Salad and 5 More Super Simple Cucumber Salads

Friday Faves and a Corn Lover’s Recipe Round-Up

The midwest may lay claim to the best corn in the land (because of the farmers I talked about here and the blogger’s recipes here). I’m gonna have to toss this one to the judges, aka my corn lovin’ family, and declare, Northern Utah does a mighty fine job of supplying the sweetest kernels around.While our local varieties haven’t quite yet come in, I’m still putting Smudge to work at perfecting her skills at shucking. Isn’t that how we all started? On the porch, with a brown grocery bag stuck between our legs and corn strands stuck to every part of our arms and legs?

For Smudge, each cob becomes a sword to wield at friends or foe or much-to-their-discontent-dog trotting past. A light saber to take her into the future, and me into the past. Or this time around as a beautiful ballerina with long hair in a tutu made of corn husk.

Man, I wish my train of thought as a mom was as simple as it is for my daughter. But then, it is all about what you make it.

This week I was in Madison, WI, dodging tornado warnings and donning my fat pants to judge the Grilled Cheese Academy’s Grilled Cheese Recipe Showdown. 2 hours straight of eating grilled cheese sandwiches. And then someone won $10,000 when deemed as the grand prize winner. But that, I can’t yet spill the beans on.

Let’s just say I have a great job. I know I do. Because that’s what I make it.

I’ll be sharing more soon, but until then, here’s to this week’s Friday Faves.

continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves and a Corn Lover’s Recipe Round-Up

Friday Faves and a Father’s Day Favorites Recipe Round-Up

What more is there to say about barn-burner weekends? Except for the fact they go way too fast. So this weekend I’m going to settle on down, take a cog out of the engine and simply enjoy.

I may even take a ride down the slide. I think you should too.

Last weekend we celebrated Smudge’s birthday with 10 year old girls channeling their inner Catching Fire in a dousing whip cream fight, gliding under the disco ball roller skating, karaoke belting of Greased Lightning and a no-mention-of-that-evil-doll-Chucky-or-you’re-going-home sleepover. And that was just the first night.

Of course the main event came about by way of the birthday cake. Last week I shared a recipe round-up of classic birthday cakes. It was a hard decision, but Barbara’s Chocolate Cake with Oreo Cheesecake Filling won the birthday blow-out prize. Mine (above) didn’t turn out quite as perfectly as hers since I got all impatient and put the ganache on too fast and maybe it was just a little bit too warm. Drizzle and drip. It totally didn’t matter because it tasted aaaaahhhhmazing!

This weekend the birthday is over but the parties haven’t shut down, yet. Friday the 13th (yikes!), Father’s Day, my dad’s birthday next week and then there’s always Tuesday…because who doesn’t want to celebrate Tuesdays?

But first, let’s dig into this week’s Friday Faves…

continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves and a Father’s Day Favorites Recipe Round-Up

Friday Faves Plus 8 Birthday Cake Recipes Made for Celebrating

Smudge’s birthday was this week. 10. Double digits. How did this happen and where did the time go?

To say that she’s been jumping, skipping, leaping and cartwheeling with joy is a serious understatement.

It’s become a tradition to drag her birthday into a week long celebration. I mean, why not? She’s an only child, so duh, we only get to break out the kiddo party hats once a year. Her big day falls at the end of the school year, so that’s an added bonus and reason enough to have whip cream fights. And me and my husband? We’re always game for a party.

Same as the past three years, we’ll be slumber partying, ice cream party bar making and family grilling. All weekend long. I’m going to need a vacation come Monday.

Earlier this week I wrote about 4 food bloggers who’ve faced severe medical conditions and in the end, saved their lives by changing their diet. I’ve featured stories highlighting food bloggers in this way in my online magazines, but have recently been debating about moving this type of content to the blog so it’s more accessible and searchable.

But I wondered if you would read it because it doesn’t have an original recipe tied to it. By the looks of the reader numbers, you guys will and you do like it whether it has a recipe or not. I’m thrilled you do because while I love sharing recipes, I love creating content that teaches and informs and sometimes raises an eyebrow or two.

I loved this comment from Roxi, who addressed some of the flack that these specialized or elimination diets have received in the press lately:

“Fantastic post, Heidi!! So many of us change our menus clinging to the hope that the latest “(*insert buzz word here)-Free” diet will cure our bulges, make our skin clear, lead us to world domination… (ok, that’s a stretch). It’s great to have some facts on real ailments and real solutions, direct from the individuals who’ve lived the ups and downs and can provide solid workable solutions that look and taste great.”

Do you like seeing this content on the blog or would you rather see it in my online magazine? Your comments, criticism and suggestions are valuable to me and I’d love to hear them in the comment section below.

And now, onto this week’s Friday Faves.

continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves Plus 8 Birthday Cake Recipes Made for Celebrating

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Dill Cucumber Salad and 5 More Super Simple Cucumber Salads

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