Search Results for: delallo

Vegetable Lasagna with Butternut Squash and Shiitake Mushrooms

I’ve been making this easy vegetable lasagna for years. It’s layered with a smooth butternut squash puree, shiitake mushrooms, a creamy white sauce, and melty cheese to make an irresistible layered lasagna noodle you’ll love digging into.

This recipe is brought to you by DeLallo Foods

It’s not even Christmas yet and I’ve already been looking toward the new year and listing out a few of the goals I plan to hit next year.

One of the biggies in my new year goal making sessions is to eat more meatless meals. It’s easy for me to do for breakfast and lunch, but where I tend to run into a road block is when I make meatless dinners because that’s not exactly my husband’s idea of a meal. But I’ve found it’s a whole lot easier to convince the family to join me on my veggie train when I’m serving dishes like this vegetable-loaded lasagna where nobody ever misses the meat.

I used to make this vegetable lasagna every.single.year when I hosted the volunteer holiday party for my fave animal rescue, where everything had to be served vegetarian. We were an animal rescue, not an animal eatery.

So did anyone (aka my husband) miss the meat? Not a chance! Why not? Because this Italian dinner recipe is completely delicious! That, and the layers of cheese don’t hurt to convince any doubting Thomas too.continue to the recipe… about Vegetable Lasagna with Butternut Squash and Shiitake Mushrooms

Green Salad with Shrimp, Beets, Sweet Pecans and Goat Cheese

Wintertime salads like this one are every bit in season thanks to the always favorite combo of flavors of sweet glazed pecans, roasted beets and goat cheese that are always ready and available. And when fresh grilled shrimp is a topper, you’ve just made yourself an entire meal in one bowl.

This post is in partnership with DeLallo Foods

I love winter. I love the snow. I love the cocooning and snuggling and general laze winter allows us to justify. And while I’m still obsessively checking my Weather app and welcoming every prediction of snowfall as if it was the first of the season—thanks Punxsutawney Phil—I do have to admit I am missing myself some rays of warm sunshine.

Here in Northern Utah the skies have either been weeping with snow, cloudy and gray, or seeped in a valley inversion ever since Christmas. And I have to admit, it’s starting to get to me. I’m not normally one to get the moody blues, not even a tinge of baby blues, but I can tell that missing my source of Vitamin D (Mr. Sunshine) has been messing with my psyche.

Lately I’ve been really good at keeping my head down and sort of numbly going through the motions while ignoring a lot of what else is going on around me. So if you haven’t received an e-mail back from me, fear not, you are not alone.continue to the recipe… about Green Salad with Shrimp, Beets, Sweet Pecans and Goat Cheese

Peanut Noodles With Chicken

Loaded with fresh, crunchy veggies, this healthy Asian-flavored pasta salad is one of my most popular all-in-one meals, and it’s also a great side dish for potlucks and picnics.

One can’t have too many pasta salads in their arsenal of recipes. This year I’m partnering with DeLallo Foods to share recipes using their pastas, pestos and sauces and while I’m always a fan of classic pasta salads with an Italian bent, this beauty is heading to the Asian side of the globe.

Fresh and crunchy with loads of slivered fresh veggies, this pasta salad is perfect for serving as a main meal and that is exactly what I did.

Well, actually it’s what my mom served, that I cooked, for her turn in hosting her ladies who lunch book club. I don’t know if that’s what they really call themselves, but it seems an apt description when there’s elegant women, good conversation, chilled wine and tasty eats to share.

continue to the recipe… about Peanut Noodles With Chicken

Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Whole Wheat Pasta

“I like the chicken. And the broccoli is pretty good. But I like the pasta the best.” Music to this mama’s ears, especially given I was delivering whole wheat pasta for dinner.

I’m not going to paint a picture that’s all rosy and rah-rah that says my family agrees with me when I say, “Yes! Let’s eat more healthy whole foods!”

The truth is, my family is a little reluctant when it comes to downing a whole bowl of whole wheat pasta. Case in point when my husband walked into the kitchen and saw this dish on the stove, and said, “Oh. * sad face * Whole wheat pasta, huh?”

Ahhh, not to fear, I have my wiley ways. And things can change pretty quickly around here, including his mind, when I put my mind to it.

continue to the recipe… about Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Whole Wheat Pasta

Friday Faves PLUS A Giveaway for You & a Friend

Hello and happy Friday-holidaze!

My tree has yet to be deckered and the stockings are still not hung by the chimney with care. Hell, I still have to MAKE this year’s new addition’s Christmas stockings (but I’m just saying no to burlap—ew!).

But that hasn’t stopped my holiday spirit to still run high with a glass of hot buttered rum and some fave Christmas cookies (placed upon one of my favorite kitchen towels!)

And that’s why, my friends, I’m sharing the holiday love with you!

The Gift That Just Keeps Giving

Earlier this week I received a bomb diggity Christmas care package from my friends at DeLallo Foods, who if you’ve been around the blog this year you will know is one of my favorite foodie partners.

Man, what a care package it was!

In case you missed the big reveal on Snapchat, here’s the video of us opening our bounty. Do you follow me on Snapchat yet? This is the kind of stuff you’re missing out on!

But it’s Christmas and I can’t be all alone in this DeLallo gift receiving line, so join me!

DeLallo is offering all FoodieCrush followers a 25% discount (!) on all of their online gifts ordered before December 16 when you enter the code FOODIE25.

Order your holiday gifts and see what they have to offer here.

Choose from gift collections of cheeses. Salamis and olives. Pasta pantry staples. Pizza making kits and antipasti galore! But let us not forget the chocolate covered pretzels and Cookie Crush cookies that will leave you spoiled for any other.

But wait! There’s more!

Let’s Do a Holiday Giveaway!

DeLallo Foods has generously offered to send one FoodieCrush follower a gift collection of their choice. Ho-ho-ho!

But that’s not all!

Part of the winner’s giveaway prize is that DeLallo will ALSO send a gift collection FROM you TO someone of your choice.

That means 2 holiday gift collections will find a lucky new home: one for the winner and one for a friend.

It’s the gift that just keeps giving.

Here’s how to enter:

continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves PLUS A Giveaway for You & a Friend

Gnocchi With Pomodoro Sauce

This simple tomato sauce gets tons of flavor from herbs steeped in olive oil that lusciously coats potato pillows of gnocchi, topped with fresh balls of mozzarella.

It’s a lunch I remember with fondness, and regret.

Fondness because it lit my fire for choosing gnocchi as my favorite thing to order on each and every Italian menu for the rest of my eating out days (ask my husband, I am not kidding) and regret because I didn’t go to that restaurant for more gnocchi more often than I did.

That gnocchi dish was truly made of little pillows of heaven. In fact, that was the name of the dish, Pillows From Heaven, roughly translated into English. I’ve since moved away and honestly, the way restaurants go, it’s probably gone too. But I’ll never forget my first time.

But it doesn’t matter much now, because while I still love going out, I’m just as happy making gnocchi at home.

continue to the recipe… about Gnocchi With Pomodoro Sauce

One-Pan Chicken with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Sauce

You might have a secret desire to be Suzy homemaker. Or to be known as the Martha Stewart of your neighborhood. Or strive to be just like whoever that overachiever is on Pinterest who makes, creates and cooks every. single. thing. from scratch.

I’m here to tell you that it’s okay to let those dreams die.

It’s okay to take a short cut here and there.

You don’t have to do it all, every. single. time. Especially when it comes to weeknights in the kitchen when all you’re craving is some simple, easy comfort food.

Hey! Let’s jump on the short cut, one-pan-dinner train together.

continue to the recipe… about One-Pan Chicken with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Sauce

Linguine and Zucchini Noodles with Shrimp

Healthy spiralized zucchini, whole wheat linguine garlicky shrimp and parmesan cheese make a perfect and easy weeknight dinner to twirl your fork to.

This post is in partnership with DeLallo Foods

Noodles vs. zoodles. For me it isn’t an issue of either/or, but rather, and/with.

For the past few years, zucchini noodles have been the darling of the food world and for many have become the introduction to spiralizing vegetables. In fact, it’s become so popular my blogging friend Ali just published her second book on spiralizing everything from apples to kohlrabi to rutebegas (check it out here) and even has her own branded product to do so, the Inspiralizer.

I’m betting I use my Inspiralizer at least once a week, and while I’m fascinated with the variety of stuff I can spiralize, I’ve stuck mainly to zucchini. It’s just so simple.

Once again this year I’ve partnered with DeLallo Foods in creating easy, family-friendly recipes I hope everyone will love. Creating recipes using DeLallo’s products is honestly one of the most fun challenges of this job because they have such a variety of products, all of which I value for their quality and the fact that they’re totally delicious. It makes it tough to narrow down my recipe ideas to just fit into just one year.

Just like Santa, my list is long.continue to the recipe… about Linguine and Zucchini Noodles with Shrimp

Chopped Grilled Vegetable Bowl with Farro and #FreshCoastRetreat

This vegetarian Mediterranean bowl is filled with grilled vegetables and farro, then topped with a garlic yogurt sauce, kalamata olives, feta and hummus.

Recipe inspiration comes in many forms. This recipe’s inspiration came from a mish mosh of veggies in my crisper and a trip to Michigan with a mish mosh of food bloggers.

Similarities in my kitchen and in my life never seem to end.

Thanks to my friends Liz of The Lemon Bowl, Dara of Cookin’ Canuck and Phi of Sweet Phi, the hosts of the #FreshCoastRetreat, 16 food bloggers reaped the benefits of connecting with one another, and the inspiration for this healthy, vegetarian, one-bowl meal was picqued.

But before I share more about the retreat, let’s talk about the recipe for this one-bowl meal.continue to the recipe… about Chopped Grilled Vegetable Bowl with Farro and #FreshCoastRetreat

Friday Faves

Happy Friday friends!

After a relatively quiet summer where I politely and sometimes reluctantly declined nearly every travel opportunity I was asked to go on—time to reset and recharge and put family first—these past two weeks have put me back into racking up the frequent flyer miles.

You know there’s more to Pittsburgh than just the Steelers, right? Last week I found out just how much more when I visited the city of bridges and my host, DeLallo Foods.

I had no idea what to expect and I was blown away by just how pretty the setting of the city is. Unfortunately I won’t be sharing any photos of it here as I was absorbed in the moment of my introduction instead of documenting it.

Known as the city of bridges thanks to its thriving shipping industry, Pittsburgh is hitting its stride as a city where people are moving to, rather than moving away from.

continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Friday Faves

Happy Friday my friendlies!

This past week was SUCH a good week, I don’t know if it could be topped. Okay, maybe if I had sat next to Brad Pitt on the plane. Or Justin Timberlake. And they weren’t as short as I’m thinking they are in real life. And we totally chatted it up on the plane. And we became, like, best friends. Maybe with benefits? Who knows…

That MIGHT have made this week just a smidge better.

Regardless, it was a great week.

Why was I on the plane? Because I was either going to or coming home from Pittsburgh, PA, where I was with one of my favorite clients and partners here on the blog, DeLallo Foods, eating, drinking and eating some more.

Don’t tell my trainer but YES I DID eat meals like this incredible scallop and homemade pasta dish at the top of this post. Holy crap. The BEST scallops I’ve ever had with a red pepper casereccia (that’s the pasta), jumbo lump crab, roasted garlic and parsley butter. If you’re in Pittsburgh, definitely consider a meal at Casbah. Delish.

I was at DeLallo to shoot videos for some upcoming recipes I created that you’ll be seeing on the blog throughout the rest of this year. These recipes are ALL winners, and I can’t wait to share them with you.

And yes, we do climb on tables and anywhere else to get the shot. It’s all in the name of content.

The other big news? I told you last week we were heading to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary Super Adoption to look for a new furry family member and we found our boy.

He’s a 9 year old border collie/panda mix we’ve named Prince, in honor of the man in purple. No, I did not have a choice in naming him, that was all Smudge and my man. We have a soft spot in our hearts for black dogs and senior dogs since they’re the least adopted.

He is the sweetest thing, and already knew how to high five, sit, stay, come and most importantly snuggle. He’s going to be an amazing addition to our fam and has already shown to be a really good doorbell with the other two barkers in our brood. Big thanks to Rescue Rovers for making it happen.

And finally, the biggest news for my girl Smudge. She’s getting her braces off today! I mean, what could top the week more than that? I can’t wait to see that straight tooth smile, but I gotta admit, I’m going to miss that silver smile.

This weekend I’ll be here at home in SLC at the Everything Food Conference. If you’re here, please look me up and come say hi. I’ll be snapping and chatting and would love to meet new faces and say ‘hey’ to familiar ones.

If you are here, don’t miss my Food Bloggers’ Guide of Where to Eat in SLC. So much goodness! And if you have a favorite spot we missed, hop over and mention it in the comments.

But enough about me. It’s time for favorites of the week! So dig in and waste away this pretty spring day by hopping around the interwebs.

But before you do, I just have to say thank you SO MUCH for stopping by and making this a part of your day. I so appreciate you and the time you spend here. SO if there is anything I can do to make your experience better, or that I’m missing, or being annoying with or even something you like (whoa!) please let me know. I’m here to please.

So THANK YOU!

Okay, now let’s really skip to the lou. Happy Friday friends!continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Work With Me

I love partnering with others to create unique and relevant content for FoodieCrush or for your own brand or company. As a former magazine design creative director, advertising art director and concept generating marketer, packaging content to appeal to consumers and readers is one of my love languages

E-mail me at [email protected] and let’s talk.

Here are a few ways we can work together:

Brand Ambassadorships: I love to share products I believe in with my readers and creating long-term relationships with brands is always welcome. My client list includes Kroger, Almond Breeze, McCormick, RO*TEL, Blue Diamond, DeLallo Foods, Staub, Applegate Farms, Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Alexia Foods, and more.

Sponsored Posts: If you have a brand I believe in and ideas about creating creative partnerships, let’s chat about how to connect the two with FoodieCrush readers. From social media promotion to blog posts with all the bells and whistles, I’m happy to customize a package that fits your marketing needs.

Here are a few examples of how we can work together on the blog.

Video: Video didn’t kill the radio star, it just moved to the web. I produce, concept and film short-form video for your product or company for my website, Facebook and Instagram.

Check out examples of my cooking videos for the blog, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube here, here, and here.
Check out examples of my lifestyle videos here and here.

Food Photography & Styling: Thanks to two decades of directing some of the country’s finest photographers, stylists, and producing studio and location shoots for food, lifestyle and celebrities, I’ve learned hands on what needs to happen and how to get it done on time and within budget in front of and behind the camera and I love making it happen for clients.

Food Writing and Recipe Development: I dream about food all day long so coming up with on-trend and unique recipes that feature particular ingredients or products is one of my favorite challenges. Content can be created in partnership for publication here on the blog, on Instagram, Facebook, created for national publications, other websites or collateral or advertising opportunities.

Conferences, Press Trips or Travel Reviews: Do you have a conference you’d like me to attend or speak at about blogging, e-Books, photography or life in general? Do you have a destination I can visit and fall in love with and want to move there and tell my readers why they should too? I have a suitcase, a laptop and want to tell your story. Sample posts here , here and here.

Nourished Planner: I’m a to-do list and calendar junkie, and when I couldn’t find one that worked for me, I created my own. If you crave organization with a healthy dose of inspiration, check out my yearly printed day planner here.

Contact me at [email protected] and let’s put some ideas together.

Garlic and Herb Gnocchi Salad and Better Blog Retreat 2014

A few weeks ago I gathered with a group of blogging friends for a weekend at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, UT. The purpose? To kick off our shoes and cozy up on the couches to learn from one another in an easy and relaxed setting. It’s the best way to conference in my book.

Even with the constant drone of tweets, Instagrams and Facebook updates, not to mention our actual blog posts, you’d think we’d all be totally in tune with one another. But working in a virtual space makes it hard to connect with peers. While I could tell you a lot about what’s going on in each of my blogging friend’s lives, there’s nothing better than connecting in person.

Thats why Maria and I assembled a group of bloggers to spend the weekend at a lovely mountainside Deer Valley home where we could all hang together and talk about new ways to better our blogs, our businesses and share ways to find balance between work and our personal lives. Because when your business is on 24 hours a day, you have a tendency to be too.

Today I’m sharing some of the highlights of what I learned at the retreat with you. For my fellow food bloggers, I hope you’ll find it helpful. And for non-food bloggers, I think you’re going to love this Garlic and Herb Gnocchi Salad I’m sharing at the end of this post. It’s a win win either way!

continue to the recipe… about Garlic and Herb Gnocchi Salad and Better Blog Retreat 2014

Southwest Quinoa and Grilled Corn Salad

This healthy salad features protein-packed quinoa and beans, grilled corn, queso, and a yummy honey-lime vinaigrette, for an easy and delicious side dish.

I’m partial to recipes that put me somewhere in the vicinity of where their flavors hail from.

New England Clam Chowder. Texas Toast. California Cobb. Baltimore Pit Beef Sandwiches. Long Island Ice Tea. Clink-a-link with that loaded drinky drink.

I suppose I think if I close my eyes and simply say the dish’s name over and over, then take a bite, maybe it will teleport me to a seaside port or salty desert oasis.

Sort of I Dream of Jeannie-esque, except I’m wishing for food instead of my master. Or maybe they’re one in the same?

I served this recipe at my daughter’s family birthday party to several quinoa virgins who were more than pleased with their second helpings. Or maybe thirds?

continue to the recipe… about Southwest Quinoa and Grilled Corn Salad

Shrimp Pasta with Roasted Red Peppers and Artichokes

Mediterranean flavors of roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, capers and feta cheese mix with a hint of cream and garlic to make a light sauce in this easy pasta dish.

My husband will attest that I am a shrimp pusher.

I love ’em. My husband? Let’s just say he’s more of a meaty guy as evidenced by this mess of a steak that almost makes me want to be a carnivore 154% of the time.

There are a few ingredients that perpetually live in my recipe rotation when it’s my turn to cook and shrimp is one of them. Routine? Sure. Rut? No way.

But that steak. It could change a woman.

When Better Homes and Gardens asked me to contribute a recipe to last spring’s SIP Better Homes and Gardens Top-Rated Recipes (SIP = special interest publications for anyone not familiar with acronyms for publishing speak) I only had one question. “Can I make shrimp?”

To whence they replied, “You can make anything you want.”

Ah, the joys of creative freedom.continue to the recipe… about Shrimp Pasta with Roasted Red Peppers and Artichokes

Garlicky Avocado Grilled Cheese with Tomato Pesto

I’d have to admit, this post is all about the goo. And maybe a little avocado to compliment the garlicky plot.

I love cheese. And if you’ve followed this blog for a nanosecond you’d know why. Maybe thanks to this and this and this.

We all have our weaknesses.

But recently I’ve felt a disconnect. I felt something’s been missing. I’ve missed my grilled cheese.

Maybe it’s because I know that Grilled Cheese Month is nearly here. So I started brainstorming some tasty combos I hope you’ll love. Hey, tell me, what do you love, anyway? The comments below are a great place to say.

continue to the recipe… about Garlicky Avocado Grilled Cheese with Tomato Pesto

Friday Faves

Hello and happy Friday!

Given I’ve just returned home from a trip to Italy, this Memorial Day Weekend seems somewhat anti-climatic. I mean, I’m ready to heat up the grill for burgers and all, but my taste buds are still on pasta time. I know…such first world problems and I absolutely realize that I am spoiled beyond measure. And I’m relishing every second of this life I get to live.

This weekend marks the beginning of the big slow down. Work travel is over for the next few months, Ali Smudge finished her freshman school year yesterday, sunshine and sunscreened days at the pool are in my sights, and I am ready so ready to languish in the lazy days of summer. I haven’t yet officially made my summer bucket list, but it sure looks a lot like this one, but with more golf dates with my husband added in.

One of my main goals this summer is to recharge my batteries and become more productive because of taking time away. I’ll probably be talking more about this later if you’re interested…continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Friday Faves

Ho Ho and Hello! And happy Friday Faves!

This post is brought to you by Pamela’s Products

Holiday entertaining is in full swing and this weekend our dance card is FULL. Between games for Ali Smudge’s high school basketball tournament we’re fitting in dinner at a friends house tonight and hosting friend’s for dinner tomorrow night, and then trying to fit in quick family Soup Sunday to finish out the weekend. ‘Tis the season to pack in the social obligations!

Entertaining can give me a case of the dreads if I let it. Only because I tend to overdo and make it harder on myself than it should be. Friday night will be easy since I’ll just be providing a bottle of wine and a simple hostess gift (this is always a fave).

On Saturday I’m thinking we will do either my favorite holiday lasagna (love that it can be made ahead) or a big seafood shebang with our easy king crab legs, the BEST steamed clams, plus oysters on the half shell and steamed shrimp. The only downside to this one is it requires some last-minute throwing together when I might rather be relaxing with my guests by the fire than stuck in the kitchen.

Either menu I choose, I’m making it easy on myself in the final act of dinner and picking up store-bought cookies to serve with lattes and whiskey drinks for dessert.

Smart eh? That’s my pro tip for you today.

One of my friends is gluten-free so I’m making sure she doesn’t feel left out and creating a gluten-free cookie platter for everyone to enjoy featuring Pamela’s limited edition Buttery Sugar Cookies and Pepperminty Chocolate Cookies.continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves

Friday Faves and Sunriver Resort, OR

Hello friends, and happy Friday.

Who else is with me in welcoming this change of seasons? Hopefully it will help us all literally turn a new leaf, including Mother Nature, who has been wrecking her wrath and like I said last week, leaving me to think she is truly trying to impress upon us the only way she knows how that change needs to be made and shaking us all up.

My heart goes out to all of those who are in the midst of the ravages nature has posed upon us, from Mexico to Texas, to the Caribbean. For those who are living through it, their loved ones who are worried how they’re doing it, and those who will help us all rebuild.

Signs like this make me realize how lucky I am. And also that I need to get earthquake insurance. Utah is primed for an earthquake and 80% of residents live along one of the most active earthquake areas in the U.S. called the Wasatch Fault, a 25 miles stretch along the mountains that has been designated as having the greatest earthquake risk in all of the interior of the Western United States. Oh hi. I LIVE RIGHT ON THE FAULT! YIKES! May I get my winner’s trophy please? (P.S. my geologist sister is beaming at my investigative knowledge right now!)

So while I love Utah, once Smudge is finished with high school, it might be time to find a new place to live. And after last weekend’s stay at Sunriver Resort, I think I may have found it and a few of this week’s Friday Faves.

continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves and Sunriver Resort, OR

New York City to the Hamptons 4-Day Retreat

If you’d have told me 10 years ago while I was working for “the man” that in just a few short years I would be my own boss and creating the community that FoodieCrush has become (thank you, thank you to all of you who are here!) I would have frozen in fear of leaving the traditional workforce and leaping into the unknown world of entrepreneurship.

But times change, and so did I.

Today, I thank my lucky stars each and every time I open my computer to work on the blog, hop onto Facebook, or scroll through Instagram for the opportunity to share recipes, swap stories, inspire and be inspired thanks to every one of the online connections we share.

Some people prefer the support of a co-working office situation. I prefer working on my own. And while some feel working from home to be an isolating job, surprisingly, it’s the exact reason I’ve created some amazing in real life relationships, thanks to the introductions made via this weird world of the webisphere.

Tips for a 4 Day Trip to NYC and The Hamptons

Last month I had the opportunity to meet up with a few of my blogging counterparts at a small retreat in New York City and then onto The Hamptons. Small retreats like these are a favorite component of my blogging business.continue to the recipe… about New York City to the Hamptons 4-Day Retreat