Food
Cooking it. Eating it. Sharing it.
You don’t have to be a master chef to cook well… Get ready to embark on a culinary adventure where we explore the wonders of food preparation, share favorite recipes, and discover how cooking and eating well can be incredibly easy, and doesn’t have to break the bank. Good food doesn't have to be complicated, and we're here to prove it. Whether you're looking for time-saving meal prep hacks or craving a new recipe to impress your taste buds, we've got you covered. So grab your apron and join us as we dive into a world of delicious flavors, kitchen tips, and foodie fun. Let's make cooking an absolute delight!
Tried & True Recipes
Among all of the things that mean "summer" to me, tomato season has to be in the top five. Give me a tomato sandwich with salt and mayo on lightly toasted white bread and you're my new best friend. I'm always in search of new ideas for what to do with tomatoes, though, and I came across this article, "68 Apps, Mains, & More That Make The Most Of Tomato Season". It has some of my summer favorites like a caprese salad and tomato, cucumber and red onion salad. But the list also includes many recipes I'm excited to try like the Tomato Galette.
I love lemon. I love lemon in my unsweetened iced tea. I love lemon squares. I love lemon drop martinis, lemon cookies and lemonade. I especially love Starbucks Lemon Pound Cake- which is the cake that led me to this recipe. This Lemon Bundt Cake is so easy to make. It starts with a lemon cake mix. I like the Betty Crocker Super Moist Lemon Cake Mix. This recipe shows you exactly how to jazz it up and although it not as dense as a pound cake it is absolutely delicious. My husband thinks it's perfect as breakfast or dessert!
When you're looking for a way to use a couple of over-ripe bananas, try making these muffins! It's a small-batch recipe that's easily doubled. If you like a banana nut muffin, just imagine it with a streusel topping...voila! This is the best muffin I've ever had!
It's so easy to roast peppers and roasted red peppers are my favorite! Once they're done I cut them into thick slices, add salt and pepper, and put them in a canning jar. They're great on salads, and sandwiches, and I even put on a piece of toast with cottage cheese, tomato, avocado, and everything bagel seasoning!
If you love salads, start making your own dressings! This tangy Dijon Vinaigrette recipe is so easy to make, will keep for weeks, and will definitely level up your salads! I love this dressing with a garden salad topped with salami, shredded chicken, and provolone.
I was looking for something different to make for dessert this Thanksgiving. It had to be something with pumpkin. This recipe stopped me dead in my tracks! Pumpkin Pie Crumble Bars sounded like perfection. I love pumpkin pie. I also love a shortbread cookie. Now add a crumble to it and a tear comes to my eye. I made a practice round this weekend, and I can confidently say that this desert will now be a permanent menu item in my house for many Thanksgivings to come. Oh, and it's a perfect desert to bring if you're a guest somewhere else!
I grew up eating poached eggs. In fact, they were my "sick day" food. For some reason if I was sick, my mother would make me poached eggs and corned beef hash. I had no idea how spoiled I was to have a mother who was a pro at making poached eggs. If the poached egg is something you'd like to master, use this link! There are so many ways to serve poached eggs; on toast, with avocado or Canadian bacon, with hollandaise sauce, on a salad, on a burger... you get the picture!
My Favorite Chicken Parmesan Recipe! I came across Shereen on a TikTok video and watched it about 100 times to get the recipe down. It takes time but is not difficult at all to make. Be warned though, if you serve it to guests they'll probably be asking for doggie bags. Oh, and I like the chicken as thin as I can get it and if you do too, just watch your cooking times
I can't say enough how much I love a good crock pot recipe, and this one does not disappoint! I rarely make chicken thighs because I can never find a good recipe and get tired of grilling. The sauce is both sweet and savory, and perfect to serve with rice. It can be cooked either 3 hours on high or on high for 5 hours. Leftovers make a great sandwich or protein on a salad!
The easiest most delicious, versatile chicken recipe! I make it at least once per month, and use it on salads, with bbq sauce on a sandwich, in a quesadillas or enchiladas, chicken salad, or even chicken soup! Freezes really nicely, too.
On the special occasion we were going out for a fancy dinner when I was a kid, this dish was what I was ordering if it was on the menu. I have never really seen this baked stuffed shrimp on menus outside of New England, and I've tried many different recipes over the years. This recipe nails it for me - ritz crackers, crabmeat, and lots of butter- all important for the best stuffing! The last time I made it my husband said, "we never have to order baked stuffed shrimp in a restaurant again!" I use colossal shrimp- the biggest I can find- and I serve it with couscous and drawn butter. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Nothing says Summer like peel and eat shrimp. As soon as I saw the recipe called for saute'ing in butter and sprinkling with Old Bay, I was all in! It's a very simple recipe, and although the recipe calls for peeled and deveined shrimp I used split shell and deveined that I had in my freezer. The recipe calls for Tabasco but I didn't find it to be too spicy. I served it with a salad dressed with balsamic vinaigrette and cocktail sauce. I also served warm but would be just as good cold. Enjoy!
These homemade sourdough croutons are such an easy way to use up leftover bread, or bread that's starting to go stale. You don't have to use sourdough, any bread will do. I slightly altered this recipe by leaving out the zaatar and instead adding parmesan cheese. Stored in an airtight container they'll last up to two weeks, but they're so delicious that there's no way you won't polish them off before then!
If a spicy jam is your jam, you've got to make this! It takes about 15 minutes to make, start to finish. As I was making it I was having my doubts. But when it was done, I stuck a spoon in it and gave the liquid a taste. It's absolutely amazing tasting! Once I had it in the fridge for a few hours and it was completely cooled, I put a spoonful on some a small block of cream cheese and served it with crackers (as the recipe suggests). The recipe recommends making a double batch and trust me when I say I wish I had! This will make a great gift to bring when invited for dinner, or you're tasked with bringing the appetizer!
I made this recipe last night for the first time and it will definitely be in the rotation! I actually used chicken from the shredded chicken recipe on this page which made it even easier.
This is an easy and yet brilliant recipe for Pasta Fagioli! I can't believe this is the first time I heard of the idea to add a jar of my favorite marinara sauce to a tomato based soup instead of developing the tomato base for hours with spices. This soup was ready in 35 minutes! If you like Pasta Fagioli you have to give this one a try. Thanks Stanley!
I'm always looking for new ways to spice up vegetables without making them less healthy. Fresh green beans, almonds, garlic- what's not to love? So delicious that I'll make it again very soon.
I've been testing out recipes to use fresh blueberries- pie, muffins, coffee cake- this Blueberry Crumb Cake is by far the winner! It's light, and sweet but not too sweet, and the crumble topping is on point! The best part is, you probably already have all of the ingredients and won't need to run to the store. If you have blueberries you're not sure what to do with, you'll be happy you made this!
I've tried several different recipes, and these stuffed peppers are my winner! They're a delicious comfort food that combines vibrant bell peppers with a savory filling of seasoned ground meat, rice, onions, garlic tomato sauce and spices. Roasting the peppers prior to stuffing and baking is a simple step but really makes a huge difference. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion, they are easy to prepare, packed with flavor, and sure to impress your family and friends.
I was talking with a foodie friend the other day, and she mentioned she was making meatballs for dinner. I always think of meatballs with pasta, and I don't always feel like pasta. I decided to go on a search for a recipe, and came across this one. Meatballs, sauce, and cheese, and not to serve with anything but a nice crusty bread and maybe a side salad. I used a jarred sauce (my favorite is Rao's Roasted Garlic), so putting this me altogether took no time at all. It was so yummy, and we had enough leftovers for meatball subs for lunch the next day. I Highly recommend this recipe!
Sometimes you just feel like a tropical drink without the alcohol. This is that drink!
If you're looking to add a gumbo to your recipe rotation, this is definitely one to try! I add a dash (or three) more of the tobacco than it calls for because we like it a bit spicy. I also add kielbasa so it's really more like a gumbo. It requires about 15 minutes of prep time, and 45 minutes total. I always measure out all of my spices, do my cutting, chopping and measuring before I start cooking. Thanks, Martha Stewart, for this delicious recipe!
Lasagna Soup is something I’ve wanted to try forever. When i came across this recipe it looked perfect and sure enough, I think it’s one of the most delicious things I’ve ever tasted! It’s everything I love about lasagna AND everything I love about soup
If you haven't had Detroit Style Pizza you don't know what you're missing! Provolone, mozzarella, sauce, pepperoni- all on a homemade crust. I added hot Italian sausage to mine! My husband liked it so much he said it will be hard to convince him to go out for pizza when we can have this at home!
New England Style Clam Chowder is Fall in a bowl! My husband asks for this as soon as the weather starts to turn cold, and this is the latest recipe I'm using.
If you like banana pudding you’ve got to try this recipe! Easy to make and delicious!
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