Sausage & Mushroom Lasagna

The slight heat wave we've had the past couple days finally shifted and we welcomed the cooler temperatures. It got cool enough that we started to crave some comfort food. One such comfort food is lasagna. This Sausage and Mushroom Lasagna was worth the time to make and is even better when made ahead of time...

'Whopper-licious' Malted Milk Ice Cream

I never have been big on candies. In fact, I only go out of my way to buy candy if I'm using it in another recipe. When I came across a recipe for malted milk ice cream, I knew I had to pick up some malted milk balls. The down side? Getting my husband to save enough so I can use some in the recipe! Thankfully, the Whopper-licious Malted Milk Ice Cream I made is studded with just enough candy!...

Italian Stuffed Mushroom Caps

While friends enjoy hitting the mall, I enjoy wandering at a grocery store. I especially enjoy the produce section when I score on sales! There was a super sale on portobello mushroom caps recently and those found its way in my grocery cart. I've been searching for recipes to use them in and on a whim, made these Italian Stuffed Mushroom Caps as a great side dish...

Chocolate Mint Oreo Ice Cream

Chocolate and mint are one of my favorite chocolate combos, so you can imagine how I didn't hesitate picking up a package of Mint Oreos. As much as I could easily devour a package of Mint Oreos, I thought it would be even better to swirl them into rich, creamy chocolate ice cream. This Chocolate Mint Oreo Ice Cream gives the traditional cookies and cream ice cream a run for it's money!...

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

I'm giving my ice cream maker a workout these days since it's been so muggy and hot lately. To use up some strawberries I picked at a local strawberry field recently, I made this Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream. Hello, yumminess! Now this is an ice cream that any cheesecake lover can appreciate!

Strawberry Swirl Pound Cake

You never know when a good recipe idea will hit you. I get excited when there are cooking magazines available to browse in waiting rooms. While I was at my doctor's appointment recently, I picked up a recent issue of Everday Foods magazine and came across a recipe for Blackberry Swirl Pound Cake. Since I had an abundance of strawberries to use up, I made this Strawberry Swirl Pound Cake instead...

Ice Cream Week!

It's officially summer and to me, that means it's ice cream season! I've been doing some churning lately and it's been quite a tasty adventure. If you haven't dusted off your ice cream maker (I have the Cuisinart ICE-20) or have yet to get one, hopefully these ice cream recipes will get you moving! It's Ice Cream Week at my house so stay tuned every day this week for the following recipes...

Chicken Cobb Salad with Ranch Dressing

My favorite salad would definitely have to be a Cobb Salad. I love the combination of the ingredients, especially when tossed with a homemade ranch dressing recipe. If you're looking for a heartier salad that's big enough as a meal, this Chicken Cobb Salad with Ranch Dressing just may fit the bill!...

Jerk Chicken with Mango Cilantro Relish

Rain, rain and more rain. We've been pounded with so much rain lately. Ironically, all this rain makes me think of the tropics... well, tropical storms really. With my mind on the tropics, I figured a tropical inspired dinner seemed pretty fitting. I made this Jerk Chicken with a Mango Cilantro Relish and now I wish I was on a sunny island...

BLT Pizza

Bacon, lettuce, tomato. I've been eating a lot of BLT's lately since I took advantage of bacon that was on sale at the store. I finally got tired of eating these sandwiches but for a twist, I thought the same tasty fillings would make for a great pizza topping. As a result, this BLT Pizza came about and I personally think it's much better than the sandwich version...

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters

I've found the cookie trifecta! Imagine biting into a cookie that captures the best of peanut butter cookies, oatmeal cookies and chocolate chip cookies. What you have is a Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chipster Cookie... yum! Leave it to the creative Dorie Greenspan to come up with this recipe that's simply genius...

Breaded Pork Cutlets (Pork Schnitzel)

It's been hot and humid lately so I've been reluctant to use my oven. The great thing is, I have some freezer meals that I can cook on the stovetop for a short period of time. These Breaded Pork Cutlets (Pork Schnitzel) were conveniently in my freezer so they made for a quick and easy meal, not to mention delicious too!...

Strawberry Cream Cheese Empanadas

With quite a bit of strawberries on hand, you can be sure there will be more berry-licious recipe featured on my blog this week! This recipe for Strawberry Cream Cheese Empanadas was inspired by Ina Garten's Cheese Danish recipe I made awhile back.Using the filling recipe for the danish, I paired it empanada dough for this sweet treat...

L.A. Burgers

It was burger day at our house and love trying out new toppings for different burgers. This time we looked to Bobby Flay for another burger idea. These L.A. Burgers pay tribute to the sunny California flavors but you don't need to be from California or Los Angeles to appreciate these!...

Roman Style Chicken

Chicken is a favorite protein to cook with since there are so many ways to prepare it. There never seems to be a shortage of chicken recipes and I'm always happy to try new ones to test out. This recipe for Roman Style Chicken was delicious! I especially liked that this dish one you can make ahead and cook in a crockpot to give your stovetop a rest!...

Asian Salmon

Salmon is one of my favorite fish and it does so well with various marinades. This time around, I gave this marinade recipe for Asian Salmon a try, which was from the lovely Ina Garten. With a few adaptations, it was a flavorful and healthy meal that took no time at all...

Hawaiian Strawberry Pie

I have quite a bit of strawberries on hand so I'm scouting out some recipes to use them up! One popular idea for strawberries is using them in a pie. There are quite a few different pies to make but decided to recreate one I like ordering out at Baker's Square (also known as Village Inn) restaurants. It's a pie that's only offered during the month of May. Here's my take on the Hawaiian Strawberry Pie, which I can now enjoy anytime of year!...

Cincinnati Skyline Chili

If you're looking for a unique chili recipe, the Cincinnati Chili version is definitely different and unlike other chili recipes. What makes it so interesting is the combination of spices which remind me of those used in Middle Eastern cuisines. It's not even served like your average American chili. Instead it's best over spaghetti and topped with garnishes like kidney beans, shredded cheese and diced onions. This Cincinnati Skyline Chili is excellent and one I highly recommend, even if you've never been to Cincinnati to have the authentic version!...

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bananas are usually on sale every week and I usually grab a bunch without thinking. Then a few days go by... then a week... and then I'm looking at a bunch of black spotted bananas that probably feel neglected. I wanted to use these bananas in a more creative way than bread and tried looking for some ideas. I came across these Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies that were delicious and filled my kitchen with an amazing sweet aroma...

Salted Caramel Cookie Bites

Salty, sweet, creamy, crunchy... I love treats that are complex enough to capture these specific tastes and textures. When I recently received my King Arthur Flour catalog in the mail, I came across a recipe that achieved exactly that. It wasn't very long until I found myself in the kitchen making these Salted Caramel Cookie Bites... and subsequently eating them like candy!...

Baked Shrimp Scampi

If there's a food my husband could eat everyday, it would be shrimp. He loves it so much, I've caught him eating a defrosted bag of cooked tail on shrimp like they were potato chips! I wanted to give him a special dinner for a recent accomplishment at work and knew he'd love a shrimp dish. But with so many ways to prepare shrimp, I knew this Baked Shrimp Scampi would be perfect...

Chunky Monkey Ice Cream

Summer is the time to start churning homemade ice cream! I love making ice cream from scratch and aside from eating it, I love trying out interesting flavors. One such ice cream maker known for their fun concoctions is Ben & Jerry's. They have quite a list of ice cream varieties and using them as inspiration, I recreated their Chunky Monkey Ice Cream at home...

Skillet Lasagna

Lasagna is a comfort meal for me. When I was younger, my first taste of lasagna was from a freezer meal (think On-Cor and Stouffer brand!). My tastes for lasagna has changed drastically as an adult where now I much prefer making it from scratch. Traditional lasagna recipes can be daunting to make with it's many components along with assembling... however making this Skillet Lasagna saves a lot of time without compromising the homemade goodness of a traditional lasagna!...

Strawberry Lemon Parfaits

When I hosted my Sunday Roast Pork Dinner for friends not too long ago, I wanted a quick dessert that would pair well with my menu and still be guest worthy. Parfaits are desserts that seem to have lost their appeal years ago but that didn't stop me from making these Strawberry Lemon Parfaits. These parfaits were the final course of my recent Sunday Roast Pork Dinner and was the perfect sweet ended to a delicious meal...

Turkey Cobb Burger

Burgers. To me they are the perfect food. I craved them all throughout my pregnancy and love them just as much today. However the same typical burger can get a little boring so I like finding ways to jazz burgers up. I pulled out one of my fave cookbooks dedicated to burgers and made this Turkey Cobb Burger which was excellent!...

BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad

Now that summer is here, it's a great time to enjoy salads to beat the heat! I've been looking at restaurant menus for inspiration, one of my favorite ways to inspire me in the kitchen. When I had some BBQ Chicken leftover, I came across California Pizza Kitchen's menu item for their BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad and decided to recreate it at home...

Buffalo Chicken Bites

One of my favorite guilty pleasures is buffalo wings, especially dipped in blue cheese dressing. There's something about the buffalo chicken and blue cheese combo that really appeals to me and I had a craving for it lately. When I came across a recipe for ham and cheese stuffed pretzel bites, I figured I could substitute it with chicken and blue cheese. That's when I decided to make these Buffalo Chicken Bites... yum!

Sun Dried Tomato, Spinach & Chevre Stuffed Chicken

Chicken breasts are probably a staple in many kitchens since it's such a popular protein to cook with. At our house, we love stuffing chicken breasts with the random ingredients we have on hand. In fact, whenever I make stuffed chicken breasts, it's always a great meal and allows me to be creative with various stuffing combinations. Recently made these Sun Dried Tomato, Spinach & Chevre Stuffed Chicken for dinner and it certainly didn't disappoint...

Mixed Vegetables with Herb Butter

Vegetables are good... but vegetables with an herb butter is better! Serving vegetables with meals can be challenging. Sure, there's always the option to have a side salad (which we normally do) but for our 

recent Sunday Roast Pork Dinner, I served up these Mixed Vegetables with Herb Butter...

Hazelnut Caramel Brownies

I've been in a brownie mood lately, especially for recipes that are a little out of the ordinary. This time around, I wanted to use some hazelnuts I had in my freezer and caramel sauce in my pantry. Some recipe surfing led me to Paula's blog of Bell'aimento, which was when I decided to make these Hazelnut Caramel Brownies... ah-mazing!

Mushroom Rice Pilaf

We are a rice loving family but plain rice gets really boring after awhile. To switch things up, I often make variations of rice side dishes such as risotto, fried rice and my favorite, rice pilaf. My current favorite rice dish is this Mushroom Rice Pilaf which I made to accompany our Horseradish Crusted Ribeye Steaks for our recent anniversary dinner.

Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf

Meatloaf is a traditional American comfort food, often times made with a mixture of ground beef, pork and veal. But for a different twist, I decided to make a meatloaf with ground chicken instead. My inspiration was the ever popular Chicken Parmesan. Using ground chicken, I made this Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf and it has now become the favorite meatloaf recipe at our house!

Scalloped Tomatoes

Pasta is such a common side dish for Italian inspired meals. If it's not pasta, then risotto. But when I made a Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf, I wanted neither of these side dishes to accompany it. What to do? Well, leave it to Ina Garten to offer a great side dish that's a nice change of pace from the usual pasta and risotto. I definitely recommend trying this easy and delicious Scalloped Tomatoes recipe soon!...

Horseradish Crusted Ribeye Steaks

We generally aren't fans of chain restaurants however, there are exceptions. Our exception is Wildfire Restaurant. This place has a special meaning to us because it's where we held our engagement party just a little over 4 years ago. For our recent anniversary dinner, I prepared these Horseradish Crusted Ribeye Steaks, which were inspired by one of our favorite steak places, Wildfire Restaurant. The Parmesan Crusted Asparagus served as a perfect side dish too...

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

Bacon... it's quite a food trend these days! Aside from the plethora of savory dishes, you'll see it in sweets such as cupcakes, muffins, cakes, even chocolate. I love my share of bacon but I still like classic recipes that it's used in. One such recipe is this Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing...

Cheddar Double Stuffed Potatoes

Who doesn't love potatoes? They're so versatile - mashed, roasted, scalloped, baked, hashed, french fried, etc. One of my favorite ways to prepare them is twiced baked, which is baked then scooped out and filled before baking once again. Twice baked potatoes really lend itself to some creativity because the filling can utilize whatever you have on hand and capture all sorts of great flavor in a perfect serving. I prepared these Cheddar Double Stuffed Potatoes for a recent Sunday Pork Roast Dinner and guests raved about them!...

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

If there's one flavor of ice cream everyone with an ice cream maker should make, it's vanilla. It's the most versatile flavor there is that serves as a base for additional flavors, mix ins, or just to enjoy as is. Here's one of my favorite Vanilla Bean Ice Cream recipes that I made...

Summer Berry Crisp

With so many berries available these days, it was only fitting to make a dessert highlighting the sweet flavors of summer. I had prepared a full meal for our anniversary dinner so I wanted to keep dessert as easy and effortless as possible, as well as light since the dinner was a slightly heavy meal. When looking at a restaurant menu for inspiration, I decided to make this Summer Berry Crisp topped with a homemade vanilla bean ice cream to end our meal on a sweet note...

Baked Spinach & Artichoke Dip

A favorite appetizer of mine is spinach and artichoke dip, preferably warm and served with bread. It can easily be a meal in itself for me! When I starting thinking of our anniversary dinner menu, I knew I had to include a Baked Spinach & Artichoke Dip for us to enjoy and this recipe was fantastic...

Sunday Pork Roast Dinner

Sundays are one of my favorite days of the week because it's a day that friends and I gather for dinner. This week's Sunday dinner was delicious as always and nothing but raves were heard around the table. I prepared a comforting Pork Roast Dinner that hit the spot perfectly...

Anniversary Dinner: Restaurant Remake!

 

A few days ago was my husband and my four year wedding anniversary. We've been through quite a bit the past four years and the most exciting part was bringing our little son, Joel, into the world less than a month ago. Having a newborn makes it a bit challenging to go out and celebrate so instead, I recreated a steak dinner that we enjoy at one of our favorite steak restaurants, Wildfire...

Beef & Mushroom Stir Fry

After all the raves my husband gave me for my Thai stir fry last week, he requested another stir fry for dinner. For me, stir fries are those type of dishes where I can use up random vegetables. Today, I wanted to put some mushrooms and green onions to good use so I came up with this recipe for a Beef & Mushroom Stir Fry. The result was delicious, as it's really hard to mess up a stir fry!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

My sweet tooth was acting up again and I couldn't decide whether to make brownies or chocolate chip cookies. Brownies would satisfy that chocolate craving whereas chocolate chip cookies are my all time favorite cookie. I'd make both but really, would that be a smart thing to do, lol?  After some recipe surfing online, I learned that I could satisfy both cravings by making these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies...

Homemade Onion & Herb Dip

With picnic season already here, I'm sure there will be a lot of chips and dips enjoyed at various summer gatherings. Aside from the time of year, chips and dips are a year round snack everyone can indulge in! One of my favorite dips is a good French Onion dip. Although it's super convenient to just pick up a tub of French Onion Dip at the grocery store, this is one dip that's worth making from scratch. Here's just the recipe to try out for a Homemade Onion & Herb Dip...

Corn, Black Beans & Beef Empanadas

It's quite a convenience to have a freezer stocked with food... especially when you have guests coming over with little time to prepare! I made these Corn, Black Beans & Beef Empanadas in advance and baked them up for out of town guests and friends that came to visit. They were a hit and sadly I have no leftovers to enjoy... so I guess that means I'll have to make more very soon!...

Chili Rubbed Pork Spareribs

Memorial Day weekend wouldn't be properly celebrated without some ribs! Although enjoyed a day after the holiday, it was a delicious dinner nonetheless. These Chili Rubbed Pork Spareribs were especially tasty because the flavor all came from my spice drawer. By making a homemade chili seasoning rub using the spices I had on hand, various meats take on some great flavor perfect for grilling...