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I've been busy recently preparing for when our little bundle of joy arrives. I'm currently at 38 weeks and growing
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We also have another addition to our family... an Instant Pot! I've been hearing so many great things about them, so I snatched one up at a great deal on Amazon on Black Friday. I. am. in. love. My first meal in it was a pot roast, and it turned out fantastic! Also, I'm super excited to make...
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In a few days, I'm going to hit the halfway point of my pregnancy, and I have been having some serious cravings! Mostly good things like apples and grapes... some not-so-good things like chocolate milkshakes and fries. Another weakness of mine recently has been pesto. I could seriously slather that stuff on anything! I decided to make a baked pesto chicken for dinner tonight and add some...
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Since we're still in the process of getting established in our new home, I've been sticking to quick-and-easy meals for dinner. Hasselback chicken is a concept that I came up with after getting very frustrated with all the butterflying, pounding, rolling, stuffing, and fastening of chicken breasts for stuffed chicken. It's seriously easy to make. My favorite thing about it is that you can easily... |
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Unseasonably cold weather got you down? This lightened-up Tuscan chicken is sure to incite thoughts of spring! It's light, healthy, and full of flavor but without all the carbs. Boiled summer squash is used in place of pasta and paired with a delicious, creamy, veggie-packed topping spooned over juicy, herbed chicken. |
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My husband and I celebrated 11 years of marriage this past Valentine's Day! We look forward to a romantic getaway every year, but once the celebrating is over, we come to the grim realization that we have to endure the long, bitter winter that just seems to go on and on... and on and on... like a bad run-on sentence. You know it's brutal out when the school districts are closed because... |
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The days are growing colder, and the nights are creeping earlier. What do I love about fall? So many things! Baking pies and breads, picking pumpkins and apples, crunching leaves under my feet, sipping hot cocoa, breathing in the crisp air, and wearing chunky sweaters with fuzzy socks and boots! Yesterday was the first official day of autumn, though it's felt like autumn for quite... |
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This savory summer skillet is satisfying, skinny and speedy. Try saying that 5 times fast! Turkey sausage is sauteed with fresh summer vegetables and then tossed with a little red wine, fat free milk, Parmesan, and gemelli pasta. It's a delicious meal that is low in calories, low in fat, and ready... |
| Bruschetta Chicken Tomatoes are in season! There's nothing quite as delicious as a ripe, freshly picked tomato, and I had some lovely organic ones that I wanted to use with dinner. I decided to make one of my family's favorite meals, bruschetta chicken. The chicken is incredibly juicy, and the bruschetta topping is light and delicious - a fresh taste of summer! It's made on the stove top, so you don't have to... |
| Our Favorite Juicy Italian Meatballs
This is long overdue. I'm alone in my kitchen making meatballs, and it hits me - I've never blogged my favorite meatball recipe before! How can this be? We have spaghetti and meatballs once every other week! Oh well - better late than never. One...
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| Rotelli with Chicken & Asparagus in Tomato Cream Sauce
Busy day? Mine certainly has been! We all need at least a few go-to recipes in our repertoire that are quick and easy but satisfying and delicious at the same time. This is one of those meals. Here's to a delicious meal at the end of a crazy day that can be ready in under 30 minutes!
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| Chicken Scallopini with Saffron Cream Sauce
Saffron and pine nuts. Two ingredients that I love but really have a hard time bringing myself to purchase without feeling guilty because of the sheer cost. Oh, but there's nothing quite as delicious as a fresh batch of basil pesto with pine nuts slathered on a crispy cracker. Try to imagine my joy and surprise...
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| Chicken Parmigiana Pasta Casserole
Along with spring cleaning our diets, we've been working hard at spring cleaning our budget. We'll be moving to a new house next year, God willing, so cutting corners with spending has definitely been a priority. We've worked hard to maintain a debt-free life, so one of the most logical...
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| Pork Tenderloin with Brandied Cherry-Chipotle SauceThis is a yummy sauce that I served over roasted pork tenderloin for dinner one night this week. It's delicious and slightly sweet with a little kick. |
| Tuscan Three Bean & Bacon Soup with Kale We woke up to another four inches of snow this morning. Uncle! Who's moving to Florida with me? I'll start packing. While the snowstorms have interfered with a lot of our precious plans this past month, they didn't stop us from celebrating our 10-year wedding anniversary. Life is so amazing when you're married to your best friend! We had a lovely time away. However... |
| Quick Bolognese Sauce It was Friday evening. I asked my little sous chef, "If you could have anything in the world to eat, whether I cook it or we go out, what would it be?" Within a split second, her answer was, "Spaghetti and meat sauce!" Unfortunately, my favorite recipe takes about 3 hours from start to finish and it was already 4:00 PM, so I asked her for a second option. As she... |
| Affogato with Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream & Kahlua
Sometimes, it's the simple things that are the best! Just three ingredients go into this Italian dessert. Well, it's technically a drink, but I say it's both! The word affogato means "drowned" in Italian. Simply drown a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream in hot...
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| Chicken Florentine Casserole
On chilly days like these, this hearty Chicken Florentine Casserole bathed in a delicious white wine cream sauce is a perfect comforting meal to come home to after a long day. My family absolutely loves this dish and I hope you will, too. It's one...
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 | Jenkins Family Italian Stromboli My very first experience making stromboli was at one of my very first jobs as a teenager, which was in the kitchen of a pizza joint. The Italian stromboli was made with shredded steak, ham, pepperoni, onion, green pepper, mozzarella and tomato sauce. After I... |
 | Sausage, Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Stuffed Shells The holidays are over, school is back in session, businesses spring back to life, and the dieting begins! 2012 was a year full of love, good health, and joy in my family and I am hopeful for an even better 2013 for my family and for yours as well. |
 | Italian Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Fingers Before I start rolling out the Thanksgiving posts, I wanted to share this little guilty pleasure appetizer of mine. The name speaks for itself. Because the bacon helps to lock in the moisture of the chicken, every bite is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. My favorite... |
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Dress up your cod with something different tonight. Flaky cod topped with a rich tomato and artichoke sauce that is light and fresh and can be made in 30 minutes. I love how the tart artichokes compliment the sweet tomatoes in this sauce. This dish is so flavorful... |
 | Creamy Chicken Alfredo Pasta This delicious chicken alfredo pasta is rich and creamy and can be ready in under 30 minutes. It is one of my go-to recipes after a busy day and is a family favorite. I serve this with a side salad and crusty bread. I also substitute the chicken with shrimp, scallops... |
| Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken over Pasta This delicious pasta dish is hearty, healthy and full of flavor. My family loves the rich, tart and sweet taste of balsamic vinegar - it's definitely a favorite! If you're unsure about how much balsamic vinegar is right for you, start off by using 2 tbsp. You can always... |
| Homemade Italian Tomato Sauce
It's go time! The 100 tomato plants are yielding beautiful sweet, juicy tomatoes. We have spent countless hours over the past few weeks making salsa with family and friends and have had many laughs and plenty of (onion) tears. My fingers have reeked of garlic...
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| Italian Pork & Beef Stuffed Bell Peppers |
 | Spaghetti alla Bolognese I wanted to highlight one of my family's top 10 favorite recipes today, spaghetti alla bolognese. Bolognese is a ragu (meat-based sauce) that is hearty and packs in a whole lot of flavor. The key to making amazing bolognese is allowing plenty of time for it to... |
| Seared Scallops with Angel Hair Pasta
My daughter was having a sleepover last night so I decided to treat my husband to a meal that included one of his favorite foods -- scallops! This dish is simple and delicious. I served this with a side of steamed asparagus and a glass of white wine.
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| Italian Vegetable & Shrimp Pasta Salad
Looking for a last-minute side for your Fourth of July festivities? Try this easy and delicious pasta salad! Out of all the different varieties of pasta salad that I have made, this is by far my husband's favorite, handed down from his Aunt Lois. I love how the pieces...
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| Spaghetti & Meatball Cups This recipe was inspired by my Italian Rigatoni Pie. These little spaghetti and meatball cups are great as an appetizer or even as a main course, especially if you're interested in portion control. |
 | Italian Rigatoni Pie I am so excited about this recipe today! I got the idea from Martha Stewart and while I stuck to the basic instructions, I made a lot of changes to the ingredients. The results? It was absolutely fantastic! My family loved it and I will definitely be making it again. It may... |
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Here is another great summer dish, a delicious Italian spin on the classic grilled cheese sandwich! I came across the recipe on Closet Cooking and it has quickly become one of my favorite sandwiches. |
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At least once a week, I serve my family fish for dinner. While browsing the circulars, I saw that tilapia was on sale for $3.99 per pound, so I decided to add that to my dinner menu for the week. Tilapia is a mild-flavored fish. Because of its firm texture, yo...
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Chicken piccata was one of the first recipes that I ever blogged about (see below for the original photo and description). I have made several changes to the recipe over the years, so I wanted to highlight this yummy dish today and also update the photo.
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We had cod with chipotle-aioli sauce one night this week for dinner and I wanted to use up the remaining sauce before it went bad. I decided to use it to make bruschetta (being the bruschettoholic that I am) and it turned out fabulous. The sauce is creamy... |
| Gemelli with Chicken & Vegetables in Tomato-Basil Cream Sauce We were supposed to get snow today but only got the bitter-cold, chill-you-to-the-bone wind. Days likes these make me wish it was spring again. This warm pasta dish was comforting and warming and perfect for such a chilly winter night. |
| Shrimp Alfredo I hope you all enjoyed the holidays with your loved ones. This year turned out to be one of my all-time favorite Christmases for so many reasons... even with the crazy schedule I was faced with! Thankfully, it is finally time to kick back, relax and enjoy what's left of 2011. |
| Quick & Easy Chicken Parmigiana
School is right around the corner, which means that my schedule is about to get a bit more crazy. Between making sure all homework is completed and running around to various after-school activities, it is hard to find time to have a decent family dinner.
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| Bacon & Tomato Pasta Saturday, August 6th was my birthday, the big 3-0. As chance would have it, my darling husband fell terribly ill for two straight days and my birthday weekend was spent quietly indoors. For my gift, I had wished for a new mountain bike. You see, there is this amazingly beautiful... |
 | Italian Chicken & Zucchini Pasta in Red Wine-Tomato Sauce I am finally back from my two-week break and, as much fun as I had with family and friends, I must say that I was going through some withdrawal from food blogging. Who would have thought that something I started on a whim one and a half years ago would be something... |
 | Ratatouille & Sausage Pasta I have been absolutely delighted by the beautiful, unseasonably warm March weather we have been having. It is unbelievable to see spring flowers in March. My peonies are already shooting up through the soil and my hyacinths have been fully bloomed... |
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If you're a fan of chicken Caesar salad, you will definitely be a fan of this sandwich. It is incredibly simple to make and is just delightful. My daughter loved it and asked if we could eat this every night for dinner from now on. This can be made in under 30 minutes... |
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Finally, a beautiful spring day! This is such a welcome change of pace. After a minor toothache fix from the dentist this morning, I found myself caught up with work and housework. I made a fresh batch of bruschetta and, instead of placing it on a baguette...
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| Italian Cheese & Spinach Stuffed Peppers While out food shopping, I came across these cute little red peppers that were about 4 inches tall and I couldn't resist myself; I had to pick some up. I remembered seeing Giada De Laurentiis stuffing mini peppers with ricotta and peas and they looked so tasty... |
| Chicken Parmigiana & Prosciutto Pizza
This pizza was so good! It was even better leftover cold with a glass of milk!
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| Focaccia with Caramelized Onion, Tomato, Mushroom & Rosemary I have been meaning to make focaccia for quite some time now. Focaccia is a flat oven-baked Italian bread, which may be topped with herbs or other ingredients that is popular in Italy. It is related to pizza but not considered to be the same. I love this recipe! |
| Red Wine Risotto with Peas & Shrimp
I wanted to share something that happened to me. This past Thursday and Friday, my Blooming Bacon Cheddar Ranch Bread recipe was featured on the front page of AOL.com! It was unexpected and amazingly exciting for me! Who would have thought that little ole' me would make the front page of AOL.com?!
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| Chicken Italiano & Polenta
Things have been rough with illness recently but today, everything changed. My sister brought a beautiful baby boy into this world, Tristan! He is SO adorable and he gives us all a reason to thank God for the amazing blessing and gift of children!
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| Italian Sausage, Pepper & Onion Pasta Yesterday was just one of those days. I was swamped with work and in the middle of it all, I received a phone call that my Granddaddy went to the ER with chest pains. I waited for my daughter to get home from school, dropped her off at my mom's house and visited... |
 | Pasta Primavera with Chicken They are calling for snow again this Friday. Ugh! I have already had enough of the snow... is it spring yet? Well, at least my mind can venture on to the next season. Nothing says spring like pasta primavera! I had a few chicken thighs that I pan fried... |
 | Pizzelles I am very sad to announce that today is the last day of my 12 Days of (Christmas) Cookies. I have had so much fun doing all of this baking; however, I am a happy to be free of the degree of commitment this venture has required. Every year, my mother-in-law makes... |
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I cannot believe that I am already halfway through my 12 Days of (Christmas) Cookies! I have had so much fun doing all of this baking and it has really put me into the spirit of Christmas. Biscotti is one of my favorite things to have with a hot cup of coffee. |
 | Soft Italian Breadsticks If you are what you eat, my husband would be spaghetti and meatballs. Growing up, his mother would make it for him religiously once a week for dinner and it was not uncommon for him to eat the leftovers for breakfast the next morning. So, what was for dinner... |
| Homemade Asparagus & Basil Tortellini Stuffed with Cheese in Marinara Sauce Hooray for grandparents offering to take your child for a sleepover for no reason other than just because! I figure a romantic Italian dinner is in order tonight. I decided to make tortellini (yet another thing to cross off on my to-cook list) ahead of time and freeze... |
| Four Cheese, Spinach & Beef Stuffed Shells
I was planning on using some leftovers for shepherd's pie tonight for dinner but I was really in the mood for stuffed shells. The problem is, I decided on a whim to make it and I had no ricotta and no cottage cheese. So, I thought cream cheese would be a nice...
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| Caprese & Prosciutto Sandwich The first time I ever bought prosciutto at the deli a few years ago, I asked for "Pros-cute-o" and the deli lady laughed at me and proceeded to obnoxiously correct me in front of the entire line of shoppers rather loudly with her nose turned up. Unfortunately for me |
 | Parsley Caprese For lunch today, I was in the mood for Caprese. The problem is, I was out of fresh basil. I figured, I like the taste of parsley more than basil in general, so why should not having basil stop me from enjoying my Caprese? I really need to start a potted herb garden! |
| Chicken Parmigiana
When will this heat end?! It is another hot and humid day and I had already used my oven at lunchtime for thebaked apples, so I figured I should probably cook over the stove tonight. It has been quite a while since we have had chicken parmigiana. For a while...
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| Parmesan-Garlic Summer Vegetable & Italian Sausage Pasta This past weekend, my wonderful husband planned a surprise birthday party for me. I was completely surprised and so excited to see all of the people that I love and care about together at the same time. Even though he specified no gifts, people still... |
| Italian Pinwheels with Turkey, Green Pepper & Sun-Dried Tomatoes Cooking and baking have definitely been good medicine for me recently. I had a little spare time today before my husband came home from work and I thought that it would be the perfect time for me to try out this cute appetizer I found over at... |
 | Saucy Italian Chicken & Peppers How would you like your child to take a bite of dinner and say, "Mama, this is my new favorite dinner!" Does that not sound like music to your ears? Well, then you need to make this! It is made in under 30 minutes, it is simple and it is made on the stove top... |
| Tomato & Basil Bruschetta This week is Kids' Camp at our church and I have been so busy with it that I have had very little time for some relaxing cooking. Dinners have been a rush and I finally had some breathing time tonight. When my husband I were dating, he introduced me to bruschetta. |
| Chicken & Bacon-Stuffed Ravioli in Bechamel Sauce
I had planned to have ravioli for dinner tonight but I wanted to fill it with something different. While browsing Foodnetwork.com, I came across a recipe by Tyler Florence for ravioli filling that sparked my interest and gave me inspiration for this dish. I wanted a cream...
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| Arrabbiata Spaghetti & Meatballs
My husband and daughter asked for spaghetti and meatballs again for dinner. If I've said it before, I'll say it again: My family would eat spaghetti and meatballs three times a week if I allowed them to. I have been on this spicy kick recently, so I decided...
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| Chicken Florentine & Mostaccioli I have been meaning to make this for quite some time now. It has either been too hot outside to fire up the oven or I run out of a key ingredient like spinach. This is one of my favorite meals. It is so rich and creamy. |
 | Pepperoni & Mozzarella Pizza Bites I was browsing through some of my favorite cooking blogs the other day and came across a recipe for pizza bites that gave me inspiration for this recipe. Oh my goodness gracious are these good! You can stuff these with anything. I think I am going to try a buffalo... |
 | Italian Wedding Soup YUM! And yes, this deserves an adjective in all caps. This is my favorite soup of all time. The only downside to this recipe is that I seem to never make enough of it. I double the recipe and wish I had tripled it. I triple it and wish I had quadrupled it. You can substitute... |
| Italian Chicken, Tomato & Mozzarella Panini on RyeMy husband was in the mood for one of his favorite meals, fried chicken. I decided to fry the chicken the way he wanted it but use it in this yummy panini. Crispy, juicy chicken with melty mozzarella cheese and sweet tomatoes are a perfect mix in probably... |
 | Homemade Italian Three-Cheese Pizza This is my husband's favorite way that I make pizza. Making homemade pizza is wonderful because it is so cheap to make, extremely versatile and delicious! |
| Buffalo Chicken Pizza I had a very light workload today, so I was able to spend the whole day cleaning my house. It is about one week since I have been to the grocery store, so the contents in my fridge are running a little low. The last thing I want to do is run to the store after a day of... |
| Homemade Ricotta-Parmesan Ravioli in Marinara
I was in the mood for some ravioli for dinner tonight. I have made pierogis in the past but I have never tried to make my own ravioli. The filling is simple and versatile, the dough is easy to work with (I use this dough for my pierogis) and the marinara sauce...
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| Chicken Breasted Stuffed with Green Pepper, Onion & Cheese |
 | Ham, Green Pepper & Onion Pizza We are leaving for the beach tomorrow morning and I had some deli ham I needed to use up before it expired, so I decided to add it to our pizza for lunch. I love this combination of pizza toppings! |
| Homemade Pizza Crust
When my husband came home late the night I made Chicken Alfredo pizza, he raved about the crust. I had no pictures of it on hand to post the recipe on my blog, so I thought I would make another today and have pizza for lunch. The dough is very easy to work...
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| Pesto Chicken with Mushrooms & PastaI love pesto, especially when combined with pasta and chicken! This recipe is simple and oh, so good! I served this with pesto pasta and cooked spinach. Yummy!! Next time I make this, I am going to layer some sliced tomatoes on top of... |
| Italian Meatball Sandwich We are going away to the beach this weekend (yay!!) and I had a few ingredients that I needed to use before they expired, i.e., hot dog buns, Asiago cheese and ground beef; therefore, we had meatball sandwiches for dinner. I thawed out some sauce... |
 | Chicken Alfredo Pizza with Spinach & Sun-Dried Tomatoes Tonight, my husband is bringing home a new addition to our family, a kitten! We have not named her yet but we are thinking Molly is a cute name. He had to drive all the way to Philadelphia after work to pick her up, so I knew it would be a late night for him. Therefore... |
| Seafood Alfredo & Broccoli You can't go wrong with a warm pasta dish with creamy alfredo and seafood! |
| Homemade Italian Seasoning Mix / Italian Salad Dressing
Simply combine all of the ingredients and store in a sealed container.
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| Vegetable & Cheese Pierogi
My family loves pierogi. They are salty and crunchy on the outside, soft and warm on the inside. You can stuff them with anything you want, which makes them a perfect meal to pull out leftovers for. This dough is extremely simple, easy to work...
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