Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken

I've been busy recently preparing for when our little bundle of joy arrives.  I'm currently at 38 weeks and growing larger and larger more and more impatient to meet our little guy!  In the meantime, I've been making lots and lots of freezer meals (recipes to come) and have also been playing around a lot with my Instant Pot.  

Zuppa Toscana (Instant Pot Recipe)

On Friday, I'll be 30 weeks pregnant!  There is 14 years' difference between my little sous chef and our little... oh!  I just realized that I never announced the baby's gender!  We're having a...

Baked Cheesy Pesto Chicken

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 cheese and tomato freshly picked from my garden.  Oh, my goodness, was this fantastic!  If you're a pesto lover, this is a must make!  

Keto Cheddar & Broccoli Soup

We are officially through our home school year!  My, that went by quickly!  Now that it's summer break and I have a little extra time on my hands, I hope to post recipes more frequently than I have been.  

It's been four months since I started on the Keto diet.  I originally intended to use it as a tool to lose the extra weight that I put on over the winter months.  After losing the extra pounds, I decided that I'm actually going to stick with it.  It's hard to put into words exactly how, but I overall feel better mentally, emotionally, and physically while on this diet.  I feel like I have more clarity of mind, which is super important while home schooling... and working and adulting in general.  Don't get me wrong, though; I still have mom brain from time to time!  

This Keto Broccoli & Cheddar Soup came out fan-flippin'-tastic!  It's rich, creamy, and so delicious that it feels like I'm cheating on my diet while eating it!  This was my first time using xanthan gum as a thickening agent, and it worked like a charm!  

Cheddar Cheese Taco Shells (Keto)

A few weeks ago, we had some wonderful teases of spring weather.  I was super excited to take my dog for a long walk and drink in the sun.  I got out some shorts and -- gasp!  Uncomfortably snug.  It was obvious that I packed on some winter bulk over the long, cold months while hibernating in my home.  I had been avoiding the scale... avoiding exercise... but not avoiding 1/2 price donuts.  Oh, glorious donuts, how I sought after thee.  *End sob story*

I decided to drastically cut carbs and sugar from my diet to kick-start some weight loss, and it's really been working quite well!  The first several days were very difficult, but now it's pretty much been smooth sailing!  I've been experimenting with all kinds of low-carb recipes, and I stumbled across this idea from Pinterest.  I honestly was debating on whether or not to post this because it's not technically a "recipe", but it's too good not to share!  It's also very easy.

Storage:  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  

Baked Chicken, Bacon & Ranch Macaroni and Cheese

The Christmas tree is up, our coal stove is roaring, and my Pandora Christmas jazz station is softly serenading us.  This is the time of year when I most relate to the hibernating bear... not the sleeping part; the part where he doesn't leave his den.  No, I'm not depressed... it's just that after we deck our halls, our den is at its coziest, and I hate to have to venture into the cold, dark-too-early places on the other side of my walls.  A simple reality check reveals that our schedule has us out every night of the week.  A girl can dream, can't she? 

This time of year, I also find myself using my oven a lot more than usual.  We had this Baked Chicken, Bacon & Ranch Macaroni and Cheese last night, and it really is amazing.  I mean, can you really go wrong with these ingredients?!  I couldn't wait until lunch today to have it leftover, and it was just as good!  Give it a try; you won't be disappointed!

A crisp salad, garlic bread, and steamed vegetables are perfect complements to this dish!

Easy Homemade Ramen

Well, it's official:  After a lot of prayer, we've decided to start homeschooling my little sous chef starting the next school year!  I'm both excited and nervous for this new adventure we're about to embark upon.  Seventh grade is no joke, and I've been spending countless hours researching curriculum, obsessing over state laws, etc.  One of my plans is to get her cooking more with me in the kitchen during the week, and hopefully I'll be able to incorporate more of her into my blog posts!  As anyone else, I know we'll have good days and bad days, and I am preparing myself for the laughter, tears, victory, and frustration.  Bring it!  

Now on to the recipe.  I had some leftover pulled pork that I had to use up for dinner this weekend, and I decided to use it in Ramen.  This homemade version is so easy and much healthier than the stuff we used to live off of in college!  The broth is so flavorful and delicious, and I know you'll  love the addition of the soft-boiled egg.  

Roasted Pork Tenderloin in Balsamic-Rosemary Marinade

It took me a while, but I finally figured it out.  I now have a specific spot in my house set up that is intended solely for food blogging!  Since we've moved, I've been taking photos in my bay window, which makes it extremely difficult to get a good picture when the sun goes down before dinner.  Now I have my lighting and everything set up to where I don't have to rely on the time/position of the sun!  Even though artificial lighting isn't as desirable as natural, I'll take whatever I can get during the months of winter!  Happy days!

One of my favorite meals to make is pork tenderloin.  It's easy enough to make for a weeknight meal but good enough to serve to company.  Searing the pork gives it a lovely crust that locks in flavor, and roasting it to an internal temperature of 140 degrees and then allowing it to rest will result in fork-tender deliciousness!  I served mine with a side of quinoa and peas.

Skinny Chicken & Shrimp with Quinoa and Vegetables

No interesting story behind this dish -- just another weeknight meal that I'd like to share.  It earned an "excellent" rating from my family.  It's healthy, delicious, and you'll find yourself coming back for more... and more!  

Spicy Honey-Glazed Salmon... and a New Member of the Family!

I'm a little late.  Tomorrow is March, and I'm just now sharing my first post of the New Year.  While 2015 was very eventful for us, 2016 seems to be giving it a run for its money.  I was laid off from my job of nearly ten years, which was sad in itself and wasn't the best timing in the world considering we had just bought our new house.  Thankfully, I was blessed to be able to quickly find a new job that I love, and I'm still able to work out of my home!  We also just recently decided to adopt a puppy.  "Duggy" is a Jack Chi (Jack Russell Terrier/Chihuahua mix).  He's happy, full of energy, and extremely smart.  We've had him for one month, and he can already sit, stay, fetch, bang-bang (play dead), and shake!  Potty training is another story, however.  Serves us right for getting a puppy in mid-winter!

Turkey and Pumpkin Chili

I've had my house decorated for Christmas since the first week in November.  If you think I'm crazy, that's okay - so do my friends and family.  I've just been so excited to spend our first Christmas in our new house!  I did exercise some restraint by not plugging in my outdoor lights until after Thanksgiving.  Now that Thanksgiving is over, I can finally let my inner Christmas freak out!  It's been amazing experiencing all of these "firsts" in our new home.  We have so much to be thankful for.  

After our Thanksgiving feast, we had a good amount of leftover turkey.  While I do enjoy a cold turkey sandwich, I'm always excited to come up with new ways to use it.  After cleaning out our gutters (one of the not-so-fun "firsts") yesterday in the cold, I found myself craving a hot bowl of chili.  I decided to use the turkey in the chili and add some pumpkin and sage.  It was so good!  The pumpkin and sage added a delicious depth of flavor.

Our Favorite Skillet Beef and Broccoli

Looking for a go-to, restaurant-quality, never-ordering-take-out-again beef and broccoli recipe?  This is it!  No wok required.  It's seriously delicious, super easy to make, ready in under 30 minutes (including marinating time!), and much healthier than take-out. 

Choosing the beef:  Flat iron steak may be more expensive, but is the best choice for this dish because it's more tender.  Skirt (or flank) steak works well, too, but it won't be quite as tender.  Whichever beef you choose, know that they are best when thinly sliced against the grain and cooked quickly to medium-rare.  Cooking beyond medium will cause the steak to be tough.  

Note:  Because my family prefers their broccoli soft, I blanch it ahead of time (while the steak is marinating).

Roasted Garden Vegetable & Sausage Ratatouille

When we bought our new house in the end of May, I knew that time was of the essence, so I hurriedly planted a vegetable garden.  I also started a compost pile, which is finally turning into beautiful, rich soil.  Other than dealing with Canada thistles (help!), we have naturally healthy, rock-free soil here.  I can't wait to see how well my garden does when I add compost to it!  If your garden is bursting at the seams like mine is, this is a delicious and healthy way to use up those summer veggies.  Sausage and a splash sherry add beautiful depth of flavor to this ratatouille.  Because I didn't have time to start bell pepper seeds indoors, I sadly went without them this year.  If you have them, thinly sliced bell pepper is a tasty addition to this dish.  

Shrimp, Snow Peas & Mushrooms over Jasmine Rice

It's been two months already since we've moved into our new home.  Because of the timing of our settlement date, I got a little bit of a late start with my new garden.  I'm just now beginning to harvest zucchini, cucumber, tomatoes, green beans, etc.  Better late than never!  I had the exciting discovery of black cherry trees and a Chester Thornless Black Raspberry bush in my backyard last month.  The black cherries are done for the year, but I'm still getting a ton of blackberries.  Maybe jams and jellies will be on the menu soon!  I also have an overabundance of snow peas. While my little sous chef and I have generally been enjoying them raw, I decided to use them in dinner last night.  I don't know why we don't eat snow peas more often.  They're one of my favorite veggies!  My husband and daughter raved over this dish.  It's so full of flavor.  

On a different note, we got the new Samsung Galaxy S6 Active a few weeks ago.  I love so many things about it, but my favorite thing is the camera -- it takes amazing photos!  For the very first time, I decided to use a phone camera for blogging.  Not bad, right?! 

Hasselback Chicken Cordon Bleu

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 control the chicken-to-other-ingredients ratio.  The first time I tried it, I made a Cajun chicken with pepper jack cheese and spinach, and it was amazing.  Check it out here.  This time, I had some leftover deli ham that I had to use up, so I decided to make a Cordon bleu.  The results?  My family raved over it. 

Speaking of our new home, we're making progress!  Unpacking has had its ups and downs, but we've been getting through it at a pretty steady pace.  Just 37 a few more boxes to go through in the basement, and we'll be all settled in!  Along with a new house comes the excitement of exploring new local destinations.  I have 4 grocery stores (that I'm aware of so far) within 1 mile of my house, which will make it much easier for me to shop sales.  I also still haven't had the time to set up a food blogging station, so, once again, these photos were taken at my bay window.

Quinoa & Chicken Fried "Rice" -- and the reason for my hiatus

What's with my two-and-a-half month hiatus from food blogging?  I've had a very good reason.  We just bought and moved into a new house!  I'm surprised at how quickly this place has felt like home to us.  It is taking me some time, however, to adjust to a new kitchen.  I still haven't had time to set up a food blogging station at my new house, so I ended up taking this photo on the windowsill of my bay window.  Not too bad!  I'm so happy that I can finally food blog again.  I've missed it! 

Even though we're settled in, there are still boxes that haven't been unpacked yet.  Last night, we were craving Chinese food for dinner, so I started gathering ingredients to make fried rice.  I couldn't find my rice anywhere, so I decided to use quinoa instead.  I love how quinoa takes on the flavor of whatever ingredients you cook with it.  Easy to make, delicious and healthy! 

Skinny Tuscan Chicken over Summer Squash "Noodles"

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. 

Baked Sweet & Spicy Cajun Chicken Drumsticks

Let's not talk about how long it's been since I've shared a recipe.  The wheels in the kitchen have certainly been turning, but my motivation wheels for blogging... not so much.  Don't get me wrong, food blogging is one of my biggest passions.  It's just that I've been spread so thin with lots of "things" over the past few months.  I'm not complaining, though.  I wouldn't change a thing about the life that God has blessed me with. 

Now on to the food - my favorite part!  I don't know about you, but I've had enough of this cold weather!  Uncle!  I've recently been craving picnic foods like potato salad, corn on the cob, drumsticks, etc.  Since it's not quite grilling season yet, I decided to bake some drumsticks in a delicious honey and Cajun seasoning sauce.  You have to try these!  They're juicy, sweet, spicy, Cajun-y (yes, I made that word up), sticky, and they fall right off the bone! 

Skillet Balsamic Chicken & Rotini

Happy Friday!  Here is another quick and easy weeknight meal to add to your rotation.  It's a skillet version of my Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken over Pasta.  There is a lovely hint of sweet and tangy flavor, but it's not overpowering.  I served this with some freshly steamed broccoli.

Busy Weeknight Shrimp & Rice Noodle Stir Fry with Peas

Wednesdays have turned out to be quite the busy day for us this year.  Once school lets out for the day, it's Girls on the Run until 5:00 followed by a mad rush to finish homework.  We then prepare & eat dinner all before dance practice from 6:30 to 8:00.  This is one of my favorite meals for busy week nights.  While soaking the noodles in hot water, the rest of the ingredients are prepped and then sauteed in a skillet.  It's fast and easy, and it tastes delicious!

Note:  I always keep a 2 lb. bag of frozen raw easy peel shrimp in my freezer.  To quickly thaw the shrimp out, place however much shrimp your recipe calls for in a Ziplock bag.  Submerge the shrimp in a large pot of warm water for about 20 minutes, depending on the size of your shrimp.