oven bbq drumsticks

My family doesn’t like chicken. I know! It’s so weird. Dinners at our house are usually either vegetarian or beef. We love the crowd pleasing favorites like chili, tacos, pizza, spaghetti and even our unconventional favorite, taco stuffed shells. But while grocery shopping I saw packages of organic chicken drumsticks for a great price and I had an idea. They all love bbq chicken wings, maybe I could make bbq chicken drumsticks and pass them off as wings! I decided[Read more]

the grey stuff

Last weekend, our family went to see the new Beauty and the Beast movie. We all loved it! I was a little unsure of whether or not I would be able to buy into the talking candlestick but it was the best movie I’ve seen in a long time! Emma Watson is such a good Belle and I love that she made her a strong female character and not just a Disney princess. It was really fun to see the[Read more]

taco stuffed shells – a new twist on a family favorite

taco stuffed shells

Tacos and pasta are two popular meals in our house. Whenever either of these dishes shows up at dinner, it is met with praise for mom and clean plates. That’s why they are on the regular rotation. And that’s why we get a little tired of them after a while. Too much of a good thing leaves us looking for something a little unique every once in awhile. Not so unique that the kids won’t even try it, just a[Read more]

the best corned beef

Corned beef is one of my favorite meals. It’s such a traditional, festive dish and we enjoy it a couple times per year. My family makes it different than most because ours has a brown sugary glaze on the top. This glaze does for corned beef what Honeybaked does for ham. 🙂 This simple glaze is easy to put together, you probably have the ingredients on hand, and it only takes a few extra minutes. This is the only way I’ve[Read more]

salted caramel pretzel cheesecake bites

I was looking for a dessert to make over the weekend. I wanted one that was bite sized and not too overdone. I thought I’d make mini cheese cakes with cherry pie filling on top. But then I started to get creative. Creative as in, I’ve-been-dieting-for-months- how-much-goodness-can-I-pack-into-one-little-dessert, creative. I wanted the pretzel crust of strawberry pretzel jello salad, mixed with cheesecake, topped with salty Sander’s caramel. I got hungry writing that. That’s where I came up with these Salted Caramel[Read more]

mom’s white chicken chili

mom's white chicken chili

Mom’s White Chicken Chili recipe is my favorite. Other white chili recipes usually incorporate cilantro but this recipe calls for cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, and of course, garlic. I love it topped with monterrey jack cheese, a dollop of sour cream and a side of corn bread or saltines. It’s lighter than beef chili, but still hearty and great for a winter night. If you try this recipe, it’ll likely become a family favorite and a winter staple. Enjoy!  [Read more]

The Best Tex Mex Dip

  This recipe is a crowd pleaser. It’s not fancy, original or impressive. It’s delicious and simple and satisfying. While we love a good cheese platter to nibble on between sips of wine, sometimes we just want something we can scoop up with tortilla chips. This dip is always welcome at a party and a great appetizer for taco night! If you’re hosting, make our feta cheese ball and those scallion, black olives and tomatoes will get used up with[Read more]

how I saved 50% on baby food

  It’s amazing how fast Jack has grown and it’s hard to believe he will start eating solids very soon. I started making his baby food so that I could feed him the freshest food and save money. It only took me one afternoon to make 90 ounces of baby food. I started estimating the price difference between store bought and homemade baby food. The price of store bought baby food (Earth’s Best) was about 32 cents per ounce (sweet[Read more]

Feta Cheeseball

  Every family has a recipe or two that shows up at every gathering. This is ours. It’s a snap to put together, and the buttery, smooth feta on a crusty baguette is hard to resist.   We take it to book club, tailgates and neighborhood parties and it always disappears.   Here’s how we make it: Beat the cream cheese, softened butter and feta cheese together until smooth.   Add the garlic and oregano and mix until well combined.[Read more]

My favorite Fall drink

It is upon us. Fall. I was driving past the grocery store and saw mums out front for sale. All I needed was this first sign of Fall to get me going. Cozy sweaters, crock pot meals, tailgating, chili cook offs, pumpkins on the front porch and cider mill donuts: I love it all. At the turn of the season I change out my warm weather, refreshing vodka soda for a caramel apple. It’s such a simple, perfect drink that[Read more]