I thought I'd share a little about my adventures from last week! Just a day and a half after returning back home from the holidays in Texas, I hit the road again! The adventures started with a news segment with my friends at Fox45 in Dayton. I do a regular weekly segment on their morning show, so it was great to get to share the "the book just hit shelves today" news first … [Read more...]
Penne Pasta with Sweet Sausage and Basil Sauce
When I got home from Atlanta this week, I had to quickly jump back into reality. I came home to 6 piles of laundry that needed to be taken care of, a sink full of dishes, a weekend's worth of meals to be made (thankfully I'd already made 2 for next week!), and the prospect of having to regroup again for next week's trip to Chicago and Minneapolis! (I'd love to meet … [Read more...]
10 Healthy Snack Ideas
I'm sharing 10 of my favorite healthy snack ideas over on SCJohnson.com. And for those of you who have a lose weight goal or resolution in this new year, I challenge you to look more closely at what foods you are putting in your grocery cart...Read on... What is your favorite healthy snack?!? (These days, mine are the Clementine oranges! Or a yummy trail mix, pictured … [Read more...]
What to Make When…Pork Chops
Welcome to my new series called "What to Make When..." I hope this series will help you decide what to make when you find the particular ingredient on the front page of your grocery store's circular! First up...pork chops! Smothered Pork Chops Cranberry Pork Chops Italian Pork Chops Pork Chops with Peach Salsa Honey Glazed Pork Chops If you … [Read more...]
Chicken & Black Bean Burritos
If the tortillas were larger, this would remind me of Freebirds. With a backwards F. If there were fresh cilantro mixed into the rice, or fresh guacamole to put on top, this would remind me of Chipotle. Either way, you can't go wrong with these...super simple. Super cheap. Super yummy! But before we get to the recipe... Tacos v. Burritos. What's the main … [Read more...]
Best of 2010 – $5 Dinners’ Recipes
I wanted to include some of our favorite (and yours too) recipes from this past year. Because of the nature of food blogging and cookbook writing, I'm always experimenting and trying new cooking methods, messing with ingredients in some of our favorite meals, and coming up with new family favorites. I rarely make the same thing twice, with the exception of spaghetti and … [Read more...]
Scalloped Sweet Potatoes with Ham
I was unable to find a small ham for our Christmas dinner, so I went ahead and purchased a large one. I have had fun coming up with new ways to use the leftover ham, especially since this has given me an excuse to play with some of my Christmas presents. My entire family loved the scalloped sweet potatoes with ham, giving it the highest compliment in their vocabulary, "this … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese
This Slow Cooker Macaroni & Cheese ranks right up there with premium comfort food. A great side for a New Year's Day meal. Okay, I confess. We even have this easy recipe as the main course on busy weeknights or for Sunday dinner. It's a dressier version of the boxed kind. Homemade macaroni and cheese for the seven of us. A highly requested family … [Read more...]
Red Beans and Rice
I've been wanting to whip up Red Beans and Rice for a month or two. Ever since I picked up Creole seasoning at the store to make Jamie's Cajun Meatball Stew, really. I turned to the one man who could help me make the best Red Beans and Rice with what I had on hand. Emeril. We're on a first name basis...because well, he's on a first name basis with everyone! So, Emeril has … [Read more...]
How to Quickly Thaw Freezer Meals
During the past few weeks of my $35/week pantry challenge, I have been on a mission to use up all the ingredients, sauces and other goodies from the pantry and freezer. Last week I planned to use up the part of my Chunky Bolognese Sauce that I'd made back in October. I had every intention of pulling the sauce from the freezer the night before and putting it into the … [Read more...]