You had me at hello. I mean, chocolate. You had me at chocolate. Then you really had me at Double Chocolate. I'm still debating with myself whether to call these breakfast or snack or dessert. Maybe I should just call them all three. Maybe a weekend breakfast, an afternoon snack and a late night treat. Whenever you want to serve them, just serve them. I won't … [Read more...]
Pineapple Mango Chicken
A little taste of the tropics right here my friend. This is a fantastic-ly simple meal that your kids are going to love, and you will too! We love these tropical flavors from the pineapple, the mango & the bell pepper. For our family, this is one of those meals that's polished quickly and the boys want more chicken and mango. This meal brings back floods of memories … [Read more...]
Creamy Gnocchi with Bacon & Peas
This recipe is inspired by 2 things...first, I was grabbing a few ingredients to make some pasta meals for our church group gathering we were hosting. I spotted a package of gnocchi that I hadn't seen before in this store and it was priced at $1.99. I grabbed 2 packages to make a giant batch of this for everyone coming over. (Note: the recipe below is written for 4 people, so … [Read more...]
Black Bean & Sweet Potato Dip
We're coming up on the spring time of the year when sweet potatoes go on sale for a short window of time, dredging up memories of autumn that have been all but covered by mounds of snow. And these same awesome sweet potatoes remind us that the beauty of spring is here to revive us again. Therefore, it seemed appropriate to use baked sweet potatoes in an enchilada-inspired … [Read more...]
Potato Pancake with Refried Beans
Many years ago, on my first trip to Europe, my in-laws took me to a restaurant built around potatoes. Everything had potatoes. That one experience opened my eyes to what potatoes can do. And I've since experimented, but never as much as I wished. Potato pancakes are such an easy workhorse. You can put almost anything sweet or savory on top of them. If you're looking for … [Read more...]
Sweet ‘n Spicy Cajun Ham & Bean Soup
If you're looking for a soup that is rich in flavor, has a bit of a kick (or a lot of a kick if you are BFFs with your Tabasco bottle) and just the right amount of sweetness, I've got you covered. I love stretching leftover Easter ham as far as it will possibly go. And I can't let the ham bone go to waste...and I always end up making a fantastic soup with beans, the ham bone … [Read more...]
Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
So we started with a baked oatmeal - Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal - and we're ending with a baked oatmeal. Why? Because it's a quick and easy. And fills up my little dudes! I recently shared on Facebook about how my little dudes were eating more than me and soon I'll be broke. It's a good thing I LOVE to cook and bake and know how to do it on a budget! lol So with these … [Read more...]
Vegetarian Bean & Corn with Salsa Soup
Last winter, I made this soup nearly every other day because it's THAT good. So easy and healthy and yummy! Because everything is already cooked, the heating option depends on the time you have before dinner. It heats in the microwave, on the stove, or in a slow cooker. It's so versatile, you can serve it with quesadillas, rice or just about anything else. One … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Paella-Style Quinoa and Peas
Quintessential paella has the following key ingredients: green peas, aromatic saffron, and the Latino all-purpose seasoning, Adobo. Don't skip this recipe if you don't have adobo seasoning in your pantry. The first time I heard of adobo seasoning, I asked a friend to show me her bottle. The main ingredients were salt, black pepper, garlic powder, dried oregano, and tumeric. … [Read more...]
Sloppy Joe Bites
When I saw these little gems on my friend Shelley's website, I knew we had to have them...that the boys would love them...and that they would make it on the regular rotation! Our family pretty much loves anything sloppy joe related, these included. Instead of dropping these onto a bun, you bake the meat into biscuit dough. You can totally make your own biscuit dough if … [Read more...]