Tacos are usually a big hit at our house...but they also make a giant mess, and the littler boys get frustrated with them. Ryan (who just turned 8...see his "birthday cake wreck" here!) can usually get his mouth around a regular size taco, but Charlie and Tyler really struggle with eating a hard shell taco. Not the taste part, but the "I can't get a big enough bite" part. Enter … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
We have been alternating between high temperatures and flash floods. Every time it rains, I want comfort foods like pot roast and potatoes. But it is so hot that I don't want to turn on the oven. My slow cooker once again came to my rescue! I love that is allows me to cook family favorites without heating up the house. When I make my pot roast, I put the vegetables … [Read more...]
Grilled New York Pork Chops with Zucchini & Tomatoes
A few weeks ago, I was challenged by the National Pork Board to come up with a pork chop recipe for under $10...easy peasy! But what surprised me was that I had to use a New York Pork Chop. A New York Pork Chop??? What in the world is a New York Pork Chop? Sounds kinda like a steak to me. Well, I then learned that pork chops have recently been renamed...and that my wonder … [Read more...]
Beef & Bean Oven Tacos
Tacos. We love tacos. The boys devour them. They love the crunchy mess. They love the flavors. They love to see how full they can make them. And they love to eat them on their special taco plates. (My mom gave us some for Christmas...GREAT gift!) I love the concept of making tacos in the oven...and melting the cheese over the top of the meat. Then piling on the … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Lemon & Garlic Chicken
It's really unfortunate that photos can't communicate taste. And flavor infusion. Because seriously, I can taste the lemon and garlic flavors that infused perfectly into the chicken and the potatoes...just looking at the photo. I was actually quite surprised...as I've made a number of different garlic-chicken-potatoes slow cooker meals in the past, but not this one. This … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Baked Beans
I love baked beans. They are an essential part of our summer barbecues and picnics. But who wants to turn on their oven for several hours on a hot summer day? Not me! So I cheat and make my baked beans in a slow cooker. This slow cooker baked beans recipe is really easy to make. It is made of common pantry staples, but if you do not have molasses on hand, replace it with … [Read more...]
Seven Layer Tostadas
This is one of those "it just came together" meals... A few weeks back, we took the kids downtown during Fiesta week to go to the River Parade. They were serving some delicious tex-mex options in the section where our seats were located. They had fajitas, as well as bean and cheese tostadas. The kids had never had a tostada before, as I rarely made them in Ohio because the … [Read more...]
Korean Barbecue Chicken
I really enjoy the Korean Barbecue Chicken at one of our local restaurants and occasionally find an excuse to stop in. However a while back I realized that for less than the cost of one meal at the restaurant, I could make enough at home to feed my whole family and the neighbors. Seriously! And it isn't that it is that expensive for the meal - just $5.99 per person, but for … [Read more...]
Strawberry Spinach Quinoa Salad
Hello lovely. Yes, this is a lovely, lovely salad. It's lovely because it combines a few of my favorite flavors (strawberry, spinach and almonds). It's lovely because it tasted light, but the quinoa made the me feel full. And it's even lovelier because it is made of "ingredients I had on hand." Otherwise known as "popular ingredients that most people have"...because I don't … [Read more...]
Sweet Potato Zucchini Frittata
I like frittatas. My family likes frittatas. But for different reasons. I like frittatas because they are the breakfast version of stone soup. And I like them because I've never tried one that I didn't like. Pretty much any veggie and/or veggie combination works in a frittata, and this one proves that point. Spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, potatoes....all great … [Read more...]