Recipes
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THE BEST SLOW COOKER RAMEN
This ramen recipe is SO GOOD and my favorite slow cooker meal. I use my slow cooker a lot, so this is truly high praise. Indeed, I like this recipe so much that I packed up my slow cooker and brought it with me to Suncadia for a three-day weekend. Who brings their slow cooker on a road trip you ask? A woman who really wants ramen! Admittedly, the recipe has a lot of ingredients (that I also packed up and brought to Suncadia), but do not be dissuaded. It is worth it! I often prep the pork and broth the night before; refrigerate in my slow cooker insert overnight,…
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The Perfect Spinach Salad
My dear friend Allison’s mom, Joan, made this salad for Allison and I in high school. To this day, 15 plus years later (woah) I dream about this salad. I could eat it every day. I never thought a spinach salad could be one of my favorite meals but it’s just that good. So, Megan hosted us for a Lou Malnati’s Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza night this past weekend and I told her I would bring a salad. I walked in her door with this salad and Megan said “oh my gosh yes – is that THE spinach salad?”. This salad has a reputation and I have yet to meet…
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Spicy Pretzels
I’m excited to share the spicy pretzel recipe that is a fan favorite! I make spicy pretzels for nearly every party I host, I bring them as an appetizer to happy hours, a hostess gift to friend’s houses, and I even included them in our welcome wedding bags. Anyone who tries these spicy pretzels ends up asking me for the recipe. A co-worker from my school counseling days brought these in to share and multiple copies of the recipe at the same time because she knew everyone would be asking for it. They are that good. I like to package them in cellophane bags and tie with a cute ribbon.…
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Get Ready Faster Breakfast Ideas
If I had to name the most positive impact resulting from the Governor’s Stay At Home Order for my family, it would be not having to get Sam and Emma up, dressed, fed and out the door by 7:30am ever morning on my way to the office. School mornings in our household are a **it show. My daughter Emma is NOT a morning person. Every morning she wakes up and trudges to the family room where she dramatically flops onto the couch Cleopatra-style with her arm draped over her eyes. Attempting to rush her in the morning only results in her moving even more sloooowwwwyyyyly… I have tried everything to…
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Muffins For The Whole Family
Muffins are my favorite make-ahead way to feed my entire family. Breakfast, lunch or dinner… I make muffins to cover any mealtime and I’m not talking about the giant super unhealthy (delicious) Costco muffins. The muffins I am talking about are refined sugar-free, gluten-free, protein-packed, and usually full of good things like chia + flax seeds and fruits and veggies. Muffins are easy to grab to feed Jack and Joey, I can easily customize them to fit Jack’s baby needs, and Chris can take them to work for breakfast or lunch, and then he doesn’t complain that “we have no food in the house”. So, these aren’t your average muffins…
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German Chocolate Cupcakes
My brother-in-law Chris’ birthday was yesterday, and my sister wanted to surprise him with his favorite German Chocolate cupcakes. I volunteered to bake because my children are at least old enough to help (unlike Mallory’s) but not too old to think that cooking with mom is no longer cool. I started making these cupcakes for my dad’s birthday several years ago. German Chocolate cake is my dad’s favorite dessert and one year I thought making cupcakes instead of a whole cake would be a fun twist. Everyone in my family loved the cupcakes and I have been making them every year for my dad’s birthday since. When Chris became part of…
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Sheet Pan Harissa Chicken
Sheet pan dinners are my favorite! Just like slow cooker recipes, I seek out these types of meal ideas. I love any recipe that reduces the number of dishes that must be cleaned post-meal. I tried this Half Baked Harvest recipe on Monday for the first time. The flavors were amazing – I highly recommend you try it soon! Admittedly, before making this meal I had no clue what harissa seasoning was. In fact, I almost did not make the recipe because it required me to buy another new spice at the grocery store. (If you saw my spice cabinet, you would appreciate why I wanted to avoid another spice jar!). I…
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Baking Our Way To The Quarantine 15
Our sweet Mom is the baking queen (just wait until you see her Christmas cookies). The combination of her baking and being bored at home means she is baking all of our favorite things and sending them to our house so she doesn’t eat them :). I’m sharing some of our family favorites we are baking (but her especially) and hope it helps you get creative when you’re trying to kill some time around the house. Peanut Butter Cup Cookies Ingredients: 1 bag Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (about 40) unwrapped 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup margarine 1 egg 1 cup peanut butter 1/2 tsp vanilla…
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Easter Cocktails
What do you bring to an Easter brunch hosted by your mother who every year produces an extraordinarily elaborate array of food and numerous homemade desserts? A few years ago, I decided my answer to this question was an Easter-themed cocktail because when all else fails, booze must be the answer. Am I right? And folks, today was a doozy with my kids. Not sure if the reality of homeschool is finally hitting home for Sam and Emma, but this cocktail post could not have come soon enough for this mom! This year our Easter cocktail is spiked Carrot Limeade. Here is how I made it: Ingredients 2 cups pure…
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Easter Brunch Ideas
Well, Easter is going to look very different for our family this year given COVID-19 and social distancing. Typically, my parents host a large Easter brunch for my siblings and extended family. Complete with a color-coded egg hunt for the children (i.e., each child is assigned one egg color) and a beer and mini prosecco bottle hunt for the adults. Sam and Emma were devastated when they heard Governor Inslee extended his Stay-At-Home order because they knew it meant no Easter celebration at Grandma Lo-Los and Papa Buff’s house. So, instead, I have assured Sam and Emma that Mallory and I will rally and throw our own super-fun Easter brunch…
