• Food

    Fire Roasted Corn Pasta

    I spent a good portion of my childhood and youth living in the Midwest. I was born in Nebraska and my dad was stationed at Offutt AFB twice before I was old enough to attend high school. Like the University of Nebraska’s Mascot the Cornhusker implies…the Midwest is filled with corn fields as far as the eye can see. But, it wasn’t until I moved to the Southwest where i discovered the tastiness of fire roasted corn. And how well it pairs in a variety of dishes. A few nights ago, my third oldest, YoYo, exclaimed that he only liked his corn fixed certain ways…creamy pasta dishes were not one…

  • Food

    Philly Cheesesteak Crunch Wraps

    If you have ever eaten at a Taco Bell since 2005 then you most definitely know about the crunch wraps. The crunch wrap is like a tostada incased in a flour tortilla which makes the tostada portable and easy to consume with your hands. The crunch wrap is a food we have on regular rotation because it is just as easy to make as tacos or burritos, but gives a twist on Mexican food. Make-your-own crunch wrap bars are a great go-to food for parties and potlucks. However the traditional Mexican food flavors can be challenged for other equally tasty flavors in the crunch wrap. This last week I decided…

  • Food

    Caribbean Jerk Risotto

    Risotto has been a food I’ve wanted to master for years, ever since watching Giada religiously before my third child was born. Even though Giada made risotto look super easy, I have been intimated for a while now. Finally, I just decided to go for it last year. Turns out it is just as easy as Giada made it look. Risotto is typically made with white rice, but can also be made with short length pasta such as orzo or couscous pasta. My family likes risotto made with orzo pasta more than with rice. Also, when I make risotto with pasta instead of rice, the creaminess of the consistency tends…

  • Food

    Baked Ziti

    Throughout the years, I have both provided many meals for families and friends and received many meals from family and friends in times of need. While it is always nice to help another, if you are anything like me you tell someone you are going to bring them dinner and then forget until the day of, you suddenly remember and your kitchen doesn’t have anything that when combined would even be remotely edible. This is where baked ziti comes in. I almost always have the ingredients for baked ziti. Not only is it the perfect dish to provide a family a meal for, but it is one of my kids’…

  • Food

    Copycat Olive Garden Creamy Gnocchi Soup

    Can I tell you a secret? The day that Olive Garden came out with their soup, salad, and breadsticks combo I just about died and went to heaven. There are very few things that are more comforting and fulfilling during the fall season than a tasty soup, garlicky carbs, and a salad on the side. One of my favorite’s has to be hands down OG’s Chicken Gnocchi soup. The creamy texture combined with fresh vegetables and the pillowy goodness of the gnocchi, just the perfect combination of flavors and textures. I’ve been wanted to create my version if this soup for a long while now, but was stuck on feeling…

  • Food

    Oven Baked Nachos

    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it is so nice to have a handful of recipes that are quick, easy, and a crowd pleaser. I meal plan weekly, but life happens and sometimes the meal I originally planned…just doesn’t happen. BUT…oven baked nachos is a recipe I almost ALWAYS have the ingredients for. I’ve made oven baked nachos with chicken, steak, vegetarian style, and ground beef. The best part of oven baked nachos is you use pretty much whatever ingredients you have in your kitchen. Tomatoes, peppers, onions, cheese, queso, grilled corn, salsa, beans…whatever you love on your nachos will work on these oven baked nachos. This…

  • Food

    Instapot Unstuffed Italian Shells

    I just love Italian type casseroles like lasagna and manicotti, but the preparation and time it takes is just not something I enjoy. I am all for a meal with multi steps, but if I have to use multiple pots and pans, I just can’t get on board. So, attempting to create this Italian goodness in the Instapot was something I knew I had to do. The sauté, pour, stir, and let pressure cook is my kind of meal. When I took a look in my pantry the other day, I realized I had a couple boxes of large pasta shells. It was then I decided I wanted to make…

  • Food

    Beef Stroganoff

    I have always loved homemade noodles, but I have never loved the prep to making them. When I found Reames homemade egg noodles in the freezer section several years ago, my life was forever changed. Now these noodles are a staple in my deep freezer. I always have a few bags of them so I can whip up a quick batch of homemade chicken noodle soup. Or I can use them in brown noodles or beef stroganoff. Have you tried Reames homemade egg noodles yet? When I did my bi-yearly inventory of my freezers, I saw I had a couple of pounds of beef round chunks that needed to be…

  • Food

    Turkey & Cheese Crescent Rolls

    Sometimes I just have to see what is in my fridge, throw random ingredients together and pray it turns out. These turkey and cheese crescent rolls were one such endeavor. Thankfully, my husband talked me down when I said I wanted to add asparagus to the center. Although, I still think that could have been rather tasty. I’ve made stuffed crescent rolls before, like pigs in a blanket. But on this particular night, we had lunch meat, sliced cheese, and no bread…and my boys said they wanted sandwiches. So this was the product. I’m sure there are endless possibilities to stuffed crescent rolls, like right now I’m thinking Thanksgiving crescent…

  • Food

    Huli Huli Ramen Chicken

    I have come a long way since the packaged ramen noodles days. At one point, in Junior High, my friends and I would eat ramen raw right out of the bag. I don’t know if that is something y’all have done before, but I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread at the time. I’ve since learned how hillbilly that is. Now though, I only have the prepackaged ramen for when a stomach bug tears through the household and kiddos refuse to eat anything. As soon as I realized I could purchase ramen noodles by itself without the packaging and seasoning, my life was changed. Huli Huli chicken…