• 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

    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

    Instapot Broccoli Cheddar Soup

    I have a child who is very vocal about his likes and dislikes when it comes to food. I decided I was tired of hearing out of his mouth ‘Ewww, I don’t like that.’ So he now helps me meal plan, as well as is my sous chef most nights. If you have a super picky child, let them help in the meal planning, grocery shopping, and then meal preparing. Sometimes the child resists, but most often they really get into helping out and seeing the start to finish. They are also more likely to at least try what they prepared because there aren’t any surprises for them. On this…

  • Food

    Honey Lemon Chicken Ramen

    Like many other children, mine love Top Ramen. Attempting to keep them healthy and well nourished, I only let them consume Top Ramen when they are sick or when it is really cold and they are begging for soup. In an attempt to create a more nutritious ramen, I decided to try my hand at a homemade version. Needless to say, they loved this version a whole lot more…and to my detriment they now beg for this instead of the quick microwave Top Ramen. I will definitely be attempting more homemade ramen in the very near future. Have you ever made homemade ramen? What do you use in your recipe?…

  • Food

    Instapot Funeral Potatoes-Cajun Style

    GUYS!!! I upgraded my pressure cooker! My old one was falling apart, and I had definitely used it to it’s fullest potential. So this last Christmas, I decided to ask for a new Instapot with wi-fi potential. Several years ago, I received a wi-fi slow cooker and it changed the game of slow cooking! So when I knew I would be in need of a new pressure cooker, I decided to see if there was one with wi-fi… AND…there is! I have the Chef iQ pressure cooker and I don’t think I could love any appliance more. This baby not only does what my old pressure cooker did: steam, saute,…

  • Food

    Meatless Monday: Mushroom Stroganoff

    I’ve really been on a roll with making meatless meals. I decided to take a stab at mushroom stroganoff and see what the boys thought. Even Matthew decided it was just as tasty as beef stroganoff. Stroganoff is typically made with large pasta, like egg noodles. I prefer pappardelle pasta. They are still egg noodles, but on steriods. It makes for more fun eating the meal. An added benefit with this meal is that it is cheap to create. Cutting out the beef causes the price per serving to be below $1.25. Using the beef consommé instead of beef stock also gives it the beefy flavor without the meat. Plus…

  • Food

    Creamy Pesto Alfredo Pasta

    Contains affiliate links Pasta is definitely one of my easy go-to’s for dinner. Typically I whip out the premade meatballs and marinara or frozen cheesy tortellini, but occasionally I make a quick homemade sauce, especially when I can do the sauce in less than 10 minutes, requires no cooking, and can be thrown into the blender. And…pesto is one of those sauces. Pesto, do you know what pesto is? It is the Italian green sauce. It is fresh herbs and spices and is typically served over pasta, but is also extremely tasty on toasted Italian bread. While you can use typical pasta, I have been loving Banza pasta lately. It…

  • Food

    Mexican Haystacks

    If you have ever consumed Hawaiian Haystacks, then you have definitely either lived/visited Utah, or have a friendship with someone who has ties to Utah. Hawaiian Haystacks, are indeed not Hawaiian. They are called such because typical toppings include pineapple and coconut. I have a child who is OBSESSED with Hawaiian Haystacks. Honestly though, I have never been fond of them. The flavors are either bland or too sweet to my taste buds. So, Mexican Haystacks were born. Ask anyone who has known me a long while, and they will tell you that I would eat chips and guacamole or queso over just about any other snack. I absolutely adore…

  • Food

    Chicken Fried Rice

    Chicken fried rice is possibly one of the easiest and quickest recipes I have in a monthly rotation. It is especially useful when you’ve prepared too much rice in another meal and are not sure what to do with the leftovers. Rice is a food that doesn’t keep too long as leftovers. While proper storage of cooked rice is important, the typical refrigerated shelf life of rice, any type of white rice, is only 3 to 4 days. After the 4th day, you run the risk of the rice already beginning to grow a specific bacterium called Bacillus cereus which produces a toxin that can cause a very serious food…