• 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

    Coconut Pineapple Curry

    I had a special request to make a curry dish. I have to be honest, curry has always intimidated me. When I’ve eaten it in restaurants, it ended up not being a particular favorite. It wasn’t that it was too spicy in the heat index sense…it was that it was too spice-y as in A LOT of flavors my tongue couldn’t comprehend. Not to mention, this scene from Along Came Polly has always stuck in my mind. Still, when a very close friend makes a request, you listen. As I began researching curry, I soon realized curry isn’t necessarily a dish. It is a blend of spices added to dishes.…

  • 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

    Easiest Sticky Rice

    Sticky rice is something that I could eat all day long! It’s also something that typically takes a day or two to perfect. Who has time, or the mental capacity to make rice the day before? I don’t! Well, if you are like me, then you will need this recipe in your life. When boiling any type of grain you typically use the 1:2 ratio. This works for white rice, brown rice, multigrain rice, quinoa, couscous…The 1:2 ration means that for every serving of grain you are going to boil, you need to add in double that in liquid. For example, if you are cooking 1 cup of rice then…

  • Food

    Coconut Lime Rice

    I am always looking for ways to spice up rice and genius hit me the other day when I was listening to this song… Well..technically I was watching Practical Magic and the Lime in the Coconut song came on and that is when the lightbulb occurred. Like most anything else in my life, my genius ideas come from the oddest places. I guess that is just how my brain works. Anyway, I had planned on making oven-roasted Hawaiian chicken kabobs for dinner and decided that coconut lime rice would pair nicely with the kabob flavors.

  • Food

    Hawaiian Kalua Pork-Instapot

    I.AM.LOVING…my instapot!!!!!!  Best appliance ever!  My mom even showed me how to hard boil eggs in it yesterday.  Tonight I made this recipe and it was a huge hit with all 4 boys…well the 3 amigos and Mr. Man.  Mr. Man kept saying the pork smelled like bacon…can’t go wrong with bacon smell.  The only 2 changes I made with the recipe was that I had to cook the pork roast for 65 minutes for it to be fork tender and I added 2 cloves of garlic minced to the marinade.  It even tasted amazing with cauliflower rice.