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Roasted Heirloom Tomato Soup—aka: Homemade Spaghetti-os
I have a tumultuous relationship with tomatoes…I want to love them, but in fact, I cannot stand them! I don’t know if it is texture, or it could be I have some PTSD from my childhood when my parents would can stewed tomatoes in the fall and it was one of the worst smells I’ve ever encountered. The smell was SO potent that my hair and clothes smelled like stewed tomatoes and inevitably some kid at school would comment on the smell. That being said, tomatoes are gorgeous! The vibrant color, the smooth texture of the skin. Heirloom tomatoes are my favorite, there is just something about their ugliness that…
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Autumn Fruit Salsa
One of my favorite past-times is visiting my grandparent’s strawberry farm/orchard in Oregon and helping eat pick strawberries, cherries, apricots and all things yummy and sweet. For a long, while I refused to eat strawberries that had been washed, I would only eat dirty strawberries right off the bush. My love of fruit has been passed along to my children, so keeping it around long enough to actually do something with it, other than consuming it, is rather rare. BUT…every once in a while, I am able to throw together what I like to call fruit salsa. My favorite is the ripe fruit around this time of year, peaches, apricots,…
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Copy Cat Viva Chicken Stuffed Avocado
If you are a giant foodie like I am, then you too come across some truly amazing finds that you can’t easily obtain. Viva Chicken is one of those finds for me. There is only one…yes…ONE location on this side of the Rockies. Thankfully it is located in St. George, UT which happens to be about a 90-minute drive away. While I am not completely up a creek without a paddle, it is still rather unobtainable on a daily basis. If you have had the privilege of frequenting a Viva Chicken, then you know the amazing Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken flavor they exude. If you live on the Eastcoast, then please…
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Easy Homemade Smoothie Bowls
A recent food trend has been acai bowls or smoothie bowls. They are super yummy and filling. Most often they are also packed with vitamins and minerals and very heart-healthy. The place that is close to my house is one of my most favorite places to treat myself to…but, one bowl is $9 and for that much, I can make my whole family their own smoothie bowls at home. While it is super convenient to have someone else make one for you, I do enjoy creating them at home where I can control the ingredients. The key to smoothie bowls is to make sure the thickness of the puree is…
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Quick Instapot Lasagna
My family has absolutely no Italian heritage, but my boys could eat anything pasta and/or anything with cheeses and marinara til they die. When I cook a recipe and can make it super quick in my instapot, everyone is happy. This recipe takes less than 30 minutes start-to-finish and is a definite crowd pleaser. If you want the vegetarian/vegan version or the gluten-free tips then scroll to the bottom. Enjoy! To make this dish vegetarian, instead of pork sausage, diced eggplant and zucchini are super yummy. Once the olive oil has been drizzled, add in the diced eggplant and zucchini and just saute slightly with the dried onions and red…
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Moroccan Chili and Couscous
Back before Pinterest, I watched the Food Network channel religiously. Rachel Ray, Giada, and Sunny Anderson were some of my favorites. I especially loved Rachel’s 30 Minute Meals. If I could make an amazing meal for my family in the time it would take my boys to watch 2 Curious Georges then it was a huge win for me. I hoarded recipes like crazy. It would drive Matthew nuts because our DVR would fill up with all of the food shows I recorded. Now, I mostly create my own recipes and when that fails I search Pinterest. BUT, I have my favorites from the good o’le days…and Moroccan Chili and…
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Creamy Pasta Primavera
Sunday dinners are some of my most favorite family time; especially now that we have church in the morning. I have plenty of time to prep and cook. This week I had a bunch of fresh veggies that I needed to use up before they went bad, so I thought that pasta primavera would be perfect. And…being that while my boys do like vegetables, they snub their noses as what they call ‘exotic vegetables’…also known as squash. I also know that adding cheese helps ease their snobby attitudes. This creamy pasta primavera recipe was a hit, hands down. Keep scrolling for the recipe. Ingredients: 1lb farfalle pasta 1 medium zucchini…
