There are two foods my kids are obsessed with right now – potatoes and rice. This is a new thing for us. And it’s keeping things interesting for me because before this obsession I really didn’t cook potatoes and rice regularly. Now I find myself bookmarking recipes like this homemade rice-a-roni from Heather because I just know it will be a hit amongst the fam.

Now if I could get sweet potatoes onto this obsession wagon I would be a very happy cooking mama. Something about the orange is making the kiddos turn away from their plate. If they only knew and remembered how much they loved that weird orange food just a couple of years ago when they ate them all the time.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

There are a million ways you can season and roast potatoes in the oven. This little roasted red potatoes with smoked paprika recipe has become quite popular on Pinterest. I’ve made it plenty of times, as I have already made this dill version a few times in the past month. I like to change up the shape of how I’m cutting them (crinkle cut is fun like in my perfectly baked Italian herb French fries) as well as the combination of spices every time I cook them.

When you are cutting your potatoes make sure you are using a strong, sharp knife (like a chef’s knife or santuko knife). If you’re looking for a crinkle cutter to change up the shape of your fries, there are some great ones out there!

You all loved these grilled bison burgers, and that made me (and my hubby) happy. We think you’ll also love these potato wedges that are perfect alongside any burger you cook up this summer.

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Earlier this summer my daughter requested I make a pasta salad. She didn’t have to ask me twice! I always love a good pasta salad and tend to volunteer to make them whenever invited to a potluck, but I have to admit I avoid making them for our meals at home because honestly, I don’t have a lot of self control when it comes to eating pasta. Knowing that more of that big bowl of pasta salad will be shared with more of my family gave me more incentive to make it for dinner a few times this summer (my husband and daughter will eat it, my older son is still not on board but I have a feeling our littlest guy will be a fan soon enough).

I used quinoa pasta for this pasta salad recipe (found a great big bag at Costco recently), but your favorite whole wheat or regular pasta would work just fine. I kept things simple and summery with sliced raw zucchini, shredded carrots and grape tomatoes. The bite sized pieces of chicken sausage made it a tad heartier (for those that don’t think pasta salad could count as a meal) but the sausage could easily be replaced with beans to turn this pasta salad into a vegetarian dish. And because I’m all about shortcuts these days I used a bottled vinaigrette – this one from Brianna’s was just recenly introduced to me by my friend Shari and I am absolutely in love with it (among a few of their others).

Since I know I have a hard time controlling myself around pasta, I try to bulk up my pasta dishes with as many vegetables as possible. I added a couple large handfuls of spinach and baby kale mix to a serving of this garden pasta salad with a couple extra splashes of dressing. It was perfect. My husband and daughter approved and agreed!

Hope everyone is having a GREAT summer! xo

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We’ve entered the time of year where I am seeing requests for recipes using zucchini everywhere I turn. Zucchini seems to take over gardens, farmer’s markets and produce sections for a good part of summer and I love finding new ways to incorporate it into everyday recipes to keep things interesting.

When my kids were little, I always sliced a zucchini and sprinkled it with salt to give them as a snack on the counter while I cooked dinner. They never questioned what they were eating, and they finished up their healthy raw zucchini snack without complaining every single time (this made me so happy!!). I started eating it this way with them too and over the years started adding raw zucchini (and yellow squash) into salads more regularly. I think it makes a great healthy addition to a salad, especially when you add in some crunch from nuts and sweetness from raisins like in this Zucchini and Walnut Arugula Salad.

Walnuts are one of my favorite nuts to throw into salads. They have a ton of flavor when roasted (or quickly toasted up in a skillet) but I find myself eating them raw more often due to a bit of laziness but more importantly for added health benefits. Whether they are roasted or raw, they are an absolute must in almost every salad I make, especially in the summer time!

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I shared these baked old bay fries on the blog a few years back but wanted to share the recipe again because they are one of my husband’s favorites. Before my husband and I got together, I honestly don’t think I knew what Old Bay seasoning was. My husband and his family introduced me to the world of Old Bay (through crab cakes, crab and shrimp boils, salmon cakes, shrimp salad and these fries). I’m thinking if you are from the Maryland area you are pretty familiar with it as well. 😉

The best part of these easy baked up french fries (other than the Old Bay)? The splash of malt vinegar right before serving. They make the perfect side to grilled burgers or broiled fish. Enjoy!

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Over Spring Break my sister in law, my niece and I spent a morning out on Park Avenue in Winter Park. If you are from Central Florida then you probably are familiar with this part of town. It’s a perfectly quaint and cozy brick lined street full of shops and restaurants, perfect for walking – especially on a gorgeous Spring day in Florida. You seriously can’t beat it.

I’m not much of a “shopper” (I like to get in and out of stores, no lingering for me), but something about Park Avenue always draws me in. The stores are different, there is something for everyone – it’s a very relaxing way of shopping in my opinion, I think the scenery and walking in the open air have a lot to do with it. On this particular day of shopping spices and jewelry were on the agenda.

I treated myself to my first Alex and Ani bracelet ensemble…perfect for spring and summer don’t ya think?

and a spontaneous stop at one of my favorite places to eat happened too.

(Lunch at Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine: we ordered their famous Lavas bread, hummus plate and 2 lunch specials to share – Doner Kebap and Chicken Adana Kebap – so delicious and SO MUCH FOOD!)

On that shopping trip I came home with a new spice blend that combined cayenne & ground black pepper. I’ve been sprinkling it on so much stuff (eggs, tuna, salads) and it was even more awesome on these potatoes. I made them a second time making them without the spice “blend” but with actual measurements of cayenne and black pepper just so I can share it with you.

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A perfect addition to your plate!

I absolutely cherish my time at home with my family on the weekends. My husband’s work schedule can be demanding, so the weekends have always been time to really reconnect the family unit and basically “chill out”. Our favorite kind of weekend day is what we declare “pool day!” where we get what needs to be done done, then get in our suits, turn on some music and bust out the blender for some frosty drinks (that has actually been put on hold for now obviously) poolside. Those are the days we usually grill out too, which is always a win.

Due to a bit of a crazy season my family’s been in lately, our “pool days” seem to have become far and few between. It happens, so when we actually get a free day to just chill, it’s extra special and definitely appreciated.

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If there is one meal my kids get excited about, it’s kebabs. I’m not sure what it is about kebabs, but when I say that’s what we are having for dinner I always get a big “HURRAY!” from everyone. It makes me wonder why I don’t make them more often.

This simple and flavorful kebab recipe comes from the newest cookbook from the people at America’s Test Kitchen. It’s named 6 Ingredient Solution and when I was asked if I wanted to check out a copy for review, I couldn’t resist after reading it’s name. 6 ingredients?? Right before the busy school year is about to start? Yes, please. Talk about perfect timing.

As with all of their other cookbooks, America’s Test Kitchen 6 Ingredient Solution is chock full of recipes and tips that are tried and true. I always learn something new from the side notes that are included with each recipe – sometimes it’s a favorite ingredient that they prefer to use, most of the time it’s a technique with an unfamiliar (or familiar!) ingredient.

This Aloha Kebabs with Sesame Rice recipe is a busy weeknight dinner’s dream come true. The ingredient list is what drew me in, I always have cooked chicken sausage in the freezer and they defrost super quick (for someone who always forgets to defrost, that is a good thing). The rest of the straight-forward ingredients can be easily found already in your pantry (hoisin, sesame oil, rice) or picked up at the grocery store (peppers and pineapple). Cooking up the kebabs under the broiler with minimal effort on my part – as opposed to grilling them – was also something that intrigued me. This dinner literally came together in just about 30 minutes (give or take – with prep), and I can see it being even faster if you take a few minutes to put the kebabs together earlier in the day before dinnertime.

I even got my daughter involved with dinner prep, which is something I admit I don’t often do. Brushing on the hoisin sauce was a perfect job for her!

A few (several, actually) recipes from the cookbook I think my family will love:

Chicken Pizzaiola with Pasta

Polenta Casserole with Sausage and Peppers

Roasted Tomato and Corn Tostadas

Meatloaf Florentine

Egg, Ham and Hashbrown Pie

Mushroom-Miso Soup with Shrimp and Udon

Roasted Cod Fillets with Crispy Potatoes and Lemon

Dinner is served – enjoy!

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Life seems to happen when you least expect it. Two Sundays ago my son and I were on our way to church together with the plan of hitting up the grocery store with a shopping list full of recipe ingredients my family brainstormed that morning to cook up that afternoon and throughout the week (we were inspired the night before while watching Masterchef). Within the hour instead of to the grocery store, I was turned around and driving like lightning to the town I grew up in to see my grandfather in the ICU who took a turn after being admitted into the hospital for pneumonia two days before. I can’t even begin to tell you the heaviness I felt in my chest as I took that drive.

After a long, emotional roller coaster week, I am so thankful and happy to say that my sweet grandpa is on the mend. He is still in the hospital, and the road to recovery is still in front of him, but he is well on his way, thank God. He is a strong as an ox man that “can’t wait to get home and cook again” (his words yesterday). We can’t wait either.

It only felt right to share with you today a recipe for Ricotta and Spinach Fritters that my mom and grandparents have always made for us over the years. The last time I was home to visit, my mom had a plate of these “fritelli” (though made with swiss chard from the garden) sitting on the counter and my daughter and I pretty much polished off the entire plate during our visit. Growing up, it was not uncommon to have a plate of these out most afternoons for snacking. They are even delicious cold and straight out of the fridge. They are reminiscent of these summer squash and zucchini fritters that we also love and make often, but with the addition of some rich and creamy ricotta.

Enjoy.

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More often than not, I find myself with a small container of leftover roasted vegetables in my fridge. I don’t love eating leftover roasted vegetables on their own, but I do love adding them to other foods – especially frittatas.

This Roasted Zucchini and Onion Frittata Wrap came together in literally just a few minutes. I found myself extremely hungry at lunchtime one day (no surprise) and eggs seem to be my go-to lately. As I look at the picture of the wrap, I have to laugh because it looks HUGE. I was definitely a stuffed pregnant lady after I ate this so I will say this could easily become 2 wraps instead of one. All you would have to do is cut it down the middle after it’s all cooked up, and put each half on a tortilla. Or if you are finding that you have a monstrous appetite one day, then go ahead and eat it all up yourself, no judging here that’s for sure!

And of course, a little ketchup or sriracha only makes it better. 😉

What I love about this frittata wrap is that it would also make a fantastic “breakfast for dinner” option as well.

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This morning I’m playing total catch up. I spent the weekend up the road with my family and a bunch of blogger friends at Walt Disney World attending Food Blog Forum for the third year in a row (here’s last year’s recap). To say we had a great time would be an understatement. From Friday until late Sunday, I got to play in the parks with my family as well as connect with and get to know better other food bloggers that I have known virtually for years, as well as ones I met for the first time this weekend. My mind is processing it all this morning, absorbing all the notes I wrote while in sessions Saturday, as well as reliving all the moments I was able to have with people I talk with almost daily but only see in person maybe once a year, if that. It’s mind boggling sometimes. But as always, after a conference like this, I’m home feeling refreshed, revived and so thankful for what I do, write and share here on my blog. It’s truly evolved and grown over the years, starting as a fun creative hobby and now giving me the opportunity to work at home part-time while my kids are still young, exactly how I’ve always wanted it. Sometimes in the busy-ness of it all, it’s good and necessary to stop and really appreciate it all the way it should be appreciated. On that note, I have to say, I’m always so grateful for all of you who pop over here to read my words and see what I’m cooking in my kitchen. My goal with this blog has always been to share my love of g00d food with others, and to hopefully inspire someone to cook a meal for their family or try something new or different – in the same way I’m always inspired by others with the same passion. Needless to say, when I hear from a reader (or friend!) who’s made something from this blog and enjoyed it, well…that just puts a huge smile on my face and completely makes my day.

Today’s little salad is not necessarily a recipe. I always struggle with the feeling of having to share real “recipes” here, but in reality, most of the time I’m throwing together stuff on a whim – and if it works and I think it’s absolutely delicious, well, then I want to tell you about it, real “recipe” or not.

It’s hard to really say who the star of this salad is. This mixed greens salad mix I have been making is definitely key but the avocado and crunchy spring radishes really make a statement too. What pulls this combination together though, in a way that makes you want to have the same salad the next day, is the oil I’m using. I picked up this Roasted Almond Oil one day while shopping at Home Goods (they have such a great foodie section, don’t they?) and I have to be honest, for a while it just sat on my counter unused. I finally decided to give it a taste one day, and I was completely blown away by the truly delicious roasted almond flavor. I’ve been drizzling it on my salads ever since – no vinegar, just a light drizzle of this fragrant oil along with a pinch of coarse salt and pepper

I haven’t used the oil it for anything else really, but when I do I’ll be sure to let you know. I imagine it would be a wonderful finishing oil to freshly steamed or roasted green beans or to use in cooking a light fish dinner. I would be pretty happy dipping a chunk of bread in it too. 😉

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