Pasta salad is such an easy addition to any gathering--any season. It most reminds me of spring and summer, but no holiday in my family is complete without pasta salad--and we've never had a Thanksgiving without this salad on the table. I'm going to admit, though, that I am a snob when it comes to what I deem to be an acceptable pasta salad. I just have a hard time enjoying it if it's not my mama's dish. Over time, I've developed my own style of making it, but foundation remains the same. But really, how different or complicated can pasta salad really be? I've been asking myself this same question when I taste other salads
Category: Food and Recipes
Sweet and Tangy Collard Greens
My absolute favorite way to enjoy greens--sweet and tangy, all at once. I really could eat a big plate of them by themselves--and I have! I can't think of many reasons not to serve these as the sidekick to the main dish. Actually, I just look for reasons to make them.
Cabbage and Noodles/Haluski Recipe
This is absolutely the recipe that you never knew you needed. When I think of my favorite comfort meal, this is the one. It's super simple to cook up, and even easier to enjoy. I know it's not the healthiest way to eat cabbage, but it's by far my favorite--
The Ultimate Loaded Potato Soup Recipe
It's official--today marks the beginning of Fall! I know most of us are ready to pull out those comfy sweaters and watch the leaves change and drop. But, before we start going pumpkin crazy, let's kick the season off with a bowl of soup. If I had to rank my favorite soups, I think that I'd have to say that potato soup takes the lead. It's just so savory and incredibly satisfying.
Banana Bread Bundt Cake
Banana bread is an awesome way to use up those leftover bananas that have been hanging in the fruit basket for a few days too long. If you're like me, you tend to stick with the traditional banana bread or banana muffins (which are actually my personal favorite), but sometimes we just need to change it up. Here, you can transform your usual banana bread into a beautiful bundt cake. If you want to really dress it up, drizzle a sweet brown sugar icing on top of it...now you have something that you can proudly show off in your cake dish.
Slow Cooked Carnitas Recipe
The smell of carnitas cooking in the home is so good that it always makes me think twice about my vegetarian life. Yep, I'm a vegetarian (I know meat tastes good...it's just a thought thing that I can't get over), but I grew up eating meat off-and-on, and I still cook it pretty regularly in my home for the rest of my family. I'm raising my kids to eat meat because monthly B-12 injections aren't awesome. But back to these carnitas: it takes quite a few ingredients to make at home, but many of us have a handful of them in our pantries already. Other than the ingredients, the recipe is incredibly simple--basically throw it all in a crock pot and wait about six hours! Best part is that no one would guess that you didn't spend all day working in the kitchen on these. For me, this is for sure a go-to meal for gatherings: it makes a lot, people can personalize them, a vegan can swap the meat out for beans, most people love them, and you save a lot of energy making them.
🍓 Homemade Strawberry Jam 🍓
Fresh, made-from-scratch jam beats store bought any day. I actually don't even buy jam or jelly anymore. Everyone in the home just loves this stuff, and I'm not just saying this because I want likes on my blog. It is by far my favorite jam. This may sound crazy, but it's also the first type of jam or jelly that my son will eat (we have a long history of pickiness and food anxiety with him). But best of all--this stuff only requires 3 ingredients and minimal effort, and trust me when I say that the amount of effort you put in is absolutely worth the results!
Rich and Simple Marinara Sauce
I have a deep love for all things pasta. A plate of spaghetti can almost always soothe my soul. Like, pasta love runs deep 😂. I feel like every family needs a go-to sauce recipe, and I've been on a quest to find ours. I have spent years trying to find my 'just right' sauce, and many times I've come close--but just not quite what I was looking for. I think I've finally gotten it right! Try it out served over angel hair (or mixed in). Just don't forget to top it with fresh Parmesan and basil!
Fresh Lemonade Recipe
The summer is quickly coming to an end, so I thought we could say goodbye to it with a proper lemonade. While we may not have been able to do much traveling or beach lounging this year, nothing was stopping us from sitting on our back porch with a cold glass of lemonade in hand. I love making fresh lemonade for myself *ahem* my family. It really does out perform instant lemonade every time! The kids even love helping out with this recipe. They even sat outside and sold this stuff at their first lemonade stand recently (lucky neighbors). They made $20 that day, and it really had me rethinking my life options.
Uncomplicated Mexican Street Corn Recipe
I👏love👏this👏stuff👏. No seriously, I really do. I'm pretty sure it's making my family crazy because I manage to add it as a side in every Mexican dish that I make lately...and we do Mexican night a lot. It tastes sooooo good and tangy, and creamy, and sweet (you can even add some heat to it if you prefer)--and it's just so pretty, too 😍. I love when you see it authentically grilled and served with the husks pulled down. Now, mine is not made or served that way because ain't nobody got time for a grill or house fire (that I feel I would somehow manage by leaving the husks on while cooking). If you do have time to grill--go for it! My version is super simple because you can just pop it right in the oven while you are busy preparing your main dish, and you don't have to be super precise with the amount of time that you are leaving it in there either, so it's less stressful.
