I think Jello shots taste better if you’re underage or at a fraternity party. Both of which were more than a couple years ago for me. I would have liked to have been drinking Veuve but I had two hot dates and couldn’t risk my vision being impaired or just falling asleep. My first hot date was with my pal, Lightroom. I was knee deep in chocolate photos that I wanted to edit....

Check out more candy recipes! Try these Oreo Balls, Rocky Road, Caramel Popcorn, or Chocolate Covered Marshmallows! It’s no secret that I have a thing for homemade candy, especially this Almond Joy recipe that is so quick and easy to make, and tastes way better than store-bought. Almond Joy Ingredients: Coconut Marshmallows Corn Syrup Almonds Vanilla Chocolate How to Make Almond Joys: Melt Marshmallows: In a medium saucepan add corn syrup, marshmallows, and salt and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the marshmallows are melted....

If you love bread and roll recipes, try Garlic Knots, Cinnamon Rolls, Homemade Breadsticks, or Buttermilk Biscuits! How to make Homemade Rolls: Dough: Proof yeast by mixing warm water, yeast, and a pinch of sugar and rest for 5-10 minutes, until it’s foamy on top. Add remaining sugar, warm milk, butter, egg, and salt and mix to combine. Slowly add flour while it mixes on low speed. Knead in mixer for about 5-6 minutes, until smooth and elastic....

comment icon 65 more comments Yes. Stay with me here. Because my second goal is to get you to use your rice cooker to make your breakfast for you. And then my third goal is to get you to truly enjoy steel cut oats. Because I know, like, one crazy person who actually likes a big bowl of those harsh grains, and I am not that one person. Harsh is a weird way to describe food, but do you know what I mean?...

Looking for more side dishes? Try my Thanksgiving Stuffing, Sweet Potato Casserole, or the Best Homemade Rolls! Why I love these potatoes: EASY – This is the easiest and quickest way to make mashed potatoes, and I love that don’t have to wait for a big pot of water to boil. Learn all of my instant pot tips and tricks! Delicious – This is one “cheater” method I am a fan of since it tastes just as good as the stovetop mashed potatoes!...

Italian Dressing Pasta Salad … with Chicken! There’s flavor and texture galore in every bite of this dish! Tender chicken, al dente pasta, juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, the peppery bite of basil, salty parmesan cheese, all perfumed with lemon juice, lemon zest, and Italian seasoning. It’s healthy, perfect for busy nights, and makes a big enough batch that you can have some planned leftovers for work or school lunches. You can serve it warm or chilled, and since there’s no mayo it’s great for potlucks, picnics, and parties....

comment icon 65 more comments Indian food (read: take out) is at the tippy top of the food chain around this house. We affectionately call it the “leak” in our bank account. Well, one of the leaks. Part of our cutting-back-on-Indian-food spending plan is that I need to learn how to make Indian food, stat. This Kickin’ Cashew Chicken fits the bill! It’s seriously kickin’ without being too complicated for a regular Midwestern home cook like mahself....

I don’t know. I just don’t even want to talk about it. But I do want to talk about this lemon berry smoothie. Lemon zest + fresh berries + ice cream = sweet, refreshing bliss! You can’t get this novelty from one of those ice cream trucks. And I’m talking about the ones (OK, specifically the one that I saw today) that is operating out of an all-white conversion van, with scary, too-friendly music playing from the inside of the van, probably on a tape player, and “ICE CREAM” window clings stuck on the side against the wood paneling....

Skillet Loaded Nacho Recipe I cannot resist homemade nachos, especially when they’re loaded with all of my favorites like seasoned ground beef, black, beans, corn, cilantro, and of course, plenty of melted cheese. I cannot resist (melted) cheese in any form. That’s just a fact. And with all the different ingredients there is so much texture and so many Mexican-inspired flavors going on in every bite. These ground beef nachos are so fast and easy and are ready in just 15 minutes from start to finish....

Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos If you’re looking for easy but healthy, vegetarian comfort food that the whole family will love, look no further than these easy black bean burritos. They’re like a Mexican fiesta in your mouth and you’ll never miss the meat. There is something so comforting about a warm burrito that’s loaded to the max with black beans, rice, red bell peppers, diced tomatoes and green chiles, cheese, and topped with chunky salsa....

Did you know you can SAVE your favorite recipes and ANY of my meal plans? Simply create an account (it’s free)! To save this meal plan to your recipe collection, click here. You can even swap out recipes with your favorites. Print Shopping List We’ve been sharing 5-day weekly meal plans for many years now and we love the feedback we get from those of you who found our meal plans and who are using them regularly....

Did you know you can SAVE your favorite recipes and ANY of my meal plans? Simply create an account (it’s free)! To save this meal plan to your recipe collection, click here. You can even swap out recipes with your favorites. Print Shopping List We’ve been sharing 5-day weekly meal plans for many years now and we love the feedback we get from those of you who found our meal plans and who are using them regularly....

The next time you need a family-friendly breakfast, brunch, or breakfast-for-dinner recipe that has Mexican-inspired flavors, look no further that this one. It’s hearty, fast, easy, there are big chunks of taco-seasoned sausage in every bite along with juicy red peppers, and it’s extra cheesy. That’s because I used two packages of Horizon Organic Mexican Style Organic Shredded Cheese. Make any dish better with a sprinkle of this organic cheesy goodness....

Mini Taco Cups Recipe Everything just tastes better when it’s baked in individual portions. The cute factor makes it hard to resist devouring the whole batch of these taco tortilla cups. Whip up the taco cups for a fast and easy dinner option on busy weeknights. Extras can be easily tossed into lunches for the next day. Or they’re perfect as an easy party appetizer that tastes more complicated than it really is!...

It had been 3 whole weeks and my hearing had normalized so any sane woman would turn her Vita on at 2am after being awake for 24+ hours if she was apart from her beloved appliance for 3 weeks, right? I looked around the kitchen and my vat of coconut flakes and coconut oil were calling out to be used. If you like cookie dough, infused with the flavors of coconut, these are for you....

Truffles are so good but they’re a pain to make. These sliceable bites provide the richness of a fudgy brownie crossed with the decadence of a truffle, minus any tedious rolling or dipping. I didn’t know what to make with the remaining Nutella after the Nutella Cinnamon Rolls but I started thinking truffles. And promptly talked myself out of that idea. I just don’t have the patience to melt chocolate with heavy cream, wait for it chill for a few hours, only to have to roll out dozens of little balls, which each require being dipped in melted chocolate or dredged through cocoa powder....

Quick and Easy Soup with Ground Beef and Pasta During this chilly time of year, soup recipes are the most popular on my website. I love soups throughout the year but especially now because they are warm and cozy. This one is hearty and it’s pure comfort food in a bowl. For anyone who says that soup is not a meal, this filling soup with ground beef and pasta will prove them wrong....

comment icon 78 more comments You can make risotto in the oven! Is oven risotto news to you? Have I just been living under a sad, dry, risotto-less rock for, like, forever? I feel like I’ve been missing out so hardcore on the possibility to a) keep my cool, and b) still eat Parmesany, lemony, restaurant-level risotto for dinner. Essentially what we have here is the best parts of risotto – sauteed garlic, a splash of dry white wine, and that perfect flavor-trio of lemon and butter and Parmesan all packaged up in impossibly creamy texture – with an BONUS thing that isn’t normally a part of risotto – a little extra time on your hands....

Palitaw is the weirdest and most addicting little snack that I’ve probably ever had. I say that about all of these recipes, don’t I? About the addicting part? But really, this one is. Truly. Palitaw is actually glutinous rice flour and water mixed into a dough, rolled into balls, boiled until they’re soft and kind of chewy, and rolled in coconut and sugar. And if you’re having a party, you decorate them with colored sugar or food coloring and put ’em on a stick, because food on a stick = party....

Check out more Italian recipes like Chicken Cacciatore, Tomato and Basil Bruschetta, and Classic Italian Risotto! This easy panzanella salad is the result of a perfect mix of simple and organic ingredients. Thanks to the raw onion, it stays nice and crispy, which is the magic of this salad: soft bread and vegetables that crunch! Why we love this recipe: Fresh: The cucumber and vinegar provide a fresh, summery flavor....