Easy Layered Taco Salad for a Crowd This layered ground beef taco salad reminds me of every potluck, picnic, church basement, and graduation party type of salad I ate growing up. It is so dang good, so easy, ready in 20 minutes, makes a hefty batch, and I know that it’s a crowd-pleaser with kids and adults alike. The adults can feel good knowing there’s lettuce, tomatoes, and red peppers, while the kids can feel good knowing there are chips in a salad....

comment icon 28 more comments English Muffin Baklava Lindsay’s Notes I saw this idea in a Taste of Home magazine that my mother-in-law gave me and I basically turned around and made it five minutes later. It’s one of those recipes where you go, “Hey, that’s a good idea! And I have everything I need!” Which means you can make it fast, and repeatedly. Which is exactly what I did – correction – still am doing....

To save this meal plan (and even swap our some of the recipes), add it to your recipe collection, click here Did you know you can SAVE your favorite recipes and ANY of my meal plans? Simply create an account (it’s free)! Print Shopping List We’ve been sharing 5-day weekly meal plans for many years now and are are so excited to introduce these budget meal plans, as well as vegetarian, low carb, and other seasonal meal plans!...

I spent Sunday afternoon at my desk editing. And then in my kitchen and baking. With lots of butter… …And chocolate …And peanut butter …and peanut butter cups. And oh boy, it was a very productive afternoon. How did you spend your Sunday and the first day of 2012? How did you spend New Years Eve? I went wild and crazy with Jello Shots. Or something like that. Happy New Year!...

Sometimes I need, want, just completely love green foods. This is one of those major big times since I’m still coming down from two weeks of vacation where, for me, green foods take a back seat to grilled pork and freshly caught and fried Walleye tacos. So I’m ready, guys. Bring me the green things! This pasta salad contains 1-2-3-4-5 fresh, healthy ingredients assuming that olive oil and salt don’t count towards my total cause you’re nice like that....

Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting Recipe This marshmallow buttercream frosting is rich, sweet, smooth, and soft. It’s essential in my three-layer Smores Cake and is used between the layers, around the the cake, and helps the marshmallows I pile on top to adhere better. It is a perfect piping frosting because it’s neither so dense you can’t spread it, nor so thin that it refuses to stay where you put it. It’s wonderful on top of cupcakes, brownies, or just smear it between a couple of graham crackers when you’re craving a midnight snack....

Do you love grilling recipes? Try our Turkey Burgers, Pork Tenderloin, Steak Kabobs, Chicken Street Tacos, or Jerk Chicken Bowl! Why I love this recipe: Next Level – Everyone loves a classic burger, but this French Onion Burger is truly something special and restaurant worthy! Flavorful – We add onion soup mix (either homemade or a packet of store-bought) to the beef to give it the signature flavor. The Toppings – Top the burger with the simplest caramelized onions and horseradish sauce....

Looking for more breakfast recipes to make in advance? Try my Overnight Cinnamon Rolls, Overnight Breakfast Casserole, or Strawberry Overnight Oats! Why I love this recipe: The Topping – The easy topping really sets this recipe apart from others and makes it the best french toast casserole. It adds the perfect crunchy texture on top, and tastes incredible! Make Ahead – Nothing beats a breakfast recipe that I can just throw in the oven when I wake up....

When it comes to summer BBQ’s, especially parties for Memorial Day or the Fourth of July, I’ve come to learn that people like to keep it simple. Throw some meat on the grill, cold drinks in the cooler, and a big assortment of cold salads and fresh fruit. That is my kind of summer bbq! If you ever need food ideas for a summer party, don’t miss my roundup of the BEST sides dishes to bring to a bbq!...

I received this package in the mail from Garden of Eatin’ A bit about the company and chips: Garden of Eatin’, the number one brand of organic tortilla chips sold in grocery stores, offers 38 varieties of intriguing flavors including signature Blue Chips to bolder offerings such as Red Hot Blues and, as a healthier alternative to the average chip, Multigrain Blues. Garden of Eatin’ only uses organic corn, harvested by sustainable farming partners....

comment icon 213 more comments Now listen – a tomato-butter sauce situation bubbling gently on the stove, and yes, thanks for asking, it is as absolutely luscious as it sounds x10. You should know that it’s also studded with white beans a quick pinch of grated parmesan, and served atop tender, flaky, flavorful barramundi (THE ULTIMATE SUSTAINABLE AND TASTY WHITE FISH WHICH WE LOVE). Wows. These are seriously exciting food times....

And food blogging only exaggerates it. comment icon 175 more comments How To Make Our Garlic Butter Spaghetti (50 SEC): For example. That one time. Did I really need to add the grated apple, caramelized onions, butternut squash sauce, and crumbled bacon to what started as a simple mac and cheese? Actually, yes. That was a bad example. But my over-zealous inner food blogger loves adding extra, sometimes unnecessary, and dare I even say distracting?...

And someone needs a little outing and a fun surprise. So, we’re off to go Halloween Costume Shopping When I asked my Little Princess what she wants to be, she replied, “A pink Princess, Mom. I already told you.” Yes, she did. As in, every previous year of her life. This will be the fourth year in a row she has requested to be a pink princess. Year 1 (don’t have the photos on my computer) Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 (pink princess pictures coming on October 31) photo source She also requested a magic wand, pink high heels, and a pink pumpkin....

A mess that starts with slurpy delicious noodles and ends with creamy fettuccine alfredo sauce. comment icon 381 more comments I’m of the belief that Alfredo sauce is King. Even deep red tomato sauces (which are supposed to be deep and red) are at their best with the addition of a little cream. Which makes them not deep red anymore and more like a pinky-orange. Pink is fun, right? It’s just like I just try to make everything into Alfredo....

comment icon 173 more comments Creamy cauliflower sauce, I mean. How long has it been now? Years? I first posted the recipe for that garlicky, creamy, healthier Alfredo type sauce in 2012, and then in 2013 I wrote a whole bunch of other recipes including a whole ecookbook with recipes using the cauliflower sauce because you and I both Could. Not. Stop. and now here it is again! Making it’s grand entrance back into my life in the most delicious pan-roasted mushroom way....

These little guys were my first “viral” recipe originally published in October of 2011 – and today, April 25th, 2015, I’m bringing them back to life and dying with food happiness all over again. It’s the circle of food life. comment icon 257 more comments These healthy sweet potato skins are one of my all-time blog favorites – and they’re a reader favorite, too! We love sweet potato skins around here (see also: this delicious spicy chipotle variation!...

Others include: Girl Scout Thin Mints, Girl Scout Samoas Cookies, Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies, Hostess Chery Pies, Dairy Queen Heath Bar Blizzards. Shall I continue? Twinkies and their spongy, yellow cakey goodness, their ability to stay fresh while wrapped in cellophane for years and years, are just amazing little logs of preservatives. And that marshmallow fluffy filling. It’s so sweet and smooth; airy yet oddly dense. I wish I could figure out how the Hostess people make it or at the very least, I wish I could hook up an IV drip and mainline it....

PERFECT for weekend brunches or special holiday mornings like Easter, Mother’s Day, Christmas, or New Year’s! Use ready-made foods from your bakery or grocery store so all that remains is FAST and EASY assembly! What Is a Breakfast or Brunch Board? This is my dream come true when it comes to breakfast and brunch! If I woke up to this, it would totally make my day and I think most people would feel the same way....

Or the fastest and most flavorful snack known to busy woman. It’s a slice it ‘n spear it special. Make the brown sugar and balsamic reduction dipping sauce in just a few minutes. And clear out your sinuses from the vinegar vapors in the process. My $5 thrift store find dishes were begging to be used and I wouldn’t say I made this just so I could use them in some photographs, but I kind of did....

There’s only 31 calories per cup of squash and you get a lot of bang for your buck. In this season of cookies, candy, booze, and treats at every turn, filling up on vegetables and not Red Velvet Cupcakes is how I avoid the Freshman 15. Or the Holiday Season 15. If you’ve never had spaghetti squash, I won’t say it tastes just like real spaghetti or angel hair pasta....