Here’s a few pictures from today Madeline being an amazing sport and playing with Dido the Crawling Gloved Puppet, keeping Skylar happy for the pic I “only” had One Coffee Today. I impress myself with my own restraint sometimes! Skylar was punchy enough for all of us today! No coffee required. The lighting is pretty poor, but hey, we’re not all food bloggers used to “getting the shot”, with less-than-perfect-lighting-conditions notwithstanding....

Homemade Vegetable Soup and Broth Recipe ‘Tis the season for colds, flus, and sickey germs everywhere. This vegetable broth soup is the perfect antidote to all that. It’s so easy to make by just chopping up veggies, putting them into a pot, covering with water, and letting it simmer for an hour or two. I make this homemade vegetable soup for both the broth and the soup. I’d rather sip on a cup of warm broth than coffee when I feel my throat getting a little scratchy or when I have a weird “I may be coming down with something” feeling....

comment icon 120 more comments The bakery in my hometown was famous for their chicken and dumpling soup, so I’ve eaten a lot of chicken and dumplings in my life. Growing up, it was essential to know when chicken and dumpling day was, and it was a need-to-get-there-early type situation so that you didn’t miss out. Chicken and dumplings, in this very weeknight SOS-friendly version, is something between a stew and a soup – it’s just a bowl of humble, comforting, creamy goodness....

It’s a beautiful thing when you find the perfect instant pot recipe that also makes an all-in-one dinner. This recipe ranks right up there with my old favorites, Instant Pot Chicken Taco Bowls and Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta. Instant Pot Chicken and Rice I am REALLY excited to share this instant pot chicken thighs recipe with you. It’s truly a keeper; the kind of instant pot recipe that you are going to want to save forever....

Easy Chili Mac … in an Instant Pot! When you get hit with a craving for cheesy comfort food, this easy chili mac will hit the spot! It’s easy to make in an Instant Pot. Elbow macaroni cooks together with onions, ground beef, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, with two types of luscious melted cheeses. Because the chili mac is made in an Instant Pot, it’s truly a one-pot recipe that’s ready in 20 minutes....

comment icon 58 more comments This is quite possibly the most SOS recipe that there ever was, and it has a real cute name in our house: Spaghetti Bites. The normal name for this would be “Instant Pot Pasta and Meatballs” but considering that this resembles actual spaghetti and meatballs, and that it also reminds me of a big bowl of spaghetti-O’s, and given the fact that I have a two-year-old and a four-year-old in the house, it’s going to be hard for me not to call these Spaghetti Bites....

I’m also a huge fan of appetizers-as-my-dinner and when there’s cheese involved I have no willpower. And it’s a huge bonus if it’s easy, no-bake, and can be made in advance. These layered cheese slices are as easy as it gets. There’s a layer of doctored up cream cheese with a dash of hot sauce, chopped Fisher Pecan Halves, and dried cranberries in between cheddar slices. The hot sauce adds flavor but doesn’t make it spicy while the pecans and berries add crunch and chewiness....

Baked Salmon with Lemon Garlic Butter Butter that’s infused with lemon, garlic, and a touch of honey helps give this salmon tons of flavor and keeps it extremely moist and tender. This baked salmon recipe is a spinoff of my recipes for Sheet Pan Honey Lemon Salmon, Honey Dijon Salmon, and Sheet Pan Orange Chili Salmon. This version incorporates garlic, because why not? My family loves garlic and since salmon is a robust fish, it can stand up to the garlic without being overwhelmed....

Skylar and I have had a super busy day. I did a couple loads of laundry, washed sheets, we’re still working on that potty-learning thing, and then we jetted off to Whole Foods. More on what I got ina minute. But first, thanks for the nice comments about my Coconut Ginger Roasted Veggies from yesterday. You know I love my raw veggies, but fennel is one I much prefer cooked....

When I think of a chocolate lover’s dream, this is the cake that comes to mind! It’s called a “Mississippi Mud” cake because of the layers of soft marshmallow and chocolate that make up the topping and frosting. It’s one of the easiest cakes to make, baked in a simple 9×13” pan. I adapted the recipe from my favorite Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake recipe but instead of buttermilk I used milk and sour cream for an extra moist and tender cake....

Most of my days start with a workout. I have posted about my 20 minute at-home workout moves. It was really important for me a few months ago to streamline what I was doing for my workouts between cardio, yoga, lifting, core work, abs, and more. And make it all fit into a nice, neat, and time-efficient package. 20 minutes of cardio (run or walk outdoors, I don’t do machines) + 20 minutes for everything else (yoga, lifting, core, etc) = 40 minutes....

This one sure gave it a run for the money. You can’t compare Funfetti, cake batter, and sprinkles with salted caramel, bourbon, and Nutter Butter cookies. Apples and oranges. But it sure has been fun taste-testing. Good thing I don’t mind cardio and love to run. It’s a no-cook recipe so you don’t have to stand around whisking eggs, cream, and sugar together, then having to wait for them to cool....

This is not traditional baklava and I’m sure a Greek grandmother somewhere is cursing me. But I sure was happy. This is the first time I’ve ever made baklava and it was a bucket list item I can happily check off. It clearly isn’t traditional baklava with nuts layered in between buttered sheets phyllo dough because I don’t like nuts in my sweets. I only tolerate them in traditional baklava because something about those sweet, flaky layers, drenched in honey syrup are irresistible....

Easy Turkey Hawaiian Roll Sliders Recipe My readers love my sliders recipes and this version gives you a way to use up leftover turkey from Thanksgiving or Christmas and repurpose it in tender, soft, and gooey baked turkey sliders. This turkey and cheese sliders recipe features juicy turkey and Swiss cheese, cranberry sauce, and it’s all nestled in soft, sweet Hawaiian rolls, and topped with melted butter and poppy seeds. Don’t have leftover turkey?...

comment icon 206 more comments Quick question: how do we feel about fruit in salad? Red grapes, blueberries, that kinda thing? I feel reeeeeal good about it. Like, a whole bunch of juicy fresh yum just landed right in the middle of my salad. Also noteworthy in this salad is the golden brown chicken. It was simple and delicious and you know I love a good meatless main, but this spice-loaded, juicy and golden brown chicken in little bite-sized salad pieces makes me happy (and full)....

Three cheers for the three veggie combo post I did yesterday. Dehydrated kale chips Fresh Salads And Roasted Sweet Potato Fries & Curly Fries. Judging from all the comments I got, I’m glad to hear you like your veggies as much as I do! Thanks for the props! And also on the home decorating shoutouts, too. Muah!!!!! But you know me well enough to know I am not going to go on and on about veggies, when there’s dessert to talk about!...

comment icon 103 more comments Looks like it’s summer, and I’m making spicy, creamy fettuccine and shrimp, and EVERYTHING ABOUT IT FEELS RIGHT. Here’s what you need to know about this recipe in a hot second: quick pan-fried shrimp; creamy noodles; red pepper / garlic / butter / lemon-ish sauce vibes; yum to the max. New flash: Shrimp are more delicious when tucked between flat, wide, chewy fettuccine noodles. And fettuccine noodles are more delicious when coated with a silky....

Some of my other favorite veggies heavy side dishes include Twice Baked Potatoes, Whole Roasted Cauliflower, Wedge Salad, and French Green Beans. Why I love this recipe: One-Pan – I am always a fan of meals and sides that don’t cause extra kitchen clean up, and these sheet pan Roasted Vegetables couldn’t be quicker. Easy – Just a few minutes of prep and you have a beautiful and healthy side to pair with a nice dinner like slow cooker ribs, or spatchock chicken, or something casual, like mac and cheese or chicken casserole....

I guess I’d rather not call it a salad. That being said, this goat cheese wild rice is super healthy! (Remember – it’s not a salad.) Who knew a non-salad could be so good for you? And (since it’s not a salad) it’s really filling. So filling, in fact, that I didn’t even need my nightly dessert after I ate this! That doesn’t mean I didn’t eat some chocolate anyways....

comment icon 675 more comments This rosemary pom spritzy mocktail is keeping us well on the merry side of things. Herby, zingy rosemary-infused simple syrup cutting through the sweet tart pomegranate juice, bubbly fizz, fresh lime squeezes if you’re fancy (lime bubbly water if you’re us) and then it’s just holiday magic from there on out. There are so many fun things to do to fancy this up if you want to wow them with a Christmas cocktail/mocktail hour or if you just really want to reward yourself after a long day of gift-wrapping because, let’s be real, getting those corners even can be so frustrating and eventually you just give up and wrap the whole thing in scotch tape....