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Fast & Simple Italian Meatball Marinara Hand Pies
My daughter has been in a musical theater program for the past several months and is on the go with her busy schedule in the evenings. This recipe has been a steady friend as an easy grab and go homemade meal for her – it’s so good I wanted to share it with all of you! Serves 6. Ingredients: 2 frozen puff pastry sheet – thawed 1 cup of marinara sauce 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese 3 large sweet Italian sausage links 1 egg Italian seasoning Step One: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Step Two: Place your thawed puff pastry sheet (I like to use Pepperidge Farms) on…
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Simple Fresh Strawberry Crisp Crumble
This is one of my go summer recipes and this is my recently updated healthier version – a version with less sugar and flour but still amazingly delicious. Serves 6. Ingredients: 4 cups of strawberries, cleaned, hulled & quartered 1/8 cup of granulated white sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1/2 cup butter, melted 1/3 cup flour 3/4 cup old fashioned oats 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Vanilla ice cream – optional Step One: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Step Two: Get out a pie pan or an 8×8 baking dish – grease with cooking spray. Step Three: Clean, hull,…
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Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
One of my husband’s favorite desserts is carrot cake and this is my go to recipe. I always crave carrot cake in the Spring as it is a dessert I normally make around Easter. Kudos goes to Cory, a fellow mom from our parenting group for sharing her recipe with me over 15+ years ago. Serves 8-12. Update: In April 2024 I decided to half this recipe and make them into cupcakes and muffins. If you cut the below recipe in half you’ll yield ~ 16 cupcakes/muffins. Half the cream cheese frosting as well if you make them into cupcakes (see photo below). Bake for ~ 22 minutes. Ingredients: Step…
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Quick & Easy Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken pot pie is quite simply one of my favorite comfort food meals and was something I enjoyed as a child when my Mom made it. This is a great recipe for a weeknight – super quick and simple. Ingredients: 1 package of ready to roll piecrust (2 crusts total) 2 cups of chicken broth 1/3 cup flour 1 1/2 cups 2% milk 3-4 cups of shredded cooked chicken 1 package (12 oz.) of frozen mixed vegetables 1 tablespoon minced onion 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon McCormick garlic/onion/black pepper/sea salt seasoning 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder Cracked black pepper 1 beaten egg Step One: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.…
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Super Simple Chicken Enchiladas Verde
Mexican food is our absolute favorite and I like to have recipes for the weekend that feel like fun easy dishes. It curbs the temptation to go out to eat and I like to make this when we have friends over. I can do all the prep before they arrive and just pull it out of the oven when we are ready to sit down at the table. Serves 8. Recipe Update: I would highly recommend doubling the sauce in this recipe. If you do, in Step Four add some verde sauce inside each tortilla with the chicken and cheese. This will make the enchiladas more flavorful and moist. Ingredients:…
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Vegan Quinoa Salad with Lemon Dressing
This recipe is one of my absolute favorite summer meals – it is light, fresh, and super easy to make. Many of our friends have eating restrictions (no dairy, no eggs, gluten free, etc.) so I like to try new recipes that they can enjoy when they visit our home. Serves 6. Ingredients: Step One: In a medium saucepan bring the water and the quinoa to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and then let simmer for ~10 minutes until all of the water is absorbed. Step Two: To make the dressing use a microplane to create 2 teaspoons of lemon zest from your large lemon and then squeeze 1/4…
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Chicken & Vegetable Stir-fry
This recipe is so delicious and we make it often – it’s a nice one dish meal and great for serving a big group. It’s also a great way to use up sugar snap peas and green onions from the garden. Serves 6. Ingredients: 6 tablespoons of brown sugar 3 tablespoons of soy sauce 2 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar 2 tablespoons of sriracha sauce (use just 1 tbsp if you don’t want it too spicy) 1 1/2 teaspoons of cornstarch 2 tablespoons of cooking oil of your choice (canola, vegetable, coconut) 1 pound of skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces 8 ounces sugar…
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Israeli Couscous Salad
My family and I love to make and create new recipes – a new dish to try can make an average weeknight much more fun. My Mom & I were always swapping recipes and sharing tips, tricks, and our favorite kitchen gadgets with one another. Our favorite place to shop together was Crate & Barrel – we spent countless hours in this store together and it will always be our place. This recipe is a staple at our house, it is fresh and easy. It can also be modified to be vegan if you omit the parmesan cheese without losing any of the delicious flavor this dish has to offer.…
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How to Make French Onion Soup
This is my daughter’s favorite French Onion soup and it is a recipe we make often primarily in the colder months. There is something so comforting about a hot bowl of soup after a long day and I hope you’ll come to love this recipe as much as we do. Serves 6. Ingredients: Step One: In a large pot heat olive oil on medium high heat. Stir in onions, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook 15-20 minutes or until the onions are golden brown and very tender, stir occasionally. Step Two: Add dry cooking wine and simmer 2-5 minutes or until reduced by half. Add the beef broth and soy…
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How to make Kelly’s Banana Bread
There is something comforting about a loaf of homemade bread and this banana bread recipe is something special! This is my Mom’s recipe and there is a different ingredient you’ll notice, sour cream. It’s a small quantity but it makes a big difference. This recipe makes one large loaf and two mini loaves and I love to make these as gifts for friends or neighbors. Ingredients: Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Step Two: Put the bananas into your kitchen aid or large bowl and stir until the bananas are creamed together. Step Three: Add the sugar and brown sugar and mix – then add your sour cream,…
