Marriage. It's trying to figure out how to work in the kitchen while my spouse perpetually standing in front of the kitchen drawer that I need to get into. It's answering questions like "Do we have milk" while this same spouse literal stands in front of the open refrigerator. 🥛 It's trying to find places in the pantry for all the extra goodies that get tossed into the cart when he accompanies me to the grocery store. 🍪 It's making meatloaf for a partner who loves meat even though I never even take a bite. How can I recommend meatloaf a recipe that I've never even tasted, you ask? Another advantage of being married. I have a family who's honest, sometimes brutally honest, about the meals that I prepare. Oh, they're super polite and they've learned that it's not in their best interest to critique their dinner (or the person who prepared it), but I can tell a lot by the amount and veracity with with they attack their meal. I can tell you that this Italian meatloaf comes with the highest praise from my family. They gave it their stamp of approval by finishing up every bite on their plates and then going in for seconds. There's really no better testament for a well received dinner than that. Italian Meatloaf Sauce 1 Tablespoon olive oil 5 cloves garlic, sliced thin 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes 15 ounce can tomato sauce 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon salt Meatloaf 35 square saltines, crushed 3/4 cup whole milk 2 eggs 1 pound 85% lean ground beef 1 pound sweet Italian sausage 1 cup grated parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon grated garlic 1 clove garlic, minced 1 teaspoon oregano 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 cup shredded fontina cheese 3 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
Place under broiler for 2 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes. Slice into 1" pieces. Transfer slices back to sauce in dish and sprinkle with basil to serve. When there's a polar vortex headed in your direction, just in time for the weekend - you need some good old fashioned Italian meatloaf in your life. Comfort food at its finest.
Ciao!
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Disclaimer: I did not make this Monkey Bread. 🐵 This beautiful golden creation was conceptualized and executed by my 21 year old. Sure, she used my recipe, but it would have never been made if it wasn't for her dreaming about this sticky creation. She gets all of the credit for this monkey bread masterpiece. I was simply the videographer and photographer on this project. It was a treat for me to see this recipe come together from behind the lens of my camera for once. 📷 This might just be one of the simplest recipes that I've ever posted on my blog. It's the simple 5 ingredient recipes that are the ones that my family asks for again and again though. I started making this Monkey Bread with the kids when they were really little. They used to love rolling the biscuit dough into tiny balls. And since this recipe calls for 160 biscuit balls to be rolled by hand, the more hands, the better. 🤲🏻 I'm sure that are a lot fancier and more sophisticated recipes for monkey bread but this is the one that I my family really loves. They love it so much, that it really never ever occurred to me to use a different recipe. Why mess with a good thing? After all, what's better than buttermilk biscuits dusted with cinnamon sugar and coated in a sweet buttery glaze? Monkey Bread 4 tubes refrigerated biscuits 1/2 cup sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/2 cup melted butter 1/2 cup brown sugar Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Cut each biscuit into quarters. Roll each piece into a ball and dip in cinnamon sugar mixture. Place balls of dough in a greased bundt pan. Combine melted butter and brown sugar. Pour over dough. Bake 35-40 minutes at 350. Cool 15 minutes in pan before inverting onto plate. I love the fact that you can set this Monkey Bread on the table and everyone can pull off as little or as much as they like. I'm the kind of girl who pulls off one piece at a time - because I feel like I've eaten less if I don't see it all at once on a plate. 🤣🙊
Ciao! I'm not sure who the first person was to come up with the idea of Taco Tuesdays, but I feel like the whole country has jumped on board. I mean, why not? Who doesn't love a great mid week taco celebration? I've tried implementing Waffle Wednesday and Seafood Saturday in our house but for some reason, they've never gotten the same momentum as taco Tuesday. 😅 Maybe the key is to keep it in the Mexican cuisine category. How do you feel about tamale Thursday or fajita Friday? Maybe I should just go for it and declare Nacho November. 🌮 Just remember - you heard it here first. 😂 #NachoNovember Fajitas are one of those recipes that seem like a lot of work but its really not. You can make them on a sheet pan in the oven or on outside a grill if the weather cooperates. Cooking the meat and the vegetables all together is super efficient. There are no fussy side dishes to coordinate with this meal. Fajitas are also a totally customizable meal. I like spicy but I don't like meat so I skip the steak and load up my warm corn tortillas with peppers and onions, guacamole and salsa. My husband eats his fajitas with marinated steak and mild peppers and my daughter goes straight for an all steak fajita wrapped in flour tortillas. Flat Iron Steak Fajitas 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 pound flank steak, trimmed 2 sliced onions 2 bell peppers, sliced 2 poblano peppers, sliced 8, 6 inch corn tortillas 1/2 cup guacamole lime wedges and cilantro for serving
Slice vegetables and add to platter with meat, salsa, tortillas, guacamole and lime wedges. Sprinkle with cilantro. Happy Cinco de Mayo Ciao!
Last week, I brought home my first watermelon of the season and in my world, that marks the official the start of summer! 🍉 Woohoo! Now all I can think about is summer grilling and fresh summer produce which has me starving in the best possible way. There are just so many things that I want to make this summer. Most people have a summer bucket list of things to do and accomplish. Leave it to me to write down a summer cooking list. 🤦🏻♀️ I've been loading up on fresh produce from a local farm stand to get that summer cooking list started. The corn on the cob has been especially good this year so yes, I've gone more than a little overboard on corn on the cob.🌽 You could say that I've gone a little crazy with strawberry picking too. I've been to the strawberry field 3 times in the past 2 weeks which means we've eaten more than our share of strawberries this Spring. 😳🍓 My garden is in full swing right now too, which means that we have an abundance of fresh lettuce and garden fresh herbs. 🥬 For those of you on Davis garden watch - here are the latest pictures of my red leaf and Romaine lettuce crops. So what do I make when I have an abundance of fresh corn, strawberries and lettuce? Summer salad!! Throw in some fresh herbs from the garden, some hearty farro and a handful of blueberries and you've got yourself a tasty salad that's perfect for any summer meal. Just in case you're unfamiliar with Farro - allow me to introduce you this deliciously nutritious ancient grain. It's higher in protein than rice, and it’s a good source of vitamins and minerals, including calcium, iron, magnesium, niacin, and zinc. I love cooking with farro for its versatility. It's a delicious way to get more whole grains. Add it to soups and salads and casseroles for a nice little nutty crunch. Summer Farro Salad
For the dressing:
Combine the farro, greens, strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes, corn, and basil. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and gently toss until salad is well coated. Serve immediately. I've got a question for all my fellow gardeners out there. I've got tiny (almost microscopic) green aphid looking things on my lettuce this year. When I cut my lettuce, I bring it inside and soak the leaves in water and then rinse them all individually under cool water and give them a quick spin in the salad spinner before I lay them out on towels to dry completely. Somehow, those little green buggers manage to attach themselves to the leaves so well that there are even a few still on the leaves after all of that. Anyone know how I get rid of these? I am not wanting to spray my lettuce with pesticides but I also don't want to eat a bunch of aphids. 🐛
Ciao! I resisted for a really long time and it literally took weeks of home isolation to get me here but... I'm finally recording some of my recipes on video! There was a definite learning curve to making recipe "vlogs." Those short little recipe videos that you see on Facebook - not nearly as easy to make as I once believed. 😂 I started out video taping myself talking to the camera while I prepared a recipe - Rachel Ray style. Turns out - I'm not cut out for the Food Network. 👩🏻🍳 I found it much easier to video my hands doing the work while listing the instructions on the bottom of the screen. Why is listening to upbeat music, more tolerable than hearing the sound of my own voice? Making a batch of homemade granola bars is kind of like making a one of a kind homemade chili recipe. There are general guidelines to follow but there's also a lot of room for interpretation. Change out the nuts, the fruit, the nut butter, the sweetener. Create a granola bar that is perfect for YOU. So many granola bar combinations. Enjoy this cooking video and by all means - change up my recipe to make your own granola bar combination. Cherry Almond Snack Bars 1/3 cup brown rice syrup or honey 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/3 cup almond meal 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 Tablespoon almond butter 2 cups whole almonds, roughly chopped 1/2 cup dried cherries 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips Line an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the sides to easily remove the bars from the pan. Preheat oven to 300. Stir together honey, vanilla, almond meal, salt, and almond butter together until combined. Fold in the almonds and cherries. Transfer mixture to prepared baking pan and press very firmly into an even layer. Bake 22 minutes. Let cool in pan 1 hour. Transfer to refrigerator to chill for 1 more hour. Remove bars using parchment paper. Cut into squares. If you change up my recipe - send me your interpretation. I'd love to hear about the granola bar that you create.
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