Sweet potatoes are my favorite Thanksgiving side. Fact. I’d even pick Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole or Glazed Sweet Potatoes over these perfect parmesan Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes. That said, I also feel a holiday meal doesn’t feel complete without some version of mashed potatoes involved. My family’s solution is to serve sweet potatoes AND Crockpot Mashed Potatoes (we really never can get enough starch).If you are cooking for a smaller group or want to leave room for other sides (e....

FavoritePinShare A creamy Mint Oreo Cheesecake served on a crisp Oreo cookie crust and made with no waterbath required! Top it off with a dark chocolate ganache and whipped cream for a decadent mint and chocolate treat! Can you think of any dessert that’s more satisfying than a decadent slice of cheesecake? This Mint Oreo Cheesecake takes this classically rich favorite and gives it a refreshing mint twist. Made with a creamy peppermint-flavored center that’s stuffed with Mint Oreo pieces, a crisp Oreo cookie crust, a thick chocolate fudge ganache, and light and airy whipped cream, this dessert is a surefire showstopper!...

FavoritePinShare This Fruit Pizza is a sweet refreshing dessert that is always a hit! Full of color, and pizzaz this is a delicious way to eat your fruit! When summer hits, all I want is fruit, it’s sweet, good for you and so refreshing. You have to try these summertime fruit favorites, Skewers, Salad, and Dip! Fruit Pizza I love this pizza! I do not think that this refreshing fruit pizza can claim its origins from Italy, but that doesn’t matter....

FavoritePinShare Feel good about what you are snacking on with these quick and easy Energy Bites. Keep your healthy goals afloat with these fun, pop-able bites. Take them on the go or just have them ready when needed. Great for kids and adults! They are simple to make and disappear just as fast! After the mixture is chilled, rolling the balls in their hands or using a cookie scoop is their favorite part before devouring them!...

FavoritePinShare This No-Bake Oreo Pie is going to steal the show! It’s so quick and easy you might find yourself making it everyday! Everyone loves Oreos, they are chocolatey, sweet, and crunchy. You have to try them in these other fan favorites: Balls, Cookies, and Oreo Fluff Dessert! Easy No-Bake Oreo Pie I am not sure I have ever met anyone who doesn’t like Oreos. They are chocolatey, but not overpowering, with a wonderful crunch and sweet cream filling....

A one-bowl, easy banana bread recipe with coconut flour, almond butter, and maple syrup, this moist, tender loaf is ideal if you are looking to eat well, without a life devoid of yummy baked treats, tasty breakfasts, and satisfying snacks. (Ahem, moi!) Yes, this banana bread is Paleo (meaning it is grain free, gluten free, dairy free, and does not contain refined sugars), BUT you certainly do not need to be following a Paleo diet to enjoy it....

This chicken drumsticks recipe is quite amazing. There is no baking required here. This is very helpful as you don’t need to waste time preheating oven. I find that in most cases for best results you need to pan-sear meat on the stove and finish baking in the oven. This way the meat won’t dry out on the inside from unidirectional heat of a pan. But that’s not necessarily the case with chicken wings and chicken drumsticks....

This month, I’m sharing a new, delicious, and nutritious smoothie recipe every week (don’t miss the fab Green Smoothie or Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie that kicked us off!) because they’re such an easy, fuss-free, and yummy way to sneak more servings of fruit and veggies into your day. And “easy” is the most alluring quality whenever we’re seeking to add a few healthier habits into our lifestyle. Many types of fruits are good in smoothies – strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, and bananas are popular and easy to find....

These pecan pie bars melt in your mouth. Every time I took a bite, I couldn’t believe a dessert this seemingly rich and thick could dissolve on my tongue as if by magic. The buttery shortbread crust is tender but sturdy enough to pick up with your fingers. It tastes like a cross between my Darn Good Whole Wheat Pie Crust and the most excellent shortbread cookie.The filling is lush with maple and brown sugar and positively chock-a-bloc with deeply toasty, crunchy pecans....

The first time someone passed me pineapple casserole was the first holiday I spent with my in-laws. I was horrified. Cheese and warm PINEAPPLE?! What was this abomination? Already feeling homesick for our family’s traditional holiday recipes, like Glazed Sweet Potatoes and Crockpot Mashed Potatoes, I was now going to have to pretend to like this absurd dish. I took a tiny, toddler-sized bite, and…oh my heavens, pineapple casserole is wonderful....

Adam was away for work recently, and I found myself living by myself for the first time ever. I can’t say I enjoyed it. I rather enjoy his company and the house was much too quiet for my liking. But there was one thing that was much easier while he was away - meal times! I only had to feed myself for the whole week. Adam is fussy when it comes to food....

FavoritePinShare We had a little farewell BBQ right before I left North Carolina. I decided to make these amazing queso burgers. We love queso and we love burgers… queso+burgers= mind blown! I have been watching what I eat right before our Hawaii trip at the end of the month. This was my hardest challenge to face not being able to eat one of these amazing burgers. The cheesey queso dripping down a freshly grilled burger?...

One thing that restaurants do really well and that we home chefs don’t, is make use of various sauces. I am not talking about BBQ and hot sauces that come out of the bottle. We use a lot of those here. No, I am talking about really simple, tasty sauces that can be made in minutes and served with that hunk of grilled or pan-seared meat. When was the last time you pan-seared your steak and then used the fat and the bits of meat left on the skillet to make a reduction sauce?...

If you’re looking for an easy and delicious cast iron ribeye steak recipe, look no further! Cooking ribeye steak in a cast iron skillet is simple and produces a juicy, flavorful pan seared ribeye every time. This method is also a bit easier than most of my steak recipes (including sirloin steak, chuck eye steak, and filet mignon) that use a stovetop-to-oven method. Even if you don’t know how to cook ribeye steak, this recipe will have you looking like a professional chef!...

Ummmmm…..looks like we both hit the jackpot! I hereby renege every disparaging word I’ve ever uttered about a Brussels sprout. Roasted Brussels sprouts not only are a far cry from the boiled green little monsters that may have scared you away in the past—they are downright delicious. (I love them in this Sautéed Brussels Sprouts recipe.) These roasted Brussels sprouts with garlic are crispy on the outside and tender and caramelized on the inside....

I have to admit, I wasn’t always a pork lover. Gimme oven baked bacon any (every) day of the week, but other cuts of pork… I wasn’t a fan. But readers were asking me for more keto pork recipes, so who am I not to oblige? 😉 I’m pleased to say, this baked pork tenderloin recipe, and later pan seared pork chops, have turned me into a growing pork fan....

FavoritePinShare We have a fire pit in our backyard and we love making s’mores! We use our fire pit at least 2 times a week and making the perfect s’more is quite the skill to master. We have a friend that holds the title of making the perfect s’more. I always designate him to make my s’more because I usually burn the marshmallow because I am not very patient. His trick was to get the marshmallow perfectly golden and let the chocolate melt on the graham cracker by the fire....

FavoritePinShare A chocolate oreo crust with creamy cheesecake in the center and topped with coconut caramel and drizzled in chocolate. All of the things that you love in a Samoa Cookie in a delicious cheesecake dessert! Two obsessions. Cheesecake and Samoa Cookies. That isn’t a very big secret here on the blog though. I am always posting cheesecake… and I just posted a samoa thumbprint recipe the other day. It’s just something about that toasted caramel chocolate goodness that I love!...

FavoritePinShare This pörkölt is a delicious Hungarian meat stew cooked in a savory onion sauce. It is simmered until it reaches juicy and tender perfection that will make it fall off your fork and melt in your mouth! If you love a recipe that warms you up and fills your belly, then this pörkölt is it! Add in this salad, rolls and carrots and you have a meal that is hearty and filling that the whole family will love....

FavoritePinShare A lightened up garlic alfredo sauce that is delicious and creamy and coats the pasta perfectly! Half of the calories and you won’t even be able to tell! Carbs. Oh man. Carbs are my WEAKNESS. When I am trying to watch what I eat, chocolate and sweets do not tempt me at all. Its the carbs. I dream all day of a big bowl of pasta and carbs sitting right in front of me....