This colorful couscous and sausage dish is the perfect light meal on a warm summer afternoon. Couscous always gives me a satisfying, comfort-food happy tummy. When I found myself with some extra time recently, I knew I wanted to do some recipe testing with couscous. Why cook with couscous?Two words, sister: BUSY.MOM. Couscous is awesome to serve for dinner on busy weeknights or ...
Family Favorites
Cracker-Crumb Breaded Chicken
This is a tasty version of breaded chicken that our whole family loves. It’s easy, no-fuss, and perfect for a busy weeknight dinner.When I first moved out of my parents' house, I knew how to cook 2 thing: Spaghetti and Shake 'N Bake chicken. I thought I was pretty hot stuff for knowing those recipes down pat, too. Now, many years later (not gonna say how many), I've modified the ...
Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken and dumplings is one of my all-time favorite comfort food recipes. I just love the creamy chicken soup flavor and the fluffy dumplings. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen. I much prefer setting a bunch of ingredients in the crock pot, getting stuff done during the day, and returning to a cooked meal in time for dinner. Our family loves this recipe for crock ...
Ground Turkey and Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes
Have you noticed how much easier it is becoming to find organic, all-natural products in the grocery stores? In my local market, they size of the “organic” section in the produce department has doubled in the last few years! I decided to whip up a dinner for my family that uses all-natural, organic ingredients. I was inspired by this organic, free-range ground turkey that I found at my local ...
Crunchy Oven Baked Chicken
This is a crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside version of oven baked chicken that our whole family loves. It’s easy, no-fuss, and perfect for a busy after-work dinner! Crunchy Oven Baked Chicken We eat chicken a lot in this house. It cooks up quickly for weeknight meals and it's tender enough for the little ones to enjoy. I usually don't like oven baked chicken but this recipe is one of ...
Easy 5-Ingredient Crock Pot Refried Beans
For the last year or so, these crock pot refried beans have been a staple in our home. It started when we took the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University course and we were really trying to cut our budget down to get out of debt. Now we’re pretty much on a roll with the whole budgeting thing, but it turns out these beans aren’t just for broke people because they’re actually pretty good! I ...
Cheesy Pasta Casserole
Don’t you just love a saucy casserole dish after a long, busy day? We make this dish year-round, it’s that good! This cheesy pasta casserole is great for a family dinner and it’s really easy to make. I so wish it could be a one-dish meal but, alas, it needs a side of veggies. I suggest serving it up with some zucchini or yellow squash in keeping with the Italian theme. ;) How I make my cheesy ...
Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Dip Recipe
This week we had a potluck with a bunch of other families one evening before church. I like to bring dishes that are tasty, snack-able, easy to make, and not too expensive to put together. This slow cooker broccoli cheese dip was a slam-dunk!What makes this broccoli cheese dip recipe unique is that I add a sprinkling of crunchy bacon crumbles on top at the very end. I like to serve ...
Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas
We’ve officially hit summer in the our home. 3 weeks ago I envisioned my summer days being spent in the kitchen, spending hours dishing up elegant meals made with love and care. In reality, I’m having way too much fun soaking up the Southern California sunshine to bother with cooking dinner every night. But, the kids gotta eat (who knew?), even though it’s summer. I’d like to share with you one of ...
Black Bean and Chicken Burritos
It was 2 days after Christmas and I had never craved fruits and vegetables more in my life. I think I ate my weight in Christmas cookies this year! I totally got off track on my meal planning, due to so many holiday parties and family gatherings. It’s time to get back to healthy family dinners, starting with these black bean and chicken burritos. But first, how about a little Christmas recap? ...