It’s been a TOUGH few weeks. Between shifts at the hospital, homeschooling (teachers y’all need a billion dollar raise) and trying to keep everyone on some sort of a schedule, it’s been a little trying. But one thing that has helped is cooking large batches of food. You know, meals like this Chicken Pesto Pasta that can be packed up for work, lunches, and just available for the multiple times a day my kids think they need to be eating.
Creamy Sausage Pasta Bake. No one can resist it. Just the right amount of cream, just the right amount of tomato, just enough sausage. Your family can’t eat the whole amount in one sitting? No problem- this makes great leftovers. Need something you can serve to friends? This sausage bake is the perfect solution. Read on to get the recipe for your new favorite pasta dish.
I don’t know about you, but I frequently feel like I’m in a bit of a lunch rut. Either I’m busy and forget about lunch altogether or I jam in a quick sandwich or protein bar and call it a day. One of my “grown up resolutions” this year was to make lunch feel a little more special. To make things that are tasty, beautiful, and (mostly) nutritious. While I haven’t always kept to that plan, I’ve definitely noticed that on the days I make a little more effort for lunch, I’m always glad I did. We recently reached out to some blogger friends (hi, friends!) and asked for their recommendations for new lunch ideas. Boy, oh boy, did we get some great new recipes. This week on Good Food Reads, we are Thinking Outside the (Lunch) Box. 
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Baked macaroni and cheese, creamy, bubbly and flavorful. This recipe combines an amazing baked macaroni and cheese recipe with delicious BBQ chicken. Your family will thank you for this BBQ Chicken Macaroni and Cheese!
Last weekend was a quiet girls’ weekend at the cabin. No kids. No spouses. Wine on the dock during the day and by the fireplace in the evening. Brilliantly colored leaves and fall temperatures. Long walks on a treelined streets. And comfort food. Sweet comfort food.
Like this BBQ Chicken Macaroni and Cheese.
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Hey All! I’ve just returned from a fantastic week in coastal Rhode Island with my family. We were blessed to spend a few years living in Boston before we had children and I will always love this time of year on the East Coast. Our time away was filled with lots of hours at the beach (yay for a warm early September and non-crowded beaches!) and plenty of good, fresh seafood. I may or may not have eaten my weight in lobster rolls! Now that I’m back to the Midwest and finally unpacked – let’s not mention the laundry – I’m also getting back into my kitchen. One of my favorite travel tricks is to order groceries to be delivered on the day we return from a trip and we supplemented that this time by also having Blue Apron deliver a few days after we returned! I love not having to stress out about getting to the grocery store for essentials and not having to think about meals (even for someone like me who generally finds cooking relaxin) was great. That being said, I’m really ready to get back into it and so for this week’s Good Food Reads, I’m sharing my list of what I’m hoping to make in the next week or so! I’m back in the proverbial saddle and so excited for a good ride. I hope you join us and share some of your recipe favorites from your kitchens or around the internet!…
So many things for Good Food Reads this week, so little time! Today is the day that With Two Spoons is taking it on the road, as both Holly and I will be happily soaking up the sun in Arizona! Unfortunately I will soon be heading back to Minneapolis. The only saving grace is that spring time in Minneapolis is BEAUTIFUL! So as an Ode to Spring-here is this week’s Good Food Reads-dedicated to Spring!
First let’s talk donuts. DONUTS! Strawberry lemon donuts to be exact. These Strawberry Lemon Donuts by Tornadough Alli look amazing. Like eat the whole batch at one sitting amazing. In fact I may need to make these when the kids are at school-and then hide them.
Maybe I’m strange, but I also think of pasta for spring. I know, I know, it’s spring-I should be worrying about lightening things up and cutting the carbs, but when you see this Garlic Butter Asparagus Pasta by Diethood and this Lemon Cream Pasta Primavera by Foodtastic Mom, you are going to see exactly why I think pasta belongs to springtime. Because it does.
One of my spring resolutions is to make my own bread. I’ve done homemade bread and it is a million times better than that processed pre-sliced stuff from the supermarket. I even went so far as to take home some sourdough starter from a friend, which I promptly killed. (I know who kills sourdough starter? That isn’t even an easy thing to do) I haven’t had the heart to tell my friend (although she’s probably reading it here-I’m so sorry Retu!). BUT-I came across this recipe for Sourdough Starter by WellFloured. So maybe I’ll make my own. And keep it alive this time.
So from bread, a normal transition would be butter, right? Check out this Basil Lime Vegan Butter by Healing Tomato, which is a sensational way to use up those herbs that are about to die an awful death. And a great use for those herbs you are going to plant this summer. Just remember basil likes it hot and dry. Hot and dry. (And now you’re going to click to check it out, not because of the basil, but because you, like me, are saying “what the hell is vegan butter”? Well, I still don’t have an answer to that, but I bet you can make this with regular butter as well. Pretty cool indeed!)
As a blogger, I’m frequently checking out other blogs. Bloggers are doing such amazing food these days. But every once in awhile, I come across a dish where I say-“If I can make this at home, my life will be complete”. And that is how I feel about Food, Faith, Fitness’ Larb Gai Thai Chicken Skillet. One look at the photos and I didn’t even need to know what the rest of the words meant. All I know is it looked like my idea of heaven in a cast iron skillet, and that is saying a lot for something that does not contain chocolate. I will definitely be making this at my house. And if this does it for you too, well-then you’re invited.
As I’m writing this with a glass of wine in hand, relaxing in the beautiful Arizona twilight, I will tell you about the Instant Pot I bought for my in-laws. We have been using it for everything this week, which is great because in Arizona, who wants to turn on the oven? Tonight’s dinner was Flank Steak with Chimichurri-a recipe from our own blog, with Sweet Potatoes in the Instant Pot from A Pinch of Healthy and Pressure Cooker Corn on the Cob by This Old Gal. Is there anything this miracle machine can’t do?
Finally, a recipe for the artists among us. There is a lot of great food art out there right now (for some reason Easter seems to spark a lot of creative juices). I really like this Easter Bunny Bread by Foodie with Family because, well, I’m not sure exactly why, other than I am a bread addict. Pretty sure this one would be loved by kids and adults alike. I’m not usually one who attempts food art, but this one I might actually try. Stay tuned.
Well, that’s all for this edition of Good Food Reads. Join us again next Tuesday for a new recipe and again next Friday for another jaunt around the good food of the internet. Until then, have a great week-and as always, let us know what YOU are making in your kitchens!
So let me start with a disclaimer: I am not Italian. I have visited Italy, but I have very little knowledge of authentic Italian cuisine. However, I do know what I like to eat! And this Pasta Amatriciana all started with a local restaurant which has since closed. Trust me, after tasting Pasta Amatriciana you won’t care if it is authentic or not. Best of all you won’t believe how simple it is!
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Since welcoming my daughter in October, I’ve been on a bit of a mini-maternity leave from the blog, focusing mostly on Good Food Reads each week while Lane (bless!) has really taken over the cooking posts. As many of you know, having a newborn really limits the time for cooking and kitchen shenanigans. Well, I’m starting to slowly dip my toes back into the land of the cooking! As I think about things that I’m excited to make (and combine that with the constant hunger associated with nursing a baby – wow! I could eat ALL THE TIME), I continually get excited about Good Food Reads and have found so many things I want to share. …
Happy one year Blogiversary to us! We’ve been officially bringing you delicious food for ONE FULL YEAR! And what a year it was! In fact I’m not sure any other year has ever gone so fast! Our little blog duo has officially seen a new baby born (congrats Holly), a preschooler whose world was rocked by a new baby sister, a child who started kindergarten, and a teenager who has hit her stride. Holly and I are both another year older and wiser in our full time careers and yes, we’re both still married (Holly 10 years and myself 18 years) despite crazy chaotic schedules and demands (yay, guys-thanks for hanging in there with us!). But even more exciting, we’re both still loving blogging and bringing you our favorite recipes! For me, this would include this Buffalo Bacon Macaroni and Cheese which is pure, unadulterated decadence! …
As a busy mama, I have come to really appreciate a quick, one-pot meal. Less pots = less clean up and more time with my family and these days, that is worth everything. This One Pot Pasta with Tomato, Spinach, and Mozzarella fits right into my crazy schedule and is gobbled up by my hungry husband and toddler alike. Filled with healthy ingredients available at any grocery store (in other words, I can grab everything in 10 minutes on my way home from work!), this pasta dish is hearty, healthy, and on your table in under 3o minutes. The recipe is based off of a recent feature in Cooking Light Magazine, one of my go to sources for fast and fresh dinners. I’ve adapted the dish to suit my family’s tastes and I hope you love it. It is most definitely becoming a family favorite! …