Pasta Shapes and Picky Eaters

I'm of the opinion that there are few- if any- better shapes of pasta than cavatappi.

Not only are those corkscrews fun to to look at, the mouthfeel can't be beat.

Yes, I said "mouthfeel."  It's the only word that really works.  The textured outside, hollow inside, and curly shape are just perfection.  It's the only pasta shape I will ever use to make my famous macaroni and cheese.

The folds and frilly edges of farfalle are fun and the ruffled, bell-shaped twists of campanelle are wonderful as well.

But cavatappi...in my mind, it's pretty much pasta perfection.

Tropical Mango Salsa Scallops and a Terrible Picture

I'm just going to lead with the fact that this is one ugly picture.

Apologies.

I went back and forth and back and forth trying to decide whether I should post it, but in the end the fact that this is one *incredible* recipe won out and I decided to share it with you and trust that sometimes when there are amazing scallops to be eaten a girl just doesn't want to take the time to deal with lighting and such at the end of the day.

Priorities,  you know?

I love scallops SO much.  Sea scallops, specifically.

They're one of my favorite foods in the entire world and if they weren't prohibitively expensive to eat regularly I'd eat them pretty much all the time.

The other day I needed a scallop fix and I decided to go with something fruity.

I LOVE fruity salsas (remember that Pineapple Salsa I made over the summer?) and these Mango Salsa Scallops sounded right up my culinary alley.  I was definitely right.

Coconut Shrimp and Delicious Dips

The other day I was aimlessly perusing recipes looking for something fun to make and I came across a recipe for Coconut Shrimp.

I LOVE seafood.

If sea scallops weren't approximately a million dollars a pound I'd eat them A LOT.

But it's not just the scallops...salmon, shrimp, crab...honestly pretty much anything that used to live underwater other than catfish.

Nope.  Not touching catfish.

I love seafood so much that even in those 5+ years I spent as a vegetarian I *occasionally* cheated and ate a seafood dish.

So a fun shrimp recipe?  It definitely caught my eye.

Now to be honest, I have pretty much zero experience with coconut shrimp- eating it or making it.

That being said, I enjoy shrimp.

I like coconut.

And I LOVE orange marmalade and horseradish- two ingredients in the dipping sauce.

Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas

When my parents came to visit last month I tried to menu plan and I ended up with 5 pounds of shrimp in my freezer for various dishes I intended to make.

And then didn't.

Oops.

So yeah.  Five pounds of shrimp.

Had to do something about that.

I used some of them making a batch of Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls last week, a pound of them last night in the Flounder Mediterranean- yet I still have more.

What to do, what to do...

Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas, that's what.

Flounder Mediterranean- Best. Fish. Ever.

I have a backlog of so many recipes to write about that I've made lately that just keeps growing.  With school back in session for the kids and about to start for me life has been a little hectic and I seem to be falling a little behind with the blog.

lol I'll be taking 17 credit hours this semester, sooo...my guess is there will be more of that in the coming months- just a heads up.  :-)

I've had my eye on this recipe for awhile and just hadn't gotten around to making it.  You know that generally speaking I don't care a great deal for meat but seafood is another story- I definitely have pescatarian leanings.

This dish starts with a sauce made from fresh tomatoes, and is packed with the most amazing flavors- onion, garlic, capers, kalamata olives, and more.  It smells AMAZING while it's cooking, seriously just super fragrant.  I love that this dish is done- start to finish- in about 45 minutes yet it really is a dish that I'd be proud to serve at a dinner party.

Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls and A Very Old Picture

I've spent today scrubbing my house and cleaning it top to bottom, doing laundry, and trying to get back into the swing of things around here following a long visit from my parents.  The floors have been mopped, the carpets vacuumed, the counters scrubbed, the bedding changed, the laundry is in the process of being washed.  We've definitely spent more time off enjoying each other and having fun over the last couple of weeks than we have staying on top of housework!

It's so hard to believe that summer break is coming to a close, first for the kids and then for me as I'm actually headed back to school myself this semester after a long....loooooooong...break from college. You may have noticed, as some have asked me about, that my Etsy shop is on vacation and the link at the top of the blog has vanished- lets just say that between family and school there probably won't be much time for popcorn-making anytime soon!

I've tried to make the most out of this summer before school craziness consumes us.

I think I've done ok.  :-)

Blackened Salmon Tacos with Chunky Mango Avocado Salsa

I've shared a few recipes this month from Allrecipes Hall of Fame collection in honor of the website's 20th birthday (Mmmm...that delicious Blackberry Pie brought to us by 1999 and those Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies courtesy of 2000...) and I thought I'd finish off the month with a recipe from the 2016 Hall of Fame.

Something a little more recent.

A little more taco-centric.

You know me and tacos.

:-)

So I saw this recipe and immediately knew I had to make it.

Everything about it screams Nora-

1)It's tacos

2)It has salmon

3)It has a fruity salsa

Yep, this recipe had me written all over it.

My parents have been visiting and since my dad also shares in my ridiculous love of salmon I thought this recipe would probably be a safe bet for dinner last night.

I was definitely right!

Polynesian Grilled Shrimp

Summer is in full swing and I am loving pretty much everything about it!

While there really isn't a season that is strong enough to scare my husband away from his beloved grill, things definitely ramp up in that area around our house this time of year...which, as I've mentioned a time or two before, is fun for me in that I get to make (and enjoy) fun side dishes...but generally speaking I couldn't care less about the meat itself coming off of that grill.

I decided to mix things up a little bit for dinner last night- in addition to the trip-tip and sausage my husband was grilling I made up some fun flatbread pizzas (more on those soon) and these Polynesian Grilled Shrimp from the most recent edition of Allrecipes Magazine.  This month the magazine had all kinds of fun ideas, but the section tiki-inspired dishes really caught my eye.  Since I still had a couple of pounds of that delicious shrimp from the coast in the freezer (the same kind I used in that Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil) the Polynesian Shrimp recipe seemed like a perfect place to start- though there are several more recipes from that section that I can't wait to try too!

Sheet Pan Low Country Boil

You know, I could say that I've been slacking lately given how rarely I've posted over the last couple of months.  I'm not going to, though.

Nope, I've not been slacking at all.

I've been busy.

SO busy.

Busy feeling the sun on my skin.

Busy taking my kids to museums and watching their eyes light up.

Busy watching my son learn how to cannonball into the pool.

Busy eating late-night pancakes with my daughter.

Busy packing picnics, trying new parks, visiting the library, and exploring with the kids.

18 summers.

That's all we get with these crazy little humans that we call our own.

I've been having a blast enjoying this one to the fullest- and it's only halfway through June!

Light and Refreshing Avocado & Tuna Tapas

I know I've been talking about my anticipation of summer a lot lately- I just can't get over it.  I go outside and see that blue sky, feel the warm sun on my skin, and my soul just sings.  It's the yin to the yang of my love of gray rainy days.  I love those too- so deeply.  Yet that sunshine...that warmth...ahhh...I'm pretty sure I'm part cat, as I'm quite content to lazily soak up the heat in a warm sunny spot as often as possible.

Just thinking about it makes me light up inside.  

Throw in extra adventure time with the kiddos and not having to wake up to an alarm for a few months and summer is pretty much sounding like heaven at the moment.

Honestly, in general I'm not a big fan of heavy meals but that is never more true than when it's hot outside.  Nope, when it's hot out I want something light and refreshing.  This dish really fits the bill!

Super Simple Homemade Tartar Sauce

Growing up, for years and years and years, I had a best friend who lived across the street from me.

When her family first moved to town her grandparents came too- and I loved them.

Her grandparents were awesome.

They introduced me to fried eggs, Bing Crosby, and- being from Ireland- all things Irish.

I spent a lot of time with my friend and her grandparents, and one of the things that sticks out in my memory is that they ate fish on Fridays.

More than 2 decades later I can't see a fish filet without thinking of them.

Weird.  I know.

Anyway, I say all of that to say this- I made fish the other day.  It reminded me of them.

The end.

Ok, not really, I know I'm really tangenting today, apologies!

So back to the fish I made...

Grilled Dijon Lemon Pepper Salmon

I'll be honest- I had zero desire to cook yesterday.

The day had been lazy and wonderful.

It started with donating blood (woo hoo!  I'm super excited that my little guy is in preschool a couple of mornings a week now so I have time to do things like stop by blood drives again!), some very light house cleaning, and a walk around the neighborhood when Little Man and his sister got home from school.

The sun was shining, it was warm but not overwhelmingly hot and humid, and I was overall just feeling lazy and wonderful.

I simply could not bring myself to ponder dinner or think about spending time in the kitchen.

Lightbulb moment- appeal to the husband's love of grilling and simply break open the freezer.  Side dishes?  Grilled asparagus and some ready-to-serve salad mix.

Delicious.  Simple.  Pretty much zero work- at least for me!

Simply Delicious Chopped Ahi Burgers

Asheville, NC is one of my favorite places on Earth.  Tucked away in the mountains, it's a haven for foodies and artists alike.  When my husband and I need to get away from reality for a bit, it's easy to jump in the car, drive an hour over the mountains, and spend the day sipping wine, eating good food, and wandering the countless galleries and stores downtown.

Also, it reminds me of home.  Like really reminds me of home.

It feels very much like downtown San Luis Obispo, CA to me- and I've heard the "it feels like home" comment from other West-coast transplants...

It feels like Portland.

It feels like San Francisco.

It feels like Seattle.

It just has that vibe.  To be honest, my adopted home- though beautiful- is way different than what I will always consider to be my real home, and it's nice to have such familiarity within driving distance.

That and food.  I kind of love food.

I have a laundry list of much-loved Asheville restaurants I've worked through, as well as an ever-growing wish list of places to try on future visits.  One of my favorites is Sunny Point Cafe in West Asheville.

Salmon BLT Stacks and Perfect Summers

I love road trips *almost* as much as I love flying.  Call me crazy- maybe I just have amazing kids- but I actually ENJOY being cooped up in the van with them having adventures.  Even reeeally long drives- remember those trips to Texas we take?  I pack some Roadtrip Sandwiches, start Spotify, and make sure I have plenty of snacks, books, and magazines within reach.  Then we hit the open road!

This year we decided to make an extra trip out to Texas to spend the 4th of July with some of my husband's family (16 hours driving is totally worth the chance to restock my favorite balsamic vinegars, right?) and we also were blessed enough to be invited to spend a weekend in historic, quaint, peaceful, all-around wonderful Rugby, TN to celebrate my Father-in-Law's 69th birthday.

Between trip-taking, popcorn-baking, garden-tending, and memory-making with the kids it has been one busy summer!

I Can't Believe I'm Writing About Something Called "Tor-Tunas"

I mean...really.

Tor-Tunas?

What....?

I'll sum them up like this- a simple yet yummy tuna salad in a tortilla.

Seriously.  Yup.  I'm writing about it.

Are you really surprised?

I've written about egg salad.

Ham salad.

Chicken salad.

I obviously have a thing for "salads"...

My #AllstarsMazola® Mission

Boy have I missed my Allrecipes Allstars assignments the past couple of months!  The program took a little bit of a break as it reorganized and evolved a little, and my fellow Allstars and I were going through withdrawals of sorts.

Until I got a surprise box in the mail from Allrecipes a couple of weeks ago!  Woohoo!

Inside the box was a bottle of Mazola corn oil and quite a bit of information about recent studies that show that corn oil can be part of a healthy diet.

I can honestly say that I've never purchased a bottle of corn oil in my life...I'm picky about my olive oil, but tend to go with what is cheapest for the rest of my cooking oils.  Vegetable, canola...always kind of overlooked the corn.  That's one of my favorite things about being an Allstar, though- I get to try products I might have otherwise overlooked!

Simple Salmon with Dill

I like Winter- I like snow, and cozy sweaters...but I'm ready for warm weather.

I'm ready for short sleeves and shorts.

I'm ready for school to be out so I can spend tons of time having adventures with my daughter.

Another thing?  I'm ready for it to stay light out long enough for me to take pictures of dinner without elaborate lighting setups.

I don't feel crazy taking a quick shot of dinner on the back porch during the Summer- I feel slightly funnier pulling out clamp lights and setting up lighting arrangements on the kitchen countertop during those Winter months when my good light is long gone by the time dinner hits the table.

Such is life for a food blogger, though!

Date Night Meals: Salmon with Sriracha Cream Sauce

I've pinned a few recipes for Salmon with Sriracha Cream Sauce on Pinterest and I've been meaning to make it for quite a while now.  I finally got around to pulling up the recipe the other day and I noticed something- sweetened condensed milk.

Ugh.  Don't get me wrong, I certainly cook desserts with it from time to time, but WHY?  Why on God's green Earth would you choose to adulterate a delicious piece of salmon with condensed milk of all things?

Just no.

I thought for sure this was just a one-off fluke recipe, so I started googling...over and over again I saw sweetened condensed milk on the ingredient list for sriracha cream sauce!

Ok, so I did it yet again…

I've neglected my blog and have a huge backlog of photos to post with absolutely nothing tying them together.  *sigh* Sorry.  I've pared it down to my favorite photos from the last couple of months and I promise to do better in the future!  For now, I hope you enjoy the random pictures I have to share today :-)  

As always, clicking on any picture will take you to the recipe!

Sonora Chicken- this was so easy and delicious!  Turned out so well, will definitely be trying this one again.