Easy Meals and Remembering to Plan

I often don't think to menu plan.  More often than not I find myself on a giant trip to the store- often rushed and frantically crammed in between the end of class and picking kids up from school- restocking things I need and buying whatever meats happen to be on sale that week and then backtracking from there to figure out what I can make with them once I get home.

The problem with that is that while it's great to have a freezer full of meat I often find myself having to make multiple small trips to the store for whatever other ingredients I need to go with it.

Do you ever feel like you live at the grocery store?

I do.  I'm there way too often.  They know me.

When I actually stop to think ahead and plan out menus and shopping lists life gets much easier.  I may not know exactly what I'm making each night but I do have a set of recipes for the week to choose from and already know that all of my ingredients are on hand.  I should really do that more often than I do!

Sunny Days and Loaded Salads

There's something about warm, beautiful weather that makes me want to live outside.

I want to soak up the sun, bask in it, feel it warming my face and arms.

I do not mind the heat.  Not one bit.

I absolutely drool over those beautiful, built-in outdoor kitchens one encounters on Pinterest and dream of warm days spent in outdoor living spaces.

One day.

While I don't have my dreamy outdoor kitchen situation quite yet (lets get me through school before we jump into another house- at least that's what I keep telling my husband...) I am definitely all for grilling out and fun summer-worthy meals as often as possible when it's as beautiful out as it has been lately.

After church on Sunday we came home and I got to work prepping side dishes while my husband got the grill going for the meat I had marinating.

One might think I get tired of trying new salad recipes.

One would be wrong.  :-)

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.

Mother's Day and Macaroni Salad

Life is good, folks.

So good.

After taking an incredibly long break from school I'm now two semesters in and going strong.

I can't tell you how much I'm loving it.

My husband laughed at me the other day when I let it slip that I was sad the semester was coming to a close and I wouldn't have class over the summer.

Things I've learned so far on my adventure:

1) I'm still an overachiever.

2) I'd forgotten how much I love writing...but I love writing.

3) My kids are wonderful, amazing, people who both seem to like that I'm in school now too

4) I do not handle a cluttered house or lack of time to cook dinner well.  Working on that.

Mini Italian Skewers and Busy Lives

This year was the first time in a while that I haven't hosted Thanksgiving dinner at my house and I have to say it was a little strange.  I've kind of become accustomed to the massive prep and recipe planning, the influx of visiting family, and the leftovers in the fridge.

Part of me really missed having that this year...and the rest of me was eternally grateful that I didn't have to handle the house cleaning, food prep, cooking, and everything else that goes along with having a house full over the holidays.

There is just no way I could have done it all this year.

Sooo...I didn't buy the big turkey this year.

No Leftover Turkey Tamales were made- though I am absolutely making tamales before New Year's!

I just brought along the Mac and Cheese recipe that everyone loves, some green beans, and these Mini Italian Appetizer Skewers from Lilly at Listotic to snack on while eggnog was being made, sweet potatoes were being chopped, and pies were being admired.

These things are so simple to put together...contributing them to the holiday festivities was literally the least I could do.

Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

Generally speaking, side dishes are my favorite part of a meal.

Thanksgiving?

I couldn't care less about the turkey!  Nope, I'll be loading up on the stuffing, potatoes, rolls, cranberry sauce, and all of the other goodness.

Grilling out?

I might eat a hot dog or burger, but I'll definitely be leaving the steaks and such to my carnivorous family.  Show me the sides!

A few nights ago I was planning dinner.  I already knew that I was going to be serving those Carne Asada Enchiladas that I wrote about but I wanted to serve something alongside them that was more interesting than rice and beans, you know?  Don't get me wrong, I serve those often when doing Mexican, but I wanted to do something fun.

Mandarin Teriyaki Pasta Salad

Here I sit, at a little after nine in the morning on a balmy July Wednesday, forcing myself to recover from a late night of fireworks and festivities, as my son energetically runs circles around me.

No really.

Like actual circles around the couch.

So.  Much.  Energy.

My daughter has reached the age where she will pretty much stay in bed until I force her to join the world of the living, and today I'm kind of ok with that.

I'm old.  Late nights never used to take a toll like this!

So here I sit.

Optimistically decked out in my workout clothes, as I know that the elliptical should be my next stop.

I'm not going to lie, though...I might be parked on this couch for a bit longer.

Greek Orzo Salad and Warm Days Ahead

Can you believe that it's almost summer?
School's almost out, the weather is beautiful, and I'm ready for a few months of fun with the kids full of pool days and adventures.

As much as I love bundling up and being cozy in fall and winter, there's something about summer that just makes my soul sing.  I adore the feeling of the warm sun on my (sunscreen coated) skin.  I love spending time with my kids that doesn't involve packing school lunches and homework.  I love spending time with friends and family enjoying each other's company while my husband grills.

Which of course, is just another excuse for me to cook!

Hearty Spinach and Pasta Salad

It's hard to believe there was ever a time in my life when I didn't like spinach- it corresponded roughly with the years I didn't like brussels sprouts.

I must have been out of my mind (or your typical kid, though my daughter loves both!), because both are delicious.

These days spinach is one of my favorite greens to use in a salad- and for good reason.  It's light enough to work as a lovely salad green and hearty enough to stand up to heavier additions- like pasta for example.

Now, I love regular pasta salad.  In fact, it's one of the few ways I really eat pasta.

I can put away some pasta salad!

Which is why I rarely have it in the house unless there is company over to help finish it off, because I seriously can't be trusted with leftover pasta salad in the fridge.

Easy No Boil Stuffed Shells With Ragú Homestyle

The first time I tried to make lasagna was on Christmas Eve.  I was probably around 12- and I had decided that I was going to tackle the meal my own.  I told you I've always loved to cook.  :-)

 Why lasagna?  I haven't a clue.  I just got it into my head that I was going to do this thing.

I made lasagna, mashed potatoes, and oatmeal cookies.

Why that combination, I have no idea, but it kind of became a tradition for many years of Christmas Eves to follow.  That and eating this crazy meal by candlelight.  Because...why not?

Anyway, what I really remember about putting that meal together?  What a pain it was trying to work with pre-cooked noodles.  They tore and they stuck and they were annoying.  It didn't take long for me to realize that precooking those noodles was a completely pointless act and that I could easily make the same lasagna with a tiny bit more sauce and use noodles straight out of the box.  In fact, I kind of ran with the knowledge that I didn't have to fight with pre-cooked pasta and never used it in any baked pasta dish again.

Manicotti?  Dude.  Why deal with wibbly-wobbly cooked noodles when it's so much easier just to stuff them straight out of the box?

Pasta Salad Loaded With The Good Stuff

This is one of those posts I feel I need to apologize for before I even begin- the pictures are awful.

Sorry.

Every once in awhile there's a dish I really want to share with you but I'm too tired or busy to play with lighting and all of that and I just zip through it.  Just know that this salad is tasty enough that I wanted to share it with you despite how ugly these pictures are!

Several years ago-

*sigh*

ok, more than several years ago- twelve years ago, I think it was.  I'm getting old...

Anyway, back when I was young I was a bridesmaid in my friend's wedding.  She and I were stationed together in the Air Force in Columbus, MS- she was from just outside of Tuscaloosa- an hour away- so I got to know her family and friends pretty well.  She enlisted hoping to see the world and they pretty much sent her right back home, go figure!

Tortellini Salad with Grilled Tomato Vinaigrette

Pretty much every weekend means family time, a smoky grill, and fun foods around here.

Throw in a blue sky and some time in the pool and I'm a seriously happy lady!

I so look forward to cooking for the weekends.  I know I keep saying it...but I love sides.  That's where I have my fun when it comes to feeding people during the summer.  I'm always on the lookout for fun new salads, and the other day I came across an interesting-sounding recipe for Tortellini Salad with Grilled Tomato Vinaigrette and knew I had to give it a try.

Honestly, until I made (and promptly fell in love with) the Broccoli and Tortellini Salad I wrote about last year it had never occurred to me to use tortellini in a pasta salad.  I was definitely missing out, because it's fabulous.  It makes for a heartier salad and you get the benefit of the flavor of the cheesy tortellini filling as well.

No going back.  I find myself searching out tortellini salad recipes now!

Simmered In Tradition: Ragu Pasta Sauce Easy Dinner Bake

~AMAZON GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY BELOW!!~

My daughter had a slumber party a couple of months ago and she asked that for dinner we do make-your-own pizzas.  It's one of her favorite activities when we have kids over, actually- I make up a batch of dough and let the kids go to town with toppings that I set out.  They stretch the dough and shape it in whatever crazy way they want and then make a mess of the countertop spreading sauce, sprinkling cheese, and liberally applying pepperoni and other toppings.It's kind of great- plus it's an activity and a meal all rolled into one, which is a win in my book.

At this particular get-together a little girl, wild-eyed with flour smeared on her apron as she stretched out her dough, said, "This is awesome!  We never play with food at my house!"

I was kind of taken aback, actually.  This was hardly the "playing with food" that our mothers warned us not to do at the dinner table.

Easy Weeknight Meals: Pizza Pasta

I have loads of tomato sauce.

Like loads.

I have a problem with planting tomato plants- as in my tomato jungle grows every year.  It's not neat. it's not orderly.  But it is quite prolific.

One can only eat and give away so many tomatoes before you reach the point where you can tomato no more and you still have mountains of tomatoes on the countertops that must be dealt with.  Lets just say I can a lot of tomato sauce each year!  While there are lots of ways to can tomatoes- stewed, sauced, juiced, diced, salsified, turned into BBQ sauce, whatever- I prefer just to can it as sauce.  That way I can go whatever route I need to when the time arises.  I can turn my canned tomato sauce into marinara, BBQ sauce, enchilada sauce- or I can just dump it into chili or soup or any other recipe that calls for tomato sauce.  Anyway, I have lots and lots of mason jars full of tomato sauce from my garden and I love finding ways to use it.

Another Fun Salad: Orzo and Wild Rice Salad

The other day my husband made an off-hand comment about how much I enjoy entertaining.  I'd never really put much thought into it before, or considered myself much of a hostess to be honest, so I was a little taken aback when he said it so matter-of-factly.  I kind of batted his statement around in my head for awhile and realized that he's 100% right.  I really do love entertaining.

I love breaking out a bottle of wine, setting up a cheeseboard with fun crackers, meats, and olives.

I love having an excuse to pull out the tablecloth and fold napkins on holidays.

I love making up appetizers and delicious desserts.

If I was a 60's housewife I totally would have embraced the cocktail party and excuse to wear a cute dress and fill a punch bowl.

I love cooking.  Love.  You may have picked up on that fact.  Do you use Penzey's spices?  They sell these towels that say "Love People.  Cook them tasty food."  I fully embrace that sentiment.  It's a major way that I show that I care.

Sesame Pasta Chicken Salad

Spring is in the air and I am absolutely loving it!

You know it's funny, you get so excited about summer break when you're a kid.  Warm school-free days, swimming pools, friends...then you grow up.

Once you're in the work force summer break loses some of it's luster- regardless of the changing weather the work week is pretty much business as usual.  Those beautiful sunny days have you working for the weekend but that's about it.

I'd really forgotten about the joy of summer break until I had my second child and we decided that it made sense for me to stay home.

I'm so blessed.  Seriously.  I count my lucky stars every day that we are in a position where I can be home with these kids.  Anyway, I quickly re-discovered the joys of warm weather and school breaks when I quit my job to be a stay at home mom.  Don't get me wrong, I stay plenty busy with popcorn but overall I have a lot more time for sleeping a little later, playing a little harder, and adventuring a little further with the kids over their breaks and I find myself looking forward to their time off just as much as they do.

Super Easy Amish Macaroni Salad

I have a love/hate relationship with macaroni salad.

I love it because it's *awesome* in all of it's sweet, tangy goodness.

I hate it because...well, it's not good for the waistline.

*sigh*

The good stuff often isn't.

I'm not sure what possessed me to make a batch the other day- truth be told, I've never made it from scratch before- but make a batch I did.

Ohgosh.

You know, I remember loving it as a kid too, the stuff from the deli section of the grocery store.

I'm really a sucker for just about any creamy bad-for-you salads that I have no business eating and apparently I always have.

Fair Day Fried Mac and Cheese Balls

If you've been following my blog for a while you might remember when I had the chance to work with Sargento a couple of years ago.  It was an Allstars project and I had the opportunity to create a recipe using one of their products- I made these Easy Caprese Bite appetizers.  Simple and delicious, right?

Well...ok.  They were absolutely that.  But they weren't over-the-top crazy, cheesy, deliciousness.

Do you know what was?

This recipe for Fair Day Fried Mac & Cheese Balls.

Seriously.

Is there anything about that name that doesn't scream artery-clogging delicious food?

I think not.

Anyway, so this recipe was invented by my fellow Allstar Maria.  I saw it and knew I had to make it.

I've kept this recipe in the back of my mind for TWO YEARS now, just waiting for the right opportunity to put it to use.

Absolutely Delicious Broccoli & Tortellini Salad

Ok...so is it possible to go wrong with bacon and pasta?

I think not.  That's really a hard combo to mess up, isn't it?

We recently had guests for dinner and I found myself searching for some salad recipes to serve alongside the food my husband was grilling.  I was thinking broccoli salad, but I've made that Bodacious Broccoli Salad a lot- and as delicious as it is, I really wanted something different.

Did I mention I also had a bag of sunflower seeds I needed to use up?

Cause I did.

This is really a simple salad that takes very little work to throw together.  The broccoli is raw and the dressing has just three ingredients.  Super easy, right?  Between the mayo, sugar, and apple cider vinegar the dressing is very similar to my coleslaw dressing- but even more simple.

Three Cheese Tortellini In No Time At All

You know how sometimes you just need to get dinner on the table?

Preferably a good dinner- though I'm sure we all have the occasional  boxed-macaroni-and-a-can-of-veggies nights.

There's really something to be said for a yummy, filling meal that you can have on the table super quickly.

Well, this is totally it!

Bonus points?  My husband AND my daughter both enjoyed it, and the two of them belong to completely different culinary fan clubs.

This month's Allstars partnership was with Barilla, and although they have a ton of recipes that look yummy over on Allrecipes I wanted simple- lol I've been insanely busy making popcorn and keeping up with the kids' holiday activities lately.