assya

Ice Cream Cone Pie, yes, it's officially a thing now. This is what happens when a box of ice cream sugar cones comes home from the grocery store with over half the cones broken. I opened the box to scoop ice cream into them for my boys and I was less than impressed. I told the boys we'd be waiting a day to eat our ice cream cones, because I had an even better idea. (ha, that's parenting for you, spur of the moment improv.)

This pie actually tastes like you are eating an ice cream cone. I'm telling you now that this is one of the best ice cream ideas I've ever had. I expected the crust to taste like a traditional graham cracker crust, but it doesn't. The crust stays a bit crunchy, just like the cones do when they are filled with ice cream, and that sugar cone flavor comes through in every bite. This was delicious and such a big hit with my family and the friends who tried it. I'll be making ice cream cone pies instead of graham cracker crust pies all summer long. Bring on the warm weather now, because the possibilities are endless.

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These easy, skillet fried pork chops with balsamic and dijon are an awesome week night meal. They are ready to eat in barely 15 minutes and so tasty my husband and I had a hard time sharing our pork chops with the kids. I'll definitely be doubling this recipe the next time we make them!

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The easiest chili ever is filled with beans, tomatoes, corn and plenty of Mexican spices. I've made this with and without the meat and it's delicious both ways. I'm sharing this simple nine can chili with you today, because it has become my go-to dinner plan when we are arriving home from traveling and I don't have time or motivation to head for the store.

Originally, this was simply an assortment of canned goods that I combined one afternoon when we had just arrived back in town and there wasn't a bit of fresh food in the house. After every single person at the table commented how much they enjoyed the meal, I decided to scribble out a list of the ingredients and make it again. The convenience of this recipe can't be beat.

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Thick and creamy homemade yogurt requires just two ingredients and a bit of patience. If I'd understood how simple it really is to make your own yogurt, I would have tried this years ago. My kids are in heaven with the abundance of yogurt in our refrigerator lately and they've been eating it almost every day. Layered into a bowl with chunks of fruit and a sprinkling of fresh granola, this has become one of our favorite breakfasts.

Over the past few years, I've made a lot of things from scratch that I used to buy from the store. From salad dressings to spice mixes, ketchup, mayonnaise, salsas, syrups, peanut butter and jams. There is an entire shelf in our refrigerator filled from jars of sauces, spreads, and dips that I used to buy from the store and I now make at home. Once you've shaken together a jar of your own salad dressing, it's a slippery delicious slope towards making your own barbecue sauces and marinades. Next thing you know you'll be trying your hand at yogurt! (This yogurt is so thick and scoop-able, I can turn the jars over without spilling a drop of yogurt.)

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Fresh slices of cauliflower are layered with Pepper jack and sharp cheddar cheese in a creamy sauce and then baked until tender. A sprinkling of bacon and a dash of red pepper makes this a cheesy dish that you won't want to miss. All three of my boys requested that I make this meal again as soon as possible. I served this with our favorite pan-fried chicken thighs, but the cauliflower easily could have been a meal all by itself.

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Ruby red grapefruit, lime, orange and tequila meet in this citrusy margarita. My sister called me a couple months ago and told me that she had a new favorite drink she couldn't wait to make for me. We finally had a chance to hang out and mix up a batch this past weekend and I really liked this drink!

This is a very tart margarita, so if you aren't a fan of the sweeter cocktails, this is the drink for you. If you enjoy balancing the tart with something sweet, a splash of simple syrup will allow you to sweeten it to taste.

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Buttery, crisp pierogies stuffed with potatoes, cheese, and sauerkraut were a huge hit with my family this past weekend. For a while now, I've wanted to try my hand at making pierogies and I finally had the chance. If you're hanging out with me on Instagram, you had a sneak peek at all of the deliciousness my sister and I were cooking up while we hung out over the holiday. I can hardly wait to share all of the new foods with you. We had a great time cooking, baking and mixing up a couple of new cocktails too.

Pierogies are a dough dumpling traditionally stuffed with potatoes, cheese, and/or sauerkraut. First boiled and then fried in butter, these little potato filled pockets are irresistible. While we were at the cabin this past weekend, my sister and I made a double batch of these pierogies and our crowd ate almost all of them! I'm including our family's favorite combination of potato, cheese and sauerkraut. We served these pierogies with Polish Kapusta and everyone loved the meal.

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Three simple ingredients combine to create this flavorful and traditional Polish dish. If you are a fan of crock-pot cooking, this is an excellent meal to start in the morning and then forget about all day. This recipe comes together in about an hour on the stove-top or it can be simmered through the day in the crock-pot. (For what it's worth, I am not a fan of sauerkraut and I still enjoyed this meal.)

My sister married into a food-loving family and they have given us some truly fabulous recipes. Her mother in law grew up making kapusta with her grandmother. Her family traditionally serves this dish with pierogies and the combination is delicious. I'll be sharing how to make the pierogies tomorrow!

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Classic Creme Brûlée is made from just four ingredients, heavy cream, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla; resulting in a rich custard topped with a layer of hard caramel. Also known as burnt cream, crema catalina or Trinity cream, Creme Brûlée is a dessert guaranteed to impress your guests. It is surprisingly simple to make and once you've tried making it yours, you may never be tempted to order this treat at a fancy restaurant again.

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This is a very simple recipe that packs a whole lot of flavor. Ground beef and onions are slowly simmered in a rich marinara sauce. Fresh green beans are added to the mixture for a few minutes just before serving. Served with hot mashed potatoes, this meal was a simple and delicious way to start our weekend up at the cabin.

Thanks to my sweet sister for feeding us all weekend long. We had a blast trying some of her favorite recipes and I'm looking forward to sharing them with you over the new few days!

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16 years ago today, I couldn't stop grinning as I walked down the aisle towards this man. This amazing man is God's greatest gift in my life and I adore him more today than I did all those years ago when I said "I do."
Happy Anniversary to my best friend. I can not imagine my life without you!

P.S. If you're here for the food, I'll be back on Monday with a brand new recipe. Have a wonderful weekend!

Scrambled eggs, crisp bacon, gooey cheese and roasted potatoes are stuffed into hot crisp taco shells for a fun variation on a breakfast burrito. These breakfast tacos were a huge hit with my whole family. This fun meal was inspired by the Breakfast Nachos that my kids love so much.

Last time they requested breakfast nachos, I didn't have any tortilla chips in the house. However, a box of taco shells caught my eye and one thing led to another. All three of the boys voted this breakfast two thumbs up and asked me how soon I could make these again.

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Crunchy, chewy, sweet and nutty, these cookies are one of the best things to come out of my kitchen over the past two years. They are a twist on the Italian Pine Nut Cookies I fell in love with last year. These cookies are naturally dairy free and gluten free, with just three basic ingredients; almond paste, sugar and egg whites. The end result is truly greater than the list of ingredients. These cookies are like nothing else I have ever tasted.

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This simple herb rubbed pork roast is loaded with flavor and a surprising kick from the peppers and the salt. This is one of the most best pork roasts I have ever tasted and it turns out incredibly tender and juicy every single time. After making this several times now, there is nothing that I would change about this recipe.

Every member of my family loves this meal. The first time I made it, I thought it might be too spicy, but even my youngest ate a large portion. I shared the last bit of it with him for lunch the following day and we were both very happy. This is most definitely a new favorite!

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Crispy and chewy at the same time, intensely chocolatey and rich, these cookies are closer in flavor to a brownie than a traditional cookie. I was craving something sweet and chocolate this weekend, but I didn't want to spend a whole lot of time baking.

I've had this recipe saved to try for a while now and this was the perfect opportunity to try it out. It only took a few minutes to whisk the batter together and these cookies were in the oven in very little time at all. For the chocolate lover in your life, these cookies are the ultimate treat!

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Creamy white beans, roasted garlic and just a hint of heat made this dip irresistible. We dipped tortilla chips, crackers and carrot sticks into it and my oldest son would have happily eaten it with a spoon as well. With roasted garlic waiting in a jar in the refrigerator, it took me less than five minutes to whip this together for an afternoon snack.

If you're looking for more snacking inspiration, check out a few more of our favorite dips:
Dill Pickle Dip
Southwestern Po'dunk Sauce
Quick and Easy Homemade Ranch Dip
Chipotle and Lime Hummus

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Chicken Tortilla Soup is a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Filled with beans and slightly spicy peppers, this simple meal is full of great flavors. Maybe it has something to do with the tortilla chips and cheese that we pile over the top, but this soup is always a hit both with or without all of the toppings.

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My mind has been blown. Homemade granola made in the slow cooker is so easy, I made two different batches yesterday! This is something special. Warm and soft when it first finishes cooking, or crunchy after it cools, either way, it is unforgettable. Slightly sweet, a little bit salty, the best part about making your own granola is that it's infinitely adjustable. Use the ingredients and flavors that you love best.

When I ran across this method for making granola in the crock-pot, I think my jaw actually dropped. I had no idea that it was even possible to make granola in a slow cooker and to be honest, I was a bit skeptical that it would work. I'm grinning as I type this, because it did work and it was perfect.

We snacked on this granola all day yesterday. I made a second batch last night, just because it was so easy! I haven't stopped grinning over this yet. After burning countless batches of granola in the oven over the past few years, I love that I don't have to pay close attention with this method! This is the easiest granola I have ever made.

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Crisp, buttery, garlicky and just a little bit cheesy, this bread disappeared lightning fast. For years, I've just buttered the bread, sprinkled with seasonings and called it good. Today, I had an abundance of fresh garlic on hand and I had just roasted a dozen heads to use as needed. I used four of the roasted heads to make the best garlic bread I've ever tasted.

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Oven roasting is my favorite way to cook asparagus, it results in slightly crisp and completely tender spears that are neither mushy or soft. I made this asparagus for breakfast this past weekend and served it with some roasted sweet potatoes and fried eggs. I'd planned to have a few spears left for a pasta later that night, but my husband and I polished off this tray with very little help from the kids. (Silly children, they each ate a spear and called it good. They don't know what they are missing!)

I've shared a great many recipes professing my love of roasted vegetables. You can roast almost any vegetable you like and the flavors will be enhanced by the time spent in the oven. Here are a few more of our favorites, if you are looking for more ideas: Garlic and Paprika Roasted Cauliflower, Sriracha Honey Roasted Green Beans, Broiled Chili Lime Corn on the Cob, Roasted Romanesco, Sriracha Honey Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Broccoli with Pecorino Romano, Buttered Garlic Panko Broccoli, Roasted Bell Peppers, Broccoli and Squash

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