This morning I made Sakkarai Pongal or the traditional Sweet Pongal on this auspicious day of Pongal festival. At my maternal home the Pongal and Sankranthi celebrations are totally different from that of my in-laws home. After marriage, we started celebrating Pongal as per in-laws tradition and keeping up with it, I always make Ven Pongal and Sweet Pongal or the Chakkra Pongal early in the morning, offer it to Sun God and then we relish it 🙂 This year I followed the same tradition – as far as I know the reason Sweet Pongal is made on this day is to celebrate the fresh produce of this season....

This is the perfect effortless summer dinner. I know we all try to avoid using the oven in the summer, especially in August. But if you ask me, an effortless delicious sheet pan dinner is worth the heat. Whenever I’m creating recipes, I always try to think of the best way to make the recipe that will be simplest for you all at home. I’ve learned some tips on condensing and simplifying the cooking process that I think we can all appreciate....

Ingredients dry lasagna noodles basil pesto fresh basil leaves garlic fresh thyme leaves dried oregano olive oil chili flakes whole milk chopped spinach kosher salt and pepper shredded mozzarella cheese shredded provolone cheese whole milk riccotta cheese heavy cream sliced pepperoni grated parmesan cheese fresh oregano What you need in the kitchen for this recipe: large pot 12-17-inch baking sheet mixing spoon aluminum foil paper towel Yeah, yeah, I know, this looks like a pizza, everyone in my family has said so....

Watch the How To Video Here: It is something I personally do not do enough of, but that changed the moment I made these omelets. Is it weird that just before Christmas I showed you dinner for breakfast and now I am showing breakfast for dinner? I think I have my breakfast foods mixed up with my dinner foods and my lunch is just all over the place. Yes, my brain may be a bit confused....

Believe it or not, there are some recipes I fear and, of course, others I’m excited to make. The recipes I’m excited to create are the ones I know I can not only make delicious but pretty, too! Pot pie is one of the recipes I’ve feared for the longest time. This is dumb, I know, but it was just one of the many quirky hang-ups I had in my head....

This post is sponsored by Vermont Creamery. I couldn’t let August pass by without at least one last sweet peach recipe. This skillet brown sugar peach cobbler is one I’ve been wanting to share for a few years now but never got around to. It’s a classic peach cobbler but made extra delicious with a few special touches. After many rounds of testing, I can confidently say that this is the BEST peach cobbler....

Ingredients Bulb fennel Grated parmesan Skinless salmon filet Olive oil Kosher salt and pepper Chopped fresh dill Blood orange Lemon Fresno Chile pepper Egg noodles Kale Microgreens Any herbs you would like to add such as fresh basil Gotta have the carbs! You guys, sometimes I feel like food is just too pretty…and then other times I feel like food is just too ugly (but seriously why does ugly food always taste so good?...

Happy gosh darn Friday! Wow, what a week! It is very much fall here. In fact, we’re pretty much past our fall, as many of our leaves have fallen from their branches. It even snowed most of the day yesterday. We have chilly temps and snow on the ground. Yes, cozy season has arrived! And I’m happy to be sharing these very cozy, very delicious pumpkin cookies today. My first cozy cookies of the season actually....

In the past few months I’ve really gotten into superfoods. Which is fairly obvious from this recipe, this recipe and this recipe. I’m loving their fresh flavors and vibrant colors, and these Southwest Quinoa bowls are just another example of how superfoods can be SO delicious! One of my favorite things to do with quinoa is to make quinoa bowls. I am a HUGE fan of “bowl food”…aka throw the contents of my fridge and pantry into a bowl and call it a meal....

You can never go wrong with a hearty dip, whether it’s Mediterranean layered dip, cheesy corn dip, Mexican bean dip, Reuben dip, a sweet cannoli dip or this savory and satisfying spinach and artichoke dip. Whenever I see spinach artichoke dip on the menu at a restaurant, I have to order it. I’ve since learned to make this snack at home, and I have to say, I think my version is better than what you’d get at a restaurant!...

Are you guys sick of my Halloween posts yet? I’m hoping the answer is no, because I’m pretty excited to be sharing these EASY, but so fun pretzels with you guys. And…I totally have more spooky cocktails coming your way tomorrow as well. So plenty of Halloween. Sorry, if Halloween is not your thing, I have a delicious savory recipe coming your way Monday!! Until then, let’s chat chocolate covered “spooky” pretzels....

Skip your local diner and make these strawberry waffles at home for a leisurely weekend treat that will please both the kids and adults in your life. I think I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve taken my kids out to breakfast. We tend to not venture out to a restaurant for breakfast because who wants to get up early on a weekend? In my town, a lot of the breakfast spots also have long lines on the weekends....

When I’m entertaining in the earlier part of the day, I offer plenty of sweet and savory breakfast recipes including delights such as red velvet waffles, stuffed french toast, cheese blintzes, sausage casserole, sweet potato hash, french toast casserole, and this cheesy and delicious tater tot casserole. I love to offer breakfast casserole recipes for a great start to the day. This tater tot breakfast casserole is a family favorite with crispy potato tots, smoky bacon and of course, melted cheese....

And for once they both go together!! No random out of nowhere talk today because the recipe and the story go hand in hand. Cool! OKok, so you may hear me talk about my brother Brendan and his girlfriend Lyndsie from time to time. Well, those two are the inspiration, and honestly the reason this recipe came to be. The two of them just returned from a month plus trip to Thailand....

I make my own condiments and dressings whenever possible, they’re so much more flavorful than anything you’d get at the store. Some of our favorites include dressings for Chinese chicken salad, Olive Garden salad and this super versatile balsamic dressing. I know how easy it is to grab a bottle of balsamic vinaigrette at the store, but I find that pre-made dressings are lacking in flavor, full of sugar and loaded with preservatives....

First things first, Happy Mother’s Day! I hope you are all celebrating your moms today, or if you are a mom yourself, I hope you’re taking the day off and doing something you love! Maybe something like drinking a Bellini…or two, with a rather large stack of blueberry pancakes! 🙂 Today I’m checking in with a quick post. You see, I just had to share this fun little Bellini Bar that I created for my friends over at the Crate and Barrel blog....

My family loves Mexican food, and I make our favorite recipes almost every week including zesty salsa verde, savory black beans and rice, and these vegetable fajitas. I can never resist a plate of sizzling fajitas, it’s one of my favorite things to order in a restaurant. These vegetarian fajitas feature four types of peppers, sweet red onions and plenty of mushrooms for a meal that will not have you missing the meat....

Hi guys! Hope you all had an awesome Christmas! Ours was snowy and amazing. We had one new addition this year with little baby Walker – who will be here (with his parents) through February! Always thankful for my big family and the adventures they bring with them! Keeping all these posts pretty short this week in an attempt to take a little time away from the computer. And honestly, really just give my mom a break who proofs these posts every single day!...

It’s that time of the year when all the berries and melons disappear from the grocery store, and what’s left is apples, apples and more apples. Oh, and a few oranges and bananas too. This winter fruit salad takes the best of the season and turns it into a light and refreshing side dish that’s packed with color and flavor. How to make winter fruit salad For this recipe, you’re going to need mandarin oranges, pineapple, kiwi and pomegranates....

There are only two more nights left until Christmas Eve! We’re down to our final two recipes before we all break away for a long Christmas vacation. Are you all excited? With Christmas Eve and Christmas Day just days away, I left one of my favorite recipes of the month for last. Oh, this French toast! It’s the most special, it’s just perfect for the holidays! We all know how much I LOVE cinnamon rolls for Christmas....