It was a graveyard smash! Sorry, sorry, I just HAD to, I mean, these are monster mash cookies after all!! And YOU GUYS I am so excited about them!! Come on, they’re kind of cute, right? Can you tell what they are though?? Any guesses?? Black owls and vampires!! I feel like the vampires are maybe kind of obvious, but the owls might be a little harder to make out?...
Murungaikkai Thokku is a simple and delicious curry made with drumstick or moringa pods. It is an easy tamil style recipe that is very close to my heart. This drumstick curry happens to be one of the dishes I first made for my family growing up and I remember all of us relishing it for dinner, after a long day. While Murungaikkai Kuzhambu or Sambar is much more commonly made across South India, this Drumstick Thokku is such a classic dish, full of flavor!...
These are not your average Tuesday night tacos. And they’re definitely not your traditional al pastor style taco. But hear me out, because these tacos are so good. Growing up we’d have traditional ground beef tacos at least twice a week. It was a dinner that my dad could easily put together and knew that everyone would love. Even to this day, we all still love tacos. But then who doesn’t love a taco?...
What’s your favorite ice cream? I always wonder whether more people like vanilla, chocolate, chocolate peanut butter, or something totally different? Without a doubt, mine is chocolate or chocolate peanut butter. The chocolate peanut butter can have either chunks or swirls of peanut butter, it really doesn’t matter. It just needs a deliciously creamy chocolate base and a good amount of peanut goodness throughout. Just like most of us, I definitely grew up eating Dairy Queen every single summer, especially when we lived in Ohio....
Whenever I go to Olive Garden, I order their Zuppa Toscana, minestrone soup, chicken scampi and of course have a generous helping of their famous salad. In my opinion, this homemade version is even better than what you’d get at the restaurant. Olive Garden is a popular restaurant for good reason – who can resist all those hearty, cheesy Italian food options? My favorite part of eating at Olive Garden has to be the soup and salad....
And I am not just talking about our food, things are just really crazy in general around here. But hey, that’s life! The good news is, everyone seems to be having a nice Christmas vacation. I didn’t really talk much about our Christmas the other day, so here are a few of the details. Christmas Eve was our usual crazy hectic. Yes, my family is just hectic in general, nothing is very relaxed around here until Christmas Eve night when we finally sit down at the table....
I’ve been thinking of my Nonnie often lately and missing our time together. I may have shared this story before, but I thought it was worth repeating. For the longest time, I steered clear of all things Caesar salad. Way back when I was twelve I had a rather bad experience with Caesar Salad. I was out to lunch with my Nonnie, something the two of us would often do on weekends....
Pesto pasta salad is a must have for all of your summer gatherings. It’s fresh, flavorful, and the whole thing can be put together in 20 minutes. Serve your pasta salad alongside main course options such as baked chicken tenders, a summery lobster roll, a chicken club sandwich or a grilled turkey burger. This pesto pasta salad is literally one of the best pasta salads I’ve ever had. That combination of fresh pesto, tender pasta, creamy mozzarella and juicy tomatoes just can’t be beat!...
That I can debate with myself in my head for hours and hours about if I should make this or that. Should I go with chicken or shrimp, vegan or heavy on the meat, super cheesy or super healthy, top with an egg or leave the egg off. Honestly, I know it may sound stupid and like a problem most people would love to have, but the problem is, it that I am like this with pretty much everything that involves making a decision....
Pani Puri, Golgappa, Puchka – call it by any name, it is one of the most favorite chaat dishes and street food specialties in any part of India. Pani Puri is loosely translated to water filled puri. Pani means water in Hindi and Puri is the puffed, fried Indian bread. It seems totally absurd trying to explain this popular Indian street food or even translate it. For anyone who has tasted this, it is a flavor-bomb – perfectly puffed up crispy puris filled with potato-based stuffing, loaded with flavorful pani....
We have always loved Ragi Sevai or Ragi Idiyappam – it is our go to dinner option on days we are too tired to cook anything elaborate. I always stocked up on ready to make Ragi Semiya packs and it was just a breeze making it in a few minutes. We sprinkled some grated coconut and sugar, most comforting fastest warm meal from stove to plate. I have always preferred to make the spicy version by tempering onions and grated carrots with lots of green chillies, which takes an extra few minutes but is equally delicious too....
And by buns, I do obviously mean the ones for your burger. I know that making burger buns is just an extra step, but for me, it’s a step worth taking. Living where I live, the bread selection is honestly not that awesome, so when looking for burger buns my choices are pretty much confined to the white ones my brothers love. Those buns work really well for plain burgers with cheese and ketchup, or this burger, where all you need a simple kid bun....
Is there anything better than a really delicious dinner roll? My mom used to make homemade bread all the time on Sunday or Monday nights beginning in the fall. I used to love the smell of the fresh bread baking away in the oven. It always gave such a cozy vibe. My mom had this old-school bread machine that would make and bake the dough for her. Does anyone else have anything like that?...
With every day the sun is setting earlier and earlier, and by this time next week, Asher will be 12. I wish she’d just stop growing up so quickly. She’s a little mini adult at this point and wise beyond her years. I finally spent some time this weekend trying to think of something amazing to do for her birthday. And you guys…I’m still stumped. Do you have ideas? I feel like twelve is a special birthday and I’m sad I don’t get to spend it with her....
Sometimes I make bread. Not too, too often, but when I do it’s either homemade beer bread, flour tortillas (is that bread?), or naan. We all know how much my family loves naan. It’s a staple anytime I make Indian or Thai curries, which is often. My mom and Asher are obsessed. But even my brothers can’t deny that a buttery piece of naan is good with just about any meal....
You can never go wrong with kabobs on the grill, I constantly make grilled chicken kabobs, steak and mushroom kabobs, and these fresh and delicious shrimp skewers. Warmer weather is finally here, and I’ve got my grill going non stop, especially on the weekends. These festive shrimp kabobs are pretty much the perfect meal – easy enough for a busy night, yet unique and elegant enough for company. How do you make shrimp kabobs?...
But you know, that can be easier said than done. I have found it really hard to keep recipes simple without one, being boring and repetitive, or two, being filled with store-bought ingredients that have about 20 bazillion ingredients that I’d rather not use. So it’s definitely a struggle for me…especially since all I ever want to do is build on flavors, tweak them and then just add one last thing to make them PERFECT....
Oh, I’ve been waiting to share this cocktail for the longest time! It was one of the inspirations for creating my pumpkin smash candle with Snif, which is now completely sold out!! It has been so fun seeing you all receive your candles! And while I know they are currently sold out, Snif listened to your comments and has managed to do a restock before Thanksgiving. You can pre-order the Pumpkin Smash candle here....
OkOK, so I know that technically this is not sushi, but it has all the amazing flavors of a spicy tuna roll, just in bowl form! You guys remember yesterday how I mentioned that my younger brother Red is really into sushi? Well, I made these Spicy Brown Rice Seared Tuna Roll Bowls over Christmas in an attempt to try to satisfy Red’s sushi craving. I’m personally all about bowl foods, but I’m not even going to try to sugar coat it, Red was pretty bummed that I didn’t roll them up like a real sushi joint....
Because, I mean, why the heck not? With Cinco de Mayo only a week from tomorrow, I’m basically bombarding you guys with all my favorite Mexican inspired recipes. I really hope you don’t mind…I am personally loving it. Cheesy Chicken, Lemongrass Guacamole, Breakfast Tacos (these are SO good), Cauliflower Rice Carne Asada Bowls, Lemony Lime Mango Mezcal Breeze, and now these fun, tropical fish tacos! Whoooaaa, that’s a lot of Mexican!...
