This post was sponsored by Ontario Turkey but all opinions are my own. I only write about and recommend products I use and love myself. I love making these Tikka Skewers whenever I have guests over. Because they’re so simple and quick to prep, it hardly takes me much time to make a big batch. Tender pieces of boneless meat are marinated in a blend of plain yogurt and spices, and grilled on skewers with fresh veggies like onions and peppers....

It’s comfort food in every sense of the word and a side dish that is as easy to make as it is to eat! Twice-baked potatoes are a super simple, budget-friendly side dish fully loaded with filling and flavor! It may remind you of a loaded baked potato because of the sour cream, cheese, and bacon, or maybe a larger version of everyone’s favorite potato skins appetizer. I do believe that this recipe is the BEST of both worlds with mashed potatoes joining the party....

Are you looking for a different type of cold pasta dish to make on a hot day? Pasta salads like Tuna Pasta Salad or Tortellini Salad are common in the west, but in the Middle East, this yogurt pasta recipe, called “macarona bil laban”, is a go-to summer meal. Use spaghetti, or your favorite pasta shape, and stir it into this luscious, creamy sauce made with plain yogurt, plenty of garlic, and herbs....

Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram Me: “Umm.. so?” I thought he was upset because it was sugary cereal. We didn’t let our first couple babies try sugar until they were toddlers, but we got over that notion a long time ago when the reality of older siblings set in. “So, babies can’t have honey until after they are 12 months old!” Oh yeah. Botulism. I vaguely remember every pediatrician mentioning that at every one of the thousand doctor appointments I’ve brought my kids to…oops....

This is the only time I will ever tell you not to salt the heck out of your meat before searing! The brine has thoroughly salted this hunk of beef, so don’t add more. Make sure you get a nice brown edge on each side, don’t skimp on that Maillard crispy goodness! Okay so maybe my mom was the only one who claimed on the morning of every St. Patrick’s Day that leprechauns had come in the night and magicked our milk an intense shade of green....

This recipe was published on February 1, 2012. I updated the photos and added more details for the recipe on November 7, 2018. So many of my favorite recipes were posted on the blog when I first started, before any of you were here! The world needs to know about these big fat crescent rolls! As usual, I’m keeping a portion of the original blog post for posterity’s sake. Here’s a blast from the past:...

Are you guys getting pumped for eating 9 different kinds of pie turkey and gravy this week? When I was a kid, Thanksgiving was always at my great Aunt Pauline’s house. It was The Event of The Year in my 7-year-old eyes. (Never trust me when I say I was 7 years old. The truth is that I can’t remember anything chronologically before roughly the age of 12, so all childhood memories fall under my favorite number, 7....

Originally posted December 19, 2014 So I’m busy choosing what spinach to buy in the produce section at the store yesterday, when a frazzled-looking employee comes up to me. “Ma’am, you’re spilling sugar.” “What?” He points behind me, to this: I had picked up the sugar in the baking aisle, then went to the freezer section AND the paper aisle before heading to produce, which is on the opposite end of the store....

Today I brought Truman in to the doctor for his immunizations. It was just one shot, and he cried of course, for a few seconds. Then they gave him a lollipop and he was fine. But as we’re walking out a minute later, he walked straight into the wall and hit his head on the doorframe. Kid was bawling for like 3 minutes, and suddenly I’m (yet again) THAT parent who is laughing while their kid is crying....

My daughter Valentine is about a year and a half old and has been talking more and more. Her first word was Mama (thankyouverymuch.) Then Dada, then ‘thank you.’ One day we were talking about Cookie Sunday, and she stood up and screamed “COOKIE???” 4th word of her life. Perfect pronunciation. Cookie Sunday happens every Sunday at our house. It’s not complicated. Every Sunday, we make and eat cookies. The end....

I was reading an old blog post of mine and came across this (from back when only my mom read this bloggy-blog. Hi mom!) (and yes, I am about to quote myself, get ready for this): “Doesn’t Christmas time just make you want to hug everybody? In my personal heaven, it will be Christmas all the time. And don’t give me this “if-it-was-Christmas-every-day-it-wouldn’t-be-special” crap. This is heaven, people. Vegetables will taste like brownies....

Last week I defeated a monstrous blackberry vine. It was like Karen vs. Nature, and I WON. I have newfound mad respect for people who pick fruit all day, let me just say. My parents have had the entire back wall of their garden covered in blackberry vines since before I was born. Every May growing up it was the kids’ job to help pick blackberries so that my mom could turn them into pie....

The other day I looked over Eric’s shoulder while he was reading what looked like a very official news piece. But then I saw a subheading: “The midi-chlorians reveal a deeply conflicted attitude toward egalitarian values and structures.” If you don’t know what the article was about yet, then consider yourself firmly out of the realm of nerd-hood. The next one read, “The Ewoks may represent the theological lynchpin to the saga’s conclusion....

Last night some old friends came over for dinner. Amelia has been a nurse for many years, but just recently got a new job in Labor and Delivery. She was VERY nervous about it at first, and even asked her supervisors if she could have an extra week of shadowing after they thought she was ready. Which they gave her. But on her last night being supervised, the hospital got totally slammed and they needed to divide forces....

I’m still in reaction mode for most of my day. Baby cries. Sit down to feed baby. Toddler wakes up. Set down baby to change toddler’s diaper. Baby cries. Toddler wants milk. Pick up screaming baby. Get milk. Sit down to feed baby. Toddler hugs baby to near suffocation. Baby cries. Toddler wants food: “I want oatmeal I want oatmeal I want oatmeal!!” Baby wants food. I want food. Nobody is getting what they want fast enough....

When I was a kid I made cookies all the time. Nothing has changed, but back then I actually thought I had the recipe memorized. (I still don’t). Once I had a friend over and we decided to make cookies. I knew that my mom always doubled the recipe, so I doubled what I thought was the right amount of flour. We dumped in 12 cups. These were the days before the mixer, so we were really getting a work out trying to stir in all that flour by hand....

Today Truman was on the front porch having a meltdown. He can’t open the screen door himself, and wouldn’t ask me nicely to open it for him (the door was ajar) so I was listening and waiting in the kitchen until he decided to use his manners. Then I hear the doorbell ring. That’s when I lost it a little bit and started telling him sternly (« we all know what that’s code for right) that it is NOT OKAY to ring the doorbell when you’re supposed to be asking nicely for help....

The other day Eric was looking everywhere for his wallet. We hadn’t been anywhere recently and he was pretty sure it was at home, so I kept doing what I was doing (going through my closet, actually, a horrendous task indeed) and left him to it. Eric’s parents were in town, and his dad joined him in the search. I heard them list off all the places they had looked: the car, under the bed, in the couch....

Originally posted September 25, 2014 My mom came over right as I was finishing up this salad. I plopped a bowl in front of her and she looked down and said, “What are these?” “What are what?” “These nuts.” “Mom. They’re pistachios.” (Long pause) Me: “You’ve never had pistachios.” (Guilty look.) Do you guys see where I’m coming from here?? Now you know why I call myself a Food Charlatan....

Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram I think I’ll sleep with the door locked tonight. “Oh yeah, what did you talk about?” (mumble mumble) “Sorry, what?” “Just like, violence and stuff.” Oh dear. Well, assuming there are no homicides in our family this week, I’m SUPER excited for the upcoming Thanksgiving festivities! What is your favorite part? Turkey? potatoes? rolls? I’m all about the DESSERT. Specifically this Pumpkin Roll recipe. But on top of that they are DELICIOUS....