Scotty Thompson is an appetizer from Carrabba’s Italian Grill that has been on & off the menu since they first opened. This copy cat version only requires 3 ingredients (that you can tweak to your liking). And it’s incredibly easy to make! What 3 Ingredients do I need to make Scotty Thompson? The basic three ingredients you need are: Garlic Bread Marinara Goat Cheese This appetizer has changed over the years & I prefer the original version the most. It was served with garlic bread & generous goat cheese dip. The current rendition has toasted bread (just bread, not garlic bread ..read more

These bowls are packed full of feel good food. They’re vegetarian & meatless but have plenty of protein. They will even satisfy the “meat & potatoes” person in your family. What is Za’atar & Harissa? Za’atar is a seasoning blend of Middle Eastern herbs. The blend typically has “ground dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, or some combination thereof, mixed with toasted sesame seeds, and salt, though other spices such as sumac might also be added.” (Wikipedia) Bonus – Za’atar seasoning blends are high in anti-oxidants. Woohoo! Za’atar seasoning ble ..read more

Candied. Bacon. Need I say more to wet your appetite? Probably not, so let’s dive right in! What makes it “candied”? The ‘candy coating’ on the bacon is a spiced brown sugar. You will mix light brown sugar with cinnamon for the sweet side & add chili powder, white pepper, & either cayenne or chipotle powder for the spicy side. It really is the best of both worlds. Candying the bacon is super easy & just a little messy. You only need one bowl for the dredging. Once the bacon has the sugar coating, it all gets baked in the oven to keep the mess contained. Is this really kid friendly ..read more

This Lemon Pepper Orzo with Chicken & Goat Cheese tastes like Spring! It is full of bright, tangy, & zesty flavors. The fresh basil, lemon, tarragon, Greek yogurt, & goat cheese are delicious together. It’s super easy to make too so you can cook it up year round for a tasty dinner option. What is Orzo? If you’ve never heard of orzo – you are not alone! I often hear “oh what’s that?” when I mention this recipe to friends & family. Orzo “is a form of short-cut pasta, shaped like a large grain of rice. Orzo is traditionally made from white flour, but it can also be made of whole g ..read more

This new 7 day meal plan follows the Mediterranean Diet principles & food pyramid. I see many people confuse the ‘Mediterranean diet’ with ‘Mediterranean flavors’ … following the pyramid & principles doesn’t mean you have to eat Greek or Mediterranean food. This meal plan includes a range of cuisines & flavors, from Chili to Taco Bowls to Spicy Black Bean Burgers. Click Here to skip down to the Meal Plan! This week’s meal plan from a bird’s eye view: 5 minute breakfasts that are meatless (& egg-free too). Nuts every day & olive oil six out of seven days. Yay for healthy fa ..read more

Potatoes are one of my favorite foods! They are so versatile. I especially love how you can take just a couple pantry staples, add a potato, & you get an easy & scrumptious side dish. This recipe is great for beginners in the kitchen but it’s also a fabulous recipe to keep in your back pocket once you’re more familiar with cooking. Easy side dishes are so handy to whip out when you are making a more elaborate main dish. How do I make Roasted Potatoes? First things first – get the oven hot. For roasting potatoes, we want a nice high heat to crisp the outside quickly. Preheat your oven t ..read more

These Candied Jalapenos are a powerful blend of sweet & spicy in a very small package. I have a couple tips for making them more mild or more spicy so you can hopefully tweak them to your liking. These take 2 weeks to fully steep & marinate so there’s no time like the present to get started! First – Prep the Jalapenos Prepping the jalapenos is very easy. After they’ve been washed & dried, they need to be sliced into rings. Tip for spice control: the more seeds & membrane you leave in the pepper before you slice it, the hotter the rings will be. If you want a milder result, cut ..read more

This board is SO cute! And surprisingly simple to put together. First, I chose three main elements for this breakfast board: pancakes, bacon, & fruit. Then I put a Valentine’s Day themed twist on each element. Plain pancakes are turned into Pink Ombre Mini Chocolate Chip Pancakes. Bacon is now Candied Bacon. And for the fruit, Chocolate Dipped Strawberries were a must. First Recipe to Make: Chocolate Dipped Strawberries Chocolate Dipped Strawberries are way too easy to make. Only four ingredients & 20 minutes stand between you & an army of decadent little berries. You’ll quickly f ..read more

Who doesn’t love a delicious & hearty egg casserole?! For holiday breakfasts, weekend brunching, or breakfast for dinner, they’re just so easy & satisfying. Plus, it’s one of those dishes that is extremely versatile. When trying to decide the flavor palate for an egg casserole I came across so many wonderful ideas that I … well, I couldn’t decide. So I decided to break the recipe down into a basic fill-in-the-blank style template & let you decide for yourself! A Fill-In-The-Blank Template for Egg Casserole The first blank you get to fill is what style of “frozen shredded potato” yo ..read more

Meal planning is an “adulting” skill that can be self-taught very easily. I can say that with confidence because if I can do it, anyone can do it! I used to be the person that would come home from work & say “what sounds good?” Which meant my husband & I ate a lot of fast food, spent way more than we should on food, & rarely ate healthy, balanced meals. Learning how to effectively meal plan will not only help you achieve your goals, but also provide you with an ongoing menu that you are excited about cooking & fully prepared to execute. Taking control over this aspect of your l ..read more