Uncategorized

How to Get Back Into a Dinner Routine

Summer is magical, isn’t it? Long days of sun, warm weather, and endless fun. Schedules seem to go right out the window, too. The days are too much fun to go to bed early let alone have strict dinner times.

It is so easy to fall out of a routine but seemingly takes forever to get back into one. Especially when you are mourning the loss of lazy days of summer. I am shuddering just thinking about it.

But I am here to say that together, we can get back into a dinner routine for Fall. Heck, I am going so far as to say, it may even be something we look forward to. But just how to do we do that.

How the heck do we get back into a dinner routine for Fall?

Let’s go to the Chalkboard.

…

How to Repurpose Leftovers Like a Champ

by Kristen Leave a Comment

Ever make a huge dinner and look at the leftovers with huge eyes? You think what the heck am I going to do with all of this food? I get it! And as someone who loves food and doesn’t like to eat the same thing over and over I am here to help!

Over the years I have learned how to easily make new meals with leftovers. Want to learn how to repurpose leftovers like a champ?

Let’s go to the Chalkboard.

…

Bagel Spice Tomatoes

by Kristen Leave a Comment

I’ve been known to become a little overzealous when it comes to things. Like the time I wanted to learn how to make Italian food and that was all we ate for 3 months. Or the time I cooked through an entire Campbells soup cookbook because I wanted to learn about soup.

My current obsession is Bagel Spice Seasoning. You may have heard of it because it has been around for a while but I only recently got on the bandwagon and I may never hop off. It is delicious and I am putting it on so many things. I am already on my second bottle.

Enter the Bagel Spice Tomatoes. This is a vegetarian appetizer that comes together in minutes, is simple to prepare and everyone will love. You need to make this!

Let’s go to the Chalkboard.

…

Say Goodbye to Rubbery Chicken Breast

by Kristen 1 Comment

You’ve made dinner. It’s a chicken recipe you’ve cooked dozens of times. You followed the recipe to a “t” and yet the chicken is rubbery.

It’s so frustrating!

There are several causes to rubbery chicken and a few of them may have nothing to do with how you cooked it. Perhaps the chicken is to blame.

Want to find out what causes rubbery chicken breast and how to fix rubbery chicken once it happens?

Let’s go to the Chalkboard.

…

How to Tell if a Recipe is Good

by Kristen Leave a Comment

There are millions of recipes out there. You need to make dinner so you narrowed it down to one however you just don’t know how it will turn out. That leads us to the question, how to tell if a recipe is good?

These experiences really got me thinking just how to tell if a recipe is good? After analyzing a bunch of great recipes, learning about recipe development and cooking some pretty good and bad dinners I came upon six things to look for in a good recipe.

Let’s go to the Chalkboard.

…

What to Cook For a Friend in Need

by Kristen 2 Comments

Life is full of ups and downs. Thankfully we have wonderful friends that are there for us when we need them.

And sometimes, even if we don’t care to admit it, we need help. And what better way to help someone in need than to cook them a meal?

After I had my second baby, I was lucky enough to have a bunch of friends bring dinners to my house. I didn’t ask for it, they simply organized a meal train and food just started showing up. It was quite possibly one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. With all of the craziness surrounding the birth of a new baby, cooking dinner was the last thing on my mind.

Perhaps you have a sick neighbor, or a friend that was recently in the hospital, or a friend that had a baby. Life is busy enough, add any of these situations to the mix and worlds get turned upside down.

Anyone of them would probably love a homecooked meal. But just how do you go about bringing food to a friend? And most importantly, what do you make? I’ve got you covered.

Let’s go to the Chalkboard.

…

How to Fill Your Meal Plan With Dinners That Make Your Family Happy

by Kristen Leave a Comment

What the heck am I cooking this week?

Do you ask yourself this question regularly? The struggle is real. I used to scroll through Pinterest and try to figure out just what the heck I was going to make each week. That is hard enough in and of itself. Add in trying to find meals that everyone would eat and didn’t take all day to prepare and I was overwhelmed. Then I figured out how to fill your meal plan with meals your family will love.

It’s super easy — anyone can do it.

Let’s go to the Chalkboard.

…

Mother’s Day Kitchen Gifts

by Kristen Leave a Comment

Struggling with what to get your mom, wife, or grandma for Mother’s Day? Are they someone that loves to cook, bake or eat? I’ve got you covered. Check out our list of the best Mother’s Day Kitchen Gifts.

Let’s go to the Chalkboard.

…

Gift Ideas for Someone who Likes to Cook

by Kristen Leave a Comment

Gift giving is hard. I’m here to make it as easy as possible. Check out the items below to bring a smile to not just the cooks but everyone on your list.

Let’s go to the Chalkboard.

…

Looking for an Easy Thanksgiving Appetizer?

by Kristen Leave a Comment

Look no further!

This weekend my husband and I celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary. Instead of the usual dinner out, we booked a food tour in NYC. We went with a group, explored, ate and learned a ton! The tour checked out a bunch of Mom and Pop shops in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan. My husband and I ended the day with a full belly, great history on a neighborhood we’ve never really explored and so, so many food ideas!

One of the first stops was at an olive oil store for a tasting of their products. There we learned about the various varieties and processes of oil production. We had tastings of olive oil on bread and it was delicious. But that wasn’t the real winner there. Truffle popcorn was. I can almost taste it as I write this.

It was simple but flavorful, you ate it and wanted more and more. As I watched everyone “gobbling” it up I immediately thought of Thanksgiving. I knew this was going to be the easy Thanksgiving appetizer I was making. We visit family locally so Thanksgiving is a rare slow holiday for us. I don’t have to make the meal, I just bring a dish or two. This year, truffle popcorn is one of those dishes.

You need to make this simple Thanksgiving appetizer, too. It’s time to make Truffle Popcorn.

Let’s go to the Chalkboard.

…