Love me some lemons! We use them regularly each week in salad dressing, turmeric tea, muffins, pancakes, etc. I could go on and on. This week, I was focusing on high-protein and low-carb dinners for my family, and salmon happened to fit the criteria. I think I overcooked the salmon by a few minutes, but the boys really like it well done. However the flavors from the butter, lemons, and parsley were magnifique! This cooked was done in under 30 minutes start to finish. Super easy dinner.  

​ I completely forgot about this week's lemony goodness challenge until Thursday.  Then, as is typical for me, I realized I had no lemons in the house at all and absolutely no clue what to make!  After getting lost in lemon internet bliss, I finally narrowed my choices to three possible recipes and then did a late evening grocery order.  Friday morning began with Lemon Blueberry goodness.  These are a keeper for certain.  I probably made the glaze a smidge too thin but that's ok by me.  Being as thin as it was, added a smidge of sweetness while allowing the lemon  and blueberries to merge into a wonderfully flavorful explosion with each and every bite.  

Lemons are always a great challenge. So much you can do with them. From drinks, to desserts, to your main dish. Oh.. And don't forget breakfast.
Looks like we covered most..

Until next week,

​Jen, Nikita, Georgia, Cammy and Mandy

Happy New Year!  This week I made a Shrimp Caesar Salad.  I know it’s nothing new and challenging, but I’ve never tried it with shrimp.  The dressing did worry me a little because it is made with raw egg.  It turned out light and creamy.  I am glad I didn’t add salt because the shaved parmesan and the shrimp make up for that.  Skipped the croutons and ate the leftover baguette we had, that was crunchy enough.  Also, great for mopping up the dressing.  Will definitely have future Caesar Salads with shrimp.  

We love a good salad in the Hays House! This week, I tried to take the challenge to new heights rather than making the same fan favorites. This Roasted Winter Veggie Salad raised the bar for us! Roasted baby potatoes (I used the medley with the purple ones for color), Carrots, Parsnips, Butternut Squash, & Red Onion over a bed of Arugula and served with a Balsamic dressing smothered in fresh parsley, basil, & cilantro. SOOOOOOO FRESH with the comforts of winter. 

I actually made a few different salads this past week and this is the only one I remembered to take a pic of.
It's a pretty hearty vegetarian salad that I promptly added grilled chicken too!

This salad is chock full of goodness. Romaine, spinach, grape tomatoes, chickpeas, green onions, hard boiled eggs, avocado and the grilled chicken was added afterwards. Drizzled Or drowning for the hubs) in a red wine vinaigrette.

This was my week working in the office.  I just couldn't think of salad.  I needed a huge pick me up.  Jellooooooo........... :)   I normally make this with strawberry Jello and fresh strawberries.  I'd never seen it made this way, but I love all things pineapple and oranges so I've given it a shot.  Yes, it works for me (even though it technically isn't a salad)!  I love the contrast between the salty and sweet. 

Jello pretzel salad? I'm down..

Starting year 5 off eating healthy.. Well.. Mostly..

Until next week,

Mandy, Jen, Nikita, Georgia and Cammy!

Out with the old and in with the new.  I'm going with a new take on an old standard and combining it with simplicity.  Angel food cake...pineapple angle food cake.  The simple part?  1 Betty Crocker angel food cake mix and one 20 ounce can of pineapple 🍍, 90 seconds of mixing and 40 minutes of baking.   It really can't get much simpler than that and the result was yummy goodness.  I didn't do it this time, but I can envision serving this with a dollop of whipped cream, pineapple 🍍 tidbits and fresh strawberries...or maybe even raspberries or blueberries!  Yum!  Happy New Year! I wish, for you, a year filled with good health,  peace, love and contentment. 

The holidays definitely looked different than normal, but we still enjoyed ourselves!  For New Year’s Eve, I made a big pot of amazing chili (no recipe – I just throw stuff in the pot that sounds good), and what I like to call “Nikita’s Cornbread”.  I first had it at Nikita’s house, so it will be forever known as that.  Delicious.  Afterword we invited a few neighbors to join us out front for some fireworks!   It was a fun evening. 😊

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!!

I know for many 2020 was not the best year. But for the hubs and I we lived every single moment.
We started in New Mexico and ended in Georgia when we made the big move back to the south. And a million and one things in between.
South FL in March to see my niece get married, airboat around the Everglades, dinner with great friends. Getting the house in NM ready to sell. Seeing Savannah graduate in June. Yellowstone and the Tetons for 4th of July. Making the most of Albuquerque and our home church before we made the big move in the middle of July. Several months of rehab on the ole home in the north GA mountains. Hanging  with old friends, making new friends. Waterfalls, mushrooms and all the autumn I could take in. Snow and Randy's best friend in October. Thanksgiving with some of my most favorite people. A winter filled with lights, love and hot cocoa.
2020 was pretty freaking fantastic for me.
I can't wait to see what 2021 has in store for us.

Praying good food and good times for all our loved ones!

Cammy, Jen, Georgia, Nikita and Jen

What's Christmas for me?
Little moments throughout the year with people I love.
Sitting in the sanctuary on Christmas Eve. Lights off. Candles lit. Singing Silent Night.

Merry Christmas!

Gingerbread always feels like the holidays to me.  I've typically never had it any other time of year.  I also have never made it before this year.  Last week, Molasses Cookies, this week cake.  I may continue on this theme for a while. This gingerbread cake brings all things gingery up another level....  

This challenge was left open for some interpretation. Seasonal could mean "Fall" or "Holiday." Because of my #25daysofcookies challenge, I decided to make something that reminded me of snuggling up on the couch with a cozy blanket and a crackling fire. So, Chicken Noodle Soup made the cut. It hit the spot. This particular recipe uses the smallest amount of turmeric to give it that yellow color. I may have added too many egg noodles because they swelled up and drank most of the broth. I had to add a whole container of broth at the end of the process to make it soupy again. Oops. But this is definitely a "make-again." We actually froze the leftovers to reheat later. 

BTW - if you don't have a fireplace, Netflix has an hour-long Birchwood Fire. It crackles and everything!

Funny how when Cammy challenged us with something seasonal 2/3 of us went to the sweet side. In all fairness to Nikita she's challenged herself to the 25 days of cookies and has been baking a new cookie every day.
I went for chocolate chip cookies for several reasons and most have to do with chocolate chip cookies. Hoping we have some for Savannah when she gets here this evening. Let's just say Randy likes them.

So about the cookies. Delish. They are not the thin crispy chocolate chip cookie you get more often than not. These have a little heft to them. Not too cakey, not too thin.

One thing I changed from the recipe. I never use salted butter. Never under no circumstances. Unsalted butter allows you to easily control the saltiness of any recipe.

I don't care what anyone says. Everyone NEEDS an Elvis Christmas ornament!
Angel on the far left has graced my Christmas for almost 30 years.

We are 6 short days away from the big day!

Praying everyone has an amazing Christmas,

Cammy, Jen, Mandy, Nikita and Georgia

For my week I chose cold weather drinks. Be it hot or cold. Weather or drink.

It's been a little chilly here. Not overly cold at all. I mean one morning it was in the 20's. But today's high was in the 60's and rainy.
Either way.. Still great weather for hot cocoa.
A few years ago we started the hot cocoa challenge where we would buy several types of hot cocoa to see which was the best one. We've done that every year since.

This year I made two different variations using the Silly cow double udder.
Cocoa on the left is a chai hot cocoa. Steep 2 tea bags in hot milk. Add cocoa. Top with whipped cream. Unless you're the hubs who insists whipped cream is for girls.
Cocoa on the left I used heated chocolate milk with the cocoa, a scoop of vanilla ice cream (mmm hmm) and whipped cream. Because I'm a girl

Who was the big winner this year?
The hot cocoa I had at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens Holiday Lights. Hot cocoa with peppermint schnapps!!
But the cocoa with the vanilla ice cream came in a pretty close second.

I'm a coffee kind of gal.  I haven't always been.  When I was young, I swear my mom would buy coffee ice cream because she knew I wouldn't touch it!  At 18, I joined the Air Force and very quickly became a coffee kind of gal. When I started drinking it, it was more like having a little coffee with my sugar and cream.  I went through phases though, sometimes drinking it black, sometimes with just

It’s still t-shirt weather here, so it’s not unreasonable to have a frozen beverage on a winter day!  I’m not a coffee fan, so this one is “Frozen Chocolate”, shared with my favorite 7-year old.  On a cold morning, I sometimes make hot chocolate.  I love chocolate! 😊   

During the colder weather/ holiday season I always want red hots.  I’m sure it’s from all those gingerbread houses we made as kids.  When I saw this recipe for a Red Hot Martini I had to give it a try.  This drink tastes exactly like the candy.  I loved it.  The sugar on the rim really makes you feel like you are eating the candy.  I did use regular vodka instead of cinnamon vodka (couldn’t find it) and regular sugar.  What a treat!  Looking forward to making this drink to share with my friends. Cheers!🍸 
 
Mandy 

We are rounding the corner to winter and the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas!

Stay warm or cool depending on where you are.

Georgia, Cammy, Jen, Mandy and Nikita

Hello! It's my week to pick our theme, and I chose apples. Why? Because it's still fall, and I'm a little over pumpkin after October and Thanksgiving. This December, I'm starting a 25 Days of Cookies challenge where I'll bake a new set of cookies each day. Today marks Day#5, so I merged the Saturday Bites and cookie challenges together to make these A-MAZING Apple Crisp Cookies with Maple Glaze. The hubs said this may be his new favorite cookie. Really? Has the Oatmeal Raisin Cookie been dethroned? They really are delicious with a chewy texture, crunch of the streusel topping, and balance of tart and sweet flavors with grated Granny Smiths baked throughout. I would easily call this a Fall cookie. Follow me on IG @haysnik86 to see other cookies during this challenge. 

This week was to be "playing with apples."  When I think of apples, I think of baking.  I really didn't want to bake with apples this week so I decided to go on a healthier option.  Then I decided that I wanted comfort food and also breakfast food.  In the end I went with this delicious apple cranberry oatmeal made in the instant pot.  I've never actually had oatmeal from steel cut oats before so this was also new territory for me.  I'm thankful I have my instant pot.  This recipe was easy and delicious, though not as healthy as the 
original.  I had some heavy cream that I needed to use up so that was used instead of the nonfat milk.  Does it count that I topped it with lowfat milk when I served it up?   

My husband’s birthday was this week, so he got to pick something special he wanted for dinner!  He chose “apple pork chops”, green beans, and roasted red potatoes.  The meal turned out well. 😊   I’d make the apple pork chops recipe again, but maybe with extra apples the next time. 

What's not to love about apples? So, so many ways to prepare them and all are oh so delicious.

Until next week,

Nikita, Georgia, Cammy, Jen and Mandy

This Thanksgiving I have much to be thankful for.
This year I was able to hang out with my younger brother and sister in law to witness the marriage of their daughter to a young man they adore. We were able to be with Randy's daughter when she graduated from high school. Swing by the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. Move home (hallelujah!), visit Randy's best friend in Idaho. And for Thanksgiving we were able to break bread with my stepmother Pat, my older brother and his wife and the greatest gift, my Uncle Dan. We finished up our week hosting a pie party with those who couldn't make it over for Thanksgiving (come back tomorrow for more on that).

We have 1 month left of this year. I can't wait to see how we finish it up

Even in the chaos God is good!

It was just our family this year, but we still enjoyed a nice meal for Thanksgiving!   Hopefully next year life is more normal again!

Thanksgiving 2020! We spent Thanksgiving together with food that will last the weekend and naps that would make a lazy dog on a summer day jealous. My turkey was a little dry; my bottom oven tends to cook hot, but I haven't tested to see how hot it really cooks. Turkey was overcooked with an hour left on the timer. 😣 We decided to use one-time-use aluminum pans and paper plates to cut down on the dishes this year. #Winning And I smothered my thumb in liquid hot magma aka gravy when my paper plate collapsed under the weight of all the food. My thumb survived and all was well. Oddly enough, my favorite food did not make it on the paper plate during the first pass. Every year, I make this Orange Heavenly Hash. It's basically fluffy orange jello with marshmallows and mandarins. SOOOO GOOD! Basically dessert before dessert happens. Now onto the Christmas season! 

That's a wrap for Thanksgiving 2020!

Praying you all had a blessed day no matter how you celebrated.

Georgia, Jen, Nikita, Cammy and Mandy

I chose breakfast as the theme because I was looking for some good ideas when family visit over the holidays.  Since Michigan shut down again due to the virus all those plans are cancelled.  :( Oh well, at least we will have options for when we can celebrate as a group again.  
 
Crustless Spinach Quiche is what we made.  It was delicious!  I learned that I love the combination of warm, melted feta with spinach.   This is definitely a dish to make to please a crowd.  I had warmed it in the oven the next day and it was just as delicious as the day we made it.  
 
Hope everyone has a healthy and happy Thanksgiving!
 
Mandy

When we think breakfast in our house, Eggs Benedict always comes to mind. It's Matt's favorite breakfast. A little tweak on our version: Sriracha in the hollandaise and add tomato & avocado. If I'd had a few spinach leaves, I probably would have added that it there too. 

Looks like Nikita and I were on the same breakfast page.
Just a few differences. We used country ham instead of Canadian bacon and.. The Holandaise sauce was less than desirable. So we skipped it. Thankfully the poached eggs were pretty dang good.

I know a lot of people avoid making poached eggs. To be perfectly honest it's my favorite way to have eggs. A good tip is before adding to your pot of simmering water take your spoon and do a quick stir around the pot. Get a little cyclone going. It's a great way to keep your egg whites together. And although virtually recipe calls for adding vinegar to your water I never do and they turn out perfectly fine every time.

My go-to when we have breakfast for dinner is bacon egg and cheese biscuits!   And I make up extras for leftovers…pop them in the microwave for an easy breakfast the next day.  😊   

Who else loves breakfast any time? I mean, if we were the only ones so many places wouldn't be offering it.. All day long.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mandy, Nikita, Georgia, Cammy and Jen

I was wanting something “green” this week for whatever reason.  I found a recipe for cilantro lime chicken that sounded perfect!  I made a few minor adjustments, including using green tortillas.   It turned out pretty well!  I wish I took more pictures – I must have been too hungry. 😊

Eating fresh every week is something my kitchen prides itself on. No matter what the dish might be, we always try to add some healthy greenery on the plate. It's not only more beautiful to look at before devouring, but it also helps balance the calories from the constant rotation of baked goods in my kitchen. This week if you ate at our house, you would have had Asian Chicken Lettuce wraps on Monday; BBQ Sausage, Broccoli & Potato Sheet Pan on Wednesday; Roast Chicken with Lemon Risotto & Asparagus on Friday. We. Love. To. Eat. 

I was so excited about this challenge. Something a little lighter and "healthier". But..
I got everything I needed to make my "green" dish. But..
That's where it ends. It was a busy work week and a busy life week.
So all I have is this plate of avocado toast.
Green?

I decided to get Saturday Bites out of the way early this week.  So, Sunday, when the temp outside is finally down to 56 degrees outside but still 75 degrees inside, I turned the oven on for the third time in the day.  This dish was actually pretty quick, even with cutting and cleaning the fresh broccoli.  I made the addition of some smoked sausage to make this a one pan meal.  It was the perfect compliment.  Of course, I used nearly double the cheese, because, well....cheese!  This one's a keeper that we will likely have as a regular meal. 

I think we should be going "green" more often!

Until next week,
Jen, Mandy, Nikita, Georgia and Cammy

I love soup, all kinds of soup!  Hearty fall soups are the best though.  There were so many soups I was going to make this week, but somehow only two materialized.  I like them both, but I have to admit, the black bean soup was the easiest to make and was very, very tasty!  I garnished mine with avocado, pico de gallo, sour cream and Fritos. Yum! 

There is a diner in town that serves the most delicious pumpkin soup,  This particular pumpkin soup didn't come close and was a bit fiddly. I ended up adding a 15 ounce can of pumpkin, additional vegetable broth and cream, then tripled the cinnamon and brown sugar. It is goof, but not nearly as good as the diner's! 

This challenge was a bust for us – I made pumpkin soup, but I was the only one in the house who would eat it!  It wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t good. 😊  Hopefully someone else made something better!!

So the plan was to make a beef barley soup. It was getting a little chilly here and the soup challenge was perfect timing.

So off the to store I go to pick up all the needed ingredients. And.. No barley to be found.
A quick change in plans with virtually all of the same ingredients. (without the barley) and we have a hot bowl of beef stew.

I have not made beef stew in years and really have no good explanation. It's not hard or complicated. And always tasty.

Nothing fancy or new. I think the best tip I can give is to flour your beef before browning.

Looks like the weather is getting a little warmer for most of us right now. Thankfully soup is good anytime and apparently pumpkin soup is a thing.

Until next week,

Cammy, Jen, Mandy, Nikita and Georgia

This week for my food challenge I chose sausage. Because why not?

Sausage is almost as amazing as bacon.

It's seldom that I make a dish more than once. I mean for it to make it to my favorites it has to be better than good.
Dublin Coddle is better than good. I like the simplicity of the dish.

Side note: I did NOT make this over an open fire. Although that sounds exciting. Which it doesn't. I didn't.

I made it in my instant pot because lately we are the instant pot queens.
Fast and delish. The best combo for your dinner time.

No recipe this week.  I fried some potatoes and onions with garlic pepper then added kielbasa followed by cabbage and a splash of soy sauce.  Simple and delicious. 

After a few weeks of chaos following my daughter’s surgery, things are finally getting back to normal!  I made Italian sausage and pepper sandwiches for dinner last night – delicious!!  And for unrelated fun, this morning I made some Halloween pancakes. 😊

Sausage was on the menu this week, and the weather FINALLY started to feel like Fall for a few days. I know this is a controversial topic buuuuuuut......I'd say it's finally soup weather. I found this Italian Sausage & White Bean Soup packed full with flavor. I used the Hot Italian Sausage to give the dish a bit of heat. It was so delish that I forgot to take a picture the first night it was served, but thank heavens for leftovers! The picture above was my lunch the next day at Chez Panera Hays. Easy recipe --> Amazing flavor! Try it out. 

Great news for Jen and her daughter Jade!

Until next week,

Georgia, Cammy, Jen, Mandy and Nikita

IT'S CHILI COOK-OFF TIME!!!!! And this week, I have a special contribution. My new walking buddy, Stacey, decided it was "chilly enough for chili" and made a pot for her in-laws that flew in from Colorado. "Chilly" in Phoenix is a low of 60s and high of 90s. 😆She was kind enough to send me a photo, and it looks incredible. The first thing I noticed is that she also eats her chili with Fritos! Matt and Christopher prefer my homemade cornbread (it's the recipe from Walt Disney World's Whispering Canyon Cafe). It's a sweeter bread but balances the spiciness in the chili. We have enough to feed us for a few days. Yum! 

2lbs browned ground beef
1 can tomato juice (46 oz)
1 can tomato sauce (29 oz)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 can of dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
Red Cayenne Pepper (however much you want)
Red Pepper Flakes (measure with your heart)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 ground cumin
1/4 cup chili powder

Mix all ingredients together in a big pot or dutch oven and simmer for 1.5 hours. Tastes even better the second day! So make ahead if you're short on time. 

This is one of the best chili recipes I’ve tried.  It’s spicy, slightly sweet, and very hearty.  The coffee and the bourbon taste is very subtle but so good.  It cooks for about 2 1/2 hours and the pork becomes so tender.  We have made it a few times now and it’s still a hit with my family.  This recipe makes a lot but it freezes well. 
 
Mandy

Interestingly as I'm typing this up I'm sitting in a hotel room in Spokane, WA after visiting the hubs friend who lives outside of Coeur d"Alene, ID and it snowed.. A lot. The perfect setting for a hot bowl of chili.

This bowl however I made a couple of days ago.. In GA..  Where the highs were in the 70's.

So what makes my bowl of chili special? Nothing really. Just normal beans (red and white), meat (beef and local sausage), onions, garlic, chili spices.. Cumin.. Because cumin and beans go together like peas and carrots, poblano pepper.. Served it over elbow macaroni, shredded cheddar. And some of the weirdest hush puppies.

Oh and like Cammy I made it in our instant pot

Did someone say "chili cook-off?"  I'm pretty certain that is what I saw was this week's challenge.  Chili is one of my favorite fall/winter comfort foods.  When I was much younger and living in North Carolina, I called my mom to ask her for her chili recipe.  I'd never made chili before and recalled that her chili always tasted so good. (She still claims she can't cook.  She's 100% wrong though!) Anyway, off to the grocery store I went to purchase the ingredients and then quickly home to get a pot of chili cooking.  After it had cooked for several hours, it just didn't look right.  It wasn't red in color as I recalled.  When a couple more hours passed and it still wasn't looking right, I called mom back.  Well, she forgot to tell me one of the major ingredients.  Tomatoes. (I'm sure she will claim I didn't hear her and didn't write them down but, again, she would be wrong! :) )  I didn't even have any canned tomatoes in the cupboard.  Oh well, lesson learned!  I no longer have mom's recipe written down and I'm sure I've changed things around over the years. 
 
Today's batch was done in my new Instant Pot and goes something like this:

I was looking forward to a week of gourds.  I love squash, all kinds of squash!  I bought all this squash with the intent to have squash nearly every night.  Well, the week ran away from me somehow and I haven't had squash even once this week.  Fortunately for me, squash doesn't go bad very quickly so I can have a lot of squash this week.  

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.

That's all I have to say about that.

No seriously.. They are that good.

Go make them now.

This time of year screams for pumpkin anything..

Until next week,

Cammy, Jen, Mandy, Nikita and Georgia

Pastries.  Who doesn't love them?  I love them so much I couldn't decide on anything to make
Savory pastry was also in the cards this week.  These Spinach and Cheese Puff Tarts were delicious!  

A dream come true, ya'll! This past summer, I had the opportunity to tour some popular spots in Europe before moving back to the US after our one-year venture abroad. Of course, Paris was on the list. Waking up in the morning and walking down to the street-level cafes windows lined with the cutest and most delicious pastries made my heart skip. On the last morning, I couldn't help but get an eclair AND lemon tart for breakfast. This week's challenge encouraged me to bring Paris into my kitchen, and I have to say that it did not disappoint. The Pâte à Choux recipe was really easy; however, I did learn that you should pipe your eclairs thicker and wider to give enough space for the cream. Later this month, I'll be making a Croquembouche with the same pastry dough for a special someone's birthday. This was a wonderful practice run! 

What a fun week and look at all the yummy pastries.
Actually if you come back tomorrow where Cammy and I've made some sweet pastries.

Oh.. And Nikita's eclairs. In freaking sane.

Until next week,

Georgia, Cammy, Jen, Mandy and Nikita

I have so many favorite Fall foods, and this easy-to-make sheet pan dinner showed off each of them! First, I have to say that I found bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs at my local grocer for only $1!! $1 for 6 pieces! So I doubled the chicken in this recipe (you know, cause I'm a big spender.) It has Brussels, Sweet Potato, Fuji Apples, Bacon, Shallots and more. I strongly encourage you to try this recipe if you like juicy, garlicky chicken with crispy skin. If not, don't waste your time. 😘

Fall is legit my favorite time of year. It's crisp and cool and the world is on fire with color.
Oh and the food is pretty spectacular too.
This week I made a new fave of the hubs and myself.

Chicken dirty rice. Not overly complicated and oh so yummy. With all the cajun flavors it has a nice little bite to it.
Speaking off bite. We've been taste testing ginger ale (don't ask). Right now Blenheim is winning. Never heard of Blenheim? Neither had we up until a couple weeks ago. So Blenheim is made in South Carolina. They make 3 different ginger ales. Diet, regular and hot. So far we've tried the regular and hot. FYI. both have a pretty good kick to it. But the hot is for reals hot. If you happen to come across some Blenheim you need to give them a try. Side note. Blenheim is a sipping ginger ale. Trust me.

Autumn has been my favorite season for as long as I can remember, so, when I saw that this week's challenge was to make anything to do with autumn I got a wee bit excited.  The first thing that came to mind was butternut squash followed quickly by thoughts of chili. I couldn't decide and with the much cooler temperatures here, it has really felt like autumn so I shopped for both!  I didn't want to make my normal chili though. I was up for something different.  I'd never made a white chili and I really am not much of a chicken person unless it is well hidden in many other ingredients.  This Killer White Chili recipe includes chicken but it looked so good that I had to try it out for myself.  I'm really happy that I did as, even with the chicken in it, it was wonderfully delicious.  I will be making this frequently over the coming months.! 

Happy fall ya'll

Thank you Nikita for throwing down the fall favorites challenge.

Until next week,

Nikita, Georgia, Cammy, Jen and Mandy

The idea for this week came from watching the video “Feeding Bill Gates a Fake Burger (to save the world)”. 

We challenged ourselves twice this week!  The first was via Burger King – we bought a regular whopper and the “impossible” version to compare.   

Here are both together – can you tell them apart?  (Extra pickles on both…because that’s how I like it!)  Very similar. The taste was a little different, but pretty convincing.  The Impossible version looks more appetizing with the grill lines.  I preferred the taste of the regular Whopper, but if you had offered me an Impossible Whopper without telling me, I may not have noticed.

Next was a challenge for our own kitchen!  I went with tacos because I thought it would be pretty easy to disguise the flavor if it wasn’t good. 😊  This particular meat substitute called “Lightlife” is soy based and came pre-seasoned.   It cooks up nicely, and overall it’s pretty good.  I think the next time I would buy the unseasoned version and use the taco seasoning we’re used to.  Everyone in our family ate it though and said they’d eat it again.  That’s a win!

I’m not sure if we’re ready to jump on the “Meatless Mondays” bandwagon, but I definitely want to try to cut back on our meat consumption.  Hope you all enjoyed the challenge! 😊

I 🧡 Saturday Bites! Unfortunately, my pineapple turned brown on the counter before I could use it during last week's challenge. We were too darn busy, BUT new pool and painted house! So YAY! This week's challenge was just that - a challenge! I've never really tried using meat alternatives other than beans or chick peas. But I stretched this week and prepared Tofu using a marinade from my Thug Kitchen cookbook. They specialize in vegan meals. No, I'm not vegan, but they know how to prep some tasty veggies. I still stand firm that the texture was nothing like chicken or pork, but the flavor was on point! This marinade had an Asian twist with soy sauce, orange juice, green onions, ginger and more. The other not-so-positive is the prep time was over 3 hours. Fortunately, my job is within the house now, so I have the time. But for working parents, I doubt they could invest so much time in such a simple meal. I will make this again though. 

Ran and I try to eat at least one meatless meal a week.
Fun fact. We love mexican food. So I winged it with this one.
Black beans, frozen corn, red onions, poblano, leftover steamed rice, garlic, taco seasoning, sour cream, salsa verde, shredded cheddar and cilantro.

Love, love, love Jen's experiment this week.

Until next week,
Jen, Mandy, Nikita, Georgia and Cammy

This was my week to choose and I chose pineapple.  I was thinking I'd make a nice simple pineapple upside down cake.  Then I remembered the multitude of chicken dishes mom made when I was a teen.  Chicken was cheap and she could make all kinds of chicken dishes.  I grew to dislike chicken, in spite of the many wonderful ways mom cooked it.  These days I'm growing to like it on an occasional basis.  Anyway, as I was thinking about pineapple, I recalled that my favorite of mom's chicken dishes was her sweet and sour chicken.   Mom searched for the recipe and then I searched for it again and neither of us could find it.  We did find this sweet and sour pork recipe that was identical except for the meat.   Yeah!  I call that a win!  It came out of an old church cookbook that I believe was the church that my grandmother went to.  I am going to have to explore that recipe book a little more one of these days.  In the meantime, we really enjoyed this sweet and sour chicken tonight.  I did not bread the chicken, just fried it in some olive oil.  I figured the pineapple and rice would be more than enough carbs! 

Pineapple for breakfast! I made "Hummingbird Pancakes" this morning - they were delicious!

Nikita has been a baking fool this week and that has kept her busy in the kitchen. If we are lucky she'll share her beautiful bakes with us.

I'm a big fan of pineapple. Pineapple was the only thing I craved when I was pregnant with my son and the husbands favorite cake is pineapple upside down cake. So I'm always up for this challenge.
When it comes to these challenges I'm always looking for something new. I mean what's the use in having a challenge and not really stepping outside my norm.
We've had a pretty busy week and actually had several people over for dinner this week. So I was looking for something I could make that would fulfill this challenge. And then I found these. You'll note I never add the maraschino cherries to my pineapple upside down whatevers.. Randy doesn't like them (so weird)
These were not bad. Not great, but also not bad.
What kept them from being great?
They were not donut like. At all.
The pineapple and brown sugar were not caramelized.
So it was more like a soggy bagel with warmed pineapple on top.
Live and learn. And we move on to the next challenge.

As always we bring you different takes on a single food.

Until next week,

Cammy, Jen, Mandy, Nikita and Georgia

Three words
Oh
My
Word

Are these as beautiful as the ones Nikita made a few months back? No!
Did they take as long to make as the ones Nikita made a few months back? Also no!
But. These are so freaking yummy. So yummy..

A nice happy middle between making everything from scratch and making the pre-made refrigerated cinnamon rolls.

Fun fact. I used sweet Hawaiian crescent rolls.. Yep. They make them..

I had no inspiration at all until my chat with some of my favorite ladies this morning.  That chat gave me just enough inspiration to make crepes.  Using a basic crepe recipe, Crepes Nutella was born.  Who doesn't love Nutella?  Crepes were spread with Nutella, rolled up and then sprinkled with powdered sugar.  Yummy!  Thanks for the inspiration ladies! 

The challenge is Rolled Up! I decided to feel young again with Piggies in a Blanket alongside Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. Am I the only one who wished they just ate party appetizers for lunch/dinner? I mean, why do I have to attend a party to eat these succulent lil' sausages wrapped in buttery, flaky crescent rolls? These days, parties ain't happening! Simple. Easy. Satisfying! Christopher enjoyed a nice plate of piggies while attending school online. 

This week we were all rolled up and what a fun week it was. I mean.. Just look at what we all made..

I'm pretty sure it's all pretty healthy too!

Until next week,

Georgia, Cammy, Jen, Mandy and Nikita

Harvest Stuffing Bread!! I saved this recipe years ago.  After making it this week I am disappointed in myself for not making it sooner.  Our house smelled wonderful as it baked.  The top of our bread didn’t brown as I thought it would but that didn’t make us not love everything about this bread. Can’t wait to make it again.  We of course had to make turkey sandwiches for the lunch the next day.  It was like having Thanksgiving dinner.  
 
Have a great week!
 
Mandy

This weeks challenge was bread and I'm not going to lie. My last attempts at yeast bread failed pretty miserably. But. I was excited to give it another try now that was was back in the land of humidity. And.. Taadaa.
These two loaves of Challah turned out beautifully.

This was my first attempt at making a braided bread. I need a little more practice at the braiding, but all in all feel pretty good about how they turned out.

This week's challenge is bread.  I had so many ideas!  The first one was to try the Texas Roadhouse rolls again.  However, zucchini keeps multiplying on my kitchen counter.  I like zucchini, but we're talking a lot of it at this point.  A couple of them are huge and probably will be made into some kind of zucchini boats for dinner.  However, there is more than enough for that.  Needless to say, it was time to make zucchini bread again.  I found this wonderful recipe that used a few more of my favorite ingredients: pineapple, cranberries, nuts, coconut...  Yummy!  

Now that my kitchen is fully up and running, I felt it was time to really turn up the Saturday Bites effort and go full "try-hard" mode. BTW - that's my new teen word of the day meaning an overachiever. Christopher uses it all the time when he gets beat on Fortnite by some "try-hard." My hubby bought me a GORGEOUS KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer, and I've been wanting to try the kneading hook. This Babka Star was the perfect test recipe. I learned that you don't need to knead your dough on Speed 4; otherwise, your mixer will hop around the kitchen as if it were competing on American Bandstand. This bread looks intricate and difficult to make, but it really wasn't at all. The technique described in the recipe was easy to follow. You do need two days though because the dough has to sit in the fridge overnight. But this was worth it! The 70% dark chocolate bitterness mixed with the buttery, orange-zested dough made this a triumph in my book. Give it a try if you're looking to impress yourself. 

5 VERY different breads. And all look pretty freaking amazing.

Mandy, Georgia, Cammy, Jen and Nikita

Chickpeas are so versatile, and we eat them more than once a week. But the recipe I'm sharing has become a favorite in our house. Eat it for a light dinner or filling lunch. It is dressed in a homemade lemon vinaigrette that whips up in seconds. You do want to make this in advance and let it chill. It tastes so much better when everything has a few hours to soak up with lemon flavors. Enjoy!  

Like Nikita we eat chickpeas often. We tend to have canned or dried chickpeas in the pantry all the time. Couple that with me always looking for new recipes and.. You get sticky sesame chickpeas.

The beauty of a meal like this?
Quick. Healthy and Yummy.

t was time for chickpeas again.  I thought I still had a can from the June challenge but, alas, I did not!  I was going to just throw them in this recipe for Bean and Pea Slow Cooker Soup. I'm kind of happy I didn't have the can I thought I had!  This is quite yummy.  I tried a different creole spice from those mentioned in the recipe and only used half of what was called for.  It was still a bit salty, however, that may actually have come from the ham itself.  Overall, this was quite yummy.  

As you can see we like chickpeas. So much so we've had the chickpea challenge. More than once. This year.

Here are a few more yummy recipes to add to your collection.

Nikita, Mandy, Georgia, Cammy and Jen

This week we made Ham and Cheese sliders.  Can’t go wrong with that!  We used Gouda and Muenster cheese.  The recipe calls for poppy seeds but we left that out. I love how the little buns got a nice crunch to them form the butter mixture.  We did not cover the sliders with foil as the recipe suggested, that’s probably why the buns were nice and toasted.  The recipe seemed like it would be too much since it called for 2 packages of dinner rolls but my family ate them all. What a great recipe!

What a fun challenge! Sliders were on the menu this week. I typically resort to our favorite (super unhealthy) Cuban Sliders, but these challenges are about trying something new. So Salmon Sliders with Asian Slaw it is! The flavor of these were tangy, spicy, and SALTY! I used a bottled Creole seasoning mix rather than making my own which I now regret because the sodium level in this mix was out-of-this-world high. I'd like to try these again with an Asian marinade. The fish was cooked perfectly - crusty on the outside and tender on the inside. This will definitely need a do over. 

The hubs and I just added a couple of fun small appliances to our kitchen. Starting with an Instant Pot. Even before we bought one Randy found this carnitas recipe and sent it to me. When Jen threw down the sliders challenge I knew exactly what I wanted to make. These fabulous carnitas served up on Kings Hawaiian rolls.

Everything about this was delish. Except.. The rolls. Stale. Which was a first.

Instant Pot worked amazingly and the other fun small appliance was an air fryer. Looking forward to making more yummy food in the future with both

While I've never made them before, sliders is something I can totally get behind.  There are so many options out there to choose from!  This recipe for Ham and Swiss Sliders was one of the first I came across.  I kept looking for other ideas and found many.  I will have to try those out in the future.  For now, how can you possibly go wrong with ham, swiss and Hawaiian sweet rolls?  You really can't!  The only thing I omitted from this recipe was the poppy seeds. You really don't need them! 

Sliders!

Mini sammy's. What's not to love?

Until next week,
Jen, Mandy, Nikita, Georgia and Cammy

I chose German food for this week while wistfully recalling the delightful foods I ate on several occasions I was able to visit that fine country.  I could never do any of those foods justice, but I have given it an honest effort this week.  
 
My first attempt was Slow-Cooked Sauerkraut Soup.  I actually forgot to add the can of cream of mushroom soup to it, however, I don't think it would have made much of a difference at all.  Consensus in the house was this was an epic fail.  We love sauerkraut.  For that matter, we love every ingredient that went into the soup.  None of that mattered.  This soup was disgusting, so much so, that I won't even share the link! 
 
Next up was chicken schnitzel which is traditionally served with either German potato salad or fried potatoes.  While I love both, I opted for some store bought German spaetzle and sauteed summer squash, zucchini and onions.  The schnitzel and spaetzle  were topped with chicken gravy.  This, overall, was a win.  I think I would have preferred a beef gravy, mushroom gravy or even a country gravy over the chicken gravy.  I will note this for next time.  I also need to cook the chicken on a lower heat.  Oh yes, I quickly discovered that the vent fan over the stove is not working.  :)  
 
If I can get up the gumption to "cut in the butter," I will keep the German theme up for Sunday Bakery. :)   

Jade participated instead of me this week!  

We live near a Tavern that specializes in German food and beer.  I miss their pretzels and beer cheese very much.  Hopefully they will make it through this tough time and we’ll be back to enjoying them very soon.  I found this recipe for Bavarian pretzels and had to give it a try.  While making the dough our kitchen smelled fantastic! It brought the kids out of their rooms.  That alone made this recipe a keeper for us even if we haven’t tried them yet.  I only added 4 cups of flour instead of the 4 1/2 because the dough was starting to get really tough. Be careful when adding the baking soda to the boiling water.  Don’t add it all at once or it will boil over.  We served our with butter and they were so wonderfully soft, chewy and delicious.  These pretzels definitely give our favorite tavern a run for their money.  

It's Saaaatuuurdaaaay! So many reasons to be thankful that the week is over, and now we get to enjoy time with the family uninterrupted by work & school. German food was on the menu, and I really wanted to challenge myself this week. After visiting Munich and Nuremberg for Christmas 2019, we had the opportunity to indulge in ALLLL THE pork & sausage & spaetzle. Spaetzle is a rustic noodle made with all the basics - flour, salt, eggs, milk, water. What makes these noodles interesting is they are made by pouring the noodle batter onto a wooden plank and then thinly scraped into a pot of boiling water with a sharp knife. They cook almost immediately and float to the top. I seared them with butter after the boil to give some crisp texture and a buttery flavor. The mushroom gravy came together in under 15 minutes and topped the comforting noodle dish. I did forget the parsley on top. I always do that. *Le Sigh* Matt grilled up these plump 1.5 inch pork chops that were marinated in Oktoberfest beer. Roasted Brussel Sprouts finished off the meal because my family demands green food on the plate every night. Weird, huh? 

So the husband and I just moved into our home here in GA. It's a house that I've owned for many years. We were renting it out while in NM. Long story short. It's been neglected and needs a lot of work done. So we haven't unpacked much of anything. With that said. We are oh so close to the cute little town of Helen. For those not familiar with Helen. It's a little mountain town that has set itself up like a small German town. Octoberfest is big there (yes they are still planning on having it this year). So the other night Ran and I decided the best way for us to participate in this weeks food challenge it to go where it's made. A German Restaurant in Helen.
The real challenge was not so much the German food, but the man who served in the Army and spent time in Germany where he ate authentic German food.

I'll cut to the chase. The potato pancakes with sour cream and applesauce was the unexpected winner here. I would legit have it again. The spaetzle was good. The onion gravy with my schnitzle was good. Oh and the chocolate covered rice krispie treats we picked up at a local chocolate shop was really good.

My only regret. Not getting the hot pretzels. Looking at both Jade's and Mandy's is making me wish I had.

What a fun week. Always a good time when we are challenged to step outside our norm and try something new. Jade being the extra added bonus this week!

Until next week,
Cammy, Jen, Mandy, Nikita and Georgia

This week was my week and I challenged everyone to head out to their local farmers market / produce stand and make something using their great finds.
So the hubs and I headed over to our local produce stand and.. They had a lot of tomatoes. Which is probably his least favorite thing.
We ended up doing the next best thing and hitting up our local grocer. Grabbed a few fresh veggies and smoked sausage and made of our not so well stocked kitchen Okay. We bought a knife and a sheet pan (Everything is still in storage)

Lucked out and found the olive oil, salt and pepper. Chopped up everything and threw it on the sheet pan and in the oven it went.

Here in Ahwatukee, we've lucked out to have a farm delivered to us every Friday for three hours. Amadio Ranch exists on the outskirts of Phoenix, but they bring their truck  filled with fruits, veggies, and homemade pies to our neighborhood every week. This week, I arrived a little late in the day and only had an assortment of pies to choose from. Well shucks. Pie it is, I guess. 😏  I bought a family favorite, Strawberry & Rhubarb pie, and oh my! It is delicious for dessert and/or breakfast! I love that they list the ingredients on the top of the pie, and you can see just how homemade it really is. 

Update: that pic is 12 hours old. More than half the pie is gone. 😶

I don't know if there is anything better than homegrown and homemade food.

Until next week,

Georgia, Cammy, Jen, Mandy and Nikita

My pick - Watermelon! It's been topping out at 118F here in Phoenix, and nothing has been more refreshing than cold, cut watermelon in the fridge. Our pool can't even compete. It's like hopping in a bath when you're trying to cool off. It just doesn't work. This salad recipe works best with Arugula (very peppery) , Red Onion, Feta (spend more money to get the creamy block cheese), and a Balsamic Reduction. Simple. Cool. Delicious. 

We've spent the past couple of weeks at my brothers and I haven't been in the kitchen much. Until.. My brother asked if I wanted to make dinner. heck yeah I did.
I made the hubs favorite chicken along with some roasted veggies. So where does the watermelon come into play.
The hubs was going through some old cookbooks of my nephews and found this recipe for watermelon gazpacho. Cool, refreshing and perfect with tortilla chips.

I never would have thought that watermelon, cucumber and onion could taste so good together!  I am probably the only one in this house who will eat this combination, but we shall see!   

A little late but here we are!

Watermelon salad looks oh so delish! Perfect for summer!

Until next week,

Nikita, Georgia, Cammy, Jen and Mady