This Cheesy Baked Ravioli with Creamy Marinara Meat Sauce is an easy weeknight dinner, for even the busiest of families. Just add a quick salad or side, and your meal is complete! This is the busiest time of year for me. School is in session, football season is under way, and my schedule is full of classroom volunteer hours, weekday practices, and weekend games. It's a tight schedule, and somewhere, somehow we have to add time to eat (and cook)! This is one of my favorite meals, ready in ... continue reading...
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Fresh Entertaining Ideas with Tuna
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of StarKist Selects E.V.O.O.® As always, all thoughts are my own. A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending a lunch here in Northern California highlighting recipes that are ideal for entertaining using StarKist Selects E.V.O.O.®. Complete with a lemonade bar, the finger foods and lunch were delicious, and it was a great day spent with other bloggers that were also local to the area. I was so inspired by the handful of recipes ... continue reading...
Southwest Grilled Chicken and Avocado Salad
This post for Southwest Grilled Chicken and Avocado Salad with Chipotle Ranch was sponsored by Better Than Bouillon as part of an Influencer Activation for Influencer Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. Southwest Grilled Chicken and Avocado salad recipe - a flavorful and juicy grilled chicken breast, sliced avocado, grilled corn on the cob and black beans, grape tomatoes, cubed cheese, Romaine lettuce and baby spinach, bell pepper, red and green onions, and cilantro make ... continue reading...
Quinoa Veggie Bowl with Chipotle Ranch
My Quinoa Veggie Bowl with Chipotle Ranch is an easy dish to put together full of colors and flavor. Using fresh produce, smoky turmeric cauliflower rice and quinoa & kale, and a homemade dairy-free ranch combined with a vegan chipotle mayo for the most amazing flavor! Such a fresh and flavorful nutrient rich dish filled with healthy fats. This dish is dairy-free and gluten-free. The kids are out of school for summer in my house, and I'm absolutely loving our days together. We've been ... continue reading...
Smoky Turmeric Cauliflower Rice
This Smoky Turmeric Cauliflower Rice is a delicious addition to many of your favorite meals. It's a great way to substitute rice, corn, or even ground meat by using this in place of it. This recipe is grain-free, nut-free, gluten-free, Keto, Paleo, Whole30, low-fat, and low-carb friendly. I recently shared my dairy-free Ranch dressing and spoke about my food journey over the past year. During that time, I had cut out some things in my diet that I suspected were causing me to feel sluggish, ... continue reading...
Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing
This zesty Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing is the perfect companion for all of your favorite salads and bowls. Everything comes together in just a few minutes and stays fresh for up to a week. This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, Keto, Paleo, Whole30, and low-carb friendly. Last year, around this time, I had participated in a 30 day cleanse. The types of food I could eat on this cleanse were lots of veggies, berries, and lean meats like chicken and fish. I cut out dairy, gluten, ... continue reading...
Herb Roasted Instant Pot Potatoes
I'm so excited that the weather is beginning to warm up! Allergies have been horrible this Spring, so I am definitely looking forward to summer. When things heat up I find other ways to prepare dinners and meals that don't utilize the oven. These Herb Roasted Instant Pot Potatoes are honestly a great side dish all year round, but they're a great addition to a juicy grilled steak or pan fried fish this summer. I've had my Instant Pot for about a year and a half now. I remember when I first got ... continue reading...
Tex-Mex Tuna Melt Quesadillas
Made with a homemade pico de gallo, plenty of fresh veggies, tuna, and (of course) plenty of cheese, these Tex-Mex Tuna Melt Quesadillas are a great option for a summertime lunch or dinner, or even a nice appetizer when paired with some fresh fruits or other finger foods. Just serve with some fresh salsa or guacamole and you're in for a treat! Last week was really busy and when dinnertime came around I was left a bit unprepared. I hadn't taken meat out to defrost and it was getting close to ... continue reading...
Slow Cooker Creamed Corn
For holidays and special occasions, I hold a very special place in my heart for dishes that I can make that are both affordable and don't utilize the oven. Since oven space is often a hot commodity, I love recipes that use the slow cooker or Instant Pot.. and that's also why I LOVE this Slow Cooker Creamed Corn.If you've ever had creamed corn out of a can, I can assure you this recipe is nothing like that. I didn't even like creamed corn until I was in my 30's and discovered it was so different ... continue reading...
Three Cheese Garlic-Herb Drop Biscuits
Easy recipes are my absolute favorite, and I love when I can create something quick with what's in my pantry. That's why I LOVE these super easy Three Cheese Garlic-Herb Drop Biscuits. Drop biscuits are so easy to throw together, typically when I already have dinner going on the stove or in the instant pot. I'll be thinking, "Hmm, what could I serve this with?" Then, I'll realize I don't have any French bread or baguette's, then comes the "aHa" moment! Drop biscuits! That's how this recipe ... continue reading...
Hearty Instant Pot Chili
This past week has been so strange in Northern California. We've had a huge cold front that has included snow in areas that normally do not snow! It's been gloomy and wet, which honestly is the best reason for some warm chili. This chili recipe is another one I've been perfecting over the past year or so. For a long time I made chili in my slow cooker and let it cook all day. I'd use dry beans and it would smell amazing and make quite a bit of food for my crew. However, now that the older ... continue reading...
Instant Pot Bourbon BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders
When I tell you that these Instant Pot Bourbon BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders saved me during the holiday season last year, I really do mean it! Last year, on December 17th 2017, I lost my very dear Mother. She was only 10 days into her 61st year on this earth before she was called home. Life just hasn't been the same since losing my mom, and it all happened so suddenly and so unexpectedly. The loss of my mom shook me to my core, and honestly it has been difficult to get through. I've actually ... continue reading...
Instant Pot Spice-Rubbed Pork Chops with Veggies
This recipe for Instant Pot Spice-Rubbed Pork Chops with Veggies is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Safeway. The opinions and text are all mine. #OpenNature #ad Weekday afternoons are always a stressful time for me. Between homework, football practice and dinner - well sometimes it's all a big blur. I've really grown to love my Instant Pot for the efficient ways I can get dinner on the table for my hungry family in a quickness. Meals that are ready in less than thirty ... continue reading...
Mountain House Inaugural Global Food Fair
This is a sponsored conversation, in collaboration with Mountain House Developers. All opinions are my own. In the beginning of October I attended a delicious food filled day at the Inaugural Global Food Fair in Mountain House, California. Mountain House is located in Northern California, just outside of the Bay Area - just east of Livermore. Mountain House is small close-knit community that's split up by "villages", with each village having it's own school with beautifully landscaped parks and ... continue reading...
Peach Pico de Gallo
Last month I shared these delicious Chili Rubbed Ribeye Tacos, and they were topped with refreshingly delicious peach pico de gallo that is so perfect for the summer months. I received so many questions about the peach pico de gallo, so I'm sharing the recipe with you now. I hope you love it as much as we did! This time of year there's so much fresh fruit and produce available, I love to make a variety of dishes with as much freshness as I can. Pico de Gallo, a traditional Mexican fresh salsa, ... continue reading...
Chili Rubbed Ribeye Tacos with Esquites (Elote Salad)
I was asked by Carusele to participate in the #SaveMartSummer campaign, sponsored by Save Mart. Although I have been compensated, all opinions are my own. I hope you enjoy this recipe for chili rubbed ribeye tacos with esquites. Summer is officially here, which means grilling season is underway! One of my favorite things about summer is the abundance of fresh fruits and veggies that are in season that compliment all of those tasty grilled meats so perfectly. Every time I go shopping I am always ... continue reading...
Lemon Pepper Tuna Pasta with White Wine Sauce, Capers and Dill
This recipe for Lemon pepper Tuna Pasta with White Wine Sauce, Capers and Dill is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of StarKist Tuna Creations®. The opinions and text are all mine. #TearEatGo One of the things I miss the most about working outside of the home is going out for lunch. I enjoyed trying new restaurants and diners away from the routine ones near my home, new places that I otherwise may not have tried. It was always like a new adventure or discovery. I often came back from my ... continue reading...
Behind the Scenes at Sprouts Farmers Market
This post, as well as the travel involved, were sponsored by Sprouts Farmers Market. As always, all opinions are my own. #HelloSprouts If you love Sprouts Farmer's Market, then you'll really enjoy the inside scoop and behind the scenes action that I have for you today! For the past year I've been partnering with Sprouts Farmers Market creating delicious recipes using their signature line of products and I've absolutely fallen in love with their stores and so many of their products. You can ... continue reading...
20 Minute Caprese Chicken PLUS a Circulon GIVEAWAY!
Special thanks to Circulon® for sponsoring this recipe for 20 Minute Caprese Chicken and the opportunity for one lucky winner to receive a Circulon® Momentum™ Cookware Set! #CirclesForLife #SimpleGourmet I know, I know. It's already October. I still find it hard to believe! Where I live school starts right in the middle of the official "Summer" months, so I get thrown off with my seasons those first few months. It also doesn't help that September had a majority of triple digit weather days, ... continue reading...
Mushroom Lovers’ Roasted Pork Loin and Green Beans
This Mushroom Lovers' Roasted Pork Loin and Green Beans recipe is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Smithfield® Marinated Fresh Pork. The opinions and text are all mine. #RealFlavorRealFast It's the time of year where people are scouring the internet for the perfect quick dinners. Fall has arrived, school is in session, and everyone is busy! Before you decide on ordering takeout for the third time this week, for real flavor, real fast try this recipe perfect for mushroom lovers! This ... continue reading...
