I love this time of year in southern California. The trees are bursting with citrus fruit. When my neighbors show up with bags full of lemons, oranges and grapefruit I just wanna cry I'm so happy to get them. Citrus fruit are in season during this winter months (for the US) This time of year you'll buy the sweetest grapefruit, juices oranges and my favorite cara cara oranges! Making a fruit salad out of these beautiful fruits can kind of be tricky, so I'm helping you out with how to make the ...
Tropical Fruit Salad
Pressure Cooker Flan Cheesecake
On our final day we ventured into Liberia to try a famous restaurant. The restaurant is owned by 3 brothers, first it started out in a tiny house but their food was so good it grew and grew. It's now about 3 houses combined and basically takes up a whole block. They had all sorts of delicious sea food, casados, fried rice and for dessert flan cheesecake. I really wanted to recreate this dish so we could make it at home. They served it out of little ramekins and I thought it would be perfect to ...
Healthy Fried Plantains
Everywhere we ate there were plantains at every meal. Most of the time they were boiled and I didn't care too much for them, until we ate at a 200 year old restaurant. It has been run by the same family all these years! When we ate there it was full of locals, walking chickens, iguanas. The grandma was cooking in the kitchen and her grandson was serving us. When be brought us our food it was delicious! My very favorite was the fried plantains and homemade cheese. Holy crap I was in ...
Pressure Cooker Seasoned Black Beans
Black beans. So many black beans in Costa Rica. Some smashed, some separate, some mixed in rice, some all by themselves. Some salty, some sweet. My personal favorite are the savory black beans, not completely mashed, mostly separated. Black beans can be a labor of love when having to soak and then boil for hours. Cooking them in the pressure cooker not only helps the processes speed up but also intensifies the flavor! Pressure cooker seasoned black beans are amazing! One thing I noticed ...
Slaw Tacos
I love this citrus slaw. It first started out as a taco topping. A copycat recipe from a local restaurant here in souther California. Over the years it has evolved into a slaw that we love to eat just plain! It's so good and refreshing. WHAT DO I SERVE CITRUS SLAW WITH? On a vacation to Costa Rica we continually order casados from the restaurant menus. I noticed how their slaws were all light and citrus. When we came home we wanted to recreate these casados and other dishes for friends and ...
Thai Lettuce Wraps
These thai lettuce wraps are my favorite, ALL TIME FAVORITE. They are inspired from a restaurant called Pei Wei. Every time we go I order these crunchy, sweet and spicy wraps. I crave them, anticipate them, love them. Then the last time I showed up to the restaurant they were gone. discontinued. disgraceful. The only thing left to do is to re-create the recipe for myself. This is the perfect lunch recipe for everyone who is starting their new year's diets and resolutions. Make a big batch ...
Meal Plans Made Easy
Des and I been playing around with offering meal plans for a very long time - so we thought we would give you guys a little taste and see how you like it. The Dinner Time Curse I hate to admit this...but even as a food blogger...there are times I really struggle to get dinner on the table. I go thru times where I REALLY don't want to make dinner. Ordering a pizza or having my husband pick something up just sound a lot more appetizing that chopping, cooking, and cleaning it all up! But ...
Lentil Bruschetta
This last week I took this lentil bruschetta to a few parties- each time nervous that people would look at it and run away (let's face it these lentils are not the most beautiful creatures on Earth...) but instead I received the opposite reaction! Everyone LOVED it. I received so many comments and even texts asking for the recipe afterwards. SO so happy this was a major hit. I have every confidence that when you make this you will love it and everyone you share it with will love it ...
Candied Pecans
These candied pecans have been on here for a long while, they're buried way back in the archives. Just because they're buried doesn't mean I don't make them all the time! They are one of our family favorites. They're perfect all year around but I find them especially festive during the holidays. The uses for candied pecans are endless! I typically love to make the for this pear salad, but they are so delicious on their own that sometimes they dont even make it to the salad before we eat ...
Everything You Need To Host A Cookie Exchange
My mom attended a cookie exchange every year at my grandma's house. All of her cousins, aunts, and friends were invited. They went BIG and baked a dozen cookies for each person in attendance. She would come home with laundry baskets full of cookies. Some delicious, some that went in the trash, ha ha! But it was an event that everyone looked forward to. In recent years I've attended cookie exchanges where each person brought a dozen cookies and left with a dozen assorted cookies. ...
Cookie Packaging Ideas
Tis the season for baking and cookie making. This time of year it seems I am making cookies for holiday parties, cookies for the neighbors, cookies for class treats, and cookies for my family to enjoy. With all of these cookies, there has to be a better way to package them than on a paper plate with plastic wrap! Today I'm sharing some cookie packaging ideas that I like to use. I am a big fan of pretty packaging - I love to wrap presents and I am always a sucker for a makeup item in ...
Chewy Trail Mix
A few year ago my husband and I took an adult only getaway to Las Vegas. My mom graciously flew out from Utah to spend some one on one time with our son and to let us have a mini-vacation. Before I left she whipped up this chewy trail mix for our drive out to Vegas. Lots Of Good For You Ingredients This mix is full of things that are super good for you, so you don't feel guilty chowing down on it! Almonds, cranberries, and lots of fiber! I was skeptical with ingredients like Kashi Go ...
Beef Bourguignon
During our first "oh so meeting" in the beginning days of the blog - a friend who used to blog with us, Anna, brought over her beef bourguignon to photograph and later share on the blog. I remember loving that recipe when we all took a bite. When Holland House® asked if we wanted to try some of their cooking wines, I knew this recipe would be the perfect fit. I've made a few tweaks to Anna's original recipe, but this hearty beef stew is a classic. Family Tradition She told a story of when ...
Pressure Cooker Cheesy Potatoes Recipe
We love potatoes, all of us, in my house. We have Idaho roots, so how could we not? One of our favorite potato sides to make are these CHEESY POTATO FRIES but they can take a while to make. Potatoes take a long time to bake! and when you don't have an hour to make dinner you turn to your instant pot. One sunday I tried a variation of these cheesy potato fries using the pressure cooker and it worked PERFECTLY. This pressure cooker cheesy potatoes recipe need to be on your menu THIS ...
Infused Water For Your Health
Today I want to chat about WATER! The source of life. I am actually a water lover. I enjoy a nice big glass of ice water almost as much as a nice big glass of Diet Coke. But let's face it - sometimes it gets boring. Flavored sparkling water is a big trend right now, but I'm here to tell you that making your own still, infused water is just as good, if not better than those expensive canned waters. Reduce Single-Use Plastic Bottle Waste Today we've teamed up with Dopper to bring water ...
Buffalo Chicken Nachos
Save this pin for later! I'm completed addicted to BUFFALO SAUCE! and I totally blame Kadee for this. I didn't grow up on spicy food, I didn't experiment with it as a young adult...not until I moved to CA and had a few friends who all love spicy food. Not that buffalo sauce is really all that spicy, or has to be. But one day Kadee had me taste test a chicken nugget with buffalo sauce and I was done for. So when BRIANNAS challenged us to come up with a recipe for their blue cheese dressing the ...
Lemon Herb Chicken and Rice
The first time i had a meal like this lemon herb chicken and rice was after having my 4th child. Kind friends surrounded my not-so-little-family with food, and cleaning, and babysitting. Feeding and helping us is not an easy task! But man, it helped sooo much. For me I needed it so SO much more than when I came home with my second baby. Kids needed to be at school, needed to be entertained, needed to be fed. Overwhelming to an emotional mama who can barely function. One night a meal looking ...
Pressure Cooker Seasoned Red Potatoes
The best pressure cooker Seasoned Red Potatoes! Delicious, savory potatoes ready to eat in minutes. It's a family favorite and perfect side for any dinner. We're addicted to these pressure cooker seasoned red potatoes in our house. For several reasons- They're delicious. They are done SO FAST without heating up the whole kitchen. Friends ask my all the time how I come up with content, recipes and ideas for our blog. This specific recipe ended up being one of those recipes that was ...
Homemade Go-gurt
I don't know about you but my kids love go-gurt. You know - the yogurt that comes in a tube that can be eaten without a spoon? They are perfect for school lunches, but I have an even better option for you! Make your own! Skip the artificial colors and flavors and whip up some homemade go-gurt in minutes. Zipsicle Pouches I saw these pouches on Amazon last year and knew they would be so much fun. They are great for these homemade yogurts, but they are also great for homemade otter ...
Farmer's Market Tote: MAJOR LABOR DAY SALE
LABOR DAY SALE!! This weekend we are selling our Farmers Market tote for only $14.99 + FREE Shipping!! CLICK HERE FOR SHOP This large bag is very durable, practical and perfect for every busy mom and shopper. For errands, church, shopping, beach trips, pool days, picnics and play dates. We're always carrying a million things. Jute totes have become a staple in my home. They can hold up against the worst of it, but they're never lined, never have pocket and the handles often break!! So we ...