Ham and Potato Soup

Typically I make this soup around Easter when I have a lot of leftover ham in my fridge that needs used, but the weather took a sharp turn this week and decided to become a frozen nightmare and I REALLY wanted soup. Not just any soup, but this soup. Thankfully, I actually did still have some leftover ham in my freezer from Easter :) Had the ham been in my freezer a little to long? Probably...did I care...not really. It still tasted fantastic and that's all that matters right?!
This soup is ready in under 30 minutes which makes it the perfect weeknight meal, especially on those nights where it's frigidly cold outside.

Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

Whenever I used to ask my husband what he wanted for a "special breakfast" he would always respond by saying, "Oh what about those muffins my mom used to make with that yummy cinnamon sugar stuff on top". My husband absolutely loves this recipe. I don't know if it is because these muffins are so yummy or if it's because it's a recipe his mom used to make. Regardless, these muffins are so easy and darn tasty.
I remember the first time my mother in-law made these for me. I knew I had to have the recipe right away. Since then, I have been making these quite frequently and these have now become one of my children's favorite muffins as well.

Chicken Parm, Lightened Up

OH...MY...GOODNESS! I love taking a dish that is usually pretty heavy and lightening it up a bit.
We make this recipe quite a bit at our house because it's always a pleaser with everybody (which keeps my mom sanity happy when the kids aren't complaining. Am I right?!)
This happens to be one of those delicious meals that you won't even miss all those extra calories or carbs! Using spaghetti squash to replace your pasta is a fantastic idea because it squeezes in a vegetable SO EASILY! Really its all about the texture and the spaghetti squash gives you just that. It really tricks you into thinking you are eating spaghetti (at least it does for my family...and we are pasta LOVERS). Using grilled chicken instead of breaded chicken helps to cut down on the carbs and the extra calories, and really who doesn't love grilled chicken?!

Chicken Massaman Curry

A few years ago, when my parents were visiting us, they took us to a Thai restaurant by our apartment. I had never had Thai food before so I had no idea what to order. Long story short...we ended up eating Massaman which was so absolutely amazing. So amazing in fact that I ended up going back the next weekend to get some more and then back a couple of weeks later. Since then, I become obsessed with it. Shortly after this experience I went to the Asian food market just down the road and I grabbed every can that said Massaman on it so that I could give them a try. I finally found the paste I like the best and created this beautiful recipe! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Aebleskivers

Not sure how to say the name of these babies? That's okay, my husband calls them Eberskeebers because it sounds funnier and knows it bugs me. The correct way to say these though is able-ski-vers. Still not sure?? Just call them Pancake Puffs, it makes life more simple :)
Unfortunately, you do need a special type of pan for these babies, but Amazon saves the day if you don't have one. THIS is the style of pan that I have and have been using it for years.
These babies are delicious! If you like pancakes, then you HAVE to give them a try. They puff up to be about the size of a golf ball. At our house, we like to eat them dipped in plain old syrup but I have stuffed them before with nutella, jams, and chocolate.

Carne Asada Fries

GUYS!!!! Oh man. I had this baby last night and had to jump on today to share it with you. The marinade on this steak is amazing and paired with the guac and fries just takes it over the edge.
One thing I have decided lately is that everything is better served on top of fries. We went to a little mom and pop sandwich place a couple weeks ago and they suggested that we try the fillings on top of fries instead of in the sandwich buns and holy smokes. It was so much better, and we all know how much I loves me some bread! So for me to say it was better on fries is saying a lot.
This recipe is simple, fast, and screams Southern California lovin. One thing I miss about living there is the amazing carne asada you could pick up pretty much everywhere. I'm here to tell ya that this is a great recipe if you want to get that So Cal vibe in your home for a meal. It won't let you down.

Baked Beans

This recipe brings back such good memories. My husband and I love to camp. When we were first married we camped all the time and this was one of our favorite meals to prepare over the fire.
I don't do much cooking over the fire anymore for this recipe and instead use my handy dandy oven ;) but whenever I eat this it does remind me of those days.
This is seriously one of my favorite recipes because it is so versatile. I've made it with pork chops, with ground hamburger, and with hot dogs (yes we are very healthy at our house😁). This is also my all time favorite meal to make as a freezer meal. It warms up so well and tastes like it was never in the freezer.

Corn Bread

This recipe has been in my family for years. It's one of those recipes that just brings comfort every time I eat it. Maybe I am biased either with my taste or with the fact that it's a recipe that has been around forever, BUT I feel like this is the best recipe out there :)
 It's just simple. It doesn't have the bits of chunky corn or jalapeno in it (which I personally am not a fan of, but I know some people like). If you like those things, no biggie, just add them in, but don't tell me.
If I am making this recipe for a gathering of people, say for a Chili Cook Off, then I tend to pour the batter into muffin tins instead so that it is easier for others to eat with their chili!

Pressure Cooker Corn on the Cob

It's that time of year, when the corn is cheap and absolutely amazing! We don't eat a ton of corn in our family because it is a trigger food for one of my daughters arthritis BUT corn on the cob is something we absolutely cannot avoid during this time of year. Growing up the only way we had corn on the cob was boiled in a big pot on the stove. Generally, that is how I still cook it, but I have been trying to branch out a bit more with my Pressure Cooker and found that it is SUPER easy to make corn on the cob and doesn't take long at all. One thing I like about using the Pressure Cooker is that it's kind of like the "set it and forget it" type idea, whereas, when you cook the corn on the stove you have to keep turning it so that one side doesn't get overdone while another side is barely cooked.

Chicken Alfredo Pasta

My absolute favorite way to use my Homemade Alfredo Sauce is to combine it with grilled or roasted chicken and put it all on top of penne! I feel like I say this about every recipe, but, this really is one of my families favorite recipes!! It's also one of my favorite meals to make for people either when they come to visit my house, or if they need a meal brought to them. It's always a crowd pleaser for both adults and kids. I mean, it's full of cheese...so why wouldn't people like it?!
A few years ago, this recipe was one that my husband would ask for every single week. I generally ask him to think of one recipe that he would like to have the following week and this my friends was always his response, "oh I don't know, maybe some chicken...with some white sauce...and some penne?" EVERYTIME!!! It got so old that I kind of stopped asking him, which I think was his intention all along.

Chicken and Andouille Sausage

This right here is one of my favorite Anti-Inflammatory recipes ever. I love how the flavors of the ingredients give the broth such amazing flavor.  The andouille sausage gives the broth the slightest hint of heat, which I love. This dish is great to serve on any day of the year because you can make this as soupy or not as you like. When it's hot outside I generally don't add as much of the liquid because I'm not a huge soup fan when its hot, but when it's cold, I add a LOT more of the broth and less of the quinoa to make it feel more soup like.
*I know the picture doesn't look that appetizing with the chicken having the skin on, but leaving the skin on while cooking helps add more flavor to your broth. You can also remove the skin before cooking to have less calories and it will still taste great.

Crispy Not Fried Drumsticks

Moist, tender chicken drumsticks with a crunchy coating...ummm YES PLEASE! This recipe is fabulous. Everybody in my family always gobbles these babies up. Although, I think there may be something wrong with my children because they do not like to eat the meat off the bone...I KNOW!!! Weird right?! I had always thought that the way to get kids to eat their meat was to allow them to eat it off the bone because it's somehow more fun, not so in this household. It usually has the opposite effect. 
Any who, part of the reason I like this recipe so much is because it is baked instead of fried. Baked chicken is so much healthier for you and really you still get that delicious crunch so I personally don't miss it being fried in lots of oil.
I have recently started using an air fryer and this recipe is great cooked in it as well. Times may vary based on the brand you have, but those directions are included as well.
ENJOY!

Grilled Zucchini

This is a side dish that I have recently fallen in love with and have made many times during the past few weeks. Growing up, pretty much the only way we ever had zucchini was dredge it in egg and flour and fry it in butter. Which don't get me wrong is wonderful...but full of extra calories that you don't need...all the time :).
Keeping things simple in my kitchen is the best way for me to get a healthier meal on the table. These go with any main dish, but especially work great if you are already cooking something out on the grill. Last night we did these up with some grilled corn on the cob and some grilled pork chops and it was amazing! My husband has become quite the grilling master. This side dish is not only healthy but comes together in a matter of minutes. Enjoy!