Italian Layered Dip

This easy dip is all you need to know for the next gathering. I make a similar one with Mediterranean flavors and a hummus base. This time it gets an Italian flavors and no cooking required!

Italian Layered Dip
Ingredients:

1 pkg Boursin cheese
4 tablespoons pesto
2 teaspoons balsamic glaze
1-2 cups bruschetta mix
baguette (or crackers)

Directions:
Slice and toast the baguette.
On a large plate, spread the boursin onto the bottom of the plate.
Spoon on some drops of pesto and drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Spoon the bruschetta on top.
Serve with bread to dip.
Enjoy!

This is flavor packed and takes no advance prep! Make this and thank me later.

Winter Pasta Salad

This pasta can be cold (like a salad!), or room temperature, or heat it up! It is filled with butternut squash, arugula, feta, and a dressing of maple and dijon.

Winter Pasta Salad
Ingredients: (serves 2-3 meals, or 4-5 sides)

1/4 butternut squash
1/2 pound of pasta
1/4 cup feta
2 cups arugula
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
Peal, chop, roast/air fry the butternut squash until cooked through and crisp. Allow to cool.
Cook the pasta and cool.
Whisk together the dressing of maple syrup, dijon, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Mix together the pasta, squash, feta, and dressing.
Chill until serving.

Add arugula before serving.

This was a really perfect lunch. I packed a few bowls to bring to work and was glad for big flavor and veggies. To pack it up, I dropped the arugula onto the top and mixed when eating which worked really well.

November 2024 Recap

November is crazy at work, and has been for so many of my jobs so I’m used to it but we began the month feeling like summer and suddenly it’s really fall. Mr J’s injury has been the low part of the month so we’re ready to continue on towards being healed! In the kitchen, things were convenience related and without daylight.

I made Chicken, Bacon, & Ranch Chili and we loved it. Everything in a pot is a gamble but this one paid off (and some veggies on the side and crescents didn’t hurt).

Chicken, bacon, and ranch chili is a warm hug whenever needed.


We also had loaded tomato sauce that was packed with flavor.

The Big Kid:
Basketball has been off to a great start – his coaches are wonderful and this is such a nice group of kids. I’m very grateful he has this team for his first travel/tryouts experience. He’s off hard boiled eggs for now and has been interested in cooking! He wants to make his own stuff and is cutting, pealing, and turning burners on now.

The Littler One:
Ice skating has been amazing! She’s a total different kid than the last time we took her out on the ice. She leveled up at the first class to a different group and is progressing. I can’t wait to go with her again! It has been very fun to see her reading beginner chapter books.

Goals for this upcoming year:
Year of replacements/upgrades! I started with some new blue dress pants. I kept thinking my old ones needed to have their last go but I hadn’t retired them without new ones…until now!
Restaurant Recreations – not yet
Special ingredient focus – I grabbed soft pretzel bites and that led to appetizer dinner!
More fish – not yet
What I’m reading – I read Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano and loved it for interesting characters in a tough plotline. I also read The Wedding People by Alison Espach and was fascinated by the most unusual premise ever. Then I read We Have Always Been Who We Are by Sofia Romero and was drawn to the mystical fantasy elements in otherwise regular stories.

Chicken, Bacon & Ranch Chili

Crowd favorite flavors, but make it chili-esque. We needed some comfort post-election and this was a hit, as were the leftovers.

This was comforting, flavorful, and fun with all the toppings! We had some green beans on the side and crescent rolls.

Chicken, Bacon & Ranch Chili
Ingredients:
(serves ~6)
28 oz pinto beans
1 1/2 roasted chicken breasts
2 carrots
4 oz can green chilis
2 tablespoons ranch powder (or 1 envelope)
1-2 cups chicken broth (for desired thickness)
1 cup cottage cheese, pureed (or 1/2 brick cream cheese)
~4 slices bacon
Green onions
shredded cheddar
corn chips

Directions:
Peal & chop the carrots, drain and rinse the beans (don’t drain for thicker chili), bacon, and puree the cottage cheese.
In a large pot with a drizzle of olive oil, cook the broth, beans, carrots, chilis, and ranch to a low boil for 8-10 minutes.
Shred the chicken.
Reduce heat to low for another 5 minutes. Stir in the cottage cheese puree and the chicken.
Cook for 5 minutes and remove from the heat.
Top with shredded cheese, green onions, more bacon, and corn chips.
Enjoy!

This was good! It was more soupy than some chili is, but we all liked it. Cooking everything together can be a gamble, but this one paid off (and crescents & green beans were some safe options).

This could go into a crock pot with raw chicken breasts for 4-6 hours with the cream cheese or pureed cottage cheese at the end.

14th Blogaversary

Woohoo! 14?! Crazy. This year had some fun adventures during school vacations, more swimming than ever, and the kids seeming so much older. I cooked a lot of burritos/wraps, they’re a favorite of mine and some really fun appetizers. This is my chance to look back on the past year and set some intentions for the year ahead. I bring you some superlatives:

Best Burger: Pizza Burger with pepperoni grated into the burger.

Most Underrated: Street Corn Pasta Salad is addictive and the perfect taco side but maybe looks not so cute. It’s so good.

Most liked: Greek Chicken Burritos were the fan favorite on instagram for the year.

Goals for this past year:
Year of small businesses/artisans/writers: this was mostly good, though a few misses on Etsy so I didn’t tag creators who I wasn’t happy with
More meatless meals: this happened on occasion but I didn’t really prioritize it
sandwiches and salads: yes! So many hot wraps/burritos!
a focus on going to new or places we don’t get to all the time: this went so-so but it’s a fun one when it does happen!
redo photos: I was so glad to refresh some that needed a makeover!
What I’m reading: I’m up to 44 books read this year!

Goals for this upcoming year:
Year of replacements/upgrades! I realized I have some not-beloved things that are due for a better version or that are worn out and I just keep using without thinking about a better one.
Restaurant Recreations – It has been awhile but this if a fun one
Special ingredient focus – this could be a nice push to use some ingredients I don’t always reach for
More fish – I may have said this before and not made it happen so we’ll see how this goes
maybe I’ll add another or see how it goes