Call me extra, but I love guacamole. To me, it is the most perfect dip. The best condiment. A life force that stands on it’s own. And this particular guacamole has been something I’ve been making for years. Often a staple at parties, I find the bowl I filled with this amazing avocado delicacy completely…
Year: 2018
2018 Musical Year in Review
Oh, this year. What a year. There are good years, but are there bad years? Sure, depending on how you look at it. I won’t call this a bad year. You know why? It pushed me harder than I thought I could be pushed. It stretched muscles that I didn’t even know I had. I’ve dealt with anything…
Tortellini with Creamy Tomato Sauce
Tortellini is probably my favorite pasta. It’s the most underrated stuffed pasta, with it’s cousin, the ravioli, always taken up the limelight. Well, this is my way of making tortellini the star of the dish. This was another one of my “what do I have in my fridge?” recipes, and it turned out even better…
Thai Inspired Panang Curry
Going out for Thai Panang Curry is probably one of my favorite meals ever. With my seafood allergy, I usually have to be pretty careful at Thai restaurants, so I did what anyone who wants something “better than takeout,” and made my own! The nutty, red curry sauce draped over vegetables (or meat) is so…
Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs
Spaghetti and meatballs is an age-old classic. In fact, my family’s own Sicilian recipe is my absolute FAVORITE. Now, as a single woman with no kiddos or a husband, I’m not about to spend 2-3 days making a huge batch of my family’s recipe, so I created my own health version of a family favorite….
Grown-up Pasta-O’s
If you were a child of the 90s, you KNOW the love that was in a can of Spaghetti-O’s. Now, I’m not about to recreate it, but rather take inspiration for this quick, tomatey, noodly bowl of love. This inspiration from Spaghetti-O’s came out of the need for a quick lunch or dinner – I…
Crock Pot Indian Butter Chicken [Low Cal!]
One of my all-time favorite things to order in is butter chicken from an amazing Indian restaurant here in Chicago. I literally crave it and could eat the sauce like soup…it’s that good. The thing is, it’s notttt good for my waist line, so for this “Crocktober,” I made it my mission to recreate my…
Hearty Italian Sausage Skillet
In my humble opinion, Fall is the best time for food…especially hearty Italian sausage skillets. It’s cooler weather, shorter days are just calling for a cozy meal at home that you don’t have to be guilty about! The main focus of this dish is the hot Italian sausage and how it beautifully marries into a…
Cheesy Stuffed Banana Peppers
I’m here to share an old favorite with all of you: my cheesy stuffed banana peppers. I’ve mentioned this particular recipe on my “About Me” page. It all started in childhood, my family would often celebrate big life events at a local Italian spot in Orland Park called, Rocco’s. It had your basic Italian favorites,…
Sticky Chicken Teriyaki Bites
I remember watching Mad Men earlier this year and Betty made a special appetizer for Don and his colleagues called, “Rumaki.” I was fascinated. What is this fancy, 1950s dish that Betty cooked up! Well, I found out it was pretty much the basic party food involving bacon, water chestnuts, and a teriyaki style sauce….