Best recipes

I made this recipe four years ago and the pictures weren’t doing it justice.  We love asian inspired meals here at our family so of course this was one of the first recipes to make its debut on the blog.  We have it quite often at our house and it is incredible.  I love being able to make better than takeout right at home! It was time to update the pictures on here and my family was reminded about how much we love it.  Everyone devoured it including my youngest two year old. INGREDIENTS: 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into one inch cubes ¼ cup cornstarch 1 tablespoon vegetable oil ½ cup hoisin sauce 2 T soy sauce ½ cup brown sugar 3 cloves garlic, minced 3 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar 1 teaspoon sesame oil ¼ tsp dry ginger ½ tsp crushed red pepper (more or less to liking) Optional garnish, green onions, sesame seeds, additional red pepper flakes INSTRUCTIONS: In amixing bowl add the chicken and cornstarch. Toss until the chicken ...

Today I am sharing with you a quick and easy slow cooker soup from Six Sisters’ newest cookbook the 12 days of Christmas.  I have become friends with the Six Sisters through blogging and conferences.  They continue to amaze me with all that they do and I love how they put an importance on family and traditions.  They started blogging as a way to keep in touch with all six sisters and it has grown into something incredible.  This is now their third cookbook that they have published.  They have such delicious and easy family friendly recipes.  I couldn’t wait to look through their newest cookbook and choose something yummy to make! INGREDIENTS: 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup 1 cup salsa 2 cups frozen corn 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed 1½ cups water 1 teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon dried cilantro 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese Optional Toppings: sour cream di...

Are your mornings as hectic as mine? My mornings always seem to be a bit chaotic.  First off, I am NOT a morning person. The snooze button is my friend.  Once I’m finally up, I wake Z.E.N. up and head to the kitchen for my usual morning routine of getting breakfast ready and packing lunch. Breakfast used to be a hassle because Z.E.N. could never what he wanted to eat and I’d wind up scrambling to get him fed. When you add the fact that I also have to make a hot lunch for his lunch box, the result was that we were always running late.   I had to figure out a way to simplify breakfast.  I advised Z.E.N. that his breakfast choices would be limited to things that were either already prepared, or that can be prepared quickly. For example, whenever we make pancakes, I make an extra batch that I can freeze for later. When Z.E.N. wants pancakes, all I have to do is pop the previously frozen pancakes in the microwave. INGREDIENTS: 1 cup Nonfat Vanilla Greek yogu...

These grain free and Paleo Gingerbread Pancakes are a dreamy and healthy holiday brunch item that your whole family will love! Oh man, guys… I have the perfect Christmas brunch recipe for you and I’ve made it 3 times already since last week because it’s that good. That’s saying a lot because I always choose savory breakfast items over sweet and these Paleo Gingerbread Pancakes are just next level. INGREDIENTS: 1 ripe banana cut into chunks 2 large eggs 1 tbsp molasses 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 2 tbsp coconut flour 1/4 tsp baking powder 1/8 tsp baking soda 1/8 tsp sea salt 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground ginger Coconut oil for frying INSTRUCTIONS: Place all ingredients, except coconut oil, in a blender and blend until smooth. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes so it can thicken. Heat some coconut oil in a skillet over medium low heat. Pour the pancake batter on the skillet to make 3-4 inch pancakes. Cook for 3 minutes, then flip and cook for 2-3 more minut...

This is my favorite way to eat chicken meatballs. They’re spiced up with a sweet, savory, and spicy firecracker sauce. They’re tender, filled with flavor, and require minimum work! This recipe for firecracker chicken meatballs has been stuck in my head on an endless loop for the last several weeks. I had been craving something with a little more spice, yet a little sweet too. And what’s more perfect than game day food that’s actually somewhat healthy (they’re baked!) and still has tons of flavor but isn’t your regular old meatball covered in marinara? FIRECRACKER. SAUCE. FTW! INGREDIENTS: MEATBALLS 1 ¾ – 2 pounds ground chicken (or turkey) 4 teaspoons minced garlic 1 ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 2 large eggs 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs* ½ teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon onion powder FIRECRACKER SAUCE ½ cup hot sauce (I recommend Franks) 1 cup light brown sugar 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar ¼ teaspoon salt ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (depending on spice pref...

fudgy bottom layer of brownie is topped with rich and silken cheesecake, then a layer of egg-less edible cookie dough is spread on the top and drizzled with melted chocolate.  This is the ULTIMATE cheesecake for the ULTIMATE dessert lover!  Brownie bottom cookie dough cheesecake deliciousness! I mean c’mon, it’s like three desserts in one!  Rich and fudgy brownies, silky cheesecake and classicly sweet cookie dough.  And of course I had to be extra decadent and drizzle a bit of melted chocolate over the top because… well, chocolate INGREDIENTS 1/3 cup milk chocolate chips 1 tsp vegetable oil BROWNIE LAYER: 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature (1/2 cup) 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs 1/4 cup milk 1 cup all-purpose flour CHEESECAKE LAYER: 18 oz cream cheese (2 - 8oz bricks and 1/4 of another 8oz brick), softened to room temperature 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3 eggs room temperature 1 tsp vanilla extrac...

sweet, tart, and refreshing with a bourbon kick, this Kentucky lemonade cocktail is everything you could want in a drink.  It’s fun, has familiar and easy to find ingredients, and is easy to customize by making non-alcoholic if you’d prefer it that way! This drink you guys… just wow.  I’m not usually one for adding things to my bourbon… I like it on the rocks and that’s it.  BUT… when added to a homemade lemonade with some mint and ginger ale?  Let’s just say, on the rocks is about to be my second favorite way to have bourbon. INGREDIENTS: 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup water 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (from approximately 6 lemons) 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves 1/2-2/3 cup Bourbon (depending on your tastes) 6 cups ginger ale additional lemon slices (for garnish) INSTRUCTIONS: In a small saucepan, combine granulated sugar and water and heat over MED heat.  Heat until sugar dissolves into water and mixture is clear.  Simmer 1-2 minutes, ...