Best French and Italian Food Recipe

Greek Tortellini Salad

Loaded with fresh vegetables and tortellini pasta this Greek Pasta Salad is almost perfect, add a sweet and tangy dressing to the mix and you have yourself a must try recipe!  My new favorite summer salad and I am sure you will love it too.

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Lucky Charms No-Bake Ice Box Pie

Lucky Charms No-Bake Ice Box Pie is Magically Delicious!  This fairytale pie all starts with a Lucky Charms pie crust topped with an enchanted confetti cloud pie filling.  This recipe is unlike anything you have ever had before.  The real magic happens in the freezer.

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Simple 5 Minute Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

 
Simple 5 Minute Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip is a fab quick dessert recipe. Looking for a snack during prime time TV? This is sure to be ready before the commercial break ends. If you like cookie dough, you will be bonkers over this dangerously delish treat!!! 

Being a cookie connoisseur for many, many years I can tell you I would rather eat the dough than the cookie. {{gasp}} Shocking, I know.  Especially where chocolate chip cookie dough is concerned I have a hard time getting the dough to the oven!  I love, love, love cookie dough, almost as much as I love cheese (and that is A LOT).

After making our Mint Chocolate Oreo Cookie Trifle masterpiece this week I’ve had a hunkering for more mint chocolate flavor.  I searched my brain for easy desserts that I could make that did not involve much work.  I mean I work all day, who needs yet another involved task when all I really want is to dive into a bowl of cookie dough anyway?!?!

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Brandade – Hot Cod

There are certain things that if I see on a menu, I will almost always order them, and brandade is one of those things. This amazing dish from the south of France can be made many different ways, but it’s usually some sort of combination of salt cod, potato, garlic, and olive oil.

Olive Garden Copycat Salad Dressing

Olive Garden Salad is so amazing you may eat the salad and skip the meal.   Now you can make your own salad dressing copycat recipe at home.  A crisp salad with a tart, sweet and cheesy dressing will keep you coming back for more!

I could eat at Olive Garden every day.  Just keep bringing those big ole' bowls of salad.  No bread sticks for me, just that salad.  Oh my word I love that salad!  That said, it must come as no surprise that I had to create a salad copycat. 

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Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches

Perfectly seasoned tender slow cooked beef is piled on a toasted bun and topped with ooey gooey cheese and 2 kinds of peppers.  This recipe is so easy you will be pulling out the crock pot over and over to make it this summer.

I may have mentioned a time or two that I am a sandwich girl.  I love sandwiches just about any way they come.  I like cold sandwiches, hot sandwiches, burgers and even wraps.  Pretty much if it comes wrapped in a bread product its a winner for me.

I have been craving sandwiches lately and have not been able to take my mind off of an old favorite.  Chad is not as much of a sandwich lover unless its a burger.  I have been telling him about how bad I want an Italian Beef Sandwich and he just didn't get it, until I made it.  Then he was like "Ooooooooh, NOW I get it!".

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Cheesy Italian Stuffed Peppers in Just 30 Minutes

Cheesy Italian Stuffed Peppers start with cheesy Italian sausage, fire roasted tomatoes and orzo pasta.  It only gets better from there.  An easy recipe that goes from prep to plate in 30 minutes makes this one a keeper!

My mom has been on my mind a lot lately.  With Mother's Day and an upcoming trip we are taking together I can't stop thinking about her.  When I think about my mom, memories of my childhood come flooding back.  The kitchen is the heart of a home (in my life).  I remember my mom in the kitchen most often.  Fond memories that take me back.

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Homemade Beef Jerky – A Real Convenient Store

Until recently, beef jerky was a late night, convenience store impulse buy, and what was in it was the least of your worries at that hour. I’ve had beef jerky where MSG was the most nutritious thing in it, but times have changed. 

Thanks to a new wave of modern day cave-people, eating healthy, high-protein snacks is all the rage, and while you can find many artisan brands out there, making your own is fun, easy, and using this method, relatively quick. 

Outrageous Butterfinger Brownies

A chocolate fudgy brownie bursting with Butterfingers is topped with Butterfinger frosting, milk chocolate and more Butterfingers. This is a taste sensation that you will be making for years to come.

I have developed a bit of a brownie thing. I am not quite sure how it happened, but I love brownies. They are fabulous treats and awesome gifts. I bring different varieties to potlucks, as dessert gifts to friends and also love to make them just for fun.

A few years back I started using left over Easter candy in my favorite brownie recipe. That developed into an amazing extreme brownie creation. We love them and we know our readers love them, so I was super excited to have come up with a new one.

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Next Up: Beef Jerky

Jack Daniel's Double Kick Crock Pot Pulled Pork Sandwich

Jack Daniels Double Kick Crockpot Pulled Pork Sandwich is fabulously moist, so tender it falls apart and unbelievably delish. Perfect meal anytime.  Packed with our favorite smoky and sweet Jack flavors with a double kick!  

Chad has been asking for pulled pork sandwiches for months.  As much as I love, love, love The Best Ever Simple Crockpot Pulled Pork Sandwich I wanted to try something new.  So I decided to give Jack Daniel's a try.  I mean I have yet to be disappointed in Jack when cooking.

I really dig this whole flavor profile that we've developed.  Our Jack Daniel's Double Kick recipes features smoky and sweet flavors that are just a bit tangy and have little kick from chili peppers and whiskey, it truly is magical. 

And let me tell you...  Oh my heavens!  What a great idea Jack crockpot pork was.

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Best Ever Copycat McDonald's Shamrock Shake

McDonald’s Copycat Shamrock Shake is a perfectly creamy mint shake topped with whipped cream and sprinkles to make this a superb St. Patrick’s Day shake. They’re only seasonally available at McDonald’s, but now with this easy recipe you can have one anytime. Simple and so delicious you may never have to buy one again!

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Peanut Butter Caramel No-Bake Ice Box Cake

This no-bake cake starts with a flavor explosion of peanut butter, caramel and chocolate. What could possibly be better? How about a simple recipe with mind blowing results?  This fabulous cake is stacked with layer upon layer of sweet and salty creamy peanut butter filling, cream and chocolate cookies. After a trip to the fridge the layers become this incredibly moist and creamy cake...  all without ever turning the oven on.

Now if you will excuse me, I need to take a moment to collect my thoughts (and be alone with the last piece of this divine dessert).

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Farro with Wild Mushrooms – So Old it’s New

We don’t get to eat a lot of food that’s identical to what the ancient Romans would have eaten, which is one of the things that makes farro so fun. 

They must have had mushrooms and fermented cream back then, so it’s easy to imagine Cleopatra and Mark Antony enjoying this before an evening of who knows what.

Next Up: Farro

Chicken Rice Simple Side Dish

Moist, flavorful and fluffy Chicken Rice is just the simple side you have been looking for. Made with ingredients that are always in the pantry, it is perfect in a pinch and good enough for company. 

Do you remember those side dish pouches? I pretty much served every meal with one. Let's be honest here. I haven't always been such a fabulous cook and for a long time it was just Chad and myself. So I would grab some fettucine alfredo, butter pasta, and rice sides which were perfect with just about everything.

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Chicken Under a Brick – Worth the Weight?

The problem with posting a video like this "Chicken Under a Brick," is that as soon as it goes live, I’ll start getting emails from people asking if they should do this instead of our other roast chicken videos, like salt roasted chicken, or ultimate roast chicken, or million-dollar chicken, or…well, you get the idea.

Crockpot Shredded Chicken

Crockpot shredded chicken is the perfect make ahead recipe. It will give you tons of possibilities and its prepared in the slow cooked with very little work. This recipe makes a quick dinners so amazingly easy.

Things just seem to get busier and busier no matter how hard I try and busy leads to not having 30 minutes to cook dinner or time to shop for ingredients. That lands us in a drive thru. I didn't realize how much we were having fast food until we looked over our statements. It was like every other day for 2 weeks.

That is when I decided I had to take more time to pull together some make ahead items. So that way, on those insanely busy days I could still manage dinner and feel good about it.  I have made this make ahead crockpot shredded chicken recipe 3 times in the last month and I have to tell you it has come in handy so many times, I can't even count.

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Happy National Pancake Day!

Since there is no National Mancake Day (yet), I decided to use today’s National Pancake Day celebration as an excuse to repost this mucho macho variation. 

These bacon and cheddar corn pancakes were created as a Father’s Day brunch special, and have been very well received. I hope you give these “mancakes” a try soon, like tonight. Click here to see the original post. Enjoy!

The Best Ever Oven Roasted Corn

The Best Ever Oven Roasted Corn is prepped and ready to go in the oven in just 10 minutes.  This recipe is so simple you will be making it all year long!

Grilling season is upon us at last, here in Arizona!  I am so excited for spring and summer, even though technically I could grill all year long in Arizona, there is just something that is ALL right when I am grilling when everything is lush and green.

I had my in-laws over a few weeks ago and decided to break out the grill and cook up some ribeyes for my mother-in-laws retirement dinner.  Corn and potatoes are the perfect sides for this midwestern family, but I already had my hands full with dessert.  Simple oven roasted corn on the cob was perfectly easy and freed me up to chat and prepare dessert.

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Mardi Gras Special: Red Beans and Rice – Comfortably Yum

Any time someone asks the question, “What exactly is soul food,” the answer should always be a comforting bowl of red beans and rice. Just sit them down, give them a spoon, and when they finish, ask them if they understand. They will.

5-Ingredient Lazy Day Chili

This thick and hearty chili comes together in just 15 minutes, using only 5 ingredients. Truly one of our favorite chili recipes ever it is perfect for winter or fall, spring or even summer barbecuing. Any recipe that tastes this good and can be put together on a lazy day is a keeper in my book!

One of my favorite cooking methods is working with what I have on hand and finding inspiration in my pantry.  Actually pantry cooking has resulted in some of the most delicious recipes I have ever created and this was one of them.

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Next Up: Red Beans & Rice

Photo courtesy of Flickr user cookbookman17

Top 20 Restaurant Copycat Recipes

Cravings for your favorite restaurant dishes can just about drive you mad.  But with 20 of your favorite restaurant copycat recipes at your fingertips, you can enjoy your restaurant favorites in the comfort of your home for a fraction of the cost.

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Chocolate Covered Cherry Cordial Cocktail

The Chocolate Covered Cherry Cordial is the consummate Valentine's cocktail.  It's perfectly sweet and chocolaty with just the right touch of cherry, like a cherry cordial in a glass.  Pick up a dozen roses and the ingredients for this romantic drink and sweep your sweetie off their feet tonight!

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What’s Your Foodie IQ?

My friends at Allrecipes.com have been working on some online food-related quizzes, and wanted me to check one out to see what I thought. I was hesitant at first, since I was obviously going to get all the questions right, and have to tell them their test was way too easy, thereby possibly hurting someone’s feelings.

Baked Alaska with a Lighter? You Betcha!

I’ve always wanted to do a Baked Alaska, and with Valentine’s Day coming up, I thought it would be the perfect time to demonstrate this show-stopping dessert. I just didn’t anticipate coming up with possibly the greatest browning meringue hack in history.

Strawberry Shortcake No-Bake Ice Box Cake

Layer upon layer of cookies, cream and luscious strawberries make up this insanely simple and delicious no-bake strawberry shortcake ice box cake recipe.  The fabulous vanilla whipped cream frosting will certainly knock your socks off.

This recipe was originally published in the summer, but has been so popular we decided to share it again.

End of summer or not, I am still not excited about baking cakes. Shocking, I know!  Actually I am enjoying no-bake desserts.  We have been loving frozen treats, trifles and cookie dough dips.  Well, cakes have been on my mind like you wouldn't believe.

I mean have you checked out my cake dream board?  I have lots of ideas for the fall.  But summer berries and a cool kitchen is still on my mind.  Strawberries have been plentiful and quite tasty.  So Strawberry Shortcake No-Bake Icebox Cake it is!

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Jack Daniels Double Kick Pork Chops

Jack Daniels Double Kick Pork Chops are marinated in a fabulous mixture of Jack and spices.  The red chili pepper gives these pork chops a little heat, but the whiskey adds such an amazing smoky and sweet flavor that you really have to try this recipe! Perfect on the grill on in the oven.

Pork chops are an old family staple, but I hadn't made them on the grill because I didn't want to serve dry pork chops.  Who does, right? After figuring out the perfect preparation and cooking method I am happy to tell you that these grilled pork chops are incredibly moist and Chad has declared them his favorite pork chops ever.  That is quite an endorsement!

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Lobster Mac and Cheese – Only Looks Hard

Every once in a while I post a video that makes a recipe look way harder than it is, and this “simple” lobster macaroni and cheese is one such dish. The problem has to do with the fact that for this kind of recipe, we’re preparing each of the main components simultaneously.    

Bacon Cheddar Beer Bread

Bacon Cheddar Beer Bread is a simple no-knead recipe that is mixed with a spoon and ready to go in the oven before it is done preheating! Loaded with cheese and bacon this is a winner!

I have been playing with some bread recipes lately and have fallen in love with the simplicity of beer bread. They are a bit more dense, but can be mixed with a spoon, there is no kneading and no rise time. That is a perfect option for times when you don't have 3 hours to make bread.

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Next Up: Lobster Mac & Cheese

Reese's Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies

A simple brownie recipe loaded with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups is the base for the out-of-this-world treat. The brownie is topped with a peanut butter frosting that is second only to your grandma’s peanut butter fudge. Then it’s sprinkled with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and drizzled with milk chocolate.

A brownie unlike anything you have had before.  Reese's Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie is fully loaded with your favorite peanut butter and chocolate combinations.  It will truly knock your socks off.  Honestly it was so good I have been banned from buying presents, instead there are only to be gifts of these brownies.  YEP.  THAT GOOD!

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Onion Soup and Something for the Slow Cooker People

I’m not sure where you live, but for the sake of this post let’s assume the weather is terrible. With that in mind, I thought I’d repost our two French onion soup recipes, as well as this link to an article by Vanessa Greaves, on using a slow cooker to make caramelized onions.

	French Onion Soup Don't let the bad photography fool you; this is one great soup recipe.
	American French Onion Soup I show how to use an oven to caramelize the onions, instead of the traditional stove top. You know, in case you don't have a slow cooker.

Simple Amish White Bread Recipe

Simple Amish White Bread Recipe is a simple recipe that creates a soft and tender, slightly sweet white bread.  It is so easy, it is nearly a no-fail recipe. This is a keeper!

 beyThere is just something about making your own bread.  It is unlike any other 'domestic' task.  I mean I have made lots of things from scratch.  Dehyrated, canned, made my own peanut butter....  But when I pull those loaves of bread, that I created from scratch, out of the oven...  there is a feeling of satisfaction unlike any other cooking or baking.  I feel like a DOMESTIC GODDESS!  {{{cue the Super Woman music}}}

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The Best Ever Sweet and Sour Sauce in 15 Minutes

The Best Ever Sweet and Sour Sauce with more flavor than you can wrap your mouth around.  This simple recipe is ready in just 15 minutes. What more could you ask for?

 The last night we had this sauce with meatballs, it looked something like this...  Dinner starts and about 5 minutes later you look around the table and see plates where you should see faces.  Chadstarted the whole thing, but now Munchkin has joined in the excitement.  Plate lickin' good.  We are fancy like that!  You know its good when the family gives that kind of reaction!  

Chad described this incredible sweet and sour sauce as "liquid gold".  It has
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Fresh Raspberry Sauce – Easy and Effective

As promised, here’s the fresh raspberry sauce we served with our recently posted chocolate decadence cake. While originally intended to be a companion video for that dessert, this stuff is so beautiful and delicious, you and your Valentine may not even need the cake.

Rosemary Lemon Roasted Chicken Breasts

Looking for the best roasted chicken recipe ever?  Well, you have found it!  I am absolutely head over heals in love with this Rosemary Lemon Roasted Chicken!  Moist, flavorful and miles away from ordinary.

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Easy Chocolate Ganache

Silky smooth chocolate hazelnut ganache with just 2 ingredients. It really doesn't get easier than this. This recipe is ready in 3 minutes and it is one you will be pulling out again and again.It is perfect for fondue, ice cream topping, dipping cupcakes, frosting cakes and even making truffles.  You are going to love it.

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The Best Ever Outrageous Brownies

This recipe is the chocolate lovers dream!  The Best Brownies Ever are chocolaty, fudgy, soft and melt in your mouth delicious.  It is our most requested brownie recipe and I make 2 pans of these and give them as part of our gratitude gifts we hand out each year.

Every year we make a point to take the time to give a gift of homemade goodies and cards to those people who have touched our lives.  Family, friends, postal carriers, neighbors and store clerks are all included.  You get the idea.  One year we had our truck in the shop a lot and the service tech was so helpful that he was on our list that year.

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