Garlic Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

Look at those potatoes! They're crunchy, crispy and tender. And really, really good! Just another simple and healthier alternative to the fried potato we Americans love to indulge in! What's not to love?! My eating addictions come in the form of carbs, starch and cheese. If it's potatoes, pasta, rice or bread.....I'm there. And if it has cheese on...

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Creamy Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower

Everyone knows that eating cauliflower is nothing but good for you. We eat cauliflower on a weekly basis; typically, it's by roasting it with a little olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. YUM. But there is only so much of roasted cauliflower that you can possibly eat before growing tiresome and bored with it. What are our other options...

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Honey Mustard Chops with Fresh Apple Slaw

I don't know why, but I feel like I always have the darndest time coming up with creative ways to prepare pork, specifically, pork chops. Now there is always the traditional so-called "Betty Crocker" method of breading them and serving them with applesauce, because after all, who doesn't like pork chops and applesauce?! But breading them is just messy...

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Asiago Garlic Bread

In every meal, I try to incorporate a vegetable and carbohydrate to go with the protein or main portion of the dish. Typically, carbs for us, tend to be various forms of potatoes, pasta, rice and bread. Although, I do try to shy away from eating bread for dinner often (as we normally have it quite a bit throughout the day in other meals). And usually...

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Chicken Ravioli with Peas, Shallots & Warm Butter Sauce

Who doesn't love pasta?! I honestly cannot think of one single person I know that doesn't enjoy a good, hearty pasta dish. Can you? I mean, really, I can't. I can tell you people who don't like all sorts of things that are loved by many (and I think they're crazy) but I don't know of anyone who will turn down pasta every now and then! There is something...

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Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Caramelized Onions & Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Sometimes the best dishes are the most simple.  This sandwich is simple.  I mean, really simple.  It doesn't get much easier than a grilled chicken breast seasoned with a little olive oil, salt and pepper on top of a grilled kaiser roll!  No need for mustard, mayonnaise, hot sauce, additional cheese or any dressings of any sort...

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Sweet Caramel Cake

When it comes to dessert, cake is usually not my first preference. I don't know why, but I'm just not a big "cake" person. I like it and I'll eat it, but I'd rather have ice cream or cheesecake! But when I came across this recipe in one of my Taste of the South magazines, I knew that someday I would have a craving for cake, particularly this cake!...

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Wild Bill Chewies

This past weekend, we drove to Alabama to visit my future father-in-law (aka: Chris' Dad, Bill). I call him my future father-in-law because it's only a matter of time that he will be, so why not?!  Bill LOVES sweet treats (especially made by yours truly). He requested another Pumpkin Roll, which I brought in addition to a few other goodies like...

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Mongolian Beef

Chinese is definitely my most favorite style of take-out, which is probably what you'll see the most of in my Fake-Out Take-Out meals! One thing you may not know about me is that I am super indecisive when it comes to food. I can make decisions all day long about a lot of things, but if food is involved, be prepared to wait a while. A loooong while....

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Italian Pizza Wrap

I'm always looking for quick, healthy and tasty recipes for lunch.  I tend to get into these habits where I'll find a dish that I love to make for lunch and then after a week or two, I become bored with it.  I find that I need to switch it up often, to make things interesting and keep me excited!  I love lunches that involve Paninis,...

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Creamy Shrimp & Pasta

One of my dreaded weekly chores includes planning our dinner menu for the week and making up a grocery list.  I dislike it.  A lot.  Almost as much as I dislike doing laundry.  But, it's a necessity in order for us to stay on budget and it helps with my sanity of not having to figure out what I'm going to make for dinner each night...

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Pork Loin with Peach Marmalade Sauce, Collard Greens, Black Eyed Peas & Mexican Cornbread

Happy New Year!!!  2009 seemed to go by rather quickly for us and certainly had its ups and downs.  But it's a new year and we're anxiously anticipating what is to come in our lives within the next 12 months! As many of you know, I'm a "Yankee" girl from West Michigan and recently moved to the South for Chris to pursue a great opportunity...

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Chocolate & Orange Macaroons

I have never made macaroons before.  To be honest, I was a little intimidated by them.  They seem like such a fancy little delectable treat that I surely did not have the skills to make.  Wrong!  I made macaroons today.  I successfully made macaroons today.  I don't know for sure, but I believe, I came across a similar...

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Things I ♥ ...The Hip Hostess Aprons

There are definitely items (cooking-related) that I would love to have, but there is one thing, regretfully, that I do not have enough of and that is aprons!  I do so much more cooking and baking now that I stay at home and truth be told, I'm not exactly the cleanest when it comes to food!  I'm not a slob by any means, but most of my friends...

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