sheet pan chicken

Our weeknight menu usually consists of quick and easy meals like this yummy sheet pan chicken.  

It takes about 30 minutes from start to finish which is perfect.

And, clean up is a breeze which is always a bonus!

A perfect meal for a busy night.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dessert Please!

It was my turn to bring dessert for our Thursday night ladies dinner. As usual I could not decide what to make so I made two.

Since our dinner is prepared for us each week by the husband of the hostess I wanted to make something I know he likes which is German Chocolate cake. I only had two hours to bake two desserts so I needed quick and easy recipes. I started with this German Chocolate Brownie Tart which fit the bill.

While the tart was in the oven I pulled out some homemade raspberry freezer jam to thaw while I started on a Raspberry Jelly Roll Cake for the girls. 

The timing was perfect. The jelly roll was ready for the oven when the tart came out and while it cooled I made the toppings. 

Both desserts were packed and ready to go just in time. Dinner was great as usual and we all had a little slice of each dessert. Mission accomplished!

Happy Friday!

New Favorite Salads

Back in November and December I made a couple new salads however in all the hustle and bustle of the holidays I got sidetracked and never got around to posting them. They are both wonderful so here are a few pictures. 

I made this cranberry, apple, barley salad in November with fresh parsley from our garden. A great salad for fall and a perfect addition to the  holiday menu. It is delicious and very hardy so it makes a great lunch as well as a side. 

We also love this white bean quinoa salad drizzled with a balsamic reduction {yum}. I made this salad in December because of the red peppers and green basil.

It is so good and very filling. Not only is it a nice side dish but it also works for lunch and a smaller portion makes a perfect snack. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

30 minute One Pan Dinner

Here is a new twist on an old favorite...

TACO PASTA!

This week I felt like we needed something new in the menu rotation and it needed to be something quick and easy that everyone would like. That is not always an easy task but I finally decided to cook something a bit unusual. This was similar to tamale pie but with pasta instead of cornmeal. Everyone seemed to like it so I think it is a keeper. 

Happy Friday!

QUICHE & the grand experiment

No matter how we make it, Papa Bear does not care for quiche.

We tried again, this time with only bacon, onions and cheddar cheese. How could anyone not like lots of bacon, eggs and cheese? It's like eating scrambled eggs or an omelet, right? Miss E and I thought so. Once the quiche was finished we cut a nice wedge and served it with a freshly baked muffin. Papa Bear was a great sport and ate his serving, a bit reluctantly, while Miss E and I anxiously waited for the verdict. It only took one bite and we knew it was a No~Go. We were hopeful but not all that surprised. 

So, it looks like Miss E and I will be eating leftover quiche for a few days.  We are not complaining in the least because we love quiche, no matter what ingredients we use. 

I guess from now on I will just make whatever quiche suits our fancy

since it will be just for we girls.

And, I will save a few eggs to scramble for Papa Bear

with his bacon on the side, 

just how he likes it!

Happy Saturday!

Happy New Year ~ 2018

It is hard to believe it is already 2018!  The holidays always seem to make the last few months of the year go by faster than the rest. We had a productive weekend taking down the Christmas trees and decorations and putting the house back to normal, if there is such a thing.  Since the beautiful holiday bouquet that Mr. Wonderful gave me the day before Mom's 80th Birthday Party is still looking nice I set the kitchen table in Christmas colors one last time.  

Last night P&B joined us for a New Years Eve dinner. We had some yummy appetizers while we waited for our meal to finish cooking. P&B made stuffed mushrooms which were amazing and I served some Tomato Crostini with feta and Miss E's Spinach dip which we made for game Game Night the day before. I had planned ahead and saved half of the appetizers for New Years Eve which made it nice and easy. 

Now it is back to our list of DIY projects. First up, finishing the master bedroom. The wallpaper is down and the walls are just about finished being prepped which means I need to choose the paint color soon. I hope to be posting photos of our progress in the next week or two so check back for updates. 

Wishing you a wonderful and blessed New Year!