I live for ripe bananas. We go through tons and tons of bananas in our house. I buy at least 3 bunches every single week. My husband and I each have a banana with breakfast almost every day of the week. So that’s 14 right off the bat. My two kiddos both love bananas and will have some with breakfast or snack throughout the week. At least another 6. So ripe bananas are hard to come by around here....

So after a couple of years of all the banana cake talk, I awkwardly requested the banana cake recipe. Turns out Sara did the same thing, so it’s good we’re on the same page here. It was everything I was hoping for in a banana cake–light and fluffy and moist and banana-y. I topped it with cream cheese frosting, but the whole time, I was wishing I had frosted half of it in the brown butter frosting from this snack cake....

Happy, happy morning my friends! We are in week one of having a nanny coming in the mornings for summer break and it has been so wonderful! Normally, we’d be rushing around to get the kids ready and off to camp - and pick them up midday - and instead, they’re able to just play in the mornings and hang out. It seems so much more relaxed! And it has me excited for a more relaxing summer overall....

This post is sponsored by the American Dairy Association Mideast. As always, as thoughts and opinions are my own. My kids go back to school tomorrow. Tomorrow. It’s the first day of school. The first day of school is tomorrow. No, I am not freaking out. Why do you ask? Whew, deep breaths. We are mostly prepared and almost ready. Hopefully by tomorrow morning we’ll be rocking and rolling. But let’s move along to the food....

4.43 61 Published Apr 07, 2022, Updated Nov 11, 2024 The whole weekend I couldn’t stop thinking about coming home to recreate the recipe. Lucky for me, my friend Kathryne of Cookie and Kate just released her first cookbook, Love Real Food which happens to have the carrot cake breakfast cookie recipe in it. Why You’ll Love This Recipe They’re hearty, filling and not too sweet. They’re portable and perfect for busy weekday mornings....

4.89 23 Published Apr 27, 2020, Updated Jul 21, 2023 I created this tasty Greek yogurt chicken salad, a curry chicken salad and even an almond butter chicken salad. Now it’s time for a chicken Waldorf salad. Classic Waldorf salad is so tasty, but the one thing it’s missing is protein… that’s where this chicken Waldorf salad comes in. The grilled chicken adds a ton of protein, making it great as a filling for wraps, sandwiches or even as a salad topping....

4.53 69 Published Jun 25, 2021, Updated Nov 07, 2023 For some reason back then it seemed like frozen cherries were hard to find, but lately I’ve been seeing them every time I go to the store so I decided to buy a bag and experiment with an updated chocolate cherry smoothie. This time I jazzed things up a bit by adding a cup of baby greens (love a green smoothie) as well as a little almond butter for some healthy fats....

And I don’t think I’m alone. Off the top of my head, I think I can name 5 girl friends who have talked about wanting/needing/eating chocolate chip cookie dough in the last month. I can also think of exactly 0 guy friends who have publicly wanted/needed/ate chocolate chip cookie dough in the last month. We ladies love our cookie dough. But you guys also know I have egg issues (and especially uncooked egg issues)....

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To start, we’ll prepare our baking pans. When I’m making a regular cake, like a sheet cake, I just use non-stick spray and give the pan a squirt. But when I’m making layer cakes, I always take the time to butter and flour them well. If I’m baking a chocolate cake, instead of white flour, I use a spoon of white flour and a couple spoons of cocoa powder....

When you have that chocolate craving that just won’t go away, don’t ignore it! Treat yourself to all of the chocolatey goodness you’re daydreaming of with recipes like Vegan Chocolate Muffins, Vegan Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies, and Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes. The Best Chocolate Vegan Bundt Cake Sometimes, you just need a trusty chocolate cake recipe to save the day. Whether you’re headed to a potluck or party, one thing’s for sure – just about everyone in attendance will love homemade chocolate cake....

Citrus, Date and Almond M’hencha with Orange Blossom Honey Syrup – A delicious, exotic Moroccan delicacy! A sweet, date and almond paste wrapped in honey syrup soaked filo pastry. It tastes just as amazing as it looks! A few years ago, I introduced my husband to baklava, and it was love at first taste. He couldn’t get enough of the addictive, rich, crunchy, syrup-soaked filo layers and the nuttiness. So when I first got the chance to try M’hencha – a “cake” made with sweetened almond paste wrapped in flaky filo dough, I knew right away that I had to acquaint my husband with this glorious Moroccan dessert (a relative of baklava in terms of taste)....

I did some soul-searching in an attempt to determine why I don’t always love coconut cake. Here are my conclusions: Coconut cakes are often dry. I don’t know if the coconut soaks up the moisture in the cake or what, but it seems like, even among expert go-to bakers like Ina Garten, a common complaint of their coconut cakes are dryness. Rum flavoring is often paired with coconut, but I don’t like the flavor of rum....

5 0 Published Jul 31, 2023, Updated Jul 10, 2024 It kind of reminds me of my pineapple salsa, but is loaded with beans instead of pineapple and has a zesty dressing that has a hint of spice and sweetness. I love serving this cowboy caviar as a dip with tortilla chips, but it also makes for an excellent side dish or topping to tacos, nachos or burritos. Added bonus: it can be whipped up in about 15 minutes and makes a huge batch so is perfect for feeding a crowd....

New Year’s Eve in years past has meant a fancy dinner for my husband and I. The kids were young and went to bed early, so I’d feed them something then, and we’d have a quiet little date night in later in the evening. The last couple of years, we’ve gone to a neighbor’s house for an early “countdown” and balloon drop for the kiddos. Everyone brought something and we kinda called that dinner, whatever we ended up eating....

What kind of Potatoes should I use? I love the flexibility of this recipe because you can really use any variety of small, round potato. I usually buy the little bags of red new potatoes. The little yellow potatoes are fantastic, too. How to Cook the Potatoes I just pop mine in simmering water until tender, but you can use an instant pot if you prefer, or steam them. You just want them fork tender....

This cajun pasta is so easy to make, and it’s the perfect weeknight or weekend dinner that your whole family will love! I am a sucker for my Cajun seasoning. It’s so much better than store-bought cajun spices, because the flavors are fresher and more robust. And the reason why I wanted to make my own cajun seasoning in the first place was this Creamy Cajun Chicken Sausage Pasta! This is one of my favorite creamy chicken pasta recipes, and the inspiration for this dish came from something similar that I had at one of our local pubs a while back....

Rich and creamy chocolate pudding that is super easy and delicious! This classic chocolate pudding is an embarrassingly simple recipe. No wonder it’s a universally loved, kid-friendly, family favorite, easy chocolate dessert. Creamy, rich without being overly indulgent, and sweet with a slight bitterness from the deep chocolate flavor, this really is the perfect chocolate pudding recipe! I’ve previously shared my classic vanilla pudding recipe that is also well-loved, so I figured it was time for the chocolate version....

4.84 8 Published Mar 18, 2019, Updated Sep 23, 2024 And I should mention that this pesto sauce isn’t your traditional herby pesto sauce. It’s almond based so it’s extra creamy with a little punch and tang. This recipe obviously also falls under the category of simple weeknight recipes because it’s only 4 ingredients (once the sauce is made!). Of course, we’re not counting olive oil, salt and pepper. I use roasted spaghetti squash noodles as the base, but if you’re craving actual pasta, you can always swap in regular pasta or high-protein chickpea pasta....

A great snack for kids and a healthier fruit dessert recipe, and alternative for dessert drinks and milkshakes too! Although avocados are ubiquitous these days, I had never seen anyone eat or make avocado salad or avocado salad dressing, or sandwiches or avocado toast, or savory breakfasts (like this cauliflower, avocado and halloumi breakfast!) and the like, until I was 16! Up until that fateful day, avocados were strictly a dessert to me....

Today, I am finally, finally sharing my crockpot shredded chicken recipe that is an absolute go-to in my kitchen. I’ve made this recipe dozens and dozens of times. Maybe a hundred times or more at this point. Basically, I’ve made it on the regular ever since I’ve had a slow cooker, and that’s been at least 15 years. This chicken comes out perfectly cooked, tender and flavorful every single time....