Grilled #Summer Skewers

Summertime and the grilling is easy!

Now that we’re officially in those hot, dog days of summer (no pun intend!), grilling has been our preferred method of cooking. The thought of turning on the oven and heating up our kitchen even more makes me cringe. From proteins to veggies and even fruit, I love that you can throw nearly anything on the grill and make easy weeknight and weekend meals.

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Summer Watermelon Salad

Who else agrees that summer season = watermelon season?! There’s nothing I crave more on a hot summer day than a bowl of cold, refreshing watermelon. What I love most about this fruit is the versatility of use in a variety of recipes. Add it to a cocktail, throw it on the grill, freeze it into a sweet popsicle or simply serve it as is. The mouthwatering possibilities are endless, which is a good thing considering the hefty size of a single watermelon can feed a family of four or more!

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5-Ingredient Patriotic Desserts to Make this Memorial Day

Whether you’re the host of the party or heading to a picnic, don’t skimp out on a dessert that “wows” your friends and family. I know it’s easy to run to the grocery store and buy a container of pre-made cookies or cake and call it a day, but making a dessert doesn’t have to be difficult and time consuming either!

For the master bakers or the newbies in the kitchen, I’ve shared five simple recipes that all require 5-ingredients or less to make. Bonus: They are all red-white-and-blue themed to get you in the holiday spirit.

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Our First Month with HelloFresh

It’s a no brainer that cooking and “adulting” go hand in hand. Gone are the days of microwaved ramen, frozen meals, and regular take-out dinners. Unless you want to weigh 200 pounds and go broke, something has to change. And rightfully so! As we get older, our food palette changes too. Over the year’s we’ve tried different foods and flavors that we’ve grown to love, but how do we recreate them in our own, millennial budget kitchen? Insert HelloFresh. 

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Peanut Butter and Coconut Cream Easter Eggs Recipe

If you know me and have been following my blog, you know I love traditions. I think there is something so special about family traditions for holidays and making memories with your friends and family each year that last a lifetime. While some may say that traditions don’t change year after year, I disagree. You add newcomers to the story. You remember past relatives. As time goes on, you create new memories and family stories that are passed on to new generations. I don’t care what anyone says, but everyone has a tradition or memory connected to each holiday that brings you happiness.

I have many fond Easter memories, from egg hunts at home when I was a kid to even dressing up as the Easter Bunny for the local nursing home as a pre-teen. Easter was always a special time for me because it meant my grandmother and aunt would come out to visit and bring along a family tradition of our own: homemade chocolate peanut butter and coconut cream Easter eggs.

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15 Recipes to Master by 25

It’s no secret I love spending time in our kitchen. Ever since I was a little girl, I was always fascinated by cooking. Like many children, I started with my play kitchen complete with frying pan and stocked plastic fridge and eventually moved on to the real deal, experimenting with recipes in the microwave, stovetop, oven – you name it!

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Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

Are you ready for Super Bowl Sunday? If your answer is no, don’t worry – you still have some time. Rather than disappoint your guests with chips and salsa and a takeout pizza, make your own game winning appetizers that will have your friends cheering for more.

Living outside of Philly, cheesesteaks are a must at all sporting events and parties. But making cheesesteaks for 20+ people can be time consuming and costly. Philly Cheesesteak Peppers, on the other hand, are bite size, low carb, inexpensive, and super easy to make. Talk about a win, win, win, and WIN! This recipe makes 30 mini stuffed peppers in just 20 minutes for only $17.50. If you want to break it down by CPP (cost per pepper), you’re spending less than 60 cents per delicious app. 

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Breakfast Hack: Egg Muffins

Who loves a homemade diner style omelette in the morning, but hates the work (and clean up) involved? I know I do! Every morning I find myself racing against the clock to get ready for work, leaving only a few minutes for a bowl of cereal, toast and fruit, or worse, a granola bar. Rather than skip out on the most important meal of the day, I started making these easy egg muffins at the beginning of my week so I can enjoy a healthy breakfast without the hassle. Make a bunch in advance and store them in the fridge for up to five days. When you’re hungry, just pop ’em in the microwave and start your day in the most egg-cellant way!

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Caramel Corn Muffins

It’s the day before Thanksgiving and you were just asked to bring a side dish to tomorrow night’s dinner! What are other people making? What will everyone like? Before you panic, grab your favorite corn bread mix and make these sweet and unique Caramel Corn Muffins!

Yes, you heard me right. Grab your favorite corn bread mix. While some things I think are easier and better to make from scratch, corn bread comes best out of a box or bag (in my opinion!) Plus, if you’re in a rush, why spend time perfecting a recipe when commercial brands have already done that for us! The secret homemade touch to these corn muffins is a drizzle of caramel on top. A little bit of sweet, a little bit of buttery and a whole lot of yum! Even though they are sweet with the touch of caramel, I still categorize these muffins are a side dish and appetizer right next to the traditional dinner rolls. I promise these miniature muffins will be a hit this holiday season!

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Seven Staple Foods You Should Always Have in Your Kitchen 

We all know that feeling. You open the fridge or pantry to see absolutely nothing to eat besides some chips or crackers, maybe a box pasta and frozen meals. Nothing about that sounds appetizing or nutritious. Nevertheless, we always seem to resort to eating a potluck of garbage from the pantry or worse, ordering Chinese takeout or pizza delivery. It’s time to say no to takeout and munchies for dinner, and say yes to homemade dinners!

Life gets busy. Between work, extra curricular activities, chores, bills (the list goes on and on,) when is there time to grocery shop and prepare healthy meals that keep you moving as fast as your life is. The key is stocking your kitchen with these seven versatile foods that can be transformed into a flavorful and nutritious meal your family will love. These seven ingredients are easy to cook with and jam-packed with protein, vitamins, and low in carbs. Here are my recommended kitchen staples and 12 meal ideas you can make with them: