Have you ever looked at my photos and asked yourself, "Why doesn't she use plain white plates like everyone else?" The dishes you see here were our wedding china (more like wedding stoneware since we're not that fancy). This week, The Pants and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary, and these dishes have been with us since the beginning. SIXTEEN YEARS. That's a lot of years. Much like us, these dishes are starting to show some signs of wear, but they are special and familiar. I ... continue reading...
Thai Green Curry Skillet
If you love Thai Green Curry and skillet dinners, this easy recipe will be one of your new favorites! Did you grow up eating international food? I was raised in Mississippi in the 80s and 90s, and I think Chinese buffets, hibachi grills, and Tex-Mex restaurants were about the extent of my non-American food experience. Once I got to California after college, I got a taste of authentic Chinese and Mexican food and loved it. I also expanded my horizons with Moroccan, Japanese, ... continue reading...
Creamy Turkey Spaghetti with Spinach
Take spaghetti night to a new level with this creamy, easy turkey spaghetti with spinach! If any recipe ever needed an overhaul, it was this Creamy Turkey Spaghetti. This was an early recipe of mine, and I have been trying to figure out what to do with it for a couple months. Not wanting to delete it completely, I decided to just spruce it up. I'm sure you will like this revised version. The original recipe lacked pizazz, and the photo was horrible. (I took it down, but just trust me on this ... continue reading...
Spinach Strawberry Salad with Kiwi and Chicken
This healthy and delicious Spinach Strawberry Salad is a dinner adults and kids will both love! I love the flavor combination of this salad: Sweet berries, tart kiwi, and savory chicken. It's very healthy too! There is only a very small amount of oil in the dressing, and it's loaded with vitamins, fiber, and protein. Do you like eating salads for dinner? I usually think I want something that will stick to my ribs more, but then when I'm eating a salad like this one, I love it. There is ... continue reading...
Apple Cinnamon Sparkler Cocktail Recipe
I am pleased to bring you a tasty apple cinnamon sparkler cocktail this week. You know how sometimes you buy an exotic liqueur for a specific cocktail, then you don't like it that much and are left with 700 ml of some random schnapps? Well, that has happened to me lots of times, but this recipe managed to transform two of those orphans into one delicious drink. The apple and cinnamon shine and make the bourbon go down smoothly. ... continue reading...
Avocado Rice with Lime
With a simple shortcut, you can have this avocado rice ready for the dinner table in about five minutes! It took me a while to get used to the switch, but I am finally used to eating brown rice instead of white. Not only am I used to it, I would even say I prefer the chewy texture and nutty flavor of brown rice in most cases. The only thing I don't like about it is the fact that it takes 40+ minutes to cook. I did finally get a rice cooker a few months ago, which makes perfect ... continue reading...
Too Easy Fruit Cobbler
You may have everything you need for this Easy Fruit Cobbler in your kitchen right now! When unloading groceries from Costco this week, I found a container of fresh blackberries that I did not intend to purchase. Fate (or a confused shopper) had placed them in my cart without my knowledge, and there was only one thing to do: Bake. Years ago, I bought a bag of store-brand frozen peaches. On this bag was a recipe for "Old Fashioned Peach Cake." Luckily I noticed it and gave it a try ... continue reading...
Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Sour Cream: A healthy, delicious start to your day!
Wouldn't you like to start your day with these Apple Cinnamon Muffins? Remember when I posted the recipe for Strawberry Sour Cream Muffins? I have been meaning to tell you that I tried this with apple instead of strawberry, and I liked them even more! Just substitute apples for the strawberries and add cinnamon, and you've got yourself a healthy breakfast and a delicious-smelling kitchen! You can substitute plain yogurt for the sour cream for equally good results. Here's the apple version ... continue reading...
Easy Weekly Dinner Menu #6 – Kitchen Testing
As I've mentioned before, I try lots of recipes to find seven great meals for you every week, and some of them are flops. Recently, I have tried buttermilk oven fried chicken, cube steak sandwiches, turkey and spinach meatloaf, and baked ziti to name a few, none of them good enough to share with you, fellow chefs. What dishes have you tried lately that were not as good as you expected? Do you have a version of my recent flops that you would recommend? Maybe I'll try again with your ... continue reading...
Salmon Nachos with Black Beans
These easy Salmon Nachos are one of the very best meals I make. I think they'll be your favorite too! I'm not sure when Nacho Night first started in our family, but I have very clear, happy memories of enjoying salmon nachos when my oldest was very young, so about nine years ago. Matt and I would sit at opposite ends of the dining table, eating nachos and playing World of Warcraft together (did I mention we are total NERDS?), and a good time was had by all. My tall ... continue reading...
Pizza Muffins: A fun dinner or snack idea!
These fun and easy Pizza Muffins make for a great meal or snack! We have been implementing some new house rules at Weary Chef HQ this past week, a big one being reducing the mania at bedtime. I have always leaned towards the "kids need to express themselves and have fun" camp, while my husband is more on the "no running or yelling or acting like a wild animal in the house" team. I could no longer make much of an argument for running wild indoors after it resulted in this last ... continue reading...
Slow Cooker Asian Beef with Vegetables
This Asian Slow Cooker Beef is an excellent one-dish meal with fork-tender meat and a flavorful sauce. We live in San Francisco and are surrounded by fantastic Asian food, but this crockpot recipe gives our local takeout a run for its money! The first time I made this recipe, I added the vegetables at the start of cooking. The veggies were tasty but very mushy after several hours in the crockpot, so I recommend stirring them in for the last half hour or so while you cook the rice. I checked the ... continue reading...