Steak Skewers

 HAPPY FRIDAY!

As the weather gets warmer, we are outside grilling for dinner often! I tend to grill the same things a lot, but this week I was looking for a new recipe to try out. Maddox has recently learned to love steak so I thought I'd try some steak skewers. I was skeptical because I never cook steak, but these couldn't have been easier! They turned out well, were quick & easy, and Maddox ate every single bite 😀

I looked up a few different recipes online but ended up just winging it with what I found in my pantry & also what kind of meat the grocery store had! The next time you're needing something new to try, throw these on your grill! 

Good Eats: Chicken, Apple, Sweet Potato + Brussel Sprouts Skillet

Even just the title of this will probably send some people away because, well...brussels sprouts.  But please hear me out...

They are so good, when done RIGHT.  

In the fall I love all the super yummy soups + pasta, but they can get old kinda quick.  So I was on the hunt for something that was a little different.  Still fall-ish, still hearty, yet healthy. I found this recipe on Pinterest and to be honest, sometimes the things I find on there are complete flops, but others are so good.  This was a big winner. The recipe is from Well Plated and you should totally check her out, she has lots of good recipes that are good for you too 😉

It does take some prep work.  Nate and I were both in the kitchen doing some chopping while the kids played.   While I love being in the kitchen with Nate, it isn't always optimal.  Sometimes we need someone to hold Kendry or someone to play referee between Jacoby + Maddox.  However, this night it actually worked out well and I had fun making dinner with Nate. 

Oh, and we ate it up so fast + the kids were crazy so I didn't get a picture. #fail  There's a good picture on the website that does a good job showing you what it looks like!

If you have time and are into trying new recipes...try this!  You won't be disappointed.  Even my kids ate it...so you can too! Head on over to wellplated.com for the full recipe! 😊

xox,

Naomi

Good Eats: Chicken Parmesan

Happy Friday! Linking up Andrea, Narci and Erika today and sharing a favorite recipe today!

I came across THIS Chicken Parmesan recipe a couple months ago on my favorite Pinterest :) I made it and thought it was SO good, and then forgot about it.  Because mom brain is so real. 

Thankfully I was going through some older pins {am I the only on guilty of pinning a million things and then never looking at it again? Or only trying about 1/3 of the things I pin?} and I found this recipe and remembered it being good, so I decided to make it again this week.  

I'm all about quick + easy in this crazy stage of life I have.  Two toddlers running around while I'm trying to make dinner in the kitchen...it's chaos hour around here.  Ya feel me?

ANYways.  This recipe is easy, quick + SO good. I told Nate that it's definitely one of my favorites I've made.  Nate said "It's SO good." and then said it again when he went back for seconds :) 

Few things to note: 

1. This recipe says it serves 4.  My family of four ate this entire dish, with no leftovers.  I would totally double this because I think it would reheat well for leftovers.  Especially if your 4 people are 4 adults instead of 2 adults + 2 toddlers, then I'd definitely make double!

2.  It says to put the chicken in with the cheese on top to melt the cheese, then once it comes out to put the sauce on.  Instead, I put a layer of Mozzarela, covered the chicken in the pasta sauce, and then put another layer of Mozzarella BEFORE putting in the oven to heat.  I just like the cheese and sauce to be warm and gooey together :) 

3. I changed just a few things from the original recipe...but it turned out so good.  I'm pretty sure you can't mess this up. 

OK... a little lengthy of an explanation, but click on the link and try the recipe! 

Happy Friday... we have a whole weekend with no plans and I'm so excited!

xox,

Naomi

Good Eats: Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's been awhile since I've done a Good Eats post.  I have a few new recipes I've tried that have been so good...and on repeat ;) I plan on posting about those soon. 

First up.

Chocolate chip cookies.

 Everyone needs a great chocolate chip cookie recipe.  They're easily my most favorite dessert, the thing I can't ever say no to.  (Although there are a lot of things that I can't say no to.)  I have been on the hunt for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe for a long time.

I had Jacoby help me and it was so fun.  He did a great job pouring the sugar, flour, eggs, etc into the bowl.  He also dumped out a ton of sugar onto the counter and ate it with a spoon.  He kept saying "mmm yummy. I like that." hahahah :) 

Flour was everywhere but I love embracing the mess so my kids can be in the kitchen with me!

Everyone has their favorite type.  Soft and gooey, crunchy and sweet, lots of chocolate chips or few. 

This recipe is my absolute favorite.  They're big, gooey, soft cookies with just enough crunch on the outside edges.  I never put as many chips in the recipe as they call for, but that's totally personal preference.

ANYways.  I love Pinterest for many reasons, but right now I'm in love for it helping me find this recipe from Modern Honey.

Go ahead and try these. Then thank me :) Orrrrr Pinterest.  Or this beautiful person who came up with the recipe ;)

xox,

Naomi

Good Eats: Spinach Artichoke Pesto Pizza

It's been awhile since I've shared a recipe on here! We have recently...like say a couple months ago?... made a switch to eating mostly vegetarian in our house.  Right now, it's trial and error.  Nate has basically gone vegetarian all together, but the boys and I eat meat when we eat outside the house, and also deli meat here at home (because it's both of their favorites, easy + healthy!).

I have been scouring Pinterest looking for good vegetarian meals and then also using some of my favorite other meals and making them meatless.  We have tried several plant-based meat products and I've only liked 2 kinds ;) 

Even if you aren't doing completely vegetarian--totally not for everyone-- it IS recommended to go meatless at least once a week (we used to do just meatless Mondays).  I've tried quite a few recipes and to be honest, some have been terrible.  However, this one? SO.GOOD.  I told Nate that he should plan on it being a meal that is on rotation at our house.  It's super easy, relatively healthy, and delicious.  

hahaha ;) 

One of the reasons I love it so much is that it's different.  It's a nice switch up from your traditional red sauce pizza-- it's lighter, which means while it's comfort food, it'd also be awesome for a summer evening dinner!

So good, so easy + vegetarian :) 

Check it out at Two Peas & Their Pod. It has lots of yummy recipes and where I found this recipe! Thank you Maria!

Enjoy!

xox,

Naomi

Favorite Summer Recipes

Happy Friday! Linking up with Erika and Andrea for Friday Favorites! This week I'm sharing my favorite summer recipes :) 

Summer, I love you and your simple recipes.  We use the grill often in the summer, but there's always a need to try something new. Before babes, I usually made 3 new meals a week and 1 meal that I had made before.  Nate + I really enjoy trying new foods, whether it be at home cooking or out at a restaurant.  I've gotten a lot of my recipes from this wonderful blog world and thought I'd share a few of my favorites. 

First up, if you haven't visited Mix and Match Mama... you're totally missing out. When I first started learning how to cook, she was my go-to. She has an amazing way of making really good meals that are really simple :)  I still consistently check her out for new ideas, and to check on her adorable family too! 

One of my FAVORITE recipes I have made this summer is her Blackberry Brie Burgers. Nate and I really enjoy trying new food and a change up in burgers is the easy, summery way to do it! These were super easy and seriously amazing! 

Another FAVORITE recently has been this Summer Tortellini Salad.  It's super quick to make and I tend to eat it for dinner and then for lunches for a couple days.  It stays fresh for a few days in the fridge.  I love having it around so that I have a quick lunch while trying to juggle both boys :) Some days I can manage to make myself lunch, other days a quick lunch that I can just pull out and eat right away is just what I need! 

When Nate and I moved to Nashville, I really started to try new things in the kitchen.  I'm pretty sure that's when I got in my stride as far as cooking goes.  Don't get me wrong-- I made many things that were terrible, such as a black bean low-calorie soup that I took one bite of and refused to eat another {Nate ate it...he never complains + always eats whatever I make! He's a gem.}

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I worked hard on making healthy things and one of my go-to's was THIS healthy version of chicken salad sandwiches-- Pinterest for the win!  I love a good chicken salad but am generally picky about it.  This recipe is a healthy version with using greek yogurt (y'all...Greek Yogurt is heaven!).  If  you like chicken salad but try to stay away because of the unhealthy  nature of it...try this recipe.  Promise you'll love it and it'll be a FAVORITE of yours too!

So tell me, what are some of your favorite summer recipes?

xox,

Naomi

Oh-So-Easy Crockpot Ham

With last Easter Sunday being my first time making a ham, I wasn't sure how I wanted to do it.  I knew I wanted to be able to have it cook while we were at church, and then come home and eat it.  After checking in with my momma and her scouring the internet and the wonderful world of Pinterest, we settled on this recipe.

I was honestly super nervous.  Here I was feeding my whole family a ham that I had never even tried to make...and it wasn't the conventional method and instead, in a crockpot.  This could go really bad.

But it didn't!  In fact, everyone really liked it.  My sister even asked me for the recipe because she wanted to make it again for her family.

Super easy that you could even make it a weeknight dinner :)

Few things to note...

1. Our ham cooked for right around 5 1/2 hours and was perfect when it came out. 

2. We used a round ham that didn't have a "flat" side and it was still totally fine. 

3. The sauce MAKES this ham.  It adds a nice slightly sweet taste to it, but we left it for people to drizzle over their ham in case they didn't prefer sauce {particularly the kids!}.

You're gonna love it! I have heated up our ham & sauce 2x so far and it still tastes good.  Crockpot easy, good flavor, and reheats well? Sign me up :) 

Head on over to Five Heart Home  for the full recipe!

xox,

Naomi

November Dessert {Sweet Potato Casserole}

It's only fitting that the November dessert is something related to Thanksgiving...right? I'm not sure if technically this is considered a "side dish" or "dessert", but I'll just call it a dessert :)

I got this recipe from Nate's mom-- not sure where she got it from or if it is one she made up.  What I do know? It's the bomb.com :) Seriously.

I know there are TONS of sweet potato casserole recipes.  I made it for the first time this weekend for our "Friendsgiving" and there were lots of compliments on it.  Not only that, but it was so easy to throw together.  Easy AND delicious? Count. me. in.

Sweet Potato Casserole:

4 c. mashed sweet potatoes (or 1 (40 oz) can of Yams)

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1/2 c. milk

1/2 t. salt

1/3 stick butter, melted

1 t. vanilla

Mix well.  Pour into buttered pan.

Topping:

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. flour

1/3 c. butter, melted

1 c. pecan, if desired

Crumble topping evenly over potato mixture.  Bake at 359 for 35-45 minutes, uncovered. 

I doubled this recipe and it filled a slightly oversized 9 x 13 pan :)

xox,

Naomi

July Dessert {Best Banana Bread}

Banana bread...could be considered a dessert right? In my book, yes. I can eat this banana bread at any time of day. Nate & I generally eat it as breakfast, because we always eat our breakfast on the go {probably a habit we should change}.

I love this recipe because it is so simple but SO GOOD. Another plus? You probably have all the ingredients at your house right now.  I always have frozen bananas in my freezer, so I can always throw this together when needed/wanted.  I shared the recipe with my best friend, Steph, and she loved it so much that she made a double batch and froze one {brilliant}.

I actually froze a loaf of this before Jacoby was born, so that we could just thaw it some time and sure enough that's what we did this week.  A delicious breakfast to enjoy while snuggling my sweet Coby.

Hop on over to All Recipes to get the full recipe! 

Side Notes:

* Personally, I usually set out about 3-4 frozen bananas and let them thaw, then just toss them in.  No need to mash them up because they are fairly slimy and mushy anyway.

**I generally leave the bread in the pan if I am just refrigerating it, but take it out of the pan and wrap it with saran wrap if I'm freezing it.

xox,

Naomi

April Dessert {Peach Crunch Cake}

I have to admit, this will be a lame post for 2 reasons:

1. I don't have any pictures, so you have to believe me when I say it's awesome.

2. I also don't have the source for this recipe {shame on me}. Somehow it ended up in my recipe book, just typed out on a piece of paper. Random? Yes. Typical? Nowadays, actually yes.

Just believe me when I say this recipe is SO good and incredibly easy. It's similar to a peach cobbler, but it has a yellow cake mix added in that gives it a unique texture/taste.

Peach Crunch Cake:

Ingredients:

24.5 oz. jar of sliced peaches in light syrup

1 pkg. yellow cake mix

1 stick butter (1/2 cup), cut into 16 pieces

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Ice cream, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Layer ingredients in 9x13 pan in order starting with the peaches.

Bake for about 40 minutes.

Serve warm or cold (with or without ice cream).

So easy...just try it and thank me later :)

xox,

Naomi

October Dessert {Pumpkin Swirl Brownies}

I get daily emails from Betty Crocker, and truthfully I don't always even look at the email. I am SO glad that I looked at this one though. It's something I've learned: always look at recipes around fall and the holidays--they never disappoint.

The words "Pumpkin Swirl Brownies"...I didn't need anything else. Sign me up.  The perfect dessert for October (or November...considering I technically made them in November). Honesty, I'm the kind of girl who loves brownies out of a box, but these are making me re-think homemade brownies!

Super easy and delicious.  Head on over to Betty Crocker to get the full recipe.  Also, you should probably sign up for the emails so you can find gems like this one!

xox,

Naomi

{June Dessert} Double Chocolate Crumble Bars

I realize I am posting my "June Dessert" in September. I'm trying to play catch up (see my post in August). I'm really working on one of my New Year's Resolutions of posting 1 dessert a month on here.  So here is the catch up recipe for June!

um…HELLO amazing! June dessert of the month does NOT disappoint!!

This dessert is a family favorite of ours.  My mom made it lot when we were growing up and it was definitely an "often requested" dessert if we felt she hadn't made it recently enough.

It's actually such a favorite of mine that I was nervous to make them, in fear that it wouldn't be the same…perfection :)

I love everything chocolate & peanut butter…but this recipe has the perfect mix of it, along with a brownie crust and marshmallow center (duh).

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does :)



Ingredients:

1/2 c. margarine
3/4 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 T. cocoa
3/4 c. flour
1/4 t. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
Package of mini marshmallows
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. peanut butter
2 c. Rice Krispies cereal

Directions:

Combine margarine & sugar; beat in eggs & vanilla.  Add flour, cocoa, baking powder & salt; mix well.

Spread into a greased 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  Do not over bake.  Sprinkle marshmallows (about 2 c.) over bars.

Bake again for 3 minutes longer (until marshmallows are puffy).

Let bars cool.

In a separate bowl, melt 1 c. chocolate chips and 1 c. peanut butter together; stir in 2 cups of Rice Krispies.  Spread over cooled bars.  Let cool again (just enough to let the peanut butter/chocolate to set).  Slice into bars and enjoy :)

xox,

Naomi

(September Dessert) Pumpkin Butterscotch Dip

I'm a little obsessed with pumpkin once September hits. I pull out the pumpkin candles, all my other little pumpkin decorations, get a pumpkin steamer from the one and only SBux and of course start in on making all the different pumpkin recipes that taste OH SO GOOD.

Nate & I hosted about 30 people over on Friday night for a goodbye party for some of our dear friends- Jason, Paula & their sweet little girl, Fiona.  I worked till 6pm on Friday, so I didn't have lots of time to make anything special…

Sooo I decided I would make something easy, simple, and fall-ish :) I headed over to my girl Mix and Match Mama and found a dip that worked as a dessert and thought it sounded perfect.  All you do is toss like 4 ingredients together and let it warm up, then serve it with apple slices & graham crackers- You honestly can't mess it up- which is perfect when you're trying out a new recipe on 30 friends!

Success is what it was. It's a super sweet dip, which I didn't quite expect…so just prepare yourself for that. I served it with Granny Smith apples (the ones that tend to be more tart) and I think it really helped balance out the sweetness.

The full recipe here to see the recipe on her site.

**Side note: sorry for no picture…I was busy hosting 30+ people at my house 
& totally forgot to snap a picture**

xox,
Naomi

{August Dessert} Strawberry Lemon Oatmeal Bars

So I have to admit…I've been slacking. My New Year's Resolution was to post 1 dessert recipe a month on here. I thought that seemed simple enough, but apparently I haven't done one since MAY! I have a lot of catch up to do.  I am planning on posting more recipes to catch up since I'm 2 recipes behind. I already know what I'm gonna share & it WON'T disappoint.

So here is the dessert for August.

Strawberry Lemon Oatmeal Bars 

I decided I needed some thing fruity & fresh for one last summer dessert recipe before FALL becomes my world :) I looked to none other than my favorite foodie blogger Mix and Match Mama . I knew I could count on her for something easy and simple! I made these and they were SO good. Nate's brother Eric and his girlfriend, Amanda were over helping us move some of Jacoby's furniture and I treated them to these. Amanda asked for the recipe so I figured that meant it was approved :)

If you want the full recipe, find it HERE :)

Thanks Mix and Match Mama for coming through for me :) & you're welcome to everyone who will make this…you'll be thanking me for sharing the recipe!

xox,

Naomi

May Dessert {Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Cookies}

I make a lot of desserts in this house, but the problem with this is that I end up eating 90% of it because Nate isn't a big "sweets" person. He prefers salty things :)

However, when I made these cookies…he kept going back for more and told me multiple times how much he loved them. Perfect, because I love them as well & they are SO.EASY. to make!

Make yourself some & enjoy :)

For the full recipe, head on over to one of my FAVORITE blogs, Mix and Match Mama.  She has recipes for other cake cookies too that I should probably try out too!

It doesn't even seem fair to call it baking when it's THIS easy!  Thank you Mix & Match Mama for finding a "sweet" my sweet Nate loves 😉

xox,

Naomi

March Dessert {Mixed Berry Cobbler}

It's March (although it still feels like February here in Indiana, ugh)! I LOVE spring & all that it brings.

After the harsh winter we have had here, who isn't ready for Spring?!?

After finishing dinner last night, Nate & I were just chatting around our kitchen table with a good friend and I just got in the mood for a dessert.  Luckily, I had planned to one this week & it was SUPER simple. So at about 10pm, I decided to whip this baby up. Let me tell you, best decision I've made this week :) It hit the spot, and I justify that it is healthy because it has mixed berries in it :) The berries also add to the "spring" thinking I have going on right now!

Trust me..healthy & SO delicious.

I feel terrible, but I honestly have no idea where I got this recipe from! I printed the recipe out about a year ago, the first time I made it, but for some reason the link or website never printed out.

Unfortunately I have pregnancy brain at the moment too, so trying to remember it would be pushing my brain a little too far!

Mixed Berry Cobbler:

Ingredients:

16 oz. frozen mixed berries

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

2/3 c. packed light brown sugar

1/2 c. flour

2/3 c. quick cooking oats

1/3 c. butter, softened

3/4 tsp. cinnamon (or Nutmeg)

1/4 tsp. salt

Vanilla ice cream, optional

Directions:

Pour frozen berries into an 8x8 baking dish.

Drizzle with lemon juice.

In a medium size bowl, combine the next 6 ingredients.  When combined, the mixture should be kind of dry and crumbled.

Pour mixture on top of berries and distribute evenly.

Bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes.

Serve hot topped with a scoop (or 2) of vanilla ice cream, if you wish.

See? So easy that I made it at 10pm & still enjoyed a little bit before I went to bed!

Enjoy!

xox,

naomi

February Dessert {Chocolate Malt Ice Cream Cake}

One of my resolutions this year was to write a dessert on this blog once every month…so here I am 2nd to last day of February….& I have a recipe! Although, I cannot take credit.

I found this recipe just a few months after Nate & I got married (so almost 4 years ago…wow time flies). I made it back then and it was SO good!  After looking through some of my recipes this past week, I re-found this recipe & knew this had to be the February dessert :)

You're gonna love it!

Head on over to Betty Crocker for the full recipe. 

Side note: This does take awhile to make due to the different layers.  Betty Crocker's website says it takes about 7 hours total time (including the cooling of cake & freezing steps).

This is totally worth the calories…trust me!

xox,

Naomi

Chicken Fajita Soup

I am beyond excited that it is FALL! My favorite season is from September-Christmas Day :) I realize technically this is more than one season, but in my book it is THE SEASON!

HELLO season of my favorite things, one of which is my SLOW COOKER! I am loving using my slow cooker for recipes.  About 2 years ago, my mom decided to toss a few things in her slow cooker to attempt to make a Chicken Fajita Soup...& oh mannn did she score on this one! SO GOOD-- thanks momma!

I have tweaked it a little bit, but I just HAVE to share this recipe. It's so easy & WAY too good to not be shared.  Warning: We like spice in our house, so this does have some kick...below I'll tell you how to increase or decrease the spice-factor :)

You'll Need:

1 (15.25 oz) black beans {I use the reduced sodium kind}

1 (15.25 oz) black beans, drained & rinsed

1 (10 oz.) can of tomatoes with green chiles {original}*

1 (10 oz.) can of tomatoes with green chiles {mild}*

3 frozen chicken breasts

3/4 bag of frozen corn

Greek yogurt

Cheddar cheese, shredded

Tortilla chips

Directions:

Combine first 6 ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours. Once you are ready to serve, shred the chicken in the slow cooker using 2 forks, then feel free to add water if you want it less thick {this is a pretty thick soup}.  Top each bowl with a dollop of greek yogurt, some cheddar cheese and tortilla chips and mix in.  Talk about simple, right? Something about a warm soup just makes me know THE SEASON is upon us!

*If you want like to add more spice, use 2 cans of tomatoes with green chiles {original} , if you would like less spice, use 2 cans of the  {mild} version.

Also, this recipe makes about 4 big bowls of soup and heats up great for leftovers {Nate & I do leftovers for lunch almost every day}.

You'll be doing the happy dance with these guys below after eating this, haha!

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