What we've been eating lately.

  Meal planning at our house seems to go in consistent waves and seasons. Spring always seems to be an easy time to stick with meal prep and intentional eating. About the time summer vacations and the start of Fall roll around we've slipped out of a routine and try to get back to it for a few month. Then we use the holidays to lighten up a bit and the cycle starts over again when spring hits. I used to beat myself up that- the whole not-sticking-with-it no matter what. Enough years and time behind us now, and I see that is normal and actually works for us!

  So, per our usual cycle, we've been back into meal planning lately! (Hi, spring time! You're great in every way.) I thought I would share a few favorites we've discovered lately. I sit down over the weekend and plan out three meals for the upcoming week. Any more and we're likely to be throwing unused food away. Three is the magic number for our family! With random meetings, nights out with friends, late nights at work, or just not being in the mood to cook a full meal- we've found that planning for only three meals is perfect. If one meal in particular usually has lots of leftovers, I'll try to make it earlier in the week to have for lunches, etc. Other than that, I just decided each day which meal to make instead of being really specific when I'm meal planning (ie. jalepeno chicken on tuesday, spaghetti on thursday etc). I've also started printing out the recipes that aren't in cookbooks I have on hand. THIS HAS BEEN HUGE. I'm always just bookmarking recipes on my phone and have to have it handy when I'm cooking. In general, I try to not have my phone with me all the time and trying to read a recipe on it while cooking just bugs me. Printing them out is wonderful because I can see them all at once, grocery-list making is simpler, and then I can file it away to use again if we end up loving the dish. Maybe everyone else has been doing this forever? I'm probably late to the game, but printing my recipes has been a dinner-prep game changer!

Ok, enough babbling. Here are some of our recent favorites (you'll see a theme- we're clearly working through all of Gina's recipes and we mainly eat chicken):

Jalapeño popper chicken: SO STINKING GOOD. Justin and I both love this dish.

General Tso's chicken: I don't like Chinese food, but Justin really likes this lightened up version of a classic.

PW breakfast pizza: I hadn't made this for years until a bible study breakfast a few weeks ago. A great dish to share!

Lemon garlic sheet pan chicken & veggies: We cut the amount of garlic butter in half, but otherwise its amazing. The chicken is the best baked chicken we've found!

Spinach dip: another party favorite! Really fast and simple to make and gets devoured.

Brussel sprouts: it's not really a recipe, but I've been obsessed with cooking a few pieces of center-cut bacon and then pan-frying a pound of brussels sprouts in the same skillet. I eat it for lunch at least a few days every week lately!

Stovetop popcorn: Slowly but surely, we're cutting out overly processed stuff in our house when it makes sense. That includes microwave popcorn! My kids LOVE popcorn, so every few days we make a big batch on the stove with olive oil and salt (we use a WhirlyPop). SO good and simple.

 With summer on the horizon, I can't wait for grilling season and more fresh veggies! Give me all your favorite summer recipes! Also, can we talk about kid lunches/snacks? I want to round-up some new ideas (anyone else get a rut with those things?) so give your go-to's!

Whole30 recipes we genuinely like.

  When Justin and I did Whole30 almost 3 years ago, hardly anyone we knew had heard of it. We found a decent amount of info and recipes on the internet, but nothing even close to what you can find today. That's a good thing! Justin is in the middle of doing another round and it seems a ton easier this time- maybe because it's not so foreign. But also because we have found a good handful of recipes we truly like.

  Justin did Whole30 again last month and, while he was the only technically following it, our entire family has begun to eat compliant suppers at night. This simplifies meal planning and we're not having to make lots of different meals every day. Honestly, its been fun to look for and try new/challenging recipes again. By now we've discovered some we love and will keep using even after Whole30. So whether you want to try the 30 day lifestyle change (it really is worth it for a month- you'll feel amazing and find lots of new foods/meals you love) or you just like new, healthier recipes- here are some we genuinely like and make often!

Chipotle Ranch chicken: This one is fast and SO yummy. I sub real ranch for homemade Whole30 ranch (you can google and find a dozen simple recipes to make your own) and use chipotle chiles or compliant adobo sauce if I can find it.

Creamy sundried tomato chicken: This is just really, really good. You'd never know it doesn't have any dairy! Justin loves to shred up the chicken and eat it in Paleo naan (recipe below).

Spicy meat sauce: Great over pasta or zoodles or even a baked potato.

naan: You can't ever really replace actual breads, but this is a great substitute! We use them as tortillas.

mexican breakfast casserole: I don't love breakfast casseroles (probably because I'm not a huge egg or sausage fan), but Justin and the boys like this a lot! Justin wants me to note that he thinks it would be even better with white potatoes instead of sweet.

See our other Whole30 favs here.

ps. If you didn't see it, I have a little survey on yesterday's post I'd love for you to take!

Monster Treats.

  I'm terribly predictable and cheesy. If there is a holiday coming up, you can pretty much expect I'll be putting together little treat bags with Caleb for all of his friends. We keep them super simple and affordable (hello, dollar spot!) and always add in some sort of baked good.

  This year, I wanted to do something a bit more fun since Caleb loves to help me bake and is more and more aware of holidays. My only rule? It had to be SIMPLE and EASY. And you guys, these silly monster Rice Krispie treats are definitely both. They are basically impossible to mess up and look adorable!

What you'll need: one batch of Rice Krispie treats cut into rectangle slices, colored candy melts, big and small candy eyes.

How to: I feel silly even writing this because they are embarrassingly easy to make. But in case you want the step by step: Let Rice Krispies cool, flip out of pan onto cutting board and cut into even rectangle slices. Spread slices out on waxed paper. Melt colored candy per instructions on packaging. Dip the tops of each Rice Krispie slice into the melted candy and top with candy eyes, alternating sizes and positions to make them look monster-like. Let melted candy harden, wrap individually with Press 'n Seal or store in airtight container. Voila! Like I said, crazy simple. And your kiddos will love helping you! (See more ideas by googling "rice krispie monsters")

Just 5 Things: Kristin Porter {Iowa Girl Eats}

  Phew! Things have been a little crazy around here lately and I'm really excited to get back into the swing of the Just 5 Things series. We're shifting focus this month and will be hearing from different bakers, cooks, and chefs! I love that we've heard from moms, creatives, and now women are amazingly talented in the kitchen. A little bit of everything! In June we'll hear from writers and authors, so if you know one or have someone in mind that you would love to hear from- let me know.

  I feel like I don't even need to introduce today's guest, Kristin from Iowa Girl Eats. If you haven't read her blog, you have surely made on of her amazing recipes. She has become my go-to girl for salad recipes and I loveLoveLOVE her Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese. She has SO many yummy recipes, with a focus on gluten-free and healthier living. And she's definitely my kind of girl, because she lives by the 70/30 rule – 70% healthy living, 30% sanity-saving splurges!

  I think you'll love what Kristin has to say today- especially what she would tell her 10 year younger self. Let's all do a little better at living in the moment! 

Just 5 Things

1. Give us your elevator speech. What's your go-to way to introduce yourself?

My name is Kristin Porter – a mama, wife, sister, daughter, friend, and food blogger from central Iowa. I love summer, eating, mojitos, traveling, eating, girl time, and did I mention eating? It’s no wonder I’m a food blogger! My son is 2-1/2 years old, and six months after he was born I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, which was likely triggered by a really bad labor and delivery. The diagnosis came with a “prescription” to live and eat gluten-free, which I now write about on my blog Iowa Girl Eats. Living gluten-free is still incredibly challenging even 2-1/2 years after my diagnosis, but I love helping people new to the lifestyle live and eat safely and deliciously.

2. What has surprised you the most about having your own cooking business (blog, ebook, etc)?

Just how much work running your own business is! As the CEO of IGE not only am I responsible for creating content, but heading up sales, marketing, technology, R&D, accounting…I think you get the picture. It always surprises people when I tell them that the actual act of cooking and writing a blog post takes the least amount of time of anything I do for the business.

3. What is one thing you say 'no' to (or hire out!) in order to say 'yes' to better things?

Social media. As a small business owner with no other full time employees, and only so many work hours in a day, I’m constantly asking myself – does this particular task require a skill set that only I possess? Activities like scheduling pins, Facebook posts, tweets, etc take a ton of time, but don’t necessarily require me, Kristin Porter, to physically do them. These are easy tasks to delegate and, as a result, I’m left with more time to grow my business through product planning and development, and furthering business relationships. 

4. What would you tell your 10 year younger self?

Enjoy today. Stop planning tomorrow and be in the moment right now. I think having our son really helped me with this. Prior to him coming along I was always planning our next vacation, researching our next house, etc. but he’s really taught me (whether he knows it or not!) to savor today because life moves so incredibly fast.

5. If you could only eat one thing or use one kitchen tool forever, what would it be?

Oh man, the million-dollar question! If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life it would probably be…pizza. Really original, right?! Preferably a Neapolitan-style Pizza Margherita with an entire bouquet of fresh basil on top. Ohhh, I can taste it now. ;)

Thank you, Kristin!! I'm SO honored you joined in the fun of this series (is it crazy obvious I'm a bit of a fan girl??) 

Hear more from Kristin::

blog// instagram// facebook// twitter// pinterest//

Whole30. {week 2, round 2}

 Ugh. Whole30. Perhaps I shouldn't claim to be doing it anymore? I absolutely ate a Combat bar and some animal crackers over the weekend when I was just starving and had been cluster feeding Tyler all night and did not want to eat another carrot or go through the trouble of making something compliant to eat. {I know, I got crazy. I should have had a brownie!} I just don't have the motivation to stick with it this time around {coupled with being at the peak of nursing}. So I'm really only sort of doing it. That's the update for this week! I'm sticking with it for meals and most snacks, but I'm giving myself lots of grace and wiggle room. So I'm probably only doing it about 90%. Maybe a bit more? 

  Anyways, we're not doing anything crazy creative with out menu this week {it's basically the same as last week}. BUT! I have to share my absolutely favorite Whole30 recipe. Scratch that, its one of my favorite recipes in general. IT IS DELICIOUS. I'm in love with McAlister's chicken tortilla soup, and this is the closest I've come to ever recreating it. I can only imagine how much better it would be if I added some cheese and real tortilla chips. I'll definitely be trying that in February! But until this, I love how creamy and rich this soup is without a single bit of dairy and SO much flavor. I legit made a double batch this weekend and have eaten everyday since. Zero shame!

  Here's the link to the recipe- I don't want to copy it since I didn't come up with it! Some notes though: To make it extra creamy, I double the amount of potato starch. I keep adding tablespoon at a time until it is the consistency I like. I also leave out the celery because Justin doesn't like it. And I probably go a bit heavy on the seasonings because we like spice. I don't really measure them out at all- sort of like when I season our taco meat. It cooks out a bit, so I don't think you can really add too much seasoning! And lastly, I crunch up some salty plantain chips in it to make it feel a bit more like tortilla soup. Whole30 or not, you HAVE to try this!

Whole30. {round two}

  

photo source:: Health Starts in the Kitchen

  We're doing Whole30 again! It's day three and we're doing great. But I mean, its only day three. So of course we're doing great. {especially since I totally ate non compliant during Cooking Club last night!} We did Whole30 over a year ago and we loved it. It's such a great refresh and it was awesome for us to intentionally branch out on new recipes and foods and take a closer look at the foods we're eating. Of course, we both lost weight, but that's not the goal. We just want to make some healthy changes and feel better. 
  All of that said, we're feeling more relaxed this time around {hence my bites of brownie and tortellini last night}. I caught a stomach bug last time and we had lots of social things come up that meant we couldn't avoid some non-compliant days. I didn't want to spend a crazy amount of money on bacon, so I ate a non-compliant kind. Justin still ate normal ketchup. And we sort of beat ourselves up over those things along the way, only to realize they were totally fine in the end. Don't hate me, Whole30 police. The whole point of this for us is to make healthier choices and be a bit more disciplined in what we're eating for 30 days- so we're giving ourselves more grace this time. We're not giving ourselves a license to scrap the entire plan, but space to make adjustments.

  The best part of doing Whole30 again is that we're already armed with some favorite recipes and we have a good place to start. We'll branch out and try some crazy {to us} new things in the next few weeks, but for these first days we're setting ourselves up for success and sticking to meals we love. Tacos {always tacos}, buffalo chicken, sweet potato fries; all the things we discovered last time around. Here's a little of what's on our menu for this week::

grilled chicken salads//buffalo chicken stuffed peppers//sweet potato fries//creamy tomato soup//pizza breakfast bites//chicken nuggets//white chicken chili {this is our new recipe for the week!//

So, here's to 27 more days of no brownies! Ha. Actually, we'll end Whole30 right before Valentine's day- so you better believe we're going to treat ourselves to something delicious and full of sugar/cheese/pasta. In the meantime, give me all your favorite Paleo/Whole30 recipes! 

Last minute treats. {peanut butter fudge}

  I love sweets, especially around Christmas-time. Especially around Christmas-time when I'm nursing and feel like I could eat 5000 calories a day. So when I was jonesing for a treat last week, I defaulted to my favorite layered fudge. I shared the super simple recipe for my mom's chocolate fudge here, but never shared the even simpler peanut butter fudge recipe. You probably have everything you need on hand right now and it is so peanut butter-y delicious. I hate the recipes that use peanut butter chips, they just don't taste right. But this one. Oh my goodness, its amazing.
  And because I just can't leave well enough alone, I think its even better when layered with chocolate fudge. I forever want to kiss the person who first paired chocolate and peanut butter together. One of my heroes. I pour the pb fudge into a parchment lined dish and top with the chocolate fudge; refrigerate to set and voila! The tastiest and easiest fudge you ever made. Perfect for last minute treats to share with friends, take to family dinners, or {if you're like me} keep completely to yourself...

Peanut Butter fudge
2 stick butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1lb powdered sugar

  In large bowl, microwave butter and peanut butter for 2 minutes; stir and microwave for 2 more minutes. Stir in vanilla and powdered sugar; pour into 8x8 dish lined with buttered parchment paper. Chill in refrigerator for up to 2 hours to set {or top immediately with chocolate fudge before chilling!}. Cut and enjoy!

Granola bars. {recipe}

  

{image source- because I absolutely never make my bars look that awesome}

  So I've totally shared this recipe before. It's one of my favorites though and I made another batch last week to take to a family I love so much. Food, gifts, hugs, letters, quality time- those are my love languages. And I'm a creature of habit. I make the same recipes over and over to share with friends and put together a pretty cheesy gift basket for about any big life change my friends celebrate. It only seemed fitting that I bring this recipe out of the archives to share today. Especially since I sort of forgot about that batch in the oven I made last week and they got a little crispy. I'm whipping up another batch today to redeem those and I already can't wait to have these on hand for snacks the rest of the week!
  These granola bars are so so good and simple to make. You probably already have everything you need for them in your pantry! I always change them up a bit based on what I have on hand {sometimes I'm out of coconut or add almond slivers instead of walnuts}. So basically, you can't go wrong with these. Unless you don't let them cool before you cut them. That's key!


Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

What you'll need:
1 egg
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
2 tbsp oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 cups oats 
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped walnuts {optional}
1/4 cup sweetened coconut {optional}
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, mix together egg, peanut butter, honey, oil and vanilla. Set aside. In medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients except chocolate chips. Add dry ingredients to wet, mixing evenly. Add chocolate chips. Press mix into greased baking dish {I use a 9x13} and bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars!

Summer on the table.

  One of the best parts of summer is being able to easily find fresh foods. Berries, greens, watermelons- all things that are harder {and more expensive!} to find during the winter months in Indiana. When I realized it was my chance to host cooking club this month, I knew I wouldn't actually cook anything and that we would definitely NOT be having chicken {my biggest pregnancy aversion}. So I opted for this light summer salad and really simple watermelon slush. You guys, not to be dramatic or anything, but if you could put summer on a table, this is it. 

  They're both extremely basic and you could probably recreate them with what's already in your fridge. The salad is such a hodge podge- you could mix it up with candied nuts or feta cheese. We added some sautéed shrimp {all the seafood for me right now, thankyouverymuch}, but you could add grilled chicken or go completely meatless, too. 

  

{Summer salad: Spring greens, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, avocado, toasted almond slivers, goat cheese crumbles, raspberry vinaigrette}

And this slush. You literally just need a watermelon, lime, and sugar. Yes, yes, yes. There's a 100% I made myself an entire pitcher again today because I love it so much. I may or may not decide to share with Caleb and Justin...

{Watermelon slush: 5 cups cubed watermelon, juice from half lime, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 cups ice- blended}

  So I'll officially be eating/drinking these on repeat until Fall. What summer recipes are you loving right now? 

A sweet potato recipe.

  My biggest takeaway from Whole30 was finding food and meals I didn't think I liked before, but came to love. Like sweet potatoes and zoodles and eggs and flaxmeal. I don't think that I need to maintain a 100% Paleo diet, but have loved incorporating lots of those habits into my day to day eating. I read more labels and stay away from foods with added sugar. I eat less grains, BUT I AM NOT AND WILL NOT GO GLUTEN FREE. I make pretty much every meal from scratch, using fresh ingredients. When I go to the grocery store, 90% of what's in my cart is from the perimeter of the store.
  But anyways, I'm getting off track. Let's talk about sweet potatoes. I've always heard they're great for you, but I used to think they could only be eaten sweet. And I have a strict 'sweets are for dessert only and if it's a fruit/veggie, it's a crappy dessert' policy. BUT I learned how to make them savory and delicious and now I could eat them every single day. My favorite way to prepare them? As fries! If it's a good week, I take time on Sunday to slice up a few potatoes so I can grab a handful to bake as a snack or for a side. We made them last night and found out Caleb is also a huge fan! In case you're looking for a new recipe, YOU HAVE TO TRY THESE. And yes, I'm sort of yelling at you because I love this recipe so much. You're welcome.



Savory Sweet Potato Fries
Servings: 2
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

  Slice one large sweet potato into thin, shoestring fries {I think this is essential and worth the hassle! The come out a little bit crispy}. Toss in olive or coconut oil {1-2 tbsp}. Mix 1 tbsp sea salt, 1 tbsp paprika, 2 tsp pepper, 2 tsp garlic powder {adjust amounts according to amount of fries/preference}. Toss fries in half of seasoning, and then repeat to coat evenly. 
 Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper; spread fries evenly between the baking sheets in a single layer. Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes, flipping fries halfway through. Serve immediately. SO GOOD!!

On showing love with food.

  

  At the risk of sounding very trendy, food is one of my love languages {in addition to mail and intentional conversation}. Food is one thing everyone can relate to; we all need to eat. 
  It took me a long time to learn that food was one of my things. Maybe our first year of marriage? I finally had my own kitchen and a live in taste-tester.  But it definitely started when I was a kid. Growing up, my mom was always cooking and letting me help her bake. Are all kids interested in helping in the kitchen? She also signed me up for 4-H {10 year member, what what!} and Foods was one of my very first and most favorite projects. 
  I'm by no means a good cook or baker; I'd say I'm pretty average. I'm not winning any Pinterest awards for my recipes. That's not really the point, though. I'm good at deep conversations, but have a hard time with surface things or when words are hard to come by. I flounder a lot when I don't know what to say or how I want to say it. For example, when people are grieving or celebrating big life things. Sometimes I just have trouble coming up with words or I worry about being overbearing or rambling or saying the wrong thing. And that's when I default to food. Food, to me, says I love you and I'm celebrating {or mourning} with you, I'm on your side, I'm thinking of you and don't know what to say but I want to bless you somehow. Eat this cookie or soup and know you're not alone in whatever season of life you're in right now. There are probably lots of other ways to say those same things, but I'm just not really great at them. Food I can do. 
  In high school, I'd wake up earl on Thursday mornings to make monkey bread for our morning accountability group. In college, I would make fall treats for off campus friends. In married life, I try to make meals that Justin loves after his long days of work. In friendships, I try to leave enchiladas and breads on doorsteps to celebrate new babies and grieve lives ended too soon and in honor of Galentine's day. I don't think I'll ever stop loving people through food. 
  All that to say, I've been baking and cooking a lot lately. And after a weekend in the kitchen with our cooking club, I'm in the mood to take stock of my favorite go-to recipes. I love having recipes I know by heart and can make quickly without a lot of fuss. And I love hearing what recipes other people love and depend on. The internet is kind of a blackhole of recipes, and it's just hard to sift through to find the good ones. I have a handful of real, tangible cookbooks that I work through {Pinterest blasphemy!}, but am always on the hunt for new favorites. So anyways, here are some of my favorite go-to recipes {and cookbooks to work from} to make and take. They all make great freezer meals or sides to group dinners. But since I'm in the sharing mood, what are your favorite recipes to share? And cookbooks! What cookbooks should I add to my must-buy list?

cookbooks::
The Pioneer Woman// I have been her fan since long before her cooking show or cookbooks came out and, in the last week alone, I have made four of my favorite recipes to share! Bonus- the Kindle version is only $12!!! 
{while her first is by far my favorite, PW's second cookbook is still in my top ten and only $12 too!}
Betty Crocker// This is probably my manual for all cooking and baking basics and staple recipes. So many worn edges and greasy stains from keeping it permanently on my counter! {and it's only $.74 on amazon!!} 
Bread and Wine// Ok, this is really a book with recipes after each chapter. The story is great and definitely worth ready, but I am in love with a handful of the recipes. I have made Shauna's bread no less than 100 times, no joke. 

recipes::
creamy tomato soup {from this cookbook} 
cinnamon rolls {from this cookbook}
cake batter chocolate chip cookies
restaurant style salsa
brownie cupcakes with pb icing
Kathleen's enchilada's {recipe coming soon!
Sullivan Street Bread{the book is only $8 on Kindle and worth it for this recipe alone!}
lasagna {I make it both in my crockpot and in the oven- turns out great either way!}
southwest white chili {from this cookbook}

Light & Easy {pulled pork}.

  

  We've been getting in the swing of cooking real meals again {post pregnancy nausea, husband's health kick, then postpartum meals from friends}. It's really been months since we've been in a routine of menu making- probably since before I found out I was pregnant. Sad, I know! Anyways, since I'm home all day now and have the time and motivation to do so, we're back to menu making! This week I was on the hunt for some new recipes to add into our mix, and I think I landed on a new favorite. Easy and healthy pulled pork! And it's a crockpot recipe, so that's a win for sure. Who doesn't love the whole set it and forget it thing? 

  I've never made pulled pork before and really wanted something easy. We're also trying to watch our waistlines around here, so something a little lighter was a definite must. I couldn't find one recipe that I loved, so I just combined parts of this one and this one to make my own. And since there are only two of us, I cut it down to a smaller recipe that serves two and leaves room for leftovers. Enjoy!

  What recipes are you loving right now? I'm always looking for new ones to add to my lineup! 

Ingredients::

• 1-2 lbs pork boneless pork loin roast (center cut, trimmed of all fat)
• 1/2 onion
• buns or Kaiser rolls
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 dashes Tabasco
• 1 1/2 cups water

  Slice onion and place at bottom of crockpot. Season pork loin with salt, pepper, and garlic powder on all sides. Place on top of onions in crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until tender and pulls apart easily. Be sure not to overcook! An hour before you want to eat, mix ketchup, Worcestershire, chili powder, salt, Tabasco, and water in saucepan and heat to boiling. Boil for one minute and set aside. Remove pork from crockpot and shred. Drain liquid from pot, reserving onions. Combine onions and shredded pork in crockpot, pour 1 cup of sauce over top and combine. Cover and cook 30-45 minutes. Use extra sauce to serve on side!

Tip: A few minutes before we sit down to eat, I like to turn the oven on broil and toast our buns. {ha...toast our buns!} 

A summer recipe.

  When I found myself with fresh blueberries to spare {thanks, Spencer's!} and cooking club on the calendar for this week, I knew I wanted to find a really good dessert recipe to bring. I initially thought about this one, but it doesn't include any sugar and it's against my religion to eat desserts without sugar in them. Amen?

  So I landed on this one from Williams-Sonoma. It is so stinking delicious and ridiculously easy to make. And it's kind of just tastes like summer, you know? My favorite thing about this recipe is that you could really sub in any fruit and it would work. 

  Also, let's just chat about this cooking club I'm in. I've talked about it before, but it just seems worth reiterating- I love those ladies. Leaving Caleb at home last night and sitting around a table sharing delicious food and even better conversation was pretty great. We're so past the awkward getting-to-know-you surface-y phase that it just feels good to be together. Refreshing, fun, and at this season in my life really necessary. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, if you don't have this type of community- I really think it's worth looking for. We all need community and friends and intentional time outside of our homes/daily routine. Breaking out of your comfort zone to start {or join!} something like that just seems so worth it to me, you know?

Blueberry Crisp {c/o Williams-Sonoma}

Ingredients:

• 4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter or margarine,
   at room temperature, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup rolled oats

Directions:

 Preheat an oven to 375°F. Grease a shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish with butter or margarine, or spray with vegetable cooking spray.
 Spread the blueberries evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the lemon juice.
 In a bowl, using a pastry blender or fork, mix together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, butter and rolled oats until well combined. Sprinkle evenly over the blueberries.
 Bake until the top is golden and the blueberries are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Serve hot or warm. 

Around the table. {a goodbye}

  Our cooking club met for our monthly meal last night. We each brought a dish, this time keeping with a Pioneer Woman theme. Most of the ladies came a bit early to put together a little gift for another who is moving to North Carolina this weekend. I think I've mentioned cooking club on the blog before, and how we formed it after all reading Shauna Niequist's Bread & Wine. I'm sure, a year ago, as we shared crepes and cocktails, we all had big hopes for this group and finding community over a shared love of cooking. At least I did. But honestly? I never could have imagined how real that hope would become.
  We realized last night that we're coming up on our one year anniversary. So, so much has happened over that year. Every four weeks, give or take, we've gathered around a different table and shared different, usually new, recipes with each other. We always, always talk about the food and the recipes. Naturally. As the months have gone by, however, we've started talking about more than food. Sharing love stories. Woes about being a 20-something in the Church. In-laws and dogs and careers. We have just become really good friends. It has been a really fun surprise, this cooking club of ours. 
   We are all at similar, yet different points in life. Three of us are expecting our first little one. One is on the verge of engagement and married life. Another just settled into her brand new, first house. And another is making a move across state lines for her husband's job. So many different life things. And so very, very fun to walk with these ladies through. 
   As we said goodbye to Caitlin last night, I honestly teared up. Because we will miss her. Because I truly pray God gives her similar community in her new city. Because, despite my doubts or feeling shy in the first few months, God has proven again that he desires for his people to be in real community together and if we're obedient to that, he provides. This cooking club has been really wonderful proof. 
   Of course, we'll see Caitlin again. We'll keep in touch and keep praying for her new adventure. And we'll keep gathering around a different table every month. Soon with babies bouncing on knees and a shiny diamond ring to ooh and aah over. Life will most definitely keep happening, and Lord willing, we will be able to keep sharing in it together. I hope I've said it to each of those ladies, but just to keep getting it out there in the universe, I am grateful for each one. For their story. The food they make and share each month. For being allowed to share in their community. 
   Also? We have never, in all of our months, ever taken a group photo. So that's on our list of things to get done soon! 

   Are you in a cooking club or book club or general circle of friends that gets together to consistently {and intentionally} do life together? What's your most favorite part? 
Any must try recipes for us?

Go-to.

 

   I know I've shared this recipe before, but if its good- it must be shared again. Our first year of marriage, I was on the hunt for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe. I must have tested a dozen before landing on this gem from a co-worker. I literally use the crumpled, butter stained printed email from her every time I bake these. And {cheese alert} think back to what a sweet time our first year of marriage was. 
  Anyways, it's basically prime time baking season right now. You probably have your stock of go-to recipes {do share!}, but if you're on the hunt for, seriously, the BEST chocolate chip cookie around, you must try this! I love it so much, I'm bringing it to my book club's cookie exchange tonight. {Sidenote: if that statement alone doesn't make me sound like a middle aged woman, I'm not sure what else would}.

Fudge.

 I love to bake and cook. It's basically my love language, in addition to sending snail mail and long, drawn out hugs. I also love convenience and simplicity. My most favorite recipes are easy ones. Because, why make life more complicated than it has to be? Also, I love sharing recipes and who wants a longwinded, most likely to fail recipe handed to them? Nope. Short, simple, sweet!
   I must have inherited this from my mom, because some of my favorite, tastiest, and most simple recipes come from her. Like this no fail fudge. So delicious. Who doesn't have 5 minutes for fudge?? So if you're looking for a last minute addition to your Thanksgiving meal or an easy staple to bring to any holiday get-together...make these!

Can't Fail 5-minute **{chocolate} Fudge

Small can of Carnation milk
1/2 tsp salt
6 oz chocolate chips (1/2 bag)
1 2/3 c. sugar
2 c. mini marshmallows
1 tsp vanilla

  Heat milk, sugar, and salt to full boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Pour into buttered dish; let cool. 

**For our Friendsgiving this weekend, I was in the mood for chocolate and pb fudge, so I just layered the two. You could simply substitute pb chips in the recipe above, but I kind of hate fake pb. This is my go-to, favorite {and SUPER easy} pb fudge recipe! 

Pound it.

   I'm a creature of habit. I love trying new recipes and then adopting them into my rotation. I stumbled on this recipe earlier this summer, and have made it no less than 5 times since. Its so easy and delicious and doesn't require a literal pound of everything {because, gross}. Also, I think you could pile fresh berries and cream on top of cardboard, and it would taste amazing. So having extra tasty poundcake just skyrockets the same dish into the crapyourpants delicious category, right? 

Bread and butter.

  Who doesn't love warm, crusty bread right out of the oven?? {Even if you don't, go with it. Its a friendship deal breaker, for sure} Ever since reading Bread & Wine and trying Shauna's ahmazing Sullivan Street bread recipe, I've fallen back in love with baking breads. {I go through baking spurts- cookies, muffins, breads, granolas- you name it and I've been on a kick with it} And while I love the delicious Sullivan Street bread, it needs twelve hours to rise. TWELVE HOURS! Who has time for that? While on the hunt for a quicker, more realistic day-to-day bread, I ended up kind of making up a recipe from a few different I found. Less sugar {who wants sweet dinner bread??}, add in some garlic salt, cook in a random corningware, and convert some measurement from the metric system and- voila!  So-easy dinner bread. Takes no time at all. Goes perfectly with our current dinner staple- garden fresh pesto chicken pasta. With extra pesto on the side for bread-dipping, of course. Also, round loaves of bread kind of blow my mind. So awesome. Thanks for the tip, Shauna!

Linking up here: Jam Hands, This Gal Cooks, Make Ahead Meals

Boozy lemonade.

   One of my goals for June was to find a great sorbet recipe. And I did, sort of. Full disclosure? I didn't even try to make actual sorbet. I kind of forgot. But, I was introduced to the most amazing boozy summertime drink by my friend Kathleen. Which has sorbet vodka in it, so basically, I made sorbet right? Right. Oh em gee, this stuff is delicious. {you know it has to be if I actually just wrote out oh em gee} 

   I pretty much always have a pitcher of pink/strawberry lemonade in my fridge during the summer. I don't drink pop or sweet teas or any of that jazz, so this is my one sugary drink indulgence and I love it. Add some delicious berry, sorbet-y vodka and it is So. Good. You can't even taste the alcohol and I'm known for making strong drinks. 
  Moral of the story, try it asap. And thank me later! Cheers!! 

Up & Doing. {June}

//run 5 miles// Pretty self-explainatory. 

//make sorbet// I'm in love with my KitchenAid mixer. Have we discussed this? I'm getting more comfortable with the ice cream attachment, and am on to bigger and better recipes. Have any great sorbet recipes for me? {Hint: orange is my fav}

//go on a summer date// We live in such a fun city, and for the first summer in years, we'll really be around to enjoy it. Maybe a minor league baseball game? Concert on the prairie? So much room for activities! {Name that movie}

  As a side note, I've noticed lots of bloggers are doing monthly goals these days. I really love blogging about my three goals each month because, well, it keeps me accountable. But I've also gotten tons of encouragement and ideas from bloggy friends. It made me think- would anyone be interested in a monthly goals link-up? Discuss.