Make-Ahead Meals
Slow Cooker Taco Chicken (with freezer bag option)
A good freezer bag meal will come to your rescue on busy weeknights and when cooking for a friend in need. Taco chicken is family friendly, endlessly versatile, and quick to prep. Last year I turned the bags into practical gifts for several friends, because who couldn’t use a healthy meal and a night off…
Turkey (or Chicken), Kale & Wild Rice Salad
Turkey (or Chicken), Kale & Wild Rice Salad is a healthy, super satisfying way to turn leftovers into a complete meal. Perfect for a post-holiday detox or clean eating (that tastes great!) any time of year. Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃 I, for one, am thankful for family, friends and a loyal group of readers who make…
Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes are vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free, and full of amazing flavor. Leftovers reheat well and can even be used for satisfying breakfast bowls. During a recent foray into my sons’ closets, I uncovered a bag of clothes that appeared as good as new. Though both of my sons had worn the assortment…
One-Pan Pesto Chicken and Veggies
One-Pan Pesto Chicken and Veggies provides filling protein and a hearty serving of colorful vegetables for a speedy, flavor-packed weeknight meal! What do your food habits say about you? I recently read an unscientific but altogether amusing article written by Phil Mutz that assessed what people’s eating habits revealed about their personality. Slow eaters, for…
Easy Zucchini & Ground Beef Dinner
Six basic ingredients form the foundation of this one-skillet meal, which comes together quickly for a family-friendly dinner on even the busiest of weeknights. Follow the basic recipe or customize Easy Zucchini & Ground Beef Dinner to taste—and hope for leftovers because they improve with age! When my husband and I planned a quick family…
One Pot Stovetop Chicken & Rice
One Pot Stovetop Chicken & Rice is creamy comfort food that’s a breeze to whip up! For complementary color and flavor, I like to serve sliced tomatoes or a simple salad on the side. If I were to choose one dish that instantly transports me to my childhood dinner table, it would be my mom’s…
Family Favorite Glazed Meatloaf
Family Favorite Glazed Meatloaf tastes great and slices perfectly! The recipe also offers prep ahead convenience and tips for a perfectly shaped loaf. Most children are discouraged from playing with their food. I learned this lesson at a young age, but as I get older, I occasionally ignore this piece of advice. Let’s face…
(Slow Cooker) Ginger Curry Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes
Easy to make and deeply satisfying, a simple adjustment makes this soul-warming soup vegan-friendly. A few weeks into my son John’s first semester at college, a friend asked him to sign a Meatless Monday pledge. He figured one day a week without meat wouldn’t be too hard, so he put pen to paper. Several…
Pasta with Sausage and Shortcut Broccoli Pesto
Thanks to a somewhat unconventional method of preparation, a generous serving of broccoli goes almost undetected in this filling, flavorful meal that is ready in about 20 minutes. “Try it. You’ll like it.” These words sound a lot like the famous line in the decades-old Life cereal commercial in which Mikey, clearly a picky…
Overnight French Toast Casserole
Lightly sweet and tender with delightfully crispy edges, this mouthwatering baked French toast can be prepared in advance with basic ingredients. It’s special enough for holiday breakfasts and brunches but easy enough for any given Saturday or Sunday. Warm fires, sweet cookies, festive packages, and lots of holiday cheer with family and friends—this is…
Christine’s Eggplant Supper Soup
Even those who don’t like eggplant seem to love this hearty, wholesome soup! A flavorful balance of filling protein and colorful, fiber-rich veggies means a bowlful will satisfy as a complete meal–and it’s economical too. My friend Dan’s two favorite foods are eggplant and grapefruit. When I started the Fountain Avenue Kitchen in 2012, he…
Long’s Yellow Tomato Soup
A delightful summer soup with a stunning color and a hint of optional heat. Yellow tomatoes are also a lower acid tomato with lots of natural sweetness. The mere description of this soup inspired me to plant yellow tomatoes in our backyard garden. The first year, I think I got three. The second…
