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weekly specialsAuthor Archives: Laura Youngquist
October 5, 2022
Salads Make Simple
If you haven’t checked out the Meat Counter at your local Festival Foods, I highly recommend it! You can find plenty of standard meat options; beef, chicken, seafood, etc. …things you would expect to see. BUT you will also find some specialty items you might not be familiar with. My favorite items to buy are the encrusted chicken breasts. They come in a variety of flavors; pecan, parmesan, buffalo, and tortilla are the most common. If you are lucky, you might find a different flavor from time to time. They are sold individually or pre-packaged as a pack of 2, depending on the store location. You can typically find some of each in our freezer for a quick and easy weeknight meal. Most commonly, I will bake the chicken breasts and serve them with a side salad or slice the chicken to eat on top of a bed of lettuce. You can play around with different flavor combinations … Continue reading
October 1, 2022
Say Goodbye to Summer with Homemade Ice Cream
Summer is officially over, and fall is officially here! That means the temperatures are starting to drop, but it isn’t quite cold enough yet, to stop eating ice cream and enjoying some warmer weather treats. Before you finally put away your ice cream maker for the year, try out these 3 new ice cream recipes I’m going to share with you today. Banana Ice Cream Salted Caramel Ice Cream Frosted Animal Cookie Ice Cream Banana Ice Cream is rich, creamy, and has wonderful flavoring so don’t toss out those overly ripe bananas (and don’t save them for the banana bread you are never going to make, lol). Turn them into Banana Ice Cream instead! It’s delicious and tastes just banana pudding but in frozen form 😊 Banana is my dad’s favorite flavor to get in a shake or malt so I thought why not try making Banana Ice Cream that I can share with … Continue reading
September 28, 2022
All Things Pumpkin Spice!
It’s my favorite time of year! The weather is starting to cool down, the leaves are starting to change, and you can find pumpkin spice at just about any store. That’s what I’m talking about when I say my favorite time of year…. all things pumpkin spice. I love the flavor, but I also love that it’s available for a limited time, so it’s something I look forward to enjoying. I like to create a few new recipes each year that are pumpkin spice themed. Most are breakfast or dessert themed but that’s OK with me! Pumpkin spice is a combination of nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and ginger. It’s sweet, spicy, warm, and cozy. Yes…cozy. Think of the feeling you get when you drink a hot cup of apple cider on a cool day. That’s a feeling I get when enjoying pumpkin spice food. Even better, the pumpkin spice recipes I’m going to share with you today are hearty and filling, … Continue reading
September 24, 2022
Hot Dog Grilled Cheese
Hot Dog Grilled Cheese is a wonderful combination of 2 classics – hot dogs and grilled cheese! Is it an elevated grilled cheese or is it an elevated hot dog? You tell me! They are super cheesy, have a crispy toasted bun, and can be made with any type of hotdog (beef, pork, turkey, etc.) …what’s not to love? I devoured 2 of these on my own and was still thinking about them the next day 😊 So, if you have picky eaters or have an argument about what’s for dinner every night, I highly recommend you give these Hot Dog Grilled Cheese sandwiches a try. They are sure to please everyone! The recipe can be found here. Start by heating a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Open both hot dog buns and use the palm on your hands to flatten slightly. Spread the outside of each bun with butter, making sure to completely coat the outside. Place the … Continue reading
September 20, 2022
Chicken Bacon Ranch Kabobs
Chicken Bacon Ranch Kabobs are a simple 5 ingredient meal the whole family will love! They are very flavorful and a combination most people are already familiar with. Try them for a quick weeknight meal or serve at a summer BBQ. The kabobs are packed with crispy bacon, tender chicken, and are marinated in a homemade ranch dressing. The recipe can be found here. Start by adding the wooden skewers to a drinking glass filled with water to soak before grilling. This will prevent the wood from catching fire on the grill. Set aside until ready to use. I like to marinate mine for at least a few hours. Alternately, you can use metal skewers and skip the soaking process. My preference is to use 6” skewers but 10” skewers also work, you just won’t have as many skewers. Add the olive oil, black pepper, and ranch seasoning to a gallon size Ziploc bag. Shake slightly to combine. Slice … Continue reading
September 9, 2022
After School Chow
Summer is coming to an end, kids are starting school, cooler weather is on the way, and you are probably stuck with the never-ending questions about snack time at home 😊 I’ve always been a big fan of keeping “chow” on hand for an easy snack you can grab on the go but also a snack that will last a few days. Chow is known by a few different names and it’s something I’m sure you’ve tried before. I like to play around with different flavor combinations and create unique ways to change the recipe, so we don’t get sick of the same old thing week after week. Today I want to share with you my recipes for 5 different Chow recipes: Snickers Frosted Animal Cookie Butterfinger Twix Edible Cookie Dough Snickers Chow is loaded with rice cereal, chocolate, powdered sugar, chopped Snicker bars, and peanuts. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and salty. … Continue reading
September 5, 2022
Oven Roasted Garlic
Any garlic lovers out there? When a recipe calls for garlic cloves, I tend to double to triple the number of cloves used because we love the fragrance and flavor in our house 🙂 Recently, I tried roasting an entire head of garlic that was ultimately combined with butter and other seasonings to spread on warm baguette as a side dish for our meal. It was phenomenal! The recipe can be found here. Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the ends off the garlic heads but keep the head of garlic intact. Does that make sense? You don’t want the garlic cloves to fall apart, just expose the tops. Place each head of garlic on a separate piece of aluminum foil. I like to use 2 or 3 heads of garlic for this recipe. Sometimes the cloves are quite small, or I need extra for additional … Continue reading
September 1, 2022
Chicken Pesto Naan Flatbread
Chicken Pesto Naan Flatbread is a quick and easy meal that comes together with minimal effort and few ingredients. It’s filling, flavorful, and done in about 20 minutes. This recipe is great for spring or summer and can be made in the oven or on the grill. The recipe can be found here. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the flatbreads on the baking sheet. Top each with ¼ cup of pesto and spread evenly over the top. Add more or less to taste. We like pesto at our house, so I tend to go a little pesto crazy 🙂 Add ½ cup of mozzarella cheese to each flatbread. Add ½ cup of cooked and diced chicken to each flatbread. This is the perfect way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese … Continue reading
August 28, 2022
Creamy Tomato Gnocchi with Burrata
Creamy Tomato Gnocchi with Burrata is the ultimate weeknight meal! It’s quick and easy to make, uses simple yet fresh ingredients, and highlights some popular summer flavors. Think fresh tomatoes and basil (possibly from your garden), creamy burrata, and soft gnocchi. It’s a game changer! The recipe can be found here. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the gnocchi according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water and drain the rest of the water. Set the gnocchi aside. You can prepare homemade gnocchi if you prefer but store-bought works well for this recipe. Heat oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 60 seconds. Add the tomatoes (unsliced, you want whole tomatoes), red pepper flakes (add more if you like a lot of heat), and salt. Stir to combine. Increase the heat to medium … Continue reading
August 24, 2022
Ice Cream Pizzas!!!
Do you remember those yummy ice cream pizzas you probably had as a child at Dairy Queen? They came in multiple favors and were typically served at a party. They were my FAVORITE! And there was a time in my life that I believe they were discontinued, and I was admittedly bummed to never have one again. However, I was able to find a way to recreate them as copycat versions of the original. I have 3 recipes to share with you today for Copycat Treatzza Pizzas…I call them Ice Cream Pizza. M&M Ice Cream Pizza Heath Bar Ice Cream Pizza Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pizza Let’s start by walking through the M&M Ice Cream Pizza. You start with an Oreo crust, top it with vanilla ice cream, drizzle with hot fudge, and add M&M candies to finish it off. This is a classic ice cream dessert that’s incredibly … Continue reading
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