Day

No mustard or mayo in this clean and crisp pasta salad.

When my husband and  I first started dating and going to various events together throughout the summer, there was one thing that didn’t take me long to pick up on. He didn’t like classic cold summer salads. I couldn’t believe it. I had never met anyone like that before. I look forward to potato and mac salad along with coleslaw and all the other yummy treats of the season. I finally asked him one day what it was that turned him off when it came to some of my favorite dishes. Believe it or not, it was the creamy mayo.

He does like Miracle Whip or salad dressing, but he’s never willing to take the risk and see if that’s what the salad has been made with or not. The only time that he will eat those is when he knows that I or someone else he is close to has made it, which isn’t all the time.

I started making this yummy shrimp salad a year or so ago instead of the other creamier salads for him. That way he is guaranteed to get at least one thing he’s going to like at the event… and so is everyone else!

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Quick Tip: If you can’t find the seasonings and dressing at your local supermarket, you can look online or substitute.

The church was hosting another potluck event for all the members, so I was back to the drawing board looking for something to make.

I never bring the same thing twice. I don’t know why, but I have always been like that. I like to switch my dishes up and keep people on their toes. Plus, I like to take the opportunity to try out new recipes. There are so many out there to try, I don’t want to keep doing the same ones over and over again. I love to experiment and experience all that the world has to offer. The last time, I decided that I wanted to do an appetizer of sorts.

Oh boy… this recipe looked like it was going to be perfect. The fact that the recipe made a decent amount was nice too. I didn’t even have to double it like I usually do.

I had to sneak one of these before heading out of the house just to make sure that they were okay to serve. I almost didn’t make it to the church! I wanted to just stay home and eat these all day. They were amazing.

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Quick Tip: Make it nut free by leaving out the cashews.

I had some girlfriends coming over for a late lunch one summer afternoon last year.

All of our husbands were out fishing, together, so we decided we were going to get together too. In woman fashion, we had a few things to take care of at home in the morning and early afternoon, so we decided to meet around three. I wanted to make something that was lighter, but a dish that was also going to fill everyone up. I didn’t want to do a plain salad, so when I found this chicken Caesar pasta salad, I thought the addition of the pasta was just what I was needing.

My sister loves this recipe so I figured it had to be a good one. I made it up and then waited for my guests to show up. When they saw the salad, they all were full of “ooohs” and “ahhhs.” That was nice to hear after taking the time to prepare it.

The flavor of this was unique but really, really good. We all gobbled down our plates and finished up what was left in the bowl. I think I made the perfect selection!

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Quick Tip: Feta cheese is good in here too!

I am always struggling to try to find something to make for dinner.

I work full-time, and I have three young children. Standing in the kitchen for hours at a time is out of the question. I loved to cook when I was younger, and those hours in front of the stove was a way for me to relax. Life gets busy though, and that hobby has kind of been put on pause, at least for now. I still like to look for and try out new dishes though, and I am always on the hunt for something that all my kids and me and the hubby will enjoy equally.

Tacos are something that we do all agree on, but sometimes I don’t want to go through the hassle of making them. So, I knew a recipe like this was going to become a family favorite very quickly. Tacos and pasta together? You really can’t go wrong with that, can you?

I was amazed at how easily this went together. Sure, there are a few more ingredients on the list than what you need for tacos, but most items I already had in my pantry, so there wasn’t much shopping to do. It all goes in one pan too which makes cleanup a snap!

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Quick Tip: Use chorizo instead of ground beef for a more authentic flavor.

Enjoy the flavors of a crunchy cucumber sandwich!

When my daughter was having her baby shower, she put me in charge of the food. She knows that I love to cook, and plan, and entertain, and she knew that I would drive her nuts if she didn’t give me something to do. I was more than happy to help her with anything she needed, and food was right up my alley. I already knew what we were going to do as far as a menu type, but I didn’t know exactly what I was going to make. I wanted sandwiches and salads, for a nice summery baby shower theme. Those always seem to go over really well whenever I attend them.

It was time to go on the prowl and see what I could find. I was talking with a few of my friends at a meeting for church one day about the event coming up, and one of them mentioned cucumber sandwiches. I was picturing the plain cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches, and I thought that was too boring.

Then, she started describing these cucumber sandwiches that she had seen her neighbor make. They sounded just fancy enough, yet simple, making them ideal for the party coming up. That was settled, I knew what I was making after that very conversation.

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Quick Tip: Use any kind of bread you have on hand.

You’ll Whip This Up With One Arm Tied Behind Your Back!

When my husband and I first got married and moved in together, it was quite the adventure. We both had lived at home up until that point, so everything was very new to us as far as owning your own home goes. I had picked up the cooking, cleaning, and bill paying watching my mom. He had learned some of the essential handy work, car repairs, and electrical fixing. Together, we made a pretty good team.

When we went grocery shopping, we were always amazed by all the foods there was to choose from. We were used to just getting whatever our parents had brought home.

One of our favorite things to make were those boxes of rice or pasta that you just had to add meat too. It was the perfect amount to fill us up. Sometimes we would even have a few leftovers that were always tasty the next day. Then, we started having kids and that small box of pasta was never enough to feed us all anymore.

Fortunately I got this super tasty recipe from my sister! It’s hassle-free and easy on your wallet – and the kids love it!

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Quick Tip: Any shape pasta will work in here.

My kids are crazy about these!

I love making side dishes during the holidays and I always think the sides are the best part of the meal. However, it often saddens me that we only make these yummy side dishes once a year! When I first came across this recipe for creamy parmesan potatoes I immediately thought it’s not going to be just a Christmas dish in our house! And you know what? As soon as I served these to my family, they all said the same thing. So these are now in our dinner rotation!

Of course, I’ll still make some classic mashed potatoes every now and then! But these creamy parmesan potatoes are so good, I wouldn’t mind having them twice a week. I made these again the other night. We had pork chops, applesauce, and these yummy taters. I was amazed at how much creamier they are versus traditional mashed potatoes. It must be the cheese!

I would be happy to have just these for dinner! If you want to do that, just add some cooked, ground beef into these and you’re good to go!

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Quick Tip: Want to up the ante on these creamy parmesan potatoes? Add in some crispy, crumbled bacon to the mix.