• Whipped Butternut Squash

    Butternut Squash is NOT just for the Fall… it is the quick weeknight side you never knew you needed.    You will be craving this all year long… not just in the cooler months I promise.    Jump to Recipe Move over Mashed Potatoes As much as I LOVE mashed potatoes (like these Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes) I am an even bigger fan now of this Whipped Butternut Squash.  It is super rich, velvety and only has 6 ingredients… including salt & pepper.  Oh and it is healthy. Can it get any better? Roast It & Whip It! Once you get everything roasted, all you do is throw it all…

  • Homemade Spiced Cranberry Sauce

    I love cranberry sauce with my turkey (like this smoked turkey), but I am not a fan of the can.  This Homemade Spiced Cranberry Sauce is SO MUCH better than the can, and so easy!! Let’s talk about the Spiced Cranberry Sauce Are you a fan of cranberry sauce?  I feel like you either are or your not.  There doesn’t seem to be too many people out there that are in the middle of the cranberry debate.  Well, I was not a fan either until I started making my own cranberry sauce from FRESH cranberries…thats right there are no cans in this recipe. It is all about the FRESH Berries Growing…

  • Sausage Dressing – Thanksgiving Must

    Sausage Dressing is hands down our families favorite dressing.  How do I know??  After 4 dressings, a blind taste test and an overwhelming vote… the winner has been named!!  Changing a Texas Girl’s World  Being a good Texas girl I grew up eating cornbread dressing every Thanksgiving.  The very traditional version of cornbread with onions, celery, and cornbread.  My mom would bake the cornbread days in advance and prep anything she could to make her cornbread dressing.   This Texas girls life was changed though a couple of years ago, I was introduced to bread and sausage dressing and it changed my life.  It was full of flavor, the bread…

  • Smoked Turkey

    Turkey Day (aka Thanksgiving) will be here before we know it (like in 2 weeks ) and it is time we talk smoked turkey!  let’s talk SMOKED TURKEY I know most of us will roast or fry our Thanksgiving turkeys but this Smoked Turkey is the only way my family does it now.  My brother and his Father-in-Law have perfected this recipe and it is just amazing!! To be safe you want to have between 3/4 – 1 pound per person (or more for leftovers).  Also make sure you give it enough time to thaw, We thaw our turkey in an ice water bath in a cooler (still in the…

  • Banana Crumb Muffins

    I have mentioned this before but I HATE banana’s… like passionately hate them, but I know some of you love them.  So for my banana loving peeps… here you go.  A new muffin love… Due to unforeseen circumstances I found myself with 4 bananas that were starting to turn.  You have to understand bananas are never in my kitchen so when they started to go bad I knew I need to use them quickly.   Muffins seemed like a quick, easy and yummy option… so Banana Crumb Muffins were made.  All about the crumb… My perfect muffin always has a crumb topping… ALWAYS!  My Pumpkin Crumb Muffins are some of…

  • Monster Cookies – The Halloween Version

        Monster Cookies are my new favorite Halloween treat.  I mean just how adorable are these little yummies?? SPRINKLES & MORE SPRINKLES I am all about a fun sprinkle for any and all occasion.  I have an entire section in my pantry dedicated to my sprinkle obsession.  My niece and nephew love them as well and want to decorate cookies almost every time they come over just so they can use them. For these cookies I went with a variety.  As seen above a traditional halloween blend of orange, green, black, purple and white and then a pink, green and white version as well for the purple cookies.  I…

  • Monster Brownies – A Boooo-rific Sweet Treat

    Halloween is just a round the corner and that means it is time for Monster themed treats… and these Monster Brownies are just what this Halloween needs.  A Monster Brownie with Options The beauty of these brownies are all the options.  First – you can use a box brownie mix if you would like.  If you have a favorite one use it…I would recommend one that bakes up a bit on the darker chocolate side just so the marshmallow web stands out more, but whatever you have on hand will work. Second – you can make this gluten and dairy free.  Just replace the flour and butter with your diet…

  • Spooky Cosmic Brownies

    Happy Spooky Season Y’all!!  I am so excited that it is almost Halloween.  As you know I am all about everything Pumpkin, but really I am all about anything Fall and that includes the spooky season.  To amp up our Halloween sweet table this year I decided to bring a classic but make it a little spooky. Classic … Classic … Classic Sometimes it is good to go back to a classic, simple recipe.  I am all for changing up a traditional recipe but there is just something so good about the classics.  These brownies are as classic as they get.  They are rich, fudgy, everything chocolate, topped with icing…

  • Wesley’s Breakfast Casserole

    I always love my time with my AMAZING Niece and Nephew and this weekend was one of the best.  Not only did we get a lot of “chill time” but we played a ton of games, laughed until our bellies hurt and we also cooked… rather the kids cooked.  First they made dinner (stay tuned) and then breakfast.  My niece, Audra, made French Toast Casserole (recipe coming soon) and Wes made this delicious Breakfast Casserole. Start Your Day Off Right! They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and my nephew loves a good hearty breakfast… sometimes he even has two. So when we started talking about…

  • Pineapple Skillet Chicken

    Summer may be winding down but there is still time to make this Skillet Pineapple Chicken.  I mean I love this dish year round… but especially in the summer.  There is just something about pineapple in the summer… a match made in heaven for sure. All in the Skillet (& a baggie) Some of my most favorite meals are one skillet meals.  They make weeknight dinners super easy, they are super fast to clean-up and typically are loaded with tons of flavors.   This Pineapple Chicken is all that and more. Don’t skimp on the salsa! One of my favorite parts of this dish is the fresh pineapple salsa.  It…