Here is one of my go-to recipes for a quick but delicious weeknight meal. Teriyaki Turkey Stir Fry. I don’t like ground turkey but I knew that I needed to add it in to our diets to cut down on the amount of red meat we were eating and also because my kid’s claim they are allergic to chicken. It is super tasty and this is also one of my oldest son’s favorite meals. And because this is a meal I make when I don’t have a ton of time to spend in the kitchen, I decided to keep the tutorial down and dirty too. No styled shots. I mean, this recipe isn’t that pretty to look at to start, but why make an uncomplicated recipe more complicated, right. So I shot this as I cooked it one night. I originally found this recipe in one of the very first issues of Rachel Ray Magazine. She made it as the filling for lettuce wraps. I made it a little more hearty by serving it over rice. And I don’t even go by a recipe any more because it is super simple.
Brown a package (about a pound) of ground turkey.
Add a bag of shredded carrots and 2-3 sliced green onions. I usually also add a bag of frozen edamame to this as well, but did not have any in the freezer the night I took these pictures. I have also added broccoli florets and mushrooms to it in the past. Add about 1/4 cup of water to the pan with the vegetables and partially cover. Steam until veggies are crisp tender. I always tend to over cook it and it still does not ruin the dish. Remove the lid to cook off the extra water in the pan.
Add the teriyaki sauce. I think the recipe calls for 1/4 cup but I never think that is enough. Use your best judgement. In the past I have made my own teriyaki sauce and used many store-bought versions. Just pick your favorite. My favorite is Soy Vey Island Teriyaki and while I hate to admit it, Trader Joe’s makes a version of it for about half the price. I hate that they do that. My wallet does not. Heat together for a few minutes to bring the soy sauce to temperature.
I hardly ever make rice on the stove. Why would I when this frozen Jasmine Rice is SO tasty and SO easy. And since this is a recipe I make when lazy or in a rush, this takes only 3 minutes in the microwave.
I usually finish it off with a splash of soy sauce. You have one pan to clean aside from your dinner dishes. There are also usually plenty of leftovers. And this dish also tastes really yummy cold! I’d love to hear your quick weeknight meal recipes. And how do you use ground turkey?
Have you guys heard that there is a big game coming up? It is just weeks away. I’m not a big football fan, but there is something so exciting about that game. Ok, well maybe I’m not excited about the game, but I’m excited about the food. I love a good party. And every party has food. Make it a football party, and you’ve got a party that doesn’t need much fuss. Just yummy food, a little fanfare and good friends.
Our house is on the smaller side. We really just don’t have the space to invite a lot of people over for big shindigs so most of the time, my parties end up taking place somewhere other than my house. I’ve become really good at packing things up and hauling it with me all to ensure that it looks a certain way. Sure, you can consider me a bit of a control freak. I prefer to think of myself as a traveling hostess, on a mission to give people a good time in their own homes. I’ve tried many different ways of bringing food and supplies to and fro but we really need to look no further than 
Now is the perfect time for you to try them out for yourself. Did you know that 
I also picked up these 4 cup rectangle Take Alongs containers. I was kind of stupidly excited over these. This is the perfect serving dish size for small get togethers and I haven’t seen it in a storage container before! For some reason I get bent out of shape when you put food in a dish and it doesn’t reach the top of it…so odd, I know. I feel like it just wastes a ton of space, especially in terms of fridge real estate. These are perfection! And they have the slightest little flecks of sparkle to them. Men probably wouldn’t even pick up on it. But all the ladies are going to love it! You may not have thought to use storage containers in your entertaining before but I’m telling you, 
There is no need to make a ton of food. Choose ready made items that you know everyone likes to nibble on. Instead of flopping the bag on the table, take just a second and put them in one of your new storage containers. Pretzel rods fit perfectly! And the best part is, if you are like me and have to bring your stuff to another location, these containers will protect the pretzels and keep them from getting smashed in transit! When the party is over, snap on the lid and bring them back home. They can be stored right in your cupboard for late night snacking.
Mix and serve an old favorite, onion dip, right in the same 2 cup Rubbermaid storage container. You don’t need to get crazy with decorations, but food labels are a great way to add flair and let the guests know what they are eating. This 
As a way to add in some team colors to the food area, you can easily make these chip bags. I used a roll of kraft paper purchased from Lowe’s for under $10 (it’s a pretty big roll, I’ve used it for wrapping presents, creating table runners, craft projects with the kids…you will use it for ever!) and some washi tape. If you aren’t feeling particularly crafty, just grab a set of Take Alongs serving bowls!
Make something easy, but tasty, that your guests have never had before. These delicious Horseradish Cream Cheese Dried Beef Rolls are sure to be a hit. ”What’s that?!” you say, probably a little bit in horror. It is the most delicious appetizer you’ve never heard of. And I don’t even like cream cheese. Or horseradish. True story. Pick something simple with elements that you know are crowd pleasers (hello, beef and cream cheese) and try something new. See, I knew these low sided four cup containers were perfect for serving!
Whether you are hosting the party at your house or somewhere else, these containers make it super easy to plan ahead with your prep work, put together a crowd pleasing spread and then easily store leftovers.
And they aren’t just for food. They are the perfect way to transport decor items and other supplies to wherever your party is going to take place. There is an Easy Find Lid container that is approximately 9×13 (not pictured, I’ll be printing off another coupon and heading back to 
And now for the recipe. For real. Try it once. They are salty and creamy with a kick. Yum!
Grab a Rubbermaid container that will hold at least 2 cups. Place your softened cream cheese in the container. Add 2 TBSP of prepared horseradish and mix well. Taste. If you want more heat, add more horseradish. If you are feeling like you need more depth of flavor try adding garlic powder or a little Worcestershire sauce. Spread cream cheese mix on a slice of dried beef with a knife or off-set spatula. Make sure the cream cheese goes to the edges so that when you roll it up, it will stick to itself.
Roll it up, cut in half and place in whatever Rubbermaid container you want to serve them in. They are ready to serve or can go in the fridge for later.
You can also vary how much cream cheese you put on each one. I prefer a light spread while others might like a whole lot more. I love recipes like this! If any of you try this, let me know what you think! What are your football party plans?
Are you afraid of Panettone? It is one of my most favorite holiday time treats. But I find that many people have never tried it and don’t know of it’s awesomeness. I don’t really know why. My guess is that it is new (to them) and people don’t try things because they are afraid they won’t like them. It most often is sold in a box and you can’t really tell what is inside. Maybe that puts people off. Or maybe when people read the description they wrongly accuse Panettone of being fruit cake. I assure you. It is not. Well, it is, but not like fruit cake, fruit cake.
I’m going to break it down for you. Panettone almost always is sold in a box. And what you are seeing is dried fruits. But I implore you to pick one up and give it a try. You will thank me! You should start seeing these boxes in stores pretty soon as this is an Italian holiday tradition that can easily be found. There are tons of versions and you will see it in places like Trader Joe’s and World Market as well as local grocery stores. But they are not all created equal. More on that in a minute.
Although it is called a “cake” it is similar to a loaf of bread (but not – have I totally confused you yet?). Once you open the box, you will find the cake inside a plastic bag used to help ensure freshness. I usually save the bag to put the unused portion back in.
While you might be just starting out on your Panettone journey I consider myself somewhat of a Panttone snob. Many years ago I grabbed a box on a whim because I needed to know what this Panttone business was all about. One bite and I was hooked. Because my family knows how much I enjoy it, they now pick them up for me when they see them, so I have tried several brands. I can tell from the very first smell upon bag removal if it is a “good” one. This 
My all time favorite way to eat Panettone is toasted with butter. What you can’t tell from these images is how light this bread is! When you pick up a box it might feel heavy to you. Trust me, when you slice off a portion, you will start to see how fluffy and airy it is. Panettone is my favorite fall breakfast treat. I take a portion that is entirely too large for the average person and put it under the broiler to toast both sides. When it gets golden brown and crusty, I take it out and slap on some salted whipped butter. Gah! So good!
I have to admit I haven’t tried too many recipes using Panettone yet. At some point I will be making bread pudding with it because I can imagine how amazing it is from the way it tastes on its own. Bauducco shares many recipes on their website and this one, called 
You simply put a little marmalade and cream cheese on small pieces of Panettone and heat in the oven until slightly melty. OMG! My expectations were low. I’m not a huge fan of cream cheese and I already love the Panettone so I thought, how could it be better? Guess what. Delish! The Guava Marmalade adds a sweet/tartness to the bread and the cheese adds the most delightful creamy element. I love how adding these two ingredients took it from being bread to a little treat you could entertain with.
This apple butterscotch cookie recipe is one you are going to want to keep around. I consider this a family recipe even though I am certain we did not create it. I do not come from a family of bakers, but rather a family that enjoys a GOOD baked treat. This recipe has been made by my mom for years and is one she passed on to me in a cookbook she put together for me when I moved out. It is always a crowd pleaser and one that people will most certainly ask you for the recipe. The combination of the apples and butterscotch makes these cookies the perfect fall treat. Put them out at your holiday gatherings and see what I mean.
I am keeping this post simple as these cookies are really easy to make. You make a simple cookie batter and then include a few key ingredients to make them next level. These cookies have all the flavors of fall including nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. These flavors really shine through so you will want to make sure you are using quality spices (have you noticed the new packaging on the 
Add the apples and butterscotch chips to the cookie batter and mix it up. You may be looking at the photo above and thinking to yourself, “Dang, yo. Those apple chunks look really big.” And you would be right. You will want to chop your apples a little (or a lot) smaller than I did. It doesn’t ruin the cookies, said the girl who ate the whole batch in 2 days, but the texture would be better if they were smaller.
Plop the batter on some sheet pans and throw them in the oven. These cookies are pretty cakey so, again, if you see a way to fiddle with the recipe to make them more to your liking, do it!
I added a little bit of Maldon sea salt to some of the cookies before baking to see if that made a huge flavor difference. I don’t think it did. But if you want your cookies to be super trendy then add some and make sure your food tag says “Salted Apple Butterscotch Cookies.” We wouldn’t want a party guest to overlook these cookies because they aren’t hip enough.
And then eat the heck out of these apple butterscotch cookies.
Chocolate pretzel donut holes. Do it.
While these would work with a box of donut holes that you find at the grocery store, I highly suggest swinging by your local mom and pop donut shop to pick up some fresh ones. Crush some pretzels, melt some chocolate and dip away. Pop in the fridge to set for about 20 minutes.
And then shove them in your face. Next time I might even get more gluttonous and cover the WHOLE thing in chocolate and pretzels.
Bite sized things are just so cute. And did you know when you eat cute things they have less calories? Ok, I totally made that up but it sounds like it should be true.
These are the kinds of treats I like to make for a shower or something. I’m certainly not going to risk life and limb and attempt to fry my own donuts. So I buy them and then jazz them up. Easy. Delicious. Fattening. Perfection.
