Lemon Lime Basil Margarita Recipe

A refreshing cocktail with the perfect combination of citrus and basil flavors! Definitely a new favorite!

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope 2015 was a fantastic year for you and your family! It was a busy, but great year for my daughter Ella and I. In 2016, I hope to get back to blogging more regularly and bring some more bookish and recipe posts your way. Ella will also be starting a kid blog with DIY's, recipes and other fun stuff. As soon as I have all the details, I'll be sharing with you! We are super excited to start her blogging journey together and I know you'll love what she has to share!

Greek Hot Dog Recipe

Perfect party food or a quick weeknight dinner! Warm the hot dogs in the slow cooker for easy prep!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We celebrated with my Dad and the family on Christmas Eve, and we'll be celebrating with my Mom on New Year's Day! I'm also looking forward to staying in downtown Minneapolis this weekend for a friend's birthday celebration! Tons of great food, drinks and dancing are on the agenda. Sounds like a blast to me! 

Chocolate Kiss Cookies aka Blossoms Recipe

These Double Chocolate Kiss Cookies are wonderful for the holidays, bake sales or to cure any sweet tooth craving! They are soft, chewy, and delicious with any flavor Hershey's Kisses you like!

Slow Cooker Balsamic Barbeque Smoked Sausage Bites Recipe

A great appetizer for any holiday celebration or party! The homemade sauce is packed full of flavor and it goes great with the sausage!

I'm really looking forward to Christmas at my Dad's this year! Everyone is bringing an appetizer and my Step-mom is making her usual holiday treats that we all look forward to. I love snacking all afternoon on a little of this and that while we drink wine, visit and play our annual present exchange dice game! I scored some fun prizes to give in the clearance aisle at Walmart today and cannot wait to see what everyone else brings!

Almond Banket Bars Recipe

These melt in your mouth almond bars are a great shortcut to the traditional Dutch banket! They are a wonderful everyday dessert or perfect for holiday Thanksgiving or Christmas celebrations!  

Almond Banket Bars

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Easy Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

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I don't know about you, but I always look for easy homemade recipes when it comes to planning holiday meals. Less time in the kitchen, means more time with the family! When it comes to Christmas meals, we've been known to have brunch, a traditional ham or turkey dinner, and even a delicious Italian pasta bar!

16 Recipes for Any Garlic Lover!

If you've been following me for awhile, then you already know I have a huge love for garlic! Garlic gets added to pretty much everything I cook and most recipes wouldn't be the same without it!

I have a post coming up on Wednesday for a new pasta sauce recipe. I made the Buttery Garlic Bread shown below as a side for my new sauce! It was posted on the blog back in 2012 and really needed new pictures, so I updated those. Along with updating, I thought it would be fun to share all of these garlic recipes with you!

Some are from my blog, and some from my awesome blogging buddies! They are all fantastic and packed full of garlic goodness! If you are a garlic lover, then this post is definitely for you!!

Cranberry Orange Sparkling Wine Cocktail Recipe

 
Perfect for elegant, but simple holiday entertaining! Full of delicious cranberry and orange flavor!

It's officially the last day of November! I'm not quite sure where this month has gone, but I can't wait for December to arrive. We're expecting our first snowstorm tonight and with all our holiday decorating going on, I'm feeling extra festive!

Updated Post: Quick Peppery Cheddar Cheese Bread plus 9 Last Minute Holiday Meal Recipes!

No new recipe today but I have an updated post and 9 last minute holiday meal recipes!

This Peppery Cheddar Cheese Bread is a great addition to your Thanksgiving menu, a side for any chili, stews or creamy soups! With prep and baking, it's ready in less than an hour! You can head over to the updated post with new photos here and check out the recipe!

Cheesy Chicken, Sun Dried Tomato and Spinach Crescent Rolls Recipe

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Pillsbury. The opinions and text are all mine.

I love the holiday season. It's seriously my favorite time of year! I enjoy the extra family time and good food, but I also just love feeling blessed and sharing those blessings with others. 

This time of year you can always find me in the kitchen experimenting and trying new recipes. Fall and winter meals such as casseroles, soups or anything baked in the oven is comfort food to me. There's nothing like warming up the house with the oven on a cold day and eating a hearty and delicious meal.

Pizza Tater Tot Hotdish Recipe

A delicious family friendly casserole! Perfect for weeknights, or even Sunday dinner!

Casserole or Hotdish? If you're from Minnesota, you know it as Hotdish! I crave these one pan wonders when the weather gets cold outside!

Fudgy Pumpkin Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

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Two ingredient brownies with a layer of delicious homemade frosting on top! So perfect for fall!

I can't believe it's almost the middle of November already! This month is flying by! I've been quite busy in the kitchen lately along with doing vendor shows for my Mama Loves Her Oils Young Living business! I just love getting out at these events and chatting with new people! You never know who you might meet or see! Tons of fun!

Slow Cooker Tortellini Chili Recipe plus Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker Giveaway

Hamilton Beach provided the slow cooker used in this post. This does not alter my opinion in any way and all words are my own.

Slow cooker season is in full swing at our house! I've made a few different slow cooker recipes over the last few weeks and will be trying out a few more. Today's recipe is a new favorite of mine. Tortellini has been on my menu alot lately, so I decided to give it a try in chili. It was fantastic! Cheese is always good in chili, and when adding the tortellini, the cheesiness goes to a whole new level. Also, by adding the tortellini, you're stretching the recipe much further, making it great for larger families, or leftovers for lunch at work.

Creamy German Sausage, Potato and Sauerkraut Soup Recipe

Delicious and easy 30 minute meal! Perfect for weeknight lunch or dinner and the sauerkraut adds a surprising touch of flavor in this German inspired soup.


Creamy German Sausage, Potato and Sauerkraut Soup

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Butterfinger and Sugar Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe

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We all have those Halloween stories from when we were kids. Mine happens to be the Halloween blizzard of 1991. Ask anyone from Minnesota, they'll tell you how crazy it was!! Over 20 inches of snow in a single day, this was seriously a kid's worst nightmare on Halloween night!

Tortellini and Vegetable Soup Recipe

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This meatless soup is packed full of tortellini and veggies! So hearty and filling, you don't even miss the meat!

Soup season is in full swing at our house! LOVE this time of year!

Today's recipe is so delicious, light and filling! 

It's also meatless which makes it frugal, but if you have a family of meat eaters, definitely add some chopped cooked chicken breast to the pot! 

My daughter isn't much of a meat eater, so this was one recipe she really enjoyed. She finished two full bowls the night I made it, then ate another one the next day. Definitely kid approved!

Cheesy Ranch Chicken Hashbrown Casserole Recipe

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A pure comfort food casserole that the whole family will love! Tons of cheesy, ranch goodness!

As soon as fall settles in, I'm all about casseroles! 

More than likely, if you grew up in Minnesota, you know them as "hotdish". I'm a true Minnesota girl. 

Raspberry Brain Ice Cubes Recipe

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.#FamilyPizzaCombo #CollectiveBias

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays! I love nothing more than to dress up with my family and go door to door trick or treating! I also love Halloween parties and all the festivities going on in our town around Halloween time! Such fun!

Smoothie Bowl Breakfast or DIY Smoothie Bowl Bar

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FuelTheirAdventures #CollectiveBias

Breakfast is my absolute favorite meal of the day and I can't start my day without eating something good. The majority of weekdays are rushed when we're out the door to work and school, and the afternoons and evenings are busy and active as well. We have piano lessons, Girl Scouts and everything else in between, so it takes some creativity to eat good meals and snacks when on the go.

One of our favorite ways to get some fruit and dairy into our day is Smoothie Bowls! 

Easy Fried Fish Sandwich Recipe

Need an easy dinner? This recipe is for you! Crispy, golden fried fish fillets on a bun with your favorite toppings! So good!

Easy Fried Fish Sandwich

Individual Pumpkin Pie Spice Rice Pudding Recipe

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DelightfulMoments #CollectiveBias

How many of you are coffee lovers like me? Every morning I need a cup of joe to get me going before work! I'm also one of those people who love their coffee with tons of flavor, no plain ol' black coffee for me.

Beefy Orzo and Vegetable Soup Recipe

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Old fashioned comfort food and super easy to make! Great for any cool weather meal!

As I sit here typing this post, I feel a cool Minnesota fall breeze flowing through the window. Weather like this always makes me crave soups and casseroles! In fact, we had this amazing Cabbage Roll Casserole for dinner tonight! Fall is truly my favorite time of year and I always get excited when the leaves start changing colors and the temps start dropping.

Apple Cider Cocktail Recipe

Happy 5th Blogiversary to Allison at Cupcake Diaries! To celebrate we're giving away one Kitchen Aid Mixer plus I have an amazing Apple Cider Cocktail for the celebration!!

I've teamed up with Allison and the rest of these amazing bloggers to host the giveaway! If you have a chance, check out their fantastic blogs below and give them some love! They have tons of yumminess going on!

Cheesy Recipes for any Cheese Lover!

Each one of these cheese lovers recipes are perfect for anyone who loves creamy, melty, savory, hot and delicious cheese. If cheese is one of your favorite food groups then you are in the right place! With recipes like baked Mac and cheese, chili cheese fries, cheesy tortellini skillet lasagna, and so much more, there is something cheesy and tasty here that is sure to be your new favorite cheese lovers recipe!

Click each recipe title to view the recipe!

10 Books to get you in the Mood for Fall! Young Adult and Adult Titles!

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It's that time of year... the leaves are changing colors, the weather is getting cooler and that means it's time to start reading some spooky books!

Today I have a great list of books to get you in the mood for Fall! Some of them are young adult, and some are adult fiction and non fiction. It's really a fun variety of books, plus I've read each and every one of them so they're recommended! Hope you find some good reads today!

Chicken, Tomato and Sweet Potato Curry Recipe

Packed full of flavor and ready in less than 30 minutes! Perfect for those busy nights!

I have a confession. I'm pretty new to eating curry. It's definitely not something we grew up with in our central Minnesota hotdish and German food eating family! My younger sister, Shantel studied abroad last summer. Her first stop was Croatia, then she stopped in London to visit an online friend of hers. While she was traveling, she tried a curry really similar to this, then came home and made it for me shortly after. 

Apple and Raspberry Muffins Recipe

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A fruity and delicious breakfast! Make ahead, and serve on those busy mornings before school!

One thing I always look forward to in the fall is.... apples! 

I planted a Honey Crisp apple tree in our yard last year, and we already had apples this year! 

They tasted amazing and it makes me so excited for our own apples in the years to come. 

My Dad's apple tree is an early harvest compared to most. His apples start dropping off the tree in mid August, so I had to get creative and mastermind some new apple recipe ideas!

Gold Peak Brewed Tea at Outback Steakhouse!

This post is sponsored by my friends at Gold Peak Tea.

Sweet vs. Unsweet is the ultimate debate when drinking and talking about tea. Previously, I preferred all things sweet, but recently, I've been going more down the unsweet route! I love adding mint, fresh fruits, like strawberries, peaches and raspberries, or even a simple slice of lemon to my tea. 

One of our favorite brands, Gold Peak Tea, is available at restaurants near you! You can enjoy the crisp and delicious flavor Gold Peak tea offers, at Outback Steakhouse, California Pizza Kitchen, Carrabba's Italian Grill, or TGI Fridays!

The day we visited, Outback had regular unsweetened, mango or pomegranate flavored teas to choose from! We tried the regular unsweetened and mango, and they both were so delicious! Gold Peak Tea is so refreshing and really has "The Taste That Brings You Home". I always remember by sister making freshly brewed iced tea at home growing up, and a sip of Gold Peak Tea always brings me back to those great summertime memories!

When my daughter and I dine out on those special occasions, Outback Steakhouse is always one of her first picks! She loves steak and it's really a meal the both of us can enjoy together. It's pure comfort food and pairs perfectly with Gold Peak Tea. We enjoyed, steak, shrimp, baked potatoes and Outback's amazing macaroni and cheese the day we visited. We had full bellies and were ready for an evening of shopping after that!

As you can see, I was really enjoying my tea that day! I really love having the option of choosing unsweetened tea when dining out, as well as enjoying it at home like usual.

What is your preference when it comes to drinking Gold Peak Brewed Tea? Sweet or Unsweet?