Tilapia & Summer Vegetable Packets

Barbecued anything in the summer heat is always a hit with me. It is just yummy and has a lack of cleanup. This is especially true for this recipe which is also very healthy and much more flavorful compared to eating grilled chicken and steamed vegetables every day. For those of you who don't like or haven't tried fish, I would highly recommend giving the tilapia try. It is very bland, kinda like chicken, and absorbs flavors of foods cooked with it. Once you try it you can't help but like it. Trust me.

Pesto

If you have never tried pesto your are in for a big treat. Its a light oily sauce flavored with basil and garlic. This sauce is quick to make as toss with some of your favorite pasta to enjoy instead of using boring tomato sauce.

Chicken Kabob

I thought I should post an easy summer recipe that is great to enjoy in the heat. Kabobs are on of my favorite things to enjoy out by a pool. They require a little prep work, but are much better than the store bought versions. The prep work is quickly accomplished when you have a helper to do some of the chopping and assembly as I did with my girlfriend. 

Double Layer Chocolate Cake

I know it has been forever since I posted something to the blog due to me graduating college and all, but hopefully the wait was worth it for this great recipe. I have made it on two separate occasions and each time even non cake loved told me how good it was. Hopefully it will be a hit for you as well. This recipe was very nice to make with someone special as I had my girlfriend lend me a hand. 

No Knead Crusty Bread

This is a nice recipe due to the fact that it doesn't require much kneading and changes flavor based on how long you allow the dough to sit. This recipe is large enough to make dough for around 3 round loaves. Enjoy.

Swedish Meatballs

I have always loved the meatballs that IKEA has. Something about them makes them so good and completely addicting. I thought I should try my hand at making them.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

I have never had or made a stuffed pepper before this, but have always enjoyed bell peppers on pretty much anything. After finding this recipe it seemed easy and looked delicious. I used Italian sausage instead of beef, but I think you can use pretty much any meat you would like.

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Who doesn't like a cookie. Oatmeal raisin cookies have always been a favorite of mine, just behind white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. These however were great. 

Golden Vanilla Pound Cake

If you have never had pound cake, you do not know what you have been missing. It may look like a bread or corn meal but isn't like either of these. It is like a super tasty, dense cake that you just have to try. I am sure you will like it as much as I do.

Chicken Cacciatore

I always enjoy any dish that has pasta, and this one with the yummy tomato sauce covering a chicken breast over a bed of pasta is difficult to beat. Its not difficult to make, but it a little hectic at times. 

Twice Baked Potatoes

Nothing is quite as good as a twice baked potato and with this recipe they aren't difficult to make in the least. Once you have had one you will never want to go back to any other type of potato again.

Beef Roast

I am a huge fan of crock pot recipes due to the ease and low hands on time. Its just nice to throw some ingredients together on the way out and have a delicious meal when you get back.

Olive Garden Bread Sticks

Everyone loves Olive Garden's bread sticks. They are just so good and when I found this recipe I knew I had to give it a try. Mine turned out a little too big and not quite garlicy enough, but these slight issues will be easy to fix next time I make it. And the best part is that they aren't hard to make either.

Reese's Peanut Butter Banana Bread

I was given this recipe a while ago from my girlfriend and I thought it was time that I should take the plunge and actually make it. This was my first attempt making a banana bread and though it turned out very nice.

Chicken Parmesan

I thought this would be a nice addition to just having some homemade pasta with sauce and / or meatballs. It is not difficult at all and just requires a few minutes of hands on time and about an hour baking. I really enjoyed it.

Challah

I thought it was time that I should try and make this classic bread. It turned out to not to too difficult. This recipe required more hands on time compared to other bread recipes, but the crust and taste was well worth it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Deviled Eggs

I was feeling in the mood for some deviled eggs, so I thought I would share the recipe with all of you. This recipe doesn't use too much mayonnaise and uses a bunch of mustard and horseradish instead. I hope you like it as much as I do.

French Toast

Being the weekend I feel that having a nice breakfast is always in order. French toast is something that is easy to make and much nicer than most of the normal breakfast foods out there. 

White Sandwich Bread

I ran out of sandwich bread this week and thought, why buy the bread when I can just make it. For this I wanted to just try a plain bread which can be used for egg and cheese sandwiches or french toast. The loaf turned out a little mis-shapened, but that was my fault due to the fact I allowed it to over rise.

Linguine

It always seemed like making pasta would be a very difficult and time consuming activity. However, making it by hand isn't difficult and makes that special touch to any meal. However, I have found having a pasta roller makes the process much, much easier. 

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

I always enjoy biscuits with dinner and thought it was time to try another recipe. This is a quick, painless way to make yummy flaky biscuits.

Crock Pot Chili

I have always enjoyed a good bowl of chili and wanted to make it myself a few months ago. Over that time I have made this easy recipe which always turns out wonderful. It requires little hands on time in the beginning and no supervision when cooking, though occasional stirrings do help. 

Frosted Sugar Cookies

I've always liked these thick, soft frosted sugar cookies which you find in the grocery store, but have never tried to make them until now. The recipe makes the same yummy cookies which you can find in the store and you can dye the icing any color you want. I ran out of food coloring before making this batch and forgot to pick more up so mine are white. I know they are bland looking, but oh so yummy.

Sloppy Joes

I thought this would be a nice recipe to try for a nice lunch or an easy dinner that takes around 25 minutes from start to finish. It might not be fancy compared to some of the other recipes on the site, but its easy and yummy

Mac & Cheese Bake

I have always liked homemade mac and cheese and thought I should give it a try. I find that baked pasta is always much tastier than just throwing sauce on top of it. It was quite easy to make with only about 20 minutes of hands on time.

Whole Wheat Bread

Its been a little while since I baked a new bread recipe, so I thought it was long overdue that I try another one. I have never made a wheat bread so I thought it was a good as time as ever to give it a try. It smelled great while rising, cooking and cooling and tasted even better. 

Meatballs

I've never made meatballs from scratch before, but thought it was time to give it a try instead of buying frozen ones. It was quite easy to make them with only about 5 minutes of prep and 20 minutes of cooking

Chocolate Chip Cookies

It has been a little while since I have made a desert so I thought I was time to make some home made cookies. I only made them from pre-made dough before and have never made them from scratch before so I thought it was a good time to give it a try. For being my first time making them I thought it was a good success.

 

Baked Ziti

I have made this dish several times over the past year or so and have always loved it. It is quite easy to make and tastes yummy. As long as you can mix together a few ingredients and cook sausage in a pan you can easily create this yummy and filling dinner for yourself and friends.

Biscuits

I have always enjoyed having biscuits at dinner, but have always made them from the Pillsbury tube and never from scratch. I wanted to give making one by scratch instead. It wasn't too difficult to make, but it is important that you want to avoid over kneading the dough. When I was making these I over kneaded the dough which caused the biscuits to be very chewy.

 

Beef Stew

This is another one of my favorite crock pot recipes which is quite easy to make as long as you are sure to start it in the morning since it requires simmering for 9 - 10 hours. However, after this long simmer you get a tender beef stew that is much better than the canned variety.

Bagels

I have always really enjoyed really fresh bagels such as the ones you get in New York City, but its hard to find good bagel places all over the country. While my first attempt doesn't compare to the NYC bagels, they are pretty tasty and not too difficult. 

Stuffed Cheese Shells

I have always liked to order cheese shells when at a restaurant as they are always delicious. Nothing is better than food that contains lots and lots of hot melted cheese inside of it. This recipe is quite easy to make and much easier than making raviolis. 

Pizza

I have always enjoyed pizza and though it might is nice to make it from scratch at home instead of always buying the frozen ones. 

Smoky Chicken & Peppers Mac

This is a nice and easy recipe that takes around 25 minutes total to whip together and is perfect when you want to throw together dinner quickly. I like this recipe and makes a much nicer dinner than just plain mac 'n cheese.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

I have always loved BBQ chicken sandwiches but have hated either paying $5 for a small tub of the pre-made stuff or pulling the chicken apart with two forks. However, this technique gets rid of both of my pet peeves, but does require a powerful stand mixer. A hand mixer might work in a pinch, I've just never tried it. I hope all of you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

Sweet Dough Bread

This was one of the first bread recipes that I have made when I started to actually cook meals instead of just throwing together hamburger helper for every  meal. This recipe is quite easy and doesn't require a mixer or any expensive equipment. This recipe is where I learned a very easy method for kneading the bread.

Pierogi

Being from Pittsburgh I have enjoyed a pierogis all the time. There they are quite famous having many shops which specialize in only selling them and being famous enough to have a show at every baseball game where the pierogis ‘run’ through the city. Pretty crazy I know. For those of you who do not know this delicious Polish food which consists of a buttery, creamy dough that has a potato, cheesy filling inside that is crispy on the outside. Just delicious. You cannot go wrong with cooking this delicious recipe for dinner.

Crock Pot Jambalaya

I always have liked crock pot recipes due to their simplicity and low hands on time. However, this recipe took a little extra time due to the fact of all the cutting that was required before cooking. But once it was ready to be eat it was very yummy and didn't require you to sit over a hot stove top for hours stirring. This final picture was taken after half of it was already eaten. I was a little hungry.

Black and White Cookies

Every time I travel to NYC, I always have to run to grab one of their famous black and white cookies. I enjoy them so much, my girlfriend who lives in NYC always brings me one or two when she comes to visit me. Occasionally I see these sold elsewhere around the country, but they are never the same delicious cookies. In case you don't know, these are more like a fluffy cake with delicious frosting on top. Because I have always loved these cookies I thought I should give it a try and just make them myself. 

Calzones

Calzones have been a favorite of mine for a long time. What better way to enjoy your favorite meats, vegetables and spices in a dough filled wrap of deliciousness. A calzone allows all of the various fillings to mix in a delicious medley. They tasted as good as they look below.

Maple Cinnamon Butter

I've always liked having those flavored butters at restaurants that always added a little bit of pop to any bread. I had always though they would have been difficult to make, but in reality it wasn't difficult at all with a mixer. By hand however, this recipe would be difficult and time to make by hand though. It was no match for the KitchenAid though.

French Bread

I found this recipe online and seemed something that would go along nicely with a variety of meals from pastas to meatloaf so I thought I would give it a try. I liked how it looks just like one of the artisan loafs which you can buy from the bakeries. I recently saw loafs at my grocery store where my homemade loafs looked superior. Made me put a smile on my face.

Oreo Pudding Poke Cake

I found this recipe online and thought it would make a yummy desert that was easy to make. It is definitively was as easy to make as I though it was and tastes great. Let me know what you think about this easy desert.

Buffalo Chicken Ring for the Superbowl

I thought this would be a nice variation to the normal buffalo chicken dip that everyone has made and would not be too difficult either, just a few ingredients that would not be found in the average kitchen, mainly the canned chicken. However, cooked chicken breasts could easily be substituted instead. 

Baked Chicken Wings / Homemade Fries

I've had these sitting in the freezer for a while and wanted to use them before they completely broke down due to freezer burn. I though this recipe was also healthier for me then deep frying them. This recipe has only about 10 minutes of prep time to have homemade, fresh wings at home.

Recipe Database

I've always wanted to have a database to keep track of all my recipes in one place and to create grocery lists for me. I have always thought it is a waste of time to have to write down the ingredients every week and better organize it so I though creating my own database to do this.

Homemade Ravioli

I've always wanted to try to make my own pasta and once making my own linguine without the use of a pasta machine and really enjoyed it, I purchased a few supplies including a pasta machine to help me roll out the dough. This was made on prior week but didn't have time to post it to the blog. Also sorry for the lack of photos. If you need anything in more detail just post a comment.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

After baking a basic sweet dough recipe multiple times successfully, I wanted to try something more challenging and more of an artisan type of bread. I have always loved cinnamon swirl bread and thought I would give it a try. It looks great and makes the entire kitchen smell like fresh cinnamon.