Summer is in full swing and I couldn’t be happier!

This week’s menu highlight has to be the 4th of July Round Up for Tuesday. Click the link to see the epic collection of the perfect 4th of July recipes. The rest of the week is filled with family favorites like simple Sausage and Vegetable Frittatas, Beef and Lime Chili Fajitas, and the best lamb on the planet.

These perfect summer dinners are just what you need to maximize your fun with family and still keep everyone fed and happy.

Enjoy!
-xo

Summer is here!

Although it isn’t the relaxed summer I thought I would be having with my kids. It’s a mad dash between basketball practices, games, and playdates. In between, I’m handing over smoothies, snacks, and meals to keep everyone full and happy. It’s pretty much a full time gig with a workout and a blog post squeezed in for good measure.

This week’s dinners are perfect for my crazy schedule. Amanda Frederickson, one of my favorite bloggers offers up a perfect Thai Chicken Satay with a Spicy Peanut Sauce, my favorite summer tomato pasta that reminds me of lunch on the Amalfi Coast, a classic roast chicken that every home cook should know how to make, and an easy but drop dead delicious platter of enchiladas. These are the meals that will get me through the UBER driver challenge this week and make me look like a hero at dinner time.

Enjoy!

-xo

Summer is finally here!

Last week, Lily graduated from elementary school. It was a big week for Lily and our entire family. We celebrated our girl and said goodbye to a school that served as an extension of our home. We spent 10 important, formative, and very special years with our children at a school that we truly love. We will miss all of the people who touched our lives over the past decade and inspired our children to become the best possible version of themselves. We are filled with gratitude for the experience.

Now that summer is here for my family, we are ready for lazy mornings and late nights. I’m looking for dinners that reflect how I feel this time of year: relaxed and easy. I go for fresh, seasonal, easy to throw together dinners that make everyone happy. This week, I’ve got a gorgeous Grilled Chicken with Tomato Salad by Gaby Dalkin, an easy breezy Summer Tartine, my favorite marinated, grilled lamb with a to-die-for curry sauce, and a soul satisfying Pasta E Fagioli by Once Upon A Chef.

Enjoy!

-x0

One down, one to go. Jake wrapped up his finals this week and is officially on summer break! While we are all excited to have a change of pace for a few months, the official start of summer is on hold until we spring Lily from school next week. Lily graduates from elementary school next week so there is a big week ahead for her.

While it’s Lily’s big day and we are incredibly proud of her, it will be a very big day for our family. I am emotional about saying goodbye to a place and people who have played a huge role in our lives for the past 10 years. It isn’t just leaving a school, it’s saying goodbye to a very special, sweet time in our lives. While I’m excited about the next phase for Lily, right now, I feel the march of time. Next week I will toast the class of 2017, but for now, I need to soak in these last days.

With the longer more relaxed days of summer within reach, my menu planner is tasting a lot like the season. A lovely Mediterranean Chicken with Lemons and Potatoes, Cauliflower Rice with Asian seasonings, my favorite summer fish with corn and tomato, and flavorful, moist Turkey Burgers loaded with herbs and zucchini.

Enjoy!

-xo

Anyone else have summer on the brain?

By my Menu Planner, you would think that I’m enjoying leisurely beach days and after dinner  S’mores Dip in the backyard. Meals like Gaby Dalkin’s Grilled Steak with Tomato Salad, Wedge Salad with a Creamy Herb Dressing, and easy BBQ Chicken Sandwiches are exactly how I want my summer to taste. I may be jumping the gun on summer with what lies ahead this week.

The reality is that Jake has a stressful week ahead of high school finals and Lily is still in the swing of things with school and activities. I’ll be driving a lot with Jake’s test schedule and Lily’s regular routine. The food on my menu is perfect for a busy week. The menu I created tastes like the freedom of summer during what I anticipate will be a busy week.

Enjoy!

-xo

The unofficial start to summer begins Monday! 

I’ve got an amazing Memorial Day Menu that will be easy to throw together and make your guests full and happy. I love this menu because it’s full of gorgeous food that is easy to prepare before the guests arrive. That’s the kind of stress free entertaining I like! Less time in the kitchen and more time with friends.

The rest of the week looks like a hearty Mexican Soup, Gaby Dalkin’s perfect summer Grilled Chicken with Tomato and Corn Salad, and my satisfying Pasta with Rigatoni with Mushrooms and Peas. It’s a delicious week of food ahead and I can’t wait to get started!

I love the pictures of your beautiful food! Tag me on Instagram and Facebook @everykitchentellsastory.

Happy Memorial Day!

Enjoy!

-xo

 

I know it’s almost Memorial Day but I am circling back to my New Year’s Resolutions. Remember those?

This year, I created a very different list. Instead setting myself up for failure, I decided to focus on things that make me happy. I don’t want to feel deprived by cutting out certain foods or habits. I want to feel fulfilled and successful. Instead of taking things away I want to add to my life. I want to explore new things and learn new skills.

Top of my list was learning to decorate beautiful cakes. This week, I took the first step in checking that box off of my resolution list. I had the opportunity to work with a baker whom I admire immensely. It was a thrill to get back in a classroom kitchen and create stunning cakes. We leveled, we crumb-coated, we piped, and we decorated! By the end of the class, my right hand ached from piping endless rows of florets and dots, but it was truly one of the best afternoons I’ve had in a long time.

Learning something new that I have always been curious about was inspiring. It opened up my world creatively and was truly a joyful experience. We are almost midway through the year but I am going to think about what else I would like to learn. I’ve always wanted to draw, take better photographs, and be better on the computer. Creating edible art projects like cake may not be your thing but I would love to know what is. What’s on your list?

Feeling inspired nourishes the soul in the same way good food does. Lucky for all of us, I have a great week of dinners planned for us and I’m excited to get to it! Check out this Nobu inspired Miso Glazed Fish from the NYTimes, a seasonal one-pan wonder of Braised Chicken with Artichokes by Amanda Frederickson, a lemony-Lawry’s rubbed Pan Fried Ribeye from Ree Drummond, and my classic and delicious Lentil Soup.

Enjoy!

-xo

I don’t know if I am just really hungry or this is the best menu ever! Each night has something so off the charts fabulous I may have to double every recipe to make sure everyone has enough for seconds and lunch the next day.

Check out my picks for the best week in food for your family. I love how Ina Garten turns up the volume on a classic macaroni and cheese casserole by adding tomatoes and fresh bread crumbs. Don’t you just want to dig in right this very minute? I’m also super excited about Smitten Kitchen’s Chicken Gyro Salad, an Asian Salmon, and my favorite Pioneer Woman stir fry, Beef with Snow Peas.

Can’t wait to hear about your delicious week in food. Direct message your photos to me on Instagram @everykitchentellsastory. I love seeing what you make!

Enjoy!

-xo

 

This is one of those weeks where I can’t wait to get started! Each and every one of these recipes is so totally delicious and easy to get on the table that it will be hard to choose a favorite. Let’s break it down!

From Once Upon A Chef, Pasta E Fagioli loaded with pancetta, pasta, veggies, lentils, and chickpeas is one of those soul satisfying bowls of yum that is sure to please. My sizzling Beef Chili Lime Fajitas are a winner! The meat is marinated and served with peppers, onions, and tons of fixings. What’s Gaby Cooking offers one of my favorite fish dishes around! It’s the perfect example of offering restaurant quality taste on a weeknight time crunch. Finally, if you can’t decide between chicken parm and meatballs, Chicken Parm Meatballs is the answer!

I’m seriously excited about a great week of food ahead. Start clicking, planning, and shopping for an organized and tasty week of dinners!

Enjoy!

-xo

 

 

I’m pretty sure food was my first true love. As long as I can remember, I was interested in what we were eating and curious about how it was made. As a child, I thought the grocery store was a giant world of possibilities and endless inspiration. To this day, going to the grocery store is one of my favorite things to do. Wandering the aisles of the grocery store isn’t just a necessary errand for me. I am inspired by new products on the shelves and get excited by seasonal produce announcing the arrival of spring, summer, fall, or winter.

The first thing I ever made as a child was a tomato sandwich. During summers in Wisconsin, I would slather mayonnaise on white bread, add thick slices of perfectly ripened, peak season tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. I have no idea how I thought to do this as a kid because it certainly wasn’t your average bologna sandwich. What’s interesting to me is that the way I eat hasn’t changed that much. My mom can attest to the fact that since I was a toddler, I knew exactly what I wanted to eat, would go to great lengths to get it and took great pleasure in it.

How do you think about food? Do you look at it as fuel for your body? A way to bring your family to the table to connect after a long day? Is it a chore or a pleasure to make? I look at food as a special gift to myself and my family. I know how good it feels to crave something very specific and how special it is to finally get that delicious first bite. That burst of culinary joy and satisfaction is what I’m after when I feed my family.

My menus are designed in hopes of meeting the needs of my family and making everyone happy. When you take the following into account, it isn’t such an easy task:

*Flavor – I don’t want to serve the same kind of food every night so I like to balance out regional food. My family is very capable of going on a serious bender and working something they love to death and then never want to see it again. So, we take trips around the world each week at dinner and I try not to stop in the same region twice in one week. So, I keep things interesting with a combination of Italian, Mexican, American, Asian, etc.

*Proteins – To shake things up, I offer a variety of proteins like chicken, beef, turkey, and fish. No one wants to eat beef every night. While I’m not a nutritionist, I’m sure a diet of just beef is not very good for you. So, to keep things healthy and balanced, I mix up my nightly protein.

*Likes & Dislikes – My family has no shortage of opinions about food. Lily isn’t a fan of pasta but loves Asian food and would eat it every night (see the first bullet point!). Jake doesn’t eat cheese and Doug likes to eat clean. PHEW. That alone is a lot to manage.

*Experimenting – It’s hard to experiment with kids. I usually only offer one new thing a week, and when I do, I always have a “safe food” on the table. For example, if my kids have never had the Mongolian Meatballs on this week’s menu, I will serve it with things that are familiar and “safe” for them like rice, broccoli, and potstickers. Trying new foods for kids is exhausting and scary. Finding foods on the table that they recognize is comforting.

*Cost – no one wants to blow the bank every week on food. I don’t jam tons of expensive ingredients into a week because that just stresses me out! I don’t offer a week of super pricey beef, fish, and out of season produce that was flown in first class from across the globe. Most kids don’t care about impressive, expensive food. They just want good food that makes them full and and happy!

This week’s menu is one that is sure to work for my family. I’m offering a lovely Lemon Pasta with Shrimp by Giada, Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers in Tomato Sauce, Potato Tostadas, and Cafe Delites Mongolian Meatballs. My family will love these dinners and I hope yours does, too!

Enjoy!
-xo