It’s soup season! I’ve been digging through my archives for some of my favorite soup recipes and decided I needed to branch out from my go-to soups and try something new, an autumnal parsnip soup made by roasting the peppery and earthy flavored veggie alongside some sweet fall apples, fragrant fresh herbs, and some potatoes to give the soup a thick, hearty base. After they all get roasted and softened, it’s as easy as blending them with some warm chicken stock to get your soup on the table – yum!
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My inspiration for cocktails in my #Domestikatehappyhour series usually start with seasonal ingredients I find at the market, and when fresh figs made an appearance on my weekly grocery run, I knew I had to mix up something figgy in the cocktail shaker! This drink combines the honey-like sweetness of fig preserves with orange notes from Grand Marnier and that rich autumnal flavor of rye whiskey. A perfect cocktail to sip in front of the fireplaces on a cool fall night! 
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One of my favorite things to bring home when I’m traveling are interesting local jams and preserves. I snatched up a jar of delicious pear butter on a trip earlier this year, and the sweet, buttery preserve made with pears and hints of fall spices inspired this seasonal cocktail in my #DomestikateHappyHour series. The preserved pear spread gives the drink a sweet and autumnal fruit flavor, combined with a clean, smooth whiskey and some tart fresh lemon juice for a balanced sip! 
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When I’m hunting for the perfect table linens for holiday table idea, I often use a fun little DIY trick to get exactly the look what I’m going for – fabric-by-the-yard and a handmade touch! I pulled lots of the Waverly Inspirations line of fabrics in various orange and black patterns to create a festive, layered, and unique tablescape for Halloween! I draped orange striped fabric for a bold backdrop, used striped and gingham patterns for a tablecloth and runner, and cut no-sew table napkins out of pumpkin orange fabric and used some of the gingham scraps to make rustic napkins for a festive and spooky table setting!
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I’ll the first to admit that this isn’t the prettiest dish I’ve ever shared on my page, but it hits a sweet spot for all of the things we love: a tasty and healthy dinner, with less than 10 ingredients, on the table in under 30 minutes, and you can make it all on one pan! The salmon gets coated in a simple maple-dijon glaze and served alongside crispy seasonal Brussels sprouts, potatoes and shallots (a little extra maple-dijon marinade gets sprinkled on the veggie for even more flavor!). It’s a quick dish for those busy weeknights when we want something home cooked without the hassle!
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One day this summer I had the good fortune of getting drinks with one of my best girlfriends at one of our favorite old spots on Cape Cod. We were kid free, the sun was shining, and we had the bartender’s full attention to chat with us about their seasonal cocktail menu. One drink caught my eye – it was a deep, jewel-toned dark pink – and I asked our bartender what was in this gorgeous concoction. She let us know that it was actually beet juice that turned it so bright, and I knew I had to try it. The beet juice was mixed with bourbon and hints of orange and ginger – and the combination of ingredients was surprising and satisfying. I knew I had to try to recreate it at home, and have mixed up a version that feels pretty close to my memory of the tasty cocktail I had this summer – scroll down for my take and the full recipe:
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If there’s one thing I know about food blogging, it’s that you all go wild for any recipe that involves Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi! Make it a one-dish sheet pan meal that can be on the table in just about 30 minutes, and that’s it, people go nuts. I’ve been brainstorming some quick meals during this busy time of year that get a little helping hand from Trader Joe’s frozen food aisle. Want to know the secret to the famous Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi? Ignore the instructions on the back of the bag and bake them in the oven instead! They get a nice crispy, browned texture and the baking brings out more of the nutty cauliflower flavor too. 
This recipe has a nice seasonal fall feel, with bits of Italian sausage (I used sweet sausage to make it kid friendly, but mix it up if you have another kind you prefer), wilty green spinach and hearty white beans. Bits of garlic and red pepper flakes (totally optional if you don’t like spice) give the dish a punch of flavor too. Get the full recipe below – and check out my other Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi recipes here! read more
I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but dang this is one of the best meals I’ve made in ages. So good, in fact, that I’ve eaten it multiple times this week. I can’t stop thinking about this bright, tangy, herby green sauce and want to put it on everything! I made it over the weekend to drizzle on crispy roasted potatoes and lightly breaded chicken cutlets- both simple elements to a dish that got amped up to super-star-status when I drizzled this herb sauce over the top. I served both the potatoes and chicken alongside a fresh green salad and I can attest that the sauce would do wonders as a salad dressing too, it was all I could do not to lick the plate! Scroll down for the full recipe, and make this one ASAP:
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Gearing up for back to school around here and I was digging into the archives for lunchbox packing inspiration and thought I’d share a few of my tried and true tricks for kid-approved lunches. See my ideas and lots of lunchbox faves below!
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I sing my love of Little Leaf Farms from the rooftops, so I couldn’t be more excited to get my hands on the newest addition to their sustainably grown green line-up: Sweet Baby Butter Lettuce!!The new Sweet Baby Butter Leaf greens are sustainably grown in Little Leaf Farms’ state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouse (located right here in MA!) – so it’s an ingredient I always feel great about buying. We eat so much of it, and I’m loving this new variety that has a sweet flavor and a tender yet crispy texture (the Little Leaf crisp is something I always hear readers rave about).
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