I took a little poll recently on my instagram about some new blog post ideas, and one that got resounding positive feedback was Trader Joe’s hack recipes! I love Trader Joe’s and I rely on so many of their frozen foods, great sauces and specialty items for making quick and easy dinners at home. This recipe is one of those fast-fix meals, and the best part is that it can be made in one-pan for minimal clean-up. It starts with their popular cauliflower gnocchi, which gets added to the pan while still frozen and tossed with tomatoes, olive oil, herbs and seasonings. It roasts for about 30 minutes and tossing the ingredients once or twice mid-cooking helps everything get coated in the blistered tomato juices and ensures the gnocchi has a perfectly crisped outside and fluffy texture inside. It’s so simple to make I even had time to make it for a lunch last week! Get the full recipe below:
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I have been really good lately with my healthy-eating since kicking off the new year with some goals around losing weight (gotta slim down for my Maid of Honor duties when my sister gets married this fall!). But gosh, sometimes you just need a good bowl of pasta and have to break the healthy streak. Last week was one of those times, I was desperately craving some al dente noodles and decided to make a quick dish for lunch while my mom was visiting. This pasta recipe hit the spot — the sauce comes together with butter and garlic, white wine and reserved pasta water. The warm pasta gets tossed into the pan with parmesan cheese, lemon zest and parsley for tons of flavor. Bright green steamed asparagus and broccolini give the dish color and texture, and the veggies make me feel a tiny bit better about inhaling all of that pappardelle! Get the full recipe below and save it for when you’re ready for your own emergency pasta-fix:
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One of my favorite parts of this time of year is kicking off grilling season; there is no better way to quickly pull together a tasty dinner or quick appetizer! My friends at Martha Stewart Living challenged me this grilling season to think beyond the cheese board and create a delicious grilling recipe with one of my favorite entertaining staples: Boursin® Cheese. With Memorial Day coming up, I’ve been thinking about tasty party dishes that bring in bright fresh ingredients, and this was the perfect opportunity to create a new recipe for my holiday weekend menu.
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Monday gets a bad wrap, but man, Tuesdays. That’s where the drag really is. A good brain-dump blog post always perks me up, so I’m sharing some new recipes, what’s on my reading list (including a few cookbooks I’m loving) and all the spring-things on my mind! Read on, friends:
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If there is one must-have on my menu for an Oscars viewing party (or really, just for sitting at home and watching the red carpet alone in my jammies) it’s a fabulous cocktail. I’m a fan of a batch cocktail like a punch so you can prep everything in a pitcher and bring it with your snacks to have in front of the tv — no running into the kitchen for refills during commercial breaks! This punch recipe was actually what I served at Jane’s birthday party and it was a hit with my friends. It’s since been rebranded from the Curious George-themed “georgie juice for moms” to an Oscars-appropriate: Ruby Red Carpet Champagne Punch. The flavors are the same though: tart grapefruit juice, orange notes from Aperol, and a splash of red from the grenadine. The whole thing is topped off with a bottle of champagne for that bubbly touch you need to watch the most star-studded night of television — get the recipe below to make your own batch! 
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Recently I made a big batch of roasted chickpeas using this peppery new seasoning I got for my birthday and served them on top of a chicken and rice dish. Since then I’ve been dreaming up ways to add them to other meals. My newfound love for these spicy little legumes inspired a pretty appetizer idea that is a perfect addition to my Oscars viewing party menu: Roasted Chickpea and Hummus Cups. 
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Puff pastry has to be my all-time favorite entertaining secret! I always keep some in the freezer and you can pull it out to make an endless combination of easy desserts, brunch treats, and appetizers. I was brainstorming some new appetizers to make for the Oscars next Sunday night, and I always love to include a puff pastry snack (because you know all of those skinny actresses LOVE buttery, flaky pastry dough — ha!). This puff pastry creation has just 5 ingredients: asparagus, prosciutto, black pepper, and an egg wash over that buttery, rich dough. Check your frozen puff pastry’s ingredients for real butter and you’ll know it’s the good stuff, it makes a huge difference when you bake these these savory little snacks off for your celebration. Get the full recipe below: 
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One of my favorite occasions of the year is coming up next weekend: The Oscars! It’s the best excuse to snuggle up on the couch, live-tweet my expert opinions about ball gowns and celebrity hairstyles while wearing a sweatshirt and yoga pants, and of course: eating special on-theme snacks! I had so much fun sharing my Valentine’s Day Grazing Board, that I thought I’d create another one full of movie-theater sweets and red carpet themed snacks. I’ll be accepting my Academy Award for Best Supporting Snack Tray any time now, don’t you think?
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Oh boy guys, I’ve had this week on my calendar for almost a year now! This week marked my TENTH anniversary of starting this little ‘ol blog. I’ve sat down to write about a dozen variations of blog posts to commemorate the occasion, but funny enough, I’ve been at a loss for words to explain it. Partly because it feels like any other week — after a decade of working on this site, it’s one of the most steady parts of my routine and life. And partly because it also feels SO monumental.
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We are just about a week away from Valentine’s Day and I have all of the sweet, heart-shaped, pink and red, love-dovey inspiration to share today! My husband and I don’t generally make a big deal out of Valentine’s Day. We usually exchange cards, and use it as an excuse to abandon healthy-eating for the night and replace our usual meal-plan with something a bit more delicious. The idea I wanted to share today definitely falls into the delicious category: a Valentine’s Day grazing board.
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OH, HELLO THERE.
I'm Kate, and I like to
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