Fresh from the Farmers Market: North Carolina Beef via D's Beef and Bees Jalapeño Popper Burger Bombs

Fresh from the Farmers Market: Jalapeño Popper Burger Bombs made with NC Beef from D’s Beef and Bees

If you have followed me for any length of time you know that I am NOT a morning person. I have to wake up at 5:45 am every weekday to make sure my 17 & 15 yos get ready for school. I go back to bed until 6:45 am when I wake up my middle schooler. Back to bed again and up at 7:20 am to wake up my youngest (if she isn’t already up). Depending on my schedule that day I may or may not go back to bed for an hour or four. On the weekend, it’s not unheard of for me to sleep until noon. I can’t tell you how nice it is to have all five of my girls able to make their own breakfast, entertain …

Meatless Monday Featuring The Produce Box: Vegetarian Lasagna

Meatless Monday Featuring The Produce Box: Vegetarian Lasagna

The past few months have been extremely busy with after school activities and work, so we have eaten A LOT of convenience foods. Boxed or frozen dinners that tend to be high in sodium and preservatives and low in nutrients. So, like most everyone in January, I decided it’s time to get healthy and eat better. This time I decided I’m not doing it by myself, but will also include the whole family. It’s so much easier to stick to a healthy meal plan when you only have to prepare one meal for everyone. The Produce Box One thing that has made this decision much easier in my very busy life is The Produce Box. The Produce Box is a wonderful service here in North Carolina that brings fresh produce, meats, dairy, and …

These Easy Chicken Dinners Will Help Make Your Weekly Meal Plan a Snap!

These Easy Chicken Dinners Will Help Make Your Weekly Meal Plan a Snap!

I am the worst at meal planning. I have great intentions. I’ll make a shopping list, pick up what I need, keep the fridge stocked. The problem is by the time I’m ready to break away from work, or whatever I happen to be doing, to start cooking everyone is starving and wants something right now! It doesn’t help that I’m usually not in the mood to cook whatever it is I planned to make for dinner that night anyhow. The week before Christmas I knew was going to be especially busy with afternoon meetings, conference calls, school functions, appointments, and driving my oldest to/from her job. With a little of that “work smarter, not harder” ingenuity, I came up with the perfect menu to help me survive until Saturday. Using …

Pomegranate Chicken with Halloumi, Tomatoes, and Peppers

Pomegranate Chicken with Halloumi Cheese, Tomatoes, and Peppers

NOTE: I’m super excited to announce that I was picked the winner of the Sassool Grocery Challenge! Read the official announcement here. A big “Thank you!” to Mounir Saleh and the Sassool team for choosing my dish to be featured in both Sassool locations for the month of January! UPDATE: My dish was so popular Sassool has decided to keep it on the menu! Back in November I was invited to Sassool Mediterranean Cafe in Cary, North Carolina to visit their new grocery and retail section, and pick out a few items using a complimentary $25 gift card. Then using at least three items from the Sassool market, develop a delicious recipe to be entered in the Sassool Grocery Challenge, where I will be competing against eight other Triangle-area bloggers. Mounir Saleh (the …

Farmer's Market Fresh: North Carolina Pork

Farmer’s Market Fresh: North Carolina Pork

Before having kids, one of my favorite things to do on a Saturday morning was to get up early and run to the farmer’s market to pick up some fresh, local produce. I bought baked goods, flowers, eggs, and of course, fruits and veggies. But I never once thought about purchasing meat from the farmer’s market. To be honest, I don’t even know if it was offered back then (jeez, I feel old now). But when I was given the opportunity to visit the Piedmont Triad Farmer’s Market last week, I learned that the farmers have more to offer than just fresh, local produce! Not only did I find all sorts of North Carolina grown fruits, veggies, herbs, and flowers, but fresh, locally-raised meat, as well. I grew up in the …

Homemade Caterpillar Rolls, North Carolina Style

Homemade Caterpillar Rolls, North Carolina Style

Disclosure: “Homemade Caterpillar Rolls, North Carolina Style”  is sponsored in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) but all opinions are my own.  I love sushi (so do three of my five daughters). To clarify, when I say sushi, for everyone except my adventurous 16 yo, I mean the “safe” rolls, specifically anything that doesn’t have raw fish in it. The closest to raw I will get is seared tuna. The thing is, sushi isn’t cheap (and if it is, be afraid, be very afraid). Last week I took my girls to a local restaurant that serves half-price sushi at lunch, our bill for 5 people was STILL $70 (not including tip) shh… don’t tell my husband. Since I had such good luck making California Rolls and Vegetable Rolls a while back, I …