Hello, Spring!

Spring has sprung! The sun is finally shining and hopefully warmer days continue to be ahead of us. These sunny days are so bright and cheery and just make for all around better moods and extra happiness. Daylight savings time got the best of all of us this year and while waking up in the dark is still a challenge almost two weeks later, the longer daylight in the evenings is so nice. My birthday is this week and Easter is already next week! I just love this time of year. Also...the Easter Bunny needs to get his act together- ha! 

I've been extra inspired in the kitchen and making tons of new recipes. I keep a running list on my phone with recipes that I want to try and that's how I've been making my weekly menus. Here are a few of my faves from the past few weeks. 

These Jammy Eggs are as delicious as they look (especially if you love a runny yolk like I do). You can find the tutorial on her Instagram stories titled under "Jammy Eggs". I topped mine with Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel Seasoning and fruit. So, so good.

This Radicchio Chick Pea Salad with Lemon Tahini Vinaigrette is going to be my new obsession. The dressing is to die for and the sweet bites of mint in the salad are the best. I served this with Greek Turkey Burgers and oven roasted potatoes. Or grab a rotisserie chicken and mix some meat in this salad. Easy and healthy weeknight meal!

Potato Leek Soup- another find from The Defined Dish. OH MY GOSH we loved this. So much flavor and so easy. The recipe makes a ton and I had enough for lunches all week long. It would be delicious with bacon added on top! 

And still riding the Defined Dish Train with this Paleo Sesame Chicken. Super easy for a weeknight meal and kid friendly, too! I served mine over cauliflower rice with roasted broccoli on the side. 

If you are into granola, make this now. I love it with Greek yogurt, coconut cream or just a handful as a snack when I need something sweet. I added cacao nibs to mine for a little chocolatey twist. This is the best homemade granola I've made!

And what's not to love about Guiness Brownies?! Seriously. The frosting is everything. A must make! And I'm definitely not waiting until Saint Patrick's Day to roll around to make them again.

{Cook}Book Club

I'm excited to kick off February with a little something new I'm doing in collaboration with my friend Allie over at Key Ingredients! We have been talking about doing a link up for awhile and we are finally making it happen. Allie is a dear friend and we met almost five years ago when our oldest children were just tiny babies and we instantly bonded over our love of food. 

We both have a passion for cooking and making healthy meals for our families. A cookbook link up was a no- brainer when we started talking about this idea of creating a link up!

Here's what we'll do. Every month, we will choose a cookbook to cook from. If you want to participate, pick your favorite or new recipe from the book and make it! On the second Wednesday of each month, we will all link up to my blog or Allie's and share what we've made! Don't have the specific book? No problem! So many of these wonderful recipes can also be found online. Take photos of your finished dish and tell a little bit about it. Add in a review of the recipe and any notes on changes or anything that you may have done or would do differently. Post the recipe if you would like and make sure to credit the book/source!

To kick off our Club, we are turning to one of our very favorites- Ina Garten! Her recipes are some sort of magic and she is a favorite among the both of us. It only seems fitting that we use her newest cookbook, Cooking For Jeffrey, as our pick for the month of love. This cookbook is packed full of delicious recipes and even better stories. If you are a fan of Ina and Jeffrey, you will LOVE this book. It focuses so much on them as a couple with beautiful stories intertwined with the recipes. It's a book you can use in the kitchen AND curl up on the couch with. The stories are wonderfully written!

We hope to see many of you here next Wednesday, which also happens to be Valentine's Day! This gives you a week to find something yummy to make and post. We can't wait to see what everyone is cooking! 

- Nina and Allie

Easter Eats

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Easter is only a few days away and we are enjoying this week getting ready for time with our families for the holiday. I rounded up some recipes from the archives if you're still menu planning and need some inspiration. One thing is for sure...Easter with my family on Sunday is going to include my Lemon Almond Ricotta Cake. It's the perfect Easter dessert!

Breakfast/Brunch- 

Classic Belgian Waffles
Crustless Mini Quiches
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Tomato Corn and Zucchini Fritatta

Small Bites/Starters-

Sweet Pea Crostini
Steamed Mini Atichokes with Butter Dijon Aioli

Salads/Sides-

Baby Greens with Figs, Goat Cheese + Champagne Vinaigrette
Endive, Citrus and Arugula Salad
Green Bean Salad with Pickled Onions + Fried Almonds
Brussels Sprouts Leaf Salad

Desserts-

Coconut Macaroons
Lemon Almond Ricotta Cake (THE BEST)
Strawberry and Mascarpone Filled Cupcakes

#EatMooreDinner, Vol. 2

It's a new week with a new menu and I'm already planning the next time I make some of the dinners we had last week. I cannot stop thinking about these meals!! 

The Paleo Moroccan Chicken Bowls were by far my favorite dish from last week. I'm so obsessed with the flavors and everything was so fresh and good. The leftovers just as tasty!! I passed this recipe along to so many friends! Thursday night was another new dish and I actually never got to photograph it OR taste it since I was eating fried chicken before the Zac Brown concert! I'm going to recreate it again soon. 

My Asian Beef Lettuce wraps are a staple around here. I've tossed the recipe aside really and just saute up ground beef or turkey with whatever veggies I have on hand and season it with Tamari and freshly ground ginger...and a heavy drizzle of Sriracha! When I crave these things, I really think it's that crazy spice I want. My original recipe is linked below! 

Here's what we ate last week:

Lemon Garlic Salmon with Sauteed Broccoli Rabe

Paleo Grilled Moroccan Chicken Bowls

Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps

Mexican Quinoa Bowls with Chorizo and Pico de Gallo 

Margherita Pizza