I’m always on the hunt for simple yet delicious recipes for busy weeknights, and this easy ravioli recipe fits the bill! It utilizes ingredients that I almost always have on hand, and it’s very family friendly, with flavors that will appeal to both the young and the old(er).

There was just one small snag… If you ask my husband to name one of my biggest pet peeves, he’d probably mention warm ranch dressing somewhere in the mix. There’s just something about it that totally turns me off.

So when I found this creamy ravioli recipe on the Marzetti website that uses their new Simply Dressed Ranch Salad Dressing, I almost kept clicking. But then I figured I’d take some of that advice I’m always doling out to my kids — you know the one about how you should “try new things before deciding you don’t like them” — and I’m so glad that I did!

The fresh basil and parsley and the sun-dried tomatoes transform this dish into much more than just ravioli and salad dressing. Of course, the parmesan cheese plays a big role too — I grated a little extra over each plate for good measure!

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This post brought to you by Marzetti Simply Dressed. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Creamy Ravioli with Sun-Dried Tomatoes was first posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:17 pm.

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Let me tell you, eating out night after night during our move was no picnic. It may sound like a dream come true to some, but I longed all the while to get back into my kitchen to try new recipes with fresh, quality ingredients.

It was around the time we were transitioning to our new home that Marzetti contacted me about their new line of Simply Dressed salad dressings. Made with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and canola oil, along with other all natural ingredients, Marzetti Simply Dressed comes in 11 different flavors to pair beautifully with any salad choice.

My favorite dressing is Marzetti’s Organic Balsamic Vinaigrette, so I was eager to try the Simply Dressed line — and it didn’t disappoint! So far I’ve tried three different flavors, and they’re all absolutely fantastic.

This simple Greek cucumber salad uses the Marzetti Simply Dressed Champagne Salad Dressing, a lovely fruity and bright dressing that complements all of the flavors perfectly. I must say I was a bit skeptical of the fresh mint in the salad and almost left it out, but I decided to add it, and it was really delicious — not at all overpowering.

We found this cucumber salad very satisfying and a tasty accompaniment to a variety of main dishes. Tastes like a little bit of summertime in January!

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This post brought to you by Marzetti Simply Dressed. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Crunchy Greek Cucumber Salad was first posted on January 31, 2012 at 4:16 pm.

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One of the projects that kept me so busy during 2011 was writing a book… That’s right — I teamed up with my good friend Mandi of LifeYourWay.net to write All in Good Time: When to Save, Stock Up, and Schedule Everything for Your Home!

All in Good Time combines the best of Mandi’s organizing expertise with my money-saving tips to help you save both time and money.

A few dollars wasted here, a few minutes lost there…it all adds up, and soon you’re stretched thin, stressed out, and wishing you had more free time and financial resources for the important things, like your family-and yourself. These authors know-as busy moms with nine children between them, they’ve been there! It’s time to get your house- and schedule-in order. The secret to streamlining your life is in the timing: knowing exactly when to do, buy, travel, or try…

Order your copy of All in Good Time on Amazon.com now!

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All in Good Time is Available Now! was first posted on January 3, 2012 at 4:06 pm.

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2011 turned out to be an insanely busy year for our family, especially the last few months as we struggled with moving into a new home that wasn’t quite ready for us. Somehow we managed through, and I’m looking forward to a joyful and productive 2012!

It’s been well over a month since I’ve had a chance to post here, so I just wanted to take a moment to wish you all a very Happy New Year! I hope to provide more frequent content over the coming year, not the least of which will include my great-grandmother’s Nussstrudel, a delicious German walnut strudel recipe which has been handed down through the generations.

In the meantime, I thought you might like to revisit a few of the of the most viewed recipes of 2011:

I like to keep a batch of my homemade Bisquick substitute on hand at all times! I love that I can customize the ingredients that I use to make it healthier than the store bought version.

This grape salad recipe is a family favorite. It travels well making it a great dish to share at family get-togethers and potlucks!

I’m still so excited at how well this slow cooker chex mix recipe turned out, and judging by the number of times it’s been Pinned and viewed, you all are too!

I hope some of you took a chance and tried this cranberry salad recipe over the holidays. Even my finicky 5-year-old will eat it, so you know it must be good!

These roasted parsley and garlic fingerling potatoes pair well with a wide variety of main dishes, and the best part is they require only a few minutes of prep work!

Hope you enjoyed this little look back, and here’s to a fantastic New Year!

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Happy New Year | Top 5 Recipes of 2011 was first posted on January 1, 2012 at 10:02 pm.

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I just wanted to take a moment to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving! For the first time in many years, I won’t be hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year.

We just moved last weekend, and my new stove (yay!) is on backorder until 12/7 (boo…), so baking and cooking are sadly not an option at this time. My crockpot has been getting a workout, and I’m embarrassed to say we’ve been eating out far too much, but I plan to make up for that soon.

I know it’s a little late, but if you’re doing some last-minute searching for new recipes to adorn your Thanksgiving table, I’ve got a few suggestions! These are my tried and true favorites, and I hope your family enjoys them as much as mine does.

These stuffing muffins are a fun take on a classic recipe! I love that you can customize them for your guests, plus they’re perfectly proportioned for kids and adults alike.

You won’t believe how simple this grape salad is to toss together, but I guarantee guests will keep coming back for more and more!

If you only try one new recipe this Thanksgiving, it has to be this cranberry salad. Trust me, it’s that good — definitely not your average ho-hum cranberry side!

Finish your meal off with some homemade pumpkin pie (pictured above), and don’t forget to top it off with a little homemade whipped cream! If you’re feeling really ambitious, make your own homemade Crisco pie crust — it’s worth the extra effort.

What’s your favorite recipe to prepare for Thanksgiving dinner?

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Happy Thanksgiving and A Few Suggestions for Your Holiday Table was first posted on November 23, 2011 at 4:46 pm.

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For as long as I can remember, I’ve equated these chocolate crinkle cookies with Christmas. My mom baked dozens upon dozens of Christmas cookies each holiday season, but chocolate crinkles were the cookie I looked forward to the most.

Fresh from the oven with a crispy, crackled outside and a chewy, rich and chocolatey inside or days later with a cold glass of milk, they’re guaranteed to please!

The chocolate crinkle cookie recipe is super simple to make, but as with all simple recipes, it’s important to use top quality ingredients for the best results whenever you can. Real vanilla extract and Scharffen Berger Chocolate are pantry staples for me, but if nothing else, simple use the best quality you can afford.

Outside of the ingredients, the most important step in making chocolate crinkles is to make sure your dough is thoroughly chilled. When it’s first mixed up, it will still be fairly runny, but after a few hours in the refrigerator it will be the perfect consistency to form into balls for baking. Be sure to chill the dough in between batches for consistent results.

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Quick Tip: I love using Silpat non-stick mats to line my baking pans rather than greasing them. My cookies are guaranteed not to stick, and they make cleanup a breeze!

Turn these cookies into a tasty gift with this adorable printable wrapper courtesy of Life… Your Way! Mandi has instructions for wrapping your cookies up into “logs” for cute and easy gift giving this holiday season.

What’s your favorite Christmas cookie?

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Chocolate Crinkle Cookies {My Fave} was first posted on November 10, 2011 at 4:22 pm.

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My family loves my regular German pancake recipe, but when I received a large box of SweeTango apples late last week, I started throwing around the idea of an apple German pancake recipe. I gave it a whirl this afternoon with spectacular results, but first let me tell you just a bit about SweeTango apples.

SweeTango is a new apple that’s a cross between Honeycrisp and Zestari varieties. It was available in 2010 in limited volumes but will be available nationally this fall. As you can imagine based on their “parents”, they’re sweet, juicy, crisp, and utterly delicious. Look for these beautiful deep red over a yellow-breaking background apples at your local Walmart store now!

Now back to the apple German pancake recipe I was mulling over — having not cooked with the SweeTango variety previously, I was a little worried about whether they would simply turn to mush, but they held their shape nicely and produced lovely, tender and flavorful apple slices within the pancake.

I mentioned on Facebook as I was trying out the recipe that the smell was divine and that if the pancake tasted half as good as it smelled, it would be a hit. And a hit it was — even garnering a spontaneous hug from my nine-year-old son after he tasted it!

If you don’t have a well-seasoned cast iron skillet, I highly recommend making the investment. I used my trusty #8 Wagner, but any non-stick pan that can go from stove top to oven will work for this recipe.

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Don’t assume because it’s a pancake this recipe is only for breakfast — it’s perfect for an afternoon snack or dessert too.

What’s your favorite fall apple recipe? I’m looking for a good apple muffin to try!

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Walmart Moms program. Walmart has provided me with compensation for the time and effort spent creating this post. However, my participation in this program is voluntary and my opinions are my own — always have been, always will be.

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Apple German Pancake {Featuring SweeTango Apples} was first posted on September 27, 2011 at 7:14 pm.

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Sure it’s easy enough to pop popcorn on the stove, but my favorite part of this homemade microwave popcorn “recipe” is that it’s so easy even my five-year-old can do it (with a little supervision)!

Let’s face it, as tasty as microwave popcorn can be, it’s downright expensive and laden with sodium. That fragrant steam that escapes when you open a freshly popped bag? It contains nearly four dozen chemicals, some of which have been proven toxic. Do it yourself using these simple steps for a healthy snack that’s high in fiber and low in calories — then season it any way you want.

I chose to purchase Black Jewell popcorn kernels because they pop with very few hulls and are packed with antioxidants. However, you can use any type of popcorn kernel that you prefer. You’ll also need a lunch-size brown paper bag, a small piece of tape, and of course, a microwave.

Simply place about 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels in a lunch-size brown paper bag. Fold it over once and secure with a small piece of tape, and microwave until the popping slows to about once per second, about 2-3 minutes. Carefully open the bag and season to taste!

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Incidentally, should you happen to burn a bag while figuring out the timing for your particular unit, here’s a simple trick for removing that burned smell from your microwave.

What’s your favorite healthy popcorn seasoning?

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Homemade Microwave Popcorn {So Easy!} was first posted on September 19, 2011 at 7:43 pm.

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Homemade Chex mix is something I’ve traditionally reserved for the holidays, making big batches in the oven and wrapping portions up as gifts for family and friends. But when I stumbled across a Chex mix recipe that utilized a slow cooker, I started wondering if my favorite tried and true recipe could be adapted to be made in my crockpot — and so I got to work.

Being diehard Ohio State Buckeyes fans, our Saturday afternoons are penciled in for watching college football from September through November, and somehow our garage has become the neighborhood game day hotspot (which I love!). We fill the fridge with beer and plop ourselves down in front of our 42-inch Sony Bravia that gets toted down from our bedroom each weekend. As the night wears on and the kids tucker out, we bring out the Margaritaville Frozen Concoction Maker and whip up margaritas and daiquiris to order.

I figured this past Saturday was the perfect opportunity to test out my new slow cooker Chex mix recipe. Now granted it could have been the beer or other miscellaneous frozen alcoholic beverages, but it got rave reviews! In fact, the entire batch was gone before it even had a chance to completely cool.

I’ve since tweaked the recipe a little more, and in my opinion, it’s even better. But don’t take my word for it — give it a try for yourself!

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The best part of this recipe is that you can customize the dry ingredients to please. Try swapping the Corn Chex for Bugles or the Wheat Chex for melba toasts. Prefer just cashews to mixed nuts — gor for it! The combinations are endless…

What’s your favorite “I didn’t know you could make that in the slow cooker” recipe?

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Slow Cooker Chex Mix Recipe was first posted on September 13, 2011 at 5:07 pm.

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Huge bags of fragrant, organic basil have been tucked into our last few CSA shares, along with hardneck garlic, so the natural solution is to make basil pesto. I’ve mostly been using it to top the delicious, juicy heirloom tomatoes we’ve also received, but I decided to top a grilled pizza with it the other night — divine!

Unlike many other pesto recipes, this particular recipe does not include Parmigiano-Reggiano, making it a little more budget friendly and an excellent choice for those on dairy-restricted diets. I use three large cloves of garlic because I like the extra bite, but you could easily cut it back to only one or two if you’re not quite as big a fan of it.

Be sure to choose a good quality olive oil because the quality and taste of it can make a huge difference in your prepared pesto.

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Simple Basil Pesto Recipe was first posted on September 4, 2011 at 1:40 pm.

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