Jessica Merchant's Blog, page 10

Tuesday Things.

1. Anyone else having a heart attack that it’s basically August!? What!

2. And yes I am the person who feels like it’s time to order halloween costumes and plan my christmas menu and well, happy new year!

3. I want to make cookie dough ice cream cake.

4. Please tell me about the obsession with the ugly labubu things! Is it the new beanie baby?

5. A snob’s guide to nantucket! I love it.

6. I’m getting too old to drink cocktails in the sun.

7. TV things!! I started the new Dexter but didn’t get super far. Still loving TSITP. And The Hunting Wives. Whoa.

8. The need for boredom. I actually love this for my kids – to bring out the creative side!

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Summer Salmon Spaghetti.

This summer salmon spaghetti is a favorite in our house! Marinated garden vegetables, lots of garlic and fresh basil, grilled salmon and hot pasta make for a delicious light and satisfying meal.

This is a summer meal if I’ve ever seen one!

This summer salmon spaghetti is so fresh, satisfying and delicious. It’s a big bowl of garden vegetables tossed with grilled salmon and hot pasta. The flavor is incredible, it’s light enough to enjoy on a hot day and it’s very customizable if you have other veggies on hand.

I am so into these marinated vegetables right now. A few years ago I started thinly slicing zucchini and letting it sit in a vinaigrette for a few minutes before tossing. It’s almost like massaging kale before eating: it removes the chew and any bitterness. This is exactly how I make it in my chickpea pasta lunch salad and we all love it. 

Another thing that draws us to this recipe is enjoying the grilled salmon with pasta. For no particular reason, we rarely have salmon with pasta. We tend to have a grain or roasted/grilled vegetables with our salmon and everyone likes it that way. If we do have pasta, it’s a tiny cut like orzo. 

So serving the salmon right in the longer noodles makes this feel special and fancy. Plus, the way that it flakes into buttery shreds works perfectly with the spaghetti! A bit of salmon is in every bite and that’s just the way we like it. 

The key with this dish is to season every layer well. Then it will taste absolutely amazing when it’s finished. We’re marinating the vegetables. Boiling the pasta in salted water. Making a garlicky herb spice blend for the salmon on the grill. 

Then tossing everything together with the hot pasta to turn it into a summer dream! 

YUM.

Now – I like to add at least six minced cloves of garlic into this dish. With that and the crushed red pepper, there is a slight bite to the pasta. Sometimes my kids will say it’s spicy. So feel free to adjust! You can use less garlic or skip the crushed red pepper. 

I really love it in the recipe because it adds a pop. The pasta is hot when added to the veggies, so it does warm things up a bit!

Speaking of, this is excellent served hot but also really great straight from the fridge. It’s an excellent lunch leftover meal. You may need to let it sit at room temperature because the olive oil can solidify in the fridge, but it’s fabulous either way. 

Feel free to add more veggies, different veggies or even different herbs from the garden. If you’re not a salmon lover, it could also work with grilled chicken too!

Summer Salmon Spaghetti PrintSummer Salmon Spaghetti#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg * { fill: #343434; }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-33 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-33); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-50 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-50); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-66 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-66); }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-33 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-50 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-66 stop { stop-color: #343434; }This summer salmon spaghetti is a favorite in our house! Marinated garden vegetables, lots of garlic and fresh basil, grilled salmon and hot pasta make for a delicious light and satisfying meal.Course Main CourseCuisine AmericanPrep Time 45 minutes minutesCook Time 30 minutes minutesTotal Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutesServings 4Author How Sweet EatsIngredients1 medium zucchini squash, thinly sliced1 medium yellow summer squash, thinly sliced3 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half6 garlic cloves, finely minced½ cup chopped fresh basilkosher salt and pepper½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes½ cup olive oil1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice4 salmon filets1 teaspoon dried parsley1 teaspoon dried basil1 teaspoon garlic powder1 pound spaghetti½ cup shaved parmesan cheesefresh basil, for toppingInstructionsIn a large bowl, combine the zucchini, squash, tomatoes, garlic and basil. You want a large bowl for this because we’re going to add the pasta directly to it later. Add in a big pinch of salt and pepper, the crushed red pepper, olive oil and lemon juice. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or even up to 2 hours.Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta according to the directions. While you’re waiting for the pasta to boil, start the salmon so both the salmon and pasta can be done around the same time.Preheat the grill to your highest setting. Season the salmon all over with the salt and pepper. Stir together the parsley, basil and garlic powder. Sprinkle it all over the salmon too.Once the grill is hot, place the salmon right on the grates. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes, then use a spatula to gently flip the salmon. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes more, or a little more if you have thick pieces of salmon. You want it to be opaque and easily flake with a fork. We’re going to flake the salmon for the pasta, so you can slice into the center and see if it’s done without worrying about ruining the presentation.Once the pasta is done, drain it and immediately add it to the marinated vegetables. Toss well. Flake the salmon with a fork and add it in too. If you need a big more olive oil, you can add that now as well.Toss well until everything is combined. Taste and season more if needed. Sprinkle on the parmesan and fresh basil. Serve!

Deeeelish.

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A Week In The Life, Vol 30.

Hi from my favorite place!

But first, here’s what the last week looked like.

Another face painting day.

The colors!

Paper thin chicken cutlets for…

Chicken caesar wraps!

The s’mores cookies we’re working on.

Then we were off! Road trip!

First stop… strolling the streets.

Second… into the lake!

Neon!

Third… ice cream! This is lemon sorbet. Tastes so good because it’s so hot.

I love mornings first thing here.

Cousin walk!

Jordan lives for a butter croissant.

Emilia lives for grandpa’s pancakes.

Cousin crew.

How is he ten? Ten summers here for him. Over 40 for me. It’s unreal!

The goofiest boy.

Cutest!

Living their best life.

Jenga bigger than him.

He is mini Eddie.

Obsessed with her.

And all of them!

The kids are having soooo much fun with baby Lucy!

Little blondies!

You know how much I love these sunsets.

Walkie talkies have been the hit of the trip.

Hahahaha.

Neon pink is his favorite color right now!!! YES.

A few little morning coffee walk pics.

Now that is some ice.

Waiting on a muffin.

Bakery for all!

We’ve had tacos and burgers and fish and pizza of course.

Had the most beautiful (hot!) beach day today!

They play for HOURS.

Then start jumping off the dock at the end of the day.

That sparkle water is my favorite!

Core memories for sure.

Ending the week right!!

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What To Eat This Week: 7/27/25.

A perfect menu for the middle of summer!

What’s on your menu this week?!

What To Eat This Week

Sweet potato summer salad with jalapeño ranch 

Chili lime salmon bites with mango slaw 

BLT wraps with jalapeno ranch

Grilled risotto stuffed zucchini boats

Hot honey chicken with lime corn salad

Savory dutch baby.

Summer chicken tortellini salad

Baked peaches and cream oatmeal

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Currently Crushing On.

Happy weekend!

This week on the blog, I shared this peaches and cream baked oatmeal. I also shared these BLT wraps with jalapeno ranch! My July favorites are up and a new summer fridays post is live too! Plus, my favorites from the nordstrom anniversary sale!

There’s a new menu for the week and a new peek inside our everyday life.

You can find all my favorites in my amazon store front and LTK shop!

Thank you for continuing to make the launch Easy Everyday absolutely amazing . If you haven’t got your book yet, you can order here! There is a big giveaway happening on instagram and another happening in our facebook cookbook club!

xo

WHAT I’M LOVING THIS WEEK

Pickle de gallo! The best ever.

Craving this lemon no bake pie.

Bacon jalapeño chicken burgers are calling my name.

Will never pass up a shrimp caesar.

Overnight pita bread looks absolutely perfect.

Who doesn’t love a pizza ring!

Stuffed dates are everything.

Give me all the blackberry scones.

Burger salads are a meal I live for.

Deilsh lemon poppyseed donuts!

Dill pickle dip. Pickle lovers unite.

I want this grilled corn kale salad.

Peanut butter cup milkshakes for the summer.

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Summer Fridays, Vol 9.

Here’s a summer fridays from my favorite place! xo

EATING

Street corn grilled cheese! And zucchini corn fritters. Also my summer turkey sliders!

DRINKING

A spicy watermelon sangria. And my favorite rosé aperol spritz.

MAKING

My favorite hummus platter! Love making this for the weekend.

BAKING

My blueberry zucchini muffins with lemon glaze. Use up that zucc!

CRAVING

My crispy chicken with avocado cucumber salad. And my jarlsberg cheese dip!

GRILLING

These summer chicken skewers. And grilled peaches with lavender ricotta!

SNACKING

On my peach cobbler granola. And summer marinated goat cheese!

LISTENING

To this country 2K playlist!! Aka, the best early 2000s country hits.

READING

These Summer Storms! Just started it last night!

LOVING

This stitchy hemming tool that can fix your clothes in an instant. It is SO great to have on hand if you want to tuck your sleeves, pin your shirt, etc. Definitely worth having on hand.

WEARING

My favorite woven wide leg pants. Can’t stop with them! And the crochet mixi dress. I think this is my dress of summer.

SHOPPING

My suitcase is on major sale and I love it. It travels great! And I love the different colors so it’s easy to find. The Nordstrom anniversary sale is still on and I’m doing another pass. These are my favorite jeans ever. This navy bucket bag is amazing. And the leopard socks!

BUYING

This three-in-one crossbody bag is amazing. Such great quality and just perfect to have as your everyday bag – or even stashed in a larger bag if traveling. I also got a second simple human mirror for our other bathroom – we LOVE these.

PREPARING

For back to school! I officially wrapped up this week. We have all of our supplies, uniforms, shoes and miscellaneous items. I’ve added to my back to school list. Now the fun part: I always put together some little teacher care packages at the start of the year!

TRAVELING

To my favorite place this weekend! Woohoo!

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July Favorites.

A peek at everything I loved in July 2025!

FOOD

Chobani s’mores creamer. This is the best flavored creamer I’ve ever had in my life. Thank goodness pumpkin comes next because I’ll be sad when I run out!

Trader Joe’s aglio olio seasoning. We FLY through this seasoning. I love it on just about anything! It has a little kick and it’s so great.

Brightland squeezeable olive oil. I adore brightland olive oil and was so excited to get it in a squeeze bottle. They are all I use now!

HOME

Mini travel white noise. I never thought I’d be a white noise person, but as a parent I’ve slept with a monitor on with some white noise now for almost 10 years! I loved having this for travel.

Handheld mini fan. Never leave home without it. Never!

Smeg kitchen scale. We go through kitchen scales like crazy. They’ve always been flat digital scales and that works great for my sourdough. But I LOVE this smeg one. I love that it’s a bowl! I can put things directly into it and it is so pretty to look at. I don’t mind leaving it out.

BEAUTY

Kosas blush in Heartbeat. I am a blush fanatic. It’s my favorite thing to try. This shade is stunning. It screams summer! It’s like a bright coral red, but very flattering and wearable.

Conair ceramic hot rollers. I’ve been a hot rollers girl my whole life – velcro rollers make my hair so frizzy! And they also rip my hair out. Nothing holds a curl like these.

Olehenriksen peach glaze lip treatment. This is SO comfortable on the lips that I can’t be without it. I have one everywhere.

FASHION

Hat clip. I use this for my cuyana visor almost every day!

Strappy nude slides. I’ve wanted a pair of strappy flat sandals in nude and these are SO comfortable. I love this brand for comfort.

Naghedi small St Bart’s tote. I’ve tried all the dupes for naghedi and nothing is as good as the real thing. It’s so stretchy and beautiful. This is my summer crossbody and I love it. So chic.

Scalloped dress shorts. This is the first time I’ve actually tried shorts under a dress (like the short nap dress!) and why haven’t I always been doing this?!

MEDIA

The Summer I Turned Pretty. It’s just a comfort show for me! I can watch it over and over again. I read the books so I know what happens and I don’t wonder what if!

Broken Country. Oh my gosh – this book gutted me. I loved it and couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Ina’s mini cooper ride playlist. This is so fabulous from the queen herself.

KIDS

Adidas lite racer 7.0 sneakers. Max has loved these shoes for years but now Emilia and Jordan have a pair. They all love them!

Aqua shark handheld game. Jordan LOVES this little retro game. It’s great for dinners out too.

Paint by number canvas. Emilia’s current favorite craft. She has done one of these every week!

Perfectly Logical brainteasers. We have had so much fun doing these together. I love this book.

[none of this is sponsored, i just love to tell you what i love every month! there are a few general affiliate links above! xo]

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BLT Wraps with Jalapeño Ranch.

These BLT wraps with jalapeno ranch are one of my favorite spins on the classic BLT. They are super delicious and wonderful to have for lunch in the summer! Crunchy, creamy, juicy from the tomatoes and so satisfying.

Nothing makes me happier than BLT wraps for lunch!

These BLT wraps with jalapeno ranch are such a fun twist on the classic. They are super satisfying, light and refreshing and have a little pop of heat. The jalapeno ranch is a spin on my classic ranch and we love it this time of year. It tastes garden-fresh! 

Something about the juicy tomatoes, crisp romaine and crunchy, savory bacon just hits the spot. It’s one of those classic summer flavors. I love to make the combo into a salad or even a pasta salad.

Now, I’m not sure that anything can beat my marinated tomato BLT. That is my favorite summer sandwich of all time. The marinated tomatoes are incredible! It’s like a tomato salad on top of the sandwich. 

However, we all know that I love a twist. I could potentially eat the same thing over and over again… as long as it has a minor twist! Most of my recipes exist because of a minor twist, so there’s that. 

My favorite thing about this recipe is that it’s not a recipe at all. It’s more of a method. You can add as much lettuce, tomato and bacon that you want. Or as much as your wrap can hold. The amount of ranch is up to you too! 

If there is a bottled ranch you really love, you can use that in a pinch.  (more…)

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Tuesday Things.

1. There is no better lunch that cherry tomato caprese. I can’t get enough. Marinating the tomatoes is everything.

2. Sourdough blondies! My mind is blow. Must make.

3. Foods to never bring to a cookout.

4. Motivation to declutter! Since back-to-school is basically my new year, I’m all for it.

5. Speaking of, we got school supplies yesterday and it’s still my favorite thing on the planet.

6. Must try . Whoa.

7. TV things!! I started the new Dexter, The Hunting Wives and finally got to watch The Summer I Turned Pretty!

8. Pretty sure I could be into an UNO social club!

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Peaches and Cream Baked Oatmeal.

This peaches and cream baked oatmeal is my modern twist on the classic favorite I used to eat growing up. It’s super flavorful and satisfying, almost like oatmeal cake! Made with plain greek yogurt and maple syrup, it’s dreamy and so easy to make.

This has got to be your summer breakfast for the next month!

This peaches and cream baked oatmeal is so satisfying. The ideal summer breakfast, if you will. FIlled with juicy peaches, old fashioned oats, plain greek yogurt and maple syrup for a touch of sweetness. 

It’s not overly sweet, but if you’ve made any of my baked oatmeals before, you know I love to refer to them as oatmeal CAKE. It truly is like peach oatmeal cake. And I could not be more obsessed. 

I’ve been a huge fan of peaches and cream oatmeal my entire life. Like, we are talking that it was my favorite comfort food growing up. I’d pick it over any dessert or pizza or anything like that when I was a kid.

I’ve already shared a peaches and cream oatmeal cup recipe. And I do have a baked version that came out of another cookbook. But this one uses my classic baked oatmeal recipe – the one that tastes like oatmeal cake – and includes a crunchy streusel on top for an extra pop. 

I love that this recipe holds together: you can cut actual squares of baked oatmeal and freeze them. The squares also make it easy to drizzle on cream, milk or top with more yogurt.

Here’s how I make it!

First up, the diced peaches. I leave the skin on mine because we don’t mind it (I actually like it), but feel free to peel the peaches before dicing. I can’t tell a huge difference when everything is mixed together. 

Then, the dry ingredients. Oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. 

Next, the wet ingredients. Eggs, plain greek yogurt, milk, vanilla extract and maple syrup. If you don’t want to use maple syrup, you can use honey. Or even the same amount of sugar, just put it in the dry ingredients. 

Finally, the streusel. This part is definitely optional and I’ve made many baked oatmeals recipes without it. But it adds the most wonderful brown sugar crunch to the oatmeal! You mix together brown sugar, flour, butter and a pinch of cinnamon together until it becomes a sandy texture. Sprinkle it all over top and bake!

I love this recipe because you can make it ahead of time. You can serve it warm or chilled right from the fridge. It’s so easy to reheat, whether it’s single portions or the whole dish. 

It can be the base for an oatmeal bar, where you serve different fruits, nuts, seeds and an array of nut butters for topping. Also! It can be meal-prepped for breakfast or lunch because it holds up so well.  (more…)

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