Jessica Merchant's Blog, page 17

A Week In The Life, Vol 22.

Huge week over here!!

With my three favorite cuties.

Last day of school for this little nugget!

He LOVED school this year.

And loved even more when I could come to his parties.

He got so big!

No idea how this is my BABY.

Speaking of babies… little ducklings on our morning walk!

Floor is lava in the gym.

Start ’em young!

Jordan is obsessed with doing the laundry. LOVES it.

Summer hockey!

End of school celebrations!

Love.

He kills me.

And then… LAST DAY OF SCHOOL for the big kids! I swear Max is thrilled.

Emilia just loves him SO much.

Basically an adult!

Likes to act like a granny. Thanks Bluey.

Lovebugs.

Friends birthday celebrations!

And baby BFF dance recital!

Cutest.

<3 <3 <3

The kids’ newest favorite place is the cheesecake factory. Is it 2003?

Oh well I don’t mind!

Seeing the Skenes rookie card.

This girl lives for Claire’s junk.

Eddie requested steak sandwiches!

Annnnd night game baseball in the super cool weather. Feels like fall!

The post A Week In The Life, Vol 22. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

What To Eat This Week: 6/1/25.

A new month, a new menu!

What’s on your menu this week?!

What To Eat This Week

Broccoli cheddar frittata 

Summer stuffed shells

Grilled romaine salads

Maple chipotle salmon bites

Sheet pan chicken meatballs with peppers

Black bean burger bowls

Grilled chicken caprese bowls

Egg souffle bites

The post What To Eat This Week: 6/1/25. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Currently Crushing On.

Hello and happy weekend!

This week on the blog, I shared an incredible tortellini summer salad. I also shared a bunch of my can’t miss summer recipes! And – summer fridays is officially back for the season! WOOHOO!

You can find my May favorites here.

I shared all my outdoor entertaining favorites! And! There’s a list of my favorite summer beauty and kids’ summer faves!

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

Mexican corn dip sounds fabulous.

Love these grilled steak kebabs.

Strawberry tart is stunning.

Craving this coconut blood orange margarita.

Cornbread salad! Yes please.

I need these smashed chicken burgers. Yum.

Veggie pizza dip. I am definitely trying this.

Hands up for aperol spritz jello shots.

Peanut butter frosting has to happen.

Beautiful double strawberry sheet cake!

Bacon chicken ranch sliders. I have to make.

The best picnic food!

Chocolate crunch bars. HELLO.

This peach bourbon smash looks incredible.

The post Currently Crushing On. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Summer Fridays, Vol 1.

It’s the return of summer fridays!

If you’re new here, summer fridays is our weekly virtual coffee date where we chat about all the things we’re doing, loving, craving, watching, etc – and take a true summer friday! This is the eighth year in a row (!!!) for these fun posts and I’m so glad you wanted them to return! These are meant to inspire you for the weekend and bring some fun to each summer friday.

EATING

My grilled jalapeno peach chicken. Burst tomato burrata pasta. And the best blueberry cucumber salad.

DRINKING

Cucumber prosecco spritzers. And my iced lavender lattes. Of course!

MAKING

My 10 minute grilled bruschetta. And this hot chicken salad. It’s so great with chips or endive.

BAKING

My pound cake with strawberry icing. And these lavender lemon bars.

GRILLING

My grilled romaine salads! Best salad ever. And grilled portobello burgers. Grilled steakhouse pizza too.

CRAVING

This pulled pork with cherry BBQ sauce. Dreamy.

SNACKING

On my grilled shishito peppers. Hot lobster roll dip. And caramelized onion dip – the best.

READING

Just started Mansion Beach a few days ago! Loving it. My giant summer reading list is right here!

LISTENING

A new summer fridays kickoff playlist for the year!

WEARING

This is my annual reminder that you need a pair of summer cooking shoes, and these oofas should be it. They are ugly, but the most comfortable things EVER and I can’t live without them. They save my back and the flip flop version is just as great. This dress is on major sale and I have it in two colors. It is so flattering and so comfortable – it can easily be dressed up or down.

SHOPPING

Have you seen these incredible zara beaded bags? I am so tempted to get one. I’m also very tempted to buy the rashguard version of my favorite la blanca suit. Team no sun for me.

LOVING

Seeing all the things you are making from Easy Everyday! If you haven’t got a copy of the book yet, this is your sign to grab one now! And then join our cookbook club while you’re at it.

BUYING

I’m obsessed with this giant carryall beach bag. And while I’ve been using the scout 4 boys tote for years now, this does look a little more manageable.

SHARING

I picked out the best of the best of my summer recipes – the ones that you can’t miss. I love so many of these and want to make a bucket list of cooking them this summer.

CELEBRATING

The last day of school for us! The year seemed to go by in a blink but also the last few weeks were dragging. I am so excited for a bit of a slower routine now.

The post Summer Fridays, Vol 1. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

May Favorites.

A peek at everything I loved in May 2025!

FOOD

Go raw snacking granola. My favorite granola is still the cookie granola, but this comes in as a close second. It is SO good! Super crunchy, tastes amazing. The kids love it too.

San pellegrino CIAO sparkling waters. I think I’ve mentioned different sparkling waters every month recently, but we are all loving these ones. They are san pellegrinos version of spindrift and so delish.

Johnnypops rainbow popsicles. My kids adore these! They are so refreshing. We are fans of every flavor.

HOME

Dock and Bay beach towel. My favorite quick drying towel that I take EVERYWHERE. It folds up so small and can go in any bag for the kids.

Wood serving bowl board. Got this a few weeks ago and used it all weekend for hosting. It’s so nice.

Clipa bag hanger. Many times, I forget about my favorite bag hanger! But this is a must if you have a top-handle bag that doesn’t have a strap – it’s perfect for hanging the bag right next to you so you don’t have to put it on the floor.

Hulken bag. End of the school year when I remind you just HOW MUCH I love this freaking bag. It does everything and is also great for travel. I got them for the end of year teacher gifts this year again. Huge hits!! Costco apparently has a dupe, but I haven’t tried it yet.

BEAUTY

Laniege lip glaze in strawberry sprinkle. Another month, another mention of this. It’s my go-to right now. I have one at home, my car, in my bag, etc.

Byoma nourishing body oil. Basically I want to say Byoma everything!

Prequel moisturizing milk. This lotion is SO smoothing. I wouldn’t suggest using it right after shaving (def burned my legs!) but otherwise it’s incredible. And so light but moisturizing at the same time.

JVN Blowout styling milk. More milk… ha. This is for hair and it’s super lightweight – I use it on both my own hair and Emilia’s. I take a small amount and work it through when damp before blow drying. It doesn’t weigh hair down at all.

FASHION

Wide leg palazzo pants. Obsessed with these pants with a tank top or tee. They are so comfortable, flattering and not too long! Being only 5″1′ that is key. If you’re tall they might be too short, just FYI.

Crochet tank tops. Super cute for the season – I got one in black and pink!

Tie dye summer maxi dress. I’ve found a lot of easy casual dresses on amazon this month that I love, and this is my fave. I live in dresses in the summer and I’ve found a ton that are just simple, light and flowy and that I can throw on. They are polyester so it’s not the best material but it feels fairly silky and looks cute and flowy!

Slim nude flip flops. These are SO comfortable – they are the slim flip flops but with memory foam! So much more comfortable than other versions I’ve tried over the years.

MEDIA

My Favorite Bad Decision. Best read of the month, hands down. And I read SO MANY GOOD ONES this month!!

The Dating Detectives podcast. One of you recommended this to me last month and I LOVE it.

KIDS

Girl’s athletic shorts. Emilia needed new gym shorts for school and I ordered a pair of these – she ADORES them! They have tights under, a tennis ball pocket and are so super cute.

Dinosaur autobrush. Jordan has loathed brushing his teeth from day one. This doesn’t replace his regular brush, but this has made him LOVE brushing his teeth in the morning and night! I wish I had found it two years ago.

The Lord of the Rings box set. Max is currently reading this and this is the set we have. We have the paperback, but I kind of want to get him the hard copies!

[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]

The post May Favorites. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

The Tortellini Salad I’m Making All Summer Long.

This is the best tortellini salad ever! Loaded with baby arugula greens, roasted red peppers, salami, feta cheese and more, it is so satisfying and such a delicious dish for dinner or a party. Make it today!

Summer dishes abound! 

This tortellini salad is filled with roasted red peppers, feta cheese, arugula, tortellini and diced shallots. It’s drizzled with my zesty italian dressing which has a zingy bite – it is super flavorful and so satisfying. It’s one of those dishes that you will find yourself craving over and over again!

And… I bet a bunch of your friends and fam will request it too.

My kitchen ingredients thrive during this season. Fresh, vibrant produce along with all the herbs, a bit of cheese – I’m in heaven. This is the season where I love to make different dishes to share with family and friends, meals for last minute gatherings, summer hang outs, happy hour treats and more. 

Summer meals and snacks are just the best. And here’s the thing: I would totally even consider this tortellini salad a snack. An actual SNACK. I can’t tell you how many times I grab a bowl of it from the fridge… for a snack. 

Yep. 

The thing is, I make a lot of tortellini salads that we enjoy. This copycat one from the nordstrom e-bar is incredible. My summer chicken tortellini salad is great too. And the lunchtime chickpea version is a staple for my own meals. 

But this one takes the cake. Or the pasta. Or the salads! 

It’s truly the best cheese tortellini salad I have ever tasted. Eddie kept calling it an antipasto tortellini salad, and it does have a similar flavor profile. 

It is just delicious!

Here’s what we’re working with:

Cheese tortellini, of course. Whatever variety you love works. 

Salami, diced up. You could also use a spicy one! I’m a baby. 

Baby arugula greens. They are peppery and perfect. 

Shallots, diced into tiny chunks! 

Roasted red peppers – quite possibly my favorite pantry ingredient. 

Feta cheese. The crumbled kind is perfect here. So tangy and creamy.  (more…)

The post The Tortellini Salad I’m Making All Summer Long. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

30 of My Can’t-Miss Summer Recipes!

The best of the best summer recipes right here! 30 of my favorites, locked and loaded for the warm weather eating season. Quite possibly the best! Fresh, delicious, cheesy and so easy to make.

I’ve got the best of the best summer dishes here for you!

To kick off the unofficial start of summer, I have 30 of my recipes lined up here that you MUST TRY this season!

Summer bucket list? I think so. This is a great place to start. Everything is so delicious, refreshing, vibrant and easy to make. Salads, main dishes, a dessert and cocktail sprinkled in there…

If you’re looking for a place to park this season where you can gather alllll the delish summer food inspo, I am here for you!

What are you looking forward to making the most?!

30 Best Summer Recipes

Grilled romaine salads

Tomato pie galette

Bruschetta pasta salad

Marinated tomato BLTs

Summer stuffed shells

Summer salmon with chimichurri

Summer stone fruit couscous salad

Grilled chicken rice bowls

Peach peach prosciutto pizza

Chimichurri grilled chicken with couscous

Rosé aperol spritz

Atlantic beach pie bars

Grilled jalapeno peach chicken

Asparagus pasta salad

Strawberry crunch salad

Burst tomato burrata pasta

Warm and buttery lobster rolls

Salted pretzel s’mores crunch bars

Melty zucchini baked ziti

Blueberry cucumber salad

Marinated grilled peppers with burrata

Summer risotto stuffed peppers

Slow roasted tomato farro

Grilled gorgonzola potatoes

Summer squash pasta with goat cheese

Fresh green bean salad

Hot bacon caprese salad

Best ever veggie burgers

BLT chopped salad with corn and feta

Pimento cheese BLTs

The post 30 of My Can’t-Miss Summer Recipes! appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Tuesday Things.

1. Obsessed with these key lime pie bars!

2. I am still in love my with oura ring. Just an FYI.

3. How to slow down your summer. Obsessed.

4. I want to make a goal of eating outside at least three times a week this summer.

5. I totally agree that jalapeños seem less spicier these days.

6. TV things!! I watched all of Sirens – oh so good! I love Julianne Moore. And the episode of Your Friends and Neighbors was so good!

7. A working mom’s tips on how she reads so many books!

8. New podcast love alert: The Dating Detectives. One of you mentioned it and I almost binged the whole thing already. It’s like really excellent versions of catfish.

9. I live in dresses in the summer (they’re just so easy) and have found SO many good ones on amazon the last two seasons. Very pleasantly surprised at how these fit + the quality!

The post Tuesday Things. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

A Week In The Life, Vol 21. Memorial Day Weekend!

One of my most favorite weeks of the year!

And we had a packed one.

On Monday I got to go on Emilia’s field trip.

We went to a dairy farm and it was awesome.

Super fun learning about everything!

Festive season.

The kids’ favorite night. I put this in front of them and they all eat 2 to 3 tacos each.

We also had our school field day… which got rained out and ended up in the gym.

Hockey always!

Obsessed with this boy.

End of school conferences!

Love.

Got a hot chocolate and muffin treat!

Max requested legit breakfast.

Still making my lemon butter chicken from everyday dinners constantly.

Baby Lucy!

She is absolutely obsessed with Max.

Snacks I made for the weekend.

And red white and blue candy salad.

The real MVP of the snacks though.

Cousin lunch.

Today we went to our annual memorial day parade.

Parade ready!

Red white and blue!

Cousins brought donuts!

Almost all the cousins.

Our weather has been so beautiful this weekend!

Jordy looooves watching this.

Then more snacks.

And all the picnic food!

Summer food season!

Cutie cousons.

Just a casual cook. And now we’re into our last few days of school!

The post A Week In The Life, Vol 21. Memorial Day Weekend! appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Memorial Day.

Remembering all today who gave their lives for our country and those who continue to protect and serve.

xoxo (more…)

The post Memorial Day. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.