Jessica Merchant's Blog, page 77
January 31, 2024
January Favorites.
A peek at everything I loved in January 2024!
FOODVeggie Straws Hearts. This the snack of the year for us so far. The kids love veggie straws and these heart ones are SO cute. And poppable!
Trader Joe’s step up to the snack bar mix. The original version (with honey mustard pretzels) and the spicy version (with jalapeno pretzels) are both incredible. During the holiday season I stock up. This is a great happy hour or entertaining snack. Or just a good salty nighttime snack!
Favorite Day hot cocoa whipped cream. This is a seasonal item so I believe it’s out of stock. But Target has it every holiday season and it’s so good. We also love the marshmallow flavor too!
Kodiak cakes protein pancakes. These are nothing new – Eddie has eaten them for years. But we’ve cracked the case of what keeps the kids satisfying in the morning until school lunch, and it’s these! We do two with some butter and it’s an excellent combo for them. Very satisfying! Emilia also likes the waffles.
HOMEBosch mixer. I bought this mixer last month because I’m deep into sourdough sandwich bread making. And it is SO GREAT for that. My kitchenaid does not work for multiple batches of sourdough. This works so well and I love it.
Candle warmer lamp. This is a repeat fave because it’s so good. I love how pretty it is. I’ve gifted many in the last month! It adds so much a room, I just love it.
CB2 pasta bowls. These are fabulous bowls. They are almost like a big plate with a lip OR a bowl. Everything can be served in them!
Valentine’s juice glasses. I love themed EVERYTHING, so these glasses were a must for me. On that same note, these double walled heart mugs are also great!
FASHIONEberjey gisele lounge set. I’m loyal to the nordstrom moonlight pajamas, so I’ve never seen a reason to get these ones. But I got a lounge set at christmas and LOVE it. I love that the pants and more jogger-like and banded at the bottom. Super soft and cozy.
Amazon ankle socks. These socks are the BEST and they do not fall down. I love them so much.
Nike fleece crewneck. I mentioned the hoodie version of these a few months ago, and the crew neck is just as good. They are slightly oversized and the way they fall is just so lovely! I also love that there are soooo many colors.
BEAUTYSkinny confidential ice roller. This is the BEST ice roller I’ve ever used. It’s huge, it’s cold at all times because of the stainless roller. I love it.
Dior lip glow oil and lip balm in Berry. Oh my gosh! I’ve tried these before and while I like them, haven’t been wowed. However, I got the berry color which is a much cooler purple shade. It looks too dark, but on the lips it is such an excellent cool toned color and I adore it. I’ve almost gone through the entire balm. I love it and won’t ever be without it.
Herbivore cloud milk body cream. This is what I’ve been using daily and it smells incredible. It’s so thick and moisturizing. I love it.
Virtue healing hair oil. Another new thing in my hair routine. This smells phenomenal!
MEDIAMercury. Absolutely loved this book this month. It was fantastic.
Love Marry Kill Podcast. I mentioned this earlier this week, but I discovered it this month and have binged so many episodes. It’s so, so good.
Page. kindle covers. Sort of falls into this category. She has the BEST kindle covers ever.
KIDSKids kindle. Max got this for christmas. I was worried because I didn’t like another “screen,” but he reads so much and takes so many books in the car. Oh my gosh. It’s been wonderful and he LOVES it. He reads even more now. It’s incredible.
Soft gym joggers. These feel like lululemon joggers for kids! They are excellent. Max loves them.
Rainbow acrylic step stool. I love the stools that we have from serena and lily. But this is a fun colorful version that is very lightweight. We have it in the toy room!
[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 January Favorites. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.
Roasted Tomato Feta Spaghetti Squash
This roasted tomato feta spaghetti squash is the perfect side dish! Soft strands of spaghetti squash are topped with creamy feta, burst tomatoes and fresh basil. This is super delicious and goes with just about any entree!
Cute side dish alert!
These spaghetti squash rings are topped with creamy feta, juicy tomatoes and roasted until everything comes together in a delish, fancy and fun way.
Serve these as a side dish with dinner tonight and you’re all set.
The feta tomato combo is so good!
Of course, you know this. After it went viral a few years ago with the tomato feta baked pasta, everyone realized just how fabulous the flavors are together.
They are easy, simple but so tasty. The mixture tastes sophisticated but also familiar and comforting at the same time. Which, in my mind, is the best way to create a delicious dish.
So, while I don’t use the exact tomato feta method that everyone was freaking over, the idea is the same.
The sliced squash makes a little nest for the tomatoes and the feta.
It’s perfect!
And too cute. Way too cute.
I love cutting and roasting spaghetti squash this way. While it takes more slicing than it would if you just cut it in half lengthwise, I find that this is the best option for feeding a larger family. This allows you to make a big old pan of side dishes, enough for everyone.
This way, we all get our own (adorable) portion. I love it.
I slice the squash into one inch rings and remove the seeds in the center of each ring. I brush or spray the squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Then I roast it!
While it roasts, I toss the tomatoes with some olive oil and herbs.
When the squash is all roasted, I use a fork to scrap the strands into the center, creating that little “nest.” I don’t pull it off the skin completely, because I want the skin to hold the nest in place.
I sprinkle the squash with crumbled feta, then I add the tomatoes. And I might add a little more feta on top too!
Next, it goes back into the oven and roasts some more. The feta gets slightly melty. The tomatoes burst and get even sweeter. And when you bring the pan out, you can twirl the squash strands into the juicy melty tomatoes and cheese.
This is SO shockingly delicious. I love how caramely the squash strands become. The feta is so creamy and savory. The tomatoes are herby and sweet. It’s a side dish that goes with just about anything.
Or it can be served alongside a big greens salad too! I would totally eat that for a “no kids/no husband” dinner one night if I was home alone. (more…)
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January 30, 2024
Tuesday Things.
1. I still need plants in our new house! Like, greenery. Do fiddle leaf figs scream “I’m too much of a millenial?” Can I get a lemon tree for inside my kitchen? I need to know these things.
2. Been on a big potato soup kick over here.
3. My obsession with all things Valentine’s Day is off the charts. Can I wear red and pink hearts forever.
4. Love the idea of writing a personal contract.
5. TV things!! I can’t find anything to watch. I need a new very bingeable show please.
6. I can’t believe I’m even saying this. Because I hate true crime things, especially scary things, especially since having kids. But I discovered the podcast called Love Marry Kill and have been listening to a few episodes and got hooked. I don’t even know who I am anymore.
7. 10 important time management principles.
8. Why is getting hiccups as an adult about 89 times worse than when you’re a kid?
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January 29, 2024
Cozy Cauliflower Chickpea Curry.
This cauliflower chickpea curry is so spiced, cozy and warm, served over jasmine rice with lots of fresh herbs. Roasted cauliflower, chickpeas, coconut milk, garlic and ginger make this dish shine!
I love some alliteration! Makes the meal better.
And I love a super cozy meal like this. Roasted cauliflower and chickpeas in a spiced curry coconut milk sauce, served over rice with lots of herbs.
It is divine.
This is the ultimate comfort food for me. I love that the rice soaks into the sauce. I love having some pita or naan or even sourdough on the side so I can soak up as much of the sauce as possible.
It’s flavorful, it’s easy for a weeknight and the leftovers are incredible! Like chili, this curry may get even better as it sits and the flavor develops. You can’t pass it up.
This may be my favorite thing to have for lunch in these dreary winter months. I crave it!
The chickpea cauliflower combo is one of my favorites too. I make these cauliflower chickpea bowls often, serving them over couscous with the hummus dressing. I find it to be such a satisfying, filling combo. But one that is also easy because I usually have both ingredients on hand.
Because I love it so much, I knew I wanted to make a warming coconut milk version of those bowls.
I take one little extra step in this recipe that makes it worthwhile, and that is roasting the cauliflower. Yes, roasting the cauliflower! I took a tip from those bowls above and roasted it first. Best idea ever.
Roasting it before it takes a dip in the curried coconut milk is absolutely delightful.
This makes it SO delicious. It gives the entire pot a charred/roasted flavor that is so wonderful – once you make it this way, you won’t want it without roasting the cauliflower.
It doesn’t take a lot of time either. I simply roasted the cauliflower while I’m getting everything else ready, then start the onions and garlic. By the time we’re ready for the spices and coconut milk, the cauliflower is mostly done!
I love to serve this curry over jasmine rice. It’s so fragrant and flavorful and it also cooks quickly. The curry powder brings the best warmth to this dish. If there was ever a flavor that screamed COZY, this is it! (more…)
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January 28, 2024
A Week In The Life, Vol 5.
January has felt like the longest and the shortest month!
Here’s what our week looked like.
Crazy pretty winter sunsets.
Still very much on the yogurt bowl train.
This makes me feel like I’m 10 years old!! In a good way!
Valentine princess, coming right up.
And valentine prince! Took him to mall where he ran all around.
Made many house salads this week.
It was warm enough for the park!
Also made lasagna soup.
Max had a hockey game.
The zamboni is his favorite part.
Oh and playing with his sister!! They can play together for HOURS. It’s amazing.
Goal for Max!!!
Everyone was excited.
Celebrated with a pretzel bigger than his head.
Happiest girl ever.
Matching Jordans for everyone.
We tried to do overnight curls in Emilia’s hair. It didn’t really work.
This was about as wavy as it got!
And that was our week! xo
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This Week’s Menu Plan: 1/28/24.
So many crowd pleasers are on this week’s menu!
What’s on your menu this week?!
This Week’s Menu
Ranch chicken meatballs with broccoli couscous
Salmon fritters with dill sauce
Baked bucatini with vodka sauce
Winter chickpea salad with smoked provolone
Pumpkin cheesecake baked oatmeal
The post This Week’s Menu Plan: 1/28/24. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.
January 27, 2024
Currently Crushing On.
Happy Saturday!
This week I shared the best sticky salmon with avocado greens. I also shared this white pizza frittata (so good!), a ton of excellent game day recipes and this baked bucatini with vodka sauce.
Here’s my winter reading list if you need some book inspo.
There’s a new weekly menu up and a peek at a week in our life!
You can join The Everyday Dinners cookbook club right here! If you have a copy of the book, request to join the group. If not, get one here! Ready to start on fall! It is such a wonderful community and an amazing place for recipe ideas.
xoxoxo
WHAT I’M LOVING THIS WEEKBuffalo lime shrimp tacos! Delish.
These sesame beef lettuce wraps look so good.
Lemon brownies. Yes please.
Craving these baked BBQ chicken thighs.
Mexican vegetable soup sounds amazing.
This homemade ciabatta bread is perfect.
Shaved brussels salad is everything.
Love this easy microwave lemon curd.
Bang bang shrimp dip! Yum.
Need this meyer lemon fettuccine.
Flourless chocolate chip cookies. Yes yes yes.
Wow – orange creamsicle cupcakes!
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January 26, 2024
Baked Bucatini with Vodka Sauce.
This baked vodka pasta is comfort food heaven! Tender bucatini is swirled in silky vodka sauce, topped with ground beef and mozzarella and baked until melty. It’s so delicious and easy!
Cozy comfort food is here for the weekend!
This baked vodka pasta is so cozy, tastes amazing and is easy to throw together on a weeknight. It’s also a perfect weekend meal with a big greens salad. Bucatini pasta, vodka sauce that is silky and smooth, melty cheese, fresh basil, tons of parmesan – what more could we want?!
Baked spaghetti has been a go-to meal for us for years. It’s something I make a few times a month because we all love it so much. And it’s simple.
Spaghetti noodles, ground beef or turkey, marinara sauce and cheese.
EASY! It’s so comforting and wonderful. And it seems like a no brainer, but the nice thing is that it just tastes different from regular “pasta and sauce.”
You know? Sometimes we just need a meal like that. Something with familiar flavors that we enjoy, but not the exact meal we are used to.
That is how I develop most recipes and even how I cook dinner.
“What can I make that tastes the same but… isn’t the same?”
Welcome to my life.
I’m pretty sure the best part of the baked spaghetti is the melty cheese. I also love how some parts of the noodles peek out from the sauce and end up crunchy and crisp from the oven. I steal those pieces. Of course.
So this meal is just like that, but with my vodka sauce. Think lots of fresh mozzarella. Herbs. Oh, and bucatini!!
I love bucatini a lot more than spaghetti. The long, tender tubes swirl into sauce much better than other noodles. I cook them al dente so they still have a bit of chew and they’re just perfect.
One of my favorite things about vodka sauce is how silky it is. It coats noodles beautifully – I love that it’s smooth and not chunky. And that it covers every bit of noodle, without any bald spots!
First, I brown some ground beef. Or turkey! Whichever you’d like to use. Then I remove it and set it aside in a bowl.
Then I make a double batch of my vodka sauce in that same pan. Of course, this is an extra step when you’re used to pouring a jar of marinara in a baking dish. But if you’re a lover of vodka sauce like I am, then you know how important this is!
I also boil the pasta while starting the sauce, because I need some starchy pasta water for it all to come together.
Once the sauce is done, I add a bit of it in the bottom of a baking dish. Then swirl the bucatini into pasta piles in the dish on top. Sprinkle the ground beef mixture all over. Pour the rest of the sauce over the bucatini and do a few twirls so the noodles are mostly coated.
I love this sauce so I want my pasta swimming in it. No lie.
Next, I throw some mozzarella all over the top. I take a ball of it and tear it into pieces. (more…)
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January 25, 2024
50 Game Day Recipes To Make For The Super Bowl.
These game day recipes are perfect for the super bowl or any big game! Lots of snacks, crowd-pleasing apps and a few treats along with sandwiches and pastas. So great for a party with friends!
Just sharing a cool 50 of my favorite recipes with you today!
Ha. Yes, 50! Of course. I would have 50 favorites.
I know that the big big game is still a few weeks away, but if you’re watching the games this weekend, make some good eats!
Regardless of if you actually want to watch the game or just enjoy the snacks, these are my top picks. I used to do a huge football food post every september and I have a LOT of delish ideas for game day. These are my absolute top picks – all of which I wish could appear in my kitchen right now!
These are GOOD.
50 Game Day Recipes
Buffalo chicken guacamole pizza
Smoked cheddar and caramelized onion potato skins (more…)
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January 24, 2024
White Pizza Frittata.
This white pizza frittata is such a satisfying and delicious dish! Mozzarella cheese, herbs and fresh tomatoes are baked with eggs and topped with a light arugula salad. It’s super good and so easy!
Nothing beats breakfast for dinner!
This white pizza frittata is incredible. Baked eggs with lots of mozzarella cheese, oregano, basil, garlic and tomatoes, topped with parmesan and some dressed arugula greens. Ridiculously filling and so, so tasty.
While I love making classic pancakes, bacon and eggs for dinner, sometimes an egg forward dish like a frittata or quiche steals the show. This is a dish where the leftovers taste amazing and it comes together quickly.
At the same time, it feels sort of special. Unique and fancy, if you will. But it’s just eggs! Baked eggs with ingredients you most likely have in your kitchen.
If you’ve been around for any length of time, then you know that I have an obsession with white pizza. White pizza itself, white pizza flavors – I shared white pizza dip a billion years ago. White pizza lasagna. White pizza grilled cheese!!
What is this white pizza that you ask? Super cheesy, garlicky flavors with herbs and tomatoes. Basil, oregano, a good drizzle of olive oil.
I knew these flavors would work wonders in a frittata and I was correct!
This has become my new favorite way to eat eggs.
And I live for eggs. In fact, I’d go as far to say that eggs are my favorite food. Their delightful savoriness and overall versatility make them a staple nearly every day for us.
I start by cooking some shallots and garlic in a touch of butter. I like to get these nice and brown so there is lots of flavor.
Next, I pour in the frittata filling which consists of eggs, mozzarella cheese, basil, oregano and a little half and half or cream. (more…)
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