The other day our whole office was treated to lunch in honor of several new employees. We went to First Watch in Scottsdale and I ordered their sandwich, The Beefeater. Normally I would never consider picking roast beef, however that day it just sounded good and it WAS good. This sandwich is therefore inspired by First Watch. Roast Beef SandwichRead more

Meat, pasta, and cheese. What’s there not to like? This recipe is from Patrick and Gina Neeley- my favorite (and only) couple on the Food Network. It’s not your typical marinara sauce ziti, but instead it’s made with diced tomatoes and pesto. I made my own pesto (I’ll post that another day), but you can easily used the jarred kind.Read more

I always end up making banana bread at the end of the week when we have leftover ripe bananas. When making banana bread, the riper the bananas the better, so don’t be afraid to use them even if they are really mushy. The recipe I have originally called for milk, but through trial and error I’ve decided that buttermilk producesRead more

So it’s technically fall now but it’s still 100+ degrees here so that warrants a summer salad. Strawberries are definitely not at their prime so I would suggest buying them on the day of making this. I made my own balsamic vinaigrette, but you could use a bottled version too to speed things up. Summer Salad (serves 2) Ingredients: 1Read more

I love avocados. I mean I REALLY love avocados, therefore by default I love guacamole too. This recipe is spicy (even to spice-proof James) so adjust the cayenne pepper if you don’t like spicy food. Cayenne also makes the guacamole look a bit reddish/brown in color, even when it hasn’t oxidized. The only thing that was missing from today’s SundayRead more

This is definitely what I consider a “James Meal” because he enjoys it considerably more than me. Although I love love LOVE blackened chicken, I’m pretty indifferent towards alfredo. I don’t really like the creamy white sauce/pasta combo that much. If you do like both alfredo and blackened chicken though, you will definitely enjoy this recipe. I hope I didn’tRead more

Sloppy Joes are definitely a comfort food for me and I think a lot of other people feel the same way! I used to use a packet of seasoning (never a Manwich fan), but when I got a cookbook I realized that I had all the seasonings at home anyway, so it was silly buying a packet. The recipe canRead more

Sound familiar? I heard an advertisement on the radio for Paradise Bakery’s Fuji apple salad. They listed the ingredients and I immediately knew I had to recreate the recipe. Although I’ve never had their version (I hear it’s good), I can say that this was excellent! James really liked the Gorgonzola cheese and I enjoyed the fresh apples in theRead more

Me and Mexican (I use that term extremely loosely) food photography obviously don’t mix. Seriously, how do you make it look more appetizing? Tips are welcomed. Anyway, although this looks borderline disgusting, it’s a good fajita recipe. I swear. Chicken Fajitas (serves 2+ leftovers) Ingredients: 2 bellpeppers, cut into strips (you can use any 2 colors you like- I useRead more

Happy Sunday! As promised, I am making a different dip every week of football this year. Welcome to week 2: Buffalo Chicken Dip. James likes anything buffalo- literally anything- so when I saw this dip posted on one of my old Lancerette’s wall, I knew I had to make it. Luckily I got the recipe from my sister-in-law too soRead more