Favorite National Foods

These Italian Stuffed Shells are the best! My all time favorite stuffed shells Creamy, cheesy, delicious!

Any pasta dish is so simple to put together and cheap to make. I stuffed these Italian Stuffed Shells with seasoned meat, cream cheese, and marinara sauce. I topped it with more marinara and shredded cheese and baked! It so simple to make and my entire family loved it!

I cooked 1/2 a pound of ground sausage with a 1/2 of pound of ground beef. Season it with Italian seasoning then add in cream cheese! Melt it in then mix in your marinara sauce. Stuff your shells and place them in a casserole dish. Top with more marinara sauce and shredded cheese. Bake and then dinner is ready! Simple and easy!


Italian Stuffed Shells

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes


Ingredients:

•     Jumbo shells, 1/2 box (This will depend on how full you stuff them)
•     Ground sausage, 1/2 lb
•     Ground beef, 1/2 lb
•     Cream cheese, 4 oz
•     Italian seasoning, 1 tsp
•     Garlic powder, 1 tsp
•     Marinara sauce, 1 1/2 cup (divided)
•     Mozzarella cheese, shredded, 1/2 cup

Read More : Italian Stuffed Shells

This honey garlic chicken stir fry recipe is full of chicken and veggies, all coated in the easiest sweet and savory sauce. A healthier dinner option that the whole family will love!

So it seems like stir fries have kind of become my thing. It wasn’t something I set out to do, but my stir fry recipes tend to be some of the most popular recipes on my site! Today I’ve got a honey garlic chicken version that’s quick, healthy and incredibly easy to make! I love that you can customize the meat and veggies exactly to your liking, and the honey garlic chicken sauce only has 4 ingredients, how can you go wrong with that?

This honey garlic chicken stir fry recipe is full of chicken and veggies, all coated in the easiest sweet and savory sauce. A healthier dinner option that the whole family will love!
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Let’s first talk about how to make honey garlic chicken. Cook the vegetables in a hot pan, then remove the vegetables and add diced chicken breast and minced garlic. When the chicken is cooked through, add the vegetables back into the pan. Whisk together chicken broth, soy sauce, honey and corn starch, then pour over the chicken and vegetables. Simmer for a few minutes then enjoy!

This honey garlic chicken stir fry recipe is full of chicken and veggies, all coated in the easiest sweet and savory sauce. A healthier dinner option that the whole family will love!
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You can use whatever vegetables you like here, I typically go with carrots and broccoli because that’s what my family prefers. Other great options are mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, snow peas, green beans or even asparagus. This recipe is written for garlic lovers with 4 cloves of garlic in the dish. If you prefer you can cut that amount down to 2-3 cloves and it’ll still be delicious. Serve your honey garlic chicken over rice for a quick meal that’s sure to please the whole family.

This honey garlic chicken stir fry recipe is full of chicken and veggies, all coated in the easiest sweet and savory sauce. A healthier dinner option that the whole family will love!
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This honey garlic chicken stir fry recipe is full of chicken and veggies, all coated in the easiest sweet and savory sauce. A healthier dinner option that the whole family will love!


Honey Garlic Chicken Stir Fry

This honey garlic chicken stir fry recipe is chicken and vegetables, cooked to perfection and tossed in a sweet and savory sauce.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 263 kcal


Ingredients:

•     1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vegetable oil divided use
•     1 cup thinly sliced peeled carrots
•     2 cups broccoli florets
•     1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
•     4 cloves garlic minced
•     1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth or water
•     1/4 cup soy sauce
•     3 tablespoons honey
•     2 teaspoons cornstarch
•     salt and pepper to taste

Read More :  Honey Garlic Chicken Stir Fry

This apple pecan cake will get you in the mood for fall. The glaze on this cake oozes with caramel goodness. The scrumptious apple flavor, with delicious pecans mixed throughout, will definitely satisfy your taste buds!

There are lots of apple pieces and pecans throughout this cake. The moist texture and the flavor will have you baking this cake over and over for many years to come

Fall is definitely one of my favorite seasons, not only for the fresh crisp air and the beautiful changing leaves, but for the delicious baked goodies that are baked with love for my family and friends. The smells that surround my kitchen, practically on a daily basis during this time of year, is one that I truly enjoy and one that definitely gets me in the mood for fall.

Give this delicious recipe a try the next time you are craving something sweet!


Apple Pecan Cake with Caramel Glaze


This Apple Pecan Cake is so delicious! Just one bite of this cake will have you baking it over and over again!

Prep time : 30 mins
Cook time : 1 hour
Total time : 1 hour 30 mins
 Recipe type: Cake, Dessert
Serves: 8-10

Ingredients:

•     1½ cups of cooking oil
•     2 cups sugar
•     4 Eggs
•     3 cups of flour
•     1 tsp baking soda
•     ½ tsp cinnamon
•     1 tsp salt
•     2 tsps vanilla
•     3½ cups Granny Smith apples (approximately 3-4 apples), peeled and chopped
•     1 cup of chopped pecans

Caramel Glaze

•     ¾ cups butter (1½ sticks)
•     1 cup light brown sugar
•     ¼ cup milk
•     1 tsp vanilla

Read More : Apple Pecan Cake with Caramel Glaze

The concept of overnight oats can be somewhat confusing to newbies, which is totally understandable.

•  But, how does it work exactly?
•  How are they “cooked” in the fridge, overnight?
•  Do I eat them cold?
•  Can I eat them warm (because eating cold oats weirds me out)??
•  Why are they made in a jar?

WHAT’S GOING ON HERE.

I get you. At one point, I also pondered those hard-hitting questions. So lemme explain.

When it comes to overnight oats, there’s no right way or wrong way to make them or eat them. It’s kind of up to you and what you prefer.

Overnight oats are basically rolled oats swirled together in a mason jar with any kind of dairy-free milk, plus any extra goodness you feel like adding (chia seeds, berries, nuts, cinnamon, cacao powder, nut butter etc.). Then you seal the mason jar (or covered bowl, if that’s all you have) in the fridge overnight. The oats soften and soak up the liquid, essentially “cooking” overnight, so there’s no need to actually cook them.

Voila! YOU HAVE MAGIC IN A JAR.

Why do busy people love overnight oats so much? They’re CONVENIENT and CUSTOMIZABLE.

We’re busy. Life is crazy town sometimes. There are days when we wake up late and breakfast turns into a quick larabar so we aren’t late to work (which will leave us starvedddd in an hour or two, because a larabar is a snack y’all). We’ll be wishing for some magic-in-a-jar.

Overnight oats are a healthy grab-n-go breakfast, meaning one less thing you have to worry about, come morning. You literally grab the jar out of the fridge (don’t forget a spoon) and BOOM. The creamiest, yummiest breakfast that saves time, tastes uh-mazing, keeps you full and energized and more importantly, keeps you nourished. There’s literally nothing better. While I love smoothies, my love is equal for overnight oats.

You could warm them up on the stove in the morning, or dare I say it, in the microwave, OR you can eat them room-temperature, as I usually do. I take the jar out of the fridge and set it on the counter to warm up while I make coffee and chug my lemon water and love on Taz until he’s annoyed with me. That way, the oats aren’t “cold” but I also don’t have to dirty any more dishes. Hashtag lazy.
Why do I love overnight oats? Brain fuel. Packed with oodles of nourishment. DELISH. Filling. Easyyyy.

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You should totally make them in cute mason jars, especially if you’re on the go because of the screw-on lid! Spillage problems avoided, you are welcome.

I poured my overnight oats into a bowl (as shown in some pictures) but either way, you can get creative, customize with your fave add-ins and be excited for your breakfast in the morning. Let’s talk about add-ins and toppings. The options are endless here. This is the part where you transform overnights oats into whatever you want them to be.

Overnight Oat Flavor Ideas:

•     Peanut Butter Brownie? Add in peanut butter and cacao powder.
•     Banana Coconut? Add in coconut milk, mashed banana and coconut flakes.
•     Protein-Powered Berry Bliss? Add in plant based protein powder and berries (fresh or frozen).
•     Crunchy and Savory? Add in crushed walnuts, cacao nibs and nut butter.
•     Superfood Packed? Add in chia seeds, hemp seeds, maca powder, gogi berries etc.
•     Peanut Butter and Jelly? Add peanut butter and jelly. Yup.

Peanut Butter Chia Overnight Oats

Ingredients:

•     3/4 cup rolled oats
•     2 tablespoons chia seeds
•     1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
•     pinch of sea salt
•     1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or any plant milk)*
•     1/2 cup filtered water
•     1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
•     1 ripe banana, mashed (but leave a few banana coins for topping!)
•     2 tablespoons PB Fit powder + 1 1/2 tablespoons water (or any nut butter, to taste)
•     1-2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave, for extra sweetness

Extras/Toppings

•     cacao nibs (optional)
•     coconut flakes
•     crushed almonds
•     sliced banana coins
•     extra sprinkles of cinnamon!

Read More : Peanut Butter Chia Overnight Oats

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Nantucket Corn Pudding


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Nantucket Corn Pudding is a traditional recipe that was popular with the original colonial inhabitants of New England – and today, it’s a classic side dish still served at many Thanksgiving dinners around the United States.

There are so many different recipes for corn pudding – and most modern day versions (like today’s Nantucket Corn Pudding) use whole corn kernels, rather than a porridge made with ground corn or corn meal. Back in the 17th century, the savory corn meal porridge was called ‘Hasty Pudding, and the sweet corn meal porridge was called ‘Indian Pudding.’


We found this Nantucket Corn Pudding recipe in this cookbook – and my husband Jack and I absolutely loved the golden and savory, buttery cracker and cheddar topping that was piled high on the creamy, flavorful corn pudding.

If you can find it, this Nantucket Corn Pudding is best with fresh whole corn kernels cut off the cob. But fresh corn isn’t often readily available during the Fall season, so a good quality drained canned sweet corn is a good alternative. (Frozen corn kernels may also be used, but we’ve found that the texture of frozen corn tends to be a little rubbery, so we’d highly recommend using canned as the best alternative to fresh corn.)

Nantucket Corn Pudding

Note: The original Nantucket Corn Pudding recipe calls for ‘pilot crackers’, ‘hard tack’ or oyster crackers. We’re fairly certain pilot crackers and hard tack (a simple flour and water biscuit) aren’t available at the supermarket, so oyster crackers are what we used. (They worked great in this recipe!)

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 50 mins
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients :

• 8-10 ears fresh corn on the cob, or 5 cups canned corn, drained
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup half and half
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• Few grinds fresh nutmeg
• ¾ cup crushed oyster crackers, divided (crush the crackers, then measure). Also see note above
• 3 tablespoons melted butter, divided
• ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• Paprika

Coconut lime rice is an easy and delicious recipe. Creative, yet simple ingredients make this a perfect weeknight side dish. This rice is vegan, dairy free and gluten free.

Happy Monday morning!

How was your weekend? Mine was very productive, yet relaxing. On Friday I spent most of the day at a functional medicine doctor’s office finally getting down to the root cause of some of the new digestive issues I have been experiencing. I’m not quite yet ready to share what’s been going on, but I am very happy to have some answers and promise I will share soon!

Besides that, I spent most of the weekend working and relaxing. I went to bed insanely early and got caught up on sleep thankfully, because this week is going to be BUSY. Hopefully our practice will be officially opening our doors this week (!!!), I’m doing a grocery store tour for USF in St Pete on Wednesday night and on Thursday night Meg and I will be back at Nature’s Food Patch doing a cooking demonstration.

I have promised myself I am going to maintain self care during this week of extra work, because its important to me to practice what I preach. I will still be doing my morning and nighttime routines daily and on Sunday I plan on spending the day at the beach.


Coconut Lime Rice
 
Cook time :25 mins
Total time :25 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients :

•     1 cup uncooked rice
•     1½ cup water
•     1 Tablespoon coconut oil
•     1 cup coconut milk
•     Zest and juice of 1 lime
•     Salt to taste

 


 Read More : Coconut Lime Rice

Spicy Louisiana Shrimp Dip is a spicy, creamy dip with cajun spices that you can make in 30 minutes. It’ll be the hit of your party!

Spicy Louisiana Shrimp Dip is so flavorful and easy to make you may even make this dip when you aren’t having any visitors.  The use of prepackaged shrimp lets you focus on other parts of the meal and leaves the cooking of seafood to SeaPak, who generously sponsored this post.

One of my favorite things about this dip is it combines a lot of flavors of my favorite creamy shrimp cajun pasta with toasted bread. Given how quickly the dip comes together it is a home run.

With this delicious SeaPak Shrimp Scampi I didn’t even need to add a lot of extra flavors to the dip. The garlic and seasonings are the perfect addition.  Plus, the dip is perfect to take outdoors if you’re having a backyard party

It never hurts to keep a package or two of SeaPak in your freezer in case you have a rough day and just want dinner to be easy.

It’s also a perfect way to get in one of your two USDA-recommended weekly servings of 4 ounces of seafood.  Shrimp is one of my favorite options for seafood because the flavor is so mild that both kids and adults love it.  It’s also incredibly easy to cook, in addition to being low-fat and healthy.

Basically, shrimp is like chicken because you can add countless sauces, seasonings, or flavors and adapt it to pretty much any cuisine.  A good example of this is today’s recipe, where I used a shrimp scampi and adapted it to a cajun shrimp dip.

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Spicy Lousiana Shirp Dip

Prep : 10Mins
Cook : 20Mins
Total Time : 30Mins


Ingredients : 

• 1/4 cup chives, or minced green onions
• 1 red bell pepper, minced
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 12 ounces SeaPak Shrimp Scampi
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 sourdough bowl