Simple "I-Don't-Have-To-Think-About-It" Baked Ziti

Confession time: I like cooking delicious dinners for Hubs and "Peep" (as my dad is calling her), but I hate having to constantly reference a recipe all the time.

I much prefer those times when I can just throw something together willy-nilly without thinking about it and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the end result will be amazing. This Baked Ziti does that for me.

Easy, Cheesy, Calzone Pizza

A few months ago, I added calzones into our dinner rotation. I used a great pizza crust recipe, I used ricotta and mozzarella cheeses like a typical Italian place, but there always seemed to be something...off. 

Either there was too much crust and not enough toppings, or the flavor was just too flat. I even tried dipping the calzone in garlic butter, but it wasn't the same as those amazing calzones we get from our local pizza place.

And then I had a brainstorm.

Chicken Apple Sausage

I'm so proud of myself, guys. I developed this recipe on my very own!

It was inspired by a recent trip to Cape Cod. (Sandwich, Massachusetts, to be exact. Yes, that is the real name of the town.) A breakfast place we went to offered chicken apple sausage instead of regular sausage, which always thrills us. We LOVE sausage, but no longer eat pork. You wouldn't believe how few places have turkey or chicken sausage on the menu. Even Publix's chicken sausage is stuffed into a pork casing.

I came home from that trip with total culinary inspiration and whipped up a batch of chicken apple sausage patties for dinner the other night. I took one bite and was SO proud of myself!

Passover Macaroons

I spent the first few years of our marriage kinda freaking out about Passover every year. What meals could I make? What meals could I adapt? What would I have to give up?

It took a few years to get the hang of it, but I think I've gotten the whole diet pretty figured out by now. My husband and I are (semi) kosher (we eat white meat with dairy, but not red meat). We also follow the Sephardic rules of Passover, which means we do eat rice and corn and don't worry about getting the "special" Coke. After all, the Bible just said no leavening, not "no grains." (If grains weren't allowed, then matzo wouldn't be either! It's made from flour!)

Tonight's dinner was actually gluten heavy, because we managed to eat before sundown, but I managed to Jew it back up with one of my favorite Passover treats: coconut macaroons.

My Secret Formula for Perfect Homemade Pizza

I've been trying out homemade pizza a few different ways lately, trying to see what the best/tastiest/easiest method would be. We tried it on the grill (HARD!), on an upside-down baking sheet (like a DIY Pizza stone) and on a pizza pan. I tried different recipes and different methods of stretching out the dough.

Ladies and gentlemen...I've discovered my secret formula!

Three-Ingredient Caramel Apple Spice

Several years ago, my friend Jennie got me hooked on the Caramel Apple Spice from Starbucks. As a non-coffee drinker, this heavenly nectar is like the balm of Gilead during a time where Pumpkin Spice Latte fans take over. My then-boyfriend worked at a coffee shop and asked why I didn't just start making them at home. "It's so easy," I believe he said.

It so is.