JJ

Steak Fingers (68)

At my core, I love chicken fried steak. Love it! So much so that it inspired the name for my blog. It’s a southern staple and I’ve had it at more places than I can count. Whenever we are in Amarillo, we even go to a breakfast place with my in-laws where I get chicken…

Oatmeal Cream Pies (65), Rolo Cake Bars (66), and Caramel Apple Cider (67)

There are few things that I love more than having our home filled with students. I am so thankful for the growth our youth group has experienced, but I miss the evenings spent with a handful of students sitting in our living room. The only event that has stood the test of time is our…

November Giveaway!

*****This Giveaway is Closed. Check the Giveaway Page for Current Giveaways***** When Currey and I lived at Moody we lived on the 8th floor of our building. We were in a corner unit with floor to ceiling windows facing Lake Michigan. The views were always lovely and it was so interesting to watch the…

Shredded Chicken Tacos (63) and Cilantro Lime Rice (64)

While Currey and I were on our August vacation we enjoyed a night with our friends Ryan and Kristine. Kristine made a feast for our dinner together. It was extra special as she made guacamole the way I had showed her 4 years ago. I was excited that she likes it as much as I…

Breakfast Pizza (62)

Are you one of those people that eat cold pizza for breakfast? I can’t handle cold pizza but Currey already has Blythe enjoying cold pizza at all hours of the day. She’ll do whatever her Daddy does and she loves pizza! When I saw this recipe for breakfast pizza I knew that I had to…

Garlic Pork Chops (60) and Sweet Potato Fries (61)

One of the first recipes that I ever tried from Pinterest was this Garlic Pork Chop recipe. It was one of the recipes that showed me the value of Pinterest and affirmed that it could be a place to find worthwhile recipes. While at the grocery store shopping for the ingredients for Garlic Pork Chops,…

Summer Squash Risotto (59)

Champagne risotto was the first intermediate recipe that I cooked from Food Network. At that time, it was a monumental milestone for me. I realized that I could try harder recipes, I could make really delicious meals in my kitchen and it was so good it could have been served in a restaurant. I realize…

Chorizo Cheeseburger (57) and Homemade Tater Tots (58)

Do you like chorizo? If so, you must try this Chorizo Cheeseburger recipe. Not sure if you like chorizo? Then this is a great recipe to try. At our house we love chorizo but to be honest I’m having a more difficult time finding it than I used to. I was dying to try this…

White Pizza (55) and Barbeque Chicken Pineapple Quesadillas (56)

One of the most fun parts of this journey is sharing dinner with our friends. During the week of July 4th, we were hit by an unbelievable storm. Thousands lost power for several days during the heat of summer. Our friends the Colwins were some of those that lost power. We welcomed them into our…

Orange Push Up Smoothie (54)

I have fond memories of hearing the ice cream truck music playing, begging for some change from my parents and painstakingly deciding which cool treat I wanted the most. Although they weren’t a glamorous choice, an orange push pop was always a delicious option. It was always a race to eat the sweet treat before…

Jalapeno Cheddar Ale Soup (52) and Lasagna Soup (53)

My mom loves to recount how picky of an eater I was as a child. I had a gift at picking out every single diced onion (or bell pepper) from a dish that she made from dinner. I meticulously piled them on the edge of my plate. Thankfully, I’ve broadened my horizons and I’m not…

Pizza Rolls (50) and Potato Skins (51)

Although I continue to be in denial about fall, the seasons continue to change. You can find football on at our house all day Sunday (I’m watching a game as I type this post!) and even Blythe likes to watch the games with us. I’m not sure why but I think that football requires good…

Anniversary Dinner – Pepper Crusted Steaks with Goat Cheese (46), Roasted Red Pepper and Ancho Chile Salsa (47), Bundles of Asparagus (48) and Pink Grapefruit Margaritas (49)

We are currently in a season of life where it’s easier to have date nights at home. Thankfully our little man is finally on a schedule and sleeping better but it’s still hard to leave him at 4 months old. We decided to celebrate our 7-year anniversary by cooking together at home. We waited until…

Deconstructed Caramel Apples (45)

If you have ever been an out of town guest in my parent’s home, you have most likely been greeted with a tray upon your arrival in their home. It’s one of the first ways that you are welcomed at their house. I started getting trays when I came home from college and even now,…

Sonic Cherry Limeade (43) and Frozen Raspberry Mojito (44)

I don’t know about you but I feel like everyone is gearing up for fall. Most of the blogs that I follow are sharing fall recipes, talking about fall fashion or sharing pictures from school starting and football games. Let me be the first to tell you, I’m in denial that fall is coming. Complete…

Cheesy Garlic Bread (42)

I have been spending more time than is appropriate searching for recipes on Pinterest. It’s relaxing and inspiring to look at beautiful pictures of food, dream of dishes to combine to make a great dinner and being inspired to be more daring when I combine flavors. Seriously, Pinterest is addicting! Sometimes, I stumble upon recipes…

Stuffed Avocados (41)

Since I’ve already confessed my love of Dr. Pepper, I’ll make another confession. I hate leftovers. HATE them. For as long as I can remember, I’ve despised them. One of the biggest skills that I learned in the kitchen from my Dad is creativity with leftovers. We would joke that he could sculpt remnants of…

Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork (40)

Dr. Pepper is my current addiction. During my last pregnancy I usually chose to indulge in a cup of coffee in the morning instead of drinking Dr. Pepper during the day. It was winter most of my pregnancy so a hot beverage just made sense. And really, if you are drinking a Dr. Pepper nothing…

Banana Pudding (39)

Hello faithful readers! I’m going to break a big blogging rule and apologize for my absence. Shortly after Currey returned from his trip we headed out for a week long vacation, just the 2 of us. I had big plans of setting up posts to roll out when I was gone and then thought about…

Crock Pot Recipes: Balsamic Pork (37) and Sesame Chicken (38)

Who doesn’t love crock-pot cooking? The ease of putting ingredients in the crock-pot in the morning and coming home to a cooked meal in the evening makes any mom’s day better. I typically use mine on days when I’m working later so that I don’t have to come home and rush to get dinner on…

Road Trip Snacks: Peanut Butter Granola Bars (34), Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies (35) and Trix Crispies (36)

You may have noticed that I was MIA last week. Currey was with our students on a mission trip in Memphis. It was just the kids and I for an entire week so to say that blogging was on the back burner is an understatement! Thankfully we all survived but we are oh so glad…

Easy Dinner Rolls (32) and Rosemary Dinner Rolls (33)

Several nights ago we were cooking dinner and I thought that the meal needed some sort of roll. I quickly googled Easy Dinner Rolls and millions of recipes popped up. After a quick scan, I realized that I could make these Easy Dinner Rolls with ingredients that I had on hand and they would…

Spinach Bacon Quiche (31)

My husband and I live states away from our families so whenever we visit Texas we try to fit as many family activities as possible into our trip. On our most recent visit, my brother and his wife were able to come up to my parent’s house for a weekend and we were able to…

Skewers : Key West Grilled Chicken (29) and Garlic Mustard Chicken (30)

At our house, we grill all year. We invested in a Le Creuset grill pan 2 years ago, which has made grilling in the winter much easier. But thankfully right now we aren’t thinking about snow and we are enjoying sunshine and temps in the 90’s. I love skewers. I like the look, the bite…

Vanilla Ice Cream (27) with Peach Basil Topping (28)

Any time that I eat homemade ice cream, I am immediately transported to all the summers growing up spent with my family, enjoying homemade Butterfinger ice cream on the screened in porch. To me, homemade ice cream screams summer so when I saw this recipe for Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Peach Basil Topping from…

Chocolate Chip Cookies(24), Bacon Wrapped Dates (25) and Gorgonzola Cheese Dip (26) Scotch Tasting

My husband, Currey, is a fantastic gift giver. He has always been a thoughtful and intentional gift giver but the longer we’ve been married he just gets better and better about spoiling me. I am continually astounded by his generosity and attention to detail. What makes his gifts even sweeter is his excitement to give…

Easy Cheese Danishes (23)

One of the best things about our job is that we get to spend time with students. If you haven’t spent time with teenagers recently, I’d encourage you to do so. (And if you are a parent of teenagers, I don’t mean your own kids!) I can guarantee that they will make you laugh, challenge…

Coconut Shrimp (22)

Since I’d bought shrimp for the garlic shrimp recipe, I decided to use the rest for a coconut shrimp recipe. I’m not a huge fan of coconut in sweets and desserts but coconut shrimp is one of my favorite seafood dishes. When I found this recipe on Pinterest I knew I had to give it…

English Muffin Bread (20) and Strawberry Cream Cheese Toast (21)

Whoever created Pinterest is a genius in my book! I have found so many wonderful recipes from friends, discovered blogs I didn’t know existed, and been inspired to be more creative in my home and with activities for Blythe. But mostly, it’s just the food! So many other home cooks inspire me and I currently…