Bow Tie Pasta Salad

The Story Behind My Obsession With This Pasta Salad You ever have one of those recipes that sort of sneaks up on you, then—bam!—becomes the thing you're randomly craving even when it's snowing out? That’s this Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad for me. I made it first on a sticky July afternoon, sweating buckets in …

First Things First: Why Big Mac Pasta Salad? Okay, so the first time I made this Big Mac Pasta Salad was because I'd promised to bring something “fun and not just another potato salad” to my cousin Mark’s backyard BBQ. (Let me tell you, Mark is not easily impressed, and last time my pasta salad …

I can't even count how many times I've made Ditalini Pasta Salad—it sort of sneaks onto our table almost every summer weekend. The first time was actually a total fluke; I'd run out of elbow macaroni and my neighbor (hey, Karen!) gave me a box of ditalini. That little switch just stuck. For some reason, …

Let's Talk Macaroni Salad (and Why I Make This All the Time) So, macaroni salad—it’s basically my summer side dish soulmate. I’ve been making some version of this since I was about thirteen, which mostly involved overcooking the pasta and “taste testing” half the dressing, but hey, practice makes, uh, better. This recipe is honestly …

Zesty Simple Dill Pickle Pasta Salad for Summer Fun Alright, friend, let me tell you about the all-star of my summer BBQ table for the last, what, five summers running? This zesty dill pickle pasta salad. I stumbled onto it last July when we got a bumper crop of dill in the garden (honestly, what …

Okay, so creamy pasta salad. If you’ve ever found yourself poking at a sad, gloopy version at some family potluck, trust me: this one’s better. I started making it because—here comes the nostalgia—my mum used to toss together some mystery combo every summer weekend. It was always a little different, and occasionally she'd go heavy …

Alright, Let's Dive Into My Go-To Creamy Pasta Salad Okay, so I have to tell you—this creamy pasta salad has been at just about every family BBQ I've ever hosted. Actually, one time I forgot to make it, and—no joke—my cousin still brings it up years later. So now it's just my summer ritual, right …

Let Me Tell You About Dill Pickle Bacon Pasta Salad Alright, friend—picture this: it's a hot summer day, you're at a backyard barbecue, and suddenly you spot that bowl. The one with spiraled pasta sticking out every which way, bacon poking through, and hints of dill like a green confetti explosion. Yup, that's the Dill …

If You Want a Story with Your Salad... So, the first time I tried making Gordon Ramsay's macaroni salad, I was aiming to impress my brother (he’s a Caesar salad loyalist, so the bar was high). Actually, to tell the truth, he ended up scraping the bowl and asking if I’d "accidentally" made extra. There’s …

If Summer Had a Flavor, It'd Be This Watermelon Smoothie Alright, I have to admit: my relationship with watermelon snacks goes way back. Like sticky elbows-on-the-porch, seed-spitting contests-with-my-cousins kind of back. But, truthfully, I never even thought to put watermelon in a blender until a few years ago when I had half a melon lingering …

Right, Here's My Watermelon Mint Mojito Mocktail—Cheers! I swear, this drink is like summer in a glass — and I don't toss that phrase around like confetti. The first time I made this Watermelon Mint Mojito Mocktail, it was basically a rescue mission to save a watermelon that, well, wasn't winning any taste contests by …

Let’s Make Watermelon Magic—My Favorite Summer Sip Oh wow, where to begin with this one? Every summer, like clockwork, I turn into that person bringing home a huge watermelon I can barely carry (don’t ask how I managed down the steps that one time – it’s a whole story). No matter how I slice it, …

Chilling Out With Kiwi Watermelon Fruit Popsicles So, here's the thing. Every summer, without fail, my kitchen turns into popsicle HQ. I started making these Kiwi Watermelon Fruit Popsicles one July when my nephew decided the supermarket ones were “too boring” (kids, honestly). Next thing I knew, the whole family wanted in, and folks, even …

If I'm being totally honest, watermelon lemonade with basil and mint is basically the hero of every sticky-hot summer afternoon at my place. The first time I made it—probably five years back now—I accidentally almost doubled the basil (I'd say it was a happy accident), and since then, it's become a family in-joke: 'Is there …

Chilled Watermelon Memories (with a Spoonful of Summer) Okay, so the first time I ever made watermelon sorbet—or tried to, at least—I was maybe eleven and used my parents’ ancient blender. It made a noise like a lawnmower eating rocks and splattered juice absolutely everywhere. I thought the end result was pretty gourmet. My sister, …

If you’ve ever found yourself melting like a popsicle on a hot afternoon, this Strawberry Watermelon Lemonade is practically a life saver. The first time I made this, I was digging through the fridge for something, anything, cold to drink, and all I had was a handful of slightly sad strawberries, leftover watermelon my niece …

The First Bite of Summer—Every Time You ever have those sticky-hot summer afternoons where it feels like your flip flops are about to melt into the pavement? That’s when I dig out this easy watermelon sorbet recipe. It’s kind of a family thing at my house—my little one actually calls it 'pink snow' and I’ve …

Let Me Tell You About This Lazy Genius Crockpot Chicken Fried Rice Okay, confession: I have desperately tried to master restaurant-style fried rice on my stovetop, but my wok skills are...well, let's say "a work in progress." Enter my savior: the crockpot. I wish I could say it was some grand culinary experiment that led …

So Here’s the Thing About Crockpot Bruschetta Chicken You know how there are those recipes that just sort of happen when you’ve got half a fridge to work with and visions of an Italian café patio? That’s basically how my Crockpot Bruschetta Chicken was born. I started tossing things in the slow cooker one tired …

Let’s Chat About Crockpot Shredded Chicken So the first time I made this Crockpot Shredded chicken recipe, it was honestly because I couldn’t face the stovetop; everything was a mess, I was in a mood, and the slow cooker looked so darn welcoming just sitting there on the counter. You ever get that feeling? Anyway, …

Okay, so you know those days when it feels like everyone wants dinner at the exact same time and you're already juggling—oh, I don’t know, eight other things? That’s exactly when I pull out my trusty slow cooker (or 'crockpot,' if you’re in my neck of the woods) and make chicken ramen. Honestly, it's saved …

The Story: Why These Chicken Fajitas Are My Life Raft on Hectic Days Okay, picture this: it’s Tuesday, everyone’s got somewhere to be, the dog’s giving me that “so, are you cooking yet?” look, and all I want is something that’ll basically make itself. Enter this crockpot chicken fajitas magic. The first time I tossed …

Let Me Tell You About My Granola Bar Obsession Alright, if you’ve ever gotten tired of paying through the nose for those tiny store-bought granola bars (that somehow disappear before you even get home), then you’re in good company. I started making my own, oh, ages ago—mainly because my youngest, Sammy, would inhale them for …

Some recipes just stick, you know? Honey BBQ Chicken Bites was one of those "why didn't I try this years ago?" moments for me. It kinda started as a random experiment on a rainy Saturday (absolutely not one of those glamorous chef inspirations), and now even my fussiest nephew requests them before I’ve even hung …

Sweet Potato Brownies: My Crowning Glory in Comfort Baking Okay, confession time—I started making sweet potato brownies mostly as a way to sneak vegetables into desserts for my (supposedly) veggie-hating friends. It started the night after Thanksgiving, with leftover sweet potatoes staring at me like, "do something fun with us!" You know what? I haven't …

This One's for the Snackers (and Candy Sneak Thieves) So, the first time I threw together these Reese’s Pieces Protein Bars, my nephew walked in mid-stir and asked, "Are you making breakfast or dessert?" I said, yes. These bars were born out of one of those long afternoons where you open every cupboard hoping a …

My Weekday Morning Secret Weapon So let's talk breakfast. Not the lazy Sunday kind, but the Tuesday morning when your eyes are barely open and there's a cat plotting to trip you. That's when I always reach for these cottage cheese egg bites. The first time I tried making them, I honestly thought they'd just …

If you asked me which dish screams 'summer on a plate,' it's got to be this Peach & Burrata Salad. Honestly, I stumbled onto it one August Saturday when the peaches at our local market looked almost too good to eat (I'm not above admitting I bought six and ate two on the walk home, …

Let Me Tell You About My Summer Panzanella Salad (and a Little Mishap!) Okay, so this Summer Panzanella Salad is basically my kitchen love letter to August. I first made it one sweltering July when my friend dropped off a sack of borderline-feral tomatoes from her garden — you know the kind, they're half-sunburned but …

Let Me Tell You About Grilled Whole Chicken Okay, if you haven’t tried grilling a whole chicken yet, you’ve been missing out—and hey, no judgments. I was totally that person who thought it sounded like a job for someone with a chef’s hat and too much patience. But then, years ago, my cousin roped me …

Let’s Talk About This “Greek Orzo Pasta Salad” Thing You know those recipes that just refuse to leave your weekly meal rotation, even when you try to move on? Yeah, Greek Orzo Pasta Salad is mine. First made it on a whim (it was one of those what’s-left-in-the-fridge situations), and now my friends won’t shut …

Hey, Pull Up a Chair—Let’s Talk Chile Colorado So, Chile Colorado in the crockpot. If you’re picturing me frantically running around my kitchen, pawing through the pantry for dried chilies while the dog tries to eat a fallen onion slice—yep, that’s about right. The first time I made this, I had half a mind to …

A Little Story (Or, Why My House Always Smells Like Comfort Food) Alright, picture this: It's Wednesday, I've forgotten (again) to grab anything fancy from the shop, and my family is eyeing me like I'm about to announce we're having plain toast for dinner. Enter: Easy Ground Beef & Potatoes. If hugs had a smell, …

Let Me Tell You About Slow, Sweet Summers (and Jam) So here's the thing: I grew up in a house where if there were berries, someone was going to make jam. Not always a dignified process—sometimes a loud one, sometimes sticky. But always worth it, especially right at the end of berry season when the …

Okay, so listen—Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup is basically my go-to move when life gets busy and my brain feels like scrambled eggs. I started making this a few years back after a wild cold snap; I was “snowed in” (or as snowed in as you can get in my neck of Kansas), and my pantry …

The Backstory of This Effortlessly Delicious Chicken Alright, let’s get honest. If you’ve ever stood in front of your fridge at 5 PM thinking, what in the world am I going to make for dinner tonight?, you’re not alone—this has been my Tuesday (and, fine, sometimes Wednesday) more times than I’d like to admit. Enter …

Hey, Pull Up a Chair: Let’s Talk Sloppy Joes So picture it: a Saturday night, kids are going a bit wild, you’ve lost track of time and dinner was supposed to be, well, thirty minutes ago. That is the exact moment this BBQ Cowboy Sloppy Joes recipe rescued me. I make it when I want …

Alright, friend, if you’ve ever been hit by one of those Why is dinner always my job? moods, I hear you. About a year ago, I found myself staring into my pantry at 4:47 pm clutching a bunch of cherry tomatoes and wondering if one more pasta night would send my teens into open revolt. …

Let's Talk Baked Ziti (And Why I'm a Fan for Life) Alright, let’s get cozy for a sec. Baked ziti isn't fancy, but oh boy, it’s the pasta dish I reach for when I want something hearty, cheesy, and 99% of the time, guaranteed to win over whoever’s sitting at my table (family, roommates, once …

Pull Up a Chair — My Go-To for Gatherings! Alright, so let’s get this much out of the way: I almost never survive a potluck or family shindig without someone asking for this crockpot sweet & spicy kielbasa bites recipe (which, honestly, is kind of funny because it takes like... five minutes of actual effort). …