I am just going to say this…I tried on swim suits this week. Yep…didn’t go well. I guess a year of recipe testing has me deep into stretchy pants and denial. It was a reality check to say the least.
The bright side? I am super comfortable in my skin and I am super thankful that I have this gratitude journal to keep my mind on the positive things!
Here are a few highlights from my week: [Read more…]
What an amazing week it has been. Spring has sprung, KU is going to the final 4, I got to spend an evening in Lawrence with friends, and one of my favorite holidays is this weekend. I am feeling full of gratitude.
Here are some of my favorite moments from this week:
Y’all I am so excited for this!
Every couple weeks or so my daughter and I will pick a book to read together at bedtime. We usually only read a couple chapters or a couple pages each night, depending on how long the day has been.
The next book we decided to read over the summer is ….drumroll please……The Little House on the Prairie series. EEEEKKKK!!! I am BUSTING!!! I think I might be more excited than Maddie!
It was #lifegoals when I was little to live a life like Laura Ingalls Wilder. I would imagine myself carrying my lunch to school in a tin bucket, wearing a bonnet, and sleeping in beds made of straw . #Dreamy
You better believe any imaginary playing I did included living a “hard life” in the country doing “chores”. I would pretend that I lived in a log cabin with no running water or electricity and that horse and wagon (my bike) was my only mode of transportation. I even remember making a blanket out of big Sycamore leaves and pine needles…I literally pinned the leaves together in a blanket pattern with the pine needles.
My daughter laughs and says this sounds like her worst nightmare. I hope after we start the first book “Little House in the Big Woods” she will see the glamour of prairie days. HA! (doubt it!)
I am so grateful for the little moments at the end of the day to read with my daughter, especially when we read books I’m excited about.
This game had me biting my nails and sitting on the edge of my seat!
KU vs. Duke
Rock Chalk!!โฅโฅ
I LOVE watching KU play in the NCAA tournament… especially when they win!!! Final Four Baby!
I consider myself a lucky girl to still keep in touch with some pretty amazing friends from college. Every few years or so we try to all get together. I love that we all fall right back into the swing of things, like no time has past at all. I treasure these friendships, they fill me with ALL SORTS of gratitude.
This past week one of my college friends returned to our old stomping grounds to take her daughter on a campus tour of KU. I was so excited for the chance to 1. meet her beautiful and amazing 16 YEAR OLD daughter (I hope Maddie is just as wonderful as she is at 16!!!), and 2. spend some time with old friends.
We met at the beautiful new hotel right off of the KU campus called “The Oread”. What we really love about this hotel is that it sits on the land that, back in our college days, held the best, dirtiest, most run down, shack-of-a-bar called “The Crossing”. If you spent any time at KU in the 90’s, then you know what I’m talking about!
It was the meeting place for all my friends on EVERY warm Friday afternoon. You would finish class and then stroll to The Crossing for a cold pitcher of beer, a few games of pool, lots of Dave Matthews, and laughs with friends. Good Times!
You better believe we talked through all sorts of memories on Monday night. It was great sharing (the appropriate) stories with my friends daughter. Of course, in hopes that she will eventually choose KU and experience the amazing-ness that it is to be a Jayhawk!!!!!!!!
The thought of my friend touring KU with her daughter also had me feeling all the feels. I started to think about the day that John and I will take Maddie to tour KU and how excited and sad I will be. I thought about all the stories and memories I will want to share with her. I’m excited for that day… but also hoping that day never comes.
I was so grateful I had the chance to spend some time with old college friends this week, catching up and reminiscing. It filled my heart.
My gratitude post this week is quick and to the point. I spent a lot of time this past week working on recipes, photography and some of the technical side of my website. It has been wonderful and I was able to crank out 5 RECIPE POSTS! That is a record for me, for sure. I loved every minute. It just didn’t leave a lot of minutes to write all the juicy details for this post.
Here are a few moments from this week that made my heart sing:
KU vs. Seton Hall
Rock Chalk!โฅโฅ [Read more…]
Grandma’s Old Fashioned Carrot Cake is a deliciously classic recipe full of carrots, cinnamon, pecans, and raisins. It is sweetened with a little crushed pineapple, which also keeps the cake moist and tender.
The Cream Cheese Buttercream is my favorite. With only FOUR INGREDIENTS it is easy to whip up and is super delicious. It has the perfect balance of sweetness from the powdered sugar and tartness from the cream cheese. However, the sweetness is balanced and the tartness is calmed by adding a stick of butter.
Perfect Harmony!
[feast_advanced_jump_to]There are few things more precious in this world than recipes that are handed down from Mothers and Grandmothers. It is so much more than a recipe. It holds the ties to memories of family gatherings and holidays, of conversations and laughter from the kitchen to the table. Not to mention the flavors and smells that can flood your mind with sweet memories of your family and childhood. They are a treasure to behold!
Aren’t Grandma recipes the best?? They are uncomplicated and simply delicious. I love that they only include ingredients that are easy to find… because no one was using jackfruit or sorghum flour back in 1945.
You can always trust that Grandma recipes are tried and true!
Carrots – fresh grate your carrots for the best texture in the carrot cake. This hand crank grater is a life saver (for grating all sorts of things)! If you don’t have one, just use the fine grater side of your hand grater.
Vegetable Oil – just like an old fashioned recipe that it is, this one calls for vegetable oil, not butter. It makes a wonderfully moist cake!
Sugar – just white sugar.
Baking Soda, Baking Powder and Kosher Salt – make sure your baking powder and baking soda are not expired before starting this recipe. I have been victim to this in the past!
Cinnamon and All Spice – these two are the perfect spices to enhance the cake but not take over the flavors.
Eggs – 4 large eggs hold this recipe together.
Crushed Pineapple – buy the crushed pineapple in juice, but make sure you drain the excess liquid. It adds the most amazing flavor, and helps keep the carrot cake moist and tender.
Raisins – when the raisins cook in this cake they become little plump bursts of sugar and flavor. I promise you will love it. I have also had people comment that they subbed in dried cranberries, which works great too.
Chopped Pecans – I have made this with and without the nuts. It works either way… I personally like it with the chopped pecans.
Shred the carrots with a fine grater. I used my hand crank shredder and it worked great!!! Drain some of the excess liquid. Set aside.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and all spice together. I like to sift on a piece of parchment so you can pick it up like a funnel to slowly pour into the mixer.
Cream together the oil, eggs, and sugar together for about 2 minutes. Slowly add in the flour mixture.
By hand stir in the shredded carrots, crushed pineapple (drained), raisins, and pecans. Also, optional coconut.
Pour into prepared baking pan(s).
Bake until set in the center (45-50 minutes for 9×13 pan, 30-35 minutes for 8 inch round).
Mix the cream cheese icing, and spread on the completely cooled cake. An offset spatula can make this task easy!
This recipe for Raspberry Jello Salad is super easy to make and only requires FOUR INGREDIENTS. It is light and fluffy with yummy flavors of raspberry, pineapple and cream. It makes a great sweet side dish, especially for BBQ’s, summer dinners and on Holidays like Easter and Christmas.
Just 4 simple ingredients to make this Raspberry Jello Salad:
Cottage Cheese: Some of you may feel concerned about the cottage cheese portion of this recipe. Trust me, it is NOT like you are eating spoonfuls of tart curds. The cottage cheese actually takes on the sweet flavor of the crushed pineapple and raspberry jello.
My husband would rather run a marathon than eat cottage cheese, and he is not a runner. I’m NOT kidding. But, he LOVES this Raspberry Jello Salad recipe. So just trust!
Not only does this recipe have super simple ingredients, it has super simple instructions. Just make sure you leave yourself time for it to set up in the fridge. This is a great side dish you can make a day or two ahead!
When you are done mixing the pineapple mixture with the cottage cheese and cool whip I recommend pouring the salad into the dish you will serve it in. That way it can set up in that bowl and it can go directly to the table.
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The new gameshow, 100 Cooks, premieres on Food Network June 7th, 2026 at 9est/8cst. I hope you will tune in!
Cheesy Potato Casserole is a super easy side dish recipe that sits on all my family holiday tables- Christmas Dinner, Easter, 4th of July, etc…. It is truly a reliable side dish that is creamy and cheesy, who doesn’t love that?! But how could you not love it- it is full of cheese, butter, sour cream, shredded potatoes and then topped with crushed up potato chips.
You may have heard of this cheesy potato recipe by another name: cheesy potato bake, funeral potatoes, cheesy potatoes casserole, party potatoes or hash brown casserole.
Some other excellent potato side dishes to check out are Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes and Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes!
[feast_advanced_jump_to]When you have a lot of labor intensive dishes on a menu, especially during holidays, you need a simple and foolproof side dish you can throw together.
The only skills required to make this dish are stirring and a little chopping. It is easy enough for every level of home cook!
This is a recipe that is full of pretty simple ingredients. The list may look long, but there really isn’t any prep, besides stirring, involved:
Hash Brown Potatoes: I have used both frozen hash browns that are thawed and the refrigerated hash brown potatoes (usually labeled Simply Potatoes) and they both work!
Cream of Chicken Soup: the recipe calls for cream of chicken, but I know cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup both work!
Potato Chips: these are used for your topping. However you can omit them completely or sub in cornflakes cereal mixed with a little melted butter.
Shredded Cheese: Use whatever cheese you have on hand. Mild cheddar, sharp cheddar, or Colby jack will all work just fine!
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Then grab a deep 9×13 baking dish.
In a very large bowl mix together the hash browns, melted butter, chopped green onions, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and seasonings. Stir until everything is combined.
Pour it into the casserole pan. Then crush the potato chips and sprinkle over top.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake another 20 minutes until the top is turning golden brown and the top of the potatoes are bubbly.
Let cool for about 5-10 minutes before serving.
Here are a few ideas to change up the recipe to suit your taste buds:
This recipe for cheesy potato casserole is topped with crunched up plain potato chips.
This easy cheesy potato casserole can 100% be made ahead for easier dinner prep, especially when you have larger family gatherings, like a holiday dinner.
Simply prepare them completely and pour into your 9×13 pan, however leave the crunchy topping off until it is time to cook.
Keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.
If you are baking straight from the fridge you may need to add 5-10 minutes to the cooking time.
This cheesy potato casserole recipe is a perfect side dish for just about any protein; Grilled burgers, Steaks, Ham, Pot Roast, BBQ Meatballs, Pork Tenderloin or Meatloaf.
All you have to do is add a veggie, like this Oven Roasted Asparagus , Green Beans, or Broccoli Bacon Salad and you are all set for dinner.
Remember these Cheesy Potatoes are not just for dinner, they make a great side dish at brunch too.
They pair perfectly with Sausage Egg Cups, or Ham & Egg Casserole. Put together a fresh fruit bowl, a green salad and some store bought pastries and you have a wonderful brunch spread that is easy to prepare!.
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The new gameshow, 100 Cooks, premieres on Food Network June 7th, 2026 at 9est/8cst. I hope you will tune in!
This was our week on spring break from school. I wasn’t quite sure how the week was going to play out. I didn’t know if the kids would rack up 450 hours on their electronics or if we would have friends, that were also staying home for spring break, to play with. It actually ended up that some of our best friends were staying in town and we had activities planned for every day!
We had a great time bowling, swimming, going to the movies, and exploring KC, but I think I am ready to have a few hours to myself.
[Read more…]
This week my Friday Gratitude includes 2 people that have inspired change in my life (at least for this week). I am very grateful that I was in the right place at the right time to hear and read their inspiration.
I don’t know if it is the little changes that I have made or nature’s hints that spring is right around the corner, but I am feeling lighter and brighter lately. Maybe it is because winter is ending? Maybe it is my Friday Gratitude posts? Whatever it is, I’ll take it!
Here are 5 things that had me feeling all sorts of grateful this week:
Although it is snowing today, I keep seeing signs of spring that make me oh so happy! This week we even have had a few warm days that had me setting my toes free in flip flops.
This Homemade Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce recipe is super easy to make with 3 simple ingredients from your fridge/pantry: Mayo, Dijon mustard, and Honey, then add a couple spices from the spice cabinet. It comes together in about 2 minutes and is MADE for those crispy chicken nuggets and fries (or tater tots) that your whole family loves!
The flavor of this Honey Mustard Dip is in total balance- sweet, tangy, savory with a perfect saltiness.
If you love this dip, you may also love this Cajun Aioli or Sambal Aioli!
It only takes a few super simple ingredients to make Homemade Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce. Pictured are the ingredients you need to grab for the recipe:
Mustard: This is not the time for yellow mustard, save that for these Sloppy Joes… You want to make sure you use a Dijon Mustard! Any brand will do!
Honey: can vary greatly in sweetness. If you feel like you have a VERY sweet honey try adding just 1 ยฝ tablespoon then taste before adding more.
Mayonnaise: make sure you use mayonnaise: Hellman’s, Aldi Brand or Dukes are all great options! Do not use Miracle Whip, it is not the same!
It doesn’t take much to make a Homemade Honey Mustard Dip recipe. Just add all the ingredients to a bowl or large glass measuring cup.
Whisk everything together until it is completely combined. This will make about ยพ cup of dipping sauce.
Use right away or pop in the fridge!
Keep your homemade dipping sauce in an airtight container, a mason jar with a lid works great! It will be good in the fridge for about 3 weeks.
Pro Tip: Make sure to note on the container when you made the batch!
Before you serve your Honey Mustard Dip give it a little taste and see if you want to make any adjustments. Here are some tips:
I dip, you dip, we dip…I had to add that!
The Obvious use for this Honey Mustard recipe is dunking all the crispy chicken nuggets and fries! But it is so delicious you may want to try it on a few other things.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
We a love a good saucy-sauce here at Mom’s Dinner. Try one of these dips and sauces next time you are in a dip situation.
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The new gameshow, 100 Cooks, premieres on Food Network June 7th, 2026 at 9est/8cst. I hope you will tune in!
Let me start this post by saying that I LOVE MY KIDS, more than anything. I love spending time with them, snuggling, playing, being silly… all of it. But, being a stay at home mom is a 24/7 job, there’s no going home at 5, long lunch breaks, personal days or sick days. It is just one long work day after another! Even though I love it, it is really good for my soul and sanity to get a break from the kids every once in a while.
This past weekend I got the best kind of break! An adult weekend, skiing in Colorado, with a wonderful group of friends. There was enough laughter to fill a lifetime and it filled my gratitude bucket to the top.
After a week of 78 ice storms, 4 days of no school, and a round of strep that could be described as the image you DON’T want to see when you google “strep”, I am grateful that we all survived!
The week may have been crazy, but there were some really sweet and wonderful moments mixed in! Here are my moments of gratitude for the week:
A normal morning for me looks like this…
As I wake up to the sound of my alarm I can feel that half of my body is teetering on the edge of the bed because the other half is being warmed by the little person that has scooted too close. As I try to open my eyes I am off to wake up Maddie and start our day. For the next hour it is a whirlwind of making breakfast, cleaning up breakfast, attempting to wake Kyle without inducing tears, making beds, picking out clothes, re-picking out clothes, styling hair without inducing tears, yelling “we have to leave in two minutes” – for 10 minutes, and then searching to find everyones shoes. Sound familiar? I’m guessing a lot of Moms go thru this same routine every morning.
Even on Saturdays I usually wake up with anxiety-producing thoughts of everything that needs to get done running thru my head.
Not this past Saturday! I had the most peaceful morning. I got to wake up 100% naturally. No alarm, no children in my bed, no sun glaring in my window.
It was a bit of a rainy morning making the light in my room a cozy haze of dull gray. I drifted in and out of sleep for about 30 minutes. My bed was the perfect temperature, not too warm, not too cold. As I finally woke I snuggled under our new blanket that still has that new soft feel and let my body sink into the softness of my mattress. I enjoyed every minute of laying there in peace. I actually had a smile come across my face.
I was so grateful for a chance to wake up in pure peace and bliss on Saturday morning.
About two weeks ago my daughter, Maddie, turned 10. Usually for her birthday we will have a family dinner with all the aunts and uncles and cousins and then a small family celebration with just mom, dad and brother. This year we decided that she could finally have a (small) friend birthday party.
Where we live it is pretty common for people to have big birthday parties at places like painting studios, waterparks, gymnastic gyms, or pottery cafes. Growing up in small town Iowa I was used to birthdays being cake at a friends house and a few games in the back yard. Things have definitely changed.
Cauliflower Potato Soup is made with russet potatoes and fresh cauliflower florets simmered in a chicken broth with onions and garlic. It is pureed smooth and then mixed with plain Greek yogurt and heavy cream. It is spiced with dried basil, black pepper and Lawry’s season salt. It is a creamy and hearty soup that you will love!
If you love a creamy soup then definitely also check out my Potato Leek Soup, Instant Pot Creamy Potato Soup and Ham and Potato Chowder.
The flavor of this Cauliflower and Potato Chowder has a simple deliciousness that is uncomplicated and straight forward. The potatoes add the starchiness that you want from a chowder. Cauliflower adds it’s own unique flavor, that is not overwhelming. The Tabasco leaves the perfect subtle warmth on your tongue, not too spicy! Chopped green onions add a fresh note to the soup. And finally the yogurt and cream bring a tartness and buttery silkiness to the flavor.
Onions and Garlic: A yellow onion and plump garlic cloves add a ton of flavor to the base of this soup.
Cauliflower: About ยฝ head of cauliflower is all you need for this Cauliflower Potato Soup. Cut the florets into small bite size pieces that will soften in the soup.
Potatoes: Russet potatoes peeled and cut into ยฝ-1 inch pieces.
Chicken Base: You will find chicken base in the soup aisle of the grocery store near the other bouillon. It will be in a jar, we like the Better Than Bouillon brand.
Potato Flakes: Stick with me!!! Potato Flakes definitely have a time and place in the kitchen, like for Potato Soup! Just need about 4 tablespoon of potato flakes, so you can just buy a small packet of instant potato flakes.
Greek Yogurt: A plain 2% Greek yogurt is perfect for this soup. You can also use sour cream in it’s place.
Heavy Cream: Perfectly thickens this Cauliflower and Potato Soup and makes it silky and delicious!
Start by chopping the cauliflower, potatoes, onion and garlic. That way the soup can come together really quickly!
Add oil to a large pot, once hot add the onions and garlic and sautรฉ for about 5 minutes.
Add the cut cauliflower and potato. Then add the season salt, basil, pepper. Stir to combine.
Measure in the chicken base and water. Scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Bring the pot to a boil and then turn the heat down and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and puree the soup with a blender or hand held immersion blender. Or for a semi-chunky soup, puree half the soup and smash some of the veggies into smaller bites.
Finally spice all this up with a few shots of Tabasco. Then finish the soup by stirring or whisking in a little Greek yogurt and a touch of cream.
Serve bowls topped with chopped green onions.
Or you can garnish your soup “loaded” style: bacon, cheese, parsley, and a little extra sour cream or Greek yogurt.
Store leftover Cauliflower Potato Soup in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
When you are reheating you may need to add some broth or milk to reconstitute the soup, it will thicken as it cools!
I say this all the time, but when we have soup for dinner I keep it pretty casual.
Think raw veggie plate with dip or a side salad. Sometimes dinner is just soup and warm crusty bread, it really depends how crazy the day has been.
This would also be great with grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, a grilled club sandwich, or blt’s.
