Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Smithfield® Marinated Fresh Pork. The opinions and text are all mine. You know those videos that kept popping up on Facebook a while ago? The ones with hearty European kids racing through the woods during a whole day spent outside with axes? Everyone has ruddy cheeks and…
Simple sausage and peppers sliders: A wholesome 15-minute dinner kids love
I discovered these simple sausage and pepper sliders a few months ago when I was at the grocery store with two of my girls. They’re five and seven and this was a slow moving day. Unfortunately it turned out to be the kind where you suddenly notice that your kids’ hair isn’t really brushed until you’re…
Sausage & Spinach Over Rice: A 15-Minute Dinner Kids Love
You just can’t beat sausage for quick, delicious flavor. The stuff comes brimming with flavor, straight from the store. You also can’t beat frozen spinach for knock-your-socks off nutrition in a handy little bag. Today we’re combining both for an amazing dinner, an easy dinner, a 4-Thumbs Up dinner done in minutes. Yep, a 15-minute dinner kids…
20-Minute Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Vinegar and So Many Olives
Slam dunk! All four kids (and one husband) LOVED this 20-minute pork tenderloin with balsamic vinegar and olives. That’s right, every single one of our four the kids gave it a Thumbs Up and one review: “The olives are the best part.” – Phoebe (6) Three of our kids were born in Italy, where we ate…
Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs 2 Ways
Let me warn you about these slow cooker BBQ ribs. The delicious smell is so overwhelming that you may be tempted to snack yourself to death before all that juicy, soft meat is ready for dinner. That’s the thing about slow cookers. They make me so hungry! But if you can handle all the awesome…
Pickle Roll-Ups
FILE THIS ONE UNDER “EASY SCHOOL LUNCH IDEAS“. Desperate to break out of our sandwich rut this week, I grabbed that deli ham (the one with no nitrates), folded each piece in half and rolled it around a mini dill pickle. I just repeated twice and threaded all three onto an extra long toothpick. These happened…
whole wheat penne with sugar snap peas & pork
I DON’T THINK THEY HAVE SUGAR SNAP PEAS IN ITALY. And if they do, I didn’t know how to say it (surprise!) so my kids were new to peas until last week. Now to be clear, my brood is not always interested in new foods. Before a bite of anything unfamiliar ever touches her lips,…
easy penne pasta with cauliflower, sausage & parmesan cheese
IT’S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO GET KIDS EATING veggies. Especially those with a funny smell when you cook ’em. That’s right cauliflower, we’re talking about you. The good news is, we’ve discovered three ways to make cauliflower an easy sell at dinner. Roasted cauliflower, baked into macaroni and cheese, and this way right here. I…
slow cooker pulled pork
THIS DISH SAVED THE SLOW COOKER from sudden death by way of donation or yard sale, whichever came first. After tons of weird soups and stringy meat dinners, I finally came up with a great slow cooker recipe that uses real food ingredients (no cans of soup, no gravy packets). With a recent move from Rome…
Our Most Popular Casserole Recipe Ever: Sausage, Rice, Zucchini & Cheese
PHOEBE WASN’T EXACTLY PLEASED. Suddenly my four-year-old is opposed to everything being combined into a one-pot dinner. “Only one thing?”, she asks as incredulously as only a preschooler can. And to that I say (at least in my head), “When you start doing the dishes my dear, we can use all the pans for every…
ham, cheese and apple melts
RECENTLY I’VE GOTTEN A LOT MORE STRATEGIC ABOUT MAKING LUNCHES AND DINNERS. Our kids are so small that we always have tons of leftovers. And while none of us are crazy about eating the same thing over and over, I’ve found that many meals can be made into something tasty later in the week. That’s…
Crepes with sausage, mushrooms and cream
I HAD MY FIRST CREPE a long way from France. Instead, I was sitting in a high school French class. This was Arlington in 1990, a two-stoplight town in the northwest corner of Washington state. Like many in the area, it’s full of dairy farms and lumber mills but Francophiles are few. Ms. Weingarten, our…
Sausage & spinach with raisins, pine nuts & rice
THIS ONE STARTED WITH BUDDY. Do you know the Cake Boss? I’m sure you do but I didn’t. In Rome, we have a bit of American TV but it’s a small selection and always a bit behind. Anyway, it appears that in the time I’ve been away from the States, one Buddy Valastro has become…
Sausage & sour cream pasta with peas…a Stroganoff-ish dinner idea
We’re on “vacation” this week, on the southern coast of Italy. It’s our first trip with all three rascals so I’m out of the kitchen. So far, I’d say everything is gorgeous and exhausting, sometimes both at once. Meanwhile, I saved up a couple of fresh ideas to post while we’re gone. Be back soon…trust…
Recipes from “French Kids Eat Everything”, carrot salad and stuffed tomatoes
AS THE FRENCH WOULD SAY, these were magnifique. As Phoebe would say, they were magical.
Pork & pineapple skewers with fresh green beans
IF YOU’RE FROM THE WEST COAST, YOU EAT HAWAIIAN PIZZA. If you’re not, you think it’s weird. Happily, I fall into the former category. In the small town where I grew up in Washington state, we had one pizza place, Rome Pizza. And the only pie my family ever ordered was Canadian bacon and pineapple….
no-cook dinner: antipasto with ham, cheese, breadsticks, melon and more…
IT’S BEEN OVER 90 DEGREES EVERY DAY in Rome for weeks. This is a normal summer in Italy but that doesn’t mean we’re not melting! Particularly those of us from the Pacific Northwest where it simply doesn’t do this. Ever. My Floridian husband, however, is soaking up the sun, humidity and all the heat for…
Sausage rolls…pigs in a blanket all grown up
I MAKE THESE EVERY TIME I HAVE A PARTY. Everyone loves them. So, when I saw Jamie Oliver make something similar for his family, I broke out one of my favorite Barefoot Contessa recipes. Trying to make it a little healthier, this is sausage with puff pastry after all, I added protein-rich white beans that…
BBQ pork & cheese quesadillas
IT DOESN’T GET ANY EASIER. And in my condition (insane 36 weeks pregnant with number 3), there’s nothing better. Using leftover pork roast, plus a little cheddar cheese, I diced my way to a simple dinner for four.
Baked risotto with sausage, barley & fresh green beans
AS THREATENED PROMISED, baked risotto has made its way into our weekly repertoire and here’s why: the kids love it! Plus, a baked version of this traditional Italian dish is easy to make before they even get home from nursery school. Sitting on the stove, it’s ready to be warmed again at dinner time. No…