Book Review Food A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan

   I received this book from blogging for books in exchange for my honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

   I originally ordered this book as a Christmas gift when I had no idea what to get someone on my list. I figured it would be a fun read. I ended up finding a much better gift and giving them it instead. So here I was with Food-A Love Story by comedian Jim Gaffigan. This is not my typical book to read but I know that Gaffigan is pretty funny and is known for his food humor so I sat down to read.

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili

   I typically don’t make chicken in the crock pot, I tried when we first got married and it turned out dry and one time burnt. I thought it was the crock pot, but it made everything else perfectly, so I decided no more chicken in there. But when I saw this recipe and the blogger said that hers is normally dry as well and this one was moist and perfect, I decided to go for it. I am so glad I did because it is amazing and on our list to make often.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

   I love summer so much, but it has a lack of some foods that I love. Soups, stews and chilis are some that I miss the most in those hot months. Thankfully it is just about the right temperature to eat them again. Fall started last week so even though it's a bit warm still I am jumping in with decorations and this Roasted Butternut Squash Soup.

Celebrate with Dessert at McDonald's

I am a brand ambassador for McDonald’s of Central Arkansas and am being compensated for this post, all thoughts and opinions though are my own.

   Life has many reasons for celebration, sometimes just surviving the day is one.  Whether it’s a hard day at work, a test day at school or celebrating big news or accomplishments, I like to celebrate with dessert. McDonald’s is a great place to get a dessert to celebrate any occasion.

Fresh Green Beans

   A couple weeks ago I went to the Conway Farmers Market, and came out with some great looking green beans! I wasn’t completely sure wit what they would go in but for $3 I could not pass them up. 

Here is what I did with them.

First I cleaned them up. I washed them to get off all the dirt and germs.  Cut the ends off. I tried to make sure they were all about the same size.

Conway Farmers Market

    Farmers markets are such wonderful places, full of nice people and good food. They are a way to support local farmers while getting some of the freshest foods. I have been trying to be more conscious of where my food comes from lately, both while eating out and when preparing my own meals. I knew that to get the best local produce I needed to head to Conway Farmer’s Market.

Food Finds on Vacation in Orlando

   We are total food nerds, so when we go on vacation we want to eat the foods of the town. Orlando has so many great places to check out, it was tough to decide where to go.

   On our first afternoon we headed to Downtown Disney to find lunch and ended up at Ragland Road Irish Pub. We tried their chicken and chips, chicken battered like fish would be. Hubby got a Guinness  to try as well. It was delicious and set in a fun restaurant. That night we went out to get some dinner and weren’t sure what we would find.  We went to a pizza place called Anthony’s that surprised us with an amazing pizza. Now no pizza could be considered a bad one, but there are definitely some good ones and some amazing ones. This one was up there with the amazing ones.  We choose the Philly Cheesesteak and I was happy to see that there was a lot of meat that was seasoned, and cut into strips instead of looking more like ground beef. It had a nice thin brick oven crust that was thin and perfectly crispy.

McDonald's Famous Hamburger and the New Sirloin Burger

I am a brand ambassador for McDonald’s of Central Arkansas and am being compensated for this post, all thoughts and opinions though are my own.

    McDonald’s hamburgers are world famous, a piece of American history in a bag with an order of delicious fries and a soft drink. Their beef burgers include a 100% beef patty with all the trimmings. You can choose from bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion, honey barbecue glaze and a smoky peppered mayo, and so much more all in a cheese-topped bun.

   Kid Meals were the taste of my childhood, a #6 Double Cheeseburger with fries is the taste of my present (especially to take on a picnic with my hubby), and now, the taste of the future for me is the new sirloin burger.

Inside Chuy’s North Little Rock

   Last week a new Chuy’s opened in North Little Rock, I was able to go in during their charity event and get a full tour of the restaurant and learn about them.  If you don’t already like Chuy’s I hope this post will change your mind, because it impressed the heck out of me.

Thanksgiving Recap

   Hey guys I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and are in the holiday spirit. I got to spend a week at home with family and friends so it was great. There was delicious food and great times hanging out with friends who I don’t get to see as regularly any more.

French Onion Soup

   This is a pretty basic recipe and not complicated at all. It just takes time and patience and cutting a lot of onions. Hubby discovered that he really enjoyed this while we were on the cruise. My dad has always loved the one he can get at Outback and the best ever at Mermaids in Fayetteville. During my Stocks and Soups class in Culinary School we made this and I knew he would love it. I made it that year for his birthday and it was great. This time was my second time outside of class to make it and it turned out just as great as before. 

Pork and Creamy Rice

Last night I made a dish that I have eaten most of my life and love, Hubby had never had it and is not a fan of a couple of the ingredients. I was convinced though that he would enjoy it so I made it anyway.  To me this just says comfort its simple and yummy, what can be better then pork chops and creamy rice.

Weekend Recap- Cinnamon Roll Recipe

   I hope everyone had a great weekend, I did! The In-Laws came over for the first time and got to see our town, then I took a trip home to go to a baby shower to honor some close family friends. It was an eventful weekend and I am still recovering from all the driving.

   Friday evening Hubby’s wonderful parents came down and spent the night we had so much fun. Hubby made some of the best stakes ever and grilled some awesome asparagus that we all loved. We took them on a tour of the town and even hit up a farmers market that I had no idea was there and I can’t wait to make it a regular stop on the weekend. Saturday morning I made homemade cinnamon rolls that turned out soooo stinking good I just have to share them with you.  First though read what I else I did this weekend.

Yummy gooey amazingness!

Italian Rice Balls and Gnocchi

   Happy Friday everyone! Last week I cooked a special all Italian inspired meal for Hubby and I to enjoy. Today I am going to share with you the Rice balls and Gnocchi I made and next week I will share the home made Zeppoles which are delicious fried Italian donuts!

Homemade Pizza with Crust Recipe

   How often do you order pizza or bake one from the store or a take and bake store? I bet it is much more often than making a pizza from scratch. If that is not the case for you I applaud you in your pizza skills and am excited to share with you a crust recipe that you can try. Those of you that it does apply to prepare to try the homemade pizza and never go back to bought again!

Remake Burger King Chicken Fries

   In our house I cook during the week and Hubby gets to cook on the weekends, we do this because we both love to cook and this way we both get some time to do so. Cooking is one of our ways to escape the ins and outs of life and just take a break and make something to enjoy.  Last weekend Hubby found a video on how to make chicken fries like Burger King does and decided he wanted to make them, so Sunday we had these awesome chicken ‘fries’.

Homemade Tortillas

   The other night we had tacos and as much as I love store tortillas I decided to try making my own.  I looked up a few different ways and found one that looked simple and pretty good. This is an incredibly easy to make recipe, with only 4 ingredients that you probably always have on hand.