Freezable Breakfast Burritos.

I haven't really cooked in 6 months.

This pregnancy really did me in. I spent the first three months sick, and the following three months busy. And annoyed with cooking. The desire to nourish my family absolutely vanished. And that's really abnormal for me, because I usually find that a simple waltz through Williams Sonoma can cure me of any culinary-related boredom or ailment. But not this time, friends.

Well, since returning home after our month-long stint in New York, I was suddenly struck with the eagerness to bake muffins. And soup. And stew. And then I saw my friend Liz's instagram post about making her family breakfast burritos in bulk and freezing them and I was re-bitten by the cooking bug. I should make everything in bulk AND FREEZE IT.

I know that's not, like, a new idea. But the idea came at just the right time. And let me just say, my boys are really really happy that I'm back in the kitchen.

We played around with this recipe and came up with our own preferred ingredients. And it's so easy and wonderful to have a delicious, nourishing breakfast that is ready as early as you are. Because I don't know about you, but over here we are up at 6 and I wake up voraciously famished. The recipe + method are below!

Ingredients:
- 1 package Aidell's Chicken + Apple Sausage, diced
- 12 eggs
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 package frozen hash browns
- 12 flour tortillas
- Shredded cheese
- Salt + pepper to taste
- Olive oil
* wax or parchment paper
* large, freezer-safe zip-top bags

Method:
1. Heat up diced sausage and diced onion in a medium skillet, over medium heat. Add a bit of olive oil to the pan, just to keep things from sticking. Cook until everything is heated through and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl, set aside. Keep the skillet heated over medium, add a bit more olive oil.

2. Crack and whisk the 12 eggs in a large mixing bowl, adding salt and pepper to your preference. Add the eggs to the heated skillet and stir until cooked. Transfer to a clean mixing bowl, set aside.

3.  Heat the hash browns in the same skillet, according to the instructions on the package. Set aside into a third mixing bowl.

4. Heat the tortillas on a dampened paper towel for 10-15 seconds, or until warm and malleable.

5. To compile the burritos, create an assembly line with the ingredients. Take one tortilla and add 1/3 cup size of scrambled eggs, followed by the sausage/onion mixture, the hash browns and finally sprinkle with cheese. Tuck the outer edges in first, then roll the tortilla (it will fold over in thirds). Place the tortilla seam-side down on wax paper, and completely roll and wrap the burrito with the paper.

6. Repeat this method until you run out of ingredients!

7. Place the wrapped burritos in large, freezer-safe zip-top bags. Store in the freezer and remove as needed. This recipe should make you about 12 burritos.

A few notes on these burritos:
- It helps to have a buddy with the assembly line. Stevie and I compiled these in about 15-20 minutes after all the ingredients were cooked, and it really helped to have him wrap and roll the burritos after I added all the ingredients.

- When you're ready to eat, you can throw the burrito in the microwave (take off the wax paper first!) and heat for 1-3 minutes. It helps to use the "defrost" setting on your microwave, if you have one.

- If can you remember to remove the burritos from your freezer the night before you want to eat them, they will defrost beautifully in the refrigerator and heat more evenly when you do microwave them in the morning. So if you can remember, make sure to pull them out of the freezer the night before!

- You can serve these with salsa if you like, although I find that I like them just the way the are.

- I doubled this recipe and we had breakfast for a few weeks that I didn't have to think about preparing. It was simply bliss.

Let me know if you try these out, friends! Happy cooking + freezing + and eating a blissful breakfast!

French Toast Bake.

Okay, it's Valentines Day morning, and you're thinking, "hmm, how do I make this day a special one?" Let me give you a big fat clue, guys (girls, forward this post to your man, STAT) -  make her BREAKFAST IN BED. I'm gonna go ahead and share a extra special recipe that will make this day memorable for you and your love - this French Toast Bake, adapted from the Cinnamon Baked French Toast created my indulgent-foodie role model The Pioneer Woman, featuring a pared-down ingredient list. I eliminated a few of the most fattening items from the recipe, and it still tastes like a completely decadent doughnut (because it is much like a doughnut!) I will say that this makes an entire casserole pan, so you might want to cut the recipe in half if its just for the two of you. Or you can have leftovers with your coffee the next morning (which I always oft for :) You can also add some extra toppings, like sliced apples, blueberries and pineapple, or just keep it as is. There's practically no way to ruin this dish. This would also be the perfect item to bring to a brunch, since you can prep it the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning. I like simple. I like sweet. I like bread. I LOVE THIS BAKED FRENCH TOAST. Enjoy and happy Valentine breakfast to you!

Ingredients:
- 1 loaf french bread, roughly torn into bite-sized pieces
- 8 eggs
- 2.5 cups whole milk
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 2 tbsp. vanilla extract

Topping:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/2 sliced almonds
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 stick of cold butter, sliced into thin pieces

Method:
1. Oil a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with butter (or olive oil, if you're somehow attempting to make this "healthy"). Roughly tear the bread into bite-sized pieces and evenly distribute in the pan.

2. In a medium-sized bowl combine eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Pour evenly over the bread. Cover and store in the fridge for several hours, or even overnight like I do.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Using a stand mixer, begin mixing the ingredient and slowly add in the butter slices. Continue mixing until ingredients combine and resemble fine pebbles. Store in a Ziploc in the fridge.

4. When you're ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F. Remove breaded mixture from the fridge and sprinkle crumb mixture over the top. Bake for 45 minutes.

5. Scoop out individual portions. Drizzle with maple syrup. Yummmmm.

This recipe would pair really well with something salty like has browns, and this Pomegranate Gin Fizz (it's allowed since it's brunch :) I hope you have a happy Valentines Day, cozying up by the fire, making breakfast and binge-watching some Netflix, just because. For the love.

Our Thanksgiving!

We had the sweetest Thanksgiving this year in our new home. I am so unbelievably grateful that I had the opportunity to host my side of the family. My sister and her hubby and kids came and stayed with us, which was the BEST, and I got to soak in all the family moments I had been craving for such a long time.

I got to introduce my nephew to the golf cart, which he begged to ride over and over. I get it. Everett's first words in the morning are, "waffles?" and "g-ride!" (which is what we call the golf cart, ha.) So we drove the g-ride all over this town, and thankfully, we had wonderfully strange warm weather to enjoy so much time outdoors.

The meal went off without a hitch (mostly), and it was a fun twist to set a formal table for the meal. I don't think my family has ever sat down to a formal meal together. We just aren't formal people. But it was so fanciful and fun, it made me wonder why we have waited this long to do it. I had to look up on Martha Stewart's website how to actually set a formal table, and I was definitely missing a few necessary items (who has 10 mini butter knives??) but it didn't matter even the tiniest bit.

There was one moment when we were all sitting around the table, having dessert, that I found my mom staring into her coffee cup. "I never got to drink out of these as a little girl," she said, so softly, I almost missed it. She was pensive, but elated. She shared the memories of her parents and their parties, using my grandmother's china, and the years of hand washing each dish when the party ended. But she never got to enjoy the fancy dishes herself. So she was pretty excited to be sipping her coffee and eating her pie, kind of like having her cake and eating it too :) Oh, my sweet mom.

My new brother-in-law Chuck joined us for all the Spencer shenanigans.

Because who doesn't want to dive into a basket of toys while staring at the glittery Christmas tree? Smart little lady.

Macaroni and cheese was the only Thanksgiving food this kid would consider. Which is on his face. Am I failing as a parent??

The beautiful people.

My mother is nuts.

Sooooooo newlywed, Am I right?

JUST COME BAAAACK.

They are the best grandparents. I'm so happy for these kids to have them.

My sleepy little heart and soul.

We didn't do anything out of the ordinary for Thanksgiving. We ate, took a walk (this year we also took a g-ride :), then had some dessert. Then we just hung out. It was so simple. It was an awful lot of work, but the kind that is so satisfying and filled my heart all the way up.

When everyone left the house the next day, things were so still and quiet. I found myself really sad, so I curled up on the couch and watched Everett play in the living room while the TV was on. But you know what? That boy came over to me, reached up so I would put him in my lap, and he just rested there with me. Thumb in his mouth, he just sat in my lap without wiggling, squalling or doing the hundred other boy-ish things he normally does when I take him captive and make him sit with me. On this day, he just rested in my lap, leaning his head against my chest, and I could finally breath really deep. It was the most calming moment with my little boy. And these are the ones, the little nuggets of time that life is all about. It's not about the monumental Thanksgiving and all it's glory, it's about the string of bitty moments that wrap the tree in the whitest of light. No one can take those lights away from my memory, and no one can replace the glow in my heart from this holiday. And even though I'm sad Thanksgiving is over and my family is dispersed across the southeast once again, I am the luckiest girl because I have this boy (okay, boys - Stevie counts!) who reminds me what this life is all about. Thanks boys. You're the best ones to me :)

I hope your Thanksgiving was the sweetest, friends.

P.S. - Stay tuned for my holiday gift guides, launching this week! xox

The Thanksgiving Plan.

Good morning! Are you ready for it friends? Thanksgiving is ON. It's 4 days away. I've been compiling my lists, recipes, cleaning to-do's and cooking to-makes and taking inventory of my supplies and dishes for weeks. I am a crazy person. I should have opened with that.

This is the first Thanksgiving that I have ever hosted.

I AM SO EXCITED.

Okay, I'll be honest. I'm a smidge-bit overwhelmed, too.

Like, how do I set a formal table? And um, apparently I should be tablescaping?! What is a tablescape, for real? I NEED CLOTH NAPKINS. Do I have enough water glasses? I don't have a pie server!

I'm not really trying to host the most perfect Thanksgiving dinner ever. I'm just aiming for decent food and you know, a clean bathroom. My family is cool as can be and doesn't require fanciness or formality, thank goodness. But still - I want it to be comfortable and for everything to go smoothly, as far as the meal is concerned. I wanted to share my plan with you friends, especially for those of you who are hosting or cooking something up yourselves.

The Dinner Menu:
- Turkey (bravely prepared by my parents - I couldn't take the pressure of the turkey and a clean house :) Cop out, I know.
- Stuffing & Gravy (via Williams Sonoma here, because I'm not trying to be some kind of hero and prepare absolutely everything from scratch. I'm a real human girl.)
- Cranberry Sauce (it's so easy to make it from scratch you guys, PLEASE try it this year!)
- Roasted Vegetables (something like this)
- Macaroni & Cheese (something like this)
- Mashed Potatoes (normal-ish kind)
- Sweet Potato Souffle (a much healthier version of this - let me know if you'd like to see the update)
- Rolls

The Dessert Menu:
- Pumpkin Pie (duh.)
- Traditional Apple Pie
- Dutch Apple Pie
- Pumpkin Tartlets (make them!)
- Probably ice cream too.

I am not preparing all of this. My mom, my sisters and myself are pulling this meal together, thankfully. But if you are still looking for some guidance on your menu, how to prep for the meal, and some tips and tricks for pulling off a Thanksgiving meal, here are a few resources I have found insanely helpful:

*Williams Sonoma's Guide to the Easiest Feast Ever.
*Williams Sonoma's Thanksgiving Tips & Tricks.
*The Pioneer Woman's Thanksgiving Recipes Galore
*Real Simple's 15 Tricks to Making Thanksgiving Easy
*Designsponge's Guide to Making a Magnolia and Fruit Garland for the Table

And in case you want to get fancy for your shindig this year, I've been crushing on this modern nude manicure, this hair blogger's Youtube braiding tutorials and this guide to dressing your family for the holidays.

What are you making this year? Are you trying out anything new-fangled or sticking with the tried-and-true basics? Do youhave any resources to share with the class? Pinterest has ruined me for Thanksgiving :)

Good luck with all your prepping, shopping, planning and executing! xox.

TASTE: Lemon & Olive Chicken.

TASTE: Lemon & Olive Chicken.

Happy Tuesday to you! I hope your Valentine weekend was full of love and hugs and kisses and tasty treats. Ours was hilarious and wonderful. With all this incredible cold weather up in our business, I've got a warm yummy dinner recipe for you today!

This meal has quickly become a staple in our household. When I got this amaaaaaazing dutch oven for Christmas last year, I started experimenting with all the delicious ways I could cook easy meals and make them taste like Heaven. This dutch oven has made my success rate increase tenfold. Seriously. This particular recipe is a favorite because it's super duper easy to make (no, seriously) and it's mega healthy. There's nothing crazy bad in it, which makes it the perfect midweek pick-me-up that tastes like comfort food without hindering my waistline. (I've got other temptations to hinder my waistline) :)

I got this recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow's book, It's All Good, a publication that garners a lot of hate but I confidently stand by. Just because Gwyneth gets misquoted (okay, a lot) saying sometimes outland-ish, borderline pretentious things, her food life is the center of my envy. Everything I've cooked from that book has been GOLD. I've made a few changes (for the lazy crowd, you're welcome), so this recipe is officially easier than ever. Add a side of quinoa and a side of something green and this meal is going to become your new go-to. What's for dinner at our house tonight? I'll give you one, deeeeeelicious guess :)

Ingredients:

- 6 boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

- 1 Lemon, sliced

- 3 Shallots, sliced thinly into rings

- 1.5 cups Chicken Stock

- 1/2 jar Green Olives

- 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled

- 2 tbsp. Olive Oil

- Salt and Pepper, to taste

- 1 sprig Thyme

Method:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle olive oil in a cast iron dutch on the stove and heat on medium.

2. Generously salt and pepper chicken on both sides and place in dutch oven. Cook until lightly browned, about 4-5 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side. Cook for another 4-5 minutes (chicken should still be pink inside), then remove chicken from heat and transfer to a plate. DON'T WORRY. We aren't done cooking the chicken.

3. Add shallots and garlic to the dutch oven, cooking until softened, about 2-3 minutes.

4. Place chicken back into the dutch oven, along with any juices that collected on the plate. That's flavor town, by the way.

5. Add the chicken stock, olives, thyme and scatter on top of the chicken. Squeeze individual slices of lemon over the chicken and discard the skins.

Note:

I like to keep the lemons in the mixture so they cook together, but you don't have to since you won't eat them. Totally up to you.

6. Bring the mixture to a boil on the stove top, then cover and place in the oven. Cook for 30-40 minutes on 400 degrees.

Woop, there it is.

Tada! I personally like to serve this dish with an herbed quinoa situation (quinoa on the stove, cooked in chicken stock, and fancied up with any fresh herbs you've got on hand - THE BEST.) This meal tastes gourmet and looks like something Ina Garten whipped up, but the hands-on time is minimal. Enjoy! And let me know how it goes!