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CLASSIC PESTO

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Since moving to Texas nearly a decade ago, I have tried growing some sort of produce nearly every summer. I’ve been semi-successful with tomatoes and peppers here and there but nothing really worth bragging about. This summer we had some local teenagers build a raised garden bed for us and I am really looking forward to how this will expand my gardening efforts. This is also the first summer I’ve ventured into growing herbs. I’m proud to say that my basil plant has been thriving! This plant has more than doubled in size in the short couple of months its been living in my backyard. The best way I could think of to honor this beautiful plant is to make pesto out of it. This recipe puts the basil front and center.

You can actually make pesto from a variety of ingredients. You essentially choose your greens, choose your nuts, and combine with the remaining typical ingredients. I love that this enables you to use what you have on hand. This past weekend, I even made a version that used the green leaves from my sweet potato plants. But let’s be honest, most people don’t have those readily available. As I continue to play around with different combinations, I may post some of my favorite pesto recipes. There is a lot to be said, though, for starting with the basics though.

Here, I’ve decided to keep things traditional – basil and pine nuts. Once you put it all together, there are lots of options for using your pesto. I love eating it on toast with hummus and a thick tomato slice. You can use pesto instead of a red sauce as your base on pizza or on pasta. I’m also a huge fan of pesto on fried eggs. I’d love to hear how you end up using this recipe so feel free to leave a comment below with the details.

Classic Pesto

Sarah Baade
Classic pesto is easy to make and a fantastic way to use up fresh basil.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Condiments, Sauces
Cuisine Italian

Equipment

  • Food Processor

Ingredients
  

  • 1/3 cup pine nuts
  • 2 cups fresh basil, packed
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Place pine nuts in a dry sauté pan and cook over medium low heat. Stir frequently until pine nuts are lightly browned. Once toasted, immediately remove pine nuts from heat and place on a separate plate to cool. ***Watch pine nuts closely during this process as they can quickly pass from lightly toasted to burned.
  • Place cooled pine nuts, basil, parmesan cheese, and garlic in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground.
  • Add olive oil, lemon juice and salt into the food processor and pulse until smooth.
Keyword Basil, Pesto, Pine Nuts

Turmeric Granola

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I always have a running list of recipe ideas. Some ideas get tested and some don’t. Some recipes become “blog worthy” after just a couple of trials and others are still getting fine tuned after several revisions. But this week I experienced a first. I was thinking about creating a new granola (because I looooooooove granola) when I suddenly realized I created a turmeric granola several months ago but never posted it. I started digging through my usual notebooks of recipes and couldn’t find it anywhere. Then it dawned on me that I texted the recipe to a friend when I came up with it. Thank goodness! Copy, paste and here we are today!

I came up with this recipe out of a lack of options at the grocery store. More specifically, a lack of savory notes in granola. I see tons of options for fruit, vanilla or chocolate flavored granolas but that is pretty much it. Surprising since there are more brands and packages there than I would have guessed for this breakfast option. I wanted something different so I created it. Yes, there is still a bit of sweetness here with the honey and coconut. But, the savory spices in this turmeric granola give you something new and interesting to put in your breakfast bowl.

My preferred way of eating granola is over vanilla yogurt with a few frozen raspberries in the mix. However, you can get nice chunks of granola from this recipe which are perfect for snacking on as is. If you prefer a looser granola, more crumbly, just shake it up in your storage container before eating. To date, I’ve found the best way to store granola is in the freezer. It stays fresh longer and doesn’t get sticky or soft as it can after being stored at room temperature for a few days.

Turmeric Granola

Sarah Baade
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 1 hr
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup sliced raw almonds
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup honey

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 300°F.
  • In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients.
  • Spread mixture out on a parchment lined sheet pan.
  • Bake for 1 hour.
  • Let cool completely before breaking into pieces and serving.
Keyword Granola, Turmeric

I think you’ll also enjoy my other granola recipes. Click the links below for full recipes.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Vanilla Almond Granola

PERFECT DOZEN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

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I’ve been on a sweets kick over the past few weeks. Sorry, not sorry about that. In a way, I’m just going back to my roots with this post though. Baking is what first drew me to the kitchen. And chocolate chip cookies? Isn’t that what most of us first learn to bake with? My daughter has known the basic ingredients for chocolate chip cookies since she was two years old. We’re still working on measurements but I love that she can call out the ingredients we need as we grab them from the pantry and fridge.

Even though this is my fourth chocolate chip cookie recipe (you can find links to the others at the bottom of this page), I know I will create more in the future. This has become my favorite cookie to play with and make variations of. Honestly, you guys have also been a driving force behind these recipes. I’ve heard stories about you using my chocolate chip cookie recipes to teach your own kids how to bake. Stories about making my recipes for special occasions. It means so much to me to know that you all are incorporating my cookie creations into your own traditions and communities! Without further adieu, here is the latest version. I really think of this one as a classic chocolate chip cookie. It makes only a dozen because some folks have a need for small batch recipes. That being said, these cookies are larger than I usually make and they are full of flavor.

Perfect Dozen Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sarah Baade
A small batch recipe for a classic chocolate chip cookie – this recipe makes 12 large cookies.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, cream together brown sugar and butter. Scape down sides of bowl as needed.
  • Add egg and vanilla to butter and mix until combined.
  • Gradually stir dry ingredients into butter mixture until just combined.
  • Stir in chocolate chips then chill dough for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Once chilled, scoop 6 heaping tablespoons of cookie dough onto the baking sheet and bake 17 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. Repeat with remaining dough.
  • Enjoy cookies warm with a glass of milk or a scoop of ice cream.
Keyword Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Homemade Cookies, Small Batch Recipe

More chocolate chip cookie recipes:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

LEMON DELIGHT

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When I look back on memories of visiting my grandparents, one thing that stands out to me is simplicity. I recall finding joy in very simple activities such as exploring the vegetable garden, playing dominos, or stomping on the bubble wrap Grandpa had saved for us. While some states are a bit more open, Texas is still a hotbed for this COVID19 so my family and I are still staying home as much as possible. We are relearning to embrace simple activities with our little girl. We love splashing in puddles after the occasional rain we get. We planted our own vegetable garden. We play with building blocks and read books. Yes, we still watch TV on the weekends but we are really making memories through these simple activities.

Our kitchen has also become a place of simplicity and family time lately. This recipe came from my grandmother’s recipe box and is perfect for letting the kids help. Three ingredients and, as suggested by the name, this treat is absolutely delightful. Pull out your blender, pour all the ingredients in, mix it up and enjoy! I made this recipe with pink lemonade but the original version used regular lemonade. Take your pick, change it up based on you mood. Either way, this is a fast and fun recipe to indulge in this summer.

Lemon Delight

Sweet and slightly tart, this frozen treat is perfect for summer.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pint vanilla ice cream
  • 1.5 cups milk
  • 12 oz frozen lemonade (regular or pink)

Instructions
 

  • Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!
Keyword Ice Cream, Lemon, Lemonade

Looking for additional frozen treats? I’ve got you covered! Click on the links below to help keep cool this summer.

CHERRY LIMEADE POPSICLES

NO CHURN BOURBON PECAN ICE CREAM WITH CHOCOLATE SWIRLS

CREAMY CHAI SPICED POPSICLES

BLACKBERRY CHEESECAKE NO CHURN ICE CREAM

NO CHURN CHOCOLATE CHUNK COFFEE ICE CREAM

NO CHURN BOURBON PECAN ICE CREAM WITH CHOCOLATE SWIRLS

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The Heat

This seems like the hottest summer we’ve had in my nine years of living in Texas. Maybe I’m just feeling the pain of not being able to cool off in a swimming pool or at a movie theater but this heat is miserable. While doing my best to stay put at home due to COVID19, I’ve been looking for fun ways to stay cool. My family and I primarily stay inside but lets face it, a three year old needs to get outside to burn energy every once in a while. We’ve mostly taken to playing with the hose out on our driveway (fire ants keep us off the lawn). If we are lucky, we hit a day that is below 80 degrees in the morning and go for a walk but that isn’t often. I don’t think I’ve ever wished so badly to have a pool in my own backyard!

The Cool Down

Given all this heat, you know I’m not spending much time using the oven or even the stovetop right now. Instead, my work from home lunches are consisting of sandwiches and fresh fruit. That sweet tooth still needs attention too though. Bring on the no churn ice cream!!! What I love about no churn is that it is so darn easy to make but also, the flavor options are endless. I often grab whatever looks good from the pantry and just create as the mood strikes. This time around, I had a small bottle of bourbon sitting on my counter and some leftover pecan pieces tucked away in my freezer. I love it when ingredients from other recipes can easily come together for something new. Go ahead and make this incredible no churn bourbon pecan ice cream with chocolate swirls. Tuck in the back of the freezer until the kids have gone to bed and then indulge!

No Churn Bourbon Pecan Ice Cream With Chocolate Swirls

Sarah Baade
Soft serve bourbon ice cream with pecans and chocolate swirls – no churn required.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups heavy cream, cold
  • 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
  • 3 tablespoons bourbon
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup pecan pieces
  • 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

Instructions
 

  • In a large, chilled bowl, beat heavy cream on high until soft peaks form.
  • Beat sweetened condensed milk, bourbon, brown sugar, vanilla and salt into heavy cream until fully incorporated.
  • Stir pecans into ice cream mixture.
  • Pour half of the ice cream mixture into a 9×5 loaf pan. Drizzle half of the melted chocolate over ice cream in pan. Swirl chocolate into ice cream mixture with a knife. Repeat this process with second half of ice cream and chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for a minimum of 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Notes

Techniques for melting chocolate:
  • Double boiler – place a heat safe bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir your chocolate chips/pieces in the bowl until it is fully melted.
  • Microwave – heat chocolate chips/pieces in a microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds then stir. Repeat this until chocolate is fully melted.
Keyword Bourbon Pecan Ice Cream, Ice Cream, Ice Cream Recipe, No Churn, No Churn Ice Cream

More No Churn Recipes

EASY SKILLET STYLE STREET CORN

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It has been a month since my last blog post. A full month. My brain has been overwhelmed lately. I know I’m not alone in that. When there is so much going on in our world, it can be difficult to focus on the lighter things in life.

COVID19

As COVID19 shut things down and people started losing their jobs, I felt like food just wasn’t important enough to explore or share. Even when creativity did hit, I had a hard time getting ingredients I wanted.

Black Lives Matter

After the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, my focus shifted to my own friends and neighbors of the Black community. Free time became researching Black history, signing petitions and educating myself on how to raise an anti-racist child. I did not have the capacity to also think about food in creative ways for this platform.

Food

A lot of thought and re-evaluation has gone into this blog and what I want it to provide for others. As budgets have become tighter for a lot of folks, affordable food is more important than ever. Not only that, but sharing recipes brings people together – something we desperately need right now. You can learn so much about a person by exploring the foods they grew up with, who they ate with and what went into creating those meals. Our country needs so much healing right now, so much change. We can’t gather around tables to get to know one another right now but we can still share recipes.

I’m sharing my version of street corn on this post. A recipe I never would have created without the cultural (Mexican) influence within my city of San Antonio. Ingredients required for this recipe are affordable and you likely have most of them on hand already (seriously). Use it as a side dish as you’re grilling out or add it to your #TacoTuesday meal. I know you’re going to love this one!

Easy Skillet Style Street Corn

Sarah Baade
All the flavor you love from street corn, no grill required.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups frozen corn
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
  • 1/4 cup queso fresco
  • garnish with cilantro (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Add corn to a large dry skillet over medium heat. Cook corn until it starts to char, stir frequently as it cooks.
  • Once corn is cooked, remove from heat and add mayonnaise, lime juice, and spices. Stir until evenly distributed.
  • Top corn with queso fresco and cilantro (if desired).

Notes

  • I used 1/4 teaspoon cayenne but this might be too much heat for those sensitive to spice.
  • This dish can be enjoyed hot or cold.
Keyword Corn, Mexican Street Corn, Skillet Street Corn, Street Corn

If you are able to make financial contributions to positively impact your community, I highly encourage you to do so. Here are some links to causes I donate to: NAACP Legal Defense Fund , San Antonio Food Bank , Snack Pak 4 Kids SA

TODDLER MEAL TIME – What’s working for us right now

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Toddler meal time – What’s working for us right now. Those last two words of the title are important. “Right now.” If I’ve learned anything in my measly three and a half years of parenting, its that nothing stays the same for long. The only constant, is change. I don’t have a degree in nutrition, or pediatrics, or even early childhood development. What I do have is a kiddo who used to eat nearly anything we gave her but now decides she hates foods on a whim. By the way, I hear this is normal. Normal doesn’t make it less stressful though.

One of the best pieces of parenting advice I’ve heard is to look at your circle of friends and how they parent their kids. If you don’t want to parent in the same way as a certain friend, don’t go to them for advice. Likewise, if your friend’s parenting style is what you aspire to be like, those are the folks to when things get challenging. With this in mind, I’ve been taking in meal time advice from dear friends as well as a variety of online resources.

What we were doing before our overhaul

We initially tried giving our daughter exactly what we were eating on most nights. Sometimes she would go for it but, more often than not, she would reject dinner. We would end up in a battle just trying to get her to eat one bite of peas (one of her favorites, by the way). There were tears, time outs and all three of us ended up exhausted. Other nights, we didn’t want to deal with tantrums so we would just let her have the cereal or mac & cheese she requested. I love cereal and mac & cheese too but I’d really rather provide her with a balanced diet than a bowl full of carbs. The only thing keeping me from feeling guilty is that her teachers consistently report she is the best eater in her class.

What we’re doing now

  1. Our first move was to change up our daughter’s plates. Yes, we were using colorful kids plates before but this still made a positive impact on her attitude. We now swap out between her usual plates and some colorful 4 or 6 cup cupcake pans.
  2. We put a different food in each cup – always at least one food that we know she’ll eat and the others might be familiar or might not. If we are giving her a new food, it is from whatever my husband and I are eating that night. We also occasionally put a small treat in one of the cups.
  3. We tell her she can eat what she wants and doesn’t have to eat what she doesn’t want. She can even eat the treat first if wants to. However, she is expected to have good manners and not complain or push anything off of her plate.
  4. We don’t ask her or tell her to try things. In other words, the “polite bite” has been eliminated. We talk about the color or shape of new foods but we don’t require a bite to see if she likes something. She sees us eating the foods we are serving and this approach seems to naturally spur her curiosity. Just the other night she initiated conversation about the shape and color of asparagus and she ended up eating the serving we had put on her plate. Win!!!
  5. We eat in different locations. Most of the time we are still eating at the dining room table. But we also eat quite a few meals on the back porch, the front porch, or even picnic style on the living room floor. Location typically depends on what we’re serving. In other words, we aren’t giving our toddler soup in the middle of the floor for fear of spilling.
  6. If my husband and I aren’t eating at the same time as our daughter, we still sit with her. We take turns reading books while she eats. She often ends up eating everything on her plate without even thinking about it simply because she’d so focused on the stories and doesn’t realize she’s eaten those peas!

Honestly, these changes have been beneficial for all of us. Variety keeps things fun and not having any rules about trying things has eliminated pressure and stress. We are having far fewer tantrums. She is also eating a more balanced diet. I’m realistic that this may not last forever but I will also say this has been the longest streak of meal time success we’ve had. You know your own kiddo better than anyone else does. Review the list of changes we’ve made and see if you think any of them might resonate with your family.

I’m including some links to products we use (or similar) as resources for you – just click on the images below for the links. Full disclosure, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

SWEET VANILLA SNACK MIX

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COVID quarantine has me craving all the snacks! I’m not the only one, right?! I’ve realized that when I’m working from my office, there are multiple factors that keep me from thinking about food all day. As an audiologist, I’m obviously not going to be snacking while seeing a patient. Can you imagine your doctor doing something like that? No way! The second biggest reason I don’t snack at work is that I simply don’t have access to snacks. We don’t even have a vending machine at our office, let alone a cafeteria. Sure, I could keep a box of snacks in the break room but if that doesn’t exist, I don’t even think twice. Working from home is strange in general but my biggest struggle has proven to be full kitchen access just 20′ from my desk.

I love snack mix! Yes, it satisfies my snacking urges but it is also so versatile! You can change up the flavor based on your cravings – sweet vs salty, etc. But you can also change it up based on what you already happen to have in your pantry. Currently, my daughter has been on a kick of mixing Cheerios and Crispix into one bowl for breakfast. Since that’s what we have on hand right now, both of those went into this new recipe. I happen to keep pecans on hand for baking so I tossed those in as well. You see what I’m getting at here? My general process for snack mix includes two cereal varieties, a cracker, some sort of nut and something salty. On occasion, I also add something sweet. To help get you inspired to create your own mix, I’ve created a list of possible ingredients for you.

Snack Mix Ingredient Ideas:

  • Rice, corn, wheat or oat based cereals that have a crunch
  • Peanuts, cashews, walnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans
  • Sunflower seeds, pumpkins seeds
  • Pretzels, bagel chips, rye chips, oyster crackers, cheese based cracker such as cheez-its or goldfish
  • Candy coated chocolates such as m&m’s, chocolate chips, dried cranberries, banana chips, dried mango – note, these sweet ingredients are best added after the rest of the mix has baked and cooled completely.

SEET VANILLA SNACK MIX

Sarah Baade
This sweet vanilla snack mix has a crunch and light sweetness that will keep you coming back for more.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Snack
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups Crispix cereal
  • 2 cups cheerios (plain)
  • 2 cups pretzel sticks
  • 1 cup oyster crackers
  • 1 cup pecan halves
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup candy coated chocolates (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 250°F.
  • In a large bowl, mix together Crispix, Cheerios, oyster crackers, pretzels and pecans.
  • In a medium, microwave safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave. Then, with butter still hot, whisk in brown sugar, vanilla and salt.
  • Pour butter mixture over cereal mix and stir until cereal mix is evenly coated.
  • Transfer mix onto a parchment lined baking sheet and and bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
  • Let snack mix cool completely before stirring in candy coated chocolates.
Keyword Snack, Snack Mix, Sweet Snack, Sweet Vanilla Snack Mix, Vanilla

*If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also like my Honey Sriracha Snack Mix.

SEVEN DATE NIGHT AT HOME IDEAS

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A year and a half ago, my husband and I sat down to come up with date night ideas. We have a young daughter which means date night is twice as expensive as it was before we became parents. (BTW, when did babysitters start charging so much???) Yes, we hire babysitters when we need to but Hubs and I also have an arrangement with friends where we swap babysitting once per month. So, one night per month, my husband or I will go to our friends’ house to baby sit their little one while they go out on a date. Another night that month, we swap so that my husband and I get a date night. I highly recommend this arrangement!!! People we trust and we don’t have to pay anything extra but it is equally valuable to both couples.

Ultimately, when we sat down to come up with those date night ideas, we split it into two categories: date night out and date night in. We wrote down several ideas for each category on a little piece of paper. Each idea got folded up and placed into its appropriate jar and we did not tell each other what we wrote. Every month, we choose one idea for our date night out and one for a date night in. Honestly, the date night out ideas are plentiful, especially because we live in a large city. Date night in? That is a different story. We had to get more creative so that we weren’t just sitting on the couch watching another movie. I’m so glad we put the effort into those date night in ideas because they have become far more valuable lately. What I’ve done here is list out our top seven date night in ideas. I encourage you to put the ideas in a jar and draw one at least once per month. Definitely add in some of your own ideas while you’re at it! After the kids are in bed (if you have kids), put that date into action!

1) Water Color Portraits

Try not to take yourselves too seriously on this, you don’t need to be the next Picasso to have a good time. Neither my husband nor I are great artists which means we really got some good laughs out of this activity. Make is abstract or give it some honest effort but take your time and don’t show each other the finished product until you’re finished. If you don’t have water colors, use crayons, markers, or whatever you have on hand.

2) Food Sampling

Each person gets to pick 3 to 5 items from the kitchen (or the store if you’re able to get out) and create a charcuterie board of sorts. Explain to each other why you chose what you did and which items should be paired together (cheese with crackers for example). Feel free to add a favorite beverage as well. You can create a score card to make it like a food competition. Give points for creativity, plating and how well the items paired together.

3) Origami Folding Party

Hop online and find a website that offers free origami patterns. Take turns choosing a pattern and then see who can fold the pattern the fastest or the most precisely. You can buy origami paper if you want but you could just as easily cut wrapping paper or printer paper into the required size for each pattern.

4) S’mores & Camp Fire Stories

If you happen to have a fire pit in your backyard and want to make s’mores the old-fashioned way, go for it. But, no, you don’t need an actual campfire for this. On a sheet pan, you can lay out graham crackers topped with chocolate, topped with a large marshmallow. Pop these babies in the oven and broil them until you get your mallows golden and toasty (watch them closely so you don’t burn them beyond recognition). Get creative with your ingredients. Use chocolate graham crackers or even different types of cookies as your base. Try different types of chocolate – I love jalapeno spiced chocolate for my s’mores. You could even try peeps instead of traditional marshmallows if you have them. Once your s’mores are assembled, sit down and tell your favorite camp fire stories.

5) Make A Craft

Similar to the water color portraits listed above, you don’t need to over engineer this. Grab whatever you have on hand – paints, dry pasta, glue, paper, whatever. Just get creative. You could make necklaces, paint flowers, build a tower. You can work on the same project together or turn it into a contest and let your kids or friends judge the winner the next day.

6) Pillow Fort

This might be my favorite date night in idea. I mean, who doesn’t love a good pillow fort??? Grab any/all spare blankets, sheets and pillows. Build the pillow fort your younger self always dreamed of creating.  Once your fort is built, snuggle up together and talk about your favorite childhood memories.

7) Love Languages Test

The Five Love Language test is a great (and free) online tool to help you and your significant other get to know each other better. You sit down individually to answer several questions which will ultimately give insight into what your love language is. Once you’ve completed the test, you sit together and share your results. The categories are Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, and Physical Touch. You’ll probably learn some things about yourself but my hope is that you and your partner will talk out the results you each got and, ultimately, better understand what is important to one another.

*Snack Ideas

Some of these date ideas already have food options included but the others are open to snacks as well. Here are some of our favorite snack recipes to choose from:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Easy Buffalo Dip

Honey Sriracha Snack Mix

Blackberry Cheesecake No Churn Ice Cream

Key Lime Sugar Cookies

Lemon Hummus with Rosemary Pita Chips

Potato Chip Cookies

Easy Pasta Salad

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At the beginning of the year, I set three food goals for myself. 1)Cook a meal for another family once each month. 2)Buy from my local farmers market at least once per month. 3)Bake a bread recipe of one sort or another each month. Friends, COVID-19 has seriously interrupted these plans! Social distancing, businesses (and the farmers markets) closed, and difficulty finding flour in the stores. I will revisit these goals when I am able to but in the mean time, I have been focusing on simple recipes.

Fancy ingredients and complicated cooking techniques are not prerequisites to a good meal. In fact, some of my favorite dishes are made quickly with just a handful of ingredients. With this in mind, along with my yearning for farmers market produce, I’ve created my easy pasta salad. There is also some versatility in this recipe. You can use whatever small pasta you can get your hands on. Eat it as a side dish, or add your favorite protein to make it your entree. And once you can go to your farmers market again, be sure to show your support and buy your ingredients for this one from your local farmers.

Easy Pasta Salad

Sarah Baade
An easy to make pasta salad that can be used as a side dish or an entree.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dinner, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb small pasta such as orecchiette, shells or elbow noodles
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons (divided) olive oil
  • 15 oz canned chickpeas
  • 12 oz small tomatoes – mixed variety, halved
  • 1 medium cucumber, cut into 1/4" slices then quartered
  • 1/2 small red onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Optional: protein such as tofu, grilled bratwurst, or grilled chicken

Instructions
 

  • Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain pasta then rinse with cold water until cooled.
  • Transfer pasta to a large bowl and stir together with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
  • Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber and red onion then toss to combine.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, Italian herb seasoning and salt. Pour over pasta and gently stir until pasta is evenly coated. Top with protein of choice if desired.
Keyword Easy Pasta Salad, Easy Recipe, Pasta, Pasta Salad