The following recipe is my new favorite. I just made it last week and already want to prepare it again! Real Simple never fails. Here is the recipe, enough pleasantries, let's get started!

Meat sauce with vegetables, hidden and revealed, on top of whole wheat pasta.
There are days when pasta is calling your name.
And this day was it!

I'm going to be honest. My husband is a better cook than I am. And he has a more sophisticated palate. I have been learning so much in the kitchen since marrying him, and I have to say, I gladly move over any day he wants to cook knowing my taste buds will thank me! This night, we were having steak and he decided to make a chimichurri sauce and now we will never go back. It's easy and oh so delicious!



Take it away, honey!

Imagine slowly cooked decadent broth, colorful vegetables, meat that falls apart in your mouth
and a simple recipe.

Introducing the Real Beef Stew!

I'm going to be honest. The most exciting part of going to the gym is the chance to watch Food Network :-D It may seem counter-productive but we don't get the channel at home and it keeps me running longer, so no judgement! The last time I was there, I saw a segment by Melissa d'Arabian and got inspired to go home and make a salty snack for my honey! The original recipe is here, although when I made it I was going off of memory so my proportions weren't exact. Melissa made a great recommendation to use plain, cheap olives since there are so many flavors involved, there is no need to use a fancy variety (this time, I used some Greek olives in addition to regular black because I ran out of the latter...the first time I made it I used all black olives and thought it turned out better). 

Fresh okra, garlic, onions, celery, corn, chicken, pork, sausage, tomatoes....

And use up random little bits of vegetables from your fridge! 

I love a filling, tasty, clean-out-kitchen meal!

Bring on the Jambalaya! 

(And let me just tell you, I didn't realize I was spelling Jambalaya wrong...I thought it was jumbalaya.
I actually pronounce it that way....)

Now that my littlest has a good set of chompers, she is devouring solid food (mostly animal proteins) in vast quantities. I am not a huge meat lover, but there is a place for it. In an effort to stay within our budget, seasoning a whole chicken and roasting it, is simple, filling and delicious! 

The first week my family moved out to California we went to the local farmers' market. It is awesome! What's even more awesome is there are several fresh markets during the week in the outlying towns nearby. So in the event, I can't make it to my favorite one on Tuesdays, I can hit up the Friday one, or the Monday one, or even if necessary the Sunday market. 

Every week holds new produce possibilities, some great deals (especially for California!) and lots of taste-testing for the kids. They look forward to our weekly visit. I try to plan out my meals loosely and then shop at the farmers' market for all our fresh produce needs (minus bananas). 
Whatever is in season, economical and looks good is what ends up on our plates for the week!