Hot Onion Cheese Dip

I am honored to be a Stonyfield Ambassador and I thank them for sponsoring today’s post.  

All opinions, as always, are my own.

Looking for an easy party appetizer? This Hot Onion Cheese Dip is so delicious and simple to make!

I've never been one to go out on New Years Eve, at least ever since I've had kids. Sure when I was young I did, but I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually went on NYE over the past 20 years. I know some people love going out that night, but I've always enjoyed staying in and watching football during the day and then watching all the fun festivities on TV at night. I also do a big appetizer spread which typically consists of our favorites, including my mom's famous shrimp dip and her delicious BBQ meatballs, but each year I love to surprise everyone with some new dishes as well. This year I'm adding this Hot Onion Cheese Dip to the table because not only is it delicious, but it's really easy to make too!  

Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Cheese Bread

This Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Cheese Bread is the perfect appetizer for game day! Creamy dip gets stuffed into a loaf of fresh bread, topped with shredded mozzarella, then baked to cheesy perfection.

This recipe was developed in partnership with La Terra Fina and I thank them for sponsoring this post! 

All opinions, as always, are my own.

There are so many things I love about fall, but one of my most favorites is that it's football season. I've loved football for as long as I can remember, and my favorite memories are sitting in front of our fireplace on Sunday's and watching it on TV with my dad. My mom would make a big Sunday dinner early in the day, then in the evening we'd have appetizers or snacks while watching the games. I still spend weekends watching football and other sports with my sons and I love to make special foods for us to enjoy. This simple, three ingredient Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Cheese Bread is our new favorite! 

The Art of Cheesemaking {FCP Culinary Workshop in Napa Valley}

Explore the process of cheesemaking including the six steps to making cheese and how the flavors are created!

Happy Monday, friends! I hope you all had a relaxing weekend filled with lots of good food, family, and beautiful weather. For those of us here in Michigan, we got teased with spring on Friday with near 70 degree temperatures and plenty of sunshine. Then Saturday came. It rained most of the day and was somewhere in the 40's. What can I say? That's #pureMichigan for you!

If you follow me on social media, which I know a lot of you do, then you may have caught a glimpse of my trip to Napa Valley, California a few weeks ago. I traveled there with my client, the Dairy Industry of Michigan, and a couple of my favorite blogger friends to the Food & Culinary Professionals 2017 Culinary Workshop. The theme was Learn ~ Experience ~ Master. We had sessions about the art of cheesemaking; we learned about the art and science of food from the dairy farm to table; and we heard about 2017 food trends. 

Italian Cheese Straws

These Italian Cheese Straws are simple to make and are a delicious holiday appetizer! Pair them with a few 
other festive treats and a couple bottles of wine, and you've got everything you need for the perfect holiday party!

I am honored, and so, so excited, to share with you that I have been selected by CK Mondavi to be one of their first ever CK Mondavi Ambassadors! I had the opportunity to meet the CK Mondavi team earlier this year at the Food Wine Conference in Orlando. I also sat down one on one with Janice Mondavi, wife of a third-generation owner of the family owned C. Mondavi & Family wine company. We talked about the business, the rich history of their company, and most importantly, we talked about family. I instantly felt a connection to Janice and couldn't be more proud to be working with CK Mondavi now.

Savory Ham & Cheese Waffles #BrunchWeek

The Savory Ham & Cheese Waffles are crispy on the outside, but soft and chewy on the inside. 

Filled with plenty of ham and gooey cheese, and topped with a sunny side up egg, they make the perfect Brunch dish!

I'm so excited to share with you all that this week I'm participating in #BrunchWeek 2016! Thirty seven bloggers from around the country will showcase their best brunch dishes, from cocktails to cakes, breakfast breads, tarts, and quiche - there is something for everyone! Hosted by Terri from Love and Confections and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures, this is the 4th annual #BrunchWeek. I'm so excited to have you join us this year as we celebrate Brunch and prepare for Mother's Day!

I've got five brand spankin' new brunch recipes to share with you this week. That's right, FIVE! I've got sweet and I've got savory, and I hope you'll love everything as much as my family did. First up, we've got these Savory Ham & Cheese Waffles. Crispy on the inside but soft and chewy on the inside, they are bursting with flavor from the salty ham and intense Cabot White Oak Cheddar Cheese that's tucked inside. Topped with a gorgeous sunny side up egg, it's the brunch dish that will have your family asking for more!

Croque Monsieur Sliders

These baked ham and cheese sliders get taken to the next level with a rich and creamy béchamel sauce. 

Perfect for brunch or a light meal, this is one recipe you'll be making again and again!

This past weekend we hosted a fun Christmas party with some dear friends and family. It's always fun to get together with friends that you don't get to see very often! We were celebrating over brunch, and I wanted to make something different, and something very special. What I created are these delicious and decadent Croque Monsieur Sliders. 

Made with KING’S HAWAIIAN® Sweet Dinner Rolls and the easiest, creamiest homemade béchamel sauce, these little sliders are packed with flavor and perfect for brunch. Tender ham and salty Gruyere cheese round out this updated version of the traditional French sandwich.

Cheese and Kale Manicotti

Whip up this meatless manicotti filled with cheese and kale for a delicious and healthy vegetarian meal!

With the weather cooling down lately, I've been all about making comfort food! Whether it's a pot of chili or soup, or a warm casserole, Fall is the best time to start making your favorite comfort food dishes. I'm a big fan of Italian food, and stuffed shells and manicotti are right up at the top of my favorites. Instead of going with the traditional meat filling, I decided to go all cheesy and veggie with it. Because cheese. Cheese is life.

My mom made manicotti with spinach when I was growing up, which I've seen most often, but I wanted to be different. I wanted to think outside the box! When I came across frozen kale in the freezer section of my local grocery store recently, I knew it would make the perfect filling for my manicotti. I do love me some kale!

Mini Ham and Cheese Frittatas

Whip up a batch of these bite sized ham and cheese frittatas on the weekend and you've got breakfast 

ready to go for the week!

In my quest for quicker, and healthier, breakfast options for my family, I came up with these super delicious mini ham and cheese frittatas. Made in a mini muffin tin, they seriously couldn't be any easier! Mix the ingredients up in one bowl, bake them in your tin, and voila! In less than 30 minutes you've got a batch of these bite sized beauties ready to go for the week. I love to make them on the weekend, that way when you're pressed for time those weekday mornings, you can pop a few in the microwave for a fast and portable breakfast.

These little frittatas aren't just for breakfast either. They are great cold, or at room temperature, and my kids love eating them for lunch, too. I pack four of them along with some fruit, and veggie sticks and dip for a nutritious lunch!

Cheesy Baked Pasta with Ham

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. 

#NaturallyCheesy #CollectiveBias

This super cheesy casserole full of colorful pasta and delicious ham is a simple make ahead meal that 

turns into one tasty dinner!

As we start our third week of school, I'm finally getting back into my groove and it feels great to have my routine back. With that being said, I've also started meal planning again. Between homework, football, and other extra curricular activities, I need to plan ahead of time what's for dinner. This cheesy baked pasta with ham is definitely a simple meal solution for busy weeknights. Put the dish together on a Sunday afternoon, then bake it the next day for a quick and delicious dinner. You can find other great recipe ideas and a good food game plan courtesy of Kraft here. Also, be sure to stop by your local Walmart on September 26th for a Game Time demo! 

I'm a huge lover of pasta, and an even bigger lover of cheese. Putting the two together is always a good idea in my book. This baked pasta dish uses Kraft Natural Cheese Shredded Mozzarella, plus Parmesan cheese, and is super ooey, gooey and cheesy when it comes out of the oven. What's not to love about that?

Classic Roast Beef & Cheese Sandwich #SqueezeMoreOut

A classic roast beef and cheese sandwich made with Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise is 

perfect for back to school lunchboxes! 

This post was sponsored by Hellmann's through their partnership with KitchenPLAY. All opinions, as always, are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible!

School is back in session for my kids, which means it's back to packing lunches for mom! I really do enjoy making lunches for the boys. My oldest, who's taking classes at the community college this semester, loves for me to pack him a lunch a few times a week. He says it's so much healthier, and a lot cheaper! And my youngest, who plays sports about half of the year, loves eating healthy too. He tells me he just can't eat that cafeteria food every day! So just like my parents did for me, I try to create fun and delicious lunches for my guys.

My mom did most of the lunch making when I was growing up, but my dad would occasionally take over the duties. His favorite thing to make me was a peanut butter and cheese sandwich. I know what you are thinking...that sounds gross! But it was actually quite good. I haven't had one in years, but I think I may need to have one again soon!

Pimento Cheese Spread

 Tangy, sweet, and a little spicy, this pimento cheese spread is great on everything from crackers to veggies and is perfect for your next get together!

With my obvious love for cheese and all things cheese related, it should be no surprise that I love pimento cheese spread. I've always bought the little container from the grocery store and never even considered making it myself. That is, up until a few weeks ago. I decided, why not try my hand at it instead of buying it? I figured, it can't be that hard!

I am really, really happy that I talked myself into making my own recipe. This cheese spread is amazing, people. AMAZING! The longer it sits in the refrigerator the better it tastes. It's creamy and cheesy and tangy and just a bit spicy. But most importantly, it's delicious. I spread it onto every single kind of cracker that we had in the house. I dipped my veggies in it. I want to make a grilled cheese sandwich with it. But that will have to happen later because, you see, we ate the whole bowl of spread! My boys loved it, too.

BLTC {Bacon, Lettuce, Turkey, Cheese} Wraps

Bacon, lettuce, turkey and cheddar are tucked into a whole wheat wrap for a delicious 

and nutritious lunch that no one can resist!

I've been talking about my lunch dilemma a lot lately and how I struggle to find something to eat at lunchtime. I like having different things, not the same ole', same ole'. Well, that goes for my kids, too. They get tired of eating the same boring sandwiches every day and love variety. My lunch conundrum came at a perfect time since Milk Means More asked me to come up with a couple of recipes for a lunchbox makeover!

I pondered this challenge for quite awhile...I needed to make something delicious and healthy, but not ordinary. And, of course, it needed to have dairy in it as well. Dairy foods are full of calcium, protein, potassium, vitamin D and other nutrients. It's recommended that we have three servings of dairy daily, so adding cheese to your sandwiches is an easy way to get one of those servings. Add a glass of milk to your lunch and you've got an easy two!

Baked Bacon Mac & Cheese

Warm, cheesy, and gooey, this delicious homemade baked mac and cheese is the perfect meal for those cool Fall days!

Happy first day of Fall! To celebrate the first official day, I'm sharing with you one of our favorite warm, comforting meals. 

This is the best mac and cheese recipe ever. Well, at least in my opinion. And my kids think so too. It's really cheesy and gooey and has bits of bacon throughout. It comes together pretty quickly, only baking in the oven for about 15 minutes, so it's a perfect weeknight meal. Bake some rolls or garlic bread and whip up a salad and dinner is served!

Gruyere & Campari Tomato Tart

A light, crispy pastry with a savory twist!

I have a serious love of puff pastry. I mean, what's not to love? The buttery, flaky crust is the best vehicle for just about anything you can think of, both sweet and savory. Most people think to use this delicious dough for sweet treats, but I almost prefer the savory options. 

I found some beautiful Campari tomatoes at the store earlier this week and immediately my mind was dreaming of a tomato tart. The sweet Campari paired with nutty Gruyere cheese and fresh rosemary is the perfect combination! It's very easy to put together and is hands down my new favorite lunch.

Spinach Strawberry Salad with Fresh Mozzarella

A fresh and healthy spring salad, perfect as a light meal or side dish!

This post is sponsored by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan. All opinions are my own. 

The first sign of spring is always so exciting. Not only because everything is blooming and the temps are warmer, but I love the fresh produce this time of year. My mind immediately turns to healthier meals made with the freshest seasonal ingredients.

As you know by now from reading my blog, I bake A LOT. Baking is my passion, although I love to cook as well. I make dinner almost every night of the week and most everything I make is homemade. Over the past few years I've really tried to cut out processed foods to keep my family healthy. So although I'm a sweets freak and love baking treats, we do eat pretty healthy meals.