Happy Blog-aversary ! Gnocchi with Pancetta & Butternut Squash

First off, just want to say today is my one year blog anniversary! How insanely fast a year has gone by! I have learned alot in a year and realized how hard it is to gain readers and keep you guys entertained! Some high points of this year blogging has been writing for the Newport Tourism Bureau, having my recipes being picked by Buitoni to have on their Facebook Page and having a recipe be on the Pinterest Popular Page more times than I can count. I am so blessed to have a husband that has supported my blogging from day one and my friends and family that put up with me taking endless photos of food before eating and constant chatter about food. Here is to being a foodie and loving it!


 Now that it is getting chilly, pasta is my go to meal, especially gnocchi. Gnocchi are the most delicious, soft pillows of potatoes that basically go well with anything. If you have other pasta on hand or don't like gnocchi feel free to use whatever pasta you like! However, let me sway you to the side of pillowy gnocchi. The soft texture pairs nicely with the crunchy pancetta. Also, make sure you don't overcook the gnocchi! It does not need to cook as long as regular pasta. I bought a brand I have never tried and it got super soft very fast so mine were a bit mushy, but honestly it tasted so amazing I didn't care!

Drunken Spaghetti

Let's be honest. Pasta in a white wine sauce is divine. And no, the spaghetti is not actually drunk, but my husband came up with this witty title. How could I not use it? I thought about calling this Everything but the Kitchen Sink Pasta because it has so many possible  ingredients in it!You can literally add any protein or veggies that you have in your fridge. I had one link of sweet sausage, two chicken breasts, spinach, mushrooms,zucchini,peppers and onions. See what I mean? Everything but the kitchen sink. Add whatever you want, I dare you. I bet it would be good. Unless it's peanut butter and jelly. That does not belong in pasta. That's gross.

Coconut Shrimp with Mango Sauce

I was watching my favorite guilty pleasure The Chew recently and I saw them make their own spin on coconut shrimp. Remember those shrimp caked in coconut flakes and fried to perfection with a sweet dipping sauce? Yup, me too. I think they are delicious. I did however like the idea of making what's already good better.

20 Minute Meals:Spicy Chickpea & Quinoa Bowls

I love meals that come together quickly! I started kickboxing recently ( what's up I <3 Kickboxing!!!) and my body is so exhausted when I get home I need a meal that is nutritious and easy. This meal actually reminds me of a meal I had in Paris with my sister in law Marjorie in her apartment. I remembered how delicious and easy it was so I decided to share it with you.

Baconey Guacamole Pizza

Picture everything you love about guacamole, crumbled bacon and goat cheese on a thin crispy grilled pizza crust. Yup, that's what this is. The smokiness of the bacon paired  tangy goat cheese and creamy avocado is delicious!I was in the mood for grilled pizza, but I wanted to change things up a bit. Instead of making one big pizza I made 5 small pizzas or pizettes ( which I think sounds much more fancy). This is perfect for couples or families that can't decide on the same toppings for their pizza. After all, toppings are very particular to each person. I really like bacon, pineapple and jalapeno or margherita. My husband on the other hand only likes pepperoni or four cheese and are you ready for this.... no sauce. Yup, he hates sauce. So usually we always order two pizzas, however pepperoni is growing on me.

Roasted Tomato & Pesto Pasta

I had been craving pasta for the past few days. Spaghetti especially. Have you ever realized that people have certain aversions to specific types of pasta and love others? That always is so funny to me because pasta is always made of the same ingredients. For example, my husband loves bowties, but I hate them. I love spaghetti and I have learned many people don't. Whaaaaaat? I can't imagine not liking spaghetti. Either way, if spaghetti is not your thing, feel free to use whatever pasta you prefer in this dish.

Chicken Marsala Ravioli with Asiago Chicken Meatballs

I would have never  thought to put chicken marsala in ravioli form, but after trying them I have clearly been missing out! This recipe is another signature recipe for Buitoni's chicken marsala ravioli. And what a recipe it is! I decided that clearly this ravioli did not need much doctoring since everything you need for chicken marsala is inside these little pillows of love. I was especially excited by the asiago and portabello mushrooms that were in the filling. I wanted to play off of those flavors to make asiago chicken meatballs to go with this meal.

Red,White,& Green? Grilled Kale Salad

Happy Independence Day America! Although, I did think about it today... wouldn't we sound great walking around with British accents? Saying cheerio instead of goodbye and such. Yeah... probably not, but still it would be cool. I digress. England is great. America is great. Now let's eat some hot dogs and celebrate being American!

Faux Fried Grilled Chicken

Huh? So is this fried chicken or grilled chicken? Both! I saw this recipe on the Food Network and I was intrigued.The Gist: You marinate bone in-skin on chicken overnight and then stick breadcrumbs on it then grill it. You with me? Basically the fat on the chicken melts and makes the bread crumbs crispy, but you still get a yummy smokey flavor from the grill. Best of both worlds? Heck yes!

Quinoa & Pineapple Fried Rice

So my pineapple filled dishes lives on in this quinoa fried rice! I love fried rice ( and most fatty, greasy Chinese food for that matter.) I've been making healthier versions of Chinese food at home for some time now like sticky orange chicken. Fried rice is something I have not tackled before, so what better time than the present?I used a recipe from Cooking Light. My favorite go to for light recipes!

Grilled Veggie & Goat Cheese Crostini

Summer is here people! I was looking for a light dinner and did not want to even step foot near my stove. I found this recipe on Whole Foods.com and I could not wait to get home and grill my dinner! These are what I would call a fancy open face sandwich and it could not be easier to cook! If you were looking for smaller portions for appetizer just use smaller portions of bread and slice veggies a bit smaller and this will wow your guests!

Zucchini & Feta Latkes

Hello easy and delicious breakfast,lunch or dinner! I suppose this is what Rachael Ray would call a BLD      ( Breakfast Lunch or Dinner) meal.  A really yummy restaurant in RI ( Crazy Burger !!!) makes amazing zucchini latkes, which they serve at breakfast and they are absolutely delicious! I think you can have these for any meal you want because I ate them for dinner and they were so good! They hit the spot! So whenever you want to cook these up, go for it!We won't judge what time you eat them at.

Portabello Mushroom Parmesan

I am so excited to tell you all about this recipe! I had 2 large portabello mushroom caps in my fridge and I wasn't sure what to do with them. Since I have been on an oven kick lately, I decided to use it again to cook this amazingly easy dinner- Portabello Parmesan.Enjoy chicken or veal parmesan? If you like those classic Italian dishes, you will certainly dig the meaty portabello baked until the panko is crunchy and the mozzarella is stringy and creamy. Hello delicious.

Mediterranean Pita Pizzas

Could an amazing and easy meal get any better? I saw a recipe via Rachael Ray  for these amazing triangles of goodness and I was pumped because literally a meal cannot get any easier. Because of our hectic schedule, I am always trying to find meals that are delicious and satisfying, but don't take more than thirty minutes to make. There are just some nights I want to be sitting on the couch with a glass of wine, not slaving over a stove. Have you been there?Yeah, I thought so.

Lemon-Scented Carbonara

Seriously? Could pasta carbonara get any better?Not to be nostalgic or anything, but spaghetti carbonara was my first blog post for this little blog. It still is insane to me as to how easy this dish is to make. And please, I beg you, do not be grossed out by the raw egg yolk. You temper the egg anyway with boiling water so "technically" it isn't raw. Plus, it tastes velvety and delicious. So try it. I almost guarantee you will like love it.

Grilled Pork Chops with Blueberry Compote

What a great dish to introduce summer. Crack open your grill people! Toby is usually the resident griller in our family and he does such a great job. My twist on these pork chops came from him so I can't even take full credit for it.Read on and you will learn the secret! And if you don't have a grill you can always use a grill pan or bake the pork chops in the oven.

WIAW & Bacony Breakfast Pizza

Is" bacony" a word?Probably not, but basically I want you to know this pizza is covered in bacon.Magical, mapley (yup, not a word either) bacon. I was trying to think of what to have for dinner tonight and it came to me while I was spinning (hey at least I was exercising)- breakfast pizza. Breakfast pizza is a great meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.It would even be nice for a brunch. There are even so many ways you can prepare it. If you have alot of time you can make your own dough. If you are in a rush you can use refrigerate dough. But before I get to the recipe, let's see what I ate this week for WIAW!

Greek Goddess Chicken

This recipe was a day in the making. I knew I had chicken. I knew I had cherry tomatoes and feta. I kept thinking all day what I could do with these staples and then it came to me. Chicken with tomatoes, spinach and feta. Done. Dinner is served. Truthfully, I made up the name Greek Goddess Chicken, but quite frankly, I really liked the name. It has as a yummy Greek staple, feta cheese, which I thought marries perfectly with cherry tomatoes and fresh spinach.

Sweet Potato Chilli

Spring has not sprung in Rhode Island yet. We had one week where it was 80 degrees F every day, and now it has been dreary and rainy ever since. What happened to the sun? Please come back. Since this weather makes me want to instantly change into sweatpants I decided to make chilli to keep me warm on the dreariest or dreary days! This chilli was originally from Can You Stay for Dinner ( Awesome blog you should totally check it out.)

Butternut Squash & Goat Cheese Stuffed Shells

First Off... Happy Birthday to the coolest chick I know, Katie!!!

Secondly, say hello my new favorite dish. I don't make stuffed shells very often because I think they are... how do I put it? Boring?  I saw this recipe on the blog Runs with Spatulas and I was intrigued. By stuffing the shells with something that isn't just ricotta cheese ( don't get me wrong, I love cheese) it makes these so much more interesting and delicious.