Content
So as I wrote yesterday, we spent last weekend at Disney World. Joel and The Baron joined me and it was our first 'big' trip we all took together that involved flying a plane. Aside from that, it was both Joel and my first trip to Disney World. Patrick went about 30 years ago so it was just as exciting for him to come back as an adult. The trip started off super early... like it's still dar
. Food. It ties every one of us together. And this past weekend, I flew out to Orlando, Florida to gather with others who embrace food in a similar way that I do... as food bloggers. From the looks of the photo above, I can assure you each and everyone of us are now tied to each other for simply experiencing the weekend together. I'm so happy that my suggestion to have a group photo of al
Who else has Memorial Day weekend on the brain? I know I do... and I just had a four day weekend lol. I never really thought much about Memorial Day aside from planning picnics, cookouts, time at the beach, or even a jaunt at the big amusement park down the street from me. But after the monthly team meeting at work where we learned a bit about the history of Memorial Day {formerly known as Dec
Memorial Day holiday weekend is coming up - have you decided what you'll be celebrating with? The Baron has a grill we need to break in for the upcoming season so we'll be firing it up with burgers and accompanying sides and desserts. What about you? If you're still figuring out what to make, here's 12 delicious ideas to consider that will be a great addition to the holiday table...
It's Friday... and we're on vacation! Well, kind of. The Baron, Joel and I are soaking up some Florida sunshine here at Walt Disney World in Orlando. For me, it's the Food Blog Forum that will keep me busy this weekend, while my favorite boys enjoy their fun adventures in Mickey Mouse's playground. It's a win win for everyone!I look forward to share our experiences soon and there will be a
Cabbage is typically seen more on menus during the month of March because it's popularity around St. Patrick's Day menus. But I'm growing more fond of cabbage each time I cook it. It seems to be quite the underestimated vegetable. This Carrots & Cabbage Kielbasa was one I did serve during a St. Patrick's Day meal but it's delicious any time of year. Polish Kielbasa flavors a melange of oni
Fire up those grills... summer's coming! It's crazy to think summer is just a little over a month away. What happened to spring in the midwest?! But thankfully we're getting some warm and sunny weather here in Chicago and that means steaks will soon be making it on the grills. Because it hasn't been so warm and grilling all year round isn't always an option for me, using a skillet on the s
If there's a pasta dish I can rarely say no to, it's chicken alfredo. There's something about that creamy cheese sauce that is so irresistable! But to give the traditional chicken alfredo dish a little spin, I love adding spinach for some color and flavor. This Chicken Florentine Alfredo introduces chopped spinach to the pasta party with the same creamy, Parmesan sauce and where spec
This weekend is Mother's Day... how will you be celebrating those wonderful women in your life that have nurtured and cared for you in some way? In the past we've done family brunches and if you plan on hosting one this weekend, how about a quiche to bring to the table? Here are 9 quiche recipes to check out that are perfect for Mother's Day brunches... Denver Quiche Southweste
Today is a very special day. Three years ago today, I found myself in the hospital having a baby a whole month early. He was in my arms at 35 weeks and 5 days, weighing in at only 4 pounds, 15 ounces and 18.5 inches long. Joel remained in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit {NICU} for a week before I was able to take him home. Life has never been the same since and is continually full of lo
Happy Tuesday! It was a long but eventful weekend, that I needed a day to recuperate. Hope you had a great weekend and was spoiled with beautiful spring weather like we were in Chicago. I'll be sharing more about my weekend tomorrow with lots of pictures! But for today, I'm focusing on friends and friendships. It's inevitable that friends come and go throughout our lives. The Baron's best
Happy Friday! I'm particularly excited about this upcoming weekend because it will be full of birthday celebrations for both me and Joel. Saturday we're celebrating Joel's 3rd birthday with a Thomas the Train themed party. He is ridiculously excited and helped me plan it down to the important details. Then on Sunday, we're celebrating my birthday with both my parents and The Baron's parents ov
This is the time of year where there's a lot to celebrate in my family. The month of May marks the beginning of our family birthday season and with that, we usually have some sort of reunion. in fact, tonight, my sister and her family are flying in from Virginia to spend the weekend and attend Joel's 3rd birthday party {more on that tomorrow!} I love when my family comes together and although
Guess who's celebrating a birthday today?! Yes... I'm another year older. I'm officially 3 years away 40 {omg - did I just type that?!}. But thankfully, I was blessed with great genes and I look {and perhaps act} younger than I really am - so I'm told. Having a birthday to kick off the month of May is like having a precursor to the festive and delicious celebration of Cinco de Mayo. So to cele
Well I had a fantastic weekend with friends and family where we went to a waterpark resort in Wisconsin Dells. One of the great things about our trip was that we rented out a large 2 bedroom suite that included a full kitchen. Having this available to use for our meals during our stay saved us some money and I was able to get my kitchen therapy fix. One of our meals included this Margherita Fl
My child is a statistic in that he enjoys chicken fingers like many other children. We've hit that phase where he enjoys it several times a week. However rather than resorting to the already prepared and processed versions in the grocery store's freezer case, I've opted to make them myself at home. Our favorite way these days is made with sour cream and onion potato chips! These Chicken 'McMar
When it comes to gluten free cooking, you may be surprised how easy it is to adapt everyday recipes into something gluten free. Sometimes it takes a little thinking outside the box but it's possible and gluten free living doesn't need to be expensive or involve stocking your pantry with specialty items. Take for example these Italian Potato Breaded Pork Chops. Pork chops are seasoned and coate
It's practically the end of April, yet the weather is on a serious delay and it feels like winter. I know many folks are so anxiously awaiting for spring to actually arrive and stay longer than a day or two! But I guess one good thing about the weather is that it allows me to enjoy some comforting dishes a little while longer. I recently made this Oxtail Stew that is so rich, meaty and flavorf
Macaroni and cheese has a way with children. Well, my child at least. It seems like Joel is on a macaroni and cheese kick and the good thing is, I enjoy it just the same. But I will admit that I'm not one for the blue box kind. Oh no... I prefer making macaroni and cheese from scratch if at all possible. These days it's pretty much inevitable since I have to use gluten free pasta for my gluten
Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and are ready for this new week ahead. Now that tax season is officially in that most of us have already filed our taxes by the deadline, I can't help but think of budget meals. A budget friendly meal I made recently is this Beef & Cabbage Stir Fry. This is a dish my mom made growing up and is considered a nostalgic favorite among me and my
It's been a long week for many folks... and I cannot be more excited for the weekend. Aside from the lazy mornings in pajamas, the hot cup of coffee to jump start the day and just having the weekend to spend with loved ones, one of my favorite parts of the weekend is breakfast or brunch. It's the one time of the week where I can make something for my family and take my time doing so. To end th
Not too long ago I made these Hot Ham & Cheese Sliders which my family loved. It went over so well the first time that I made them again at least 3 times since! So playing off of that recipe, I gave it a pizza twist and came up with these Pepperoni Pizza Sliders. Pepperoni, mozzarella cheese and a tangy pizza sauce are tucked into savory rolls and drizzled with an Italian herb and butter b
Spring is here along with tons of rain. At least it's not snow! The dark and cloudy skies make me long for something comforting these days. A comforting dish I recently made is this Chicken Noodle Casserole. Similar to a classic tuna noodle casserole, this one swaps out the tuna for shredded rotisserie chicken and the traditional mixed vegetables with mushrooms in a creamy cheese sauce
Welcome back from the weekend! Hope you had a fun, if not relaxing weekend and are ready to take on a new week. The temperatures here in Chicagoland have been more reminiscent of spring and it's made me anxious for picnic season. I plan on having many picnics in the coming months to take advantage of the weather. A favorite picnic item in my usual basket is a good potato salad. I've tried a ha
A dear friend and fellow food blogger, Nikki of Seeded at the Table (previously known as Pennies on a Platter) is about to bring a new baby boy into the world. Many bloggers have gathered together for a virtual baby shower to celebrate such a blessing to their family! Not too long ago, Nikki and her family moved to Mississippi a few months ago, so it seems only fitting to w
How often do you make vegetarian dishes or meatless meals {if you're not on a vegetarian/vegan diet}? I think I'm going to try to incorporate more meatless meals into my dinner rotation - at least shooting for once a week. Even though the Lenten season is over, when some folks give up meat, it's no excuse to stop enjoying meatless meals. This Baked Vegetable Penne is a dish I made not too long
Food with bones... does it bother you at all? You know, foods like ribs, chicken wings, lamb shank, oxtail, whole fish, etc. I personally am a fan of foods that I can eat off the bone. I'm also a 'clean bone' eater in which I prefer to eat whatever possible off the bone before discarding. Am I alone on this one? Anyone else? So naturally, when it comes to ribs, I'm all about picking a rib up a
When it comes to entertaining, a life saver for me is having crescent roll dough on hand. This was something I used to carry often before I began living gluten free. Croissant dough was an ingredient I could make all sorts of appetizers and snacks with, because everything tastes great with buttery croissants, right? Well, these Pepperoni Croissant Rolls are no exception and made an appearance
Spring is finally here! Well, it has been here technically but for the weather this past weekend made it feel like spring. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend - did you enjoy any deliciousness? Now that the temperatures have been in the upper 50s/lower 60s, the rain we're having has put a damper on being outdoors. When it's rainy out, I love a good bowl of soup and recently, I made this Chick
The weekend is here - do you make any special breakfasts to start the day? For me, I particularly love weekend breakfasts. Anything from the usual sweet {gf} pastries, pancakes, yogurt parfaits, and the savory eggs, breakfast meats, and potatoes all are delicious ways to kick off the day. Instead of my usual sweet recipe on this Friday, here's a good breakfast dish to get you thinking ab
We're in the home stretch for the weekend! To round out the week of sandwich recipes, here's one that was particularly good...Meatball & Pepperoni Pizza Bombers. This was yet another suggestion of The Baron's {he's great with sandwich ideas lol} and it was one I couldn't stop talking about throughout and after dinner... it was that good. Large slices of pepperoni are topped with homemade m
It's another sandwich day! This time it's a hot sandwich filling that's a little messy but oh so good. Forget the stuff in a can. Forget the sodium bomb packets of seasoning. This sandwich is best made with fresh ingredients! These Smokey Sloppy Joes takes ground beef, onions, and bell peppers mixed in a tangy, slightly smokey sauce, served up in a toasted bun for a finger licking good sandwic
This week is going to be dedicated to sandwiches! Sandwiches are found in pretty much every culture and cuisine, combining a type of bread with a filling. The Baron is a fan of sandwiches as much as I am {using gluten free bread when possible}so we have had our share of sandwiches lately. Thanks to Turano Baking Company, a local bread company, I enjoyed using their breads to create all the san
Easter is over... do you have leftover hard boiled eggs to use up? Well this recipe for Creamy Dill Potato & Egg Salad is one of my favorites because it uses up a good amount of hard boiled eggs in a delicious way. Yukon gold potatoes and chopped hard boiled eggs are tossed with celery, red onion, dill and a creamy dressing for a bright and filling salad... I hope you all had a delicious
Easter weekend is here and in case you need some inspiration on what to serve or bring to holiday potlucks this weekend, here are some ideas to make the holiday delicious! Here's wishing you and yours a wonderful and blessed weekend... Easter Eats to Inspire You... 5 Recipes for Leftover Easter Ham... 5 Cinnamony Rolls to Wake Up To... Four Fre
Happy Thursday! We're almost to the Easter holiday weekend and I'm so excited! Do you have any fun [delicious] Easter plans this weekend? We're taking Joel to the Jelly Belly factory for a tour of how jelly beans are made on Saturday, followed by Easter egg decorating with the Baron's family. As for Easter Sunday, after church [where I'll be singing in the praise choir for the first time-eek]
When The Baron and I first started dating, I was really interested in learning about his particular tastes in ethnic cuisine. It was a relief knowing he was open to trying different cuisines because some Asian cuisines can be pretty exotic. Thankfully Indian cuisine was one he enjoyed. Continuing on my Asian taste tour this week, we're taking a stop in Indian for these Tandoori Chicken Wings.
Heat... how much can you handle? When it comes to the ever common 'General Tso's' dishes in Chinese American cuisine, whole dried red chili peppers are used to infuse the dish with some spicy heat and flavor. The good thing is, you can adjust the heat and spiciness by controlling how many peppers you use. For this General Tso's Pork Stir Fry, a sweet and savory sauce of rice wine, rice vinegar
Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend with some delicious eats! For me, it was a food filled weekend where I enjoyed Chinese dim sum with folks at Chicago's Chinatown, spent time with friends over a Chicago inspired dinner at a going away party and yesterday, I hosted a pre-Easter dinner with family and friends. I'm still full after all the food I enjoyed. This week's recipe th
Thank you to all those who participated in my recent PopChip Giveaway. A winner has been randomly drawn.... Congratulations Sapna D who won the PopChips & Jillian Michael's autographed book giveaway! Please email me at whatscookinchicago@gmail.com with your mailing address to claim your prize!
Happy Friday! It's the first weekend of spring and I'm looking forward to some fun foodie plans... what about you? I've got a culinary tour I'm leading of Chicago's Chinatown, along with an interactive dim sum class I'm teaching on Saturday. On Sunday, I'm hosting a pre-Easter dinner with friends. So to end the week on a sweet note, here's a Boston Cream Pie Layer Cake that made not too
While I anxiously await spring to really arrive with lots of sunshine and warm temps, I'm getting on spring and summer eats to help me get in the mood. An easy way to do that is with a good salad, such as this Asian Chopped Salad. A melange of savoy and green cabbage, cilantro, green onions, carrots, cheese, toasted almond slices, and wonton noodles are tossed with shredded pork shoulder and d
Happy First Day of Spring! Sadly, it doesn't feel like it with a high of 21 degrees outside. But the good thing is I know it's coming, albeit slowly. I guess I should take advantage my making comforting dishes to enjoy before it gets too warm out for something like this Classic Meat Lasagna. Layers upon layers of {gluten free} pasta, tomato sauce, bechamel sauce and seasoned ground beef
Everybody loves a good fried chicken, right? With a healthier mindset lately {because of bathing suit season weeks away}, I've opted to bake some chicken pieces instead of frying to save on some calories and fat. But that doesn't mean this Baked Crispy Chicken lacks in any flavor or juiciness! Pieces of chicken are seasoned, dipped in buttermilk and coated in cornflakes before baking until cri
It's mid-March and yet when I look outside, it's snowing out. Spring, when are you going to get here?! Given the weather here in Chicagoland today, it's definitely a perfect day for a bowl of soup. One of my favorite soups is a French Onion Soup topped with a cheese covered crostini. This recipe comes from Ina Garten... someone I would love to spend the day in the kitchen with. Sliced onions a
So we're already past the middle of March. For some, the new year's resolution of healthier eating and active living may be a distant memory. For others, spring break is another reason to keep those resolutions going! I know I've got a couple spring getaways planned in the next few weeks and I hope to be sporting a bathing suit... confidently. So what tips and tricks help me to stay on track?
It's Friday! We made it through another week and to end things on a sweet note as well as finish off Irish fare just in time for St. Patrick's Day weekend, here are some Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes for eye candy! What's an Irish Car Bomb? Apparently this is a well known liquor shot comprised of Guinness stout beer, Irish whiskey and Irish cream liqueur. The combination is I an guess an explos
Happy Pi Day! As much as I wanted to feature a pie today, I haven't had the time to whip one up... but I'll definitely make up for it this weekend, I'm sure lol! The Baron is probably particularly excited today because it's Pi Day. He's a huge math fan and his favorite dessert is pie. Looks like I have quite a bit of making up to do since I have no pie at the house lol. But we'll continue on w
It's nearly the middle of March and we're still getting snow on the ground. Whaaat?! I'm anxious for spring to arrive but at least I can still appreciate a warm bowl of soup given the weather we've been having here. With St. Patrick's Day on the horizon, there's no better soup so enjoy right now than this Guinness Beer Soup. Topped with toasted croutons, this cheesy soup is rich with Guinness
In my world, rice makes for a complete meal... which is no surprise being Filipino. But for The Baron, it's potatoes that completes a meal. This Irish Colcannon is a staple and common Irish dish because it combines a bit of potatoes, cabbage and scallions into a creamy side dish which is a perfect accompaniment or can be hearty enough as a meal on its own... Take your favorite mashed potato
