Our Tried and True Favorite Dinner Recipes

January 18, 2019 By Molly 1 Comment

Hello there! Long time, no blog.

Life is busier than ever, but I wanted to hop on and share some of our tried and true favorite dinner time recipes. I often share what I’m making for dinner on Instagram and get lots of requests for the recipes, so I figured I’d round them all up here. I’ve actually made each of the recipes below and they’ve gotten great reviews from the husband and kiddos. Can’t beat that!

MEATS AND PROTEINS

Three-Ingredient Pork Chops
Crockpot Swedish Meatballs
Momma’s Best Meatloaf (my daughter Julia’s favorite)
Ina Garten’s Lemen Chicken
Green Chili Chicken Bake
Garlic Ranch Chicken Wings
Beef Fajitas (the marinade on these is insane)
Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
Giant Turkey Meatball Parmesan
White Chicken Chili

PASTAS AND CASSEROLES

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole (omg so comforting and freezes really well)
Pioneer Woman’s Lasagna
White Chicken Enchiladas
Low Carb Pizza Casserole (I prefer it saucy so I use marinara instead of diced tomatoes)
Ham & Gruyere Quiche (use any cheese you like)
Taco Pizza (kids go crazy for this!)
Chili Cheese Mac
Million Dollar Spaghetti
Shepherd’s Pie

APPS, SIDE DISHES, & DESSERTS

Garlic Roasted Parmesan Potatoes
5 Minute Million Dollar Dip
Marinated Cheese (sounds weird but I promise it’s awesome)
Pressure Cooker Greens with Bacon
Stuffed Mushrooms
Cowboy Cookies
Upside Down Banana Cake (omg make this!!!)
My Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Hope you enjoy these as much as we have!

My Fav Small Businesses for your Christmas Shopping!

December 5, 2018 By Molly Leave a Comment

There are gift guides all over the internet this time of year, with suggestions for everything from “the hipster who has everything” to “the pet lover who also enjoys bourbon.” 😉

It’s no secret that I’m a huge advocate for our local community and businesses. As such, I’m sharing my favorite local small businesses (and one from out of the area that I just had to include). I hope you’ll consider spending some of your holiday shopping dollars at these businesses this season!

Frill Seekers Gifts

Frill Seekers is my go-to gift shop for monogrammed goodies and adorable, unique gifts. The perfect kind of place for teacher and hostess gifts! These shatter-proof cups were gifted to us from Frill Seekers and they remain my favorite- I’ve reordered them several times!

Ella Grace Boutique

This online boutique happens to be owned by one of my dear friends (it’s named after her two daughters). Heather has a great eye for stylish, yet affordable clothes and accessories at great price points. Buy something for your mom and girlfriends, buy a few things for yourself. PS that’s another fabulous friend, Sasha, modeling a sweater from Ella Grace.

Noteworthy Paper Place

Oh man, I’m such a sucker for stationary and paper goods. My sorority sister (and therefor fellow Gator lover), Kristen designs the cutest notepads, calendars, luggage tags, swizzle sticks, and more. The luggage tags would make awesome stocking stuffers!

Kiki Risa

Kiki Risa is a high-end boutique in Destin. Marisa is constantly seeking out the highest quality designer clothing and accessories for her loyal clients and the landscape of the store is ever-changing. They are super fun to follow on Instagram (daily fashion shows)! Stop in for a killer Christmas party ensemble!

Fisher’s Pharmacy

Fisher’s is an old-fashioned pharmacy with the sweetest gift shop up front. It’s owned and run by old family friends and Katelyn (who is also a pharmacist at Fisher’s) does a great job stocking adorable gifts for babies, kids, brides, and anyone in between. I love going up to Defuniak Springs for lunch at H&M Hotdogs then slowly browsing all the wares at Fisher’s (there is always a great selection of Scout bags). They carry this incredible Savory cracker seasoning mix that always finds its way into my shopping bag!.

Pink N Blue Avenue

This is hands-down the best children’s boutique in the area! Gulia always has an amazing selection of clothing, accessories, and incredible toys from all over (my kids could spend hours browsing the toys and games). Grandmas love this place, so send them there to spoil your kiddos this season! And her selection of kids’ shoes is the absolute best.

The Cookie Jar- Gourmet Cookies by Noelle

Oh dear me, the cutest cookies I ever did see! Seriously- how fabulous are these Floridian Christmas cookies? Noelle designs the sweetest confections and she can do custom orders for birthdays, holidays, gifts, and more. She’s based out of Navarre but has meetup points.

I could mention so many more amazing local small businesses! I hope you will seriously consider shopping small this holiday season and all throughout the coming year.

Fonte de’ Medici Cooking School in Tuscany

November 5, 2018 By Molly Leave a Comment

Without a doubt, the highlight of our Italian vacation was a cooking lesson at Fonte de’ Medici in the hart of the Chianti Classico region of Tuscany.

The village of Fonte de’ Medici dates back to the 1400s and is surrounded by vineyards belonging to the famous wine-making Antinori Family.

The backdrop is absolutely stunning. Like something out of a movie! Just what you’d expect when you dream of visiting Tuscany.

Our day consisted of much more than a cooking class, but I will start there since that’s where we began! There were only six of us in the class that was led but the ultra charming and very Italian Chef Duccio.

Duccio was seriously the cutest and has my DREAM JOB! The teaching kitchen at Fonte de’ Medici is fully sponsored by Kitchenaid so it has every top-of-the-line cooking appliance and gadget you could ever imagine. I was most impressed by the blast chiller that chilled a bottle of wine to perfection in about 5 minutes flat. Yes, please!

Duccio taught us how to make pasta from scratch, pizza dough (that we drizzled with olive oil, sea salt, and tomatoes), and even Nutella. Yep- homemade Nutella.

We had the best time! Duccio was full of life and personality and took great care to explain not only the food, but the history and culture surrounding Italian cuisine.

After the lesson ended, the six of us made our way to nearby Badia a Passignano, a vineyard surrounding an ancient monastery that the Antinori family now rents from the monks and uses as a wine cellar and Michelin star restaurant.

Our guide walked us through the vineyards where the grapes were nearly ready to be harvested.

Leading up to the monastery was the most beautiful garden, overflowing with every herb and vegetable you could possibly think of.

Inside the monastery is where the winemakers store the barrels. The building itself is rich in history and even has WWII ties.

After our vineyard and cellar tour, it was time for my first-ever Michelin star meal at Osteria a Passignano.

Each of our six courses were expertly paired with wines from Tuscany. We began with an olive oil tasting and I was shocked by how different the oils can taste!

This tasting meal was such a treat. And, just as you’d expect in a Michelin star restaurant, the service was top-notch from beginning to end.

I cannot suggest this cooking class and winery tour enough. It is a bit of a splurge but it’s an incredible way to experience Tuscany. We rented a car and drove from Florence (it’s only about an hour away), but next time we want to stay in Tuscany for at least a few days and just relax among the vineyards.

Destin Duchess

A Mom's Guide to the Emerald Coast

Our Tried and True Favorite Dinner Recipes

My Fav Small Businesses for your Christmas Shopping!

Fonte de’ Medici Cooking School in Tuscany