Happy New Year ya’ll – it is 2025! That time of year when people are looking to set goals, resolutions, etc. I typically connect with a word or phrase for the year…I’m still settling in on the perfect word for me. I created a board with some things I’d like to accomplish and a slew of quotes that spoke to me. This one really stood out…

Now read it one more time (especially if you just skimmed through it – ya, I know how we all can be) – READ IT! What resonates with you? For me, nothing changes if nothing changes. And I love the last line ‘…leveling up something you do every single day’. I pinned this to a board in my room for a reason. I WANT to eat healthier and exercise regularly…I just need reminders to do so. I need to remind myself that I FEEL better after a walk or a workout and I FEEL better if I eat better (fuel my body properly).

I am choosing to eat more whole foods and less processed. I heard about the health benefits of adding kiwi and pomegranate seeds to my diet, those were an easy add. Let’s be honest, I will never 100% cut Reese’s Peanut Butter cups out of my life, but I just won’t have them as often. They are clearly not going anywhere. I’ve been roasting vegetables and I also made my own Elderberry syrup. I won’t post the recipe I used, as I wasn’t a huge fan, but you can google recipes and find one that you like. The process of squishing the berries is a bit tedious, but the health benefits are GREAT! It’s worth it – YOU ARE WORTH IT!

I got a bread maker for Christmas and finally made my first loaf. Ummm…where has this been all my life. I’ve only made two loaves of the basic French bread, and it is delicious. 4 ingredients, smells amazing and tastes so fresh and yummy! I’m a fan and so are the kids! I made some ‘bussin’ (as my daughter would say – that means really good, by the way) avocado toast with this fresh bread. My secret is a little balsamic glaze on the top – trust me!

So here we are with a whole new year. Are you ready to start planning your meals yet? I just posted my latest menu and I’m ready to commit to sticking to my plan. I’m also adopting more of a mindset of cooking what I have, instead of running to the store all the time (which I definitely have a tenancy to do – I’m weird, I like the grocery store). I’m going to cook with ingredients I have on hand. It’s a bit of a challenge but…Challenge Accepted!

I almost forgot, I made these amazing Crispy Bang Bang Salmon Bowls. These are a MUST make, all the way down to the cucumber salad. Please put this on your menu this week. Click HERE for the recipe. Let me know what you think, I promise you won’t be disappointed. I already want to make it again!

You can now purchase my meal planning pads right HERE – I’m so excited to share these with you! Set yourself a mantra for the week and plan out your meals. This will save you time and the headache of others in your house asking ‘What’s for Dinner’.

Lastly, I am no longer selling Tastefully Simple and/or Beachbody (Bodi) products. It’s not an interesting story, so I will leave it at that. I still use and love both products, but I’m choosing to focus my efforts in other area – this blog being one of them. I want to be a positive influence in your life and shed light on some tough topics…and I want to keep writing and creating in the kitchen.

Remember…2025 won’t be much different unless we are much different. I love this reminder! Let’s work together to be the best versions of ourselves and let’s put good and nutritious fuel in our bodies. Don’t forget to buy yourself flowers – you deserve to look at beautiful flowers when you wake up in the morning. Cheers to a magical start to the year.

As I’ve said previously, I’d like to think that I’m a pretty good cook…but baking is another story. So, if you are like me, you are in luck. My holiday baking doesn’t get much easier AND everyone loves these tasty treats. I also may need to re-type my recipes one day. They sure have plenty of butter, oil and who knows what else spilled all over them. I guess that gives them character…they are tried and true!

I switch up my rice crispy treats from time to time. The salted caramel are ridiculous, but the log is amazing too. The Scooby Snacks, some people refer to as haystacks…not us, they will always be Scooby Snacks to us. I’ve had various neighbors with nut allergies, so I typically make a batch of rocky road without nuts and multiple other batches with nuts. It’s ridiculous how easy these are (thank you Betty Crocker). The lemon cookies should be called cloud cookies. They are light and delicious. You can use any variation of cake mix to change up the flavor. These are great to add with the nut free Rocky Road for those with nut allergies!

I know not everyone loves time in the kitchen as much as I do. I am SO looking forward to my daughter coming home. She is officially a college graduate and I couldn’t be more proud…I’m sure I will say this multiple times leading up to her walking in May. What an accomplishment! We will touch a little deeper on that later, but for now…Baking! I’m waiting for her arrival to do our Christmas baking together. My baking has changed through the years, but I’ve made Scooby Snacks with my kids in the kitchen since they were tiny. I wanted things they could help with and I don’t think I will ever re-write that recipe…I mean, look at…it LOOKS 20 years old!

I couldn’t resist and my apologies to my kids…but THIS is how long they have been in the kitchen with me. Clearly my son loved his powdered sugar…although I think Scooby Snacks will forever be his favorite. If you look in the deep dark depths of the frig during Christmas, I’m sure you will find some hidden just for him. This sweet picture of my girl is at one of her Grandma’s. At that age, you could always find her in a princess nightgown and princess heels…and always a contagious smile on her face willing to help in the kitchen. I love these memories!

Happy holiday season to you and your family and Happy Baking! Should you have a recipe that is a favorite of yours, please send it to me, as I LOVE new recipes. Is there a story behind it…even better! Share in the comments or shoot me a message. Don’t forget to buy yourself some flowers – you deserve it!

My Aunt started a tradition years ago to have a crab feast the night before Thanksgiving…because why not stuff ourselves multiple days in a row? I’ve carried that tradition on, even when we couldn’t all be together. This year was extra special, as my daughter was home from school and my boyfriend was able to join us too. Over the years, I’ve grabbed whatever I can get my hands on at Costco, for the seafood. The lobster is always delicious and I typically love the King crab legs, but they just had clusters this year. I’m not complaining, they were just a little more work, although the flavor still very good. This was our pre-Thanksgiving seafood feast…

For Thanksgiving, my responsibility was to bring the Mississippi Mud. This is always a crowd pleaser!

Thanksgiving is over and now it’s time to prepare for the holidays. I wanted to take this time to officially introduce you to Tastefully Simple. As you come into the holiday season, Tastefully Simple is not only great for you to use on a daily basis to save you time with delicious quality meals, but we also have great gifts. From homemade gifts (give the gift of baked beer bread) to kits or seasonings. Tastefully Simple is a great solution.

Our meal kits (pictured above) take the guess work out of meal planning. These come with recipes to make the meals, seasonings and sauces…and plenty left over for other meals. Below are some of my top picks, our Dips to Dinner is one of my favorite gifts to give. You get 10 seasoning samplers to either make a dip or a flavorful dinner. Our One Pan and One Pot kits are perfect to have on hand when you just don’t know what to make for dinner.

Who doesn’t love to have some bread or a little something sweet? We have plenty of variety. If you haven’t tried our beer bread, you are missing out. If you have been the lucky recipient of my beer bread, my secret is out. Just add your favorite beer and butter…sometimes I add some of our bacon bacon seasoning and cheddar cheese to kick it up a notch. You can’t go wrong with any of our breads, cakes or cookie mixes!

Lastly, here are some of our essential seasonings. The days of having jars of marinara sauce and taco seasoning packets are over. I always have our seasonings on hand, as they pack a punch with flavor. All of our products are so versatile, you can go to my website and type in a product and click on recipe and you have a slew of different ways to use our products (check out different ways to use our pumpkin spice cheese ball mix below). It’s tough for me to pick a favorite seasoning…I’d say my top 3 are onion onion, garlic garlic and bacon bacon. Our products are exactly that – full of flavor and very simple!

So very thankful for your support in this little journey of mine. I’m thankful for my wild roller coaster of a life, as it has made me the strong woman I am today. I’m thankful for my family and friends for being who they are. Should you feel compelled to support my small business, check out my Tastefully Simple site. I also have some great Heal Cook Love merchandise that I cannot wait to share with you VERY soon – stay tuned and subscribe to my blog so you can be in the know.

As I was typing this blog, my boyfriend and I decided to take a quick post-Thanksgiving trip to visit his family. We did a 48-hour trip to Oregon and it was amazing. Sunsets are just so stunning, as no two are the same. I took this photo from the car. I am just so thankful for this crazy beautiful life I’m blessed to live…and where ever you are in your life, even if you have to dig a little deeper, please count your blessings. You are on this earth for a reason and I’m happy you are here! Enjoy this time of year, go easy on yourself and simplify things a bit. Don’t forget to buy yourself flowers!

Just the words ‘Meal Planning’, ‘Meal Prep’ or the big doozy ‘What’s for Dinner’ can send you into a tailspin. Even though I love to cook and plan my meals, there are still nights where I don’t want to cook. Listen, we aren’t going for perfection here and 3 course meals every night. The overall goal is to eat healthier (drastically reduce eating out), save money and gather for a meal (at least a few nights a week).

I have officially been a Mom Chef in all stages of life, so I get it! It is a super stressful topic. I started cooking when I lived with two guys when I attempted college. I had my ‘go to’ meals. Taco salad – you know, the old school one with French dressing (I need to find this recipe – Mom??). I made Chinese chicken salad – another classic recipe from my Mom. I worked in an insurance office and this girl I worked with would give me recipes, as well. I still make her meatloaf to this day, it really is delicious. I make my own little alterations now…so easy and so good! Don’t mind the food spilled on my old recipe cards. Geez, I took credit for my Mom’s Japanese Salad back in 1995, I see.

Then I got married and cooked for the two of us. I learned the hard way the difference between a bulb and a clove of garlic. Let’s just say we had garlic coming out of our pores for a few days – true story. Then came baby number one, which was a juggle working full time, as well. I cooked, but it was an adjustment for sure. We definitely ate out more than we should have. Flash forward to baby number 2 and I became a stay at home Mom for a few years. I cooked most nights, while trying to heed to picky kids. I was the Mom making multiple meals (I do not recommend this).

I went back to the career world when my son (second born) was 4. This is when meals got very interesting…this was the birth of meal planning for me. There was no other way. Two kids in school, multiple sports and working full time. Mealtime was a struggle. I involved my kids in the kitchen from an early age. This requires a little patience, but please remind yourself that you don’t get those years back. Make the kitchen fun for them. Take deep breathes and just know things will get a little extra messy…but it is so worth it!

For those of you with multiple kids that are active (even one is difficult), meal planning is a must. To have quick and healthy snacks for your kids to grab before practice so their body is fueled and hydrated is part of the gig…although I recognize the struggle. I’m not here to shame ANYONE that stops at fast food here and there, I just want to offer you options. Meal planning and prepping doesn’t have to be fancy OR expensive (in fact, it can save you money) – you can make it what you want it to be. For instance, we often do breakfast for dinner. If you have a waffle maker, you can make a double batch and freeze the rest. Voila, you are more prepared for another meal. Throw some chicken breasts in a crockpot with a packet of taco seasoning and broth/water and you have shredded chicken for tacos, burritos, sandwiches or salads.

I’m in a new phase of adult children in and out and cooking for 1-5 mouths…and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I have more time to explore more recipes and boy is my son spoiled. He’s the lucky recipient of most of my cooking these days. Even in this phase, meal planning is a must for me. I don’t like to have to guess what I’m making for dinner every night.

Please don’t tell me you don’t have time. I can remember bringing out my pad of paper and a few cookbooks to soccer tournaments and ordering my groceries for pick-up. Shop the grocery store ads and stick to a budget, I promise you will save money and even feel better for eating home-cooked meals. I challenge you to give it a shot. Most important, be proud of yourself for your creations…even when you make enchiladas with 2-3 BULBS of garlic! Do you want more meal prep or recipe ideas – shoot me a message. I’m happy to help.

Did you get yourself flowers yet? Go get those flowers and keep feeding them fresh water and trim the ends to make them last. Happy meal planning!

Happy Saturday…although by the time I publish this it might be Sunday! First of all, can we please talk about this gorgeous thrown together salad I made for lunch today? Mixed greens, left over BBQ chicken, cucumber, tomato, green onion, goat cheese, beets and pistachios, topped with lemon olive oil and fig balsamic. TO DIE FOR!

I had an awesome day. The ironic part is that I had SO many things to cross off my list today and things didn’t quite go that way. I started my morning with my first private Pilates session with my niece. Uhhhh, I bow to those of you that do Pilates on a regular basis. Wowzer – What a great workout. I will keep all you local folks posted when my niece will start conducting private sessions (nudge nudge), she was awesome!

I hit Trader Joe’s on my way home and picked up a few things…

TJ’s Orange Chicken is always in my freezer. We love this stuff. Funny that my son eats it without the sauce, so I serve the sauce separately. This makes for such an easy weeknight dinner. THEN, I grabbed a bag of these Wicked Good Chocolate bars for my candy dish to try something new. Go ahead and grab yourself a few bags of these, I promise you won’t be disappointed. I love strolling around Trader Joe’s – SO much great stuff!

When I got home, I made that amazing salad and turned on the TV. There was a show that popped up called ‘Lonely Planet’. I always get sucked right into Rom Com’s. Ironically, the main character, Laura Dern, is a writer and is writing a book. I will leave out my thoughts on the movie, in case you want to watch. For me, yet another sign to keep writing my book. I ended up taking a nice Saturday afternoon nap. I’m not a napper, but after the crazy week I had, it was lovely. I highly suggest a weekend nap from time to time – recharge yourself!

I’m fully aware that not everyone get’s super excited when it comes to cooking and meal planning. I love a good chilly weekend morning, curled up on the couch with a hot cup of tea, surrounded by cookbooks and Food Network (yes, complete nerd status). One of my all time favs on Food Network is Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman. My Mother gave me an amazing 50th birthday gift this year and took me to where Ree Drummond makes all of her magic happen in Oklahoma (I will elaborate in another post). This trip helped with my inspiration for this blog too…just another sign.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend. I will update last week’s meal plan under the ‘Cook’ tab (once I make my Sunday dinner). My meal plan got a little off track this week, but the food was awesome. We tried the Pumpkin Overnight Oats this morning and I will absolutely put that into rotation. I also bought myself some flowers today – I think these bouquets are $4 at TJ’s. Don’t just throw them in a vase either, take a few minutes to cut the stems and arrange them…I promise it will make you smile! Permission to buy yourself flowers.