Happy July, Foodies!
We have a FUN newsletter planned for you today! From an EPIC GIVEAWAY, our family’s favorite recipes, a fun recap of our 4th and time with our son and his girlfriend, Amazon Prime Days and National Chocolate Day. So buckle up and let’s jump in!
What I’m Makin’ & Bakin’ | Family Faves
To be honest, I was baking and making several recipes this past week — but never had a minute to sit down and get them on the blog. These are our family favorites, I hope you love them too!
Famous Flank Steak Marinade
Our family’s favorite flank steak recipe, you will love it too. A simple Asian-inspired marinade will have you singing as you grill this easy flank steak.
Shish Kebabs {Beef or Chicken Marinade}
An amazingly simple but delicious marinade for beef, pork or chicken. Skewer it up with your favorite veggies and you've got dinner with these summertime shish kebabs.
Authentic Italian Spaghetti Sauce Recipe (Gluten-Free)
Our secret family recipe passed down from my Italian Grandpa Frank. This easy pasta sauce is thick, rich, zesty and so delicious! It will become your favorite as well! Make a big batch and freeze then use for everything from pasta to dipping sauce or as a pizza sauce.
Copycat Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl Recipe
You can make this copycat Chipotle Chicken recipe at home, this recipe is on repeat in our home! In fact, I double the recipe and freeze one for later.
Real reader reviews
Check out what readers are saying about a few of our recipes, I think you will love them too!
Best Cheesesteak Sandwich Recipe
“I made these tonight for my family of 5. I’ve never made cheesesteaks at home before. They were an absolute HIT! I did make a few adjustments – I sauteed mushrooms and peppers with the onions, which was a great addition. I also toasted the bread with garlic butter. I was a bit worried about the amount of Worcestershire sauce, but once it mixed with the meat, veggies and the juices, it was quite delicious! This will definitely become a regular in our rotation of meals!!” ~ KMazz
Best Peach Cobbler Pound Cake Recipe
An easy show-stopping peach cobbler pound cake recipe. Who doesn’t love peach pound cake? Plus easy adjustments for high altitude, this peach cobbler cake comes together in minutes but looks fancy.
In the here and now | Real-life stories
Thank you to everyone who shared your well wishes and prayers for my husband. He had his 2-week post-op appointment today and traded in his bulky cast for a hinged (removable) brace.!The Doc was amazed at how little pain he was having and how well he was healing!! Praise the Lord!
Last week our oldest came home for the 4th of July and brought his girlfriend along. This was the first time we met her and oh my, she’s as beautiful inside as she is outside. We were smitten right along with our son! You might see her hand in a few pictures in the next few weeks because I joyfully used her as a model in a few of my food photo shots.
They arrived early Friday morning and it was go-go-go, he wanted to show her all things Colorado. They made it out to Red Rocks, did a little shopping at the local mall, we met for dinner at the White Chocolate Grill (one of our family faves).
We made and ate some great food, went to TopGolf.
For the 4th we had our legendary neighborhood celebration. We had the flag raising and National Anthem, fun run, tricycle race, an amazing parade, BBQ (for 1200!!), and as always we finish with the belly flop contest! Enjoy a few pics below.
We ended our time by making this homemade no-churn ice cream and watching Independence Day (a family tradition). We said goodbye on Wednesday morning as they headed back up to college and jobs 🙁
We also spent time clearing out our mudroom in anticipation of our upcoming remodel, which starts this weekend. Does anyone else have way too much junk laying around? It’s embarrassing how much junk you can shove into closets and cupboards!
***EPIC BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY | Set of Caraway Pots & Pans!
Birthday Giveaway
My birthday is tomorrow, but one lucky person gets the gift! I love surprising people with gifts on my birthday, actually I love surprising people with gifts all the time — it’s definitely my love language.
I reached out to Caraway and they have generously offered one lucky winner a beautiful set of these Caraway Pots and Pans (a $545 value)!
Read my honest review of these Caraway Pots and Pans — if you are considering some new nonstick, nontoxic cookware, this post is a must-read!
Caraway Cookware Honest Review
Check out the pros and cons of this beautiful, trending, modern nonstick, and nontoxic cookware.
How to enter the Caraway Pots and Pans Giveaway
To enter, please comment at the end of this post on what you will cook or bake (these go from stovetop to oven!) in these beautiful pans.
The winner will be chosen using a random name picker and notified via email. The giveaway ends at 11:59 pm Tuesday night, July 11, 2023. Giveaway only valid in the US, sorry to all of my friends out of the country.
Today is World Chocolate Day!
Did you know that Chocolate is so popular that there isn’t just a National Chocolate Day, but a WORLD CHOCOLATE DAY? And that just so happens to be today! Browse all of my favorite chocolate posts; happy chocoholics day!
Easy Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe (no eggs)
Five ingredients — that's it, just five simple and basic ingredients to this AMAZING, creamy, no-cook, old-fashioned homemade chocolate ice cream, no eggs! Keep it basic or get creative with your mix-ins, regardless this is an amazing ice cream.
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
A copycat recipe for Nothing Bundt Cakes for moist and amazing Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bundt cake! The best and easiest part, this Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake recipe uses cake mix and pudding! The ideal recipe for Mother's day, baby and bridal showers or just because! Make bundtlets, mini bundts or cupcakes too!
Mini Chocolate French Silk Pies
Smooth as silk, Mini Chocolate French Silk Pies are the bomb! Creamy, decadent chocolate French silk pie filling on a toffee graham cracker crust, with a dollop of vanilla bean whipped cream.
No Bake Chocolate Pie
It’s pie season! I have the easiest, most scrumptious no bake chocolate pie recipe for you with options for personalization. My mouth waters just thinking about the silky smooth texture and rich flavor in this dessert!
Best Mud Pie Recipe (Ice Cream Cake)
Outrageously delicious & easy! Mile High Mud Pie is layers of creamy ice, fudge and whatever you want to put between with a rich oreo cookie crust.
Moose Tracks Ice Cream Recipe {No Churn}
Moose Tracks Ice Cream Recipe is arguably the easiest and most delectable vanilla based ice cream with ribbons of fudge, chocolate, and peanut butter cup studded in an easy no churn ice cream. This has quickly become my family's favorite ice cream.
Easy Chocolate Loaf Cake (Bundt Cake)
I discovered the simplest from-scratch chocolate cake recipe! This mouth-watering, easy chocolate loaf cake is light, almost spongy, not overly sweet, and it could not be easier to make, plus I have provided high altitude baking adjustments!
Chocolate Sauce for Ice Cream | Old Fashioned Hot Fudge Sauce
A sublime, rich, chewy old-fashioned hot fudge sauce. Warmed it melts onto your ice cream, cooling into a thick, chewy fudge.
Copycat Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
This classic Crumbl chocolate chip cookie recipe is a perfect copycat of the real thing. Just as thick, just as big (with option to make smaller) and just as chewy and soft. Packed with milk chocolate chips, this no chill copycat Crumbl cookie recipe will become a family favorite.
Old Fashioned Texas Sheet Cake Recipe
This Texas Sheet Cake Recipe is the best! Baked in a half sheet pan, it feeds a crowd and is perfect for a potluck! A large thin cake, slightly chewy and a little dense with a warm gooey chocolate frosting poured over the warm cake!
Amazon Prime Days | July 11-12
Access the best Prime Day deals when you are an Amazon Prime member, great deals on thousands of products from July 11-12.
Curious about Amazon Prime, click here to check out all of the benefits.
BROWSE MY AMAZON STOREFRONT
Go HERE to find the best deals on Amazon & More for you this week! No gimmicks, I promise.
A few of my favorite deals!
- Shark, voice-activated robot vacuum (50% off!) and this Shark Cordless hand vacuum or go for the iRobot Roomba at 42% off.
- Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer and this Breville Pro Blender/Juicer (50% off!)
- 43″ Omni FireTV for $99.99!
More Sales!
- How about this beautiful white quilt on sale at PB!
- Or these classy, upscale on sale 12 ounce whiskey glasses.
- We love these Turkish towels; lightweight and they dry quickly with great absorption!
- Love this flattering ombre poncho and these reversible tanks (on SALE!) are great for layering, how about these linen stretch full-leg pants these woven mules would go great! Take an additional 40% off!
Weekly Inspiration
I loved this Pooh quote; there is much truth in this simple sentence.
I hope you had a blessed 4th of July celebration; it was a fabulous celebration in our neighborhood for sure!
I pray you are blessed by this beautiful song, “Freedoms Worth the Fight” and this bonus America Medly.
Stay tuned for exciting updates, recipes, and tips in our next Fresh Fridays newsletter. Until then, get out there and tell someone you love them; and give them an extra hug today!
P.S. If you missed last week’s Fresh Fridays, recipes, sales, tips, ideas, and more!
Visit our Updated Amazon Shop
Happy Birthday!! I’m a new reader of this blog, so I would love to try some of your delicious looking recipes in these pots and pans, like the French Onion Chicken Skillet Recipe! Plus our morning eggs and one-dish dinners would be perfect in them.
Welcome, Cyndi!!
I would love this non stick cookware. Would cook so many things! It would do a pork tenderloin that goes from stovetop to oven so well!
Oh my, yes it would.
I would make yummy eggs in them.
They’d slip right out of the pan!
Hubby loves a nice steak, seasoned and seared in butter and oil, finished with a reduction of wine and beef stock, then topped with caramelized onions. That would be extra tasty and fun to cook in Caraway pans! After 45 years of marriage, my cookware could use an upgrade. Happy Birthday, and thanks for this giveaway!!!
Thank you so much, Rhetta!!
Happy Birthday, Kathleen!
Love your blog and look forward to your email every Friday!
I would love pans that go from stove top to oven and would cook a Spanish seafood paella. The perfect one dish meal for summer!
YUM!! And thank you Leigh for your kind words!!
I’m so glad to hear the good news about your husband, and thank you for posting the give-away! When I thought of what I’d make with the Caraway pans, frittatas, caramel, pastry cream, and Cuban black beans came to mind…and that was just for starters!
Yum yum and more yum!! You are welcome to cook in my kitchen anytime!
Happy birthday! What about a chocolate chip skillet cookie? That would be an delicious way to break those in. : )
I couldn’t agree more!
These pans would be great for me to make chicken marsala in.
Yummy!!!
Happy, happy birthday to you Kathleen! Hope someone else is cooking for you today 🙂 Love the canvas bag to hold the lids in the cookware set! I’ve been looking for a great tomato sauce recipe and your Grandpa Frank‘s sounds like a winner. I’d try that in my new cookware first….yummmm!
Thank you, Tracy! And we think it’s a winner for sure!
I would like to cook a chicken and rice dish. Also I would like to try the cheesesteak sandwiches.
Thanks, Martha, that chicken and rice sounds delish!
Happy Birthday!
I would be so excited to be blessed with a new set of Caraway cookware! Anything to make cooking and cleanup easier!
Yes!! And thank you for the birthday wishes!!
I love to cook and do so everyday. I have to make the Italian spaghetti sauce. It sounds a lot like the one I make. I hpoe you have some shrimp recipes as we can get it here.
These pots and pans would make the job perfect.
It sure would, Maureen! I only have one shrimp recipe right, but good to have more !!
I love to cook and do so everyday. I have to make the Italian spaghetti sauce. It sounds a lot like the one I make.
These pots and pans would make the job perfect.
Love that!
If I were to win the Caraway set, I would make a family favorite chicken, broccoli, and sun-dried tomatoes over pasta!
Oh that sounds dreamy!!
Happy birthday Kathleen!
Oh my gosh your blog is going to be addicting! This is Roxy, Ashlyn’s mom. It looks like she had a great time visiting Colorado.
Oh my goodness, Roxy, your daughter is amazing!! Well done mom and dad, we adore her and had so much fun spending time with her! So great to “meet” you, I look forward to meeting your beautiful family someday soon!
Oh my gosh! So many great recipes today, and in every email. But even more today that I must try! If I were to be blessed with this really great set of cookware, I would be beyond excited! My next time hosting friends for game night would find me making all recipes from your page, in your honor. I save every email, and many recipes are pinned to Pinterest. What fun it would be going through them all and searching for ways to use the Caraway Home Cookware. Good luck to all, thanks for the great recipes, and let’s get cooking! ❤️
Thank you so much, Debbie!! What a feast and celebration that would be!
Happy birthday!
Would love to try the Carroway cookware to make my Mom’s chicken casserole.
Enjoy your recipes & items you share in your emails.
Thank you, Sandy!
Happy Birthday to you ! Thank you for the opportunity to win these beautiful set of pans. i would like to try skillet lasagna and finish it out in the oven. YUM!
Thank you Theresa, and that lasagna sounds amazing!!
So many to choose from but I’ve been craving your Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches. So easy and to make and almost one pan! You’ve got the best recipes!
Thank you my friend!!!
Happy Birthday Kathleen! I hope have a wonderful birthday!
The first thing I would make would be breaded chicken breast in gravy. I would brown the hand breaded chicken on top of the stove, then adding my gravy ingredients and putting in the oven to cook the rest of the way and thicken the gravy! Very simple, but soooo good! Enjoy your Birthday!
Oh my, that sounds amazing, Michelle! And thank you for the sweet birthday wishes!
Well, I’m not a fancy cook but I do love your website. I would just like a new set of pots and pans since I’ve been using my mother’s Rena ware since we were married. Been married 53 years and a simple macaroni cheese with salmon is our favorite meal!
Oh thank you Mary, you don’t need to be fancy! And your simple meal, sounds simply amazing!
My husband and I recently retired. We spend our days happily prepping, cooking, eating and cleaning in the kitchen. We’d love a new set of cookware! The spaghetti sauce looks delicious! Can’t wait to try the Cheesesteaks too!
I love it! And hope you try and enjoy both of those favorite recipes!
How exciting! Think I’d cook my way through all your recipes, ha!
Haha! I would love it if you did that!
Thank you for the delicious recipes. Happy Happy Birthday & continued Blessings! If I were to be blessed with winning the pans I would make you spaghetti recipe above alone wing the chocolate cake just to start as ALL of the recipes look amazing. Thank you again.
Thank you so much, Bridgette!
I would love to make my favorite dishes of French Onion Soup and Chicken Piccata in this beautiful cookware!
Drooling!!!!
Hi, If I had the Caraway Cookware, I would make a Sweet Chili StirFry. Thank You for this opportunity. Kim G.
Yum, that sounds delicious, Kim!
Winning these would be amazing. I got my pots and pans in 1973, and they aren’t working too well on my flat top stove. They are Revereware and a bit warped from all of these years cooking!
The first thing I would make in the new pans is your amazing spaghetti sauce with ground beef and onions added to it, and homemade garlic bread, with a nice salad on the side.
We’ll, that just sounds amazing, Debbie!
I would make beef stew.
YUM!
Happy Birthday Kathleen!!!! Recently retired , I’ve enjoyed cooking and baking so much more since then. Trying new recipes and loving every minute of it. I just love trying everything new and revamping old recipes.
Thank you, Sherry! And I love that you are enjoying cooking now more than ever!!
We would cook lots of eggs using the Caraway Cookware!
Perfect for eggs!!
I would make any of my nanas recipes in those pans! Breaded chicken or steak and peas!! Love all your recipes! You remind me of ME!😂♥️
Yum!! Oh and thank you so much, Cathryn!
I would make some chicken pastry and fresh green beans! These pans look so nice! I love that they can go into the oven too!
Me too, Kesha!
Great set of pots and pans.
First thing I would make would be a nice cherry crisp dessert and then possibly some good ole fried chicken. ‘ life is short, gotta have dessert first.’ :}
Thank You for this fantastic birthday giveaway.
Have a wonderful birthday. Remember; the more the candles; the Bigger the wish.
Enjoy your day
Thank you, Colleen!
I really enjoy reading your weekly post, lots of good recipes and information!! As far as entering the cookware contest – baked spaghetti is always a good choice especially when you have grandkids that are picky eaters . .
Oh yes!!
Wow! I am remodeling my kitchen after a pipe burst. What a way to be pushed out of one’s inertia. My nonstick pans need to be replaced. Caraway would be lovely. I just copied a recipe for “charred pineapple”. New pan, new recipe!
Yum!!!
Hi, Well my husband is a country boy, so if we don’t have meat, it’s not considered a meal. I’d use my Caraway Home Cookware to make Sheppards Pie, Beef & Broccoli, Beef Stroganoff, and Chicken Fried cube steaks, he especially loves when I make Beef Roast in a red wine reduction or Hamburgers In Bordelaise Sauce. He also loves when I make breakfast for dinner & I make a mean spinach & swiss cheese omelet with crisp bacon & hash browns on the side. We’ve been married for 27 yrs. now & I got the pots & pans set I’m using now as a wedding gift from my Mom. I guess I’ve been kinda hard on them because they sure could use an upgrade. Thanks so much, Pamela Nance
Now I’m hungry, Pamela!!