A great salad sets the stage for your holiday dinner. You want something simple and festive, compliments the star of your holiday table, and won’t fill everyone up so much they don’t have room for the main course. The Pride of the Crown Salad is the perfect addition to any holiday menu.

Preparing Thanksgiving dinner can be stressful. And though you’re likely not having a crowd, it can still be a challenge. It doesn’t need to be. I’ve created a simple planner that notes everything you should consider so that you enjoy the holiday stress-free.

Looking for a quick appetizer that is guaranteed to be a hit with everyone? Look no further than the Brie & Cranberry Pull-Apart bread. I’ve been making variations of this for years and regardless of where it’s served (Thanksgiving, Christmas, backyard BBQ), everyone loves it. Plus, it’s super easy to make and budget-friendly!

With everyone staying a bit closer to home this year, experts predict that the Butterball Turkey Hotline will be busy this year. If this is your first-holiday attempt at a turkey, I’ve got you covered. My recipe is tried and true and delivers the juiciest, tender turkey. It doesn’t disappoint!

If you’ve been on Instagram lately, you’ve seen the Fab Four Smoothie (#Fab4Smoothie). And for good reason. Developed by Kelly Leveque, this smoothie is the perfect formula to help balance your blood sugar with enough protein, fat, and fiber to keep you full. It also supports your immune system to cleanse regularly, stay regular, avoid blood sugar spikes, and increase insulin sensitivity.

For a number of reasons, I don’t drink caffeine and miss having my cup of coffee as part of my morning ritual. Decaf tea and coffee are ok but I don’t love them so I’ve started drinking warm lemon cayenne water as a replacement. With anti-fungal, immune boosting, and detoxification properties, lemon cayenne water is a powerhouse drink and a great way to start your day.

Chia seed pudding is one of my favorite ways to break my fast so I was excited to see it in the refrigerator section of my local Starbucks pre-SIP. While I normally would take my lunch to work, sometimes in the craziness of getting two teens and myself out the door, I forget. Between meetings, I would run downstairs to Starbucks and quickly grab something to hold me over until dinner. And their pre-made chia seed pudding is perfect. Creamy, lightly sweet, with fresh coconut and strawberries. Yum. So I set out to make it at home.

While some made sourdough and others made banana bread, during our Shelter-In-Place I decided to try my hand at making kombucha. Kombucha is one of my favorite drinks, supports gut health, and if you purchase it at the store, it can be fairly expensive ($5 or more per bottle). So since I had nothing but time, I decided to give it a try. And wow, I am so happy I did.

One of our favorite meals is slow cooker pulled pork sliders. So much so, that we make this at least once every two weeks or so. I’ve also been known to throw this together for large group gatherings, family get-togethers, and anytime I’m on the hook for a main at a potluck. I guarantee you have all of the ingredients in your cupboard and this recipe is absolutely foolproof!

If you’re like everyone I know, you’ve been enjoying a few more cocktails while you’ve been SIP than normal. With that in mind, I thought I’d share some pantry staple cocktails for your weekend (or heck, anytime during the week). My Skinny Spicy Margarita remains a favorite, but here are some others that I will be enjoying this week.

Like the rest of the US, we’re staying put this month and paying attention to the Stay at Home order our county and governor have put in place. I’m not venturing out to the grocery store so meals this week use pantry staples or I substitute ingredients for what I have.

If you’re like me, you aren’t venturing outside often and that includes going to the grocery store. As a result, I am making meals from the ingredients I have in my pantry and/or freezer. That’s why this week’s meal plan focuses on ingredients you most likely already have.

When life gets crazy, I crave comfort food. I want something warm, yummy, and satisfying as if it will bring calm to my day. And this vegetarian chili does the trick. This is a simple recipe that delivers big in the chili category. It has a bold taste and uses ingredients you likely already have in your pantry.

When it’s cold and wet outside, there is nothing better than an amazing bowl of soup to warm your soul. Add in the viruses we can’t seem to get away from (hello flu and COVAD-19), there really isn’t a better time to enjoy a warm bowl of soup than right now. That’s why this week I’ve decided to forgo my weekly “this is what I’ll be eating” and instead I’m sharing different soup recipes for all lifestyles and flavor profiles.

I’ve been spending some time trying to understand how my body reacts to different foods and because my glucose levels have been slightly elevated, I’m trying a healthier carb diet this week to see how my body responds.

My family loves a good pound cake but they are loaded with fat and sugar, so I limit how often I either make or have them in the house. My kids love to have a piece at night or grab one as they are heading out the door in the morning so I’ve been on the hunt for a healthier version. And I’ve found it!

The weather is spring-like here in Northern California so this week I’m focusing on lighter than usual recipes leveraging some great spring flavors. This week you’ll find a little bit of everything, from greek chicken to crispy chipotle tacos and stuffed shells - something for everyone.

If you’ve followed me for long, you know I’m a pescatarian. No meat, limited dairy, and the occasional fish. I tend to eat a lot of fruits and veggies, grains, and nuts. So this week I wanted to share what a week without meat would look like. So here are some of my favorite vegetarian recipes.

Tomorrow both kids start school and life becomes a bit more chaotic while we all settle into our new schedules. With both kids at the same school this year, and my daughter driving, our mornings just got a bit easier. Our afternoons? Not so much. With the start of school comes the start of fall sports and extracurriculars. So from football to soccer to theater and more, we’ll all be working through the new schedule and working out when/how homework gets done and what time we’ll have dinner (we eat dinner as a family every night). So with that in mind, dinner this week is incredibly easy. Nothing fancy. Nothing requiring significant prep, shopping, or new cooking methods. Because when life is busy, the last thing you need is a stressful dinner.

It’s the last week of summer vacation in our house and the kids are already gearing up for another great year. Two-a-day football practices, wrapping up that summer reading, math, and history, and getting those backpacks ready while enjoying time with friends is what this week is all about. Dinners this week are super simple, tried and true, crowd pleasers. So whether, like us, you’re expecting a few extra people for dinner as the kids soak up the final days or it’s a more intimate group, these recipes won’t steer you wrong.