recipes I tried (and loved)...

Can I get a slow clap for the prettiness of the above loaf of banana bread? (I also love that my oldest daughter is going to help me style photos for blog posts. When I was setting this one up, she eagerly jumped in with, "Mom, I know! Why don't you cut a couple slices and take a photo of my hand reaching for one?" A food blog may or may not be in her future.) 

In any case, today I'm here to share some recipes I've tried recently and absolutely loved. I try to make at least one new recipe every week, whether it is something slightly ambitious (an entire meal centered around my Instant Pot), or relatively simple (a new chocolate chip cookie). Although I do get plenty of inspiration from magazines or cookbooks, I must admit that most recipes I find are from my beloved Pinterest.

Although I'm saying goodbye to social media for the year ahead, I don't consider Pinterest to be in the same category as Instagram—mostly because I don't interact with anyone on Pinterest, and I use it almost exclusively to find new recipes, craft ideas, or learning resources for the girls. (Granted, there are random days I'm feeling breezy and pin designs for tattoos I'll never get or bathroom remodeling inspiration that will lead to exactly zero remodeling, but that is neither here nor there.)

Here are links to some recipes that I've made in the last few months that I consider to be worth sharing (and worth making again and again):

Banana Bread from Two Peas & Their Pod — I'm new to the banana bread scene (I assume there is a scene?) but this seems like a rather foolproof recipe, and it turned out exactly the way I'd hoped. Of course, I added chocolate chips, which is a necessity.

Frittata Egg Muffins from RecipeTin Eats — I've made these twice in the last couple months, and they're a perfect breakfast to prep beforehand. I'm not someone who needs a huge meal at the beginning of the day, and I've found myself to be absolutely satisfied with one of these paired with my cup of morning coffee, and I love that it's easy to adjust this recipe to use whatever veggies you happen to have on hand.

Roasted Garlic White Chicken Lasagna Soup from Little Spice Jar — I'll count this recipe as an ambitious one, because it had me roasting my own garlic. (Have you ever done such a thing? It makes your home smell like an Italian restaurant, which I am not at all opposed to.) It was worth all the extra work, because the flavor of this soup was unreal. It took longer to put together than I thought it would (mostly due to the garlic-roasting) but I am eager to make it again! Everyone loved it, even the girls. Oh, and I used whatever pasta I had in the pantry instead of the lasagna noodles, which I think I'd do next time, as well.

Pesto Shrimp Mushroom Pasta from Julia's Album — I love finding a new pasta recipe that will absolutely go into the regular rotation. This is a very simple recipe, and I ended up using leftover pesto I'd made last year and frozen in an ice cube tray (life hack!) for easy storage. This is a meal that works well even if you have kids who don't love shrimp or mushrooms, because you can just make a little extra pasta to add to the sauce and pick around the things they don't want to eat. For the record, my children are all generally awesome eaters, so I don't make a huge deal over their preferences at dinner—within reason, of course. Making an entirely different meal from what I was planning on making? That's a no. Picking around shrimp and mushrooms to avoid dramatic emotions? That I can handle.

Easy Irish Soda Bread Muffins from 4 Sons 'R' Us — This is another very simple recipe (one that is fun for kids to help with, too!) and I've made these muffins twice in the last month or so. I would probably double the recipe and freeze half the next time around. They are so fluffy and soft and delicious! Perfect muffins to go with chili or soup.

Easy Homemade Mocha from Baking Mischief — I discovered this magical recipe when I was searching for a homemade coffee drink that didn't include instant coffee or espresso or anything else I'd have to run out and buy. The base of this recipe is regular ol' coffee, but after adding the other ingredients (all of which I had in my kitchen already) it tastes like a legitimate mocha. When I feel like putting in some extra effort and consuming extra sugar, this is my new favorite caffeinated beverage!

Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken from Family Fresh Meals — This is my current favorite, favorite Instant Pot meal. I get weirdly excited to make it, every single time. Incredibly simple ingredients, quick to prep, short cook-time in the Instant Pot. The sauce is incredible! I'm almost always able to get some sort of organic chicken at Aldi for a decent price, so I typically use organic chicken tenders or breast fillets (depending on what is on sale). 

That's all for now! Hopefully some of these end up being hits in your kitchen, as well.