Day Off Banana Pancakes

Banana Pancakes... quintessential to a day off.  And these must be consumed in your pajamas.  They taste better that way.  Monday is our day off, so I finally decided to get this recipe to you.

My husband decided to start making this "pancake making tradition" happen when possible.  He typically lets me do most of the cooking (as I tend to enjoy that sort of thing) but he took it upon himself to find the perfect pancake recipe from scratch.  Of course, I couldn't stay completely out of it.  

After about 10 versions, we are here to share the Ritter's day off pancake recipe!

I personally love the almond milk with the coconut oil in this recipe.  If you don't have banana, they are wonderful without as well.  Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Skins Stuffed with Adobo Chicken, Spinach and White Cheddar

Hi there, crazy mom here!  We have been enjoying summer and enjoying our family!  I've been a bit busy chasing after my running toddler!  He is now saying "trash," puts silverware away in random drawers, enjoys when I set off any alarm in the kitchen, and tries desperately to "help" touching the tongs to every surface he can reach.  I guess this is a good sign that Colton is enjoying the cooking process.  I cannot wait till he can clean too!

We are huge sweet potato fans in my house.  They are ridiculously nutritious, beautiful and SO versatile.  This recipe was adapted from halfbakedharvest.com as I modified the chili in adobo, and bumped up the greens content.  Stuffed skins are a great way to impress with leftovers.  Leftover greens, roasted chicken from last night, that last bit of cheese in the fridge.  The options are endless.

Clean Eating Soup: Chicken, Spinach and Avocado In Spiced Broth

So this little soup happened one spring day.  It was cooler than normal, and I was in the mood to make something fresh and filling.  What came out was this clean soup filled with yummy goodness and it took 15 minutes to make. I KID YOU NOT!

All you do is chop, sauté, infuse broth and pour over spinach and avocado. If you are vegetarian, feel free to use vegetable broth and leave out the chicken.

Turkey Avocado and Parmesan Burgers

It's another Turkey Burger recipe just in time for grilling season!

Whenever I ask my husband for inspiration "hon, what do you want for dinner?" 95% of the time the answer is the same.  "How about burgers?"  He says it so excitedly as if he didn't suggest it just a few days prior.  Now, I'm no burger hater, you should know that by now.  But I try to keep things creative and on the healthier side, so most of the time I roll my eyes and tell him thanks for the help and resort to my main dish boards on Pinterest, promising him that we will eventually have burgers, just not every other night.  Such a meat man.  We balance each other out.  

Cappuccino Brownies

Once upon a time, a father goes to a work party.  He has THESE brownies.  He then begs his partner's wife to send his blogging daughter the recipe.  She gets it.  She makes them.  They are so good, she decides not to share them, but freezes them instead to enjoy by herself one by one.  The end.

Okay, okay... I did share them with my husband, and with friends.  But really guys- these are quite yummy.  AND they are mom friendly!  You can make them in three stages, chilling each stage as you go.

Thomas Keller Whole Roasted Chicken

Anytime a recipe says Thomas Keller, you can go ahead and assume PERFECTION.  I won't go on and on, because I don't think he would go on and on- not his style from what I have seen.  His cooking is simple, precise, and if you follow exactly what he says, you too can achieve it.

Poultry, thermometers, weight... it all freaks me out.  I'm so tired of stressing over THE BIRD.

Tuscan Ragu (a crock pot sauce at it's finest)

I've made this pasta probably 15 times since discovering it a few years ago.  It's so tasty, easy to assemble, great for company and the leftovers are divine.  Have I sold you yet?

Quick personal note: how has so much time gone by since my last post?  Well, my son is getting quicker on his feet, so I guess I am busier than I was in January!  So... less pictures, but still tried and true recipes- cause you know the cooking hasn't stopped over here.

Special thanks to A Spoonful of Thyme for this recipe.  I hardly change the recipe, outside of the canned tomatoes- I prefer petite dice.  I also use about half the cream.  Really, it's one of my family favorites when we want to indulge.

"BLT Plus Some" Salad

Let's just start this post by admitting that I've been keeping this recipe from you for some time now.  I've been making it over and over, perfecting it each time.  It's really quite simple, but questions like "red onion or scallions?" "add bell pepper or no?" "what kind of acid to brighten it?" needed to be answered. 

You'll be happy to hear that we have finally arrived at what I believe to be one of the yummiest chicken salads out there.  Outside of outrageously good bacon and a little bit of mayo, it's a super healthy salad!

Embarrassingly Simple: Crock Pot Shredded Steak Tacos

When I saw the words "crock pot" and "tacos" in a post from one of my favorite bloggers, I knew this was gonna be a must try.  And guys, really... it's not just a must try, it's a must try and make once a week!  This meal is going to become an EASY go-to for the Ritter fam.  Plus the leftovers for lunch... wow.

It is so simple.  You are not going to believe the time you find yourself with during the day.  I actually got out my wedding album scrap book and flipped through it... ya, that kind of time!  Alright alright, my kid was having a banner day, but nonetheless, SUPER easy and RIDICULOUSLY yummy.

Happy Husband Cookies: Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip

Simple post today.

I've found and tweaked a cookie recipe and it's worth sharing.  Actually it's worth shouting about!

My camera was in a drawer full of receipts, legos and old pens, so I decided that I would post the recipe with a final shot and call it a day.  Let's be honest, you just want the straight facts, no fluff.

These may be the best over-all cookies I've ever made.  My husband went crazy for them and he's a cookie connoisseur.  Let's review the facts:

-They have chocolate chips in them.  Obvious necessity.

-They have peanut butter chips in them.  This was a genius move if I don't say so myself.

-They have oatmeal in them.  BLENDED oatmeal.  This makes their fabulous texture.