Spring is here and I am enjoying every second! Everything is so fresh and crisp it’s perfection. I have created the perfect meal for any evening out on the patio.These two creations are not complete with out Five Cheese and Riserva Marinara sauce from Bertolli it adds the extra flavor that so many recipes lack.

Lasagna Stuffed Zucchini Boats:

What You  Need:

• 4 medium zucchini (2 1/2 lbs), sliced into halves through the length*
• 1 cup (8.6 oz) part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
• 1 1/4 cups (5 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup (2 oz) finely shredded parmesan cheese
• 8 oz 93% lean ground beef or lean ground turkey
• 4 tsp olive oil, divided
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 3/4 cup Bertolli five cheese sauce
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

How To Create:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a spoon, scoop centers from zucchini while leaving a 1/4-inch rim to create boats. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl stir together ricotta cheese, egg and 1 1/2 Tbsp of the parsley. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir in 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese and the parmesan cheese. Set aside.
• Heat 2 tsp of the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble beef into pan, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up beef when stirring, until browned (there shouldn’t be any excess fat but if you happened to use a fattier beef then just drain excess rendered fat). Stir in marinara sauce and 1 Tbsp of the basil, remove from heat.
• To assemble boats, brush both sides of of zucchini lightly with remaining 2 tsp olive oil and place in two baking pans (I used a 13 by 9 and a 9 by 9). Add meat mixture. Divide cheese mixture among zucchini spooning about 2 1/2 Tbsp into each, then spread cheese mixture into and even layer. Divide sauce among zucchini adding a few heaping spoonfuls to each. Cover baking dishes with foil and place in oven side by side and bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle tops with remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella, return to oven and bake until cheese has melted and zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle tops with with fresh basil and parsley and serve warm.

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Roasted Cauliflower

What You Need:

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup grated Parmesan

How To Create:

Preheat oven to 425°. Toss cauliflower florets on a large rimmed baking sheet with onion, thyme, garlic, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until almost tender, 35-40 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan, toss to combine, and roast until cauliflower is tender, 10–12 minutes longer. Serve Bertolli Riserva for dipping it completes it perfectly !

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I used these Bertolli sauces they were a perfect fit !

Bertolli sauce can gives my creations a authentic well-rounded Tuscan taste without a sacrificing your resources time and tons of money.

Long live delicious Tuscan taste.

Love these creations? If so visit the Bertolli Facbook page and be inspired !!

Thanks so much for coming by I hope you enjoy this was the best creation I have made in a while and it went so well together !!

It’s still cold in GA !!! and on the weekends I try to make something a little more special for the kids… They sleep a little later which allows me the time and peace in the kitchen.

These are so good and actually really easy I love to make new things and cook but I also like for it to be easy !

My 6 year old loved the little cakes she was amazed she got her own it was a fun morning and perfect treat for a cool morning !

What You Need:

2 Sticks of butter

1 cup of sugar

2 or 3 eggs

1 teaspoon of baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla or rum

1 cup sour cream

2 cups of flour

How To Create:

Filling:

¼ cup white sugar

1 cup of nuts *optional*

¼ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Icing Glaze:

Combine 1 cup of powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of milk. Add more milk until desired consistency is reached.

Directions:

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Cream butter, add sugar in and mix until fluffy. Beat in eggs. Add flour,

salt and baking soda. Add in sour cream and vanilla, beat for 2 minutes. Pour ½ the batter into pan.

Sprinkle ½ of the filling over batter. Pour in remainder of batter. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until

done. Drizzle glaze on top and sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture.

I poured up the milk in those glass milk jars I got @ TjMaxx a few weeks ago my son spilled it of course but hey that’s okay that’s what our weekends are for.

I try to make all my directions super easy but please ask if you have any questions.

Thanks so much for coming by my blog it means so much !!!

Who said Valentine’s Day is only for LOVERS ? Not this year check out this very Valentine festive drink for the adults. If your kids feel left out you can always just leave out the alcohol and have a matching drink that’s what I do for my daughter. It’s lots of fun and something special for you and them !

Ya’ll know by now I love easy and pretty treats this is defiantly one of those !!

Serve with a bowl of cherries on the side. When I make this for company and not just me I always serve it on a  white tray and it looks amazing ! So simple but looks so classy and makes people think you went above and beyond.

What You Need:

Ingredients:

• 4 De-Stemmed Cherries
• 1 tbsp. Cherry Juice (from canned cherries)
• 1 tsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
• ½ cup Grenadine
• 2 oz. Whiskey
• 1 cup Sparkling Water
• Stemmed Cherries (garnish)

HOW TO:

Instructions:

1. In a shaker, mash de-stemmed cherries with muddler.
2. Add cherry juice, freshly squeezed lemon juice, grenadine, whiskey, and sparkling water to shaker. Add ice cubes. Shake.
3. Pour into glass through strainer. Garnish with stemmed cherries.

Yes That CUTE & That EASY !!! ENJOY…

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Every month you get 3 recipes and all the syrups, mixers, and garnishes you need to make amazing cocktails. The alcohol isn’t included which is actually a good thing since you don’t have to be home to sign for the package when it arrives.

Please let me know if you ever have any questions for me. I will always answer them quickly. Thanks so much for coming by my blog it’s my creative space that keeps me going !