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Baked Spaghetti

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This easy recipe for a quick baked spaghetti is perfect for a family meal at home, or better yet, bringing a meal to someone who needs one!

This easy recipe for a quick baked spaghetti is perfect for a family meal at home, or better yet, bringing a meal to someone who needs one!I love dinnertime. You might say that it is my favorite meal of the day. It's not necessarily because of what has been made, although that certainly makes it even better, but I love dinnertime because it is the one meal out of the three main meals where everyone is (usually) gathered together. Spouses come home from work, kids come home from school, in some cases grown children invite over their parents for a family dinner, or perhaps in a church setting small groups come together to study the Word and "break bread" together. 

When you think about it, it's a beautiful event that can happen daily. It just invites closeness with people you love to be around and opens up so many discussions with those people. I firmly believe that dinnertime is the one meal where no one should eat alone (when it can be avoided!).

This easy recipe for a quick baked spaghetti is perfect for a family meal at home, or better yet, bringing a meal to someone who needs one! [Read more...]

Weekly Menu for the Week of Sep 30

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Weekly Menu Sep 30Okay, here we are. The first week of October! I hope your September weather was beautiful, warm, and perfect. I've got to say...our typical Oregon fall weather came in a big ol' hurry with rain and cold temps. I'm talking "we had to turn the fireplace on" cold. I'm feeling pretty confident that we're going to have a very wet and cold fall and winter. 

We just got back from our annual fall vacation. Every fall we go to Sunriver to relax as a family. We don't make plans other than riding bikes, reading books, and taking it easy. Which is exactly what we did and we had such a nice time. It is always hard to leave that place, but leaving it makes it sweet for when we're able to make it back over there. 

Of course, coming home from vacation is always interesting. Usually I clean my house before we go on a trip, but that didn't happen this time because my dad and step mom had been in town. I was doing good to get all of that laundry done, so I'm currently in the process of working on the grocery list, laundry, and a house to clean. Which is okay. I may be the minority here, but I do like to chip away at those things. I always feel so accomplished while I'm working and I love our home, so I enjoy taking care of it. [Read more...]

Homemade Spanish Rice

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This homemade Spanish rice is as easy as the boxed rice you buy at the store, more flavorful, and healthier. This is the perfect side to your taco nights.
This homemade Spanish rice is as easy as the boxed rice you buy at the store, more flavorful, and healthier. This is the perfect side to your taco nights.

This post originally appeared on Catz in July of 2014. It's been remade and rephotographed, and after five years, it seems like a good time to share it with you again! We continue to make it regularly, and the recipe continues to be a perfect side to many a Mexican-style dish!

I think I'm like a lot of people. I love the idea of eating healthy and cutting prepackaged foods out of my family's diet. With some foods the transition is easy. With other foods, it's not so easy. I'm happy to say that we've been successful for the most part. Frozen pizza is a real rarity around our house, now that we make our own pizza (okay, and, yes, we love Papa Murphy's, but that's basically freshly made, right...?), and I don't buy those frozen dinners you throw into a skillet and serve (exceptions carved out here for Trader Joe's!). Around these parts, I pretty much make everything myself. Sure, I'll take some help from the store with some bagged salad kits, cake mixes, frozen french fries (for those days when I just don't have time to make my own fries!), and once a week I allow my kids that blue box of macaroni and cheese... #nojudging 

This homemade Spanish rice is as easy as the boxed rice you buy at the store, more flavorful, and healthier. This is the perfect side to your taco nights.

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Weekly Menu for the Week of Sep 23

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Weekly Menu | Catz in the Kitchen | catzinthekitchen.com | #mealplanI hope you all had a great week! Ours was pretty busy - busier than it has been in awhile. My dad and stepmom came to town on Thursday and left on Sunday. It was a really good visit - for those of you who don't know, my stepmom moved here from China and is basically amazing! I won the stepmom lottery with her. She is so good with the kids, loves on them like they were her own, and is the most amazing cook. Jin is one of those people who doesn't measure anything. She knows flavors, textures, and seriously makes the best Chinese food - my kids adore her!

After they left, I caught up on laundry and let me just tell you there is a lot. It's 10:42 on Sunday night and I've got one load in the dryer and one waiting to go in next. But I've got six loads of laundry folded on my bed and while I love laundry (it's my favorite chore - I know, I obviously have a problem), I feel like it's never going to end at this point. 

***Took an hour or so break and folded laundry and it's finally done and put away*** Hallelujah!

Currently, Monday morning 12:18 and still writing this post - some days the struggle is so real, lol! Ya hear me?

So for the first night my dad and Jin came and stayed with us, I made a paleo carnitas recipe in the crockpot. This is a recipe that was made at the Club31Women Writer's Retreat one day for lunch. I tried it for dinner and it is amazing! I kid you not, the house smells SO GOOD while it cooks up and it was such a hit with the family. I already shared with you the Summer Squash Caprese Salad from the retreat which is also fantastic if you haven't made it yet. 

Comment below if you guys would be interested in the carnitas recipe because it is so easy, I could make it again and I don't think I would get any complaints from the family. 

Here's this week's recipes!

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling fall recipes and I feel awful because I haven't even begun to cook with pumpkin yet. I'm way behind on my recipe testing schedule, so I need to get busy. Any fall recipes you are looking for from me? In the meantime, here is my #pumpkinflavoredeverything Pinterest board to get you started. 

I hope you all have a fabulous week and happy cooking!

Sweet Corn & Thyme Cornbread Cake

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This recipe for sweet corn & thyme cornbread cake is simple, perfect for fall, & rather unexpected...because it's a dessert, topped with lemon curd & honey!

This recipe for sweet corn & thyme cornbread cake is simple, perfect for fall, & rather unexpected...because it's a dessert, topped with lemon curd & honey! Fall is basically here (a little early) in the Pacific Northwest and I'm trying really hard to get in the autumn spirit. Generally this is not a hard thing for me to do because I am all about #pumpkinflavoredeverything, fall clothes, the chill in the air, the colors, the "fall" decor (not to be confused with halloween decorations), and the food. I'm all about that comfort food!

The last two years, I'll admit, I've just really struggled with getting excited about the changing of the seasons. I wonder if it's because the weather in Oregon, after summers that are spectacularly beautiful, gets so cloudy, grey, and wet. It gets dark and the days get short, and with four kids in the house, shuffling them here and there in and out of the rain, it just begins to feel oppressive. However...I have gotten a few "fallish" things for the front porch, like a new wreath, some pillows, and a rug for under our welcome mat - and this all has helped me brighten things up and get a bit more excited for fall.This recipe for sweet corn & thyme cornbread cake is simple, perfect for fall, & rather unexpected...because it's a dessert, topped with lemon curd & honey! [Read more...]

Weekly Menu for the Week of Sep 16

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Weekly Menu | Catz in the Kitchen | catzinthekitchen.com | #mealplanHello from rainy Molalla, Oregon! As I type this, I'm curled up with a blanket around me, my slippers on (with socks), and I'm wearing my favorite sweatpants and cozy sweatshirt. Brr...I'm cold!

I hope you all had a really wonderful weekend! Did you do anything fun? We drove down to Central Oregon to surprise a friend for her birthday - one of Matt and Lisa Jacobson's daughters (of FaithfulMan.com and Club31Women.com) - we had so much fun, all dressed up, eating the most delicious food. Lisa made this scrumptious Autumn Roasted Vegetables dish and Matt barbecued the most succulent lamb roast, while I brought an autumn chopped salad and Texas Sheet Cake for dessert. 

We attended the Jacobson's home church fellowship on Sunday before heading home - a beautiful time with a wonderful group of families worshipping the Lord and spending time getting to know everyone more. But then we headed home and that meant heading into rain and clouds! But it always feels good to be home after being away. I have to say, even when we were coming home from Maui, it still felt good to walk back through our door and be home. Always a good feeling, I think. [Read more...]

Grilled Shrimp Scampi

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This recipe for grilled shrimp scampi couldn't be easier. A few ingredients for a quick marinade, followed by about five minutes on the grill - delish!

This recipe for grilled shrimp scampi couldn't be easier. A few ingredients for a quick marinade, followed by about five minutes on the grill - delish!

Okay, first of all, let's just be clear about something. I am aware that the crostini is burnt. I really tried not to burn it, and in my defense, some of it was actually quite edible. Some of it. You might even say most...no, not most. Just some. I've just been training myself to cook on lump charcoal, and suffice to say when it gets hot, it gets hot. I'll work on it. 

This recipe for grilled shrimp scampi couldn't be easier. A few ingredients for a quick marinade, followed by about five minutes on the grill - delish!

Grace and Christian were so innocently rubbing the unburnt crostini with cut garlic cloves, snacking on the occasional piece, trying to stop Ruby from stealing too many...next time, I think I'll do one of two things. One, I may move all of the charcoal to one side, and grill the crostini over indirect heat. Two, I may just toast them in the oven. We'll see how it goes. [Read more...]

Weekly Menu for the Week of Sep 9

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Weekly Menu | Catz in the Kitchen | catzinthekitchen.com | #mealplanI don't know about where you guys are all at, but it is definitely feeling like fall here in the PNW. It rained all weekend. When I saw the forecast, I refused to believe it. But then the weekend was filled with rain showers, and after church and a few errands on Sunday I welcomed my sweatpants. I was cold, guys!

Eden had her belated birthday party for a few hours on Saturday and she had so much fun. I have to call out Grace because she was the real MVP of the party. She kind of took over everything. She organized lunch - which was our English Muffin Pizzas (the kids all made their own), made sure all the games got played and were running on schedule, took an interest in all the girls...and made the birthday cake, which was this one by The Pioneer Woman! Josh and I barely had to do anything - except a few dishes and a little supervision. 

This is a big week in our home because we're celebrating another birthday. Ruby turns two this month, and I just cannot even believe it! Ruby is such a delight in our household - all the kids love her and she is constantly amazing us with how smart she is. In the car the other day she counted to 20...I mean, she did miss a few numbers (she has something against 14), but can get there without too much trouble and starts the counting all on her own. We're excited because this week we can finally turn her carseat around and I think she's really going to like seeing out the window. If I had to ride backwards I would for sure get carsick... [Read more...]

Summer Squash Caprese Salad

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A late summer salad that is simple, healthy, colorful, and easy to make for crowds? That's where this summer squash caprese salad comes in!

A late summer salad that is simple, healthy, colorful, and easy to make for crowds? That's where this summer squash caprese salad comes in!I love good cooking. I mean who doesn't, right? I appreciate people who understand flavors and enjoy creating beautiful dishes...and then there is, of course, the eating of said dishes. I love good food. Eating good food excites me, but I also I love taking time off from cooking because it gives me a break and I always come back to my kitchen refreshed. I mean, again, I really love cooking, but everybody needs a break, right?

For the last three years, I have been attending the Club31Women Writer's Retreat in Central Oregon. Lisa, who runs Club31Women brings all of her contributors together for three days of relaxation while encouraging, learning, and growing with each other. A late summer salad that is simple, healthy, colorful, and easy to make for crowds? That's where this summer squash caprese salad comes in! [Read more...]

Weekly Menu for the Week of Sep 2

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Weekly Menu | Catz in the Kitchen | catzinthekitchen.com | #mealplanSeptember! Can you all believe it? My son asked me the other day when summer was officially over and I'm sad to report that the day is September 23rd. Maybe you're going to be like me and cling to these fleeting warm days and barbecue nights. I'm not ready. 

I hope you all had a great weekend. Ours was busy, but intentional with how we spent our time as a family, which is always wonderful. Maybe you noticed the little fact that I didn't share the weekly menu Monday morning. If you've followed me for any length of time on social media, I usually take the opportunity to have a long weekend and not share on social media or even get on my computer much. I did hop onto IG for a few moments today (Monday) to read my DM's and catch a few updates on things, but generally I stay off. [Read more...]