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This Lemon Risotto recipe is simple but tastes like you are in a restaurant. This Lemon Risotto dish can also be served as a side and pairs well with fresh seafood. It can be made into a full dish topped with roasted chicken and broccoli. I baked 3 chicken breasts drizzled in olive oil with 3-4 cups broccoli florets tossed lightly in olive oil for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees on a sheet pan. This makes 4-6 servings. For the Risotto: Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil 1/2 tbsp prepared garlic 2 cups Arborio rice 1 cup dry white wine 1 large lemon sliced and seeds removed 2-3 cups chicken stock (broth) 1/2 tbsp thyme 4 ounce goat cheese (I used garlic and hard flavor) 3-4 pieces crumbled cooked bacon (Optional) In a deep saute pan, add the olive oil and garlic over medium heat and cook for about two minutes, stirring consistently. Add the cups Arborio rice and stir to cover well in the olive oil. Add the wine and lemon slices. Simmer (not boiling), stirring regularly, until the wine is absorbed into the rice. Stir in thyme. (About 5-8 minutes) Add the chicken stock, one cup at a time. Simmer and stir until absorbed before adding more. (About 5-8 minutes per cup) Stir on goat cheese until melted through. Add bacon if desired. Note: Don't rush this dish! Let it simmer so the rice absorbs the liquid and softens thoroughly. It's a great dish while sharing a glass of wine and chatting at the kitchen island.

Can a cake be both decadent and refreshing? It sure can! Coconut Cake with a hint of key lime will make you feel like you are on a tropical vacation. I absolutely love anything coconut. After craving coconut cake for days on end (no I'm not pregnant LOL), I decided to make one. Before I got started though, I asked myself "How can I turn this up a notch?" That's when I decided a hint of lime was exactly what it needed. Husband and son approved, I bring you Key Lime Coconut Cake! A few notes about this recipe: This recipe makes either 24 cupcakes or a 3 layer cake (using 9 inch pans). I recommend using parchment paper liners for both. If you choose to make the cupcakes, use a large amount of icing on each one or you will have leftover icing which works great on sugar cookies. Be sure the ingredients noted at room temperature are at room temperature. And if you can't find coconut flakes, you can put coconut shreds in the food processor to get them more fine. Oh, and definitely use fresh lime juice, not jarred. A few drops of food coloring in the icing will give the perfect pale green color! The Ingredients For the Cake: 2 1/2 cups cake flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 cup butter, soft (not hot melted) 1 3/4 cup sugar 5 large egg whites at room temperature 4 ounce cream cheese, soft 2 tsp vanilla 1 tsp coconut extract 8 ounces canned coconut milk at room temperature 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut flakes For the Icing: 1 cups unsalted butter, soft 12 ounces cream cheese, soft 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 tsp coconut extract 4 cups confectioners sugar 4 tbsp fresh lime juice 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut flakes How to Make: Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin pan or cake pans with parchment liners. In a bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and baking soda. In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the egg whites, cream cheese, vanilla, and coconut extract. Add in the cake flour mixture and canned milk. Stir in the coconut flakes. For cupcakes, fill the liners about 3/4 full (will make 2 dozen). For cake pans, fill about 1/3 full. For cupcakes, bake about 20 minutes. For cake, bake 30-35 minutes. Let cool completely before icing. For the icing, use a large bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer. Cream together the unsalted butter, cream cheese, vanilla, coconut extract, and lime juice. Add in the confectioners sugar one cup at a time. Add the coconut one cup at a time. For a Printable Version:

My Cream Cheese Pound Cake has been a go to for me since I started baking in college. It is simple but is always a hit! Be sure to try my variations like Lemon Pound Cake and Coconut Pound Cake. Blueberry Pound Cake Muffin Variation: Mix pound cake batter in the recipe below. Stir in 1 pint of fresh blueberries. Line a muffin pan with parchment paper liners, fill about 3.4 full with batter. Makes 20-24 muffins. Bake at 325 for about 40 minutes.

This simple Coconut Pound Cake has the slight, sweet flavor of coconut without being overpowering. It is my basic Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipe with coconut added.

This Lemon Pound Cake is a variation of my original Cream Cheese Pound Cake. The lemon flavor gives it the perfect warm weather kick! This recipe will make a regular round bundt pan, two loaf pans, or 24 muffins. INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 cups butter, softened at room temperature 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature 3 cups sugar 6 eggs 3 cups all purpose flour 1 tbsp vanilla 1 tbsp lemon extract 5 tbsp fresh lemon juice Optional: 1 pint fresh blueberries INSTRUCTIONS Preheat over to 325 degrees and grease a 10 inch tube/ bundt pan or two loaf pans or line 24 muffins. Cream together butter and cream cheese in an electric or handheld mixer. Add sugar, mixing until well blended. Add eggs and flour alternately, ending with flour. Blend in vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon juice. Optional: fold in blueberries Pour into greased pan and bake at 325 for 1 hour 25 minutes. For muffins, bake about 40 minutes.

This quick and easy recipe will have you putting Pesto Chicken & Orzo on your weeknight rotation. 5 minutes of prep then just let it bake! Ingredients: 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound) 2 cups (16 ounces) dry orzo 7 ounces prepared pesto 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half 2 cups chicken broth 1 cup feta cheese To Prepare: Preheat oven to 375 Grease a 9x13 casserole dish Cut up chicken breasts into bite sized pieces Pour the orzo in the bottom of the casserole dish evenly. Top with chicken pieces and tomatoes. In a bowl, whisk together the pesto and broth. Pour evenly over the orzo. Sprinkle feta cheese on top. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes.

Easter is right around the corner so it's time to make your meal plans now! Our family attends church services in the morning so I like to plan a meal that I can mostly make ahead and enjoy Easter Sunday. Ordering a prepared ham or similar main dish that you simply pick up the day before is a great way to relieve some stress for the day and allow more time to be spent with your family. Here are a few of my planning tips for a beautiful and low stress Easter. About two weeks ahead: Finalize menu for the day Order prepared foods (i.e. ham, desserts, etc) Purchase non-perishable foods, wine, and beverages Purchase items for kid's Easter baskets Press linens and clean silver About one week ahead: Set the table (if you don't use the table daily) Set up buffet or make a list of dishes to use Order perishable groceries to pick up in a few days (if you do online grocery orders) About 2 days ahead: Pick up or purchase perishable groceries Purchase flowers for centerpiece Pick up prepared food The day before: Make desserts Prep appetizers, casseroles, etc Prep main dish if not ordering a prepared one On Easter: Put casseroles/ side dishes in the oven to cook Cook or warm up main dish Make coffee, open wine, and prep other beverages Enjoy a wonderful meal with your family! Need some ideas for your menu? Easter Dinner Sample Menu Charcuterie board with Deviled Eggs Baked Ham (or order a prepared one) Mac-n-Cheese Potatoes au Gratin Glazed Carrots Roasted Asparagus Yeast Rolls Chocolate Chess Pie Key Lime Coconut Cake Mimosas, Red & White Wine Easter Brunch Sample Menu Deviled Eggs Sausage Balls Blueberry Muffins Brown Sugar Ham Biscuits Fresh Fruit (Strawberries, Kiwi, Pineapple, etc) Mashed Potatoes Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus Pound Cake Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Mimosas, Champagne, and Wine Ready to get planning on your Easter menu? Download my FREE Easter menu planner! HERE What about leftover ham? These are my go-to recipes for using up leftover ham (and getting some veggies in too). Ham Casserole Cheesy Ham Chowder I hope everyone has a beautiful Easter!

If you missed Part 1, you can catch it HERE! In Part 2, we are looking at taking action! Getting started is oftentimes the hardest part of taking action to discover our purpose and ultimate success. I recently posted a survey on Instagram asking my followers what was their biggest hurdle in getting started to take action. While I wasn't surprised that Fear of Failure was number one, I was curious to see where the others would land. These 4 choices are actually very intertwined. First, comparison. Social media has made comparison a much larger problem than it what was. We get to see the edited and perfect highlights of where someone is presently and we compare where our real selves are now. This becomes the root of low self esteem and thus a lack of confidence. Second, fear of failure. A lot of the problem here lies in how you are defining failure. A lack of success? Whose defining the success. When we allow external definitions of success be our benchmark we will lose alignment with our purpose and the true meaning of success. Where there be hiccups along the road? Of course! But look at them as learning opportunities. Third, lack of confidence. This one stems from comparison and fear of failure. We are still concerned with what it looks like on the outside so where we are scared to take action. We tell ourselves we don't feel ready. The truth is, you will most likely never feel ready; you just have to start! Last, lack of self discipline. It's not lack of self discipline, it's the choice of inaction. Maybe from one of the above. Choosing not to take action is a decision. Action is what produces results. Baby steps are fine. Just start! But how? What are steps that get the ball rolling on taking action? We have all heard the saying "it takes a village." Let others help you take action and grow. Expand your network! Get out and meet people! Attend seminars and conferences. Get out of the comfort zone. Growth and success do not happen in the comfort zone. Your circle matters! There is a rule of thought that says "you are the summation of the 5 people you choose to spend the most time with." Think about your 5 right now. Do they bring you down or do they left you up? We can outgrow relationships. Surround yourself with a circle that encourages you to grow and be your best self. Expose yourself to new things. Opportunities are everywhere and sometimes they are found in the most unlikely go places. Do things like volunteer for boards and committees and get involved in your community. Put yourself out there and let people know what it is you are after! That is how you find the Law of Attraction! What you put out there is what comes back. Make your voice heard! If you have a hard time holding yourself accountable to your action list then get an accountability partner. Much like the person that makes sure you come to the 5 am working class, an accountability partner in your career can do the same for you! One of my all time favorite quotes is Benjamin Franklin's, "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail." I am definitely a planner geek but planning works! Digital versus paper planner: how about both? I use the digital (Google calendar) as my what. It is easy to mark out appointments etc while on the go and it links to my Calendly for people to book appointments. I use my paper planner as my how. I sit down at least once a week, usually Saturday mornings, and I put everything from my digital onto paper. It helps me get a visual and then from there I fill in all of my regular to dos like record a podcast, write a blog, etc to ensure that everything has a place. I time block out everything with a color code system (yellow for work, pink for personal, blue for family, etc). I have a freebie HERE that you can download and work on your time blocking. Create a morning routine that sets your day up for success. I am not a morning person by nature but getting up in time to get the morning tasks complete without being rushed or stressed is key. Our brains are fresh in the morning so reserve some time for good, core work in the morning. Make goals that are specific, measurable, and deadlined. You have to be able to track your progress. Little action steps each day. Think about the tortoise and the hare! A great idea is to set your goal and then back into the plan to get there. Map it out! Meal planning. This may seem odd on this list but it is a game changer to free up time on your calendar and relieve stress. Taking it one step farther to meal prepping is even better. I have templates HERE and blog posts The Value of Meal Planning and Tips to Meal Plan and Prep. Create a vision board for yourself and what you want your life and your days to look like. Define your ideal day and the begin putting items on the agenda that are aligned with that vision. Eye on the prize! Action and discipline always win over motivation. Even if you wake up not feeling motivated, make the choice of action. Each little action will create motivation to keep taking more action. The domino effect is alive and well. In Part 3, we will look at balance and living the season of life you are currently in!

I recently hosted our book club and created a charcuterie board for us to snack on while we chatted and sipped champagne. I had so much fun making it! There will definitely be more to come! Here is the link to the recipe for the Candied Pecans! I used a 24x15 inch board. Ingredients: 1 cup Candied Pecans 6 ou proscuitto ham, cut into pieces 9 ou salami, sliced 5 ou rosemary crackers 4 ou wheat crackers 3/4 cup strawberries, halved and pitted 2 small honey crisp apples, sliced 2 small bunches of grapes 5 ou gouda cheese, sliced 6 ou havarti cheese, sliced 6 ou sharp cheddar cheese, sliced 4 ou goat cheese, plain 4 ou goat cheese, cranberry and orange 4 ou goat cheese, herbed 1 jar fig preserves fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish I chose to put the strawberries and candied pecans in small boys to help anchor the corners of the board while using grapes in the two other corners. I piled the prosciutto against the grapes, then did a curving line of salami and cheese. I anchored the center with the jar of fig preserves and nestled the goat cheese beside the jar so the knife could be used for both. I assorted the apples around the strawberries then filled in the blank space with the crackers. Then wedged the rosemary sprigs around the board for color!

School is back in session which means the slow cooker is busy again! This Veggie, Bean, and Hamburger Soup recipe is super simple and packs lots of veggies and fiber! Pair it with a grilled cheese or a salad! Add cheese or hot sauce to make it your flavor! Veggie, Bean & Hamburger Soup Recipe Prep time: 15 Cook time: 8 hours Veggie, Bean & Hamburger Soup Ingredients 1 pound hamburger, cooked 12-ounce bag of frozen green beans 12-ounce bag of frozen peas 12-ounce bag of frozen mixed veggies 16-ounce can of northern beans, drained 16-ounce can of kidney beans, drained 32-ounce broth 1/2 tbsp salt 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning Veggie, Bean & Hamburger Soup Instructions Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and stir well. Cook on low setting for 8 hours. Stir occasionally. Serve. Check out more of my slow cooker recipes for easy healthy meals for you and your family!

This week on the podcast, I am talking about my Top 10 Budgeting Tips! Whether you are creating a budget for the first time or your budget just needs a revamp (maybe inflation has it all out of whack?); these tips are sure to help get you on track! My Top 10 Budgeting Tips Tip #1 Assess your spending in the last few months. Know where your money has been going! Are you spending more than your income and creating debt? Are you paying for a subscription you never use and need to cancel? Do you think you spend $600 on food but it's really $1,000? Knowing where your money has been going is essential to creating an accurate budget. Tip #2 To create your budget, you need to assign a purpose for every dollar of your income. Your income minus your expenses should equal ZERO. If it's negative you are going into debt and if there is money unassigned then it doesn't have a purpose. If you have a monthly salary, it is straightforward what your after-tax income is to begin your budget. If you have an irregular income such as a commission-based pay plan, you want to "plan for the worst" to cover your essentials and then have a plan for all additional income earned. If you are paid weekly, you want to create your monthly budget off 4 weeks of income. You will have a few months with an additional week of income and make a plan to put that towards debt paydown, savings, or another purpose. Tip #3 Prioritize the necessities. Your 4 Walls are the categories of Home, Transportation, Food, and Utilities. These are essential to survival. Note that food is both an essential like groceries and a non-essential like eating out. Once you prioritize the 4 Walls then you want to prioritize debt pay down, savings, etc. Tip #4 Know if your categories are on track with guidelines. Generally, your total Home expenses should be about 25% of the budget, including insurance, property taxes, HOA, etc. If it is over 30% then that category is heavy in comparison to income. Transportation should be 10-15% but if you have a car payment that percentage could be higher which means another category needs to be low. Food is 10-15% (that includes if you are budgeting to eat out a few times) and Utilities are around 5%. Your debt paydown and savings should be about 15% and giving of 10% (if that is a priority to you). Other minor categories include personal expenses, misc expenses, other insurance (maybe term life insurance), healthcare (co-pays, etc) One thing to think about is if you have other large expenses like paying for your health insurance, daycare, etc. These items could take up a large percentage of your budget and other categories will need to give. Tip #5 Be on the same page with your spouse. Do the budget together, review it, and be honest about your spending! Money causes a lot of marital issues. Don't let it! There may be a lifestyle change getting on a budget so give each other some grace as you walk through this together! If you are single, get a friend to help hold you accountable! Make sure it is a friend that will support your new spending choices. Tip #6 Review your spending weekly to keep your budget on track. Adjust for any unexpected expenses immediately so your total budget doesn't go over. Your budget is going to change from month to month. It is not set it and forget it so stay on top of it! Plan for the big expenses at the beginning of the month so you can get them checked off the list! Tip #7 Food is a common category to overspend so make a meal plan, eat at home, and eliminate food waste. (Be sure to check out last week's podcast and the blog post The Value of Meal Planning as well as my e-book How to Meal Prep) Meal planning not only saves you money; it also creates less stressful evenings. If you are going to eat out some, be sure to add it to your budget so that you don't ignore that expense. Tip #8 Plan for quarterly and annual expenses in your monthly budget. Don't let those big expenses creep up on you and put you into credit card debt. If you know of upcoming home repairs, save for them in your monthly budget. And if you get a tax refund, make a plan for that money such as debt paydown or savings; don't go on a shopping spree! Tip #9 If you have credit card debt, cut it up, prioritize paying off the debt, and only use cash or a debit card during the payoff process. If you are regularly tempted to overspend by using your credit card then put it away! Tip #10 Create savings goals and a priority list. An Emergency Fund should be at the top of the list. This is enough to cover 3-6 months of expenses. Once you have that, you can focus on saving for a home down payment, retirement, paying for college, etc. Different saving categories need different savings tools such as a savings account for the emergency fund, maybe an IRA for retirement, and a 529 plan for college. Create goals for the different categories! Be sure to track your progress and make sure you are achieving them! All information is considered educational and is not considered financial advice.

Asian-style chicken noodle soup is a comfort food with an Asian flare! An easy slow-cooker meal that is healthy and delicious! Ingredients for the Asian Style Chicken Noodle Soup 2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced into small strips 32-ounce chicken broth (low sodium) 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/8 cup sesame oil 4 cups water 2 tbsp pad thai sauce 1 small yellow onion, sliced extremely thin 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots or shreds 1 large rib celery, sliced 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1 tsp ginger 2 tsp Chinese 5-spice 10.5-ounce Cantonese egg noddles 3 baby boy choy Instructions for the Asian Style Chicken Noodle Soup Mix well with all ingredients except the noodles and box choy into the slow cooker. Set to high and cook 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Add the noodles and bok choy and cook for about 10 minutes until the noodles are soft. Serve immediately. I have a plethora of slow cooker healthy recipes for your next dinner. Be sure to check out my entire recipe section for easy, healthy meals for you and your family.

If you follow me on Instagram, you have most likely seen me making homemade food for my dogs. And a lot of you have asked me a lot of questions about me doing this! So, I decided I would write a post about it. First and foremost, I am not a vet so I highly recommend consulting your vet before changing their food, especially if your dog takes any meds, has allergies, etc, etc. That being said, I am a huge dog lover and I truly do treat them like family. We have all seen countless recalls of dog food over the years and it really does make you wonder what is in some of it. There are several new dog food companies that make more human grade type food but if you have checked them out they are really expensive. I have been doing the homemade dog food for several months now. I am still feeding my dogs actual dog food but they are getting about half as much of that as they did prior and then the other half is homemade food. The most important part in all of this (in my opinion) is knowing what you absolutely do not need to feed your dog. Knowing this list is so important. I have made this list as inclusive as I can but dogs can have additional allergies separate from this list of no-no's. Again, consult with your vet, especially if you have concerns over anything they have eaten. THE MUST AVOID LIST: Avocado Grapes Cherries Tomatoes Citrus (i.e. oranges, lemons, limes, etc) Mushrooms Onions Rhubarb Asparagus Bacon and Ham Fatty meats Macadamia nuts Nutmeg Cocoa and cocoa powder Garlic Black Pepper Xylitol (this is in some peanut butters now so be sure to check ingredients) THE GOOD LIST: Chicken Salmon Turkey Apples Berries: Blueberries, Strawberries, Cranberries Peaches Pears Watermelon Cantaloupe Bananas Broccoli Brussel Sprouts Peas Green Beans Pumpkin Sweet Potatoes Rice Beets Carrots Cucumbers Kale Coriander Oregano Peppermint Turmeric Cinnamon Thyme Basil Rosemary Parsley Ginseng We don't have a Costco or Trader Joe's in our county so I buy the bulk frozen bags of chicken breasts and salmon filets from the grocery store. If you have the ability to buy more in bulk, you will be able to save some money. I change up the recipes all the time but I aim to have a good blend of meat, a starch, a fruit/ vegetable, and some herbs. The fragrance of the herbs cooking smells great and just adds more flavor. I do generally add 2-3 tablespoons of an oil such as olive, vegetable, or fish. Don't use avocado or canola. Do not use broth because of the salt content, just use water. Each of my recipes makes about 10-12 servings with each serving being 1/2-1 cup. Since I change it up all the time, the following are just some ideas to get you started: Chicken Based Dinner: In a slow cooker, cover the bottom with about 1 cup of water and 2-3 tablespoons oil. Lay 3 chicken breasts on the bottom (you can put them in frozen). Then top with one large sweet potato sliced, 1 16 ounce bag baby carrots, 1 tbsp rosemary and 1 tbsp basil. Cook on the low setting for 6 hours. After 5 hours of cooking, add a 12 ounce bag of frozen green beans or peas. Once the 6 hours are complete, use tongs and shred the chicken. Let the food cool for close to an hour before serving. Note: if you wanted to use rice instead of sweet potatoes, you could add 1-2 cups rice and 2-4 cups water. Salmon Based Dinner: In a slow cooker, cover the bottom with about 1 cup of water and 2-3 tablespoons oil. Lay 3-4 salmon filets on the bottom (you can put them in frozen). (If they are skin on, be sure to pull the skin out before serving. )Top with one large sweet potato sliced. Add one 12 ounce can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling). Add 3-4 apples (cored and sliced up). (Don't use Granny Smith apples unless you want to be up all night walking the dogs LOL) Add 1 tbsp cinnamon. Cook on low setting for 3-4 hours. Let cool then top with fresh blueberries. Thanksgiving: In a slow cooker, cover the bottom with about 1 cup of water and 2-3 tablespoons oil. Lay 2 turkey breast tenderloins in the bottom. Top with one large sweet potato, sliced. Add one 12 ounce can pumpkin. Add 3-4 apples cored and sliced. Add one tbsp rosemary. Cook on low setting 5-6 hours. Add one 12 ounce bag green beans for the last hour of cooking. Let cool and top with cranberries. I make a few days worth at a time in an XL Slow Cooker. And for dessert, check out my Better than a Pup Cup recipes!

Easy, healthy, and delicious! This recipe makes about 6 hearty portions and can easily be halved. Ingredients: 16 ounce package orzo 4 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces 3 tbsp olive oil 1 large lemon, juiced 2 tbsp minced fresh garlic 3-4 tbsp basil paste 20 ounce cherry tomatoes 5 ounce fresh spinach 1 cup feta cheese (more to garnish if desired) To Make: Prepare orzo per package directions and set aside. In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic. Cook about 3 minutes stirring regularly. Add the cubed chicken to the olive oil and garlic then add the lemon juice and basil paste. Stir well and sauté 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Add the tomatoes and stir well. Cover and simmer 3-4 minutes. Then stir well again and press the tomatoes to make them burst. Cover and simmer another 4-6 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down. Stir in the fresh spinach. Simmer 3-5 minutes until the spinach wilts. Add the cooked orzo and feta. Stir thoroughly and simmer 2-3 minutes. Serve and top with additional feta if desired.

This recipe is similar to my Veggie and Sausage Soup and my Veggie, Bean, and Hamburger Soup but with a different mix of veggies for a slow cooker variety! Ingredients: 1 pound sausage, cooked and crumbed (hot adds more flavor) 1 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup 32 ounce chicken broth 1 sweet onion chopped 15 ounce can kidney beans, drained 15 ounce can northern beans, drained 12 ounce bag frozen lima beans 8 ounce chopped baby carrots 12 ounce bag frozen sweet peas 12 ounce bag frozen green beans shredded parmesan for garnish Add all ingredients except sweet peas, green beans, and parmesan to slow cooker. Mix well. Set the setting on low for 8 hours. When there are two hours left, add the green beans and sweet peas. Mix well. Serve and top with parmesan! Goes great with a grilled cheese!