It is hard to believe that it has been two years since I’ve written here. Yes, the last couple of years have been a busy with kid activities and work as well as moving into a new house and just different after the loss of my dad. However, eating dinner together has continued to be a big focus for us. I just haven’t had the time or really made the time to write about it or put out any new recipes. I’m starting to get more inspired in the kitchen again so I look forward to writing here more.

I’ll share a new recipe or two in the near future as well as a new thing we are enjoying as a family: The kids cooking for us two nights a week! Until then I wanted to quickly share a few things we’ve been making on repeat.

SUNDAY SUPPER: Peruvian Chicken

We’ve been making this chicken dish on repeat on weekends or when we are making dinner for others. Find the full recipe from Gimme Delicious here. My favorite part is probably the green sauce. We put it in a plastic condiment bottle to save after the meal and use it on tacos and eggs throughout the next week. Kid-friendly tip: To make the green sauce a little less spicy, use one jalapeño and one poblano instead of two jalapeños.

WORK NIGHT DINNER: Tacos

Taco Tuesday has become a regular feature in our house, and I love how my taco recipe can utilize whatever veggies I happen to have on hand. Little does my family know that I often grate zucchini or eggplant into their taco meat. Making a double batch of this meat to put half in the freezer has definitely made dinner easier when we are running from school to practices while still trying to prioritize a meal together at night.

SUMMER SALAD: Watermelon Cucumber Salad

We have really enjoyed having this fresh fruit salad from Crowded Kitchen for summer gatherings. The lime juice and zest really make this bowl of fruit pop to something special. Kid-friendly tip: Put the feta on the side. Parent-friendly tip: After mixing, drain the juice off but save it for the base of a very fresh and tasty margarita.

COOKBOOK: The Perfect Cake

I started a tradition with Bear’s baseball friends where I bake a cake for them for their first home run (has to be over the fence, not in the park). It has been really fun to celebrate these sweet boys and mark their accomplishments in a fun way. What has not been so fun is finding cake recipes online. The number of pop-ups and ads making the recipes really hard to read and use while baking had gotten to a point where it was driving me absolutely crazy one day. I decided to go analog and buy a cook book that I could open up and use without interruption or annoyance. I am very happy with what I found! The Perfect Cake from America’s Test Kitchen is a comprehensive book of recipes for cakes and frostings that you can mix and match. I’m now going to have my kids pick out their birthday cakes from this book and feel confident that each and every recipe will turn out well based on what I’ve made so far. My favorite thus far is probably the carrot cake with honey cream cheese frosting.

So those are some of my favorite things we’re making on repeat right now. I hope you enjoy!

Happy cooking!