Happy March, everyone! This year is flying by so fast, I simply can’t believe it.

Today also marks the first day of the 2017 Lenten season. I’ve decided I’m not giving anything up this year for Lent…instead I’m going to focus on doing things to get my life on track some. First things first, starting with clutter. I’m participating in the 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge, and am so ready to get some of the excess in my house out of here. Through this challenge you simply fill any size bag each day of trash or things to donate and continue for the entire 40 days. Can you imagine how much more free I’ll feel after getting rid of 40 bags of clutter? I’m really ready to simplify, and this challenge will definitely help me to do that!…

Read More

The post Sriracha Lime Salmon Packets Recipe appeared first on Dine and Dish.

As my kids get older, our after school activities get more spread out, and finding time for us to eat together as a family every night becomes more difficult. We have one night in particular right now where we are ships passing in the night. It’s not ideal, but it’s the season of life we’re in right now.

Even though we may not be able to sit down as a family on nights like this, I like to be able to offer everyone at least a good, hot meal to eat when they are home. That’s where these awesome Salmon Baked in Foil Packets come in. I simply prepare the salmon and topping ahead of time, place them in their little foil packets, put the foil packets in the refrigerator then bake them as needed….

Read More

The post Simple Salmon Baked in Foil Packets Recipe appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Thank you to Bumble Bee SuperFresh™ for sponsoring this article.  Find the new Bumble Bee SuperFresh™ entrées in your area by visiting: http://bumblebeesuperfresh.com/buy”

My husband and I both love to cook… and not to brag or anything, but we’re pretty good at it. In fact, it becomes a bit of a problem when we have the opportunity to go out to eat on a date… after we agonize over which restaurant to go to, we typically find out that we are somewhat disappointed in the food (and the amount of money we spent on it) and often realize that we could have made something much better at home….

Read More

The post Keep it Simple Date Night appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Salmon is a mild flavored fish that even the pickiest of seafood eaters tend to like. This particular salmon recipe, featuring a rich and creamy herb sauce made with Breakstone’s sour cream, is an elegant addition to any holiday menu.

When you are tired of turkey and bored with ham, bring salmon to the table – you’ll be glad you gave salmon a chance at your holiday table!

Head over to the Breakstone’s Better Homes & Gardens Holiday Showdown page to cast your vote. Voters will be entered to win a weekly drawing for a $50 gift card. In addition, one lucky voter will win the  $2500 grand prize. Voting on the Holiday Showdown entries on the contest page will immediately enter you into the grand prize drawing. Thanks for voting and good luck!

Recipe: Oven Baked Salmon with Creamy Herb Sauce

For the salmon:

• 2 pounds salmon fillets, skin removed
• 1/2 cup Breakstone’s sour cream
• 1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

For the sauce:

• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 Tablespoons corn starch
• 1 cup Breakstone’s Sour Cream
• ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
• 2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly spray a baking dish.
2. Arrange salmon fillets in prepared baking dish. Evenly coat with sour cream. Sprinkle black pepper evenly over salmon fillets.
3. Bake for 30 minutes, or until salmon is easily flaked with a fork.
4. Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, blend chicken broth and cornstarch. Bring to a boil, and with a whisk, stir continuously. Reduce heat and add sour cream, salt and Italian Seasoning. Continue to whisk until a smooth sauce has formed.
5. Plate cooked salmon and drizzle with creamy herb sauce. Top with one small squeeze of lemon juice, if desired.

 This is a sponsored post on behalf of Breakstone’s Sour Cream. All opinions expressed are my own.

The post Breakstone’s Sour Cream Holiday Showdown {Recipe: Salmon with Creamy Herb Sauce} appeared first on Dine and Dish.

I’m excited to announce that I have a recipe you are sure to love being published in a new cookbook called Thinkfood (brain fitness recipes from food bloggers in collaboration with Postit Science).  The Thinkfood cookbook includes 50 brain healthy recipes in one vibrant, full-color book from some fantastic food bloggers. I’m excited to be included as a part of such a great collaborative effort.

The cookbook features snacks, appetizers, sides and salads, main course and desserts. For your viewing pleasure, you can actually get all 50 recipes emailed to you over the course of the next several months. (However the hardcover version of the book comes out around July 13th, and you can get on the notification for pre-ordering by clicking on this link!) This week, the recipe I submitted, Garlic Salmon Over Spinach, is being featured as the recipe of the week. To sign up to receive the weekly email featuring a different Thinkfood recipe, head over to the Postit Science webpage and get on their free weekly email list.

Make sure you follow Thinkfood on Twitter and become their fan on Facebook to stay in tune with all of the brain healthy news and updates.

On a separate note, don’t forget to head over to this post to enter to win one of several Laguiole Meat Carving Sets I’m giving away.

The post The Thinkfood Cookbook (Recipe: Garlic Salmon Over Spinach) appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Everywhere I go these days, it seems like I run into people who are trying to find balance in their lives. I am among those searching for the perfect balance between home/work/family/fun. I have to say, I’m not doing such a great job of it lately. Work seems to be taking on a life of its own, and balancing that with the family and fun stuff is taking a lot more skill on my part.

I have often wondered what the secret is to life balance. How do those of you who are really good at balancing do it? I have a feeling that part of it is being willing to say no to things, and I know that is something I struggle with. I recognize that achieving it all is not possible, but figuring out what exactly I am willing to let go of is difficult.

There are certain parts of my life where balance comes easy and usually that has to do with cooking. When I am in my kitchen cooking, I feel balanced. I feel like I really have my stuff together when I make a meal. Because, let’s face it… knowing what’s for dinner and actually getting it on the table can be one of the first areas to go out the window when your life is out of whack. If I want to feel even just a tad bit accomplished, I cook.

My friend Candace called one time and asked, “What exactly is a clove of garlic?” As I was explaining to her that garlic comes in bulbs, and a clove is a piece of that bulb, she started laughing. “No wonder my salsa tasted horrible. The recipe called for 3 cloves of garlic and I thought a clove was the whole bulb, so my salsa had 3 bulbs of garlic instead of 3 cloves!!” Ohhhh… talk about out of balance flavor! I love garlic and all, but I am not sure that I could even down something with three bulbs of garlic in it!

Balance is a tricky thing, even in cooking. Too much of one thing, no matter how tasty, and it can throw everything else out of balance. Just like life, with cooking, balance is important.

One of my favorite salmon recipes, Garlic Lovin’ Salmon, takes the flavor balance just to the brink of over the top. This simple and delicious recipe takes on the power of garlic and combines it with lemon and pepper to achieve the perfect combination of flavors. If I could achieve perfect balance like this recipe, life would be good!

The post Garlic Lovin’ Salmon appeared first on Dine and Dish.

I know a lot of people who claim to not like fish. They often say it is because of the “fishy” flavor that fish has. A lot of people I know who do like fish don’t like to make it at home because they think that the recipe has to be elaborate or the process of making the fish is time consuming. They would rather go out to a seafood restaurant and order up their fish than to make it at home.

My husband and I used to be like that. We would only go out to eat if we wanted seafood. We had a “fish phobia” that neither of us were willing to do anything about…we were intimidated by the entire fish process.

A few years ago this all changed when I decided to give Tilapia a try at home. I had several great attempts with various Tilapia recipes (click here to see some of my favorite Tilapia recipes). My confidence and desire to learn how to cook other varieties of fish grew. I discovered that cooking fish is really simple. I have no idea why I thought it was so difficult because it really is not.

One of the seafood recipes my husband and I love to make now is just about as simple as it gets. It is a cedar plank salmon recipe that uses few ingredients but packs restaurant quality flavor into every single bite. We don’t go out to eat at seafood restaurants anymore, thanks to recipes like this. If you are ready to get over your fish phobia head to your nearest fish market, of if you are in the midwest like us, head to Costco. Make it easy on yourself and buy your fish already skinned and de-boned. Then follow this recipe and take your first step into fish phobia freedom

The post Simply Salmon appeared first on Dine and Dish.