Mushroom Brown & Wild Rice Medley for Instant Pot

‘Tis the season for side dishes! When you bring a traditional Thanksgiving turkey or celebration beef roast to the table, how many holiday side dishes to you serve on the side? Whether it’s two or twenty, my Mushroom Brown & Wild Rice Medley for Instant Pot is a quick, easy, comforting choice that doesn’t take up and precious real estate in the oven or stove top (where so many other holiday dishes are cooking). 

Read on to get this easy rice recipe and Instant Pot Thanksgiving side dish that’s finished in 30 minutes. Continue reading

Blackened Chicken with Butternut-Coconut Quinoa – 30-min. Dinner, Meal Prep

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Tyson Foods, Inc. The opinions and text are all mine. #TysonBlackenedChickenStrip #CollectiveBias 

My “available” time for dinner-making waxes and wanes. I especially notice feeling more hurried from the fall back-to-school season, through the holidays, and straight into year end. Today I’m sharing my 30-minute recipe for Tyson® Blackened Chicken Strips with Butternut-Coconut Quinoa – it’s convenient, creative and definitely reduces that dinner-time crunch!


I’ve used Tyson® Blackened Chicken Strips in this quick and easy dinner solution. These unbreaded, fully-cooked, frozen strips have been the hero in many last-minute dinner creations. Read on to learn more about and get the recipe. Continue reading

Triple Berry Blue Cheese Quinoa Salad

Berry Blue Cheese Quinoa Salad just makes me smile, for so many reasons. The salad personified is ME, call it “Jennifer Salad” because it’s all about the things I am and love. It’s sweet without being cloying, packed with the season’s best berries including blueberries, raspberries and strawberries (or any combo there in). It’s bold with a blast of blue cheese crumbles. It’s got a lot of attitude and texture, with layers of flavor to keep every bite interesting. It’s hearty and healthy, fills you up without being too dainty. And finally, it’s portable and ready to go, standing up to a mealtime on any adventure.

Berry Blue Cheese Quinoa Salad is a scrumptious side dish featuring blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and a blast of bold blue cheese. Can be made ahead for an easy dinner side dish or meal prep friendly for lunch!

Read on to get this delicious, meal prep friendly quinoa salad: Continue reading

(No Bake) Peach Chia Almond Protein Cheesecake

Eating cheesecake for breakfast is just fine by me, especially if it’s my no-bake Peach Chia Almond Protein Cheesecake. Also, just fine by me – personal-sized, portion-controlled, no-bake cheesecakes, like this these! Peach Chia Almond Protein Cheesecakes are a lower-carb, protein-packed option for a quick breakfast or healthier dessert!

It doesn’t take long to make a batch of this lower-carb breakfast recipe the night before, for grab-and-go morning meals. Or, eat for dessert as a healthier cheesecake option packed, with no added sugars other than from the fruit and packed with protein thanks to cottage cheese and protein powder. Read on to get the friendly for meal prep breakfast recipe: Continue reading

Farm Fresh Beef Meat Sauce for Meal Prep with Easy & Unique Serving Ideas

One of the most popular meals in my home is spaghetti with meat sauce, and it’s safe to say it’s the hearty fuel that helped my raise up three strapping boys, now ages 16, 19 and 22. The family has a particular brand they LOVE, and if I stray or get adventurous with homemade, they groan and say . . . “it’s different.” Farm Fresh Beef Meat Sauce

However, at the request of Beef Loving Texans, I recent made the Farm Fresh Meat Sauce created by their chef and my friend, Tiffany Blackmon.  The family did say, “it’s different” but this time with their mouths’ full gobbling up more. I was pretty happy about their enthusiasm, since the sauce includes extra finely chopped veggies like zucchini, carrots, mushrooms and such. I served this beef meat sauce on pasta – and also in three other unique ways! You can read all about it on their blog post, but I want to share it here too!   Continue reading