Naptime Everyday: Recipes for Everyday Cooking and Baking

Here are the facts: I love food, I love to cook, and I love pasta. Pasta, in fact, is one of my favorite comfort foods. For our family the definition of comfort food is that we eat it once in a while. That means I’ll never give it up – not even for a fad diet – but it’s also not something I make every night, or even every week. However, when the occasion calls for it, a good bowl of Chicken Riggies, or something equally as deliciously satisfying, is exactly what’s needed. This particular dish is actually native to upstate NY, Utica to be exact, near Cooperstown where I grew up. It features a homemade tomato pepper cream sauce, well-seasoned chicken, and a sprinkling of cheese and basil.

(Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Hood Cream. The photographs and opinions are wholly my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make The Naptime Chef possible.) Summer is finally here. The kids are out of school and we are preparing for our upcoming trip to Cooperstown for the Fourth of July. I’ve been […]

Mother’s Day was a blast and now Father’s Day is right around the corner. I know these are both Hallmark holidays, but I do love them. In our house these small holidays are all about family time. It’s about gathering together for a special meal and taking time to enjoy each other’s company. That is something that is much harder to do these days with ours kids sports schedules! This year I partnered with Hood® Cream to create a yummy egg casserole for my husband to enjoy on Father’s Day. It was a lot of fun thinking of all of his favorite flavors and coming up with a dish for him to enjoy!

Mac-n-Cheese is quite possibly the most wonderful comfort food. There is nothing not to love about pasta baked with cheesy sauce topped with crunchy breadcrumbs. Personally, I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t adore this comfort food! The problem, of course, is that the dish can lean on the heavy side, so it is really more of a treat than a regular menu item. Unless, of course, you can sneak some vegetables in!

This new year started off with a wintery bang – a bomb cyclone storm followed by frigid temperatures. Being from Cooperstown, I am no stranger to crazy cold and snow, but it is always a little jarring to readjust to winter when it comes on so fast. In the kitchen, this means breaking out my cold weather cooking repertoire and bringing on the hearty stick-to-your-ribs food we all love.

We’ve had a fantastic and busy month, but the fun isn’t over yet! We still have New Year’s Eve this weekend if you are anything like my family you are all about easy-peasy family entertaining. One of my go-to’s this time of year is lots of gourmet snacks. Instead of going crazy with homemade from scratch everything, I reach for a few of my favorites off the shelves.

My daughter’s favorite holiday flavor is ginger. She loves all kinds of ginger flavored things including cookies, ice cream, whipped cream, and, of course, gingerbread. There is just no form of ginger she doesn’t love. For a recent celebration, I decided to make her a ginger dessert she wouldn’t forget: Gingerbread Bundt Cake with a Chocolate Glaze.

Gifts for Best Friends 2017

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I am all about mixing it up at the dessert table this year. I recently made this delicious Pumpkin Pot de Crème for a dinner party and think it will certainly have to make a reappearance at our table in a few short weeks.

As we round the corner to the holiday season it’s time to ramp up your cooking strategy. This is a time to be practical. Do not sacrifice yourself to the kitchen in the name of all that is homemade from scratch. Buy some food, make some food, and just make sure it all tastes amazing. I was recently introduced to this delicious Gingerbread House Gourmet Nut Roll. It came in the mail ready to be eaten and my family was delighted.

My kids have gone wild for chocolate hazelnut spread and use it on everything these days! Of course, I totally get it because I introduced them to the magic of it. I’ve been loving the flavor ever since I tried my first spoonful in Italy in 1994! Recently we tried a new, delicious treat with this amazing Nocciolata Dairy Free spread sample I received in the mail: I stuffed it into cookies!

Over the summer I received a shipment of wine from the Martha Stewart Wine Co. It was their Sip of Summer package featuring six varieties of wine selected specifically for summer enjoyment. Needless to say, I loved it. Ever since I started my journey with WSET I’ve become very picky and selective about the wine I drink. I want each bottle to be a learning experience, an education for my palate. It’s not about spending lots of money, it’s about noting quality, reading tasting notes, and generally paying attention to the details.