The Perfect Juice?!!

I bought a used juicer today.  On a whim.  We'll see how long this lasts.

Then I searched recipes on pinterest, and went to the grocery store.

$25 later I can probably make a dozen varieties of juice, easy.  I may have over done it.

My first juice was PERFECT.  I wanted a second batch right away!  It wasn't quite sweet enough to "fool" my kids, but I bet two strawberries dropped in there is all it would take, because, to ME, it was super balanced, not tart, didn't taste too "vegetable-y", and seriously, it was SO GOOD.

Instant Pot Ramen

Oh boy.  I'm obsessed with tonkotsu Ramen, but after a little google searching it was clear that I was not in the position to embark on any sort of authentic tonkotsu.  Today I decided to grab the instant pot and wing it, hoping I could secure the right flavors to fake a tonkotsu-ish ramen dish.

It wasn't the same milky broth I love, but the broth was TO DIE FOR!  I'm SO thrilled.  This is definitely how I will make ramen broth any time I have pork bones on hand.

The Best Mongolian Beef

I've been making a couple varieties of this recipe for several years now, and it's always a crowd pleasure.  Cheap, quick, easy, and flavorful.  I ultimately merged two recipes and have settled on what I think is the BEST way to make this dinner.  Yum!  Enjoy!

Asian-Style Green Beans

We typically like our green beans with butter, salt, and garlic, but occasionally dinner calls for a more Asian-inspired bean, and this recipe does the trick!  We love to serve these with The Best Mongolian Beef.

Instant Pot Chicken Wings

There are many reasons to love the Instant Pot, but one of the best reasons is that I RARELY remember to thaw meat in time for dinner.  Anyone else?  I'm always amazed when I can throw a frozen chunk of meat into the IP, and, in a matter of moments, it's thawed and cooked.  These wings took a little extra work to crisp them at the end, but it was definitely worth it.

Stovetop Popcorn

I've done this TWICE ever in my life, so that makes me qualified to blog about it, right?  This is SUCH a fun afternoon snack/activity to do with kids, and we love to pop it up and then grab a book to read aloud.

4 Ingredient Breakfast Burritos

Anyone else get frustrated when you have to scroll and scroll (and scroll) through a blogger's story to get to the bottom of the page for the recipe?  Yes?  Great, you're in luck.

Here's the recipe:

Potato Salad

Potato Salad
3 lbs yukon gold potatoes, chopped into bite sized pieces (should just fill a 9x11 pyrex)
tbsp kosher salt
1 1/4 cup mayo
2 tbsp (not heaping) yellow mustard
1 tsp celery seed (not celery salt!)
3/4 tsp smoked paprika (this is very different than the paprika in your pantry that does not say smoked)
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup bacon (bag of bacon bits)
5 scallions chopped

Place the potatoes in a pot of luke warm water.  Bring to a boil and let boil vigorously for 3-4 minutes and drain.  Run cold water over the potatoes to stop the cooking process, spread them out in the pyrex and put them in the fridge for 20 minutes.  Mix the mayo, mustard, celery seed, paprika, lemon juice, and pepper in a bowl and pour over the potatoes.  Toss to cover.  Add the bacon bits and scallions and toss one more time.  Cover and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

I didn't take a pic but it turned out fabulous.  Makes 8 servings.