Glide Zen

Spaghetti with meat sauce is one of my favorite Italian Classics. I grew up on it. I decided to post a second version in case you don't have 5 - 8 hours to tend my other recipe  as it simmers. I myself don't always have that much time to wait, so when I don't I often use a jar of marinara sauce and just doctor it up a bit. A jar of spaghetti sauce can definitely come in handy when needed, but to me they just lack flavor. All it takes is a few fresh ingredients along with some dried herbs and you've got a spaghetti sauce worthy of an Italian restaurant. I love a simple weeknight meal that pleases everyone and this simple sauce is sure to do just that. Enjoy! Simple Spaghetti Sauce Yields about 4 - 6 servings Ingredients: 1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce* 3/4 lb lean ground beef 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced (I love garlic so I use 2) 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish 1 tsp dried parsley 1/2 tsp dried th...

Looking for an amazing, delicious and cheap dinner recipe for a busy day? Then look no further, this meal takes about 5 minutes prep work and it's flavor is phenomenal. It only takes is a few simple ingredients to spice up a cheap cut of beef. These french dip sandwiches are loaded with fall apart tender beef (if your roast isn't fall apart tender after cooking it 8 hours then you may want to consider a purchasing a new slow cooker, I used one once that had a gap between the lid and the slow cooker so it didn't have a good seal on it, therefor the roast cooked unevenly and wasn't anywhere near tender enough). Cheese is optional but I'd say it's a must, it perfectly compliments all the flavors of the beef.  Serve this sandwich with a side of kettle chips and you've get a dinner that couldn't get any simpler. Yes you could brown the beef in olive oil prior to slow cooking it, and you could replace the onion powder and garlic powder with the real thing ...

Don't you love when you finally get around to making one of those recipes that you've had pinned or bookmarked for several months, especially when it's a really good one? This is one of those for me and I'm telling you I shouldn't have waited this long to try it.  These remind me a lot of Scotcheroos (if you've ever had those) but without the butterscotch flavor and rather more peanut butter flavor thanks to the topping of those ever so amazing Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I love Scotcheroos but I'd have to say I like these even more. These incredible easy to make treats are chewy, crunchy, deliciously sweet, perfectly peanut buttery along with just the right ratio of chocolate (to mimic the flavor of the Reese's) and then they are finished of with the crowning jewels, the melt in your mouth Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. All that and it's destined to make one highly addictive, not to be forgotten treat. This is one you'll want to pi...

Someone please take this popcorn from me, I can't resist it =)! How I love specialty popcorn. This is definitely one of my new favorites. It taste like lemon cream pie, in sweet, crunchy, popcorn form. Basically, it's literally irresistible. The method of preparing this popcorn recipe may seem a bit odd. That is due to the way the oils and acidity of the lemon juice and zest react with the white candy melts. I made four different batches, knowing ahead of time what I was getting into. I thought the lemon juice probably would cause the white candy melts to seize up after melting and they did. I wasn't sure if the lemon zest would do it too, but it did. So, I found the best method was as listed. I coated the popcorn in the plain white candy melts  without  mixing the lemon juice and zest into the candy melts. Then while the coating over the popcorn was still moist I added the lemon zest so it would stick well, then I let the coating dry a bit before adding the juic...

Anything that contains the word "Caprese" in the recipe title, I'm in. I love Caprese entrees and appetizers and I love a hot off the griddle grilled cheese. When the two are combined together you get an intensely delicious sandwich that you won't easily forget. Obviously you don't have to use fresh bread as I listed in the recipe, but I figure if you are going to fill a sandwich with fresh mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and fresh basil then you may as well keep a good thing going. Looking for a delightfully simple and quick lunch or dinner idea? Look no further because it doesn't get much easier than grilled cheese and this is grilled cheese done right. Enjoy!   Caprese Grilled Cheese Yields 1 serving Ingredients: 2 slices fresh bread (I recommend sourdough or rustic white bread) 3 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced into rounds or grated* 4 - 6 Roma tomato slices 1 Tbsp chopped, fresh basil ribbons freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 tsp extra virgi...

Is there anything like a delicious, made from scratch Thanksgiving meal? Many people settle for the stuff that comes out of a can or a box, and that's just it, it's settling. If you find yourself to be one of those people that is settling, I would highly recommend this year you give the homemade alternative to the pre-packaged and processed Thanksgiving foods a try. The two are a night and day difference. Like this for instance, one comes in the shape of a can while it's homemade opponent has a spoonable texture and begins with fresh fruit. Not to mention this is unbelievable easy to prepare.  Cranberry sauce and turkey were made to be together. It's another Thanksgiving must. Here's a few random ideas if you happen to have any left over cranberry sauce after the holiday: spread over toast or pancakes serve warm over chocolate or vanilla ice cream spread in a turkey sandwich  make into a dressing or  vinaigrette spread over a cream cheese layered ba...

Some of you may be thinking, what is with this girl? Does she only eat pumpkin? I know I've posted a lot of pumpkin recipes lately, but it's just that time of year =). Also the other reason, I always buy the huge can of pumpkin puree because I can get it for the price of what the small can costs. So why would I buy the small can? It just wouldn't make sense. I hate wasting though, so I buy the large can and then I can get two, sometimes even three different pumpkin recipes out of it (unless of course I'm making pumpkin pie).  I saw this Pumpkin Pie Dip floating around Pinterest so I thought, ooh yes I must try that! I liked that this recipe didn't use cool whip as some of the pumpkin pie dips do. I changed a few things from the original recipe. I thought it needed a little more pumpkin flavor so I added an additional 1/4 cup pumpkin puree (to the 1 cup listed).  I omitted the pumpkin pie spice and rather just increased the cinnamon, added nutmeg and cloves the...

There's nothing like a fall apart tender roast that's cooked low and slow along with some fresh veggies and a seasonings to highlight all of it's delicious flavors. This meal is one of the easiest meals you'll ever make. Yes there are countless ways to prepare a pot roast. You can be professional and brown the roast in some olive oil prior to slow cooking, as well as sauteing some sliced onions and freshly minced garlic. To me though, a slow cook meal is a hassle free meal. One that you can toss in and go. A busy day one pot meal. So, I created this recipe to be just that, no browning or sauteing required. The hardest part of this meal is dicing the potatoes, yes that's just how easy it is. Anyone can make this and everyone will utterly and completely enjoy it! Flavorful, unbelievably simple and amazingly delicious. If you want you can throw it all in from the beginning (roast first then veggies on top), I just prefer that my veggies don't turn to mush. That...

I will just say it people, these  Tarts On Fire sticks  are the must have cookware of the year! They are the best thing since S'mores. Actually, I never thought I'd say this but S'mores are now a thing of the past, these are going to be my number one dessert choice at campfire cookouts. These Tarts On Fire sticks are a product that is well worth the money, and they are made of stainless steel so these things are built to last. This is one of those genius inventions that's like, man why didn't I think of that =)? Nic (creator of Tarts On Fire) you have created something phenomenal! Every single person that tried these agreed that not only were they the new "it" thing but the end result of what they can cook is undeniably delicious (and I want to add, normally I'm all about made from scratch. I did not make one thing from scratch with these. I used store bought refrigerated biscuits, canned pie filling and canned whipped cream and these campfir...

Yesterday I posted an Authentic Italian Meat Spaghetti Sauce so today I wanted to post a vegetarian Italian pasta dish. Trust me though you don't need to be vegetarian to fully appreciate this pasta.  I didn't know exactly what kind of pasta I wanted to make, and then I realized I had some lemons I needed to use up while they were still fresh. Also, browned butter is a great way to add flavor to simple dishes so I decided why not combine the lemon with some browned butter. They seem as though they were made to go together. The great thing about this pasta is that it's elegant, full of fresh flavor, incredibly simple and it can be made in 15 minutes. Have guests over and impress them with this delicious, flavorful pasta. No one needs to know how easy it was =). Enjoy! Who knew almonds made such pretty little flowers... Browned Butter Lemon Pasta Yields about 3-4 servings Ingredients: 1/4 cup butter 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic, finely mince...

Alas, Cookies and Cream Rice Krispie Treats have met their match. I didn't know if I could ever have a Rice Krispie Treat I liked as much as those... that is until these came along. I've been wanting to make a coconut Rice Krispie Treat for some time now, who knows why I waited this long to try it. Basically, I love coconut anything. It's like an instant upgrade to whatever it's added to. It turns ordinary Rice Krispie Treats into gourmet, extraordinary Rice Krispie Treats. Once you try these you will likely agree that marshmallows and coconut were made to go together. Try these soon because I'm nearly certain you're going to fall in love with these irresistibly delicious and incredibly quick and easy White Chocolate Coconut Rice Krispie Treats!  White Chocolate Coconut Rice Krispie Treats Yields about 15 squares Ingredients: 3 Tbsp butter 1 (10 oz) bag marshmallows - about 40 large marshmallows or 4 cups miniature 1/2 tsp coconut extract 5 1/2 c...

Mmmmm doughnuts. Who doesn't love them? I love that this version comes in muffin form and tastes just like cake doughnuts without being fried! Therefore they are easier, healthier, with less frying mess to clean up and they taste just as good as the real thing. I saw this recipe over on Fine Cooking  and knew I had to try it. After reading through the reviews I made a few adaptations of my own to add flavor, increase muffin height, slightly change texture and opted to go for a doughnut glaze rather than a buttered cinnamon sugar coating.  Now the only problem I have is that I want to eat them for breakfast, brunch, lunch, linner and dinner. I'm excited to try other variations of this muffin in the future (like orange cranberry, lemon poppy seed, dulce de leche, blueberry or jam filled, chocolate or pumpkin). Endless and delightfully delicious possibilities. Enjoy! Glazed Doughnut Muffins Yields 1 dozen Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 1/2 tsp baking ...

Who doesn't love a quick and simple meal that wows? This Pasta with Browned Butter and Mizithra cheese can be made in 15 minutes, yes 15 minutes, and its a recipe you are going to want to keep for life.  In my opinion one of the best entrees you can get at the Old Spaghetti Factory is their Spaghetti with Mizithra and Browned Butter. It is simply amazing! But, why go there and spend $11 for one when you can feed a family of 4 the same meal for less than that at home? It's funny to me posting such a simple recipe because it's so simple you don't need a recipe for it, this is more sharing the idea if you haven't yet tried it.  Another great thing about this meal is that it pleases everyone, from the gourmet sleuth to your pickiest eater. No one can deny the delicious flavors of this pasta. And "Mizithra," isn't it just fun to say? You can serve this garnished with chopped fresh parsley like they do at The Old Spaghetti Factory but I really don...

Anything that contains the word "Caprese" in the recipe title, I'm in. I love Caprese entrees and appetizers and I love a hot off the griddle grilled cheese. When the two are combined together you get an intensely delicious sandwich that you won't easily forget. Obviously you don't have to use fresh bread as I listed in the recipe, but I figure if you are going to fill a sandwich with fresh mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and fresh basil then you may as well keep a good thing going. Looking for a delightfully simple and quick lunch or dinner idea? Look no further because it doesn't get much easier than grilled cheese and this is grilled cheese done right. Enjoy!   Caprese Grilled Cheese Yields 1 serving Ingredients: 2 slices fresh bread (I recommend sourdough or rustic white bread) 3 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced into rounds or grated* 4 - 6 Roma tomato slices 1 Tbsp chopped, fresh basil ribbons freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 tsp extra virgi...

Is there anything like a delicious, made from scratch Thanksgiving meal? Many people settle for the stuff that comes out of a can or a box, and that's just it, it's settling. If you find yourself to be one of those people that is settling, I would highly recommend this year you give the homemade alternative to the pre-packaged and processed Thanksgiving foods a try. The two are a night and day difference. Like this for instance, one comes in the shape of a can while it's homemade opponent has a spoonable texture and begins with fresh fruit. Not to mention this is unbelievable easy to prepare.  Cranberry sauce and turkey were made to be together. It's another Thanksgiving must. Here's a few random ideas if you happen to have any left over cranberry sauce after the holiday: spread over toast or pancakes serve warm over chocolate or vanilla ice cream spread in a turkey sandwich  make into a dressing or  vinaigrette spread over a cream cheese layered ba...