Ratatouille Polenta Bake

Earlier this year some of the girls I work with and I decided to start having a girls night dinner every other month that rotated houses.  Each person could show off their amazing cooking skills while we kicked back, relaxed and had a fun night decompressing after work while drinking a glass, or two, of wine.  It’s nights like these that I just love.  And, the best part about it is new recipes! This one comes from Kate Saletta and is a staple in her family.  I loved the combination of polenta and cheesy veggies! 

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

 I have been on a wild rice kick lately (this is just one of the few recipes I have cooked) and having a great fall!  My house is feeling more and more like a home, especially with the new additions of fall mums, Halloween décor and birch wood logs.  My mom came up and visited a few weekends ago and we had a blast visiting an apple farm.  I keep trying to make apple recipes, but I really don’t like hot cooked apples, so instead of posting recipes I don't like, I decided to post this one - much better!

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Man, time can fly sometimes and the past few weeks have been GREAT.  I got to hang out in Cincinnati for a weekend with friends and see the old stomping grounds.  Lots of fun, laughs, coffee,  walks, food, wine, smores  and maybe even a tear or two from me (I blame it on the wine).   Sometimes it can be hard to have your closest friends spread across the country, but when we get together it is that much more fun.  I got to see my two favorite dogs in Cinci, Hank & Lucy who gave me lots of doggy kisses.   

Spaghetti Pie

Recently I have been on a “tour de Klindt Family Recipes” so that I can 1. Indulge myself a bit and 2. Get all the recipes written and photographed to share with all of you!  This one was introduced to our family when my little brother was born (if I am remembering the story correctly).  A friend of my mom’s dropped off a frozen casserole of spaghetti pie to my parents to help them out a little bit when our family expanded to 3 kids (outnumbering our parents).  

Tomato, Chard and Gruyère Casserole

I plucked this recipe out of Food & Wine magazine a while ago so excited to make it and I am not sure why I have waited so long because it is REALLY good!  It is a rustic dish that is perfect for Fall and Winter (and definitely paired well with the rainy/gloomy day we are having here in Chicago with Smash on in the background).  It is a very hearty dish but could be used for either a main dish or a side.  The one criticism I have is that the prep time does take a while (lots of chopping!) but it is worth it and I am sure there are ways to cut it back (like cooking the swiss chard the day before and slicing the tomatoes). A perfect option for a vegetarian plate at a dinner party.  I would definitely recommend cutting it in half or 2/3rds because it makes A LOT of food and most people don’t have a dish that can handle this size casserole.

Chicken Divan

Well hello friends!  Did you miss me?  I missed writing (and cooking).  Sorry I have been a bit MIA – life has been a tad busy lately.  In short: BIG presentation, wedding dress shopping, Susan visiting, Nielsen friends happy hour, and trip to Louisville, OH for another round of wedding dress shopping and tastings.  Such a whirlwind few weeks and I am exhausted, but had so much fun and have a great report card:

Baked Mac & Cheese

T-Minus 9 months.  That is the time I have left to whip my booty back into shape for Ann’s Wedding.  Actually, in exactly 9 months I will probably be suffering through hangover as it will be the day after Ann and Matt’s wedding, but I digress.  While I was at home for the holidays I had one of those moments when everything clicked.  I knew I was going to be stress free from work for almost two weeks and I would have zero excuses to not work out.  Libby was heading back to her family for Christmas so she left her dog Moxley in our care, making him a great buddy to kick-start my workouts and go for long power walk/jog.  Despite getting caught in a down pour and pretty cold temps, Mox and I had a great time.  I am proud to say that I have kept up my workouts even after returning to reality (aka work). 

Chicken Tetrazzini

Last weekend was a very special weekend…it was my best friend, Tamara’s, baby shower.  She is the first out of our group of friends to have a baby so it has been a fun 8-ish months watching her belly grow.  Thankfully she doesn’t mind friends constantly touching her belly, which I do every time I see her.  Even after the shower a few of us were hanging out in the hotel room catching up and we each had a hand on her belly, just waiting for Baby Gibbs to make a move. 

Broccoli & Rice Casserole

A weekend weather forecast of cold and rainy weather means cleaning my apartment, doing laundry, and other indoor activities, only venturing out to run necessary errands.  This weekend I decided that I should attempt to take on my overflowing closet and pack up some clothes I haven't worn since I moved to Chicago (2.5 years ago) to donate to Goodwill.  In addition to this pre-winter "nesting" activity I had an urge to go through the millions of recipes I have clipped out of my cooking magazines and find some yummy comfort food...and what doesn't say comfort food like a casserole!?!