Chicken Paprikash Soup

You guys...today marks the official start of my favorite time of year!  Fall!  Although, let's be real - I bought a pumpkin cinnamon candle, pumpkin spice coffee and had pumpkin-flavored ice cream from Mitchell's last week.  I guess you could say that I've never been one to appreciate the present.  But now that the temperature is going down into the mid-50s every night and I've been waking up freezing every morning, I think I can justify some cozy cool weather food!   Like soup.  Like Chicken Paprikash Soup.  Oh my gosh, I think I love fall so much because soup season officially commences.  And trust me, this Chicken Paprikash Soup is the ultimate comfort food!  It's creamy - but not heavy -and full of roasted chicken, potatoes, onions and garlic in a light herb broth filled with a delicious paprika flavor.  It's the perfect one-pot-meal for a chilly fall day!

Panko-Crusted Mac and Cheese

With Mother's Day only a day away, I'm sure all sorts of people are going out today to buy a bouquet of flowers and ingredients for a cute little breakfast in bed.  Props for the effort, but the holiday routine is getting a little tired, don't you think?  I mean...why have eggs and toast in bed when you can have homemade Panko-Crusted Mac and Cheese for dinner??  Filled with garlic, bacon, green onions and a gooey, amazingly delicious cheese sauce, the flavor profile of this dish cannot be beat!  Oh, well, except when you go ahead and top it with a crispy panko breadcrumb topping for a little crunch!  Treat your mom right this Mother's Day and give her what she really wants, (hint, hint) Mac and Cheese!

Garlic Rosemary Beef Stew

Even though it's finally March, which is spring in my books, I spent the weekend sick as dog!  I was lucky to have my awesome boyfriend Howie by my side from Friday after work to Sunday night.  We tried to make the best of my soft foods diet with homemade Tortellini Soup on Friday night (and Saturday for leftovers, of course!), and and an ahhhmazing Garlic Rosemary Beef Stew on Sunday night.  It was super easy to make and let us be lazy on the couch watching Maleficent and the Cavs Game all afternoon without lifting a finger...except little test tastes to get the seasoning just right!  We started prepping the stew at 1:30, and everything was perfectly tender by 7:00 for dinner.  YUM!