Food has always been a big part of my life and I give all credit to my mom and grandma. My mom was a single parent raising me and my two sisters and did the best she could, working long hours to support the three of us. When she had any free time, she would teach me how to bake, and because of those special moments together, I developed a love for baking which translated into a career in cooking.
I'd love to share some of my fondest family dishes in hopes that others will take this quarantine time to create long lasting memories together or make the recipes that remind them of times shared together with their loved ones.
These recipes are simple and affordable to make, and most of the ingredients will already be in your pantry. Try them once and then play around with different ingredients the next time you make them.
For those of you that are alone during this time or without loved ones, call them up, get that nostalgic recipe they always made for you and make it at home. It'll make it feel like they're eating dinner with you — plus cooking is a great stress-reducer. It's a win-win. Happy cooking!
These are the easiest cinnamon rolls ever and they're so fun to make with kids! Every time I make this recipe, it instantly transports me back to the kitchen with my mom, making these on a Saturday morning. I love making an orange cream cheese icing for the cinnamon rolls when I'm in the mood for citrus or adding in chocolate chips when I'm making them for a house full of kids.
My mom would make her banana pudding for any special occasion in our house. The smell of the homemade pudding was intoxicating, and I'll never forget the first bite of that creamy goodness! The extra time that's required to make pudding from scratch is worth every second compared to the box mix.
Who doesn't love play dough?! I've always heard about making your own, but I thought it was going to be too complicated. Our amazing nanny shared her recipe with me, and I was blown away with how simple it is! The best thing is that it won't dry out like the stuff in the yellow containers. Plus, it's 100% kid-friendly (and edible, although most kids don't really care for the salty flavor!).
I love how versatile this dish is. My family has been making it since I was little. My grandparents had a farm and we would walk down and pick fresh veggies and my grandma would turn it into an easy skillet dinner. My mom modified the recipe over the years and finally put it into writing, and it's made in our house almost weekly. I usually throw in whatever protein and veggie I have laying around that needs to be used in my house.
If you like those easy comfort-food recipes, you should also try these:
