Category Archives: Food

Sep4

Lookout, Cookout

Posted on September 4, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hello! Every summer Johnny’s job has a company picnic with food trucks and raffle prizes. He has worked there for five years and has never won squat until this year. There were plenty of great prizes to be had and, unfortunately, Johnny got the one thing we can’t use: A mini charcoal grill called the Smokey Joe lol. Any type of grill is grounds for eviction in Timber Top because it is such a huge fire hazard in our wooded community. So, the Smokey Joe found a new home at my in-laws’ house. When Johnny took his winnings home from the picnic, we had no idea when we were ever going to use it. Then, it pulled through in the clutch for a Labor Day cookout with Johnny’s mom and dad:

Johnny had the brilliant idea of arranging our cookout get together and using the new grill to make my veggie burgers and hot dogs to avoid contamination. He is so thoughtful! After working a little shift on Monday morning, we headed over to chez parents to start the festivities and it was just the best time. Johnny’s mom manned their grill, Johnny’s dad handled the Dutch oven peach cobbler, and Johnny and I worked together on the Smokey Joe as it was my first grilling experience. By the time we were done at our respective stations, we had a delicious meal in store for us. The veggie burgers and hot dogs hit the spot but top marks definitely go to the peach cobbler. I have been asking Johnny’s dad to make it for forever and he deemed our cookout as the perfect occasion. It was as heavenly as I imaged it to be!

After we were beyond full, we retired inside because it was getting kind of chilly out. This was a nice change of pace from the ninety degree days we were having last week but it was still a shock to the system! As we warmed up, we chatted away and got all the doggo snuggles from the precious Odie. It was about all we could muster while being in a full blown food coma lol. Before we left, Johnny’s mom loaded us up with leftovers and an amazing surprise – some gorgeous vintage lamps that belonged to Johnny’s grandma. I can’t wait to show all of you. 😀

This was the first time Johnny and I have actively made Labor Day plans and our cookout was the most wonderful way to spend it. Even though we can’t use the Smokey Joe at our apartment, it proved to be an awesome prize after all!

What do you like to bring to a cookout? How did you spend Labor Day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep3

Friday Night Dinner Club

Posted on September 3, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Johnny and I truly hit the jackpot when we moved into our bigger apartment a few years ago. We have ample space, were able to get the bunnies because of it, and best of all – we have the best neighbor! Our downstairs neighbor, Tony, is one of my favorite people in the world. He is in his late sixties and I always like to think of him as my pseudo grandpa. Johnny and I would see Tony outside every day on his smoke breaks and we became fast friends after making introductions. We love going to the gun range together, shooting pool, watching movies, and participating in Friday Night Dinner Club.

Friday Night Dinner Club is exactly what it sounds like lol. Once or twice a month, we go out to dinner together and take turns on who’s picking the restaurant and who’s paying. This has been a staple in our schedule for the past four or so months and is something we always look forward to. It gives us a chance to catch up, have a good meal, and enjoy each other’s company. From Mexican and Italian to chain restaurants or bar food, we go everywhere and it’s such fun to see where we will end up next!

This past Friday, we had a Dinner Club meeting at Luigi’s which is an absolute must in Akron, Ohio. This was a highly anticipated outing because they were closed during our last attempt to go and we haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Luigi’s is a mom and pop style Italian restaurant and offers a huge menu of pizza, sandwiches, pasta, salads, and the like. The portions are more than generous and Tony and I barely made a dent in our pasta. Meanwhile, Johnny annihilated his meatball sub lol. We have been waiting on this meal for over a month and I think everything tasted even better because of it. Having two extra meals out of leftovers is also never a bad thing. 😀

I am so glad that Friday Night Dinner Club has become our “thing”. It’s something so simple but it hits just right every single time. I have hung out with some neighbors once or twice during my extensive tenure at Timber Top, sure. However, I have never had a neighbor like Tony that feels like a true neighbor. He has turned into family – someone who we end our meetings on with an “I love you” and that means so much to me. Johnny and I love our apartment and our Dinner Club co-captain plays a huge part in it!

Johnny is choosing the restaurant for our next meeting and he has been carefully weighing his options. Wherever it is, we are going to have the best time. We always do!

Do you do anything similar to our Dinner Club with your friends? Do you have an awesome neighbor? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug22

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Posted on August 22, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy!! When it comes to finding new recipes for dinner, I have been in a rut. I did away with Pinterest a while ago because I was sick and tired of pinning recipe after recipe and never making it lol. So, I decided on a different approach and have just been Googling dinners I am interested in trying. This has been so much easier because I limit myself to the first few five star recipes that show up rather than scrolling through and trying to find just the right one. With this new system, I wanted to try out a recipe I found for vegetarian stuffed peppers from The Modern Proper. It was alright but didn’t blow me away so I definitely plan on making some changes if I make them again! Let’s get to it:

When I am looking for new recipes, I always look for simple meals that require minimal ingredients. The recipe for the vegetarian stuffed peppers called for twelve or so different ingredients and you are likely to find quite a few of them in your own pantry or fridge. I did! The prep work for the peppers was easy peasy and only involved chopping an onion, a few green onions, and a bell pepper. What took forever, however, was cooking the rice! I had no idea it would take that long and it turned the prep time into an almost hour long process. I literally finished it in the knick of time during a quick work break and had to leave as soon as I was sure that the rice was fully tender.

After work, all that was left to do was top the peppers with tons of cheese and stick it in the oven. Johnny and I were both SO hungry and couldn’t wait to dig in after it cooked for about forty minutes. The end result was just okay. Johnny didn’t particularly care for it and I wasn’t surprised in the slightest. The biggest disappointment to me was the flavor because it was really bland. The recipe called for one packet of taco seasoning and salt and that was it. I would have preferred a lot more kick to it so if I make them again, I would do my own thing with the seasoning. Cayenne pepper, chili powder, maybe a bit of hot sauce too. This recipe was not the best or the worst and the jury is out on if I would try it again.

Even though we weren’t overly impressed with the vegetarian stuffed peppers, I am glad I gave it a shot. You never know if you don’t try!

How do you like to find new recipes? What are some of your favorite vegetarian dishes? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul7

Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo Taste Alike Recipe

Posted on July 7, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo Taste Alike Recipe

Howdy!! Johnny took me to the Olive Garden for my thirtieth birthday celebration and it was simply divine. It was a Middle Class Fancy night on the town, indeed, and the Fettuccine Alfredo from the OG is never far from my mind lol. So much so that I just had to find a taste alike recipe for it. This past Wednesday, I tried my hand at a recipe submitted on Food. by Robbie Rice. I am pleased to report that it was, hands down, the best taste alike recipe I have ever made. I felt like I literally ordered takeout from the Olive Garden after one bite! Check it out:

The Fettuccine Alfredo recipe was an incredibly easy one to make. It required under ten ingredients and the preparation was just a matter of stirring them together. The only things that I did differently was add a healthy amount of minced garlic to the butter as it melted. And when I say “healthy” I mean six cloves lol I love me my garlic! I am also really glad that I did because I think the sauce would have been too bland without it. The other modification I made was using way more black pepper than the one teaspoon the recipe called for. However, it wasn’t enough! I still needed a bit more salt and pepper with each serving so I would definitely recommend taste testing the sauce a few times until you get the flavor to your liking.

This recipe took about twenty minutes to make and by the time I was done, Johnny and I were SO ready to dig in. We were both in carbohydrate heaven and savored every single bite. The Alfredo sauce was rich, creamy, and absolutely perfect. In fact, Johnny told me he liked this rendition of the recipe even better than the Fettuccine Alfredo at the Olive Garden. No shade to the OG, but I have to agree. Yes, it’s nice to go out to eat. What we love the most, though, is a home cooked meal and this gave us the best of both worlds. I cannot wait to make this again – especially when my dad has a more bountiful harvest of parsley from his garden for the garnish!

If you are as fond of the Fettuccine Alfredo from the Olive Garden as I am, then you have to try this recipe out. You are going to be in for such a treat!

What is one of your favorite taste alike recipes? Have you tried cooking something new recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun28

Best Husband Ever

Posted on June 28, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! In this day and age, it does not take much for me to feel overwhelmed. I have a lot going on and a ton of responsibilities and I am just one Lil Red, after all! This has definitely been effecting my mood and I just feel exhausted and under appreciated. Needless to say, I am SO looking forward to some much needed time off next week. This Tuesday, however, ended up being a banner day because of my Johnny. It’s not often that this happens, but he offered to make dinner for us and it was exactly what I needed. ❤

I will be perfectly honest – Johnny does not have a ton of recipes in his cooking arsenal lol. He is formidable at using the air fryer, though, and when he asked me if I wanted him to make my favorite of air fried commodities, I was so delighted. For dinner, Johnny made my go to meatless buffalo chicken patties and French fries and it was divine. A simple meal, yes. But it was really nice to be able to chill on the couch and take is easy while Johnny took care of everything. It was incredibly thoughtful and I felt spoiled – he totally clocked that that’s how I needed to feel and accommodated it in the best way he knew how. Taking something off of my plate while also putting something on my plate lol. What can I say, the way to my heart is through my stomach! 😀

Johnny is simply the best and I really am the luckiest gal in the world because of him. He is constantly doing sweet things like this just for me and even on the most stressful days, life is good when I get to come back to our apartment and see him there. He knows that I don’t want or need grand gestures because all of the little things mean so much more to me. It might seem silly, but the most basic meal ever felt like going to a five star restaurant. It was more than enough to make me feel seen and valued. Even more so because I knew that was what he intended and it worked like a charm. What a guy!

Since Johnny was an excellent sport with dinner, I returned the favor by indulging him in watching a WWII documentary together. It was a lovely evening in and I felt way better than I did before. ❤

What is something simple that makes you happy? What do you do when you are in a funk? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun3

Snack Attack

Posted on June 3, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy!! I wouldn’t call myself a big snacker. That’s all my husband’s department lol. Johnny is all about crackers, chips, popcorn, and candy to munch on. I much prefer having a meal and eating actual food until I’m satisfied. That’s not to say that I don’t have my vices, however. I absolutely LOVE tortilla chips and dip. It could be hummus, spinach artichoke dip, salsa, queso, street corn dip – literally anything and I am so there for it. Very much like my darling niece, I am happiest at a Mexican restaurant with a bowl of chips, salsa, and queso! I have never found a grocery store equivalent to queso from a Mexican restaurant. That is, until mine and Johnny’s last grocery shopping trip to Marc’s. Check it out:

In my neck of the woods, Marc’s is a discount grocery store and beloved staple. It is famous for its “closeout aisles” and generally much cheaper prices to its competitors. Every time Johnny and I do grocery shopping, I like to get myself a new container of salsa from their refrigerated section. There are always different variations to what they had previously and it’s nice to have a slight switch up on my favorite snack. During our last trip, the Margaritaville salsa caught my eye. We also decided to throw caution to the wind and get some queso dip from a brand called Gordo’s. Spoiler Alert: The cheese dip was SO good that I made Johnny go back and get more a few days later!

With a kitchen full of fresh groceries, Johnny requested that I make my jalapeno popper quesadillas – one of our favorites. That could be very easily arranged and I was excited to try out our new dips! The chipotle garlic salsa was, hands down, the best grocery store salsa I have ever had. It was spicy, tangy, and each bite was jam packed with zippy pieces of pepper and garlic. The queso took the cake, though! Guys, I kid you not, this queso tastes exactly like what you would get at a Mexican restaurant. If I had a bowl of both queso options, I don’t think I could tell the difference and it is a game changer to snack time. The Gordo’s queso is a true taste alike brand and I can only hope that they continue to carry it at Marc’s. Fingers AND toes crossed. 😀

If you are a salsa and queso fan, I cannot recommend the Margaritaville and Gordo’s brand more highly. RUN, don’t walk to find them because your Snack Attack will never be the same!

What is your favorite snack? Where do you do your grocery shopping? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr17

TGI Fridays Cajun Pasta Taste Alike Recipe

Posted on April 17, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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TGI Fridays Cajun Pasta Taste Alike Recipe

Hello!! Johnny and I are so lucky to have such a wonderful downstairs neighbor. We make frequent visits to his apartment to hang out or go on adventures like trips to the shooting range. About once a month or so, we also like to do a dinner out and we swap whose turn it is to pay each time. Our neighbor is a huge TGI Fridays fan and we both order the same thing every time: Cajun pasta except hold the meat for mine! After our last TGIs trip, I decided that a recipe for Cajun pasta wouldn’t be too hard to make and found one by My Heavenly Recipes. It turned out heavenly! Check it out:

I came across several taste alike recipes for the TGI Fridays Cajun pasta and all of them looked easy enough. As per ushe, I went with the one by My Heavenly Recipes because it only required nine ingredients, a majority of which I already had. All I needed from the store was red pepper, red onion, and chicken breast. Say what?! I cooked chicken?! Yes, I did for the very first time lol. I am truly expanding my culinary horizons because I recently tried my hand at cooking steak too. It wasn’t the worst thing ever, but I hate not being able to taste something that I have made!

The prep work for this recipe was minimal. I cut the peppers, garlic, and onion and let them saute with cayenne pepper. Then, once the veggies were softened, I added in water and tomato sauce to make the sauce and let it simmer. I also had the chicken that I coated in onion powder, black pepper, and Cajun seasoning cooking too. Although I normally try to follow a new recipe to the T, I did make some modifications this time around. Since I wasn’t going to have the extra heat to my dish sans chicken, I added the same seasoning to the sauce and I am glad I did. I did a quick taste test of it and it definitely needed a little something something.

Once the chicken and sauce were at a good place, I began to boil the fettuccine. During that time, the sauce was thickening nicely and the chicken was getting there. The cuts from the store were pretty big so once I was able to, I cut them up to not only speed up the process but ensure that it was fully cooked as our meat thermometer is useless lol. I couldn’t wait to dig in by the time everything was done and I am pleased to report that it was fantastic. This taste alike recipe was spot on and both myself and my neighbor can attest to it. Considering Cajun pasta is one of our favorite meals, this was the best compliment!

I cannot recommend My Heavenly Recipes’ take on Cajun pasta enough regardless of whether you have tried it at TGI Fridays or not. It was so flavorful and had just the right amount of bold heat without going overboard. It was delicious and I can’t wait to make it again!

What is your go to order at your favorite restaurant? What is one of the best taste alike recipes you have tried? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr9

Fake Chicken & Waffles

Posted on April 9, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy!! Every once in a while, Johnny will announce that he is craving something or another. It might be a candy bar, it could be a cup of tea, a huge burger, and anything in between. This past week, he shared with the bunnies and I that he really wanted some chicken and waffles. He then went to the store after work for supplies and made himself the dinner of his dreams that evening. It was so nice to not have to cook lol! I had to admit that the food looked and smelled delicious so I wanted to try a modified version with my MorningStar buffalo chicken patties. Check it out:

I must give credit where credit is due and say that Johnny hit the nail on the head with his idea. I have never had chicken and waffles before and it was the bomb.com! The waffles that he picked out were an inspired choice because they were thick, fluffy, and infused with maple syrup. It was like a flavor explosion paired with the fake buffalo chicken and I have never tasted anything like it before. This meal required no prep whatsoever and it was a relief to make such an easy dinner after a long day at work. I can’t say that I would make this for myself all of the time, but it was definitely a treat.

If you haven’t tried the MorningStar buffalo chicken patties before, I can’t recommend them enough. They are mine and Johnny’s favorite and we always have them on hand at home. I am so happy that Johnny likes them too because I never have to worry about making something else for him. We love making classic chicken sandwiches with them and Southwest wraps. Now, apparently, we love them for chicken and waffles too. Who knew that I would try a new vegetarian creation thanks to my carnivore husband’s craving of the week?! ❤

Although the kitchen is definitely my domain, Johnny does a banner job making simple, innovative meals and I think that’s great. I can’t wait to see what he’s hungry for next and if I can modify it!

Which brand makes the best fake meat? What is your favorite easy meal to make? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr7

The Vegetarian Cooking Steak

Posted on April 7, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! I have been a vegetarian for a very long time and Johnny very much isn’t lol. However, he eats all of the MorningStar and Gardein products and typically orders out if he’s craving a burger. In our almost half a decade long relationship, I think I have cooked bacon five times and steak once. Twice if you count this past Wednesday! I often get asked if it bothers me to cook meat and it honestly doesn’t so much. I just hate to touch it and also the fact that I’m serving a food that I can’t taste for quality control. I am pleased to report that the steaks I made were top notch according to Johnny and our best boy, Cliff, so that’s not bad at all for a second go! Check it out:

Our bestie has been feeling a little low and Johnny asked me if it would be okay if I cooked a homemade dinner to cheer him up. He is so thoughtful and I was more than happy to accommodate. The guys requested my seasoned baked potatoes and steaks and that seemed easy enough! I decided that if I was going to do steaks, I was going to do it right and wanted to find a mesquite marinade recipe to compliment the potatoes. I clicked around online for a bit and ultimately ended up choosing what was the most simple and had the fewest ingredients from The Spruce Eats.

The recipe for the marinade was easy peasy lemon squeezy and used less than ten items – most of which I already had at home. It needed red wine, rice wine vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper. On Tuesday, I mixed the ingredients and let the steaks sit in zip lock bags until it was time to cook them Wednesday evening. To cook the steaks, I fried them in butter with salt, pepper, and a dash of hope that all would go well…

It went… Fine lol. The meat thermometer I was using wasn’t the best and I couldn’t seem to get a clear read on it. The steaks felt like they took forever to cook and by the time I thought to just cut into it to see what was going on, they were already done and should have come off the heat a few minutes prior. Despite that mix up, I was thrilled that both Johnny and Cliff enjoyed them so much and that the marinade was bold, flavorful, and smokey. They both completely cleaned their plates and that was good enough for me!

The next time we have Cliff over for dinner, I’m going to try cooking chicken for the first time ever so we’ll see what happens!

What is something that you have never cooked before? What is a food that you refuse to eat? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar28

Condado – Not Impressed!

Posted on March 28, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Most people hate Mondays, but I absolutely love them. It may be a three AM morning for me, but I always look forward to it. I take a client to work, then I either work from home or go to my online boss’s office. Working with my online boss is just the best and it is so nice to collab face to face on all of our different projects. It’s also awesome to be able to work side by side with someone whose company I enjoy because I am so used to working by myself.

This past Monday, I had an in office day and decided to bring home a treat for me and Johnny: Condado! One recently opened by where I work and I haven’t had it in years. Not since a show Johnny played forever ago in Columbus. I remember it being really good then, but not so much now… Check it out:

For my meal, I did the build your own tacos with a double stacked Sweet Lucy shell (a soft and hard shell with guac and queso), elote queso, and a marg to go. I couldn’t wait to dig in when I got home because I didn’t have time to eat before I left for work. While it was good, it wasn’t that good. The rice was really bland, the queso and guac didn’t have much (if any) flavor, and the chips for dipping were basically cardboard. In fact, I thought the chips from Chipotle were infinitely better! One saving grace was that the to go margaritas were pretty strong and that definitely helped lol.

In my neck of the woods, Barrio reigns supreme in the build your own taco world. Barrio mainly has locations in Ohio, but also has a few scattered across random states too. Despite endless options to add to your taco, I always get the exact same thing every time because it’s just so good every time! Once you have found a combination that you like at a restaurant, it’s hard to try anything different because it simply isn’t the same. I’m happy that I gave Candado another try because it has been on my to do list, but Barrio will be the move from now on. Way better food and prices too!

I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t wishing my order from Condado was Chipotle or Barrio instead. If you already have a favorite build your own taco place like me, Condado is not going to blow your mind so you can save the trip! 🙂

Have you tried any new eateries recently? What was a restaurant you tried that was disappointing? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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