Tag Archives: dinner

Mar3

Dinner At Misnyland

Posted on March 3, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! One of the coolest things that lifewithlilred has ever done for me is thanks to this OOTD rocking some MisnyMerch. That outfit helped me win a contest to attend a party at Misnyland to meet Ohio’s most famous personal injury lawyer, Tim Misny. At said party, I was able to conduct an interview with Tim, we hit it off, and the rest is history. Since then, we have created tons of content together with me as a MisnyMerch spokesmodel and it has been a dream!

While the work is neat, the best part has been making a new friend. Johnny, Tim, and I get along like three peas in a pod and it is a blast to hang out altogether. This past week, Tim treated Johnny and I to dinner at his place to show off his culinary skills and everything was divine:

Something Tim and I really bonded over was our shared love of cooking and serving meals for our family and friends. Next time we do dinner, I call dibs on helping Tim in the kitchen, but he prepared everything himself this time and I felt so spoiled. I can’t remember the last time I sat down while someone else cooked! For our meal, Tim made guacamole, breaded eggplant, tomato bisque, and baked perch for him and Johnny. I was very touched that Tim took the time to consult with me on his menu first to make sure he accommodated my vegetarianism. Everything was SO tasty and I was most impressed by the speed that Tim cooked with. This meal was ready within a half hour and that really blew my mind. Cooking is my me time so I like to draw it out lol.

Johnny and I often get asked what Tim is like in real life and I always say he’s just a guy! Then, I proceed to say that he is simply hilarious, smart as all get out, and a genuinely good person. Johnny and I rarely have the opportunity to make new friends and we enjoy our “Tim Time” so very much. When I began this post, note that I said “one” of the coolest things lifewithlilred has done for me. The top coolest thing my blog has given me is the gift of friendship with countless amazing people and, in this case, I got that too! ❤

I am so thankful to my blog and I always have a moment of “yes!” whenever I interact with anyone that it has put in my path. More Tim Misny X Lil Red collaborations are coming soon so keep your eyes peeled!

Do you like to cook? What is one of your favorite dishes to make? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb6

Cooking Extravaganza

Posted on February 6, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! To me, there is nothing better than grocery shopping. I love that first week of groceries feeling when you have all of the ingredients you need to make delicious meals. Despite a crazy busy schedule, I try to cook dinner as often as I can. Cooking is something I take a lot of joy in and it makes me feel good to make something that other people are going to enjoy. Whenever I make anything, I like to bring a serving to my beloved downstairs neighbor and parents too and I live for when the food is praised! I am seriously one of those people that ask “Do you like it?” ten times during a meal lol. What can I say, I thrive on positive reinforcement!

This past week, I truly outdid myself with fried mozzarella sandwiches, jalapeno popper quesadillas, and baked cacio e pepe. Everything turned out amazing and we had leftovers for days! Check it out:

When I go grocery shopping, I like to get the ingredients to try at least one new recipe. Other than that, Johnny and I have a lot of tried and true meals and will both be happy whenever I make them. This is my second time making the baked cacio e pepe and it turned out even better than my first attempt. I thought the sauce turned out much creamier, it wasn’t as overpoweringly peppery, and the gnocchi was cooked to perfection. I was thrilled about this because I hosted a friend for dinner when I made it and I never want to serve anything that is less than awesome.

Last weekend, Johnny and I had some friends over for a viewing of the Royal Rumble. Jalapeno popper quesadillas were the way to go to feed our guests and they are always a huge hit. Although the prep work is a bit tedious, it’s such an easy meal to make and turns out fabulous every time. Literally all you have to do is cut the jalapenos and broil them. Then you assemble the quesadillas with cream cheese, shredded cheese, crushed up tortilla chips or Nacho Cheese Doritos, and the jalapenos. All that’s left is to fry them up!

While I love cooking for just me and Johnny, it was a huge treat to be able to share meals with our friends too. And also a huge treat to have tons of leftovers! 😀

What are some of your favorite meals to make? What is something that you take pride in? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb2

Fried Mozzarella Sandwiches

Posted on February 2, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! This past week, I have been able to cook a lot and it has been awesome. Don’t get me wrong, I love a frozen pizza as much as the next person, but there is something about a home cooked meal for dinner that hits SO much harder. It is always exciting to go grocery shopping with Johnny because I like to find one new recipe to try out each time along with our tried and true favorites. I usually find inspiration on Pinterest and Facebook and while scrolling through The Book, I found a recipe for Fried Mozzarella Sandwiches by The Petitecook. This was something I knew that both Johnny and I would enjoy and I was dead on. They were the bomb.com! Check it out:

When I am looking for meals to cook throughout the work week, I want something with minimal ingredients and prep time. This recipe had that in spades and required only eight ingredients (Most of which I already had) and took about twenty minutes to make. You just can’t beat that! The process was simple and the end result was delicious. All that needed done was to coat the sandwiches in flour, dip them into a wash of egg and milk, coat in breadcrumbs, and fry up in oil. Easy peasy lemon squeezie!

These sandwiches tasted exactly like a gigantic mozzarella stick and Johnny and I were SO there for it. They were ooey gooey from the huge slices of buffalo mozzarella and crisped to perfection on the outside. This was an incredibly filling meal too – I couldn’t even finish mine!! As soon as we were done eating, Johnny declared that he wanted me to make them again, making it a great success. While Johnny opted to have his plain, I made mine with pesto and sun dried tomatoes. Next time I make them, I plan on doing fresh tomato slices, basil, and a balsamic glaze for me. I can’t wait to try it. 😀

The Fried Mozzarella Sandwich (compliments of The Petitecook) was a true game changer in my dinner roster. It is a tasty take on a classic grilled cheese and I highly recommend it!

Have you tried any new recipes recently? How did it turn out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan30

The Joys Of Eating And Cooking In Your Backyard

Posted on January 30, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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The Joys Of Eating And Cooking In Your Backyard

One of the best ways to enjoy food these days is to take a seat outside and put something nice on the grill. The smell of grilled food, the warm sunshine hitting your skin, and the relaxing conversations of your friends and family members in the background – these are the types of things you can expect when you start eating and cooking more in your backyard. All that and so much more:

Encourage socializing in your family:

If you want to create a family-friendly backyard that also makes your friends and neighbors feel welcome, then consider cooking and eating outdoors. You don’t need to be in a separate room cooking food while your guests are interacting with each other. Instead, you can cook food in the open and have conversations with people. You won’t feel glued to the burner, watching things closely to ensure they don’t cook. In short, cooking in an open area such as a backyard is often a great way to encourage more socialization because we’re not stuck in the kitchen with our back to our guests and family members all the time.

Fresh air is always a plus:

Enjoying some fresh air is always nice, especially if the climate allows for it. Far too many of us are cooped up inside, working from home, and cooking indoors. Opening the windows and doors doesn’t cut it either – it doesn’t replicate the joy of cooking outside and breathing in the fresh air as we enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal.

Even putting together a backyard bar just to enjoy a refreshing drink outside can be a great idea. People often underestimate just how relaxing and soothing it can be to enjoy some good food outdoors surrounded by nature. It’s something we urge you to try at least once to see what it’s like!

More cooking options:

Most people who try grilling food indoors will quickly realize that the flames rarely get hot enough, and it generates a lot of smoke that fills the kitchen and makes things harder for you. Grilling outside on a more powerful cooking device means you can get to higher temperatures, and you don’t have to worry about the area getting filled with smoke or heat from your cooking.

And that’s not to say you can’t use your kitchen either. You can bake goods or prepare food in your kitchen that is ready to be cooked outside. Combine cooking and preparation methods to open up more cooking options that you can try.

Eating and cooking outside might be different at first, but it’s well worth the try. It can transform your cooking, give your family a new place to socialize, and you’ll be encouraged to invite friends and neighbors over too!

Featured Image By: Unsplash (CC0)

Dec27

Creamy Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Posted on December 27, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! I always enjoy trying out new recipes and had a few random odds and ends of ingredients that I didn’t end up using for other meals. This included some lemons and a container of ricotta cheese. I originally planned on using the ricotta for baked ziti, but decided that I wanted to try something different. I knew that I could turn lemons into lemonade with these randos in my fridge and found a recipe by Savoring Italy for Creamy Lemon Ricotta Pasta on Pinterest. Both Johnny and I really enjoyed it and it is definitely one that I will make again! Check it out:

I am a huge fan of lemon pasta dishes. Well, let’s be real – any pasta dish lol. What I like about lemon pasta specifically is how light it is. The zingy flavor reminds me of summertime and after lots of snow in Ohio, it is just what I needed! I thought the last lemon pasta recipe I made was good, but the one by Savoring Italy was infinitely better. The ricotta cheese made it so rich and savory and every bite was a little slice of heaven. My only qualm with the recipe was that it tasted much better the second day. While it was very good freshly made, I always prefer something that I am making to taste its best immediately.

The recipe for this pasta was insanely easy and other than cooking the angel hair pasta that I opted for, the prep time took less than five minutes. All I needed to do was zest and juice the lemons, brown some butter in a pan, and mix it all together with the noodles and cheese. This is probably the fastest recipe I have ever made, which was excellent on a work night. It also used under ten ingredients and I didn’t have to buy anything different to make this recipe in its entirety. There is nothing better than that!

I am eager to make the Creamy Lemon Ricotta Pasta by Savoring Italy again. Now that I have made it once by staying true to the recipe, I plan on doctoring it up with some garlic, spinach, and pine nuts to give it a bit more variety. This meal was a huge success because Johnny was SO sure he wasn’t going to like it and ended up having seconds!

Have you tried any new recipes recently? How did it turn out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec17

Chipotle Taste Alike Recipes

Posted on December 17, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Taco Bell will always be my A1 ride or die fast food establishment. However, I also have a very soft spot in my heart for Chipotle too. I like to think that my homemade guacamole is very similar to their recipe and I found an awesome cilantro lime rice taste alike recipe on Pinterest that I love to make. I decided to try making the additional fixings for a Chipotle burrito bowl from home this past week and it turned out pretty good! Thanks to Pinterest, I found tons of recipes for black beans, fajita veggies, and steak for Johnny that all claimed to be just like Chipotle’s. Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss further:

Recipes Used:

Cilantro Lime Rice: Downshiftology

Black Beans: Dinner Then Dessert

Fajita Veggies: Downshiftology

Steak: Culinary Hill

To make my at home Chipotle burrito bowls, I cooked five different recipes that took about two and a half hours to make in total. None of these recipes were difficult to make and the most time consuming thing was chopping all of the different veggies. To start, I prepared my own personal recipe for guacamole which wouldn’t have taken long at all, but the avocados were really hard. To rectify this, I cut each avocado in half, wrapped them in paper towel, and microwaved them to soften them up. It worked like a charm even though it was a slow going process and I was able to cross it off of my “to cook” list.

Next, I started prepping the fajita veggies and black beans. Overall, I was happy with the fajita veggies but they were missing that extra something. The only seasoning this recipe called for was oregano and salt and pepper to taste. When I make it again, I plan on adding a bit of spice to give the veggies some more kick. The black beans was my biggest bugaboo from this cooking session and is the one recipe I wouldn’t make again. This recipe turned out really saucy and I didn’t care for the amount of onions it called for. I almost think I would be better off cooking the beans in vegetable broth along with the seasoning so I will be winging it the next time I have a taste for Chipotle taste alikes.

The final steps in my cookathon was making the rice and steak. As always, the cilantro lime rice turned out delicious and was easily the best copycat recipe out of all of them. It definitely helped invoke all of the Chipotle vibes and I really think it tastes exactly like theirs. This was my first time ever cooking steak and I can’t say if it was a true Chipotle taste alike or not as a vegetarian, but Johnny loved it and that’s good enough for me! The only thing that I would do differently about the steak is marinate it longer. I let mine sit for over an hour and we both felt that it could benefit from some more time. I definitely breathed a sigh of relief when Johnny gave me his stamp of approval, though, because I had no idea how it would turn out!

The finishing touches on my burrito bowl was adding lettuce, cheese, sour cream, and salsa on top. Even though I wasn’t wowed by the black beans, I was pleased with everything else and it was fun to try and make recipes from one of my favorite eateries from scratch!

What is your favorite copycat recipe? What is your favorite fast food spot? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec9

Linguine With Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Posted on December 9, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Linguine With Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Howdy!! Johnny and I finally went grocery shopping this past week and I could not wait to try out some new recipes. I am planning on doing a Chipotle taste alike meal this weekend and I am most excited for that! During the week days, however, I am always looking for recipes that are easy to make with a limited amount of ingredients. My original plan for a meal this past week was to make sun dried tomato, spinach, and ricotta stuffed shells. Unfortunately, jumbo shells weren’t available at the grocery store, but I bought the ingredients anyways thinking the filling would still be good over linguine.

Later that evening, however, I began to pivot as I was fearful that the filling wouldn’t have enough sauce to coat the noodles with. I decided to start searching for a sun dried tomato sauce that would use some of the ingredients that I already had. After lots of scrolling through Pinterest, I found a recipe for a Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce by Midwest Foodie that I thought would work. The end result was, sadly, one that I was not pleased with. Let’s discuss:

The Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce recipe was an incredibly easy one to make. All I needed to do was blend the tomatoes, oil from the jar, and garlic in a food processor. After everything was blended to a pesto like texture, I put it in a pan with more oil from the tomato jar and let it cook for about a minute. Herbs and vegetable stock came next and once that mixture had a chance to simmer, all that was left was to add the cheese and heavy cream. I followed the instructions to the letter and the only things I changed was using dried parsley instead of fresh and grated Parmesan instead of shredded.

This meal took me about thirty minutes to make and I was really excited to try it. I wanted to like it so badly and Johnny and I both agreed that it was good, but not great. The flavors in this sauce were fairly subtle and they didn’t pack as much of a punch as I would have liked. Granted, this might be due to the fact that I didn’t have fresh parsley or shaved Parmesan. This wasn’t a huge deal and could be fixed with some additional seasoning. The biggest issue was the sauce’s consistency. It was very, very thin and runny. Was it because I didn’t use the shaved Parm? Who’s to say? But, I don’t think it would have made that big of a difference.

I expect this sauce to thicken in the fridge and I’ll add more seasoning to it as I heat it up on the stove top for leftovers. I think that will help a lot, but I do not plan on making this Midwest Foodie recipe again. It’s always disappointing when a new recipe doesn’t go accordingly to plan, but it was fun to cook something brand new!

Have you tried any new recipes recently? How did they turn out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct27

Cacio E Pepe Baked Gnocchi

Posted on October 27, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hellooooo! Johnny and I finally went grocery shopping and it couldn’t have come a moment too soon. We had literally nothing to eat at the apartment and there were several Pinterest recipes that I have been dying to try – one of which being a Cacio E Pepe Baked Gnocchi by Simply Delicious. I am pleased to report that it turned out amazing and both myself and my picky eater husband absolutely loved it. This recipe had minimal ingredients, took under an hour to make, and allowed for plenty of leftovers too. Check it out:

When it comes to cooking during the work week, it is a must for the recipes to be easy peasy. While I really enjoy cooking, I really enjoy relaxing after a long day too lol. The Cacio E Pepe recipe by Simply Delicious was extremely straight forward. All I did was cook the gnocchi, prepare the sauce, stick it in the oven for fifteen minutes and dinner was served. There were no crazy techniques or a litany of ingredients involved and that is something I appreciate. Although I am a great cook, I am definitely no Master Chef!

Speaking of ingredients, there were only ten needed to prepare this dish. The beauty of this recipe is that a majority of the ingredients are things that you more than likely already have. The only items I needed to purchase was the milk, cream, and gnocchi. Not only was the recipe completely new to me, but it included an ingredient that is new to me too – cream!

I have never made a recipe that called for cream and even if it did, I probably would have used milk because that’s what my mom would do. However, I decided to go all out for this dish and use the cream and calories be damned lol. I am so glad that I did because I don’t think the end result would be the same without it. My baked gnocchi turned out divine. It was incredibly rich and just one serving filled me up. Despite it being a short lived meal, each bite was heavenly. The sauce was so bold and flavorful, the gnocchi was tender, and it is one of my favorite things that I have ever made.

As per both mine and Johnny’s request, I will one thousand percent be making the Cacio E Pepe Baked Gnocchi again. Huge shout out to Simply Delicious as the mastermind behind this dish!

What is your favorite kind of pasta? What do you normally cook during the work week? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct12

Slow Things Down At Akron’s Farm Table

Posted on October 12, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! This past Friday was a hoot because Johnny and I went out to dinner with my boss, Karnchea, and his wife, Pam. Karnchea and I have been working virtually together since January and it was SO nice to be able to meet him in real life! In collaboration with our website, Nightlife 330, we were given the opportunity to meet up with the owners of Akron’s Farm Table, have a meal, and get the scoop on the brand new restaurant. It was such a delight to chat with John, Amber, and their sweet son, Tristan, about the ins and outs of Akron’s Farm Table. It’s an amazing concept run by amazing people! Take a look at some pics and read on for a lifewithlilred exclusive interview:

LR: You recently had your grand opening of Akron’s Farm Table and how do you think things are going so far?

John: Slow. We just aren’t getting the outreach right now. But, we offer a good place to come and have a cheap meal that’s all sourced locally. There’s not many places out there that you can get the same type of ingredients for the same price.

LR: What was your inspiration behind opening the restaurant?

Amber: We wanted to make good food accessible in downtown Akron to provide that feeling of security to everyone. We wanted to show people that this is where we get our food from and you can make the same things at home too.

John: Our customers aren’t just dollar bills to us. We want them to be able to come here and have an escape for as long as they need but have the comfort of feeling at home.

Amber: We want people to come and have a cup of coffee, to enjoy our handmade desserts. We want everyone to feel like they can hang out and have a good conversation because everyone has their own story just like we do.

LR: Wow, perfect segue! Tell me about your story.

Amber: John and I met through Plenty of Fish six years ago in November…

LR: Johnny and I met on Plenty of Facebook ba dum chhhh.

Amber: I picked him up from a three quarter house for sober living, John is a recovering addict. I took him home, we got married a year after we met. I picked him up and just never took him home! We want people to know that change is possible and it’s okay to slow things down to get back to your roots.

LR: Your roots are a common theme on your Facebook posts and your menu is filled with comfort classics. What do you both bring to the table for food prep?

Amber: When we started this big idea, John said “cook what you know” and that’s what I do. I cook most of lunch and dinner and John does most of breakfast. Our son, Tristan, is a huge help too!

LR: Are these dishes things that you grew up eating?

John: Definitely! These are recipes that we have known and loved for a long time.

LR: What is your favorite item on the menu?

John: The meatloaf.

Amber: The meatloaf, for sure. We had a lot of trial and error and found that making it in a bread pan made it too dry and grainy. I didn’t feel good standing behind it because I would never serve anything that I won’t eat myself. So we came up with individual patties, instead. We try to think outside of the box so our food is made fresh and not sitting in a warming tray all day.

LR: Where would you like to see Akron’s Farm Table one year from now?

Amber: Open.

John: I want to bring the people here. I would love to create a space for people to sell their fresh produce and come together. I hope in a year people will be here to have coffee and enjoy local produce without driving to the farms.

LR: What would you like to say to your future patrons?

Amber: Come here if you want to slow things down and get back to your roots. If you want to support a small business, we’re a small business and we would love to see you!

Akron’s Farm Table is bringing locally sourced goodness to downtown Akron and it is a joy to see. We loved our evening at this new spot and are sure that you will too. Support local and check it out!

What is your favorite local restaurant? How about your favorite local artist or musician? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul26

Date On The Range

Posted on July 26, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Johnny and I are still going strong with our weekend date nights and we had a literal blast this past Friday. We went to the shooting range with our downstairs neighbor and it was a hoot! Going to the shooting range is something that Johnny and I have always wanted to do together and just never did. He grew up shooting guns with his dad and I have only been to the range once in my life. We are also avid fans of the short lived competitive shooting show, Top Shot, and wanted to feel like our favorite contestants!

After finding out that our new-ish neighbor and new bestie liked to go to the range when he could, we decided to make an evening of it. We hit up Range USA in Canton, then returned back to my apartment where I cooked dinner. It was such a fun and different night out and you just can’t beat the “Friday date night” promo that Range USA runs. It’s buy one lane get one free! Check it out:

Before I went to the shooting range for the first time, I never saw the appeal of guns. After firing off a few rounds, however, I understood it and it was something that I wanted to do again. If you are in a safe and secure setting, why not? And, I hate to brag, but I did really good that first time and was eager to see if I still retained anything I learned from the pro at the range who taught me!

Once our waivers were signed, targets were purchased, and our safety gear was on, we were ready to go to our lanes. The target selection at Range USA was excellent and Johnny and I chose the shooting gallery one. Yes, because it was delightfully reminiscent of Top Shot challenges lol. Every gun I shot was a new experience and it was really cool – even though the rifle kicked like a mule. I was definitely done after four rounds and Johnny had a sore shoulder the next day.

I was really impressed with Johnny’s performance and mine wasn’t so bad, either! Johnny did so well and hit several bullseyes which was awesome to see. I was a bit disappointed with how I did, but then I remembered that this was only my second time shooting with entirely different guns. When I thought about it that way, I was proud of how I did. While I had lots of shots that weren’t on target whatsoever, I had a lot that were and felt great about them!

We had such a good time at the range that we are going to make it a thing. Every other week, we plan on hitting the range and making use of the date night special. We have even recruited two of our other friends to join our club and, of course, have dinner at my place after. Our Date On The Range was the most unique one we have been on yet and we are still chattering away about the good time that was had by all. 😀

Next weekend, it is my turn to select our date and I can’t wait for it. We are going to go shopping at some adorable boutiques in downtown Cuyahoga Falls and get Olive Garden for dinner. Long live Middle Class Fancy!!

What is your favorite competition show? What is the most unique date you have been on? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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