Baked Coconut-Basil Turkey Meatballs

Remember that lesson on combinations and permutations in math class back in the day? That one where you had to figure out how many different combos you could make from a list of items? {Yeah, me either. Math never was my thing.} That's what I think of sometimes when I'm grocery shopping and cooking each week.

If you look in my fridge or pantry, I will almost always have the same staple ingredients from which I make our weekly meals and anything else I'm inspired to cook up. One of the benefits of cooking at home often is that you start to build a well-stocked pantry with items that can be used in various ways. For the most part, certain things like spices, dry goods and condiments last a while, which can be a good thing if you're up for a challenge in creativity... but a bad thing if you can only think of a handful of ways to combine them in a recipe. {"What the HECK am I supposed to do with the rest of this jar of poultry seasoning?!"}

Even though I'm always coming up with new things to share on the blog, the truth is that we get into eating ruts just like everyone else. Ground turkey meat is almost always on rotation in our house because it's inexpensive, relatively healthy and liked by all who live here. BUT, there are only so many variations of sloppy joes, chili and meatballs I can make before we all want to say a permanent goodbye to the gobbler.

The more ingredients you have on hand, the more combinations you can make so that will help you use up ordinary ingredients in extraordinary ways! {Your taste buds and family members will thank you.}

I often look up recipes for different types of cuisines and figure out how to use every day ingredients in exotic new ways, and these Coconut-Basil Turkey Meatballs did not disappoint. I found the idea for the recipe while flipping through an old Cooking Light magazine, and substituted some of my own pantry items for the ingredients I didn't have. {Yes, I totally used puffed rice cereal in meatballs. That's called ingenuity, folks.}

Since I already had this stuff in my pantry and fridge for every day cooking, all I had to do was combine the flavors in different ways to create something new, fresh and really good! I loved how the coconut added another layer of flavor to the spicy meatballs. The sweet and sour tang of the honey and citrus juices made a perfect accompaniment for dipping, too.

You don't have to use basil strictly for Italian cooking, or coconut flakes explicitly for baking. The honey you drizzle over your morning bowl of oatmeal doesn't have to stay in the breakfast category. Like I said, even a box of cereal came in handy since I rarely have bread crumbs around!

I challenge YOU to look at the ingredients you buy every week with new eyes and see how many ways you can combine them into something original! Now THAT'S a lesson on combinations that's worth remembering... and eating! :)

Coconut-Basil Turkey Meatballs 
Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine, January 2011 

1 pound ground turkey {or chicken}
2/3 cup crisp rice cereal {or panko bread crumbs}
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup chopped basil
1 tablespoons chili paste {like Sambal Oelek}
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons low sodium tamari or soy sauce
1 egg, beaten
Pinch of salt


For Sauce:
Juice of half a lime
Juice of one small orange {I used a blood orange, but any will do}
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon vinegar {preferably rice vinegar}
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
Pinch of red chili flakes

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a large baking pan by lining with a piece of aluminum foil and brushing lightly with olive oil. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix together all of the meatball ingredients until well combined.

3. Using a standard ice cream scoop, scoop out the meat mixture and shape into balls. {You should get about 10 medium-large meatballs.} Place meatballs a few inches apart on the prepared baking pan.

4. Brush the top of each meatball with a drop or two of oil. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

For Sauce: Place all the sauce ingredients in a lidded jar. Secure the lid tightly and shake vigorously to combine.

Serve hot meatballs with a side of dipping sauce.

These make a great appetizer or a good dish to serve alongside rice or asian-style noodles.

{Gluten Free} Chicken Nuggets with Pumpkin Seed Pesto | NatureRaised Farms®

I have a few requirements for the dishes that make it to our dinner table:

1. Must taste good.

2. Must be nutritious.

3. Must try to be as natural as possible -- no funky ingredients, excessive processing, hormones & antibiotics --  and ethically produced.

4. Must not take forever to prepare.

5. But really... must taste good.

Sounds pretty basic, right?

You'd be surprised how limiting these rules can be when you're looking for quick meal solutions. Some things taste great but have an alarming amount of questionable ingredients. Or maybe they follow the rules, but the taste leaves something to be desired. If you'll notice, that rule is a non-negotiable!

The good news is there are options that can facilitate making the right choices for your family if your checklist looks anything like mine. And that means that throwing in the towel and making a beeline for the drive-thru will be a distant memory!

I'm going to be honest, I typically don't think to buy my chicken in the frozen section of the grocery store because most of the products in those freezers don't make the cut for me. But when I learned about NatureRaised Farms® working with farmers who care about how their animals are raised and treated so that they can provide a product that meet the list of "musts", I wanted to give them a hug. They get me! 

Because I set high standards in my own home, I appreciate it all the more when companies do the same. Give me something with recognizable ingredients, responsible practices, that taste good, and I'll be your BFFL. {Doesn't take much.}

Since NatureRaised Farms® covered a lot of the bases on my checklist as far as quality, safety and convenience, I was happy to spend my time focusing on my favorite part: Flavor!

Did you know that you don't have to limit your nugget-dipping to barbecue sauce and honey mustard?! I know: mind. blown. You can actually add flavor AND a little extra nutritious boost to your meal by making a dipper like this fabulous Pumpkin Seed Pesto! Served alongside some of my cinnamon-spiced sweet potato mash, this makes a meal that would pass inspection around here.

In my house, you would be more likely to find grilled chicken breast like this as the protein in this dish -- we're not in the "chicken nugget" phase of life just yet with our kiddo. But since I know a lot of you out there are, I just wanted to show that you can still add a little color and freshness to quick family favorites, which is good news for all!{Plus, I couldn't find the grilled chicken breasts in my local Target. Rats!}

I used NatureRaised Farms® Gluten Free Breast Nuggets, which I was able to toss into my cart on a Target run {woot!}. They're fully cooked chicken breast nuggets that bake in under 15 minutes and are breaded in a crunchy gluten free rice flour crust. The best part about this meal is that you can get the Pumpkin Seed Pesto and sweet potato mash made in the time it takes for the nuggets to bake, which means less time from kitchen to table. {See rule #4!}

So, go ahead and have your rules... and eat them, too!

Check out more easy weeknight recipes using NatureRaised Farms® products over on their Pinterest page!

Bonus: You can save 15% on any NatureRaised Farms Purchase from October 25 to November 7 with this Cartwheel app offer! As if you needed any other excuses to visit Target...

Chicken Nuggets with Pumpkin Seed Pesto
and Cinnamon-Spiced Sweet Potato Mash

4 NatureRaised Farms® Gluten Free Breast Nuggets, prepared as directed
1/2 cup roasted, lightly salted hulled pumpkin seeds
Handful of fresh basil -- about 1 cup loose leaves
1 small garlic clove, grated or minced
2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1/4 - 1/3 cup olive oil

For Chicken: Bake as directed.

For Pesto:

1. Place pumpkin seeds, basil, garlic, pumpkin puree in a food processor or blender jar. Pulse a few times to combine, then stream in olive oil while pulsing to reach desired consistency. {If the mixture is too thick, add a tablespoon of water at a time to thin it out.}

2. Taste and season with salt if necessary -- just be careful not to over-season if you used salted pumpkin seeds.

Serve alongside nuggets.

Social post & recipe is sponsored by NatureRaised Farms® Chicken but all comments and opinions are organically my own.

For Sweet Potato Mash:

2 medium sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Add in chopped sweet potato and boil until fork-tender, about 12-15 minutes. {While these boil, make your pesto!}

2. Drain and return to pat. Mash {or use a hand mixer} to achieve desired consistency.

3. Add butter and cinnamon, and mix to distribute evenly.

Serve hot.

Lilly Pulitzer-Style Baked Chicken + A Visit to Lilly Headquarters!

Earlier this year, Steve and I took a trip to Philadelphia to attend a wedding. While scouring the map for areas to visit and sites to see, I made the startling discovery that we would be SO.CLOSE to King of Prussia -- the location of Lilly Pulitzer headquarters!

Now, you know what a Lilly nut I am {though definitely not the kind that would sucker punch a fellow shopper for a Lilly-print hammock, I'm proud to say}, so I immediately began wondering if there could possibly be a way to take a peek behind the doors of The Pink Palace without having to scale a palm tree-pattered wall or hang from a scalloped awning... because I could see how that would be frowned down upon.

I may or may not have gone to pose with the Lilly sign before my invitation was confirmed.

Thankfully, I remembered that I had a contact on the inside -- the lovely Eleni with whom I had worked during my guest blogging stint a few years back. Though I'm normally painfully shy about these types of things {you wouldn't guess it, right?}, I mustered the gumption to send her a little message to let her know that I'd be in the area and hoped to hear back.

As luck would have it, my citrus-colored stars aligned and she agreed to let me pop by for a visit to the mother ship headquarters. To say that squeals ensued is an understatement. {Poor Steve.}

So, off we went to The Pink Palace to check out what happens in print paradise!

It really is pink!

Though you'd think that Lilly's headquarters would be located on a tropical island {or, you know, Palm Beach}, it is actually situated in a quiet, unassuming little area of Pennsylvania as the company's owners since the 90's resided here.

But cross beyond those glass doors and you'll forget that you're not in sunny South Florida. Designed to give employees the "feel" of Lilly's signature island chic vibe, the details of the space successfully transport you to a place where you want to kick off your McKim sandals and relax with an umbrella drink. {Though I can assure you, there was actual work going on throughout the facility!}

A glass atrium complete with pink and green chairs, awnings, ceiling fans {that run even through the cold winter months to keep everyone in the Florida frame of mind} and palm trees serves as a space for large scale meetings and company shindigs. Little details like faux store windows, Lilly-upholstered furniture and even door signs boasting legit Palm Beach street names make you forget that the ocean isn't within walking distance!

Eleni walked me {Well, us. I kind of forgot Steve was there.} through the offices, where I got to meet some of the amazing ladies who help keep the operation running smoothly. Meetings and spreadsheets and marketing plans... there's a lot that goes into keeping a huge company afloat. But in true Lilly fashion, there's always room for a little fun, seen here in the form of the ping pong table meeting room!

Ping pong/meeting room.

It was such a thrill to get a peek at inspiration boards, up and coming prints and collections that hadn't yet hit stores and feel like a true Lilly insider! I was so giddy that I didn't take too many pics, but I assure you that I captured it all in my mind and will forever remember every last darling detail.

Like Pinterest... on a real wall. With champagne. I die.

But alas... my tour had to come to an end. I took one last look around and took a little {mental} curtsy as I wished farewell to Lilly's colorful kingdom!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A few months after my trip, my friends at the Junior League of the Palm Beaches asked if I'd be interested in sharing a special recipe found in the reprint of their 1976 original cookbook, Palm Beach Entertains. The recipe, known as "Lilly Pulitzer's Baked Chicken", was said to be served often by the maven of entertaining herself. Being all hopped up on Lilly everything, I jumped at the chance!

The cookbook is filled with not only recipes to suit the tastes of the most discerning guests, but also a wealth of history about the island's culinary history, as well as stories and accounts that paint a picture of the dinner parties and soirees held by some of Palm Beach's most notable hostesses.

I loved leafing through the pages and taking in the black and white photos of Palm Beach past. A photo of Lilly's well-appointed {for the 1970s!} but casual kitchen was the perfect visual for getting "prepped" {ha!} to recreate her famous chicken dish with a modern, Dianna twist.

Despite her position in high society, Lilly was known for her casual, laid back approach to entertaining and this dish reflects her credo. In Lilly's version, simple, citrus marinated chicken {I mean... would you expect any other ingredient??} is dipped in butter and coated in potato chips... which, yum. To modernize the recipe, I kept the concept of her method, but updated the ingredients to something a little less guilt-ridden --  subbing out the butter for coconut oil and the potato chips for roasted plantain chips. Not only do these ingredients add extra tropical flair of the dish, but they also go well with the Cuban accompaniments that she'd often serve alongside the meal as a nod to her husband's heritage.

It was so much fun cooking up something that Lilly herself would have served to guests in her own home, and also to get to scope out the other recipes in The Junior League's classic cookbook. If you're Palm Beach history buff or have a love for recipe-collecting and entertaining, be sure to purchase a copy of Palm Beach Entertains! All the proceeds of cookbook sales go to charitable organizations; funds raised this year will go toward remodeling a home for children in foster care.

A great big thank you to The Junior League of the Palm Beaches and, of course, to my friends at Lilly Pulitzer for giving my Lilly-loving self the chance of a lifetime!

Lilly Pulitzer-Style Baked Chicken
Adapted from Palm Beach Entertains

1 cup fresh squeezed citrus juice {from lemons, limes & sour oranges}
3 tablespoons light rum
4 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

3 cups crushed roasted plantain chips

1. In a gallon-sized zip-top bag, combine citrus juices, rum, garlic, salt and cilantro. Place chicken breasts in the bag and, pressing as much air out as possible, zip securely. Shake and squish the bag to coat chicken breasts in marinade. Place bag in a bowl or dish and refrigerate for about 2-3 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking dish that will accommodate all four pieces by spraying lightly with non-stick cooking spray or rubbing with some oil. Place the crushed plantain chips in a small pan or dish to prepare for dredging.

3. After the chicken is marinated, remove each piece from the bag and pat dry. Brush with melted coconut oil {or if you'd like, melt the coconut oil in a bowl and dunk in each chicken piece to coat.}

4. Dredge oil-coated chicken chicken in crushed plantain chips. Place in prepared baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes or until the outside is lightly browned and the chicken is completely cooked through.

Serve with rice, black beans and refreshing cocktails!

Hawaiian Style Turkey Sloppy Joes

Most days, I wake up with an idea of how the day should go. You'd think I'd know better by now. But nope. It is with blind optimism that I enter each day with a "plan", though over and over again I am reminded that life is a chaotic, unpredictable thing. I can't even blame this entirely on having a child because some of the things that throw the day off track have nothing to do with him. {Though most of them do. I think I'll keep him anyway.}

This week has been no different. But let's pretend that things went perfectly, okay? Let's pretend that I posted this recipe yesterday as I had intended. Let's pretend that my A/C didn't shut down and turn my house into a sweat box. Let's pretend that the maintenance man didn't have to stop by TWICE to fix it, and then tell me that there was a good chance the utility closet may flood.

Let's also imagine that I, being a responsible and logical renter, heeded the warning issued to me upon moving in and maintained said closet free of anything important, because it isn't a storage closet after all. That I hadn't stuffed the closet full with Christmas decor {that never went up last year since I'd just had a baby and all} and that I most certainly did NOT use it as a place to store my photography backgrounds.

Because if I did do any of that, it would mean that I'd be forced to haul all that junk out in the evening hours when I was so tired I could curl up and snooze IN the utility closet without batting an eye, putting myself in the precarious position of potentially drowning in the flood that never actually happened. I thank the maintenance man for being cautious just the same.

We're still pretending here, so let's just imagine that all those Sterilite boxes of Christmas stuff weren't piled in a corner in my living room, beckoning to my 9 month old to scale them like Mount Kilimanjaro. Because that means that, in moving things out of his reach, I wouldn't have accidentally dropped one of the boxes -- the one filled with GLASS ornaments, of course -- creating hundreds of red and gold shards of glass that needed vacuuming. Oh well, we had too many anyway.

Can we also pretend that I didn't wake up with a pounding headache that wouldn't quit? And that I actually got the recipe I planned to share cooked, photographed and posted? Not that my child screamed incessantly while I stood at the stove because he didn't feel like being penned up in his Pack 'n Play, or that I accidentally flung pineapple pieces all over the floor. Whatever. I got it done and that's what counts.

Since we're assuming all went smoothly, that would mean that I was able to publish the post while the baby napped and then got to sit down and eat something healthy. Not that the moment I sat at the computer, I was roused by a crash that made me think my child had turned into a pole vaulter and sprung himself over the side of his crib. Or that that I stress-ate mini Oreos that I bought for a baking project. Because that was not part of the plan. {On a positive note, I discovered that adrenaline gives me the ability to sprint at Usain Bolt-like speeds. Good to know.}

Life. Is. Sloppy. But it's also delightful. Much like these:

Truth be told we probably eat some version of a sloppy joe at least once a week. It's quick to prepare and you can add anything you want to it -- the perfect refrigerator clean out kind of meal. Sometimes I cook it up Cuban picadillo style. Other times I make it with an Asian flair. At times, it's Greek.

But today... today we're giving it a "Hawaiian" twist, because it's Friday and I need to pretend I'm on on island sipping a Mai Tai. Who's with me?

A little sweet, a little savory and a touch of smoky thrown in for good measure, it's the balance that you crave in your life. Or at the very least, in your mouth. And as it turns out, it's a fantastic thing to dig into this weekend while you enjoy the return of college football. We win.

Let's make peace with "messy" and dig in!

Hawaiian Style Turkey Sloppy Joes

1 small yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup diced pineapple, fresh or frozen
1 pound ground turkey meat

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 large clove garlic, minced or grated
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup water
2 green onions, chopped (divided)
4 Sweet burger buns, such as King's Hawaiian

1. Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and pineapple and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Scoot the onion and pineapple mixture over to one side of the pan and add the ground turkey meat to the empty side. Cook, breaking up the meat, until no longer pink {I like to use a potato masher for this job}. Stir everything together.

3. Sprinkle the mixture with smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and ground ginger and mix to combine.

4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together ketchup, tamari or soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic. In Pour into ground turkey mixture and stir to coat. Cook for about a minute or two.

5. {Use the same bowl for this step and save yourself some dishwashing} Whisk together corn starch with about 1/4 cup water until there are no lumps. Pour into the skillet and stir throughout the mixture -- this will thicken up the sauce. {Note: If it gets too thick, add a little more water to get desired consistency.}

6. Add 1 chopped green onion and cook for another minute or so. Scoop onto sweet Hawaiian burger buns and garnish with extra green onion if desired.

Serve while hot and messy, with lots of napkins! :)

Barilla® Penne with Pancetta, Peas and Parmesan Sauce

It's strange to think that on Sunday, I'll be celebrating my first Mother's Day as a mother. Strange because the more I think about it, the more I'm certain that moms are superheroes... and, I haven't checked the mail today, but no one has sent me my cape just yet.

Sure, giving birth to a child automatically throws you into the category of "mother", but the truth is there's so much more to the role that isn't related to biology. While some women become mothers through the physical act of labor {already a superhuman feat, in my opinion}, others adopt the role when they take children into their homes and hearts without so much as a second thought. The method by which one steps into the part is not nearly as important as what follows -- the exhibiting of those "super powers."

Because what follows is a fine balancing act of love and learning. Tenderness and toughness. Self esteem developing and character building. It's a task that requires enough sacrifice to better the life of another while maintaining a sense of self. It requires forgiveness even when you're angry, patience even when you're frazzled, strength even when you're fragile and confidence even when you're uncertain. All without the help of a handbook! Imagine.

My superhero mother after giving birth to all nearly-ten-pounds of me.

Only a mom can get everything done with very little time... so they must be able to freeze the clock when we're not looking. Moms can take a little bit of love and divide it among each of the people in their lives... and never run out. Magic. Not all moms are doctors...but they can heal wounds, mend broken hearts and stitch us together when we feel broken. Amazing.

Our mind-reading moms know when to step in and when to let us figure it out on our own; they can often tell when we need words of encouragement or when we need to be taken down a notch. Wise. They fly to our side when we call for help and assist us when there are villains who are trying to take us down. Daring.

Me & my older sister with my superhero aunt.

The truth is, moms aren't perfect...they're perfectly human, though you'd never guess it by their daily actions.  Now that I'm one myself, I know for a fact that they don't have all the answers, and that quite often, they're struggling with the questions themselves. But somehow -- whether they know a little or a lot -- they have the ability to make us feel like they've got it all under control.

"Superhero" Abuela & my son, Cole.

I've got a hard act to follow as I learn the ropes, but I can only hope that some of the "super powers" I've witnessed in my own mom and in the amazing women in my life rub off on me so I can keep the tradition going.

Practicing for my future role!

In the meantime, I'll wear my apron while I wait for my cape to arrive! :)

This sumptuous dish is surprisingly uncomplicated and so rich and decadent, perfect for celebrating some of the ladies that we admire!

Barilla® Penne {available at Walmart} makes the ideal vehicle for this rich Parmesan cream sauce. Pancetta adds a salty bite while tender peas sweeten up each mouthful -- it's a little bit of everything you love on a fork! {To be completely honest, I'm not normally a fan of peas, but they work so well here that I didn't give them a second thought!}

Whether you are a mom earning your cape, or are feasting in honor of those who have played an important role in your life, I hope your Mother's Day is filled with all things wonderful, including this sumptuous pasta dish!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Barilla. The opinions and text are all mine.

Barilla® Penne with Pancetta, Peas and Parmesan Sauce

8 oz. Barilla® Penne Pasta
1 oz. diced pancetta
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup half & half
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 ounces shredded parmesan, plus extra for garnish
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 teaspoon dried mint or 1 teaspoon fresh mint

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook until browned and crisp. Once cooked, remove pancetta with a slotted spoon and place onto a paper-lined plate to drain, keeping rendered fat in the skillet. {You may want to reserve a tiny bit for garnish.}

3. Reduce heat. To the fat in the skillet, add garlic and cook for just under a minute until fragrant. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and whisk until smooth; cook for about a minute. Pour in half & half while whisking to avoid lumps. Pour in chicken broth and whisk until mixture is mostly smooth, and allow to simmer and thicken slightly {about a minute}. Add Parmesan and whisk until mixture is smooth and cheese is melted.

4. Add frozen peas and mint to the cheese sauce -- the heat of the sauce will thaw out the peas and should only take a few minutes to heat them all the way through. Stir in cooked pancetta. When pasta is cooked, drain and add directly to the sauce, stirring gently to coat pasta.

Garnish with extra pancetta and cheese and serve hot!