Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and Thanksgiving dinner is probably my favorite meal of the year. And I love eating the leftovers again on Friday, and even the next day. And I always appreciate recipes that help you use up your leftovers in creative ways, but at some point, I’m just done with turkey/potatoes/gravy and I’m ready for…
Everything Else
Food for Thought #1: October
Hey y’all! I’m experimenting with a new type of post – a once-a-month, non-recipe, possibly-rambling look back at the month. Hopefully it will be a little easier to accomplish than ye olde meal plan of the month, which was Too Hard for Me.
How I Stock My Pantry at Trader Joe’s.
I went to Trader Joe’s for the first time when we lived in Charlotte many moons ago. My friend Mishelle took me, and it was love at first shopping trip – but it was also kind of overwhelming. I didn’t really know what to expect, so I didn’t come with a shopping list, and I…
Just Show Up…with food.
We have a sweet picture book called The Lord is My Shepherd that paraphrases Psalm 23. My favorite page is this one: “You give me delicious food, even when there is danger around me.”
Help Me Improve {Reader Survey}!
I’m hoping to make Year 2 even better! Would you help me out by taking this short survey? It will only take you a couple of minutes, promise, and it’s completely anonymous. I’m really thankful that you’re reading, and I want to make Bet On Dinner as useful as possible! :o) Thank you SO much!…
Celebrating One Year!
This time last year, I was writing my first post in my head, trying to figure out how the heck to do the technical part of setting up a blog, and, you know, having a 10-week-old baby. I can say without a doubt that this is the best hobby/fake job I’ve ever had! I love…
GIVEAWAY: Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix!
Heeey! Guess what?? This week, Bet On Dinner turns ONE YEAR OLD! Happy Birthday to us! :o)
A Few Bonus Pizza Tips.
Please enjoy the following bonus pizza tips (in the form of, um, what NOT to do) written by my talented sister Laurie after her first homemade frozen pizza adventure! Step 1: Make pizza dough following the 4-pizza recipe. Divide the dough ball in half. Separate one half into 2 parts to cook tonight. Separate the other half into…
The First Thing I Cooked In My New Kitchen.
I had a lot of romantic ideas about what The First Thing I Cooked In My New Kitchen would be. But then – the first thing my new oven ever cooked in its life was a Stouffer’s lasagna, and the second thing was these crispy parmesan potatoes to go with a rotisserie chicken. And I…
Things I Missed From My Kitchen.
Technically, I’m still missing these things, because our move-in was delayed by a week. But soon we’ll be reunited – the truck is coming on Saturday! (I also miss my puppy buddy Moses up there, who we dog-sat for at the end of our time in Raleigh!) I’m attached to many things in my kitchen,…
Wilmington.
We did it! We live in Wilmington now. In a place where there are seagulls flying around the grocery store parking lot! And since we’re in a rental until we can close on our house and officially move in, it definitely feels more like vacation than real life at this point. Plus, the beach.
What to do ahead of time (Moving Tips).
I’m taking a quick cooking break to share my moving expertise (gained the hard way: 8 moves in 9 years). Hope you find some tips to help ya!
The First Day Box (Moving Tips).
In just under 9 years of marriage, we’re in the midst of our 8th move. [insert wailing, teeth-gritting, and turning-to-ice emojis here] By default, we’ve gotten pretty darn good at it. And because of the transition craziness (and it’s literally, actually 100 degrees outside and you don’t have to cook in triple digits, you just…
The BYOM Potluck Cookout (the easiest way to entertain this summer).
I have a wonderful friend named Julie who is the creative mind behind the amazing Happy Home Fairy blog. She has lots of fun and totally doable ideas – perfect for the crafty and uncrafty alike! (Check out this adorable free printable for Father’s Day!) She’s also one of the best sources if you need some encouragement in your…
A Quick Quesadilla Tip.
This is just a little quesadilla PSA. In theory, quesadillas are such a quick, easy, and cheesily delicious meal – but if you’ve ever tried to flip a 2-tortilla, overstuffed quesadilla and lost half of its innards in the process, this tip can save your dinner!
That time I had to sell my house.
Big news – this summer Bet On Dinner will have a new base of operations! Our family is moving to Wilmington, NC, and all of a sudden it’s happening soon. The past two weeks we’ve been up to our necks in getting-the-house-on-the-market projects – lots of paint and general sprucing up, and plenty of wishing we had…
Pies I’ve Pinned (Happy Pi Day!)
In honor of Pi Day (3.14) on Saturday, I mined my Pinterest boards for all the pies that have made me drool! Here are some recipes to help you celebrate!
Merry Christmas!
Well, hey! I took a little holiday blogging break, on purpose…and that extended into a second week, because life. Post-Christmas has lots of extra jobs – unpacking from traveling, attempting to organize and assimilate new toys, putting away the decorations and vacuuming the pine needles (I mean…the tree is gone! Are they breeding??), and finishing off…
Healthy Takeout.
I bet you thought this was going to be a cook-at-home version of takeout foods – but we’re talking about real takeout. Glorious, glorious takeout. We had A Day over here today – the kind that makes me look at my lovely meal plan and the delicious ingredients in my fridge and text Jay to let…
Welcome!
Hi, I’m Bet. Welcome to Bet On Dinner! This blog is a resource for people who love food and welcoming family and friends to the table with it. I’ll be sharing foods we’re eating, and introducing you to both our family favorites and some of the awesome blogs and web resources I depend on for tasty…