Currently

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Hello! I’ve got a sleeping baby sitting beside me and an iced lavender latte in hand and thought I’d take advantage of nap time this morning to pop in with a long overdue life update. ♡

I realized the other day that it’s been over a year since I last typed out one of these posts while sitting in our sunny kitchen in Barcelona. Which, to be honest, feels like a lifetime ago. (And also somehow like…yesterday?) It’s hard to know where to even begin to summarize how life has changed since then. We’re now back across the ocean living in Kansas City, which is slowly beginning to feel like home again ever since our whirlwind move back with a toddler, elderly dog, eight suitcases, and a newly-positive pregnancy test last June. Since then, we have…

• moved into a 90-yr-old Tudor, which we (probably over-ambitiously) decided to renovate before our second baby’s arrival, while working to stock the place 100% from scratch with everything from beds to bicycles to blenders and beyond
• walked through our second pregnancy and gave birth in the States, which went mercifully smoothly this time around (and was also a very interesting contrast to how things are done in Spain)
• welcomed a wonderful 24-yr-old Costa Rican au pair to our family, who’s going to be living with us and helping with the boys over the coming year
• checked off what felt like a million “getting settled” logistics, including purchasing two cars (a super sad farewell to European walking culture), re-establishing our businesses in Missouri, and diving back into the wonderful world of American healthcare, insurances, taxes, etc
• navigated an intense year of “sandwich generation” learning curves, doing our best to try and care for aging parents and little kids at the same time

And then of course, we brought this little sunbeam home. ♡♡♡

We joked on the day Milo was born that he seemed just “just happy to be here”, and four months later, that still pretty much sums things up! He has turned out to be such an easygoing little baby who’s just happy to eat, happy to sleep (major change from our first baby!), happy to smile and coo and snuggle with anyone…and we truly could not love him more. It’s remarkable how much joy he has added to our little household. And after a fairly disorienting year, his arrival has felt like the missing puzzle piece that’s finally helped Kansas City begin to feel like home again. Of course, the newborn stage has been intense and exhausting in all of its usual ways, but getting to step away from work for a few months to soak up sunny spring walks with Milo and nuzzle his soft skin and and be there for all of his adorable little “firsts” has felt beyond special. It’s never lost on Barclay and me what a privilege this is to get to do this all one more time, especially after the long road to meet him, and we’re just so grateful that he’s finally here.

All that to say, goodness, it has been a year. Definitely one of the more challenging ones on record for our little family, but still with plenty of glimmers of love and joy and fun sprinkled in there all along the way, as life always seems to provide. We’re feeling very grateful to (at least mostly) now be on the other side of the international moving chaos. And while I’ve enjoyed time away from Gimme Some Oven during these past few months of maternity leave, I’m glad to be getting back into some work rhythms again. More updates on all of that below.

Anyway, clearly, lots to share! So without further ado, here’s the update from our little corner of KC… (more…)

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Panzanella

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This delicious panzanella salad is easy to make and bursting with fresh summer flavors.

Summer tomato season calls for allllll the panzanella salads! ♡

This classic Tuscan bread and tomato salad is one of my absolute favorite summertime meals, transforming a handful of humble ingredients into something so special and satisfying. It’s easy to make with homemade garlic croutons (yes, a quick homemade batch is essential to achieve the proper crispy/chewy texture for panzanella), which are then tossed with juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp bell peppers and cucumbers, tangy red onion, loads of fresh basil, and your choice of creamy feta or mozzarella. Then everything gets tossed with a red wine vinaigrette and left to rest for 30 minutes so that the croutons can soak up all of those gorgeous fresh flavors. It seriously tastes like the best of summertime in every bite and those vibrant colors are always such a showstopper. The perfect dish for the season!

That said, one of the best things about panzanella is that it’s endlessly versatile. So feel free to customize your own salad by swapping in whatever type of leftover bread, veggies (or fruit!), cheese, or vinaigrette that you happen to have on hand. However you make it, panzanella deserves a spot on every summer meal rotation. So grab a few pints of fresh tomatoes and let’s make a batch together!

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Affogato

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This classic Italian-inspired affogato recipe is easy to make in just a few minutes with ice cream, espresso and your choice of toppings.

Quite possibly one of the easiest and best desserts out there — affogato! ♡

This Italian classic has long been one of my go-tos for easy entertaining, especially on warm summer nights when you’re craving a cold sweet treat! Simply add a scoop of your favorite ice cream or gelato to a small bowl or glass, top it with hot espresso, add a shot of liqueur or a sprinkle of toppings if you’d like (both optional), and this delightful and sophisticated dessert will be ready in no time.

If you’re like me and are sensitive to caffeine late in the day, no prob, just use your favorite decaf espresso or strongly-brewed coffee! And while vanilla ice cream is the traditional option here, the sky’s the limit when it comes to the fun flavors of ice creams and toppings that you can pair together here, so don’t hesitate to raid the freezer and use whatever pint sounds good. This fun dessert is always a winner!

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Honey Salmon with Ginger Scallion Sauce

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Honey-roasted salmon is topped with a sizzling ginger scallion sauce and served over rice with a squeeze of lime. So fresh and flavorful and ready to go in 30 minutes!

Say hello to our latest favorite 30-minute meal!

I’ve been on a major ginger scallion sauce kick these past few months, sizzling up a quick batch of the Cantonese-inspired, 5-ingredient sauce to drizzle on everything from veggies to steak, salads, noodles, and more. But one of my favorite pairings has been this simple honey-roasted salmon and green beans situation, roasted up on a single sheet pan, served over rice, drizzled with the ginger scallion sauce and finished with a generous squeeze of fresh lime. The blend of sweet, salty, umami, tangy flavors here is just perfect. And it all comes together easily in just 30 minutes…always a win!

We’re quite partial to the pairing of salmon and green beans here in our home, but you could easily swap in a different protein or veggie here if you prefer. We’ve also made this one successfully on the grill, if you don’t feel like heating up the oven this time of year. And while the dish is lovely served over rice (I take a shortcut by heating up frozen brown rice from Trader Joe’s), you could just as easily serve it over noodles or another grain, or just enjoy the fish and veggies on their own.

Enjoy, enjoy!

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Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

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This Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad recipe is tossed with my favorite Caesar dressing, lots of Parm, and the yummiest garlicky breadcrumbs. 

A good Caesar salad will forever and always be one of my favorite foods. But I’m also just as happy this time of year to whip up a delicious batch of its carb-y cousin, a chicken Caesar pasta salad. ♡

It’s basically everything we all love about a good chicken Caesar — perfectly-seasoned chicken, crisp Romaine leaves, a bold and tangy Caesar dressing and a generous shower of freshly-grated Parmesan — tossed with chilled and chewy al dente pasta. Then in lieu of traditional croutons, I like to whip up a quick batch of crunchy, salty, garlicky breadcrumbs to sprinkle on top. It’s a classic pasta salad recipe that’s always so satisfying and comes together easily too!

Of course, if chicken isn’t your thing, feel free to sub any other protein in here that you prefer (shrimp, salmon, bacon, Italian sausage, or even roasted chickpeas would be great options). And if you happen to have any roasted veggies on hand, they would always be welcome here too. I do just have to say that I’m partial to my favorite homemade Caesar dressing, but totally get it if you’d like to save some time and use a bottle of store-bought (in which case, Ken’s or Marzetti are two brands I always recommend).

However you make it, I promise that this classic Caesar pasta salad recipe is always a winner!

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Pimm’s Cup

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This classic Pimm’s Cup recipe is layered with fresh fruit and cucumber and always tastes so refreshing!

Warm weather cocktail season has arrived and I vote we celebrate with a gorgeous fruit-filled Pimm’s Cup! ♡

If you don’t already have a bottle of Pimm’s No. 1 in your bar cart, I highly recommend picking up a bottle of this fruity, botanical, gin-based liqueur to make some refreshing cocktails this summer. It’s the starring ingredient in a Pimm’s Cup, a fruit-filled sparkling cocktail that’s famously the signature drink of Wimbledon, traditionally mixed with either lemon soda or ginger ale and then layered into a highball glass with a rainbow of fresh fruit and cucumber slices and herbs. It’s a showstopper of a drink that’s delicious, refreshing, not-too-strong, and incredibly easy to make. And if you happen to be serving a group, it’s easy to batch into a pitcher as well.

I’m partial to making Pimm’s Cups with a mix of freshly-squeezed lemon juice and a bold ginger ale (or ginger beer), in order to amp up the fresh lemon-ginger flavors in this drink, but you’re welcome to go the lemon soda route if ginger flavor isn’t your thing. And while this certainly isn’t traditional, I highly recommend enjoy muddling in a few slices of jalapeño if you enjoy an extra kick. Delicious!

However you choose to make your Pimm’s Cup, it’s certain to be a lovely and refreshing drink for summertime. So grab a bottle of Pimm’s and some colorful fruit and let’s make a cocktail together!

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Crispy Zucchini Black Bean Tacos

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These crispy zucchini black bean tacos are quick and easy to make with an irresistible avocado dipping sauce.

Crispy black bean tacos are always a winner…but let’s sneak some extra veg in there too! ♡

This simple recipe has become a favorite vegetarian dinner here in our house, especially on busy weeknights. Just sauté up a quick and zesty taco filling with zucchini, black beans and seasonings. Fold the tortillas up with the filling and cheese and cook in the same pan until perfectly crispy and melty. Blend up a refreshing avocado salsa verde for dipping. And then dive on in.

These crispy tacos are nothing fancy, but they are super flavorful and crunchy and hit the spot every time. And I love that they’re a low-cost, protein-packed, gluten-free, meatless option that comes together easily in less than 45 minutes (or less if you’re moving quickly!). So the next time you’re craving tacos, grab some black beans and zucchini and let’s make some vegetarian tacos together!

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