what's cooking.

for some reason, i have been wanting to cook a lot recently. 

 why i am getting to urge to cook all the time now that i have 3 kids is beyond me. maybe it has something to do with the fact that i frequently watch cooking shows while i am feeding the girls or during nap time and my inner giada is just dying to get out. 

 but since we don't really eat out much these days, for numerous reasons, it has been a good excuse to try new, easy recipes. 

 one of my new favorites, of course, is a dessert. 

 i got some blackberries at the farmers market last weekend so i made this blackberry cobbler when we had friends over for dinner.  

to say that it was good is an understatement. can you tell?

4 people did this damage.

and let's be honest, that little piece looked so lonely and pathetic that i may have just helped it feel less lonely after this picture was taken.

Pioneer Woman's Blackberry Cobbler  recipe is wonderful and we are going to try it next week with peaches instead of blackberries!

chicken pesto pasta  is another new favorite that i have already made twice.  i made it with whole wheat pasta, since that is the only kind of pasta we eat and with rotisserie chicken since i like the flavor and wanted a mix of white and dark meat.  it is so good!

 i also got green beans at the farmers market and happen to find giada's green bean pasta recipe the next day.  of course i tweaked it, as i almost always do, and added shrimp and capers to it.  and some parmesan cheese.  next time i think it will need a little more seasoning, but overall it was good too.

and for father's day i made one of brenner's favorite, chocolate covered strawberries.  

yum.

i will keep up updated on any new yummy recipes that i make.  

we love our family dinners around here, and it is a nightly tradition that we are committed to keeping no matter how busy our schedule gets in the future.  i have so many memories of family dinners growing up, all through high school, and i am so glad that was a priority in my house.  i hope to continue that for my kids.