Guys, I thoroughly give up on trying to take pictures of pasta. It just doesn't work, ever. No matter how I stage it, it always looks like one big saucy blob. I almost didn't even share this dish with you guys because I was so frustrated with how the pictures were turning out. But you know the deal, sometimes something just tastes SO good, you have to just bite your tongue and go with it. And hope that everyone is wearing rose colored glasses. I actually just realized that here I am complaining about how pasta is so hard to photograph, when, this isn't really a pasta dish. Nope, it's the wonderful low-carb alternative to pasta- zucchini! So I guess I can add zucchini to the impossible to photograph list. Or maybe not. Maybe I can give zucchini a break since it is it's first offense and this dish was good enough to make me forget about my photography woes. Yeah, I think that's what I'll do. On a serious note, this stuff is so good. I'...

The moment I saw these homemade Crunchwrap Supremes on Pinterest , I knew right away I wanted to make them for the Super Bowl. Last year's Super Bowl cake was great, and while it would have been nice to make a better one, seeing as how I've gained a bit more experience in cake decorating, I knew that it would just end up sitting around the house for days, and then eventually, soaked in water and thrown outside to the birds. Don't get me wrong, my family loves cake, but they had way too much of it in the past month, so I needed to make something different. And seeing as how Mexican food is very popular during the Super Bowl (for some reason?), these Crunchwraps were perfect; they fit right in. My parents didn't raise us on fast food at all; never drove us through a single drive-thru, never even sat down with us at a single restaurant. It wasn't until we started driving that we took matters into our own hands--hitting up fast food joints like it was...

I didn't really grow up with meatloaf. Apparently it's a popular comfort food in America, but the only popular ground beef dish in my house is bourek . Nonetheless, the first time I tasted it at my aunt's house in Algeria years ago, I knew I had to try it out myself someday. Today was that day. Upon searching for a meatloaf recipe, I discovered that there are endless variations of meatloaf, each with their own combination of meat, vegetables, spices and glazes. I decided to go with Paula Deen's Old Fashioned Meatloaf and I'm pleased to say that I probably won't ever try any other variation of meatloaf because this, right here, is perfection.  It's also the only way you can get me to eat peppers. I hate peppers. But they gave the meatloaf such an amazing flavor, not to mention an amazing aroma when it was cooking. (Or I guess this would be considered baking). The beef was very tender and moist, and the oats gave it a healthy touch. Not to men...

Ahhh, spring is here. And that means, time to take out the grill from under the cover! Spring just doesn't feel the same without enjoying one of my mom's famous homemade juicy hamburgers :) They're incredibly tasty and super easy to make! It was 80 degrees today, wayyy too hot to turn the oven on. A perfect day for grilling. Here's what you'll need   Ingredients: ½ pound of ground beef 1 medium onion ¼ teaspoon, plus 1/8 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon cumin Directions: Mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Grab a generous handful of the mixture and roll it into a ball between your hands. Using the palm of your hand, gently press down and flatten the balls into patties, ¾ inch thick and about 3-4 inches in diameter. I chose to grill the hamburgers, but you can also pan fry them if you like.

A taste of Lebanon. This dish is one of my favorites :) While browsing through a bunch of middle-eastern cuisine websites, I found this recipe and because it was so simple to make, I just had to try it. My first time making it was successful, and I was overwhelmed by the delicious taste! Mashed Potatoes and Beef Casserole Ingredients: 4 large potatoes, boiled 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon salt Filling 1 onion, chopped 1/2 pound ground beef 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon allspice Topping 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces italian seasoned bread crumbs Directions: >Mash potatoes with butter, salt, and milk.  Prepare filling: Saute beef with seasonings. Add onions. Fry well. Spread 1/2 of the mashed potato mixture in the bottom of a greased 8x8 pan. Spread filling on top. Cover with remaining potato mixture. Dot with butter. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake at 250 degrees for 25 minutes. Cut in squares to serve. ...