Weekend Chef here. This is this first in a series of monthly posts of a few things that are coming soon or I have been enjoying recently.  Let’s see how this goes…

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah– I’ve been watching The Daily Show since it was hosted by Craig Kilborn going on 20 years ago. When Jon Stewart took over in 1999, the show took a much more political turn and he interviewed some of the top names in politics and show business alike. His 16 year reign is going to be nearly impossible to compete with. Trevor Noah took over this past Monday and only time will tell how he fares over the long haul, but I’m excited to find out.

Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It by Gary Taubes– Nancy picked this book up at the library and I’ve been reading it over the last week. I didn’t have high expectations as one nutrition book seems just like the next. However, respected science author Gary Taubes takes diet and nutrition recommendations as we know and throws them out the window. The short answer as to why we get fat, supported by hundreds of years of science, is easy according to Mr. Taubes. Stop eating all sugar and carbohydrates and get back to eating fatty meats. He supports this with an admirable amount of data and science and the book is a little dry to that end. But getting through the pages may prove to be rewarding with renewed health. The science would seem to support Atkins and Paleo diets.  More to come on this…

The return of musical video games– Guitar Hero and Rock Band are returning to consoles in living rooms everywhere. Both games had sold millions and then died off as an old trend a few years ago. Just like anything, old becomes new again and Guitar Hero Live and Rock Band 4 are hitting the shelves in October for PS4 and Xbox1. Granted our family does not have either of those consoles. We’re still enjoying Rock Band 3 on our Wii. But I’m glad that there may hopefully be some renewed interest in music and instruments. I’ve always thought that these games encourage playing and enjoying of music in real life.

Have any of you tried the new Daily Show? Please share your thoughts in the comments. I’ll meet you back here in a month with more favorites.

-The Weekend Chef

This recipe is for those super busy weeknights when you have to get dinner on the table but are short on time….or for those nights that you want to order takeout, but really shouldn’t!  I was pleasantly surprised at how quick and easy this dish was to prepare.  I mean, you could just cook the ravioli and throw a jar of spaghetti sauce on it or you can whip this dish together in a matter of minutes!  Plus, I was able to use some of my home grown basil!  The kids really enjoyed this dish.  I served it with a salad to complete the meal!

Ravioli with Lemon Butter Basil Sauce
Recipe barely adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod

Ingredients:
24 ounces frozen cheese ravioli
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped basil
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Additional basil for garnish

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook ravioli according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

2. While the ravioli is cooking, make the butter sauce. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until tender, approximately two minutes. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and basil. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

3. Pour the ravioli in a serving dish. Pour the lemon basil butter sauce over the ravioli and stir gently to combine. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and extra basil, if desired. Serve immediately.

This month I am excited to be guest hosting Turn It Up Tuesday!  So come and link up your favorite posts!

It’s time to start the party with us at Turn It Up Tuesday! We had a great week last week, but we have an even greater week planned this week! We are celebrating Turn It Up Tuesday’s 2-Year Anniversary Giveaway, where the prize is $200 Paypal cash! Enter to win below!

Turn It Up Tuesdays is all about being happy, excited, energetic…and having fun! Link up all of your favorite posts (old or new) and meet some awesome bloggers in return! Link up your funny stories, DIY posts, recipes, mommy moments — anything at all. We want to laugh, be entertained, be inspired, and have a good time! Thanks so much to everyone that joins us each week and makes this link party the best that it could be!

SPONSOR OF THE MONTH

Our sponsor for October is Humbird.

HumBird is located at the base of the bavarian mountains in Germany and is a mother-daughter creation which began in 2010. We currently make 3 different types of wool covers; boiled wool, merino wool interlock, and upcycled. Along with sewing I enjoy hiking, running, and gardening. Free shipping on all orders $25 or more.

All month, Turn It Up Tuesday partygoers will receive 10% off all orders using the code Epic10.

Are you looking to get your blog or website in front of numerous people per week? Do you enjoy Turn It Up Tuesdays? Interested in having your blog or website featured for an entire month? Then, sponsor Turn It Up Tuesday for a month by clicking here!

Welcome the lovely ladies of Turn It Up Tuesday!

(from the top – left to right)

Natasha from Epic Mommy Adventures | Stacey from This Momma’s Ramblings | Cathy from A Peek Into My Paradise | April from April Noelle | Tina from The Happy Creations | Tiffany from MrsTeeLoveLifeLaughter | Cindy from Mom Maven | Melissa from The Coupon Chronicles | Kelly from Making-More | Silvie from My Silly Little Gang | Mari from Living in Mommywood | Tenns from Bliss & Faith | Kimberly from Being a Wordsmith | Nancy from Afro-Chic Mompreneur | Kimberly from Keystrokes by Kimberly | Kelly from Mum-bo-Jumbo | Elaine from Ramblings of a Bad Domestic Goddess | Zografia from Bisozozo | Ginger from Does Your Sister Have Normal Hair | Free from Couponin Diva | Kori from Just Another Mom | Minnie from The Country Cooking Queen’s Weight loss and healthy eathing blog | Bev from Eclectic Red Barn | Dawn from Pretty Shabby UK | Anuja from All I Do | Tina from Kidz Activities

And welcome our awesome guest hosts for October!

(from the top – left to right)

Kayla from Scatterbrained Mom | Lyn from Mid Michigan Mom | Donna from Two Chicks and a Mom | Nancy from NY Foodie Family | Glenda from Mommies Point of View

Interested in being a guest host for the month or becoming a permanent co-host?

Complete the form here! Monthly guest hosts will be chosen on a first come first-serve basis.

Here are the Featured posts from last week!

Elaine chose Want to Breathe A Little Easier? The Best House Plants For Improving Air Quality from Urban Naturale. “Great information and detail on what toxins each plant helps to remove.”

Elaine chose Apple & Gouda Grilled Cheese from Just Us Four. “What a great combination. Never thought of putting gouda with apples.”

Tiffany chose Three Lasagna Roll-Ups from Typically Simple. “I love lasagna and this recipe is super easy and from the pictures which already have my mouth watering it looks super delicious too! I can’t wait to give it a try!”

Tiffany chose The joys of hot coffee and bathroom breaks alone from Life, Kids and a Glass of Red. “We’ve all been there. The knocks, yells and sudden panic when we try to use the bathrooms alone. I had such fun reading how Emma has gotten bit of that time back after starting an in office job recently. I’m still working on keeping my coffee hot :)”

Mari chose Finding Your Voice in Life from The (mis)Adventures of a “Born Again” Farm Girl. “I loved Mindie’s share. So many people have lost the ability to press the stop button that what they end up releasing to the world is toxic. Be it Blogging or just everyday living we should Always be mindful of what we produce. Our words, our actions, our content. Mindie thank you for such a mindful share and read.”

Mari chose What To Do With Your Old, Used Candles?… from Sparkles in the Everyday. “Then I ran into Barb’s candle how to and I loved the easy way to deal with all the tiny left overs. I usually just scrap and cut into bits and drop in a bowl like Potpourri but this share was great.”

Dawn chose How To Make a Twirl Dress from Denim Bibs. “This is so amazingly cute, i did not realise how easy it would be to make this. My daughter “Princess” Chloe would love this.”

Dawn chose How To Create Your Own Media Kit from The Krafty Owl. “Love this article. So informative…”

Stacey chose Oreo Fudge Brownies with Oreo Frosting from Carmela Pop. “Oh, there is nothing more decadent than oreo’s and brownies, together. I know that my kids would devour these. Thanks for sharing!”

Stacey chose Cinnamon Applesauce {make it yourself} from Seasonal Family Fun. “Applesauce is definitely one of my kids’ favorite things to eat and homemade is always better. Thanks for sharing!”

Silvie chose Fool Proof Apple Tarte from Lou Lou Girls. “I chose this post because I love apple tartes, yet I’ve never tried cooking one because I’ve been scared to mess it up. This recipe looks like one that I can manage. I’m definitely give it a try.”

Silvie chose Easy Halloween Pumpkin Painting (With old Nail Polish) from our very own Anuja from All I Do. “I would have never thought to use nail polish to decorate pumpkins. This is such a cute idea!”

Tina from Kidz Activities chose DIY Fall Owl Magnets from Ella Claire. “This is such a cute craft for kids! I love the colours and the cute owls!”

Tina from The Happy Creations also chose this post. “Super cute owl magnets. I’m an owl and magnet lover so this creation ticks all the boxes. Beautiful fall decoration idea, thanks for sharing.”

Tina from Kidz Activities chose Monster Candy Boxes from Made with Happy. “I love these fun monster box designs! Great for Halloween or a party giveaway.”

Laura from Laura’s Little House Tips chose Easy to Make Pizza Ring from Typically Simple. “I love Pizza and Fun ways to serve it. This looks fun enough for the family and elegant enough for company.”

Laura from Laura’s Little House Tips chose Leaf Bowl {DIY} from Made with Happy. “I loved this and how fun it will look when decorating for Fall. I love you can do this with the family but also cool enough for apartments too.”

Bev chose Peach Cobbler Bread from Lou Lou Girls. “This peach cobbler looks amazing. My stomach would be doing a happy dance having this for breakfast, snack time or dessert.”

Bev chose Spider Web Doily Bunting from The Scrap Shoppe Blog. “I love this simple but dramatic use of doilies for Halloween. Easy and inexpensive. Lots of uses for this garland.”

Tina from The Happy Creations chose Ghost Chocolate Cream Pie Bites from Sugar & Soul. “What a wonderful and easy to make halloween treats.They look fabulous. I love the idea,thanks so much for sharing.”

Natasha chose 7 Ways to Keep Blogging When Life Gets Overwhelming from A Dish of Daily Life. “It has been so difficult for the past couple of months to keep up with blogging. Life just completely takes over and there is no time left in the day. These are some great ways to find time to blog when life gets real hectic. Thanks for sharing!”

Natasha chose 5 Tips to fight the Mommy Guilt from Velvet-Rose.net. “Mommy guilt is so real, and we all go through it. These are some great tips to dealing with it!”

The post with the most views is 77 Ways To Get More Traffic To Your Blog for Free from Pretty Shabby UK.

Stop by and show some love to our featured bloggers this week! I’m sure they’d all appreciate it!

If you were featured above, feel free to share the badge below with pride on your blog or website!

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And the Best of the Best goes to…

Oreo Fudge Brownies with Oreo Frosting from Carmela Pop

77 Ways To Get More Traffic To Your Blog for Free from Pretty Shabby UK.

Show some love to our Best of the Best bloggers this week!!!!

Best of the Best Bloggers – make sure to showcase the button below on your blog!

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We are celebrating Turn It Up Tuesday’s 2-Year Anniversary!!!!

Join us in celebrating this momentous occasion by participating in the giveaway! We have a great group of co-hosts for our 2nd year anniversary! Celebrate with us, and enter to win $200 Paypal Cash!

Natasha at Epic Mommy Adventures | Angie at God’s Growing Garden | Cindy at The Mom Maven | Ce Ce at A Chicago Mom | Mionna at Just Mi! | Bev at Eclectic Red Barn | Ginger at Does Your Sister Have Normal Hair? | Lexi at Thoughtful Lens | Heidi at Heidi’s Wanderings

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So now that you’ve seen all that we have to offer in this week’s Turn It Up Tuesday,

let’s get started!

– Show some love to your hosts and co-hosts simply by following them on social media and leaving a comment so they can follow you back. – Link up as many posts as you’d like! The more, the merrier! – Check out some of the other posts and make some new friends! – Grab the button below and showcase on your sidebar! Invite your fellow bloggers to join the fun!

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Link up your posts, make some friends, and earn the chance to be featured or become the Best of the Best on Turn It Up Tuesday! We will feature the favorite posts each week! **Disclaimer: Adding your link to this link party gives permission to Epic Mommy Adventures, along with co-hosts, guest hosts, and participants of Turn It Up Tuesday, to share your posts and pictures via social media and as features, roundups, etc. with an explicit link back to the original source.**

Interested in reading all of our favorite posts on Turn It Up Tuesdays – past or present? Or do want to know if your post was featured before we go live next week? Follow Natasha Peter’s board Featured on Turn It Up Tuesdays! on Pinterest.

This past week again was filled with slow cooker meals and quick and easy dinner options.  Before and after school activities have started and we need quick and easy dinners!

Saturday – We were at our local Town Day and ate the usual fair foods for dinner (sausage & peppers for the adults, cheeseburger and hotdog for the kids).

Sunday – We hosted our monthly Supper Club.  Since one of our member’s is lactose intolerant and usually needs to take several Lactaid tablets throughout our dinners this month’s theme was “Dairy-Free.”  I made CrockPot Sweet and Spicy Ground Turkey and Sweet Potato Stew.  This was a tasty dish that I’ll be posting on the blog soon!  It’s definitely worth making again!  The Weekend Chef made Kale-Apple Salad with Maple-Walnut Dressing.  This was a nice light, refreshing, seasonally appropriate salad.

Monday – I made Crockpot Potato, Cheddar, and Ale Soup from Pink Parsley.  I also made a variation of these Feta and Jalapeno Corn Muffins from Living the Gourmet.  My kids might be a little spoiled with me cooking different dinner recipes every night when my daughter commented, “Haven’t you made this before?” when I told her the soup we were having for dinner.  Yes, I believe I actually did make this soup once before and it was as good this time as it was the first.  My son, who rarely asks for seconds of anything had a second bowl of this soup.

Tuesday – I made Shredded BBQ Chicken Burgers from What’s Gaby Cooking.  This was made in the slow cooker and was more like a pulled chicken sandwich, rather than a “burger.”  I had regular hamburger buns which were not very sturdy once the filling was piled on.  These became more of a “sloppy chicken sandwich” than a burger.  It was tasty and did not need the guacamole, which I could hardly taste.  I served these sandwiches with fries.  This meal was another winner with the kids.

Wednesday – I made Chicken Bacon Swiss Spaghetti Pizza from Melanie Makes.  I am a big fan of Melanie’s recipes and have made several from her blog.  They are always tasty.  However, like this recipe, they are not always “quick and easy.”  Between shredding the swiss cheese and cooking the pasta, chicken, bacon and mushrooms and onions, there were a lot of steps and a lot of dirty dishes!  The kids were intrigued by the spaghetti “pizza” though and after taking off the mushrooms ate this right up!

Thursday – I made Quick and Easy Lentil Quesadillas from Pinch of Yum.  This recipe reminded me a lot of the Slow Cooker Lentil and Brown Rice Tacos that have become a regular on our menu.

Friday – The adults had leftovers and the kids had pizza at a neighbor’s birthday party.

What was your favorite meal last week?

I made these burgers last week.  They were really good and I want them on the blog so I can easily make them again and so you can try them!  (Actually, a lot of the recipes I made last week will probably appear on the blog since they were quick, easy and tasty!) Burgers are a great busy weeknight meal because they can be prepared the night before if needed and then cooked the next day.  This burger has a delicious peanut slaw that really “makes” the burger and gives it a nice crunch.  For kids who may not like the slaw, the burger can be eaten without.  I served these with fries because who doesn’t love a burger with fries?!

Hoisin Burgers with Peanut Slaw
Recipe adapted from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Ingredients:

For the sauce:
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/2  Tablespoon ketchup
1/2 Tablespoon garlic chile sauce (or Sriracha sauce)
4 hamburger rolls

For the slaw:
1 bag of cole slaw mix
2 Tablespoons green onion sliced thin
1/2 cup peanut butter
4 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons honey
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Mix together the hoisin sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, ketchup and chile garlic sauce then set aside.

2. In a separate bowl mix ground turkey, panko, and green onions. Add the sauce and use hands to mix until well combined.  Form into 4 patties.

3.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.   Spray with non-stick spray and cook burgers approximately 7 minutes on each side until browned, and has reached a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F.  Once burgers are cooked place on bun.

4.  While burgers are cooking, make the slaw.  Pour bag of cole slaw mix into a large bowl.  In a small bowl mix together peanut butter, vinegar, honey, oil, salt and pepper.  Add the dressing to the large bowl of cole slaw mix and combine.  Serve on top of the burger and enjoy the extra on the side.