Cassie DeNisco

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My Zucchini Pasta Recipe!

I stumbled upon this recipe when I unused Zucchini in my fridge. I was craving pasta and ended up with this delicious summer zucchini pasta recipe.

This pasta is so light and tastes so fresh because you’re really using in season veggies. You can also swap out the protein to your liking but I found the sausage just really makes this great!

zucchini pasta recipe

Ingredients

1 pound rigatoni pasta

2-3 small zucchini diced

1 cup grape tomatoes diced

4 Italian sausages (I slice them open and discard the casing)

olive oil

1 tbsp garlic

red pepper flakes

salt/pepper

parmesan cheese (I used vegan)

Directions

  1. Fill a large pot of with water and boil it to cook your pasta. Follow the directions on the pasta box to cook.
  2. In a sauté pan, add a little olive oil then the ground sausage. Cook until lightly browned (no pink).
  3. Add in minced garlic, diced zucchini and diced tomatoes. Cook until zucchini is soft and tomatoes start to burst open. Sometimes I put the lid on my pan to help steam everything quicker.
  4. Once the veggies are soft, drain your pasta but save 1 cup of the water. Add pasta and pasta water to the veggie pot.
  5. Mix well and add salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Plate pasta and top with cheese and red pepper flakes.

I hope you’ll give this zucchini pasta recipe a try! I absolutely love making this once a week with the in season veggies. It’s literally so delicious and has become a staple in my house. You can even make it without the sausage and it’ll be just as good!

Be sure to check out my other recipes here! And check out my pinterest here for more content!

My Go To WeekNight Dinner!

There’s nothing I love more than an easy dinner! This recipe is sure to become a staple in your house because of how easy it is! I love the flavor combo and honestly stumbled upon it after trying to just use what I had! This has seriously become my go to weeknight dinner

A major theme in my recipes these days is using what I have on hand. I’ve found that I really feel better when I eat at home so I’ve been raiding my fridge and pantry each week to make sure I’m using what I have!

go to weeknight dinner

Ingredients- feeds 4

16 oz package of Brussel Sprouts

16oz package of Ground Turkey

2 1/3 Cups cooked white rice (I use a rice cooker but make it however you like)

1 tbsp Soy Sauce

2 tsp sriracha

garlic powder

onion powder

paprika

salt & pepper

olive oil

sesame seeds to garnish

Directions

  1. Start by preheating your oven to 425 for the brussel sprouts. Quarter then by slicing them down the middle and then down each middle again.
  2. Add them to a parchment lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil & salt/pepper to your liking. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until crisp and brown.
  3. Cook your ground turkey in a sauté pan over medium heat and add in soy sauce, sriracha, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Cook until browned!
  4. Once everything is finished cooking assemble your plate by putting the cooked white rice, ground turkey, and then Brussel sprouts. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and enjoy!

My other recipe this month also had Brussel sprouts in it so as you can see that what I have as a leftover. It saves you money using what you have but it’s also much healthier than ordering out!

This recipe literally takes like 20 minutes tops and is a really good weeknight meal. You can make it even healthier by doing brown rice or a grain but I just prefer white rice! If you liked this go to weeknight dinner, you can read more here! You can also follow me on pinterest where I get all my recipe inspo!

Brussel Sprout Pasta Salad Recipe!

Summer for me is all about a good pasta salad. I live for it at BBQs and just weeknight dinners in general. Lately I’ve been trying to really use up all the produce in my fridge and I found myself making this Brussel Sprout Pasta Salad!

This combines some of my favorite summer flavors and does well on its own or as a side! You’ll be obsessed with the flavor combo once you give it a try!

brussel sprout pasta salad

Ingredients

1 can chickpeas rinsed and drained

7-8 Brussel sprouts thinly chopped

1 package cooked orzo

1 tsp oregano

diced walnuts

feta or parmesan cheese (I used vegan)

1 tsp parsley

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt & pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

Directions

  1. Sauté your Brussel sprouts in a pan with a drop of olive oil. You just want them to be soft and not too crispy!
  2. Assemble the dressing by combining olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, parsley, and salt & pepper. Mix well and set aside.
  3. Mix together the cooked orzo, Brussel sprouts, and chickpeas then add in the dressing and mix well.
  4. Garnish with diced walnuts and cheese!

This is the most delicious pasta salad. It gives you a little more than a normal one would with the protein from the chickpeas and nuts and then the greens from the Brussel sprouts.

I also love the light dressing. Sometimes people get a little too crazy with the flavors and I’ve found this really compliments these well! If you loved this recipe, you can check out my others here! You can also follow me on pinterest @cassiedenisco for more recipes!!

4 Years of My Blog!

As I sit down to write this, I can hardly believe it’s been 4 years of my blog. My very first post was shared on May 15th, 2019 and it’s crazy that this much time has gone by. I thought we should walk down memory lane and I’d share some of my favorite posts from my 4 years!

Very First Post

Let’s Do This

This post makes me laugh because I truly didn’t know anything about blogging. It was a random day I decided to purchase a domain and a wordpress subscription and just started writing. I wasn’t expecting much out of it but these past 4 years have been such a wild ride!

Most Viewed Post

My Dyson Air Wrap Review

Talk about a random post to do so well! I wasn’t really expecting this post to be as successful as it was. I’ve even done a few others similar that have done well too. This is really where I realized people value honest opinions on items you purchased with your own money and it shifted the content I create!

Least Viewed Post

My Greek Salad Bowl

4 years of my blog

This is least viewed because it’s like one of the newer ones. Go give it some love because this bowl is SO good! I love creating and sharing recipes like this. I never would have thought that cooking would become such a huge part of my content and blog!!

My Favorite Post

Best Books to Read for 2023

This was so hard to choose but I’m just really proud of this post. Last year I created a monthly book club for the blog that has evolved into almost 2 book reviews a month consistently. This post is all about the books I read in 2022 and my recs for the new year. It’s a staple post when people ask what books I recommend!

I hope you loved this walk down memory lane with me. Having a blog is hard because so often we see the world switching to video content so I’m always trying to “fit in” with what’s trending. Blogging has taught me so much about all aspects of life and myself and I’ve had so much fun so far.

There have been many times over these 4 years that I’ve felt like I should just give up but I remember this amazing community we’ve created and how much I love what I do! Here’s to my first 4 years of my blog and to many more!

Follow me on

Pinterest & Instagram to keep up with my daily life!

My Go To Greek Salad Bowl

As the weather gets warmer, I become more obsessed with salads and bowls. I’ve been making this Greek salad bowl on repeat and I just had to share it with you. The flavors are so fresh and I feel like everyone has these ingredients on hand in the warmer months!

Often salads can be so daunting because they’re just not filling but I make sure to hit all my bases with a salad that is well balanced. From protein to fiber and carbs, this salad will have you wanting it for dinner all week long!

greek salad bowl

Ingredients:

pickled red onions

canned chickpeas drained & rinsed

diced cucumber

diced tomatoes

dill

lemon

tzaziki

pita

cooked farro or couscous

greens of choice (I like a 50/50 blend)

Directions:

  1. Add diced cucumbers, tomatoes, chopped dill, and the juice of half a lemon to a bowl and let set for about 30 minutes.
  2. Warm your pita by preheating oven to 350 and baking until brown on each side but not too crisp.
  3. Assemble your salad with greens, cooked couscous, tzatziki for the dressing, cucumber tomato mix, chick peas, and picked red onions!
  4. Enjoy!

Salads like this really keep you full because they have the greens but they have the the grains that do the heavy lifting. I used to avoid salads because I knew I’d be so hungry after eating one but looking at one like this has changed the game for me.

This greek salad bowl is honestly my new obsession! I have a few other salad recipes here on the blog or you can check our my pinterest for even more recipes!

How to Stay Organized this New Year!!

I love to share blog posts on how I plan! This year I wanted to put a twist on how to stay organized this year! I have recently moved more towards digital planners. If you know me, you know this is a shock because I have been a pen and paper girl forever. However, I recently discovered some really helpful digital tools that honestly have made the paper planners useless!

My all time favorite paper planner is the Day Designer. I love this for so many reasons, but my top is it has a spot to plan out your entire day. Working at the studio in the evenings means I seriously need to plan my mornings to be as productive as possible. I actually was able to swap the paper for these 2 super helpful digital organizers!

Google Keep

This is the real game changer that most people don’t know exists! It’s essentially an online to do list, however you can share it and collaborate on it! We use this at the dance studio but I’ve started using it in my personal life too. I treat it essentially as my giant life to do list.

Any time I get a thought, I jot it down. I have the app on my phone so it’s always near me and accessible. Having a big to do list seems daunting, but I love just seeing everything that has to be done whether it’s today or 2 months from now.

I’ve recently started organizing it with the day of the week then the item to keep my even more on top of things. I seriously love it and I like that I can share it too. I found it super helpful for even ordering Christmas presents with Jordan because we were able to share the list and check off who we got for!

The best part is, this is a free service through Google! If you have a Google account, you can access it today and really start to get your life organized! I did try the Apple Reminders app which is similar to this, but Google is more universal so I love this so much more!

how to stay organized

Google Calendar

Like I just mentioned, I was an Apple girl but it’s not universal like Google is! I just love that I can share calendars with people so that everyone sees the exact same info. This is great for my entire week or month in a more general fashion. I have it set to download to my iPhone calendar app so that I literally see everything on all my devices.

This is a great resource to just share with others. Family events or just work stuff is so important to share so that’s why I switched to this. It helps the people around me to be as organized as I am so it makes my life easier.

I’ve even tried to plan out my days through this but most of the times I would just rather have this as an overall calendar. I do know people who block out their day with this and use it as their planner so it definitely can work for you!

how to stay organized

As you can see I really don’t need the whole pen & paper thing when I have these two free resources. I love both and how they seriously keep me on track and productive. As we head into the new year, it’s essential figure out how to stay organized and I know these both will work for you!

Be sure to check out my Pinterest here and a yummy recipe here!

My Summer Lunch Idea that you Need to try!

I can hardly believe summer is almost over here in New York! I have been loving the warmth but I’m starting to get excited for fall. I wanted to share with you my summer lunch idea that you need to try! I’ve seriously been living off this all summer long.

This is a dairy free recipe however feel free to do what makes you happy! I also will admit the vegan cheese I’m using is incredibly hard to find but if you do find it, it’s worth it!! I have been on a mission for like a year to find cheese similar to mozzarella and this is really it!

summer lunch idea

Ingredients

Sourdough bread slice

Pesto (basil, garlic, and olive oil minced together)

1 ripe tomato

Miyokos Cashew Milk Mozzarella

Balsamic Glaze

Directions

  1. Toast your sourdough slice til golden brown
  2. Apply a thin layer of pesto on the bread then take vegan mozzarella and add slices on top
  3. Slice your tomato and add that on top
  4. Finish off with balsamic glaze and you’re all set!

As you can see this is quite possibly the easiest lunch but it is so good. I love lighter lunches like this because sometimes you don’t want a giant meal when it’s hot. This is also such an easy on the go lunch that you just need to assemble and enjoy.

This summer lunch idea has seriously been my obsession! Let me know in the comments below your favorite summer lunch! If you liked this post, check out my other lunch recipes here!

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My Italian Pasta Salad Recipe!

It wouldn’t be summer without a pasta salad recipe on the blog! Last year I shared a super easy recipe for a light, refreshing pasta salad here. This year I have a revamped, Italian pasta salad. This recipe is fresh but also has that anti pasta feel.

Pasta salads are great at a barbecue but also a great lunch for the week. It’s super easy to meal prep and stores so well in the fridge. This recipe is easily my go to when I have guests or just need a quick lunch idea for the week!

italian pasta salad

Ingredients:

1 box cavatapi pasta

Container of grape tomatoes

1 medium red onion

Log of salami

Half an english cucumber

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1 tsp basil

1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

Directions:

  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook your pasta according to the package. Let the pasta cool completely! This is essential.
  2. Finely dice your tomato, onion, cucumber and salami. This is up to you but I like mine about half an each chunks.
  3. Mix together olive oil, red wine vinegar, and all spices.
  4. Once pasta is completely cooled, mix in veggies, salami and dressing! Enjoy 🙂

Pasta salads are seriously my favorite meal of summer! They’re easy to bring to an event or just great to store in the fridge! Let me know some of your favorite recipes below!

This Italian pasta salad seriously is my go to. It’s so fresh and refreshing but filling! This is great as a meal or just on the side! I love the protein from the salami and the freshness of the veggies. It’s truly a great recipe that everyone will love!

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My Pet Travel Essential Must Haves!

Traveling with your pet can be so much fun! As long as you have a clear game plan and items to help make your life easier, it can truly be a breeze. I wanted to share my pet travel essential items with you so can bring your pup wherever you go!

My biggest tip for traveling with your pet is plan it out right. We like to leave either first thing in the morning after she has breakfast and pottys or at night after dinner. It just helps to eliminate potty trips and we know she’ll be ready to sleep.

Pet Carrier- Click Here

pet travel essential

I think this one depends on where you’re going but I love this carrier from wild one. It is perfect to pop sky in and just go. Wild One also has an airplane carrier too at I would be interested in testing out because it’s TSA approved. Carriers are just great when you don’t necessarily want your pet on a leash and need to comfortably carry them.

Stroller Fan- Click Here

This is absolutely a stroller fan for babies but is so perfect for your pet. I like it in the back seat with Sky when traveling just to ensure the air is reaching her and keeping her cool. I like that this is portable so it can come on walks, in the car, or just use it in the house on really hot summer days.

Car Seat- Click Here

I have shared my Pup Saver car seat so many times but we’ve found on a longer drive, this kind of carseat is way comfier for her. It is similar to her bed so she can just curl up and sleep. Car seats are essential in keeping your bet save and I love this one to keep her comfy.

Calming Treats- Click Here

We’re not big on calming supplements for Sky but these treats are great. Not only do they smell great but they have some ingredients that help promote relaxation. She usually is fine in the car but I like to have something like this on hand just to be sure we’re covered if she gets a little anxious.

Travel Water Bottle- Click Here

This water bottle is definitely the most important travel essential. I love that the water goes back in the bottle so that it can save the rest. This is great just to have on a daily basis and it’s super inexpensive.

As you can see, these pet travel essential products are wide ranging. Sometimes it can be really overwhelming if you are unprepared. I hope these travel products help you and your pet have the best trip ever!

You can read more pet posts here and be sure to subscribe here to the blog so you don’t miss a post!

The Northern Spy- Book Review!

I’ve been on a serious historical fiction kick this year! I’ve always been a big history enthusiast but I feel like I’ve just been more interested because all of the great books I’ve been reading. This month’s book is a mystery with history infused in it!

These are my favorite types of books because I love a good mystery and elements of real events only add to the story! The Northern Spy by Flynn Berry was definitely an interesting read and kept me on the edge of my seat while reading!

The Northern Spy– Shop Here

the northern spy

This book follows a woman working for a news company in Ireland. This time period is when the Catholics and Protestants were fighting so this backdrop of conspiracy and espionage adds to this story. While working one day she realizes her sister is on the news she’s currently airing robbing a business.

This begins to call into question how well she knows her sister and what her sisters true intentions are. When she’s finally able to talk to her sister, she finds out she’s basically helping to spy on this radical group. Once both sisters get tied up in this crazy world, they realize everything is not as it seems.

I found this book really interesting. Historically, I didn’t know much about this time period. It was interesting to see it from this point of view. I loved how it tested your beliefs on what you would do if your family member looked like they were working for the other side.

It also had you question the lengths you would go to protect your family. I did struggle a bit to get through certain parts because they were slow but overall this was a really good read. I highly recommend checking it out if you’re like me and in your historical fiction era.

Wrap Up

I hope you enjoyed this review! This book club has been seriously so much fun this year. Let me know if you have any book request! Also, just let me know what you’re reading! I’m always looking for a good recomendation!

Be sure to check out my other book reviews here! Subscribe here to my mailing list so you don’t miss a post!