Eggplant Lasagna Featuring AZ Grass Raised Beef Italian Sausage

Eggplant Lasagna with Italian sausage

I have been a long time lover of eggplant. So fitting I would find another way to cook it, Eggplant Lasagna. As a matter of fact, I love it so much I have grown 8 different varieties over the years. Did you know that the Black Beauty eggplant (the one most commonly found in American stores) is actually one of the most bitter eggplants? I find it odd that it is so commonly stocked when there are some really amazing soft and sweeter ones available.

This recipe is one that takes some time but is well worth your efforts.

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Best Homemade Cream of Mushroom Pasta with Italian Beef Sausage.

Homemade Cream of Mushroom Pasta

Easy Homemade Cream of Mushroom Pasta

Although this recipe sounds intimidating, it is very simple and quick to put together and serve — sourcing some of Arizona’s best local ingredients. Sonoran Pasta Co has become one of my favorite fresh pasta companies. Not only are they supporting other local companies such as Hayden Mills Flour Co, they are also offering pre-order and delivery services during our COVID19 pandemic. That is something I think marks true character in small businesses.

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How to meal plan like a pro

Weekly Meal Planning for beginners

Meal planning can be a daunting task, I know this to be true, and this is my testimony. Many moms out there know the struggle all too well. And even more over, the most dreaded question in the history of motherhood, “What’s for dinner???” (Please insert scary music when reading that line.)

I am here to give you 5 practical tips on how to manage weekly meal plans like a friggin boss. Like… more then a boss, like… you not only own your families nutritional well-being, you own the house, the car, and grocery store – including aisle 11 that protects our precious wine.

If you start these simple steps this week, I guarantee you will not be disappointed. You will see how great weekly meal planning can be, and will soon be on your own new path to dinner redemption.

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Travel Arizona, Flagstaff KOA Campout

An easy Summer Stay-cation

Stay-cations are something we really have only been doing for a few years now. It’s actually what inspired our exploration of our great state of Arizona. For awhile, well actually always, we were on a pretty tight budget and getting out of state just wasn’t written in the stars for our family of seven. Finding great places to check out near us has become a fast family favorite. This summer we made a quick trip up to Flagstaff to get out of the heat, check out from technology, and just simply unwind.

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Travel Thailand, Bangkok

Famous Koasan Rd in Bagkok Thailand, Radish Mama Travels, checking out Street food

Top 5 things to do in Bangkok Thailand

As long as I can remember, I have dreamed of traveling to Thailand. Bangkok Thailand was top of the list. Being adopted and being raised in an all white family, I often heard the question, “how come you don’t look like them?”. It never bothered, especially as a small kid, I never felt like I didn’t look like anyone, what I looked like was always the furthest thing from my curious mind. As I became a teenager, kids my age were a lot more inquisitive. Asking more targeted questions like “what are you”, my awkward teenage self always wanted to answer in really weird ways, probably did most of the time. But I knew they just really wanted to know what my ethnic background.
Luckily for me, I didn’t mind telling people I was half Thai and adopted. The more I shared that I was Thai (and was always correcting people that Thai is of Thailand and NOT Taiwan), I started to look into all things Thai and fell in love with my ancestry. Thus my lust for strolling the country of Thailand. I hope you enjoy these photos from my first trip. I guarantee it won’t be my last! Here are 5 things to do in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Travel Arizona Tombstone

A Day Trip To Tombstone

If you are a fan of the wild, wild west, you’ve most certainly heard of Tombstone. A few years ago we set out to explore Arizona a little deeper and check out all the things that make Arizona unique. Here I give you a little glimpse into Tombstone Arizona. Three hours SE of where we live in Queen Creek.Travel Arizona Tombstone

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Teens Happen

7 Unavoidable Teen Happenings

It’s true, everything they say about how scary the teen years are… well, it’s all true. Can someone please tell me how I can fast forward through these head spinning, nose clogging, round the clock grocery shopping, night mare inducing teen years?? The warnings are valid for both girls and boys, teens happen. Girls are extra dramatic, hyper sensitive, know-it-alls. Boys are stinky, reckless, binge eating, hairy buffoons. I am living this teen crazed life as we speak. I have three teens, one girl and two boys. And I have two more boys to go. What was I thinking?? Why didn’t anyone try to stop me? Well I’m in it now, so I want to share with you some untold truths about teens. You may read things, or try things, and think its going to save you some hardships down the slippery slopes of teen mountain… Those things won’t help. You can try, but they really won’t shape the teen years ahead as you’d like it to.

Here are 7 unavoidable teen happening. Because the real truth is, Teens Happen.

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The Patio Feast

Last November I launched a little pop up dinner I call The Patio Feast. It was something that had been rolling around in my head for sometime and I was finally ready to put it out there. Like anything new, it takes time to grow. This was my recent Patio Feast on the Homestead. My future home site. If you are interested in attending or hosting the next Patio Feast please email me at Brandi@RadishMama.com or you can follow along my Instagram Page The Patio Feast In the meantime, here are some a few photos from our 03/30/2019 dinner.

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Travel Arizona Christopher Creek, Payson

Christopher Creek Campgrounds, Northern Arizona

It’s hard to believe it took my husband and I nearly 14 years together to finally go camping. I am going to start sharing our family travels in this new Travel Trip Tuesday series. We have been a lot of places especially all over AZ. To kick it off I am taking you back to our first family camping trip to Christopher Creek in Payson, AZ. TRAVEL ARIZONA Christopher Creek, Payson.

If you aren’t the camping type and you’re really considering it. I am going to share my best tip for camp fire cooking. Along with a easy dinner you can make where everyone is hands on!

About Christopher Creek

With it’s high elevation of 5640 ft, you will definitely enjoy the fresh crisp air. Christopher Creek is a part of the Tonto National Forrest, known for it’s tall beautiful trees and it’s low desert canyon creek and near by fishing and swimming holes. There is plenty to do such as hiking, mountain biking, and fishing. Or you could just set up a hammock between a few trees and unwind in all of it’s natural glory.

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La Campagna Homestead

Queen Creek, AZ Homestead

A few weeks ago, I stumbled across a nearby homestead called La Campagna, run by two really kind and generous people, Lauren and Frank Infurna. It was actually an instagram contact turned friend that posted some photos to her stories about a great market stand, already loving that I had found a new market to visit, my IG friend then posted a picture holding a piglet, the same breed that we are planning to raise when we have our own homestead! SOLD! I had to go check this place out, visit pigs, and see what kind of goodies that had for me. Boy was I impressed with their entire operation. La Campagna Homestead.

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