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Hungry Melly

Food, Fun, and Field trips!

Fun with food & drinks
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Melly
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The States

I mentioned somewhere throughout my site how I’ve seen a lot of states driving around the country (aside from the North West) so, here are a handful of my trips that I’ve enjoyed the most! Click on all the links below! Enjoy!

Washington D.C.

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My love of food, drinks & exploration can be quite clear. From mostly my own little creations to some out & about, it’s all about having fun! Cheers!🍻

For all you banana lovers out there such as myself

For all you banana lovers out there such as myself, November is National Banana Pudding Lover’s Month! I like to enjoy this treat layered in a cup along with some crushed vanilla wafers and whipped cream too, of course 😋🍌 #bananapudding #wafers #whippedcream #sweettreats #bananas #delightfull #delish

Soup season is here and this roasted autumn squash

Soup season is here and this roasted autumn squash soup is guaranteed to keep you warm and cozy 😊🍲🍂 #soupseason #autumn #november #cozyfood #cozyup #squashsoup #butternut #acorn #ilovesoup #comforting #goodforthesoul
*Recipe
•1 butternut squash, cut in half & seeded
•1 acorn squash, cut in half & seeded
•4 cups vegetable broth
•1 onion, finely chopped
•2-3 garlic cloves, peeled
•Olive oil
•Salt and pepper to taste
•1/2 tsp cinnamon
•Dollop of sour cream
•Parsley

-Preheat oven to 400.
-Coat the inside of the squash halves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
-Place the squash halves onto an oiled baking sheet (flesh side down) and roast 35-40 minutes, until tender. Allow to cool for about 10min before handling.
-Scoop the inside of the cooled squash out into a large soup pot.
-Add in the broth, onion, garlic, a drizzle of olive oil and simmer over medium heat for a few minutes, just until warmed.
-At this point you’ll want to use an immersion blender and puree in the pot until smooth. If you don’t have one, transfer to a regular blender in batches, until smoothed, returning soup to pot.
-Stir in cinnamon
-Simmer for 10min more on medium heat.
-Ladle soup into a hollowed out toasted bread bowl (or any bowl!) adding a dollop of sour cream on top (which adds a nice tanginess to the soup) and a touch of parsley. Enjoy!

Pulled pork anyone?! Have a Happy Halloween! 🎃🕯️ #

Pulled pork anyone?! Have a Happy Halloween! 🎃🕯️ #pulledpork #cornbread #slowcookerrecipes #instagood #comfortfoods #halloweenfood #halloweentheme #creepy #delish #happyhalloween

*Slow cook pork shoulder in your favorite BBQ sauce on low for 8hrs. For the face, I pierced the pork with a knife to make slits for the eyes and teeth then added onion pieces prior to cooking. Once cooked, remove fat and bones from pot, shred pork with 2 forks and add some extra sauce. Don’t forget the cornbread! 😋

Creepy up those Bloody Mary’s!🍅🥬🍔🥓 #bloodymary #zi

Creepy up those Bloody Mary’s!🍅🥬🍔🥓 #bloodymary #zingzang #creepycrawler #sliders #bacon #halloweenfun #getfestive #cheers

Who wouldn’t love a good monster eyeball chili bow

Who wouldn’t love a good monster eyeball chili bowl to keep them warm and cozy! 👁️🧟‍♀️🕷️🌶️🥖#chili #breadbowls #festive #halloweenrecipes #eyeballs #monster #comfortfood #creepy #yummy #besttimeofyear

*Hollow out some small bread bowls, add in your favorite chili (set some aside for the eye) and top with shredded cheese. Place under broiler for few seconds, just until cheese melts. Add a spoonful of chili onto the center of the “eye” and top with a sliced piece of jalepeno. Add sour cream onto your serving board as the “web” with spider made from jalepeno. Have fun! Get creative! Enjoy!

Looking for a fun, spooky Halloween dish to serve

Looking for a fun, spooky Halloween dish to serve at your party? This stuffed pepper casserole is the perfect crowd pleaser! 🫑🪦💀 #stuffedpepper #casserole #halloweendinner #spooky #creepy #halloweenfood #foodart #spookyseason #delish
Recipe
•1 & 1/2 lbs lean ground beef  •1/2 cup diced onion •2 red peppers, diced
•1 green pepper, diced
•2 tsp minced garlic
•1 tsp salt
•1/2 tsp pepper
•2 tsp Italian seasoning
•1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, not drained
•1 cup uncooked white rice
•1 & 1/2 cups beef broth
•1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
•1 & 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

**For the topping, if making “tombstones” you’ll need 1 extra green pepper, cut into 4 large pieces with little extra slivers as “snakes”.

-Preheat oven to 375.
-Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.
-In a large skillet, cook the chopped meat over medium-high heat until browned.
-Add in the minced garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
-Add the diced onion and peppers and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables soften. If making the cemetery topping, this is the point where you could also add in the larger pepper pieces (tombstones) and slivers (snakes) to soften them up too. Once softened, pull those pieces out onto a plate and set aside until ready to use.
-Pour the diced tomatoes, beef broth and tomato sauce into the meat mixture and stir to combine.
-Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Add in the rice and only 1 cup of shredded cheese. Mix well.
-Top with remaining cheese. (If doing cemetery topping, now would be the time to wedge large pepper pieces on an angle into the cheese on top and add your slivers all around. Save a pinch or 2 of shredded cheese pieces aside to make crosses and RIP afterwards)
-Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 45 minutes. The liquid should be absorbed, and the rice should be cooked through.
-Use the extra shredded pieces of cheese to make crosses and RIP onto the peppers. Peppers should be hot enough for the cheese to slightly melt and stick to them. Enjoy!

October is National Pasta Month! Celebrate it with

October is National Pasta Month! Celebrate it with an ugly, witchy yet delicious spinach fettuccine and chicken drizzled with some olive oil. Don’t forget the olive topped garlic bread! 🧙‍♀️🍝🥖 #nationalpastamonth #spinachpasta #chicken #olives #garlicbread #cheese #festivefood #foodart #funwithfood #fundinner #witchseasonle

It’s National Fluffernutter Day! A great day to br

It’s National Fluffernutter Day! A great day to bring back those yummy childhood memories 🥜👻🥜🧡#nationalfluffernutterday #fluff #peanutbutter #childhoodfood #childhoodtreats #nevertooold #delicious

Add some creativity to those sheet pan dinners! We

Add some creativity to those sheet pan dinners! Welcome October 🎃🫑🧡 #sausageandpeppers #sheetpandinner #festivefood #foodart #get creative #welcomeoctober #bestmonthever

 •Italian sausage (sweet or spicy, 1-1/2 pounds)
•3 orange bell peppers (thinly sliced)
•2 green bell peppers (thinly sliced)
•1 yellow onion (thinly sliced, can omit the onion too)
•1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
•1/2 tsp dried oregano Salt and pepper to taste
2 sheet pans 
-Preheat the oven to 425. -Thinly slice your veggies. Drizzle the olive oil over and sprinkle with oregano, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat.
-Divide the vegetables between the two sheet pans, spreading evenly. Place the sausage onto the sheet pans with the peppers (nestling in between) and bake for 20 minutes.
-Flip the sausages and stir the vegetables around. Continue to cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sausages are baked through, and the peppers have caramelized. Serve with some long rolls. Enjoy!
-Of course I had to make it all pretty and formed a pumpkin with the peppers before serving. Get creative if you’d like!

Oktoberfest boards are the best boards! 🥨🌭🍎🍺😋 #okt

Oktoberfest boards are the best boards! 🥨🌭🍎🍺😋 #oktoberfest #pretzels #bratwurst #meats #cheeses #apples #sauerkraut #allthingsgood #festive #beer #prost

It’s certainly my favorite time of year! Let’s wel

It’s certainly my favorite time of year! Let’s welcome autumn this week with some pumpkin spice and everything nice! 🎃🧋🍃🍂 #pumpkin #donuts #latte #pumpkinseeds #candycorn #candy #muffins #chocolates #cinnamoncrackers #pumpkinbutter #seedcrackers #cranberryspicegoatcheese #pumpkinpies #pumpkincookies #welcomeautumn #besttimeoftheyear

September is National Potato Month! I’m honoring i

September is National Potato Month! I’m honoring it with the best potato dish that my sisters and I grew up with simply known to us as “Grandma Martino’s potatoes”. A staple in our family we still make to this day! 🥔🇮🇹 #potatoes #sauce #grandmadishes #tuttorosa #comfortfood #italianstyle #sidedishes #extracrispy #simpledish #sundaydinners

**Recipe** (Remember, this is a “grandma” recipe, therefore there are no specifics 😂)

-Peel about 4 large russet potatoes and boil them whole for about 10min (just enough to soften them up a bit).
-Drain them from the boiling water and allow the potatoes to cool for a few minutes before cutting. Cut them up into cubes and place them into a baking dish
-Add 2-3 tiny cans of tomato sauce, a generous drizzle of olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper into the dish with the potatoes and toss until well coated.
-Bake at 350 (uncovered) for about 1 hour giving them a good toss halfway through. They should be nice and softened with a bit of a crisp on top too! (best part) Enjoy!! Perfect side to a pot roast 👌🏼

As we head into apple season, let’s welcome it wit

As we head into apple season, let’s welcome it with some baked apples and brie! 🍎🍃🧀🍏🍂 #appleseason #applepicking #september #apples #brie #syrup #nuts #falldishes #autumntime #besttimeoftheyear

*Recipe*

•4 apples (use a good baking variety like granny smith, honey crisp)
•1/2 cup flour
•1/4 cup chopped nuts (plus some extra for topping, optional)
•1/2 cup brown sugar
•1/2 tsp cinnamon
•pinch of nutmeg
•1/4 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
•Maple syrup for drizzling
•One 3-4 oz wedge brie cheese, cut into small slices

-Preheat oven to 400
-Cut the tops off of the apples and scoop out the inside core, leaving the walls and bottoms intact.
-Place hollowed apples in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish.
-In a separate bowl, combine the cut butter pieces, flour, nuts, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg until well mixed and crumbly (recommend mixing with hands).
-Sprinkle the crumble mixture into the hollowed portion of each apple, cover dish with aluminum foil and for 20 minutes.
-Uncover the apples and place a slice or 2 of brie onto the top of each apple. Add a drizzle of syrup over each one and top with nuts.
-Place the dish back into the oven for another 15-20 minutes, uncovered. Remove from oven and cool 4-5 minutes before serving. Drizzle apples with more syrup and nuts. Serve warm and enjoy!

The spaghetti squash… One of my favorite end of su

The spaghetti squash… One of my favorite end of summer garden pickings! Making it buttery, garlicky and cheesy is simply the best! 🧈🧄🧀 #spaghettisquash #gardenpickings #lovemygarden #gardengirl #jerseyfresh #squash #buttery #garlicky #cheesy #delish

Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti Squash
•8 tbsp butter, divided
•3 cloves garlic, minced
•1/4 cup vegetable broth
•1/2 cup grated parmesan
•2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
•1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

FOR THE SPAGHETTI SQUASH
.1 large spaghetti squash
•2 tbsp olive oil
•Salt and pepper

-Preheat oven to 375.
-Carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise from stem to tail and scrape out the seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
-Place squash, cut-side down, onto a nonstick baking sheet. Place into the oven and roast until tender, about 35-45 minutes.
-Remove from oven and let rest until cool enough to handle.
-Using a fork, scrape the flesh into long spaghetti strands and into a bowl. Place the hollowed out squash shells to the side.
-Melt 4 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, stirring frequently until fragrant, about 1 minute.
-Stir in vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer until reduced by about half, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in remaining 4 tbsp butter, until melted and smooth.
-Stir in the strands of spaghetti squash and gently toss to combine until heated through, about 2 minutes.
-Toss in the grated parmesan and parsley.
-Add the breadcrumbs at the last minute, giving one more good toss. Pour the spaghetti squash mixture into the hollowed out shells (or any bowl will do!) and serve immediately. Don’t forget to top with some more parmesan cheese! Enjoy!

Make a nice eggplant pasta dish (aka pasta alla no

Make a nice eggplant pasta dish (aka pasta alla norma) with some garden fresh eggplant that you may have growing out there! Delish! 🍆🍝🇮🇹 #eggplant #pasta #italiandish #gardendish #gardenrecipes #gardengirl #jerseyfresh #delish

•2 eggplants •4 tbsp olive oil
•1/2 onion, chopped •1 tbsp minced garlic
•2 cans crushed tomatoes (14oz)
•1 tsp oregano  •Cheese topping (any kind that you’d like! Grated parmesan or even a crumbled ricotta salata)
•Salt and pepper to taste
•1 lb pasta  
-Preheat oven 400
-Cut the eggplant into 1 inch cubes. Toss with 2 tbsp olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Spread the cubes onto nonstick baking sheet (using 2 trays if too crowded) and roast for about 15 minutes, flip pieces and roast for another 10-15 minutes. While eggplants are baking, make your sauce and pasta.
-In a large pot, add the other 2 tbsp of olive oil and heat to medium high heat. Sauté the onions and garlic until softened (about 3-4 minutes).
-Add in the crushed tomatoes and oregano and stir. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes.
-Cook your pasta al dente
-Add baked eggplant pieces into the sauce and simmer for another 10 minutes.
-Toss in your pasta
-Top with cheese and enjoy!

Made some stuffed long hots 🌶️ and cubanelles from

Made some stuffed long hots 🌶️ and cubanelles from the garden! 😋 #stuffedlonghots #stuffedcubanelles #stuffedpeppers #gardenfresh #jerseyfresh #spicy #sweet #salty #breaded #summerdishes #gardendishes

•8to 10 long peppers, sliced in half and seeded. (I used a mixture of sweet cubanelles and Italian long hots)
•1/2 lb Italian sausage (about 3 links, casings removed. Feel free to use more if you’d like!)
•2 tbsp olive oil
•4 cloves of garlic, minced
•1/2 cup parsley, chopped
•One 2 oz can of anchovies in oil, chopped
•1 tbsp capers
•1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
•1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
•More olive oil for drizzling

-Preheat oven to 450.
-Lay hollowed pepper slices into a nonstick (or oiled) baking dish and set aside until ready for stuffing.
-Heat a large nonstick frying pan to medium-high heat.
-Once heated, add in the sausage. Cook until browned and crumbled (about 8 min).
-Turn the heat down to medium. Remove the sausage from the pan onto a plate and set aside.
-Into the heated frying pan, add in the minced garlic, chopped parsley, oiled anchovies and capers. Stir for a minute, until well mixed and heated through.
-Add the crumbled sausage back into the frying pan and stir until all of the ingredients are mixed well.
-Add the bread crumbs and stir for another minute.
-Spoon the breadcrumb mixture into each pepper. Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil and top grated parmesan cheese.
-Bake for 15-20 minutes until peppers are softened. Enjoy!

My families traditional summer dish… While waiting

My families traditional summer dish… While waiting for my cucuzza (a long Italian squash) to finish growing in the garden, I wanted to share with all how I grew up eating this delicious squash. My mother (who also grew up eating this) would cut up cucuzza, zucchini, and string beans and toss them all into the sauce along with some cooked chopped meat, cooked pasta, italian seasonings, garlic and grated cheese. If you do not have cucuzza growing, just use extra zucchini! Enjoy! 😊🇮🇹🍝 #italiansquash #cucuzza #zuccini #stringbeans #gardenfresh #jerseyfresh #gardengirl #sauce #pasta #italiandishes #summerdish

Nothing like a warm, fresh off the vine, tomato an

Nothing like a warm, fresh off the vine, tomato and mayo summer sandwich! 🍅🥪😋 #tomato #mayo #sandwich #heirlooms #gardenfresh #jerseyfresh #gardengirl #summerfood #summersandwich #thebest

One of my most favorite summer dishes to make with

One of my most favorite summer dishes to make with veggies from my garden is this lemony couscous with cucumbers, tomatoes and feta cheese. 🥒🍅🍋 #summerdishes #gardenfresh #cucumbers #tomatoes #parsely #jerseyfresh #fetacheese #couscous #lightdishes #lemony #refreshing

Of course exiting here would be incomplete if I di

Of course exiting here would be incomplete if I didn’t stop to get my usual Bloody Mary along with a buttered lobster roll. Cheers! 🍅🦞🧈 #bloodymary #lobsterroll #buttery #delicious #bahrs #jerseyshore #jerseygirl #cheers

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