Produce with Amy

My goal is to embrace a healthy lifestyle and encourage others to do the same. I started my blog in January 2013 to maximize my health and productivity by eating more fresh fruit and vegetables. Link to my other blog: http://producewithamy.com/

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Pizza Grilled Cheese ~ Elevated Comfort Food

Cheese is the poetry of milk.” — Anonymous Spring break has officially arrived, but you wouldn’t know it by looking outside. Here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, we’re in the middle of an ice storm. It’s hardly the sunshine‑and‑flowers vibe one hopes for this time of year. Still, the slower pace has been a gift. I’ve had time to unwind, spend time with my family, and make some delicious…

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Cast-Iron Lemon Butter Chicken with Mushrooms & Capers

We recently came through a historic winter storm here in the U.P. The kind that knocks the power out before dawn and leaves everything buried in white. We were without electricity for hours, relying on the woodstove, a stubborn generator, and plenty of grit to keep things warm. No lights, no running water, but we had heat, lanterns, and Starlink humming , thanks to John’s determination. The…

Cast-Iron Lemon Butter Chicken with Mushrooms & Capers

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Smothered Skillet Pork Chops with Portabella Gravy

“O, Wind, If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?” ~Percy Bysshe Shelley It has been a long, brutal winter in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and we are absolutely buried in snow. When the wind is howling off Lake Superior and the driveway needs clearing for the third time in a week, comfort food isn’t just a want. It’s a need. And sometimes, comfort food is how you say thank you. When you…

Smothered Skillet Pork Chops with Portabella Gravy

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Stormy Night Stovetop Mac & Cheese

“The simple things are also the most extraordinary things.” — Paulo Coelho Some recipes are planned weeks in advance.Others are born out of pure necessity. And a hungry teenager. On a winter evening when the wind was howling and the snow wasn’t letting up, our 16-year-old made an announcement that felt urgent and non-negotiable:“I really want mac and cheese.” I headed to the pantry to grab a…

Stormy Night Stovetop Mac & Cheese

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This Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage and Spinach will be on repeat here this winter. It’s creamy, filling, and flexible. Perfect for busy winter days when you want comfort without fuss.

Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage and Spinach

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We are so proud of our daughter - please help support her if you can.

Avalon’s Next Big Adventure: Serving Through a Medical Brigade

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Avalon’s Next Big Adventure: Serving Through a Medical Brigade

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” — Mahatma Gandhi Avalon’s high school graduation. She is now attending Northern Michigan University where she was accepted into the nursing program. If you’ve followed Produce with Amy at all, you know how much we believe in growing roots. Not just for our own family, but for the wider community. And today, I’m…

Avalon’s Next Big Adventure: Serving Through a Medical Brigade

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Healthy Lunch Ideas: Greek Chicken Salad Recipe

“Starve your distractions, feed your focus.” — Unknown If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a perpetually busy human, it’s this – when life ramps up, the first thing I tend to sacrifice is myself. More specifically, my meals. I’ll spend hours supporting students, prepping lessons, answering emails, grading, and working weekends at the airport. Then I end up scrambling to find something…

Healthy Lunch Ideas: Greek Chicken Salad Recipe

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Finding New Ways to Reach My Students: One Song at a Time

“Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand.” — Stevie Wonder After twenty-five years in the classroom, people sometimes assume I’ve seen it all. Or that by now, I’ve found the “perfect” set of assignments and could essentially teach on autopilot. But that has never been my philosophy. If anything, the longer I teach, the more deeply I believe that students deserve…

Finding New Ways to Reach My Students: One Song at a Time

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✨ Introducing my happy accident dinner: Serendipita Fajita Soup! 🌶️ It all started with leftover onions and peppers from Lukas’ football team dinner and somehow turned into the coziest, most flavorful soup ever. My husband John took one bite and said, “Write this down before you forget!” Think fajitas in a bowl - zesty, hearty, and perfect with chips, cheese, and sour cream on top. This one’s definitely a keeper!

Serendipita Soup (Fajita Soup)

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My Favorite Travel Essentials ✈️🌿

“Travel far enough, you meet yourself.” — David Mitchell I just got the cutest little airplane necklace and I’m obsessed! ✈️💙 It’s more than just jewelry. It’s a tiny tribute to my love of travel and my airline side hustle. Whether one of our family members is jetting off, or I am helping others get to their adventure, this necklace will be my daily reminder that adventure is always just a…

My Favorite Travel Essentials ✈️🌿

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Bruschetta Chicken Bake: A Flavor-Packed Twist on a Classic

If you’re a fan of bruschetta but looking to skip the bread and amp up the protein, this recipe is your new weeknight hero. By layering the vibrant flavors of bruschetta over juicy chicken breasts, you get a dish that’s fresh, savory, and irresistibly cheesy. Without all the carbs. Here’s how to turn your favorite appetizer into a hearty main course. Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken…

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I'm starting a Virtual Book Club. If you're interested in joining, please like my Produce with Amy page and comment on this post (or send me a message). Please share so others join us. 📚💚 Thank you!

I shared this on my sister blog, Produce with Amy. Please consider joining my Virtual Book Club.

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Rebuilding Our Reading Culture—One Page at a Time

“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” —Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 This quote has been echoing in my mind lately. My 11th grade English students are currently reading Fahrenheit 451, and it’s sparked more than just classroom discussion. It’s stirred something in me personally. Bradbury’s dystopian world, where books are outlawed and critical…

Rebuilding Our Reading Culture—One Page at a Time

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🏡✨ Homestead Update + Cozy Summer Finds ✨🏡

Home is the nicest word there is.” — Laura Ingalls Wilder As many of you know from following my blog over the years, my husband has been building an addition onto our homestead. Between our full-time jobs and side hustles, progress has been a labor of love. 💚 Yet, we’re finally at the fun part: decorating and adding those cozy, personal touches that make a house feel like home. 💛 This summer…

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Emu Spotted Running Along Michigan Highway || ViralHog

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Creamy Feta Spread with Roasted Olives & Sundried Tomatoes

“The tradition of the Sunday feast accomplishes more than just feeding us. It nurtures us.” ― Chef John Besh As I write this, I feel a sense of disbelief that we are well into autumn. September seemed to rush by. This summer our teenage son Lukas got his first job and is playing junior varsity football. So we have been running back-and-forth with practices, team dinners, games, and work. Even…

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