Jessica Merchant's Blog

This blackberry skillet pancake is the perfect summer breakfast! A mix between a coffee cake and pancakes, it’s great to make for a crowd because you can easily serve it in slices. Delicious, fruity and comforting! Extra syrup please!

This is the way you make summer breakfast super special!

This blackberry skillet pancake is truly a breakfast cake. A big old breakfast pancake, served in slices rather than stacks, topped with maple syrup and whipped cream. Fresh berries are lovely on top too!

Who could say no to this?

Imagine that sun streaming through the windows when you serve this on a summer morning. When all the fun summer possibilities lie ahead. Ones that are so fun, that a big special breakfast is necessary. 

Or maybe it’s a nice little weekend brunch with mimosas and bacon. This is the best way to add that carby goodness that everyone adores. And you don’t have to make single servings either! Bake it and slice. Super easy. 

If there is one breakfast item my family loves, it’s blueberry pancakes. And when it’s a different berry season, or we find ourselves with an abundance of other berries, I use those too. Eddie is always THRILLED. He loves any kind of berry in a pancake and so do my younger two. 

I think it’s because the berries get so juicy and burst inside the pancake as it cooks. It’s almost like a little berry sauce, because they flavor every single bite. And they make it look pretty!

Now I am a huge fan of a dutch baby giant pancake, but this is a different version. The dutch baby gets puffed up and is a bit lighter, but also thinner. And even slightly gummier. 

This here is a more cake-like version of a skillet pancake. It’s almost like a coffee cake and a pancake had a baby. It’s hearty but light with a nice, tender crumb. And it tastes exactly like a pancake!!

My kids will always choose maple syrup for their topping. But my personal favorite is either a sprinkle of powdered sugar and/or fresh whipped cream.

And when I say whipped cream, I mean softly whipped cream with no sweetener. It’s one of my favorite things!! I love it in hot coffee or cocoa and it’s rich and cloud-like.  (more…)

The post Blackberry Skillet Pancake. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

1. Losing it over these s’mores cookies!!!

2. It’s truly an ice cream summer. Last we we got ice cream FIVE TIMES!! Obviously this is not the norm, but we had many opportunities with friends and it was funny to us. So much ice cream.

3. Still me just secretly looking up all the fall stuff. The end of July hits me like BOOM and I am done.

4. Love some soft productivity.

5. TV things!! I finally finished Euphoria. Wow what a wild ride that was. Seeing Eric Dane was also just heartbreaking!

6. How to read all of Elin’s books in order. I’ve been reading since book #4, aka forever!

7. I am just accepting my fate: I will forever be an overpacker. Vacation #2 coming up and I will never learn!

8. This makes me laugh because my mom loses it over the grocery store being rearranged.

The post Tuesday Things. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

This creamy corn zucchini pasta is a summer dream! Light and fresh, this is packed with fresh basil pesto, lots of parmesan, garlic and all those garden vegetables. Comes together in under 30 minutes too!

Is there anything better than a summer pasta?! 

This creamy corn and zucchini pasta is simple, delicious and tastes like a big bowl of summer. It has hints of pesto, lots of garlic and parmesan and is so delicious and lovely!

Plus, it’s super easy to make too!! 

And it uses up all of your garden veg. 

Nothing better, see?! 

This is a recipe that utilizes pesto too. I always have my pesto on hand, so I just grab it from the fridge or defrost from the freezer. You can always grab some of your favorite store-bought pesto if you’re in a pinch. This recipe only requires a little bit anyway! 

Everyone loves this since it’s packed with two popular summer veggies, so if you need a new way to dress up zucchini and corn, it’s a must try.

This all starts with a big pan of onions, garlic, zucchini and corn. I use two medium zucchini and two or three ears of corn, the kernels sliced off. But! You can truly use more or less if you’d like. This is not a recipe where a little more veg will make or break it. 

Once I get this going, I boil some water for the pasta. I love using these long fusilli noodles because they are so pretty! They are also just really fun to eat! It’s a nice little change from spaghetti, you know?!

The key is to save some starchy pasta water! Don’t forget. 

Once the corn and zucchini have softened and the pasta is done, I add in the starchy pasta water, some cream, parmesan and some of my fresh basil pesto. 

This creates a lovely silky little sauce. It’s still thin enough to coat every noodle and it’s just delicious!

Next, the pasta goes in. Toss, toss, toss until every piece has some of that sauce blanketing it. It’s dreamy!

Finally, lots of fresh basil and parmesan. Deeeeelish. 

You can always stir in a little more basil, pesto, parmesan or even cream if you feel it needs it. Be sure to taste and season this, because it will only be as flavorful as your pesto, your pasta water and the layers you season before. It might require a little more.  (more…)

The post Creamy Corn and Zucchini Pasta. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Another fun week of summer in the books!

School starts in less than a month and I am SAD!!!

First a little workout.

And a little run!

It was such a cool day, which meant time for the zoo!

Barely any humidity this week which was fabulous.

Fun!

Love their little BFF relationship.

Hi.

Hello!

Fresh marinara.

Then another fun little hockey trip!

They live here.

Just Max and his selfie with Kris Letang.

Then his hockey time.

Dream girl!

Max took the littlest ones on a run.

I can’t handle them!

We had a lot of ice cream this week.

FRIENDS.

Swim day with baby Noah!

Roller hockey champs!

Overcast cross country practice.

Nice and cool to run!

And search for fish and turtles.

Pizza after!

These two little nuggets.

Fave.

Popped into anthro where she was soooo pumped about the halloween stuff! Her favorite holiday.

A little mini golf…

Patio chips on the literal patio.

A little pool time.

Finished with some hockey!

And chicken pitas!

The post A Week In The Life, Vol 30. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

So many delish meals for your menu this week!

What’s on your menu this week?!

Peach arugula salad

Grilled steak with spicy marinated tomatoes

Marry me cauliflower

One pan lemon chicken couscous

Sheet pan summer shrimp and veggies

Grilled chicken zucchini burgers

Summer tuna chop 

Lemon cream scones

The post What To Eat This Week: 7/26/26. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Hello hello!

This week on the blog, I shared this grilled steak with spicy marinated tomatoes. I also shared these grilled chicken zucchini burgers and a new summer fridays post!

My July favorites are up. And you can find my nordstrom sale picks here too.

And I also shared everything I read in May and June!

My substack newsletter is here! You can find my shopmy page, amazon storefront and LTK shop here too.

And there’s a new menu for the week and a new peek inside our everyday life.

This BLT corn dip sounds incredible.

Ginger sesame slaw! Yes please.

Loving these lemon blueberry muffins.

Chewy m&m cookies forever.

Craving this strawberry spinach salad.

Cinnamon rolls need to happen this weekend.

Need this blue cheese dip.

Puppy chow marshmallow treats. OMG!

I want to make peach pork chops.

Homemade chalupas look fabulous.

These roasted carrots are calling my name.

Crispy rice salad – I’m obsessed.

We love egg in a hole!!

The post Currently Crushing On. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Hello summer friday!

These cheesy white beans in vodka sauce for a little bit of comfort food. Hot honey chipotle chicken tacos! And this chilled pizza dip for a weekend snack situation.

Strawberry summer water!! And sparkling peach cider.

A batch of lavender vanilla latte ice cream.

Chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate cream cheese icing. I die for this!

My blueberry peach coffee cake. Truly one of the best you’ll ever make!

My grilled zucchini caesar. And a grilled cacio e pepe pizza!

On my grilled summer salmon spread. So great for the beach or pool!

A big batch of blackberry chip overnight oats. Yum.

To my summer kitchen playlist. The best.

Currently reading Love You More!!

About how I keep my fridge ready 24/7 for guests and hosting. And all my summer hosting tips.

For back to school! But not for the kids. For the teachers! I love to make little back-to-school kits for the teachers each year, it’s one of my favorite parts of the season. Oh oh and you can also still find all my favorites here for the nordstrom anniversary sale.

These square cat eye sunglasses. And still so obsessed with the 9060s. I know they are ugly but I love!

These cropped sweatpants and this tank. I mean, the color is called hot fudge!

My July favorites. Lots of good things, my favorite book, shows and finds of the month.

This harvest tray is SO gorgeous. I adore it. A few other great things I picked up – this narrow rolling cart – I use these for many things but don’t have a narrow one like this. It’s perfect! And this folding step stool. Oh my gosh, we have so many tiny step stools in this house but none of them fold easily to be kept out of view. I also have been loving these glass jars for snacks and overnight oats or yogurt bowls!

The post Summer Fridays, Vol 9. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

A peek at everything I’ve loved in July 2026! You can also find my wishlist and current favorites here! Along with my recent purchases right here. It’s like a peek into my personal life. 

Nature Valley peanut butter biscuits. Guys. This is my summer snack obsession. I don’t know why! Years ago my SIL brought these to the beach (for the kids, ha!) and I really enjoyed them. I bought some this summer and they have become the most delicious on-the-go snack or even breakfast. Again, I loved them at the beach too! The other varieties are okay, but this plain PB is my fave.

Summer tomato jam. I love buying this for BLTs or even other sandwiches. Eddie actually loves it on breakfast sandwiches too. It’s incredible!

Siete 3 cheese tortilla chips. These are ridiculously good – they almost taste like a dorito. We can’t get enough!

Melamine americana platter. I love using this and it makes me so happy in summer when I can bring it out! I have two and use them constantly for fruit, veggies, desserts and apps.

Revo party barge cooler. This may be the best thing I’ve bought all year when it comes to summer hosting. We have people over constantly and this is fabulous!! Whether its indoors or out. I have two of them and usually use one for drinks and the other for snacks. They are great!!

Ninja frostvault cooler. This cooler is giant and huge and on WHEELS! We have many yeti coolers but the fact that this one is on wheels AND has drawers that open from the front are a game changer. Can’t wait to take this to the beach next week!

Oliso travel steam iron. I’ve mentioned how I have become my mother and basically enjoy ironing now – this little travel iron is what I’m truly obsessed with. It fits in my hand so nicely.

Ogee tinted lip oil balm. These are SO pretty – I have two pink shades and they feel great on the lips, plus the color is fab. I love a lip product that you can put on without looking in the mirror and this is it!

Rhode highlighting milk. I figured I’d love this because I love the original (and especially the mist!) but the lightest shade is the perfect one for me. Not warm or golden, cool toned and gives such a pretty glow to the skin. Also feels like absolutely nothing on the skin.

Rhode pocket bronzer. I absolutely love this bronzer which is a big deal because I basically hate bronzers. They all look orange and muddy on me. The way this one blends smoothly and easily is incredible. It looks SO natural and skin-like.

Dior glow blush stick. I’m blush blind and a blush lover and these sticks are wonderful. Perfect colors, look great and natural on the skin and are so smooth and buttery. I blend out with either my fingers or a brush. Obsessed!

CRZ Yoga butterluxe tank tops. These tanks are incredible and I love them way more than any lulu tank. I wear them with linen pants, layered, with jeans, skirts, shorts – they are lovely.

Somerset linen pants. Speaking of linen pants, I’ve been living in them all season and these are my favorite. The colors are great and they are so flattering on. Super easy and light to wear.

Hillhouse seraphina mini dress. I have been wearing these nonstop this year in the heat – I have two different patterns and they are so pretty. I get so many compliments on the colors and designs! They are just unique and special and I like this look more than the nap dress at the moment.

Madewell curvy vintage jean short. LOVE these – the fit is so good! I also love that these don’t have frayed hems. They look so nice on!

Julia Amory husband shirts + matching pareos. Another item I have lived in this year. I love a matching set and these perfect, covering every inch of you! I lived in them at the beach and wear them daily at our pool. They also just make me feel put together. As a weird note, I do not care for the husband shirt worn alone. Weird, I know.

Charlie Puth’s Whatever’s Clever. This album will probably always remind me of this summer now – I’ve listened to it 800 times and I really love it!

Five Star Weekend. I couldn’t get enough. Loved the casting! It was such a fun, feel good show that showcased Nantucket, one of my favorite places on earth.

Cape Fear. I am so hooked on this show – it’s crazy! I rarely am into a thriller that is so scary but this one is so good. Terrifying!

The Calamity Club. Best book ever. This is the must read of the summer. It’s incredible. And I want to eat all the southern food!

Skillmatics I Can Write travel books. Jordan loves these tracing books!! They are so easy to take to the big kids’ activities and the dry erase makes them simple to use.

Warriors novels. Emilia loves these books and has gone through the series, now moving on to the graphic novel version. They are her favorite!

Miniature scene sticker books. These are SO fun. You can create your own stores, shops, home scenes with these tiny stickers and it is so satisfying!

The post July Favorites. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

We love these grilled zucchini chicken burgers! Served on buttery brioche with a creamy feta sauce, they are warm and herby while being satisfying, light and delicious. Super easy and the whole family will love them too!

I love it when I have a new burger!! 

These zucchini chicken burgers are tender, juicy and flavorful, served on a buttery bun with a tangy feta spread and peppery greens. They are such a nice twist from the classic burger and super delicious and satisfying. 

If you haven’t caught on by now, we grill a TON in the summer. It’s practically the only way we cook! So anytime I have a chance to switch things up, I’m all about it. 

My family… not so much. They very much want the same old, same old. REGULAR food, as they call it. Whomp whomp.

Which just means that I have to work extra hard to make a new meal that gets them excited. This being one of them!

Thankfully, all of my kids love meatballs and especially chicken meatballs. So, I just convinced them that these burgers are “chicken meatballs on the grill.” 

A win for everyone around! 

In my most recent cookbook Easy Everyday, I have a recipe for chicken zucchini meatballs and they are an absolute hit. I make them frequently, especially for meal prepping. Which has also turned into chicken zucchini burgers, so here we are. 

I won’t lie – my kids prefer to eat these plain (like right off the grill) with a dipping sauce of their choice. They aren’t wooed by the brioche or the feta sauce or the microgreens.

No no, those things are for US. You and me. 

The crazy millennials who require constant change and excitement in their meals so they don’t get bored. 

My personal favorite part is the sauce, of course.

This is just a quick little feta spread/sauce that you can make in a tiny blender. I still use my nutri bullet for this. It comes together in minutes and tastes amazing. You could even add some garden herbs if you’re feeling it! (more…)

The post Grilled Zucchini Chicken Burgers. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

1. We’re very sad the world cup is over in this house!! Especially Max and Eddie.

2. Okay this white chocolate focaccia has me reeling in the best way possible.

3. I’m officially turning into my mother because I’m ENJOYING IRONING. Like what? Now the caveat is that I’m enjoying iron my own linen pieces, and only those, but still. It’s just so satisfying. Trust me, she’s as shocked as me.

4. 10 ways to slow down time. Yes please!

5. Also, Emilia and I are both into word searches and crossword puzzles so much this summer. We both got two new books for each and have been sitting together at the table like 82 year old ladies working on them!

6. TV things!! Oh my gosh – the most recent episode of Cape Fear – crazy. I also watched Obsession. It was nuts.

7. Removing visual noise is something I need to try.

8. I just miiiiight be browsing the fall and halloween sections of some of my favorite online retailers. As a certified fall freak, I just can’t help it.

The post Tuesday Things. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.