-
Cookies for Kids’ Cancer & A Giveaway!
For me, there is little worse than being sick over the holidays – especially baking holidays like Thanksgiving. I started feeling like I was coming down with something the day before Thanksgiving, and by the weekend I was completely down and out with Bronchitis. Needless to say, I didn’t do nearly the amount of baking I wanted to over the holiday – and I certainly didn’t eat as much as I wanted to – although I suppose maybe that’s a good thing. Now that I’m feeling…
-
Easy Roasted Tomato Soup
One of the best things about the end of summer is that while most of our vegetable garden has come and gone, our tomatoes are still going strong. And while I have pretty much exhausted my cravings for tomato and cheese sandwiches, I’m definitely not ready to say goodbye to my favorite garden fruit. Er, veggie. Whatever. Today, I picked up a beautiful loaf of jalapeno cheese bread at one of my favorite bakeries, and it was just begging to be turned into a grilled…
-
American Kitchen Stories
There’s just something magical about the kitchen. Since following GE Appliances‘ Our American Kitchen stories, I’ve been really aware of how important the kitchen is in the American family life. Just tonight, my extended family (all 20 of us) were jammed into my parent’s kitchen for Sunday dinner. This morning, my girls woke me up begging for our Sunday morning waffle breakfast. Last night, my girlfriends and I gathered in a friend’s new kitchen over appetizers and cocktails.
-
Irish Apple Cake with Irish Whiskey Caramel Sauce
The weather was gorgeous outside today. Sunny, nearly 70 degrees, no wind – and my kids played outside. We went for a walk. We didn’t wear jackets, and we didn’t come in until almost bedtime. These things, along with the fact that college basketball tournaments are on TV and St. Patrick’s Day is a mere three days away can really only mean one thing – SPRING IS HERE! Well, almost. Still a week or so away but whatever.
-
Deep Dish Pizza
When I was growing up, my Mom owned a newspaper and publishing company. This was an awesome job for her because it gave her the flexibility to be home with the kids when she needed to. However, it also meant that once or twice a week she had to work later in the evening to cover city council meetings or hang out until the paper was ready to go to press. This meant that my Dad was responsible for dinner for 5 kids once or…
-
The Greatest Waffle Recipe Ever
I’m kind of not kidding. Although I didn’t name these waffles, they are honestly the best I’ve ever had. Not that I’m a big waffle aficionado or anything, but I spent a lot of time looking for the perfect waffle recipe after we got married. We received a really nice waffle iron as a gift, and I was determined to find a really nice recipe to go with it.
-
Maple Pecan Muffins
In my never-ending quest for simplicity in my weekday mornings, I always turn to easy, make-ahead meals. Because, really – who has time to do all of the dressing, teeth-brushing, hair-brushing, backpack-packing and grumpy-kid quelling IN ADDITION TO whipping up a fancy breakfast? Not me. It doesn’t even matter if we wake up earlier. It’s like my five-year-old knows precisely how long she needs to brush her teeth to make it take up exactly 99% of my morning. She’s all, “Oh, we have 45 minutes before…
-
Spicy Black Bean Veggie Burgers
I’m pretty sure I’m driving everyone in my life crazy right now. I’ve been on a meatless, vegetarian diet-kick for several weeks. I have my reasons, and I really don’t know where this new lifestyle will lead me. I’m not even sure if it is a lifestyle yet. Maybe it’s just a phase.
-
Cream Cheese and Pepper Jelly Fillo Shells
So, how many social events have YOU been to this month? Weddings, showers, graduations, anniversary parties, end of school year parties – holy cow, it’s a busy time of year! We’ve hosted a few events at our home lately, and since we’ve been pulled a million different directions, it’s nice to have some quick and easy appetizer options at my fingertips. These little Fillo cups from my friends at Athens are amazing, and have saved me in an entertaining-pinch many, many times. Fillo (or Phyllo…
-
A Pantry Makeover Part 3: Glidden Paint
When we built our house just over five years ago, I was so overwhelmed with decisions that I just took the easy road when it came to our paint colors. With the exception of my daughter’s room, I went all-out subdivision beige. I just couldn’t make another decision. Floors, appliances, windows, furniture, lighting, faucets…I couldn’t do it. So, subdivision beige it was. Over the years, we’ve slowly been updating rooms to fit our taste and decor style. It’s been a slow, arduous process and I…
-
Chocolate Chip Graham Cracker Bars
You can actually SEE how delicious these are. You can see the powdery sugar stuck to the gooey, chocolaty graham cracker cookie. You can SEE it, can’t you? And yup – they taste just as good as they look. Maybe better. I broke all of the July-in-Kansas rules today and turned my oven on. Yes, I turned my oven on even though it was exactly 900 degrees outside today. And with the heat-index, it felt like 950 degrees. But I just had to make these…
-
Strawberry Cupcakes with Ice Cream Buttercream
Hold. The. Phone. Did I really just make ICE CREAM BUTTERCREAM? Um, yes. Yes I did. And know what it tastes like on top of a strawberry cupcake? Yep, just like you think it would taste, only better. Kind of like strawberry ice cream, but without the brain-freeze. And, it’s only four ingredients, and it’s E.A.S.Y. So, strawberry cupcakes, buttercream that tastes EXACTLY like ice-cream, and no brain freeze. Best cupcake ever, right? I’ve been on a bit of a strawberry cupcake kick lately –…
