-
Jalapeno Popper Fillo Bites
Game Day! Doesn’t it seem like every day this time of year is spent prepping for, planning for, looking forward to or participating in some sort of game day? Whether it’s your kids, your favorite team (Go Royals!) or just an excuse for a social gathering, there is just always something going on. If you happen to be hosting or attending a game-day gathering soon, this recipe MUST be on your radar! I’ve raved before about Athens Mini Fillo Shells. They really are lifesavers! I…
-
Cookies & Cream Popcorn
So, I made this popcorn today, mostly to use up a half-empty package of Oreo cookies from some cupcakes I made last week. I brought a little bag of them for my daughter to snack on during the drive to gymnastics practice after school. Do you know what she said to me? And. I . Quote: “Momma, ohmygosh, this popcorn is the BOMB DOT COM.” I just stared at her. Ok you guys, she’s seven years old. SEVEN. She just used a phrase on me…
-
Mint Chocolate Chip Cake
When I was growing up, our small town had an AMAZING little restaurant called the Old Ice Cream Shoppe. It was in an old house that had been remodeled into a small-ish restaurant, with little wire tables and chairs, cute local decor on the walls and counter where you’d place your order for food or ice cream. It was located just about two blocks from the elementary school, and stayed open late during the summers which made it the perfect spot for a treat after…
-
Chocolate Chip Scones
Many years ago, my husband (then boyfriend) went to London with his family. I stayed home in Kansas and sulked for ten days…not just because I missed him, but also because he was going to London, without me.
-
Spinach & Gruyere Quiche
Every time I think of quiche, I am reminded of weekend shopping trips with my mom and sisters. We’d leave early on a Saturday morning and head to the mall or shopping centers so we could be there when they’d open, and we’d shop until after lunchtime. I can’t even imagine how much money we spent, but we hit every store in the shopping center, sometimes twice, until we were done. After our marathon trip, we’d head out to eat a late lunch at the…
-
Homemade Peanut Butter
My husband and I have a bit of a problem with grocery stores, and an even bigger problem with markets like Dean & Deluca or our community mercantile. Oh, and you can’t forget Trader Joe’s. Or Whole Foods. Or farmer’s markets. By problem, I mean that we can’t be trusted to go in alone. We might spend a month’s pay without even blinking. So, we have to go together, and even then it isn’t pretty. Food shopping is fun for us. Practically entertainment. We really…
-
Black Forest Pound Cake
You know what a grown-up dessert is, don’t you? My desserts get that label simply when my kids won’t eat them – usually because they aren’t sweet enough, or they have nuts or unfamiliar ingredients. (Or booze, but that’s captain obvious, right?) This one is a grown-up dessert. The chocolate is dark, it’s rich but light, and the sweetness comes from the whipped cream and cherry sauce. My kids did the “we’re gonna act like we like this so we don’t hurt your feelings” face…
-
No-Crack Cheesecake
Best cheesecake ever. It doesn’t crack. It’s crumbly but not dry. It has a THICK, buttery graham cracker crust. It’s the best. The end. Seriously. So. good. I don’t have a lot of words about this. I’ve made cheesecake a number of times, but I’ve never shared my go-to recipe with you all, which frankly seems like a crime against humanity. Or against lemon-sugarers, at least.
-
Peppermint Bark Cookies
I know, I know, it’s too early for Holiday cookies, right? Of course, I’m not one of those who starts listening to Christmas music on Halloween, so it definitely seems early to me. But, I had an awesome reason for dusting off my holiday cookie “must-make” list – I am participating in a bake along with some amazing bloggers. Skip to my Lou, A Southern Fairytale and According to Kelly are hosting the event, and if you’re already making plans for the holidays, these ladies…
-
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…
-
A Pantry Makeover with Organized Living™ (Part 1: Before)
Ok. I feel like I need to make excuses and be defensive about my pantry for a minute. First of all, yes, the picture above is my pantry. This is what my pantry looked like the day after my daughter’s Rainbow Party just a few weeks ago. I’m not proud. I have an awesome pantry, which was a requirement when we built our house five years ago. In fact, we even made it bigger than the plans originally called for because it wasn’t quite big…
-
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.