-
Caramel Pecan Brownies
Chocolate. Caramel. Pecans. Oh, yes. See how they look all gooey and fudgy? That’s because they ARE gooey and fudgy. Don’t make these unless you have a large glass of cold milk nearby…you’ll need it. These are one of those treats that make you talk with your mouth full – you know, when you take a bite of something amazing and you automatically forget all about manners and mumble a garbled, “oh my gawd,” or “oh, wow…” Or is that just me? It’s probably just…
-
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 –…
-
Five Layer Celebration Cake
It’s my birthday! Yay me! I survived another year of this crazy life and I do believe we should celebrate. It really was a crazy year. I found myself working from home, which has really been a blessing and a period in my life that I will always cherish. I’ve spent more time with my kids, my husband and my family. It was a happy year for my family; my youngest brother got married, my closest cousin got married, and I welcomed a new niece…
-
S’mores Cupcakes
This is first of two s’mores cupcake posts. I searched high and low for the perfect recipe and finally narrowed it down to two – but I just couldn’t decide which I liked better. So, what to do? Make both. Yep, I made two different s’mores cupcake recipes in three days. The winner? I still can’t decide so I’ll let you be the judge – I’ll post the other recipe soon. This recipe was probably the easiest of the two. It’s a dark chocolate cake on a graham-cracker “crust,” and…
-
Honey Mustard Salad Dressing
I feel like we are a couple of weeks behind everyone else, but it’s finally back-to-school week at my house. We’re getting back into the swing of things, painfully shedding our summertime schedules and trying to remember what it’s like to set alarm clocks and adhere to bedtime routines. Since I’m totally a creature of habit, I look forward to this time of year. I love having my daughter home with me all summer long, but I thrive on schedules and routines. Plus, do…
-
Baked Tex-Mex Cheese Dip
This is my new favorite casual party appetizer. I’ve been on a roasted red pepper kick lately, so when I saw this recipe last month I knew I had to have it. I brought it to my nephew’s first birthday party last weekend and it was a hit – I was actually kind of sad that I had to share it with everyone. I was even more sad when there were no leftovers to take home with me. My sister makes a delicious spinach dip, and…
-
A Spa Party & Funfetti Cupcakes
Welcome to the most disorganized party I’ve ever, ever put together. Good news is, it worked. The girls had a great time and they don’t know that I threw it all together in just a few hours. Bad news is, I knew. I could’ve done so much more with this awesome concept, but I just didn’t have the time. You may have seen my daughter’s 8th birthday party here last week, and this week, we followed up with her “friend” party. My Lindsey friend owns an…
-
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…
-
Chocolate Syrup Bundt Cake
So today, I got this craving. I was craving this cake from my past. It was an AMAZING chocolate bundt cake, topped with an almost-crispy, sugary glaze. I loved that cake. Problem is, I have absolutely no idea where it came from. My only memory is the yumminess of the yummy, yummy cake. I feel like it was from a deli somewhere, like a Panera, Schlotzsky’s, or Einstein Bagel-kinda place, but I honestly have no idea. Memories like that make me feel like I’m out…
-
Sweet Cherry Salsa
There are some things on this planet that were just meant to be together. Peanut butter and jelly. Wasabi and soy sauce. Mashed potatoes and gravy. Sweet cherry salsa and salty tortilla chips. Sweet. Cherry. Salsa. It’s sweet. It makes me happy. And with salty, crispy tortilla chips? Holy cow you guys. This recipe came my way via my lovely sister-in-law. She’s like, the queen of dips. And parties. She throws the best family parties and she makes the best dips. AND, she actually…
-
Cinnamon Roll Scones
These cinnamon “rolls” take 40 minutes from start to finish, including baking time. They don’t have to rise, and they don’t use yeast so they’re more like a cinnamon scone – they have a crumbly texture instead of a smooth bread texture. Nonetheless, when you’re craving cinnamon rolls but don’t have 4 hours to whip some up, these definitely will fit the bill. These are best eaten warm, but a quick zap in the microwave for 2 days after they’re made brings them right back…
-
Loaded Baked Potato Dip
I am so happy that life has settled down a little bit, and that I finally have more time to spend in the kitchen. April, May and June this year were just insane. My niece was born, my brother got married, May was a blur of holidays, birthdays, graduations and my blog redesign, and June found me camped out at the ballfields and gymnastics studio almost every night of the week. I had some serious blogging and baking withdrawal happening! Since we were on the…
