• Cookie Dough Brownies

    Right now, I’m sitting in the lobby of my daughter’s gymnastics studio, waiting for her to finish up.  In my flurry to get her fed, dressed and out the door after school, I didn’t have time to eat dinner myself.  On top of that, I’m writing a blog post about cookie dough brownies.  This is pure torture.   I’m really wishing I would have packed myself a little brownie goodie bag.   I feel like I’ve been making a lot of cakes (and cupcakes) lately,…

  • Chocolate Lava Cupcakes

    These cupcakes were the result of a little color coordination.  My little sister is expecting a baby boy so I needed a favor for her baby shower.  Our color scheme was brown and blue, so of course I needed brown and blue cupcakes!  These were good cupcakes, but next time I might switch the cake out to a firmer, taller cake so it will stand up to the filling a little better.  These were actually better after they sat overnight in the refrigerator, so if…

  • Yellow Cake with Fudge Frosting

    I almost titled this post something like, “Back to Basics: Yellow Cake with Fudge Frosting,” but then I thought that it’s not really back to basics here. Good yellow cake is not an easy thing to accomplish, so while it is a bit of a basic cake, it’s definitely not an easy one. I’ve made a hundred different recipes and varieties of yellow cake over the years, some great, some not so much.  It’s been a good lesson in the science behind baking for me,…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Biscoff Truffle Brownies

    Three awesome things happened yesterday.  One, I got up at 7:30am (which is like sleeping in around here) and made some cinnamon rolls.  Then, I took A NAP.  Like, a NAP.  On the couch.  In the middle of the morning. And my husband took care of the girls and I slept, and it was FAN-tastic.  I felt well-rested for the first time in months.  Or years.  Nearly eight years, to be precise. Secondly, I bought a new cake stand and I’m kind of in love…

  • Soft Garlic Knots

    How cute are these little guys?   I’ve been trying to make a lot of our bread at home lately in an effort to avoid processed foods at the grocery store, so I was super happy to find this recipe.  These rolls are soft and tender and full of warm, garlicky, buttery flavor, a perfect pairing with your favorite pasta dish!  If you don’t want/like/need a garlic flavor, just omit it and replace the butter topping with your own flavors – maybe honey, salt, cracked pepper…whatever…

  • 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.

  • Hot Corn Dip

    Who doesn’t love a good dip, right?  In fact, I’m getting to the stage in my life when a good dip (or lack thereof) can make or break a good party.  Now, exactly what that says about me is not the issue right now, but what I know for 100% sure is that this dip is yum. o. I’ve had Trisha Yearwood’s Home Cooking cookbook for a couple of years, and I have to tell you that I had some serious doubts about her back…

  • Share It Saturday: Week #3

    I’m so impressed by the amazing recipes shared last week!  I had a hard time choosing the features for this week – a REALLY hard time.  Please do yourself a favor and check them out. Claudia at The Story shared her broccoli souffle.  Doesn’t this look amazing?  I’ve admittedly never made a souffle, but I’m going to have to try now. Joan at Chocolate, Chocolate & More Chocolate came through, as always, with a fabulous dessert.  Honey Buns are probably my favorite pre-made bakery item,…

  • Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake

    I totally bought an electric throw blanket last weekend.  I am SO dreading the cold weather that I actually took my 30-something year old tushie to Target and bought an electric blanket. It’s like I woke up and was like, “How can I be MORE like my mother today?” Sorry, Mom. I dread the winter.  I love the holidays, but I dread the cold, the wind, the leaf-less trees and dormant grass.  I hate always being cold.  I don’t like high heating bills and the…

  • Blueberry Breakfast Cake

    This blueberry breakfast cake is reminiscent of a shortcake, slightly sweet and bursting with fresh blueberries and undertones of crisp lemon.  The crunch from the turbinado sugar lends a satisfying crackle, and reminds you that breakfast is meant to be delicious. Hi everyone!  I’m back!  Not that I was really gone, but I took a bit of a self-prescribed break from the blog last week.  My kids were sick, I was sick, my kids were sick again – it was just a really crummy week.…