• Coconut Streusel Muffins

    If you follow my Facebook page, you know that I had a pretty rough week last week.  Among other things, my husband and I have been planning a trip to Mexico for ages to celebrate several events…his birthday, our five year wedding anniversary (18 months late, but who’s counting?) and most importantly, 20 years together.  We’ve been together since we were in junior high, so this is really quite the milestone for us.  Well, a VERY long story short, we were turned away at the check-in…

  • 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…

  • Peanut Butter & Oreo Stuffed Brownie Cupcakes

     I don’t even know what to say about this one except that this is what happens when I ask my brother what he wants for his birthday dessert.  First, he says he has to think about it, and then I get a random text at 3pm one day that says “I saw a peanut butter Oreo brownie thing on the internet.  Make it happen.”

  • S’mores Cheesecake

    Oh, heeyyy! It’s been a few days, no?  Don’t worry, pretties.  I’ve been a-ok.  Me and my s’mores cheesecake – we’ve been juuuuust fine.  Oh, and also – let’s address this right up front – did you know that my husband isn’t a “big cheesecake fan?” Like, WHAT? He just CASUALLY mentioned that to me in passing tonight.  How is that even possible?  Cheesecake is pretty much what life is about, right?  Buttery graham cracker crust, thick and creamy filling?  How can he not L-O-V-E…

  • Butterfinger Cheesecake

    Please enjoy this throw-back recipe.  One of my favorites! I might be a wee-bit obsessed.  With cheesecake, of all things. Which, actually is a GOOOOOD thing, but really, why can’t I be obsessed with Kale?  Or Flax Seed?  Or Chickpeas?  (I don’t know – those are the first three healthy-like things that popped into my cheesecake-obsessed head.) This cheesecake, you guys – it’s awesome.  It’s easy.  It goes together in no time, and you can change it up with your favorite add-ins, toppings, and crust.…

  • Skillet Apple Pie

    There is just something about good apple pie that makes me happy.  Obviously, it’s delicious, but there’s a lot of nostalgia that comes with it, too.  The smells of baking apples, cinnamon and buttery pie crust take me back to my childhood and for a moment, I’m back in my Mom’s kitchen, or in one of my Grandma’s.  My Grandma used to sprinkle the leftover pie crust with butter, sugar and cinnamon and bake it – I can remember fighting over those little bites of…

  • Strawberry Supreme Cake

    I am a cookbook junkie.  I have them all.  Yes – I’m pretty sure that I own every cookbook published after 2009. … Ok, this is obviously not true.  It’s not possible.  But judging by my overflowing bookcases, the baskets on my hearth and the stacks on my coffee table – I’m pretty sure I have most of them.  Especially if they have anything to do with baking or desserts or my blogging friends.  I might need an intervention. But see what I’m REALLY trying…

  • Broccoli Cheese Soup

    Life has been a whirlwind in our household lately.  With my oldest starting Kindergarten and all of the activities that go with it, my busy time of year at work, my husband’s insane work schedule, and nailing down our erratic daycare needs, we just don’t have a lot of normal family time lately.  It will be a rare occasion in the next six weeks when we’re all home together at the same time.  I’m determined to make sure we can enjoy a family dinnertime together as often as possible,…

  • Fried Ice Cream Boats & A Football Party

    YOU GUYS!  How CUTE are these little fried ice cream boats?  Even though it’s exactly zero degrees outside right now, these were still a welcome treat at our family gathering this weekend! It’s been a good sports year  in Kansas City.  Our beloved Royals (finally) won the World Series, and the Chiefs (finally) won a playoff game.  My family decided to gather to celebrate the big football game, so I thought I’d share some of our quick and easy party tips with you. Ice cream…

  • A Pantry Makeover with Organized Living™ (Part 2: After)

    (This is part two of a two-part series.  To see part one, click {here}.) This post has been so long in the making that I really can’t believe I’m actually finally typing it.  I’ve been working with the folks at Organized Living for a few months now, working out the details of this project, getting it installed and working out a giveaway for you guys, and now it’s all done – and I am in LOVE with my new pantry. In.  Love. Over the past…

  • Champagne Brunch with KORBEL

    This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of KORBEL California Champagne for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine. Last week I hosted a small brunch for some friends who were passing through town for the holidays.  Nothing big, but I wanted to have a few dishes for them to nibble on and some delish champagne cocktails to go with. I kept it simple with a fruit tray, a few pastries from a local bakery and then added in a couple of my…

  • Neapolitan Layer Cake with Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

    How fun is this cake?  If you’ve been reading my blog, back in February I talked about my sister and her trouble making a decision for her birthday treat.  She ended up choosing the Key Lime Cupcakes which turned out to be a fabulous decision because they were wonderful.  This was the contender, the cake that made her decision so difficult that week.  I knew I had to make this one, but needed the perfect excuse because it’s so time consuming.  We celebrated Easter at…