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Homemade Ricotta Cheese
My youngest brother is getting married in the spring. In preparation for the Groom’s family duties, my Mom, sisters and I are beginning the process of scoping out locations for their rehearsal dinner. Last night, while pouring over menus, venues and prices, I came across my favorite Italian restaurant, Lidia’s. I love that place. Everything is made from scratch with fresh ingredients – from their bread to their pasta to their marinara and ricotta cheese…and that’s exactly the reason their food tastes so much better.…
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The Ultimate Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
So, yeah. This might be a bit over the top. It’s also messy, frumpy, and haphazard. But really, who cares? When it comes to chocolate and peanut butter, you just can’t go wrong. You just can’t. And honestly, I love a cake that looks homemade. I love soft, fluffy frosting, irregular and imperfect frosting techniques and drizzles, garnishes and sprinkles… Do NOT offer me a cake covered in fondant and shaped like some cartoon character. It reminds me of the “bleedin’ armadillo groom’s cake” from…
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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…
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Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
Last Sunday, while my family was gathered at my parent’s house for our weekly Sunday dinner, I asked my Dad if he had any tomatoes left in the garden. He said he’d check, and then disappeared for a while. He came back with a handful of tomatoes and a couple of GROCERY SACKS FULL of jalapenos. Not being one to ever turn down garden-fresh produce, I happily took a sack of them home. I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do with…
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Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Spice Bars
This is my version of a rain dance. I’m going to make a whole bunch of warm, spicy, fall-flavored treats until Mother Nature gets the hint; pumpkin breads, banana breads, soups, stews, casseroles – you name it. I’m breaking out my scarves, my afghans, and my fuzzy socks, and I’m planting Mums and decorating with gourds. If summer wants to hang on for a couple of months, so be it – but at our house, fall is here. I’m pretty sure that won’t work, but…
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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…
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Cinnamon Rolls
Ahhh…cinnamon rolls. I’m not sure that there’s anything better than a really good cinnamon roll, but in my opinion a good one is really hard to find, and a good recipe is even harder to find. My biggest problem with most cinnamon roll recipes is that the bread part of the roll is usually bland, and the only cinnamon flavor you get comes from the filling itself. This recipe, however, has cinnamon in the dough itself, so the bread is flavorful too. But, if I’m…
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TUACA Mule and TUACA Root Beer Float
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of TUACA Vanilla Citrus Liqueur for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine. Today’s post is sponsored by TUACA®. Have you had it yet? TUACA® is “a vanilla citrus liqueur, a brandy, blended with natural sugar, fine spirits and vanilla essences.” Doesn’t that just SOUND amazing? You guys. It’s fantastic. And even better, it puts a delicious twist on one of my favorite drinks, the Moscow Mule. Paired with ginger beer and lemon juice, it’s a totally…
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Easy Creme Brulee
I won’t make you listen to any more stories about my rough week. If you remember from a recent post, my daughter starts 1st grade tomorrow. And since I don’t have a time machine or (apparently) the ability to will time to slow down, I have put on my best happy face and hopefully hold back tears until I’m out of the school parking lot. OK, one more story. But technically, this isn’t a story, it’s really just information that you need to know…
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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…
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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…
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Tuna & Noodles from Scratch
So, I don’t eat seafood. I’ve tried. I’ve really, really tried. There are a few swimming-things that I’ve taste-tested over the years that I didn’t absolutely detest, but I’d never order them for myself. Well, maybe, possibly a crab cake. But honestly, I’ll only eat it if my husband orders it – if it’s up to me, I can always find a more appetizing appetizer on the menu. I have done everything I can to ensure that my girls don’t have the same aversions to…
