I don't know exactly when I knew I was ready to have a child. Chad and I, even before we were engaged, knew we wanted one some day - talking about baby names on our nightly walks.
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Dirt Cake Jars & Scenes From My Baby Shower
Do you like Oreos? As a kid (who am I kidding, and still today), I was always a "filling" person. I prefer the double or "mega" stuffed Oreos (yes, mega stuffed is a thing) so that the icing to chocolate cookie ratio is probably 3-1. No thin Oreos for me.
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Thin & Chewy Sugar Cookies
Happy Friday!
August flew by and I've been a bit busy staring at, changing, burping and nursing our little girl on repeat! It's left very little time in the kitchen.
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Pineapple-Mint Slushie
Today, I have the PERFECT summer drink. Refreshing, light, fruity. And it's all that sounds good to me right now.
I'm in the waiting game... waiting for our little girl to arrive. That feeling that every day of work will be the last I'll have before she comes. In court today I pictured my water breaking right there, in my suit jacket. Each night may be the last night we fall asleep before she is here. Did I ever mention, I am NOT a patient person?!
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Brown Sugar Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches
I cannot believe it's already August! Summer is really flying by, as always seems to be the case. This weekend, let's all stop and savor it.
I have the perfect late summer treat for your weekend! Vanilla bean ice cream between two chewy brown sugar chocolate chunk cookies. Need I say more?
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S'mores Cookies
At summer campouts, cookouts or just when relaxing around a fire... s'mores are always a good idea.
What is it about the combination of honey graham crackers, chocolate and a gooey marshmallow? To me, it screams summer nights. It just works. So, why not cram that winning combination into a cookie? You know. For those times when you don't have a bonfire near you.
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Peanut Butter & Oat Snack Bites {gluten-free}
Quick post about a quick snack for you today. Because it's summer and it's hot...and let's not turn on the oven today, okay?
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Vanilla Ice Cream with Roasted Blueberries + Dark Chocolate {vegan}
So, I have this problem.
It involves the ice cream attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer that I just don't put to use enough. You see, you have to freeze the ice cream maker before you use it. And well, I have a patience problem and by the time I decide to make ice cream, I am not willing to wait overnight to freeze the ice cream maker attachment.
Long story short, I'll resort to no-churn. But hey, it's okay! The perfect and beautiful thing about recipes like the one is that you can either make it in your ice cream maker OR freeze it without putting it through the ice cream maker. Brilliant, right?! I think so.
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Classic Cherry Pie
What is it about a classic dish? That no-frills, no surprises, genuineness about it. A humbleness of sorts. That comfort knowing exactly what to expect. And then, that satisfaction when it actually tastes even better than what you expected.
I'm all about the classic pie. I mean, why mess it up? You spend the time to make the crust, roll it out delicately, get a TON of berries... and you wait and wait for it to bake. And wait and wait for it to cool enough.
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Peach-Lemonade Pops
Well, it's been HOT. And lately all that sounds good is something ice cold and fruity. So, bring on the fruit pops!
I make these popsicles tart with the lemon juice and slightly sweet with the peaches and honey. And I add in some summery basil for an herby kick. The perfect summer combination!
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Almond Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies {flourless}
When life gets busy or complicated, what you bake in the kitchen shouldn't be!
During my pregnancy, all of my go-to foods that I ate everyday just don't sound appealing to me anymore. Strangely (and sadly) almond butter is one of them. I'm all about peanut butter, and I snack on roasted almonds daily, but just don't crave the smooth almond stuff like I used to. So that means a huge jar of it sits in my cabinet...
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Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie
This weekend is about remembering the fallen who have served our country... and is filled with flags, cookouts, pool days and the unofficial kick off to the summer months. And it's the perfect time to make an in-season pie!
This is my mom's recipe and another family favorite. It's uses a traditional pie crust that I love to use on all of my fruit pies. It makes enough dough for a two-crust 10-inch pie, so it's enough to make a pretty lattice top.
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Strawberry-Basil Smash
I've never been a big drinker, and right now I can't even drink... but for some reason all I want is to sit outside at a cafe and sip a fruity and bubbly cocktail!
Maybe it's the thought of knowing I can't have something, and it makes me want it even more. I don't know. But what I do know is that mocktails are just as amazing, if not better than alcoholic cocktails. So I've been having my fair share of them lately!
Strawberry and basil are one of my favorite combinations, so a sparkling drink muddled with both sounded just about right.
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Berry-Avocado Smoothie Bowl
Whoo hoo for nice weather here in the Midwest! It's the perfect time to share a nice, cool smoothie bowl with you.
Lately I've been making this bowl in the mornings because it's so fast with few ingredients. And it uses up the avocados I buy before they turn brown. I always find myself buying too many avocados, which means 1 or 2 to go bad on my counter before I get a chance to use them! Nothing more sad than throwing away bad avocado... :(
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Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Another family favorite cookie recipe for you! Last weekend, as I was making these cookies for the second time in two weeks, I actually searched my blog to see if I had already posted this recipe before. I was amazed that I haven't! So better late than never...
You know, I love trying out new flavors and cookie combinations, but more often than not I find myself going back to making a family recipe. And more so now as I've gotten older. I look back on memories and years spent in the kitchen growing up, wondering where the time and years went?! It goes way too fast!
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Easy Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies
I blame pregnancy for the box of cake mix in my cabinet. I don't even remember why I bought it, but it's there...
Have you ever made cake mix cookies? My mom and I would sometimes make them when I was growing up. They are super easy, super soft... and super good!
Now, I could totally just make funfetti cookies from scratch. But, there will be days when you just want something quick and easy. We will all have this day or days at some point in our lives. And when you do, keep this recipe on hand!
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Fudgy & Flourless Dark Chocolate Brownies {gluten-free}
Need a fudgy, easy brownie recipe? Well, here you go!
There is something utterly comforting about brownies. The crackly tops and imperfectly cut squares give a hit of nostalgia. Always reminding me of the brownies my mom would make for us kids often - covered in a dusting of powdered sugar and so soft and good you could't just eat one.
These brownie are loaded with dark chocolate, and are pretty darn fudgy thanks to their flourless character. No flour = more room for chocolate.
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Homemade Ginger Ale
You know, it's funny, up until a few weeks ago, I had never had ginger ale. My husband had made a batch of ginger syrup and mentioned using some to make ginger ale. Ginger ale, really? Does anyone drink it? Or... am I just this only one that never has?!
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs {gluten-free, vegan}
Easter candy is officially covering store shelves, which means it's one of my favorite times of the year! It's the spring colors that get me excited.
But, I"m not a big fan of the sugar overload and weird ingredients in most candy at the store. Which sadly includes those Reese's eggs. But let's face it, they are so so so delicious that I think everyone deserves to enjoy a peanut butter egg - so it's a good thing they are SO easy to make and with A LOT less ingredients than on the packages eggs ...and no refined sugar!
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Cucumber Basil Booster
Tomorrow is Saint Patrick's Day! So you can bet it's going to be all about anything and everything GREEN!
How about this spring mocktail? I say YES.
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