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...
Read MoreThis 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.
Read MoreI'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.
Read MoreWhoo 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... :(
Read MoreAnother 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!
Read MoreI 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!
Read MoreNeed 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.
Read MoreYou 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?!
Read MoreEaster 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!
Read MoreTomorrow 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.
Read MorePretty sure winter came back to bite us the past few days. Our poor trees blooming outside my window as I write this post are so confused... and turning brown. Ah!!
But... as much as I am SO ready for spring, I do love cold, dreary days. It's been fitting my mood lately - which hasn't been as sunny. But baking brings me back to normal. And baking brings back memories...
Read MoreHappy Sunday! I wish the weekend wasn't over yet, but what else is new?
When Sunday evening rolls around, I always get a bit sad that the weekend flew by so quick. Last night my family celebrated my mom and sister's birthday, complete with a cookie cake and ice cream. Now it doesn't get much better than that!
As I've mentioned in a recent post, I haven't been in the kitchen as much as I'd like to lately. We are so thrilled to announce that I'm having a little girl this summer, but man oh man has it knocked me off my feet! But things are looking up lately, and cookies on cookies on cookies have been on my mind blog-wise.
Read MoreToday is one of those recipes I just have to share. It's a short and sweet post, literally. Because I mean, molten. chocolate. cake... do you need to say much more!?
My mom made these molten cakes last weekend. It makes 4 servings and is surprisingly easy to whip up.
Read MoreHappy Saturday!
It's beginning to feel like spring here in the Midwest and I absolutely LOVE it! I don't know about you, but lately I've been in a funk. For a variety of reasons I've haven't been in the kitchen as much the past few months. (There are a lot of major things happening in my life lately that I'll be sharing with my readers soon!)
Read MoreLove is in the air this month. And so is chocolate.
Even when I was single, I just loved Valentine's Day. I think the heart-shaped candy and pink and red M&M;s had something to do with this. But, for everyone, Valentine's Day is a day (or month!) to celebrate love and appreciation of your friends and family. How lucky we each are to have these people in our lives!
Read MoreThere are some days that we need something that feels sweet. The good thing is, that something doesn't necessarily need to have any sugar in it.
That's where natural sweetness comes in. Which in this case, means lots of dates and some raw cacao powder for a deep, rich chocolately flavor that is bursting with magnesium, fiber, antioxidants... and may be my favorite superfood.
Read MoreMy smoothie bowl kicks go in spurts. I'll make them non-stop for a while, and then I won't make a single one for months. For no reason, really. The smoothie droughts are just a change of scenery in my daily food journey.
Well, you could say that right now I'm on a kick. I can't get enough big, bright, cold bowls that taste so good. It's my version of a cold soup.
So today I'm sharing a current favorite of mine - mixed berry.,,
Read MoreAhhh it's almost the weekend. Which I always associate with lingering breakfast, extra coffee and just relaxing. And it usually involves a grain-free pancake.
So in honor of the weekend that is juuuust about here. And in an effort get my mind off the craziness and changes that are happening in politics, I'm sharing these pancakes. Because blueberry pancakes make me happy, no matter what.
Read MoreTime. We live in a world where it always feels that there is never enough time. Time to workout, time to cook, time to grocery shop, time to read, time to just relax. Why do we feel so pressed for time?
Maybe it's because we don't use our time efficiently. We don't dedicate enough time to the things that mean the most of us. We don't put time aside to just be on our own, for ourselves. Or for our family. This year, let's all cherish our time. Stop rushing from one task to the next, as if it's a race and the more you do, the more worth you have. Spend time doing what you want to do, not what you think you should be doing.
Read MoreHappy New Year!
I love the start of the new year. More so because of all the inspiration to eat clean and move more. Now, I'm not talking about resolutions that last one month and die... I'm talking about an overall look at what we are doing in our daily lives and we either continue doing it, or we tweak it a bit to make our bodies feel better.
In the spirit of clean, I've been making my go-to green smoothie bowl with breakfast.
I've shared many versions of this smoothie on my blog. But, I can't think of a better recipe post to start off this new year!
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