Honey Oat Bread
Posted on May 17, 2016
This time last week, I was very pregnant. 37 weeks, large and in charge, swollen feet, hot flashy...
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Strawberry Shortcake
Posted on May 10, 2016
If I ended up on death row and tonight's dinner was destined to be my last meal, I would you ask you for an over-sized portion of my mom's baked spaghetti. It's nothing fancy, really- diced onion, ground beef, and canned tomato sauce, baked together with cooked spaghetti noodles under a blanket of shredded mozzarella and parmesan- but to me, no baked spaghetti could ever taste as good to me as hers. Other contenders for my last meal just may include something similar to today's recipe: strawberry shortcake .One of the first foods I can remember learning to make is biscuits. Growing up, my Mimi would prepare her famous chicken and dumplings, and I would watch her cut the fat into the the flour, rolling out the dough and cutting each biscuit round out with the lip of a slender drinking glass. Mimi's take on chicken and dumplings included baking the...
Read MorePeach Semifreddo
Posted on May 4, 2016
Before starting this blog, I promised my husband I wouldn't air out his dirty laundry online. That was, of course, so long as he managed to put in in the hamper where it belonged. Jokes aside, both Brett and I have learned a lot through this blogging venture and he's been really supportive by listening to ideas, stories, ingredient lists and technical woes. While I'm certainly able to go to him about the vast majority of my blog-related needs, the disparities between mine and Brett's food preferences have become more and more apparent since the recipe testing began months ago. Exhibit A: Peach semifreddo with blackberry mint compote.If you're thinking to yourself right now, "what is semifreddo?", then you and Brett are tracking on the same page. Upon first hearing of semifreddo and spotting it in the freezer, Brett made his patented stink face and asked me if I had any...
Read MoreOatmeal Cookies
Posted on April 27, 2016
There's something about eating oatmeal cookies that makes me think of breakfast. Maybe it's years of oatmeal with sliced banana and honey for breakfast or dried fruit and oat topped yogurt snacks, but I tell ya what- oatmeal cookies have got me thinking, "man, this dessert feels pretty healthy."Yeah, yeah. I know. Wishful thinking. You can't blame me for trying.I have yet to come to a firm stance on my oatmeal cookie preference. Thin and crisp? Puffy and cake-like? Buttery, crisp edges with a chewy center? The jury is still out on this one, but one thing I do know is that I like my oatmeal cookies fully loaded. If someone created the cookie equivalent to the everything bagel, I would buy and consume them er'ryday. Dried fruit, chocolate chips, a browned butter drizzle...
Read MorePretzel Shortbread Peanut Butter Brownies
Posted on April 21, 2016
This past weekend, I traveled to Orlando to visit family one last time before I'm due to crank out this baby. At 33 weeks pregnant, waddling around the airport with a wiggly toddler and a carry-on bag full of snacks, diapers, and a well worn copy of "Goodnight Moon" made me a sight to see. By the time we arrived to the sunshine state, Aimee was covered in Goldfish crumbs and chocolate, I was covered in Aimee's Goldfish/chocolate drool, and we both were in desperate need of a little personal space.Winding down the last few weeks of pregnancy is a lot like the last couple weeks of school before summer break. I have a never-ending checklist of things to do, things to buy, things to make, and things to wrap up. Baby items to purchase, baby room decor to hang, and a baby quilt to finish sewing. Recipes to test,...
Read MoreGrapefruit Tejitos
Posted on April 15, 2016
There should've been margaritas. White sand, the smell of Coppertone, fish tacos, yes. But mostly, margaritas.Don't underestimate the amount of tequila a small woman can put away when it's appropriately mixed with lime, salt, and a little bit of sunshine. On tropical vacations, I always feel like I'm in some weird Bermuda Triangle of alcohol tolerance where my upper limit for liquor is suddenly similar to that of like, a 250 lb. Irish biker dude that hangs out in bars and takes his coffee with two shots of Bailey's. I shudder to think of what the cabana boys must think of my poor liver at that point in time, but what is that saying about "work hard, play hard?" Yeah, let's do that.Our flight to Mexico last fall was to land mid-morning, giving us ample time to travel to our resort, check-in, and wiggle a pasty body into last summer's bikini. By...
Read MoreConfetti Ice Cream Cake
Posted on April 11, 2016
Let’s slow clap for America. We're screwing up a lot around here these days, but one area where Americans are consistently winning is birthdays. In my lifetime, I’ve been apart of very few birthday celebrations that didn’t include cake and I’m thinking that's something I need to appreciate about my motherland today. An extra special shout out goes to those who celebrate with the quintessential American cake flavor- the one, the only, confetti cake. Is there anyone who doesn’t secretly love a confetti cake made straight from the box? I don’t think so. Is there anything more American than taking an already sweet cake batter and adding more sugar to it in the form of playful little sprinkles? Not a chance. So strap on your jean shorts and handlebar mustaches, because today’s cake is going out to the land of the free and the home of the brave. We're making confetti ice cream cake.‘Merica!Christina...
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