I’m the queen of healthy snacks that taste a little indulgent without totally busting your clean eating plan. I’ll be the first to admit that I just have to have a little something sweet at the end of the night but rarely does that “something sweet” include truly indulgent choices. I’ve found over the years that the less sugar I consume, the less I can handle refined sugars. So I try to steer clear of them as much as possible. … Read More
Healthy Chocolate Mug Cake for One
I don’t care what the circumstances are, every single night I need to end the evening on a sweet note. Truth be told, my body just doesn’t enjoy or tolerate sugar well these days, probably because I don’t eat much of it anymore, but I still have a sweet tooth that begs to be satisfied when Joe and I crash on the couch at the end of the evening. Usually I try to keep my little nightly “dessert” to around … Read More
Pie of the Week #6 // S’Mores Pie
Today’s pie of the week is a good one, my friends! Okay, if you’re my husband then you probably disagree – the man has a serious dislike of “fluffy” things including pudding and whipped cream, which is why I decided to gift this pie to my mom’s co-workers rather than keeping it in our house. That said, if I was left with this pie in the house it wouldn’t be long before I would eat the entire thing on my … Read More
Ultimate Chocolate Layer Cake // Joe’s 29th Birthday Cake
Every year I make my husband a birthday cake, and every year Joe asks me to bake a chocolate cake. One of Joe’s favorite recipes of all time is a recipe I developed a couple years ago when I was working for Betty Crocker. Let’s be clear when I say that yes, this cake starts with boxed cake mix, but it’s anything but ordinary. Actually, I should clarify that I have nothing against boxed cake mix in certain situations, including … Read More
A Wine + Chocolate Girls NIght
*This post was sponsored by Ghirardelli. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make E&C possible. January is a long month in the Midwest. I mean, after New Year’s there is a long stretch filled with cold days without much to celebrate. So what’s a girl to do? My answer was to get the girls together for a wine and chocolate party. It was the perfect way to break up the weekday routine and host friends in … Read More
From the Archives: Fritos Scotcheroos
Today, just in time for Saturday football games and Halloween, I’m dusting off a recipe from the archives. Joe had a work potluck today and specifically requested that I make these Fritos Scotcheroos. And who am I to deny Joe and his co-workers these amazing bars? Before we get too far, let’s be clear: These are not healthy in any way. In fact, I think I remarked yesterday while making them that they might be the least healthy recipe on … Read More
Yellow Cake + Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
Joe recently celebrated his 28th birthday. I can’t believe that we’ve been celebrating birthdays together for the last 6 years. Where in the world has the time gone? This husband of mine, well I have to say that I think he’s the best. The nearly 4+ years we’ve been married and the years we dated before that (including a little while in high school, too!) have been some of the most wonderful, heartbreaking, difficult, joy-filled years of my life. Isn’t … Read More
Dark Chocolate, Cherry and Cashew Cookies
Hello, strangers! It feels like forever when in reality it’s only been about a week since I last checked in with you. If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you’ve seen more than enough photos of our vacation, but I’ll be sharing a full update of our time in Boston and Maine very soon. It was such a wonderful trip and even the rainy weather couldn’t get us down. A huge highlight? We happened to be in Kennebunkport at the … Read More
Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake
Maybe you’re already thinking about Valentine’s Day? Maybe, if you’re like me, you think Valentine’s Day could be done a little better. I like Valentine’s Day, but I really don’t like the chiche roses and pressure to do something grand or give the perfect gift. A couple years back, Joe and I agree to never go out to eat on Valentine’s Day. We usually go out to eat a couple weeks before or a week after the actual day, avoiding … Read More
Triple Chocolate Pumpkin-Chai Muffins
Happy New Year, friends! I think that in order to be accepted in the food blogger universe, I should really be sharing a recipe for salad, or a smoothie, or green juice. But since I can’t stick to the rules, I’m breaking with convention and sharing a recipe for muffins, with lots of chocolate and pumpkin and a little bit of chai. You see, I got a little carried away with holiday recipe testing but got behind on posting some … Read More
Cookie Dough Stuffed Brownies
I told you all last week about the new blog I’m contributing to at work, Tasteseekers Kitchen. Well, if you hopped on over there, you probably saw the ultra-decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Stuffed Brownie Pops. They super cute and much easier than cake pops, which drive me crazy! I can’t never get them to look as pretty as I would like. When my friend, Laura, invited us over to dinner a couple weeks ago, I decided to make a … Read More
Everyday Brownies
Do you grocery shop with your husband or significant other? Here’s the deal: I love to spend time with Joe and we do a lot of activities together, but lately I’ve been trying to make a habit of going to the grocery store without him. Why, you ask? Because I find it incredibly difficult to stay on budget when I have a hungry hubby along with me. Somehow, we always end up with more snack food and unhealthy treats when … Read More