Another weekend, another road trip. What a crazy Thanksgiving weekend it was! Joey and I traveled home to NW Iowa for Thanksgiving, then over to Chicago with my mom and Joey’s parents to watch his brother play for Bethel University in the NCAA Division III Football Playoffs. And on Sunday it was time to head back home. Bethel won. We had a wonderfully exhausting time. And I got to spend a lot of time with family and loved ones. … Read More
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
After this past weekend, are you in need of something to lighten you up? Would you rather just be eating pumpkin pie? Yeah, I’m with you on that one. I don’t care how many times I’ve had it, I love pumpkin pie and I wish it stuck around longer than just two months. What keeps my cravings at bay these days? Pumpkin Pie Smoothies. If you follow any health blogs, you’ve probably seen a recipe or two similar to this … Read More
Eggnog Sweet Rolls
Happy Thanksgiving. Okay, so I’m a few hours ahead of the game, but I wanted to give you this recipe for Eggnog Sweet Rolls, in case you haven’t been bombarded with enough recipes to last you a lifetime. If you’re in need of a breakfast on, say, Friday morning before hitting the Black Friday sales, this would be the recipe. I don’t care what anyone else says, Black Friday is always a good idea. My mom and I have … Read More
Back From the Beach
This past weekend I took a much needed (and very much enjoyed) long weekend. And how did I spend it? At the beach, of course! I don’t get to spend nearly as much time with my dad (or any of my family, for that matter!) as I would like to, so when I realized there were a few extra vacation days in my reserve, I took full advantage of some father-daughter bonding time. We spent three days at the beach, … Read More
Holiday Fruit Pie
The emotional connection I have with this pie is a little bit ridiculous. Perhaps it’s borderline obsessive. It was part of the November 2009 “Easy Holiday Baking” feature in Better Homes and Gardens – the first project I worked on while I was an intern at the magazine. And while I wasn’t the creator of the recipe, I did see it through from conceptualization to testing to photography and finally, I wrote the copy to accompany this amazing dessert. Last … Read More
Pumpkin Spice Shortbread Truffles
Happy Monday everyone! Since I ended last week on a healthy note, I thought it was a good idea to start this week off with something a little more decadent. Something you could serve to loved ones over the holidays, or just make on a Monday night and eat yourself. I’ve made versions of these truffles before, with peanut butter and Oreo filling, which are both delicious, but I was looking for something a little different. So when Walkers … Read More
Fruit and Nut Sweet Bites
If you’re anything like me, chances are you crave a little something sweet at the end of every meal. I don’t care how stuffed I am. It doesn’t have to be much; a bite or two is enough to keep the cravings at bay. Lately I’ve been experimenting with sweet bites that won’t compromise my healthy lifestyle too much. And since willpower in the face of baked goods isn’t my specialty, having just a bite of pie or ice cream … Read More
Autumn Chopped Salad
Photo Courtesy of Richard Swearinger, BHG Food Editor Extraordinaire If you’re stopping by from Pinterest, welcome! I’m happy you took the time to visit Espresso and Cream and hope you’ll stay a while. For more information about me and this site, swing by the About Me page at the top. -Madison I love my job. Honestly, if I didn’t there would be something seriously wrong with me. To be surrounded by delicious food and stimulating people day after day is … Read More
Cashew Butter
Wow. This weekend was absolutely crazy! It started off with a trip to the DMV to renew my driver’s license, which has been expired since my birthday last month. And like most other people, my experience was excruciating. Slow, disorganized, rude. But I felt much better getting on the road up to Minneapolis knowing I was driving with a legal license, and my new photo turned out pretty good, too. After four hours of driving I made it up to … Read More
Molasses Crinkles
In my opinion, there’s a lot to love about Thursdays. I think it has something to do with the anticipation of the weekend and the fun that’s coming. Especially in the case of this weekend! Joey and I will be meeting up in Minneapolis for another Bethel football game and to spend some time with his family, including his aunt, uncle and cousins from Wisconsin. Don’t worry, I’m already charging my camera and have set a reminder on my … Read More
Candy Pumpkin Peanut Butter Kisses
It’s official. The Sunday night blues have set in yet again. Typically I consider myself a happy, positive person, but it’s tough to find the joy in Sunday nights sometimes. After a wonderful weekend with two of my favorite people in the whole world I now find myself cleaning up my apartment and getting ready for the week ahead with my mom traveling home in one direction, and Joey heading home in the opposite direction. Lately, what Joey and I … Read More