Thanksgiving and Christmas have passed, and my guess is that many of you are in need of a break. A break from butter and sugar and almost anything sweet that comes out of an oven, only to be covered in icing and powdered sugar or topped with whipped cream (and maybe even a break from family). So while I have a delicious oatmeal-coconut cookie recipe to share and a fruit pie that is to die for, I’m moving on to … Read More
Outstanding Christmas Butter Cookies
I didn’t intend to leave the blog unintended over the past week, what with it being the peak of Christmas cookie season and all, but this past week has left practically no time for baking, and almost everything I’ve eaten has been take-out, from a restaurant, or a box of cereal. Hardly worth blogging about. What has been keeping me so busy? A little thing called graduation and all that goes with it: family visiting from Florida and moving into … Read More
Green Goddess Pasta
There’s something undeniably sexy about pasta of any and every sort. In my opinion, it’s the sexiest of all foods, far surpassing the usual suspects: oysters, caviar, champagne. Maybe it’s because for me pasta has always been a bit of a ‘forbidden’ food. But truly, pasta can be delicious and healthy. Case in point? Green Goddess Pasta. The base of this dish is 100% whole wheat spinach pasta, but any pasta would work just fine. One of my favorite tricks … Read More
For the past couple days I’ve had my previous post on what I’m thankful for on my mind. Maybe it’s residual feelings from Thanksgiving, the anticipation of Christmas, or a bit of both. Truth is, Christmas always makes me all nostalgic – especially nights like tonight when welcoming in the first big blizzard of winter. To be able to sit in a warm house, wrapped in a blanket, drinking Reindeer Blend coffee while thinking and writing about food – not … Read More
Thankful
Coming off a weekend spent with my mom and aunt shopping for furniture to go into my new apartment come January (yay!) I was reminded countless times of how blessed I am. To have a supportive, loving family that is helping me get on my feet as I prepare to graduate and taking the necessary steps to insure I don’t have to sleep on the floor in my new apartment! Not to mention the wonderful friends and co-workers I am … Read More
Videos, Holidays, and Exams! Oh my!
Today I am writing my apology, to be extended to all you readers for the next three weeks. Though as Christmas approaches I would like nothing more than to be drinking coffee, listening to Christmas music, watching Elf, and baking all types of goodies to share here, I’m sad to report those things will have to wait until December 18th – the highly anticipated, feared, and welcomed day when I graduate from college! Immediately afterward, I plan on getting back … Read More
Havest Dinner Party
I’ve been saving these pictures, from a dinner party I hosted, for a couple weeks, and am just now getting around to posting them. The guests, Drew and Jean Vogel, and their friends Nick and Cindy DeVries, were the highest bidders at an anual auction in my hometown, and were treated to a dinner at my home, with me playing both chef and waiter for the evening. Knowing they paid money to have me cook, (crazy!) I wanted to make … Read More
No-Bake Chocolate Clusters
Crazy, busy, wonderful. Those three words really are not even close to being enough to describe my past two weeks, but they will have to suffice for now, because my brain is only functioning at 50% at the moment due to over-use and exhaustion. I’ve spent the better part of the last couple weeks filming holiday craft and decorating videos for Better Homes and Gardens – 100 Days of Holidays. I was introduced to a whole new world that doesn’t … Read More
Peanut Butter and Jelly Oats
We’ve been having unseasonably warm weather here in Iowa. It’s November and today warmed into a lovely, sunny, 74 degree day. Winter can stay at bay for at least another month as far as I’m concerned, which is probably wishful thinking, but a girl can hope, right? Happy weather calls for even happier food. Familiar favorites that make you smile and want to linger at the table for just a few more minutes. Since breakfast is my ‘stay-and-linger’ meal of … Read More
Peanut Butter, Pear, and Honey Stacker
Quite often, I sit down at the end of a busy day and think about what I fixed for myself, only to feel dismayed thinking about food I find to be rather uninspiring. I’m not a chips, fast food, and junk food type of girl, but on busy days I sometimes rely rather heavily on coffee, yogurt, and Lara bars, finished off with a big plate of veggies at the end of the day to balance everything out. A couple … Read More
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Truffles
Maybe it’s a bit too early to start thinking about favorite holiday treats. But since Halloween is over and done with, I have decided it’s entirely appropriate to start posting any and all treats that remind me of Thanksgiving, and particularly, Christmas. For years growing up I tasted these sweet little peanut butter-chocolate morsels of deliciousness and thought they must be terribly difficult to make. If big flavor was any indication of difficulty level, they would most certainly take forever … Read More
Gluten-free Cranberry-Pear Crumble Pie
Rainy days and nights. We seem to be having a lot of rainy days in Central Iowa and lately all I’ve wanted to do when it’s raining is to sit inside and hole up under a pile of blankets. I’ve found my happy place. Rainy night and howling wind, I’m hiding under the covers while watching Gossip Girl, drinking coffee, and blogging about pie. Gluten-free Cranberry-Pear Crumble Pie at that. Disclaimer: I have very little practical knowledge of gluten-free anything. … Read More