1. No ‘Fat Talk’ in 2012 Yes, you heard me right. I’m instituting a no ‘fat talk’ policy for the entire year. When the idea first came to my mind, I thought there was no way I could go a whole year without verbally saying things like “I look fat” or “my thighs look huge”. But as hard as it may be, I think it’s worth pursuing. That’s not to say that I’m planning on becoming complacent with my fitness goals. … Read More
Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
Hi again! How was your weekend? Joey and I spend a bunch of time watching football, like four games worth. Since it’s the playoffs and all, we figure we’re justified spending hours on the couch for the next few weekends knowing the dreadful stretch of football-less weekends is coming up quickly. A tried and true Florida Gators fan, I am still basking in the glow of the Denver Broncos-Pittsburgh Steelers game and the glory that is watching Tim Tebow pass … Read More
Black Bean Brownies
Three months ago I took a trip to the Wednesday Farmer’s Market in downtown Des Moines over our lunch hour. The day was beautiful and I was impressed with the selection of tasty lunch items the small farmer’s market had to offer. But what really drew me in was a small whole foods stand selling, among other things, black bean brownies. As you can probably imagine, I couldn’t resist trying a sample and hearing about what this black bean brownie … Read More
Casually Ringing in the New Year
{At one point in the evening, we were dressed presentably. However, it didn’t take us long to switch into sweats and our most comfortable tops. No sparkles at this party.} {Amber, Baylen and Jake enjoying appetizers at Lonski’s in Grinnell.} {Showing off Joey’s office space to our siblings. Since our apartment is a loft, it’s nice to have some work-life separation by renting an office space.} {The soon-to-be newlyweds, Jason and Ali.} {Happy 2012!} As you can see, we laid … Read More
Easy Three Bean Beef Chili
I can hardly believe that 2012 is already here and 2011 is just a memory. While I spent the most of last week and this past weekend sick with a killer cold, we did manage to have a little bit of fun ringing in the new year. Joey’s sister and brother-in-law, Amber and Jake, along with baby Baylen, as well as Joey’s brother, Jason and his fiancé, Ali, all made the trip to Grinnell to stay with us for the … Read More
Dutch Saucijsjes (aka Dutch Pig in the Blanket)
I’d like to take a minute and introduce you to a very special woman, my grandma Dorothy Bomgaars. Dorothy is my mother’s mother and happens to be a very good (Dutch) cook. My mom grew up on a farm in Iowa with four brothers, and my grandma was in charge of feeding a family of seven every day. I can’t imagine cooking for that many people every day. And although she will be 91 in March, my grandma is incredibly … Read More
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and got a chance to spend a little quality time with friends and family. Joey and I spent the last five days back home in northwest Iowa and packed in as much time with loved ones as humanly possible. Maybe we spent a little too much time on the go, because this morning I woke up with a terrible sore throat and just felt pretty crummy overall. I’m hoping that a little extra … Read More
It’s the MOST Wonderful Time of the Year
Today is a special day because my mom, Marilyn, has agreed to do a guest post for me! She worked a little Christmas magic in our apartment this year and was kind enough to share a little heart-warming Christmas story to celebrate the holidays. How fun is this – guest blogging? I love this time of year, and as followers of Espresso and Cream, I thought you might enjoy hearing how Madison and Joe’s loft apartment was decorated for their … Read More
Healthier Peppermint Cheesecake
For those of you that are still looking for a festive dessert over the holidays that is something a little fancier than cookies, this Healthier Peppermint Cheesecake would make a fabulous addition to your holiday table. Joey and I had friends over last week and the finale to our meal was this cheesecake. Since I figured everyone this time of year gets enough heavy, calorie-dense meals, I wanted to keep the dessert lighter than traditional cheesecake. When I found this … Read More
‘Chicken’ Noodle Soup
Lately, I’ve been trying to do a better job about documenting how Joey and I eat together as a mixed vegetarian and omnivore family. With so few hours of daylight these days, there have been a lot of meals that have gone undocumented, since I have yet to master the art of photographing food in artificial light. That said, once in a while I manage to snap a photo of a lunch or dinner here and there. Last week this … Read More
Now on DailyGarnish.com
Happy Friday, everyone! I don’t know about you, but I’m almost as excited about this weekend as I am about Christmas. Joey and I have been traveling on the weekends like crazy people – I think we’ve been gone five out of the last six weekends and a majority of the weekends this fall. So this weekend, we have a lazy weekend planned at home. We’ll also be hosting a pre-Christmas dinner party with some of our friends from Bible … Read More
Brown Sugar Cookies with Mint Chocolate Glaze
I created these recipes a while back to share as part of a Christmas cookie exchange on Amy’s blog. Amy and I have a mutual friend: her cousin, Emily, happens to be a good high school friend of mine. When Amy asked if I would take part in her ’25 Days of Cookies’ I was excited to have another reason to bake and create something special. These cookies really do deliver on the special. Instead of making traditional sugar cookies … Read More