I can hardly believe how fast our wedding is coming up, and how little I’ve posted about the details. Part of it has to do with keeping the details a surprise for our guests, but some things can be shared without sacrificing any of the mystery of our day. Without further delay, I give you our amazing wedding party! This is going to take a bit… {Maid of Honor: Emily Perrel, best friend and bride-to-be!} {Bridesmaid: Ashley Mansker, sister and … Read More

{Best breakfast ever: Kashi Go Lean Crunch, Bananas, PB, Milk and Chia Seeds}  {Snapping a photo before leaving my apartment}  {Joey’s dad, Brian, got a delicious fruit pastry at the Des Moines Farmer’s Market}  {My first photo with Nutmeg. She was thrilled.}  {Family photo time!} {Married 26 years this year and still going strong!} {I LOVE these two more than words can describe.}  I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! We were blessed with weather that called for sun dresses … Read More

Let’s talk healthy stuff, shall we?  I think it was Mr. No Meat Athlete himself who said that we should all try to eat one salad and one smoothie every day to pack in the vitamins and nutrients everyone needs daily without fail. Although it’s probably not achievable every single day, I find it to be a great guide to keep in the back of my head when I’m planning my meals for the day. Despite the large number of … Read More

Last week Jen over at Peanut Butter Runner did a great post on where she gets her protein on days when she doesn’t eat much, if any, meat. If you haven’t checked out her blog, you should. This girl provides all kinds of great motivation for getting your butt to the gym and/or yoga studio.  Jen’s post got me thinking about my protein intake. As a vegetarian, I get the protein question a lot, and sometimes, when I’m feeling a … Read More

For a while now, Joey and I have been in search of a ‘family tradition’ to start as we march closer to July 9th. Growing up, my family never really had a Sunday night food tradition but a lot of my friend’s families did. Popcorn and M&Ms for dinner, make your own meal, Sunday night pizza dinner, you get the picture. Tonight Joey and I finally stumbled upon a soon-to-be tradition that feels right for us! We’re calling it Party … Read More

First off, Happy Royal Wedding Day! If you’re anything like me, you’ll be drinking coffee by the gallon to stay awake. I’m also going to my second wedding dress fitting over lunch, which makes this day filled with wedded excitement! On the food front, I can’t tell you how many times I read a recipe on one of my many favorite blogs and am absolutely inspired to make said recipe. However, I rarely ever end up doing so, mainly because … Read More

Layer bars like these come in many forms. The only real components necessary to make them are a cookie or graham cracker crust, a mixed ingredient filling full of different flavors and textures and a topping of sweetened condensed milk to bind it all together. Typically, they are sweet to the max. And, in my opinion, lacking depth and diversity in flavor. Unless, of course, we are talking about these bars. I would like to say they are a stroke … Read More

This weekend Joey and I had our first wedding shower! It was thrown by Joey’s aunts on his dad’s side and, as is tradition in his family, the guys were invited, too. We had so much fun playing silly games, eating (of course!) and opening gifts. Did I mention I’m super lucky to be marrying into this amazing family? Because I am. They play silly games, laugh a lot and make sure we are never without caffeine. Our loot included … Read More

Regular posting will resume momentarily. We’ve been out on a three day weekend. Eating tasty treats, planning our wedding, and running gravel roads out in the country. Now, it’s back to work and the kitchen. Hope you all had a fabulous Easter! Madison

Do you love cookies? I do, too. In fact, I love them so much that I want to bake some cookies and send them to one of you. Two dozen of any of the cookies found on this site. So here’s the deal: Leave a comment below telling me what you’re most looking forward to this summer. Contest is open until 11 p.m. on Thursday, April 21. Winner will be announced on Friday. Have a happy Wednesday! Madison