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I have learned it's okay to take shortcuts, especially when it comes to baking. Oh sure, I aspire to make the perfect pies, cakes, cookies, and bread completely from scratch, but my results are inconsistent at best. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I'm pretty good with cookies, quick breads and muffins. However, if anything needs yeast and effective kneading to get the de
I heart sandwiches. During the week I typically stick to simple turkey, lettuce and cheese, but when the weekend rolls around I like to invest a little more time and effort creating toasty, tasty sandwich options. This mushroom and spinach melt is definitely a weekend sandwich and totally worth the time. I melted a healthy tablespoon of butter in a pan over medium heat. Onc
I have been thinking over the last few days that I would skip posting a list of recipes posted here in 2012. However, after spending the better part of today catching up on my favorite food blogs, I realized that paying tribute to the recipes and tasty adventures of the prior year is somewhat of a blogger tradition. To just move on to 2013 without acknowledging the greatest hits from last ye
I woke up this morning to find a heavy dusting of snow on the ground and I couldn't have been happier. It's been cold here for weeks, but not a single snowflake dropped until last night. I miss the snow we had growing up. We had big storms that would dump inches upon inches of the white stuff providing inspiration for all kinds of snowy fun. My brothers and I would bundle up in our snow
Sometimes simple is better. Is it just me or is there an undercurrent of cookie one-upmanship out there in the world? It seems that no one makes just a simple cookie anymore and instead there are a plethora of jacked-up cookie concoctions. It's like a game of who can stuff the most ingredients a single batch of cookies. Nutella! White chocolate chips! Browned butter
I wish I could say that I tossed this all together in an hour for a quick and hearty supper during the week, but I would be lying if I did. This is one of those meals that needs to be done on the weekend because of all the simmering, mixing and baking that needs to happen. I split this up into two baking dishes -- one that I enjoyed this past weekend and the other went into the f
Move over chicken soup because I've got a new bowl of comfort in my life. How I've made it this far in life without making garlic soup is beyond me. I love garlic and I love soup so it's clearly a match made in heaven. And, unlike chicken soup, it's easy to make and requires only a few ingredients. This particular version is thickened using egg yolks, which results in a ri
The countdown begins - Christmas is just a few short weeks away. Eek! In celebration of the season I updated the banner to something a little more festive. It features one of my favorite salads that is perfect for this time of year. In other news, I've been listening to a whole lot of Christmas music lately and thought I would share some of my favo
Over the long weekend I spent quite a bit of time on Pinterest which, by the way, has suddenly exploded with the holidays. Of course, there are always the die-hard Christmas fans that continuously pin various Christmas stuff all year round, but this past weekend everyone came out in droves to pin all kinds of Christmas crafts, decorating and cooking ideas. Even your's truly, who swore she would
Pier 39, San Francisco, CA
Tired of turkey yet? I have challenged myself to use up all the leftover turkey this year and even after turkey sandwiches, burritos and quesadillas I still have leftovers in my fridge. I think the turkey keeps multiplying because every time I think I'm getting close to using it all up I turn around and more appears. At times like these volume is important and a great way to get r
Today, in between checking out the deals on Amazon, I put together some cute sandwiches. I love cute food. Especially cute food that uses up all kinds of Thanksgiving leftovers like turkey (that took a long overnight soak in this brine), homemade cranberry sauce, arugula leftover from this salad, and dinner rolls. Add a little bit of pepperjack cheese and a smear of
I think the best part of Thanksgiving are the appetizers. What's better than having a "a bit of this and a taste of that" over the course of the day only to sit down when it's time for the real meal and realize you are completely full and can't possibly eat any more? There's so much hoopla about turkey, potatoes and stuffing when the real heroes of the day are the bite-sized
I had some family over for dinner recently and I am considering renting them out as party guests for hire because they have amazing dinner guest skills. Not only are they the nicest people ever, but they appropriately ooh and ahh over everything they're served. I think there might be some money in putting them out on the party circuit because don't we all want an adoring audience when we mak
In my house beans & toast is also known as "what I eat after I've screwed up everything else". Last weekend I set out to make chocolate swirl buns -- they're just like cinnamon buns except you roll them up with chocolate, butter and sugar instead of just cinnamon and butter. I planned to freeze them and bring them out over Thanksgiving just so I could impress my
There are two ways to get to Taos, NM from Albuquerque: The highway or the high road. The highway will most likely get you there sooner, but the high road offers amazing scenery, little towns and roadside access to artisan shops and galleries all for the small price of some extra time. Take the high road. It's better.
Bake. Scoop. Mix. Stuff. Bake. It really doesn't get any easier than that. The result? A classic, timeless side dish that is sure to please. I recently made some with sour cream, spinach and cheddar and, after devouring them, I got curious about other variations to try. So, here are few other twice baked 'tater combos that look pretty darn tasty... Blue
Sometime after Halloween and before Thanksgiving a little switch inside me lights up and I start thinking about the holidays. The mental to-do list starts growing and ignites the panic joy of the season. Well, my switch flipped over to "on" this past weekend and now my thoughts are flooded with all things holiday. People, Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around th
Check out what other people checked out on this site in October. The following posts had the most page views last month and, judging from the recipes, folks are definitely starting to crave warm and cozy comfort food. My favorite from this list? It's a tough choice, but the chorizo breakfast burritos are always a perfect start on a chilly Saturday morning. So, scroll through and click on
Reciting "Spring forward, Fall back" is the only way I can remember which way the clock is supposed to go when the time changes. I can hardly believe that daylight savings is ending-- one minute it was, like, June and now it's almost Thanksgiving. Some folks don't like this upcoming time change, but I have to admit I look forward to it -- it means I get an extra
This one has been on my to-do list for quite a while, although I'm not too sure how authentic my version is. Some of the best fish tacos I've had have crispy breaded fish and some sort of slaw. My version skips the breading for the fish and instead of a slaw I threw together a black bean and pepper salad. Oh, I also tossed in some avocado. All of it wrapped up in a whole wheat tortil
I have a new job that requires travel, so I've been spending a lot of time on the road since the beginning of September. I took the above picture with my phone on a drive between Tucson and Phoenix, AZ. I'm not sure the picture does the sky justice -- it was one of those amazing sunsets where the sky looks painted. Almost not real. A sky that you can't stop looking at because it'
The great thing about making banana bread is that it normally comes together pretty quickly. Hence the name "quick bread". Unless you're me and your oven is not working right and it ends up taking over two hours to bake when it normally should only take an hour. About an hour and 15 minutes into the bake time I realized something was wrong and I had no idea how long it was goi
Some favorite black & whites...
Cold brew, hot brew, what's a girl to do? This was the question I faced when I decided to make affogato, which is a simple coffee and ice cream Italian dessert. The ice cream part is simple-- just scoop and serve. However, there are some decisions that need to be made for the coffee part of the dessert. There are a lot of people with strong opinions about the coffee prepara
Every once in a while I get organized. The result? A whole bunch of meatballs to freeze for later. Oh, and a whole lot of sauce to go with them, too.
Happy Fall
I am so in love with eggs and potatoes. It's almost embarrassing considering I've written posts about this great combo about... um, I don't know, like, a million times (like this one, this one and that one). This new version didn't take any time at all. I mean, who wants to slave away on Sunday morning making breakfast, especially after drinking large amounts of prosecco th
Until last night I have avoided brussels sprouts my whole life. I mean, look at them, they're totally scary looking. Okay, so maybe not. Actually, they're kind of cute. "Oooh, you wittle tiny cabbages! You're so cute I could just gobble you right up. Yes, I will, you little cabbage-y wabbage-y!" Sorry, but I couldn't help myself. Be
Sweetness comes in many forms. Like sugar and spice and all things nice. . Like puppies and kittens and little bunnies. Like ice cream and cupcakes. Like love and friendship... ...and potatoes. Rosemary Sweet Potatoes Cut some sweet potatoes into quarters. Spread them out onto a baking sheet and toss with some o
Ah, Saturday morning. I love acting like I have nothing to do except curl up with some coffee and homemade muffins. Ignoring my to-do list is one of my most favorite activities. Banana & Blueberry Buttermilk muffins with a crunchy sweet topping are the perfect fodder for a lazy Saturday morning. I found myself with a lot of buttermilk on hand after making something else (mor
Every once in a while I get a hankerin' for old school tacos. When I say "old school" I mean tacos in the style of school lunches -- crunchy shell, shredded cheese, beef and beans. The kind of tacos that had me first in line to purchase a lunch ticket. I know, I know... it's sounds really weird, but there was something about taco day that made me all happy when I was a kid. Looking back I don't
Granola is a magical thing. It has turned this fruit-averse and yogurt-avoiding gal into a believer. A believer in the power of breakfast and all the good things that happen when the first meal of the day is hearty, healthy and tasty. The greek yogurt is full of protein, which keeps me filled up. The fruit is full of all kinds of good stuff to make me feel good.
I have been MIA for the last couple of months and I blame... Have you heard of it? When I was an impressionable young teen I used to make posters collages with magazine clippings of my favorite celebrities, clothing brands, cool quotes and other miscellaneous items that represented me. I put a lot of work (and elmer's glue) into these creations and pro
Of all the pictures posted on the blog these apple photos are among my favorites. They first appeared in a post about cranberry applesauce and since then I have always loved them. They are included in my family album and proudly displayed alongside favorite photos of friends and family. "That's my brother Scott, my best friend, Kristen, and... oh, yes, my most favori
Coffee. I love to drink it. I love to take pictures of it. There's something about a coffee photo that evokes feelings of peace and calm. Makes me think of lazy weekends, cozy breakfasts and long conversations. These photos always remind me to slow down and enjoy the moment.
A spoonful of roasted garlic-y goodness. I took this picture over two years ago and I'm not sure why it never made it to the blog. Somehow it got filed away and I forgot about it, so I'm glad I found it. I'm a little obsessed with roasted garlic and it's one of my go-to ingredients. Roasting it mellows out the flavor and it's great in almost anything that calls for garlic, e
I love this picture, but I can't take credit for taking it. Someone else took it. I also can't take credit for what's on the plate. Someone else made it. It was sent to me by someone who, over the last few months, has taught me to poach an egg and properly slice a shallot, among many other things. It's not often I meet people who are compelled to take a picture of th
Of all the pictures I've taken of desserts, this cookie dough one is by far my favorite. Makes you want to take a big ol' bite, right? So, in honor of my favorite "sweet" picture, here are a few of my favorite "sweet" posts from the past... Chocolate Chip Cookies Cheesecake Flourless Chocolate Cake Fresh Corn Cupcakes Peanut Butter & Chocolate Bars
Christmas time is here. This year I'll be traveling home to spend the holidays with my family. Christmas in Wyoming. It's been a while and I'm looking forward to it. However, instead of packing for the trip, I've been spending the day going through photos. It's so easy to get lost in them -- revisiting old favorites and discovering new ones.
Yolks. That's a funny word. Yolks, yolks, yolks. I was left with quite a few laying around after making green pea eggs and didn't want them to go to waste. "When life gives you yolks make some egg salad." Is that how the saying goes? Anyway, a little mayo, some parsley and crispy bacon makes for nice egg salad. Serve it open faced on to
These little green pea "eggs" are my take on a cute little brunch item from the restaurant Sprout in Chicago. We ordered these on a grey, cold morning and their freshness and whimsy brightened the day and made me, oh, so happy. I was so charmed that I haven't been able to stop thinking about them since the trip, which was over two weeks ago. I used this recipe to make the g
It's rainy and cold here in the Big D, which means it's perfect weather to stay inside and slow cook a hearty pasta sauce. I love any excuse to eat pasta. Bolognese has been on my "To Dos" for a while and, for a long time, I thought it was some fancy Italian specialty full of mysterious and exotic ingredients. Then I learned that it's really just a humble meat sauce a
It's time to update my resume... After two years of failed attempts I am happy to announce that I have successfully poached an egg. Gone are the days of searching for poached eggs in restaurants. Now I can just roll out of bed and poach eggs in my very own kitchen. I'm still in shock. Me, poaching eggs, in my own kitchen! This would not have been possible without some very
Sometimes I think I will find all the answers just by cooking something. Often, when I have a lot on my mind, I am pulled to the kitchen and lose myself in the cooking process. I find the act of taking something and combining it with other "somethings" completely soothing and comforting. In the kitchen most things start with a question and, hopefully, by the end, there is a
I love me some crab cakes. I love a long holiday weekend. I love that I have nothing else to do except cook and watch movies today. I love that I made my own remoulade sauce. I love that it turned out right. I love that I decided at the last minute to coat the crab cakes in panko. I love that they didn't fall apart. I love that I took the su
My world has changed. Birds are singing, the sun is shining and the mac & cheese is delicious. It all started with a simple question: Stove top or baked? I swore off baked macaroni & cheese a long time ago after many years of heavy, dense and brick-like concoctions. Then I discovered a stove top version that I fell in love with because it was easy and the result was cr
In my world, baking always sparks feel-good feelings that make the previous week's stress melt away. Nothing cures tension like the aroma of something delicious baking in the oven. I especially like baking something that has a little surprise. These scallion muffins have a little bite of creamy goat cheese hiding inside. Oh, hello. I didn't know you were
Show yourself some love this week. Fettuccine Alfredo Serves 2 if you feel like sharing the love Serves 1 if you feel like keeping it all to yourself 1/4 of a box of fettuccine 1/4 cup of cream 1/2 stick of butter 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus a little extra for garnish 1 tablespoon chopped parsley,
Rainy day. Great recipe. 2 and 1/2 pounds of chuck roast. A myriad of spices. Smoky bacon. Sharp cheddar cheese. Cool sour cream. Perfect Sunday supper.
