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New York strip steaks were on sale at my local market and I just couldn’t resist. Steak isn’t something we eat all the time because it’s pretty indulgent both in terms of health and money. And there’s nothing worse than buying an expensive piece of steak and then overcooking it at home. You can’t exactly [...]
Being a food blogger and writing a cookbook about ice cream sandwiches inherently means sampling quite a few foods that aren’t exactly healthy. That’s why I try to focus on balance. I like to indulge in things that I think are worth it (a homemade ice cream sandwich, a piece of perfectly fried chicken, etc.) [...]
We made macarons once in culinary school and I was surprised by how relatively relaxed my chef instructor was in regards to preparing them. With all the articles about macaron making, tips, tricks, and troubleshooting, it seemed like they were next to impossible to make. We didn’t sift the dry ingredients a dozen times, we [...]
Recently Dole invited me to participate in their Taste of Spain Salad Summit in Monterey, California. Of course I jumped at the opportunity because I love Dole and I knew I would desperately need to escape the early Arizona heat for the beautiful lushness of California. The whole trip was a total dream, I mean [...]
I never really grew up eating ribs. It’s probably partly because they can be pricey but also because for the longest time I didn’t like barbeque sauce. All the barbeque sauces I had tasted were horrendously sweet (probably loaded up with high fructose corn syrup) and I’m also not a huge fan of ketchup. It [...]
I have some thrilling news to share today, although if you follow me on Twitter or Facebook you probably already know. Today is the OFFICIAL publication date of my cookbook (aka my baby), Cookies & Cream. That’s right, I wrote a book all about ice cream sandwiches. This is a short post just to let [...]
A fly has been buzzing around my head the entire time I’ve been trying to write this post and it’s been DRIVING ME INSANE. It’s crazy how something so little can be so ridiculously irritating. I probably just spent 10 minutes of my life chasing this fly around with a rolled-up issue of Martha Stewart [...]
More potatoes!! This will be the second potato recipe I’ve posted this week that pretty much doesn’t even count as a vegetable serving. Oh well. I was inspired to make these Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes after having them at a steakhouse and falling in loooove. They’re my favorite mashed potatoes and you HAVE to try [...]
I thought photographing food was hard but I think photographing makeup and other beauty products is equally challenging. Please excuse my poor photos in this post!! Google image search is awesome if you want to look up pictures of products and swatches. Not to mention many of these products can be tried out at the [...]
Do you guys remember the 2003 remake movie Freaky Friday? Don’t even try to pretend like you don’t! I mean, we all wish Lindsay Lohan was still that same sweet and sober girl right? The reason I bring up this ahem… cinematic masterpiece… is because there is one scene in it which really struck a [...]
If the name “lofthouse” doesn’t ring any bells not to worry, you probably know these cookies. They’re the super soft grocery store bakery sugar cookies piled high with sweet frosting and decorated festively year round. My boyfriend calls Lofthouse cookies “Halloween cookies” because he grew up eating them decorated with orange frosting and black sprinkles [...]
I am not a fan of our pantry. I’ve mentioned it before – it’s a set of small, dark, deep, and inaccessible cabinets that barely qualify as a pantry. However, it’s better than nothing (or so I try to tell myself). Recently I found a forgotten half-eaten bag of store-bought bagels in the depths of [...]
Waiting for time to pass is such a terrible feeling. I remember sitting in class in high school knowing that if I looked at the clock too early in the class period then it was going to go by dreadfully slow. Same with shifts at work or a long plane ride. Sometimes it seems as [...]
This post continues my obsession with brownies. Big or small, plain or twisted with a special flavor, I can’t stop making them. While testing the recipe for these brownie bites I was reminded of a time when I couldn’t accomplish the simplest of baking tasks, which is strange to think about now that I’m nearly [...]
It’s hard to focus on writing about food when I’m so excited for the Big Traveling Potluck food blogger event this weekend. It’s always such a blast and also a little surreal to meet up with the people you mostly only know from the internet. It’s also nice to be in the company of people [...]
I love shrimp but sometimes I worry I will eventually exhaust every possible recipe and flavor combination for making shrimp. Sometimes when I flip through the pages of a magazine or cookbook and see a shrimp recipe I sadly think to myself I’ve already made that recipe, or at least something very similar. I think [...]
I have quite a few recipes on hand that I’ve been wanting to share with you guys but after taking one bite into this tart I knew I had to post these first. You know you’ve got a good recipe when your boyfriend says it’s one of the “best desserts you’ve ever made.” And he [...]
What a week it’s been. After Monday it didn’t seem right to post much about recipes and food with so many Americans suffering in unfathomable explosions and shootings in Massachusetts and Texas. I send my thoughts and condolences to all those affected by these terrible events. I’d also like to greatly thank all the law [...]
Doughnuts… what a concept. You take a slightly sweet and rich yeasted dough, shape it into cute little rings, deep fry them, then coat them in sugar or glaze. It’s simply genius and amazing. I try to reserve my doughnut eating for special occasions since they’re so rich and time consuming to make from scratch. [...]
Sometimes you just need bread. And you know what? There is no substitute for bread. The idea of the Atkins diet makes me want to cry because life without any bread seems so sad. I understand that white flour and too many carbs in general can be bad for your body but sometimes you’ve just [...]
Time for another monthly beauty favorites post! These are all the products I’ve been using lately and absolutely loving. If you’re not into beauty products, stay tuned for my next recipe post or check out my first ever food video instead. If you have a slight addiction to beauty products like me, then keep reading. [...]
After posting my first video about how to make fresh pasta last week it seemed only fitting that I post a pasta recipe this week. This particular recipe can use either fresh or dried pasta and either way it’s delightfully addictive. Not to mention super simple and fast. It’s no wonder pasta is a staple [...]
White, whole wheat, and spinach pasta. This post contains my FIRST ever video that I filmed and edited completely by myself! Please be nice! Fresh pasta sounds like something that is impossibly complicated if you’ve never made it before. However, it’s really not too difficult. It’s just a little time consuming and messy. But aren’t [...]
I have something to say that may shock you. I am not a huge fan of red velvet. I know it is tremendously popular but most red velvet type desserts that I’ve tasted have always been bland, dry, or sickeningly sweet. Plus, there can never be enough chocolate in my book so the tease of [...]
Disclosure: This KitchenPLAY post is sponsored by Avocados from Mexico and Jarlsberg Cheese. All opinions provided are my own. I was recently contacted by Kitchen PLAY to participate in an event centered on Breakfast Duos and sponsored by Avocados from Mexico and Jarlsberg Cheese. Who doesn’t love avocados, cheese, and breakfast? So how could I [...]
I’m coming to you today with another totally non-food related beauty post! You guys seemed to really enjoy my first beauty themed post at the beginning of this month so I decided to put together another one. In that post I mentioned three new(ish) Maybelline lip products and promised to post some more in-depth information [...]
A few posts ago I mentioned how I accidentally deleted a bunch of food photos forever. Photos that had hours of work in the kitchen and money spent on the ingredients just gone. Two sets of those photos were for videos I wanted to share with you all. However, I have to re-make the two [...]
I have acquired a slight obsession with making homemade bread lately. There’s something so satisfying in starting with a cast of unassuming characters (flour, yeast, liquid) and turning it into something that smells as magical as it tastes. Pita bread dates back to antiquity and it’s crazy to think about all the advances that have [...]
I’ll never ever understand people who say they dislike chocolate or who say they dislike seafood. Those are some of my all time favorite foods (not together though… ewh). I love fish and shellfish but one of my favorite spoils of the sea is definitely sea scallops. They’re pretty much perfect in my book. Quick [...]
Did you guys see Justin Timberlake on Saturday Night Live recently? Or on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon all last week? Who would have thought that this kid would end up being such a talented musician, actor, and comedian? I may have made a Lance Bass poster for an ‘Nsync concert back in the day… [...]
Remember when I mentioned I was reading The Fault in Our Stars last week? Well between then and now I fell in love with the characters, soaked my pillow in tears, and contemplated the meaning of life. Not to mention how unbelievably thankful and appreciative the book reminded me to be of my good health [...]
YOU GUYS! If you follow me on Instagram you will know that I got my first advanced copy of my cookbook a couple of days ago! Cookies + Cream will release May 14th but you can preorder it now and even take a sneak peek inside on Amazon. A couple of hours after receiving my [...]
It is nearly impossible to keep up with diet fads and healthy food trends these days. Unless you’re a nutritionist or dietician, it’s a pain to even attempt to sort through the hoards of conflicting information on fats, sugars, carbs, and everything in between. Recently it seems coconut oil is the latest in the health [...]
Ever since I finished my bachelor’s degree it’s been wonderful to have enough time to read books of my own choosing. Despite how much I hated the stress of tests and assignment deadlines, a little part of me will always miss the challenge of academics and the extensive knowledge gained on a variety of subjects. [...]
There are some ingredients and flavors that just belong together. There are also some that should never ever be together, like when you eat something with chocolate right after eating something with a bunch of garlic. Or when you brush your teeth before drinking orange juice. Those things are just wrong. This recipe, however, is [...]
Yay, makeup! Today I’m taking a break from talking about recipes and food to talk about something else I love… makeup and beauty products. I actually went through a phase in Jr. high and high school where I became really interested in makeup and makeup artistry and seriously thought I wanted that to be my [...]
I definitely ate pop tarts when I was a kid. By the time I was in Jr. High, though, apparently my taste buds had become more refined because suddenly pop tarts seemed too sugary sweet, especially for breakfast. I started to realize that so much sugar in the morning would inevitably lead to a crash [...]
There’s nothing like the sheer terror that washes over you when you’re at home, alone, on the computer in complete silence, when a man’s voice suddenly starts booming. This just happened to me and like an idiot in one of those scary movies, I ran towards the voice. Turns out my puppy had sat on [...]
I did something really stupid yesterday. I partially blame technology but it was also user error. Basically I accidentally deleted a handful of photos I had taken of recipes I wanted to post. Poof, one mistake and they’re gone. All that time, effort, and money that had gone into making and photographing those recipes was [...]
If you know anything about me you know that I have a massive sweet tooth. Just take a look at the kind of recipes I tend to post. I have to have something sweet, preferably with chocolate, at least once a day. That is no exaggeration. Writing a cookbook about ice cream sandwiches was a [...]
Lately I’ve been really loving the 90s radio station on Pandora. Every Britney, ‘N Sync, Destiny’s Child, Spice Girls, TLC, and Backstreet Boys song just makes me want to DANCE and reminds me of slumber parties and talent shows as a kid. Even the 90s rock and alternative hits make me smile because they remind [...]
I’m having a hard time writing this post because I’m still recovering from the shock and depression of last night’s season finale of Downton Abbey. *Do not continue reading if you haven’t seen it – I don’t want to give away any spoilers!* Basically, this season has left me terrified of EVER getting pregnant because [...]
Happy Friday! I hope you’re not too tired of sweet treats from Valentine’s Day because I have quite an indulgently delicious recipe for you today. Just take a quick look at the ingredients and your mouth will start watering. This recipe turns your favorite candy bar into a cookie bar and it is pretty amazing, [...]
I spent yesterday catching up on The Walking Dead (don’t worry, I HATE spoilers) so I could watch the mid-season premier episode. Needless to say I spent a good part of the day on the verge of having a panic attack. When I first started binge watching this on Netflix I had a super vivid [...]
There’s less than a week left until Valentine’s Day! It can be a really corny holiday but hey, there’s never anything wrong with chocolate and gifts (even if they’re gifts from yourself). The past few recipes I’ve posted lately are perfect Valentine’s Day treats but I’ve also posted a few recipes in the past that [...]
One evening a few months ago my boyfriend Jared and I were sitting on the couch, staring at our laptop screens. I was suddenly hit with the intense urge to make something delightfully chocolate-y. I remembered I had seen a recipe for chocolate soufflé for two recently and decided to give it a shot. I [...]
Today I bring to you heaven on earth in the form of a recipe. It’s an ooey gooey chocolate chip cookie that requires a scoop of ice cream and a spoon. You can switch out the chocolate chips for anything you like and you can save all or even portions of the dough in the [...]
Eeek! If you follow me on Instagram you already know I got a new camera! Nothing super duper fancy schmancy but I’m so excited because this camera has video capabilities. I’ve been wanting to create video content for the blog for a long time but never really had the proper equipment. Now I have no [...]
If you didn’t know, I have been completely obsessed with organization lately. It’s probably a good thing the closest Container Store is 45 minutes away otherwise I would be in trouble. We recently organized many of our kitchen cabinets so that it’s not a complete nightmare to pull out one cookie pan or food container. [...]
Is there anything worse than being stuck in an endless spiral of confusion and bureaucracy that is practically mandatory when dealing with things like taxes, bills, insurance, HR departments, or schooling? Everything is so automated that when you have to call to get a question answered half the time it takes 10 minutes just to [...]
