Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken and Sausage
My husband and I went to Hawaii for our honeymoon, and we both fell in love with it. Well, he became practically obsessed with it and has mentioned us moving there many times over the years since our visit. “Have you seen how WHITE we are?? We’d die of skin cancer in like three months!!” has been my response. I remember lathering sunblock with SPF 75 all over me and STILL getting burnt after 1 hour. […]
Hearty Vegetable Chowder
There are some things I like about the cold weather, even though South Carolina’s weather gives us little sneak peeks of a cold front ALL year long. Fires, tall boots, blankets, but nothing beats any of those more than soup season. My favorite kind of soup is a good, hearty, CHOWDER. Well, the cold weather also brings along colds and other illnesses, which is not good for someone like me, who tends to have issues with chronic sinus infections. Buh-bye, dairy! […]
Cookies ‘n Cream Fudge
Making fudge is one of those things that can seem intimidating if you’ve never made it before. In all honesty, it can be…but not this recipe. If you can melt, stir, and pour, you’re all set! […]
Pumpkin Pie Dip with Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
Have you ever looked at some food at a party and wondered if it was an appetizer or dessert? This is definitely one of those items that might have you scratching your head wondering, until you’re completely distracted after you start eating it. […]
Red Velvet Cheesecake
On my original quest for a Red Velvet Cheesecake recipe, I kept running across the Red Velvet Cake layered with New York Cheesecake. That is not what I’m looking for! I thought. But omg, that looks AMAZING and I have to make that, too. […]
Dairy-Free Keto Green Bean Casserole
Making dishes that are dairy-free, Keto-friendly AND delicious can be quite a challenge at times. Well, I do love a good culinary challenge, especially when I get to stuff my face with it. I made this for our family’s Thanksgiving feast, and this was the side dish that drew me back in for another scoop on my plate. […]
Dairy-Free Keto Pumpkin Cake
You’d think that having a Keto Thanksgiving would mean you’re missing out on some good food, but that was quite the opposite this year. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed every single item on my plate and even went back for second helpings of the Green Bean Casserole that I couldn’t get enough of. […]
Best Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Pumpkin Spice season is here!!! To be honest though, I eat Pumpkin Spice muffins all year long because they are my absolute favorite. My freezer is typically packed with a variety of jumbo muffins, and they are perfect for our family on the weekends. I usually grab whatever flavors everyone wants the night before, set them on the counter, and breakfast is ready when we all wake up in the morning. All we have to do is turn on the coffee maker and I pop my muffin in the microwave for 20-30 seconds before making my belly incredibly happy. […]
Beer Bread with Spinach Dip
The first time I had Beer Bread, it was before I developed a taste for beer. So technically, it was before that one keg party in my early twenties when I was forced to start drinking beer if I didn’t want to be the only sober person there. What I’m saying is that the thought of this tasting good wasn’t exactly in my prediction, but it turned out amazing. Even better was how easy it is to throw together, and how the Spinach Dip is EVEN EASIER. […]
Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Tarts
Sometimes it’s hard to choose between peanut butter and Oreos…so why not have both?? You read my mind. These cupcake sized cheesecakes give you the best of both cheesecake and cupcake world when you sink your teeth in to this New York style peanut butter cheesecake packed with chunks of Peanut Butter Cups on top of a WHOLE Peanut Butter Oreo, then topped with a chocolate mousse, chocolate ganache, and a mini peanut butter cup. […]
Cookies ‘n Cream Cake
Every year for my birthday, I’m asked what kind of dessert I want someone to make for me. Typically, the answer is that I want to make it myself. “What? You can’t make your own birthday cake!” The thing is, I’m always so busy making desserts for other people that this gives me an opportunity to make something that I’ve been wanting to try, and having other people around to help me dispose of it is the perfect time. Plus, whatever gives me ANY excuse to have a social gathering is worth making a cake. […]
Chicken Cheese Ball
There are several appetizer staples that end up on the menu at my house for every single party, and this is definitely on the list. When I’m trying to simplify the menu for a party and choose three items, it’s at the top. This cheese ball and crackers, veggie tray, chips and dip along with some sort of dessert gives party guests enough to eat without overloading them. […]
Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Irish Cream Icing
The last few times I have run out of several different types of liquor, it was because I was using them in baked goods. […]
Double Dipped Oreo Truffles
Back in the stone ages before I started grinding Oreos with a food chopper or processor, I used to grind them by hand. First, I’d start out by putting the Oreos in a large plastic bag, sealing it, then beating the bag on the counter with my fist like it owed me money from ten years ago that forced me into eviction. […]
Buttery Nipple Cheesecake
The first time I heard the name of this cocktail, uncontrollable giggling erupted, and it still makes me chuckle. Since my original Irish Cream Cheesecake was so delicious and popular at Krafty Draft, I started experimenting with other cheesecakes I could use liquor in the recipe…which is what created my style of Happy Hour Cheesecakes. The cheesecake itself is very similar to the Irish Cream, but with a butterscotch ganache and a graham cracker crust. If you look at the topping of the cheesecake, you might understand why I started giggling again while putting it together. I’m terrible. […]
Grampy’s Hillbilly Chili
Over the weekend, my parents rented a cabin on the lake for our family to get together by the water. When our family gets together (no matter WHEN), there’s always more than enough food to feed a small army of Olympic training athletes on steroids. My parents always put out more food than they should, and everyone who shows up doesn’t come empty-handed. When everyone is leaving, my mom tries to send food home with them to get it out of the house, and she STILL ends up with way too many leftovers. Does this sound familiar to anyone else?? […]
Carolina Reuben Pinwheels
Photo by Kim Byer Ever since I fell in love with the Carolina Reuben sandwich at a downtown shop in Columbia many moons ago, I try to incorporate this fantastic idea anywhere I can. If you’re wondering what a Carolina Reuben is, it’s a southern take on a classic Reuben. However, instead of sauerkraut and corned beef, it’s turkey and coleslaw with swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing. […]
Caramel Macchiato Cheesecake
While brainstorming different cheesecake flavors with my in-laws one evening, we somehow got on the subject of Caramel Macchiato. My face lit up. I haven’t made that before!! What exactly qualifies as Caramel Macchiato?? So, I looked it up and immediately started formulating a recipe in my head. Vanilla, coffee, caramel…sounds simple enough. […]
Cookie Dough Dip
Eating raw cookie dough is one of life’s many pleasures, and I was always chased out of the kitchen as a kid while my mom was baking. Back then, I wasn’t interested in LEARNING how to bake, I was only interested in EATING everything I could get my hands on. […]
S’mores Candy Bars
Click HERE to watch the video tutorial of this recipe! One of my favorite things to do if there’s a fire pit within eyesight is to roast marshmallows and enjoy a good ole s’more. Unfortunately, that opportunity doesn’t present itself nearly as much as I’d like, so there has to be a good compromise. Well, here it is. […]