Butterbeer Mudslide
My sister-in-law is a HUGE Harry Potter fan, so when I talked about making these mudslides, she insisted on being part of the taste-testing crew. Originally when I went to the liquor store in search of what flavor liquors to use in this recipe, I grabbed a caramel flavored vodka to try out. It smelled and tasted delicious, so I used it in the first batch. Well, we ran out of enough mudslides for everyone to taste and I had to make some more, but I was out of that caramel flavored vodka. […]
Tiramisu Cupcakes
I’ve had these on my to-do list for a couple of months now, and finally had the perfect opportunity to make them when my Tiramisu-loving mother-in-law was coming to visit. Just the mention of this word makes her knees buckle, so this was the time to make them. Unfortunately, the only ingredient missing was the mascarpone cheese, so I called to see how far away she was. […]
Oven Roasted Red Potatoes
These potatoes are one of my favorite healthy comfort foods. I’m a HUGE fan of potatoes, and like them in any form. Baked, fried, roasted, mashed, I’ve even popped some small cubes of raw potatoes to munch on during childhood when my mom would be cutting them up for dinner. […]
S’mores Cookies
While I was looking through some recipes one evening, I found one of a s’mores cake. It sounded delicious…graham cracker crumbs baked in with the flour to make an amazing cake. So, then I thought, What if I made that into a cookie? I fell asleep that night, dreaming of s’mores cookies, brainstorming of how to put all of this together. Two graham cracker cookies sandwiching a marshmallow and semisweet chocolate? Yes!! A few days later, I made my list for the grocery store and decided to give it a shot. These actually may be equivalent to my S’mores Candy Bars, but it might be a close call. […]
Cinnamon Roll Muffins
I’ve never met anyone who didn’t love a big ole Cinnamon Roll, and it makes me wonder if anyone actually doesn’t. That can’t be possible. A couple of years ago, my mother-in-law and I checked out a local bakery to get some coffee and breakfast. As I was stalking the variety of breakfast options, the Cinnamon Roll Muffin stood out. I’ve never had a Cinnamon Roll Muffin before, I thought. As I sat down with a cup of coffee and took a bite, I was mesmerized by the way this delicious little muffin tasted so similar to a cinnamon roll, but wrapped up into a cute little muffin. […]
Eggnog Martini
While enjoying my hot cup of coffee this morning, wrapped up in a blanket and looking through recipes, it hit me that I hadn’t utilized the eggnog that I bought at the grocery store last week. Well, Christmas Eve is tomorrow, so I have to make SOMETHING with eggnog!! Great idea. […]
White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake
It’s incredible how tantalizing this cheesecake is, thinking about the combination of white chocolate and peppermint together in a New York style cheesecake harmony on a chocolate crust, then topped with more white chocolate ganache and peppermint. Hello, sugar coma. […]
Spiked Hot Chocolate
I have a confession to make. There have been a few times when I have a hankering for hot chocolate, but don’t want the kids to hog my hot cup of chocolate heaven. My two options are to add liquor to make it not child-friendly, or pretend like it’s coffee so they don’t want any. Obviously, I’m going for Mother of the Year during this time of survival. […]
Red Velvet Cheesecake Tarts
Red Velvet anything dessert is a favorite all year long, but ESPECIALLY during the holidays. Why is that?? Maybe because it’s so pretty. So festive with the red. Or, maybe it’s just so ridiculously good and this is the time of year (especially the year we’ve had) and we all want to drown away the negativity of the year by eating Red Velvet sweet treats. Either way, a red velvet flavored cheesecake is fantabulous on its own, but in the form of a tarts on top of a Dark Chocolate Oreo Cookie topped with a sweetened whipped cream cheese icing??? Yes, please! […]
Tiramisu Trifle
As I have mentioned before, I’m obsessed with trifles. They look so elegant sitting in that trifle dish all layered and put together, and there hasn’t been one yet that didn’t taste amazing. The first time I tried this out was on my mother-in-law, since she’s a professional Tiramisu consumer. I had been toying with ingredients to use in this to make it taste similar to the real Tiramisu, yet keep it really simple to throw together. The end result was bliss, and you know it’s a winner when my I-don’t-go-back-for-seconds husband when and got another scoop. […]
Chocolate Irish Cream Bundt Cake
While I was searching through an old “to do” list of recipes that is the same length as Santa’s Christmas List, I came across this one. Since our basement kitchen is finished and I had a day off from work, I was looking for something to bake for fun. All my husband heard was “OH!!!” and me sprinting to the beer fridge to see if we still had any Irish Cream Liquor in there. “YES!!!” was the follow up he heard, along with his crazy wife scurrying into the pantry and preheating the oven. All of this happened in less than ten seconds, if you’re wondering what it’s like when a light bulb goes off over my head. […]
Butterscotch Brownies
We all have certain foods and desserts that take us bake to our childhoods with fond memories. For my husband, this particular recipe resonates with his grandmother, Nana. Last December, we lost Nana right before Christmas. She lived a long and happy life, always surrounded by family. […]
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Spice Muffins (Paleo/Keto)
Even though Pumpkin Season has officially arrived, that hasn’t stopped me from eating these muffins ALL YEAR LONG. Our family eats muffins on the weekends for breakfast since I keep different flavors stocked in the freezer, and this is one of the healthy ones that I keep in stock for myself. […]
Our Favorite Broccoli
For many years, you couldn’t get my husband to eat broccoli unless it was smothered in cheese or a casserole…until I made this. Typically this steam/saute method I use is extremely versatile with many vegetables, so feel free to switch out your veggies. The first time it graced our dinner plates, he made a face about eating plain broccoli…until he took a bite. Since then, this dish is a regular (at least once a week) to make sure these crazy people in my house get some healthy food in their systems. […]
Slow Cooker Turkey Tenderloin
The first time my mom made this for us, I said in disbelief, “Turkey tenderloin? I didn’t even know those existed!!” Fully expecting the meat to be dry when I took a bite, it was incredibly moist and tender. The original recipe that she looked up was for a pork tenderloin with soy sauce, but she wanted to try a healthier version by using turkey in its place. When I got a hold of it, the soy sauce was switched out with coconut aminos. Personally, I prefer coconut aminos to soy sauce anyway, so it was a win-win here! […]
White Chocolate Amaretto Truffles
Since Amaretto is one of my favorite sipping liquors, it made perfect sense to use some in a truffle. In my personal opinion, taking a bite of a good truffle will make you close your eyes and mumble “Mmmmm.” Well, these truffles did not disappoint. […]
Beer Margaritas
In all honesty, I think this recipe needs to come with a warning. So, here it is… THIS STUFF IS STRONG. It’s also fantastic. With that being said, that’s why it’s important for this recipe to come with a warning. If you’re a lightweight like me, you might not be able to handle more of these drinks, or it can lead to some really embarrassing pictures or videos if your friends and family are looking for an opportunity. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! […]
Super Simple Coleslaw
Coleslaw has always been one of my favorite side dishes, even as a kid. As my mom chopped up fresh cabbage, I would run in the kitchen and snag a big piece, then chew it up and breathe in my big brothers’ faces because they HATED cabbage. Clearly I am the Best. Sister. Ever. […]
Chicken and Broccoli Tortellini
Well, yesterday was the last day of being in my thirties…and I had several reminders from my mom, best friend, and husband. Even my daughter sweetly said, “Enjoy your day!” I’ve always been a HUGE fan of birthdays, and it’s not just my own- it’s EVERYONE’S birthdays. “It’s your day! What do you want to do? What do you want to eat? Where do you wanna go? Anything special? You choose! It’s YOUR day!” I beam with enthusiasm when it’s a birthday. […]
Boujee Amaretto Sour
One of my husband’s favorite cocktails is an Old Fashioned. For a long time, he kept experimenting with different ways to recreate his favorite drink at home, but nothing seemed quite right. He finally hit the jackpot after ordering Old Fashioned Cocktail Syrup, got the Old Fashioned Glass, and he even went as far as getting the big block ice tray. I chuckled when I saw he ordered maraschino cherries, until I tried them myself. The ones he got are specifically for cocktails, and the syrup is rich and thick…surpassing the quality of what I typically grab at the store. […]
Birthday Cake Cheesecake
If you’re wondering what classifies a New York style cheesecake as “Birthday Cake” flavor, I’ll let you in on two little secrets…cake batter extract and colorful sprinkles. Yep, that’s it. Technically, you could spruce this up a little more by making the crust out of Nilla Wafers or Golden Oreos, which would also be fantastic. In fact, the cupcake size tart recipe for this cheesecake uses a whole Golden Oreo as the crust. Score! […]
Super Easy Fourth of July Trifle
Click HERE to watch the video tutorial of this recipe! Fourth of July is one of those big holidays where we all like to get together and have some fun, right? Of course it is! So, whether your gathering is just your immediately family, small group, or waving at people from far away, this dessert is ridiculously easy to throw together…yet delicious and light. Perfect combination, and it’s cold too! There are just so many wonderful things going on with this recipe. […]
Our Favorite Shrimp and Grits
In 2017, I worked as an assistant pastry chef at a brand new upscale restaurant. I was overwhelmed and intimidated beyond belief surrounded by the incredible talent and skills of the chefs I worked with, and there wasn’t a dull day that was ever experienced working with these guys. Although it was a very busy, chaotic, and slightly stressful place, the experience I gained from working there, the food, and the daily belly-laughs at the shenanigans were beyond worth it. […]
Shark Cakes
Click HERE to watch the slide show of this cake, with many more pictures! A few years ago, my nephew turned 10. This baffled me at the time, considering I have the video footage of his 2nd birthday, blowing out the candle and keeps asking his daddy “More, more?” for him to relight it so that he could blow it out again. Oh, that’ll be a cute video to show when he turns 21. Anyway, he was probably my biggest fan when it came to making decorative chocolates. He thought it was SO cool when I tell him that he can eat one of the decorations because it’s chocolate. […]
No-Churn Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream
This recipe was an experiment, so I called in the peanut butter expert to weigh in with his professional opinion…my oldest brother. I wasn’t sure if the first batch would be too sweet or too rich, so I made a second batch and cut the peanut butter flavor a little bit. […]