The minute October (actually September) hits, it’s pumpkin everything. My Pinterest feed is flooded with pumpkin recipes and pumpkin decorating ideas. I’ve also posted my fair share of pumpkin recipes—pumpkin scones with pumpkin butter, and cranberry pecan pumpkin cookies. I love the flavor of pumpkin foods, especially how the spiciness of the cinnamon, nutmeg and…
One of my favorite bakeries in Phoenix makes the most delicious apple oatmeal cookies. I love that they use dried apples, so the texture is even chewier than your standard oatmeal cookies. With this cookie in mind, I set out to make my own version. After searching various recipes, I settled on the idea of…
Awhile back, my husband showed me the instructions for no ice cream maker homemade vanilla ice cream using ice cube trays and a food processor. It all seemed simple (and ingenious!), so I bought the ingredients to try it for myself. But before I could try the original recipe, we heard about Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream….
My kids aren’t in school yet, but my toddler son already loves snacks. He especially loves those animal-shaped crackery snacks. Even the the whole grain organic versions I buy are still more processed than I’d like and his snack selection is seriously lacking at this point. He will eat most fruits, an occasional string cheese,…
Last week, I found my freezer chock-full of frozen blueberries. The only problem was, we were moving in a few days (more on that later) and I didn’t want them to go to waste. I looked up numerous dessert recipes trying to find one that would use the most berries–since I had four pounds to…
I’ve mentioned my obsession with all things lemon before. During both of my pregnancies, I craved lemonade, which is odd since it’s not a drink I usually choose. Sure, it’s yummy, but I would almost always order an ice tea or diet coke over a lemonade. But while I was pregnant, I drooled over that…
I don’t like giving up my bread and baked goods, but I’ve found a low-carb diet is the most effective way for me to lose my baby weight. When you think low-carb, what comes to mind? Eating triple cheeseburgers with piles of bacon in a lettuce cup. No, I’m not eating that. I’m usually eating lean…
In honor of today, National Milk Chocolate Day, I started searching Pinterest for interesting milk chocolate recipes. Surprisingly, a lot of recipes don’t specify milk chocolate in their titles. It seems a lot more recipes use bittersweet or baker’s chocolate. I did find a lot of s’mores recipes that use milk chocolate. But for this…
My favorite summer fruit is watermelon, no contest. I remember being a kid and getting so excited when my mom would cut up slices of watermelon for a snack on those hot and humid Wisconsin summer days. While perusing Yummly the other day, I happened upon a cantaloupe salad served in it’s own rind bowl. “What a cute idea,…
We visit the farmer’s market nearly every Saturday. This past weekend, what stood out the most were brightly colored heirloom tomatoes. Jade always gives me a hard time because I’m Italian, but not really a tomato person. More accurately, I don’t like raw tomatoes that much—except for cherry tomatoes. Many of the farmers’ tables were overflowing with…
One of my favorite parts of summers as a kid were trips to my friends’ cottages in northern Wisconsin and vacations at my grandparent’s lake house in upper Michigan. I loved everything about it (well, except the mosquitoes). Trips to the lake meant boating, swimming, walks on the beach, sandcastles, bonfires, and grilling out. And…
Not sure what dessert to make this 4th of July? These quick and easy peach turnovers will not let you down. They are so super simple to make, and really delicious. All you need is fresh peaches, puff pastry, and a few other ingredients. I liked this recipe for easy peach turnovers so much, I shared it with…
The fourth of July is only days away, and I have bbq on my mind. Since many of us will be grilling out this coming weekend to celebrate, I thought it would be fun to find some unique bbq side dishes. I’m sure your barbecues and picnics have the standard side dishes like potato salad, cole slaw…
I miss my carefree summers in the Midwest. When I see corn on the cob, I’m immediately transported back to my childhood. I grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin. When we would venture outside our little suburb, we’d quickly be surrounded by cornfields and dairy farms as far as you could see. My dad would…
School’s out for the summer! With graduation ceremonies wrapping up, it officially feels like summer is here. Let’s celebrate the start of summer with these must-try summer sangria recipes. To me, summer means laid-back days, lots of grilling out and trips to the lake or beach. I’m not a huge drinker, but if I’m going to…