-
Spinach-Artichoke Dip
Probably one of my favorite appetizers to eat out is spinach-artichoke dip! When I first decided to try it out at home, I was pleasantly surprised at how easily everything came together. One of the best things about this recipe is that you can adjust the ingredients to make more or less depending on the situation. The full recipe makes enough for a small dinner party (say 6-8 hungry friends), but cutting the recipe in half makes the perfect amount for a family of 4 looking for a Friday night snack. Dips are a party favorite for a reason–you can make them ahead of time and then just reheat them in the oven…
-
Royal Icing Sugar Cookies
Royal icing is pretty much magic in the kitchen! I never knew all of the fun designs and colors you could create to transform simple sugar cookies into wonderful little works of art. Below is the royal icing recipe I’ve come to love and the semi-homemade sugar cookie recipe I use as a canvas. Like many of my favorite recipes, this is one that you can use at any time of year to celebrate any occasion. Royal Icing: Ingredients: 3 tablespoons 8 oz. Meringue Powder 4 cups (about 1 lb.) Confectioners’ Sugar 5 tablespoons Warm Water Food Coloring Instructions: Add the meringue powder (found in the baking aisle…
-
Coconut Rum Mojito
One of my favorite summer drinks is the Mojito. The refreshing mint-lime combination makes this one cocktail you can sit back and relax with no matter where you are for an instant summer getaway. Using coconut rum adds a more tropical spin on this classic drink which typically incorporates white rum, simple syrup, lemon juice, mint, and club soda. I’ll be honest, I don’t usually use exact measurements when I’m mixing drinks, but below is a general idea of what to include the next time you feel like playing bartender. Ingredients: •Coconut Rum •Club Soda •Simple Syrup **directions below •Mint Leaves •Lime Juice •Ice Instructions: Simple syrup: Mix equal parts…
-
Blueberry Cheesecake Bites
Watching the food network can be a dangerous, but beautiful thing. While watching Valerie’s Home Cooking one Saturday morning, I decided I wanted to give her Blueberry Cheesecake Filo Cups a try. This recipe was fairly simple and in just a few steps, I had a lemony, summer dessert perfect for satisfying any sweet tooth. I tweaked a few things below to make the process a littler smoother. Instead of whisking the marscapone, powdered sugar, and lemon zest, use a dinner fork to mix everything together. The marscapone tends to stick to the whisk and makes it impossible to keep a good stirring motion to blend your ingredients. For a user-friendly…
-
Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese
With so many people going gluten-free for one reason or another, the one food that seems to be at the top of everyone’s “most missed” list is mac and cheese. So, with that in mind, I set out to make a yummy, gluten-free white cheddar mac and cheese that could help satisfy all of those pasta cravings. With just a few minor tweaks to standard mac and cheese recipes, I was able to create this 3-cheese mac and cheese perfection. Recipe and pictures below. Enjoy! Ingredients: • 1 Box of Gluten Free Pasta • 1/4 cup butter • 1/4 cup Gluten Free Bisquick (any gluten free flour could work) •…
-
Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods
For a quick and easy Fourth of July dessert, I made chocolate covered pretzel rods. Children and adults love these simple, chocolatey treats and if you’re low on time, but want to bring something festive to your July 4th picnic, this recipe is the way to go. Plus, you can get creative with your choice of sprinkles and mix up the colors to fit in with any theme or holiday season! Ingredients: 1 bag of Herr’s pretzel rods 1 container of Baker’s Dipping Milk Chocolate (or your choice of chocolate) Festive Red, White, and Blue sprinkles Instructions: Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Melt your chocolate based on the instructions included…
-
Strawberry-Pineapple Smoothie
Fruit smoothies are my absolute favorite! And thanks to my college roommate who introduced me to the Ninja blender, making smoothies has never been easier. You can pick your ingredients, add ice, and blend for a cool, refreshing (and filling) drink. Perfect for beating the summer heat, fruit smoothies are an easy way to make sure you’re getting the right amount of fruits and vegetables. I know there are a lot of “green” smoothies out there with kale and spinach, and maybe I’ll add some of those to the site someday, but for now, enjoy this sweet summertime favorite. Ingredients: 1/2 cup Frozen strawberries Fresh strawberry for garnish 1/2 cup Frozen…
-
Summer Reading
It’s no secret that summer reading and “beach books” get a bad rap for being easy-to-read, superficial stories. I’ve never really liked that stereotype because during high school and college, summer was always the time of year when I got to choose what I wanted to read so for me, it had nothing to do with a book’s reading level and everything to do with my interest in the stories and authors I got to explore on my own. One of my all-time favorite authors to read in the summer is Sarah Dessen. I love her books so much that I wrote my college Honor’s Thesis on her success as a Young…
-
A Very Gatsby Birthday
Loving all things Fitzgerald, I knew my 25th birthday celebration had to be Gatsby themed. Champagne, sparkle, and my best friends set the stage for a wonderful night! I’ve always loved party planning and my attention to detail tends to be off the charts, so I had a lot of fun setting up quotes from the Great Gatsby and mini champagne bottles filled with Jelly Belly candies. Fitting right into the theme, my birthday is after Christmas and before New Year’s so everything tends to have a little bit of its own sparkle anyway. Here are some pictures from my party set up and of course, one of my favorite quotes:…
-
Not My Gum Drop Buttons!
I’ve always wanted to make traditional gingerbread men for the Christmas season. This year, I went ahead and bought my cookie cutters in advance (stores tend to run out of them right around a week before Christmas) and settled in for the night to bake and decorate these yummy cookies for a department Christmas party at work. I think they turned out pretty great! Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 1/3 cup molasses 1 egg 2 tablespoons water 2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice Directions: In a large…
