Friday, May 31, 2013

White Chocolate Chip Lemon Blondies

Okay. Before we begin, you should know that these blondies are the result of scattered thinking and a kind of "pick your own adventure" baking idea. The trouble is: everything I thought of sounded delicious!
I knew I wanted blondies, definitely, so I started searching for recipes. Then I thought, "Oooh, white chocolate would be PERFECT in these!" Of course, THAT thought reminded me of a Snickerdoodle White Chocolate Blondie recipe I saw on Sally's Baking Addiction, which sounded too good to be true...and then I remembered that I still had half a lemon left from garnishing the Lemon Cupcakes I made earlier this week. I love lemon in desserts! How much more so in these blondies?!

Monday, May 27, 2013

Lemon Cupcakes with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

To me, nothing signifies the arrival of warm summer months more appropriately than a good lemon dessert--lemon bars, (mmm, lemon bars), lemon cookies, and today, lemon cupcakes!

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Spinach, Tomato, Bacon, & Cheddar Crustless Quiche

I love making meals that I can enjoy for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Quiche is one such meal, especially because it requires very little effort on my part--I grab some tasty filling options, beat a few eggs, throw it all in the oven, and I'm eating in under an hour! My favorite part of quiche is the freedom to add as many ingredients as I want.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Pulled Pork Tacos with Fresh Cherry Salsa

I love pulled pork! Done right, the meat is moist, flavorful, and absolutely delicious--and it's so versatile! It goes with everything. I had some leftover from a cookout this weekend, and found this recipe for pulled pork tacos with cherry salsa.

Monday, May 20, 2013

BLT Spaghetti Carbonara

I am dog/house-sitting for a friend this week, who gave me full access to use everything in her kitchen (including a brand new, unopened package of bacon!!), so this is a guest kitchen post! :)
It's a stormy kind of night, which I think is PERFECT weather for a big, indulgent bowl of pasta, a glass of wine, and a movie! I found this recipe at Tide & Thyme, and it's delicious. Speaking of storms--prayers for the people affected by the crazy tornado in Oklahoma today. How awful. Tonight, I'm thankful for my safety and that of my friends and family.

Friday, May 17, 2013

Healthy Red Bean & Avocado Tostadas with Creamy Cilantro Sauce

So I've been making a lot of delicious sweet treats lately, and I really felt the need for a change of pace toward a healthier dish. These tostadas fit the bill perfectly! Everything in them contains heart-healthy whole grains, filling protein, and good-for-you flavors!

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes

I don't think I've ever found a bad time to eat pancakes. They're delicious for breakfast, tasty for lunch, and ideal for dinner with some bacon and eggs...mmm.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars

The minute I saw these bars on Sally's Baking Addiction, I knew I couldn't pass them up. To me, blueberry and lemon are quintessential indicators that spring has arrived, particularly when combined and in cheesecake form. Good lord.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Sparkling Blueberry Muffins

My sister, who dislikes almost all sweet treats (including chocolate. What?!!) LOVES blueberry muffins--and honestly, who doesn't? She requested that I make some blueberry muffins for her, so I agreed. However, she doesn't know that I made them today! She has finals this week, so I decided to surprise her. She'll be thrilled when she gets home : )
I've never made blueberry muffins from scratch before, so I figured this would be a great place to start! I LOVE the addition of sparkling sugar on the top to make these that much more beautiful : ) The extra crunch that the sugar lends is an added bonus! : ) This recipe is from Sally at Sally's Baking Addiction (seriously. GORGEOUS blog.)

Baked Eggs in Avocado

Avocado. What a beautiful, versatile, wonderful fruit! It makes for a very happy chef indeed : ) I love them in guacamole, on sandwiches, and on their own with a little salt and pepper, but, I was curious about the baked eggs in avocados recipe I've seen floating around Pinterest and other places, so today, I decided to give it a try.

Monday, May 6, 2013

Restaurant Style Salsa with Baked Lime Tortilla Chips

Yesterday was cinco de Mayo, and I didn't get to celebrate! You see, I threw an enormous party for my Dad's 60th birthday on Saturday. The party was wonderful--we had a huge turnout and everyone had a great time. Party planning is hard work, though, and THIS one completely wore me out, so I didn't do a THING yesterday. As such, I'm having my celebration a day late-- I doubt you mind : )
I proudly present to you: Restaurant Style Salsa with Baked Lime Tortilla Chips... all together now, "Mmmmm!" You know how I feel about easy, tasty recipes--they are my FAVORITE. This is one such recipe--I hope you love it!

Friday, May 3, 2013

Breakfast Quesadilla

I think it's pretty fair to say that quesadillas rank quite high among the ultimate comfort foods. I mean, come on. A flour tortilla filled to the brim with gooey melted cheese and other assorted flavorful goodies? Oh, yes. A thousand times, YES!
Upon finding a brand new package of tortillas in the kitchen, my response was a squeal of excitement, immediately followed by a breakfast quesadilla. I stuffed it full of cheese, fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, corn salsa, and topped it with pico de gallo and sour cream.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Simply Sinful Cinnamon Muffins

Lately, I've been craving sweet, spicy cinnamon, especially in baked goods--it just makes everything taste so warm, homey, and comforting! I've been hunting for a cinnamon cupcake or muffin recipe, but nothing has been just right until TODAY...the name of the recipe is "Simply Sinful Cinnamon Muffins." Mmm.

Cinnamon sugar swirl through the middle; crunchy cinnamon sugar oatmeal streusel on top...I can't really see a downside here!