Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting (and some Big Real Life News!!)

Good morning and Happy Leap Day! :) There's been so much going on over the past few months, guys, and I may need to take a break from blogging...keep reading to find out why!

Slim Down Vegetable Soup

Happy Sunday, friends! I hope you're well :) So one week ago today, I decided to go sugar-free for the next 28 days. After I got sick a couple of years ago, I cut down my sugar intake considerably, but I never completely cut it out of my diet (partially because I bake so much!).

The truth is, though I DO love sugar, I love healthy food too! If you were to have come to my house last weekend, before I threw out the processed stuff, you'dve seen a counter and fridge full of fruits and vegetables! ...however, if this was a panoramic view of the kitchen, you'd also have seen some iced lemon cookies and some apricot-raspberry thumbprint cookies. Soo.... yeah. Haha! What can I say? I like balance.

Butternut Squash & Black Bean Enchiladas

HAPPY NEW YEEEEEARRRRR!!! :) It's 2016, and things are looking good! How do you guys herald the new year? Do you make copious resolutions to do better/be better/change things? Are you first in line at the gym to work off all those holiday pounds? Or, like me, do you start cooking? (I hope the answer is yes!)

I stopped making new year's resolutions long ago. I figured that if I have to wait until a new year arrives in order to make changes in my life, I'm probably not all that ready to change. You know? But that's just me. I wish you all the success this new year. :)

French Vanilla Cupcakes with (Eggless) Chocolate Chip Cooke Dough Frosting

MAN, I haven't been so proud of a cupcake concoction in a long time! I feel like I found a way to bring cupcakes to a whole new level of indulgence and comfort by pairing a well-loved, classic vanilla cupcake with arguably the most-loved cookie flavor ever: Chocolate Chip! I am tooting my own horn as loudly as possible from over here!

Even if I'm not the first to do it, I am absolutely thrilled with the way these turned out. Only downside: I didn't get to try one :( HA! But that's okay. I could tell that they were delicious by the way they looked and smelled!

Chocolate Fudge Hidden Kiss Cupcakes

I don't know about you, but I (usually) love hidden surprises in desserts! I really love hidden surprises in cupcakes-- a truffle center, a buried peanut butter cup, a secret cookie in the bottom--it makes me smile when there's more to a cupcake than meets the eye. It adds to the allure!

These cupcakes are just that, with a milk chocolate Hershey's Kiss right in the center. I made these for my sister to gift to her boss and his wife, as they had a death in the family and she wanted to cheer them up. I figured that while cupcakes are cheerful enough, finding a chocolate center could only enhance the experience!

Red Velvet Truffle Cupcakes with Oreo Cream Cheese Frosting

GUYS. These cupcakes are gorgeous. GORGEOUS! I don't usually toot my own horn...but man, I fell in love with these cupcakes the moment the idea came to me--and they did NOT disappoint in the looks department! (It definitely helps that they match my fabulous Christmas tree, Carmen! Yes. I named my tree. Judge all you want!!)

My sweet friend Annette came into the US this week and had a very specific request that I meet her at the airport with cupcakes and Gatorade. She flew about 16 hours total, from Ghana to here, with her 17-month-old daughter. She definitely deserved a little cupcake love. She didn't have any particular flavors in mind; she just asked that I surprise her.

Sparkling Apple Pie

Happy December, everybody! And Happy Thanksgiving! That's the holiday I missed with you guys (and the occasion for which I made this pie!) Man. Once November hits, the rest of the year always seems to fly by at breakneck speed. Goodness! Christmas parties and decorations and White Elephant gift exchanges and suddenly, it's the new year.

I had so much to be thankful for this year, as with every year--but tonight, I am particularly grateful for opportunities to learn more about myself and others. Self-knowledge is a great thing! It's not always easy to come by, but I am ever the richer and wiser for each new lesson learned.

Jumbo Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Okay. Is there anyone here doesn't love a good chocolate chip cookie?? (If you raised your hand, don't tell me. My heart is saddened. The only allowable exception is for people who have chocolate allergies or dislike chocolate, for whatever astounding reason). Moving on: I LOVE chocolate chip cookies! They're classic and delicious and customizable. Kids love them. Adults love them. It's a picky eater favorite.

Some people like their chocolate chip cookies with walnuts in them for extra crunch. Others prefer to use chocolate chunks or mixed (milk, semi-sweet, white) chips for variety. Still others throw some candy in there to keep things interesting! A select few gravitate toward a thin, crispy cookie; and others like them puffy and cakey.

Sausage & Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

I've been trying to venture out and try new food things in the kitchen; particularly as it relates to fall produce. Squash is in season, so it's EXTRA cheap. If there's anything I love more than good food, it's a good deal!! Can I get an Amen??

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

FALL FOOD IS MY FAVORITE! Let's just get that proclamation out of the way. I love the way it looks, smells, tastes...it's beautiful, inviting and all things wonderful! As the weather grows colder, it's so nice to know that a few staple ingredients, combined correctly, lead to a comforting, hearty, delicious dish like today's!

I had a bunch of sweet potatoes that I hadn't really decided how to use yet, so I decided to get creative. I wanted to do something other than bake them! I made a spicy black bean soup around this time last year, and wondered how the two might taste together, so I started experimenting, and I'm so pleased with the results!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Happy Halloween, folks! And just like that, November will be here day after tomorrow and we will be THAT MUCH CLOSER to 2016. I feel like I comment every year (well, who am I kidding? More like every MONTH!) on how much faster time seems as I age, but I suppose I wouldn't comment if it weren't truer each year I live! Thankfully, cupcakes help to soften the blow.

I baked these for our annual charity fundraiser bake sale at work, and they completely sold out! I didn't even try one! #SelfControl #Willpower #NowIHaveToMakeThemAgain-- and on that note, SORRY for the weird photos. I made these at night and was photographing at like 10:30 pm, so I had to get creative with lighting since I don't have any fancy lighting equipment! Hopefully, you get the point here.

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

It's finally starting to feel like October!! I couldn't be happier. My windows have been open all day long, and it's been a beautiful day! I was making pancakes for breakfast (an appropriate celebration to welcome the cooler weather), and was planning to eat them with syrup, like always, when my eye fell on two beautiful, crisp apples sitting on my counter! Of course, I couldn't leave them out of the celebration, so I promptly picked them up to put them to good use.

To me, there are few flavors that represent the onset of autumn more quintessentially than apples, particularly when paired with spicy cinnamon! Apples and cinnamon smell absolutely delicious together, and they taste so homey and welcoming; evoking warm, cozy memories of sweet days gone by.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

So if you'll remember, earlier in the year, I had the great good fortune to stumble upon a cookbook about Mac and Cheese. I stalked the book for a while, hoping that the price would drop, because I WANTED the book. I didn't need it--but man, I really wanted it.

One day, I was in the store checking out and it had dropped to less than $5.00! "My moment has come!!" I excitedly thought as I yanked it off the shelf and threw it in with the rest of my stuff. I carried the book home and read it cover to cover...and then it sat there for the next eight months. *Sigh* My life.

Naked Vanilla Layer Cake

Hi, guys. Well...it's mid-October and I'm posting for the first time since August. I am terribly sorry. I've been battling a combination of work and life busyness in tandem with the "I don't wannas!" But I've also been getting some exciting things together, and I look forward to sharing them with you.

In the meantime, all of my siblings celebrated birthdays last month, and mine is next Wednesday! Life just keeps on rolling while things are rolling. You know what I mean? Things change or stay the same, but life keeps moving.

Honey-Garlic Shrimp over Jasmine Rice with Sauteed Asparagus

You know, sometimes, important conversations require beautiful food. I invited my dad over for a chat today and wanted to make sure that the meal was beautiful and memorable, because I've never invited JUST him over. It was so fun! We had a great conversation and enjoyed this delicious, easy, healthy, and tasty meal.

I don't cook with shrimp that often, and I think the only reason I don't use them more is because they can be expensive. It's worth the occasional splurge, though, because they cook quickly, taste delicious, and are so healthy and versatile.

One-Pan Turkey Enchilada Pasta

And here we are, in August. How?! I last posted a month ago, and suddenly, we're in the middle of August! I'm obligated to say this: It's blazing outside...ugh. If every Texan you know isn't commenting about the weather in some capacity, they're doing it wrong!

So the last time I wrote, I had a zillion updates and reasons for neglecting you guys--and my blog. Today, there's really just one--I went to Belize a few weeks ago for a mission trip with a wonderful team from my church! We were there for eight days and spent time serving at an orphanage called Laugh Out Loud Children's Home. What a transformative, humbling experience we shared!

Elote: Mexican Street Corn

GUYS. Oh. My. Goodness. We are in JULY!! What the heck happened to JUNE? And where have I been for the past MONTH? And why have I neglected my BLOG?

There are good answers to all these questions, I promise. Here's the biggie: I totaled my car on May 31st...I hit a deer on my way home from church. The (pregnant) deer died...along with my beloved car...and thus began the circus of insurance claims, insurance settlements, Carfax searches, used car queries, test drives, pre-purchase inspections, and rental cars...the WORKS! THAT'S what happened to June. That's where I've been for the past month. And that's why my poor blog has sat, untouched, since May 21. I'm very sorry...but thanks for understanding!

Turkey Stuffed Avocado Tacos

Hi, friends! It's nearly the end of May! This year is seriously flying away. Wow. North Texas has gotten some pretty crazy weather lately, too! Tornadoes and flooding and earthquakes, oh my!

But that doesn't stop spring flavors from entering my kitchen. These stuffed avocado tacos made my day! I saw the recipe and fell in love immediately. The original uses ground beef, but I figured I could make a leaner recipe using healthy turkey!

Cheesy Chorizo and Black Bean Taquitos

Hello, friends! I'm on a roll this week with posts--I think it's a combination of being in the cooking mood more often than usual, and having more daylight within which to take food photos (the irony here being that the sun disappeared as the taquitos came out of the oven...*sigh*) Anyway--I'm playing with a new (to my kitchen) ingredient today: Chorizo!

Chorizo is a spicy Mexican pork sausage that goes well with...well, nearly everything! It's great in breakfast tacos, and absolutely MADE to pair with sweet potatoes in a sweet and savory hash. I've been singing its praises from afar--until today.  Today, I got up close and personal- and I'm so glad I did!

Roasted Strawberry, Avocado, and Mozzarella Grilled Cheese

Hi, friends. I can't believe it's May already!! You know, if I hadn't already used my corny "May the fourth be with you" joke LAST year on May the fourth, today would totally be the day to break it out ;)

Today's post will be short and sweet. I was on Foodgawker today--it's one of my very favorite food blogger sites, and the inspiration for many of the recipes you see here on Foodie & Fabulous! Everything on there looks delicious, but there are some days when it seems that EVERY recipe speaks to me!