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.

Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes with Cinnamon Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

So...Texas is sunny one moment; then raging with snow and thundersleet the next! Personally, I don't mind all that much, because what it means for ME is: quality time in the kitchen. Work was supposed to open at noon today, but they gave us the whole day off due to poor driving conditions! So I've spent the day in my sweats, eating delicious leftovers from earlier meals this week, and baking and photographing today's recipe for these Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes! : )

Sweet and Spicy Asian Salmon with Strawberry-Pineapple Salsa

As promised, I'm back again with the second recipe of the day! I couldn't be happier :) I really love salmon, guys. I find it flavorful, tasty, and it contains all those wonderful, heart-loving omega-3s!

I also love pairing salmon with fruit; particularly a bright, cheery salsa like the one I made today! It has fresh strawberries, fresh pineapple, a little bell pepper, and some cilantro. YUM. While we're on the topic of pineapple, it occurs to me that I rarely purchase fresh pineapple, and there's not really a good reason for it. I LOVE pineapple! I hereby resolve to make it a more permanent part of my kitchen staples :)

Caramelized Banana Cinnamon Rolls

You'd think that by now, I'dve learned my lesson and buy fewer bananas, because I can never finish them before they start to go bad! But...clearly, today is not that day. The bananas in this recipe were sitting on my counter, swiftly dying, as so many of their predecessors. So...I came in as the Caped Kitchen Crusader to save the day!

Banana Muffins with Oatmeal Crumb Topping

Hello, friends. I'll keep this post short and sweet :) How are you? I hope all is well with you, wherever you are.

Strawberry Cheesecake Muffins

You know, I really hate it when I buy fresh fruit and vegetables and they go bad before I'm able to eat them. It's such a waste! That's what ALMOST happened with these strawberries, so to rescue them, I put them into these muffins before I lost them all!

Homemade Bread (for Beginners)

If you know me personally or have known me closely for a long time, chances are you have either heard about or tasted my mom's incomparable homemade bread. It's ridiculous and amazing and delicious; the stuff that bready, carb-laden dreams are made of. People who ate it ten years ago (or longer) can still remember the way it tastes!

...I'm not here with THAT recipe, though. To be completely honest, I'm very intimidated by the prospect of making HER bread, mostly because the people who've been fortunate enough to try it have all developed a strong emotional attachment to it (seriously), so their expectations are always high--and rightly so. Her bread is awesome. She's got the special touch! That's gotta be why it's called "Comfort Bread" :)

Strawberries 'N Cream Pancakes

Did you know: this past Tuesday, March 4, was National Pancake Day? Normally, I celebrate at IHOP because on National Pancake Day, they serve free short stacks of pancakes all day long. Delicious! Of course, with free pancakes come long waits and crowded restaurants, so at the end of my busy day, I decided to make my own pancakes in hopes that they would be healthier and just as tasty (if not tastier).

Enter: Strawberries 'N Cream Pancakes! Wowww. These are as delicious as they are beautiful! It was really late when I started cooking (hence the poorly-lit photos--sorry!), so for simplicity's sake, I used a pancake mix shortcut--but to add a little fiber, I ground up some whole oats to make oat flour and added them to the mix. Bonus: it made for a heartier pancake, especially with the addition of freshly-chopped strawberries!

Lime Pie Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

You know, I've always wanted to work in an office where I could bring baked goods to share with everyone...and happily, my workplace fits the bill! I made these Lime Pie Cupcakes yesterday and brought them into the office this morning.

So far, the feedback has ranged from "We KNEW we hired you for a good reason!" to "Your food is just too good. I mean, great personality, but the CUPCAKES!" to "You're going to be around for Halloween, right? We're having a bake sale! Get ready! You're going to make us MILLIONS!" :) I've been smiling all morning :)

Korean Beef Bowl

It's been two weeks since I last posted, but it feels like forever! Work has been incredibly busy with all of the new student orientations, and by the time I get home, all I want to do is SLEEP--the kitchen can wait! I'm loving my job, though, so I'm thrilled! :)

It felt so good to be back in there today, though, and cooking with some savory, delicious flavors! This Korean beef bowl is actually a "cheater" recipe; a twist on a Korean dish called bulgogi. Bulgogi is traditionally made with marinated seared steak.  This ground beef version is much faster, extremely delicious, and very inexpensive to make!

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I love oatmeal raisin cookies. Something about the hints of vanilla and spicy cinnamon combined with chewy brown sugar, oatmeal, and plump raisins just makes my mouth happy--that is, in a oatmeal raisin cookie done right! These are delicious little cookies--both easy to make and fun to eat :)

I refrigerated the dough prior to baking, which made for a thicker, chewier cookie. Additionally, I plumped the raisins before adding them to the dough. This absolutely made all the difference between a "just okay" cookie and an "oh my gosh, give me another!" cookie.

Caprese Salad with Brown Sugar Balsamic Reduction

Hi, friends! Things are going great at the new job so far, and I'm so thankful. However, I definitely miss having so much time in the kitchen, and definitely try to make up for lost time on the weekends. With that in mind, you get two recipes today! Get excited! :)

I have some gorgeous fresh basil in my garden that I've been SO EXCITED to use! A crisp, fresh Caprese salad seemed like the perfect platform to showcase my basil, especially on a muggy Texas day like today. It's colorful, healthy, and so flavorful!

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?!

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!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars

I honestly have trouble finding a tastier, more comforting flavor combination than the magical marriage of peanut butter and chocolate.

It's as if God said, "Let there be happiness!" and suddenly, there they were: peanut butter and chocolate... : ) Seriously. Today's recipe is adapted from Averie over at Averie Cooks (gorgeous blog!) and it's quick, easy, and above all, delicious. : ) I hope you enjoy these as much I as have!

Banana Cream Cheese Muffins with Streusel Topping

Muffins are my favorite. To be fair: I have LOTS of favorites, but muffins rank pretty high on the list--and lately, I've been baking a lot of banana muffins. You see, my mom has a habit of buying tons of bananas at a time; however, my family only eats bananas when they're firm, bright yellow, and just ripe. Once they start to get spotty and brown, my mom buys more fresh ones, leaving the "old" ones sad and lonely, and thus continues the cycle.

Happily, I am in the banana-rescuing business, and I am all too willing to make fabulous treats from any and all orphaned bananas! Today's recipe is adapted from Jen at How To: Simplify.