Hi friends, how has winter been treating you? Good, I hope. Last week we had temperatures at a high of negative 13 with wind chills of negative 20 degrees! That’s right; I said N-E-G-A-T-V-E 20 degrees! I am pretty sure that my ears got frost bite just from sticking my head out the door to grab the mail. Not fun! So, I hunkered down underneath blankets and sweatshirts for at least 3 days. I drank a cup of hot tea at least once an hour and refused to eat any food that was at room … [Read more...]
Carrot Soup
I originally created this soup out of desperation. It was a cold fall day a couple weeks ago. My stomach began to rumble so I went to the refrigerator to look for food. It was pretty much bare bones in there. I know what you’re thinking: is it even possible for a food blogger to run out of food? The answer is a big fat YES! It happens quite often. I spend so much time planning and cooking recipes for the blog. Although they are all delicious, some are not always a meal. Some are dessert … [Read more...]
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate
Back in the day Brussels sprouts were loathed by all. I myself thought they were absolutely grotesque and refused to touch them with a ten foot pole. Whenever I had them in the past they were bitter and mushy. No thank you! Within the past few years Brussels sprouts have become all the rage. The secret to making Brussels sprouts actually taste good: Roasting! That’s right, roasting Brussels sprouts helps to bring out their natural sugars and allow their outer leaves to crisp up and turn … [Read more...]
Cranberry Chia Seed Jam (GF)
I am officially at the start of preparing and planning for the holiday season. I have begun to dream of Thanksgiving side dishes and desserts. Thanksgiving is a food blogger’s favorite holiday! It is all about feasting on a spread of delicious food. Oh, yeah, guess there is that whole giving thanks thing, and of course the spending-time-with-your family ordeal. I kid, I kid! However, everyone does gather around the table for lively conversation, catching up, and the scrumptious … [Read more...]
Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup
Most of you may know by now that I am originally a Wisconsinite who is currently residing in Iowa. That’s right, I am a cheese head, through and through. Honestly, I don’t really care about football too much (don’t hate me), so I am not talking about being a Packers’ fan kind of cheese head. I am talking about rich, salty, creamy, dreamy cheese! I love cheese. Cheddar is like gold to us Wisconsinites. Growing up, I rarely found a refrigerator that did not contain cheese of some kind. It’s … [Read more...]
Cauliflower Balls Stuffed with Cheese
Have you heard of cauliflower pizza crust? The idea is to make a healthy, low-carb, gluten-free option for pizza crust. Sounds like an ingenious idea, especially since cauliflower is a vegetable, right? Wrong! I have tried making it about 3 times. Each time I have been disappointed in how the consistency of the crust holds up. The toppings fall right off, the crust crumbles, and you have to use a fork to eat it. I believe that you should always be able to eat pizza with your hands, … [Read more...]
Curried Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin, pumpkin, and more pumpkins! We are all about pumpkins these days, mostly pumpkin-spiced desserts and lattes. Last week I joined in on the pumpkin mania by making my Pumpkin Bars with Honey- Sweetened Cream Cheese Frosting. They hit the spot! Today I am adding a savory recipe to our pumpkin recipe collection! Why do I dare stray away from pumpkin-spiced desserts? Because our poor little orange squash friend has been sweetened and turned into every dessert possible. It has … [Read more...]
Grilled Sweet Corn with Curried Butter Compote
It is the middle of August and that means one thing in Iowa: bucket loads of sweet corn! Iowa may not have the freshest sea food or the greenest avocados but we do have amazing sweet corn. That has to be worth something, right? My August is not complete without gnawing on an ear of the most delicious sweet corn. Seriously, sweet corn is so tasty with some melted butter and a kiss of salt and pepper-- it doesn’t get any better than that. Wrong! Sweet corn just got better. Enter Curried … [Read more...]
Greek Watermelon Salad
When I think of summertime, I think of eating big bright juicy slices of red watermelon outside. The juice from the watermelon usually runs down my chin and makes its way to my arm at some point. All while trying to fish for the black seeds in my mouth so that I can spit them out. Watermelon is the ultimate refreshing fruit to enjoy during the summer. It is delicious and fun to eat a slice all by itself. But sometimes it’s fun to play around with fruit. Let’s take watermelon to a new and … [Read more...]
Pesto and Mozzarella-Stuffed Potato Skins
After making my Taco-stuffed potato skins, I realized that potato skins are a blank canvas for any combination of flavors. I needed more of these crunchy little dudes in my life. This time, we are keeping it light. Homemade pesto, homemade roasted red pepper, and fresh mozzarella slices that are melted to perfection. That’s it. Simple, yet bursting with flavor and a hint of sophistication. The pesto is nutty, salty, and herby. The roasted red pepper adds a roasted sweetness, and the … [Read more...]
