Peonies are one of my favorite flowers, but their blooming season is heartbreakingly quick. We now have a lovely row planted out front and I find myself sniffing the blooms like a weirdo that just can’t get enough. I wanted to find a way to preserve them in some way and decided to create peony petal ice cube molds to look like a blooming flower. After that I started brainstorming… Keep Reading
It’s Spring, but Iowa isn’t participating. We woke up to a dusting of snow and day three of cold biting winds that make you want to just curl up under the covers and sleep until May. Aside from reading gardening books and impatiently waiting for “real Spring” to arrive, I love making a big bowl of noodles to warm up with. This Garlic Lime Bok Choy Mushroom Soup only takes… Keep Reading
This cocktail is inspired by and dedicated to one of the funniest, most positive, inspiring gals I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working alongside, Emma. Today is Emma’s 21st birthday (making me feel like a grandma) and now that she can legally taste test my cocktail creations, I had to create one just for her. She loves cookie inspired coffee drinks and after she came in with a Snickerdoodle… Keep Reading
Every time I tell people that I eat fried pumpkin and squash blossoms I get A LOT of weird looks. Trust me, I thought the same thing when I first heard that these stunning bright yellow blossoms are actually edible! I threw together a simple six ingredient batter, added a few handfuls of blossoms, fried them, and was stunned to find that they tasted like… cheese sticks! Paired with some… Keep Reading
This is one of those breakfast recipes that looks like a ton of effort went into it, but it’s shockingly easy. The Roasted Red Pepper Sauce I made a few days before, the potatoes and onion were chopped up the night before while I was cooking dinner, and the entire dish is made in just ONE skillet making clean-up and serving incredibly simple. The dish itself contains all of the… Keep Reading
I finally had a bit of time off from work and since I still don’t feel comfortable enough to travel anywhere, I spent most of that time at home instead. It’s been a lot of dog and chicken snuggles, cleaning, working on the basement projects with my dad, and COOKING. I feel like I lost my love for it a bit last year and it was all about quick uncreative… Keep Reading
Yesterday we got hit with another lovely blizzard here in Iowa and since I couldn’t make it to work, I made the most of it by crafting a new cocktail, the Rosemary Grapefruit Snowball Margarita! This incredibly fresh and crisp cocktail uses fresh squeezed ruby red grapefruits, lime, and a dash of rosemary simple syrup. If you feel weird about using herbs in your cocktails, don’t. The taste is so… Keep Reading
It’s been a little while since I’ve done any baking and after last week’s random snow storm, I just wanted to curl up inside and eat my weight in baked goods.. so here we are. I was actually inspired to make these after seeing a lemon blackberry scone recipe made with tea. I decided to make a muffin version instead and use one of my favorite tea flavors.. Vanilla Chai…. Keep Reading
If you caught my vodka Infusion post you might have seen a little sneak peek to this one, the Spicy Jalapeño Peach Cocktail! It’s sweet, spicy, and simple to make using just 3 ingredients. The spicy peach vodka I made is smooth enough to sip straight, but I added a little honey and some peach flavored sparkling water to bring out the flavors and make it not quite as strong…. Keep Reading
After creating and writing up this particular post, I’m realizing that I should probably grow sweet potatoes in this year’s garden. Not only do I enjoy creating recipes with them, but each time I’ve gone to the store they seem to be just as scarce to find as toilet paper is! Weird world we’re living in right now… This particular recipe is a spin off from my Roasted Sweet Potato… Keep Reading
Depending on which state you live in you could be just a few days or a few WEEKS into “quarantine” from COVID-19. At this point you’ve probably plotted to kill your spouse or partner at least a dozen times, consumed your entire wine stockpile that you thought would last for a month, found yourself doing puzzles, organizing closets, and of course binge-watching Tiger King on Netflix. I think I made… Keep Reading
It seems like everyone I’ve been talking to lately has the Winter Blues. It feels like we haven’t seen the sun in weeks, the cold temperatures, snow, and ice are keeping everyone cooped up, and there’s no color outside. Anytime I get that way I look to creating recipes or drinks that involve a lot of bright colors and fresh flavors and this Blood Orange Cinnamon Mai Tai did the… Keep Reading
I’ve been given the affectionate nickname of “Bread Head” by my boyfriend, Chris, because at any meal where there’s fresh baked bread I happily eat seconds, thirds, and fourths of JUST BREAD. As a kid I would even barter with classmates at school lunch to get extra dinner rolls. So after having a lifetime love of bread, I’ve realized just how easy (and how much tastier) it is to make… Keep Reading
I love Mules because they’re so simple to throw together, the variations are endless, and they’re always just crisp and refreshing with that bubbly ginger beer finish. I’ve seen a few variations of these Apple Cider Moscow Mules and planned to add pomegranate and all these other flavors, but honestly the plain Jane version is where it’s at. Just 4 ingredients and easy to double or triple the recipe when… Keep Reading
I’ve been on a roll with making soups lately and can you blame me? Once the cold weather hits, all you want is something delicious that warms your bones and this Spicy Cilantro Lime Sweet Potato Soup does just the trick. This is also one of the easiest soup that I’ve made to date. The sweet potato, onion, and red bell pepper get roasted to perfection in the oven while… Keep Reading
I sometimes day dream about this fantasy day off where I can spend all day just making one delicious and visually stunning dessert.. particularly a pie. The reality is that my days off are so packed full/interrupted/sometimes non-existent, I have to really maximize my time and choose recipes that are going to be quick and easy for you to make too. I also have baked and blogged long enough to… Keep Reading
I’ll admit it right now.. I’ve always been a winter hater. Waking up extra early to scrape about an inch of ice off your windshield, white knuckle driving icy/snowy roads, negative temperatures that give you a brain freeze when you step outside… I can keep going, but I think you get the picture. We got our first taste of what’s to come when it snowed a few days before Halloween…. Keep Reading
We’re in the season of all things pumpkin (not to worry.. this hummus isn’t pumpkin spice flavored) and I couldn’t think of a better fall snack than this Garlic Rosemary Pumpkin Hummus! Made with pumpkin puree, goat cheese, fresh garlic, and rosemary.. it’s extra smooth, rich, and loaded with fall flavors. I topped mine off with extra olive oil, goat cheese crumbles, and toasted pumpkin seeds for a little crunch…. Keep Reading
Sometimes you want your burger to be a little bit extra, but rather than pay for a jazzed up version from a restaurant, there’s a few simple elements you can add for a different take on the traditional hamburger. There’s also no need to own a grill to make these sliders since they cook up in a cast iron skillet in a matter of minutes. Although that smoky grill flavor… Keep Reading
My garden this year was delayed by Spring rains and moving into the house, so here it is mid-September and I’ve got an abundance of green tomatoes still on the vine. I’m incredibly impatient, so I put them to use in this fresh and Spicy Green Tomato Bloody Mary mix! Cooked down with fresh herbs also from the garden and then pureed, this non-traditional concoction is bright with flavor and… Keep Reading
Today might be the official launch of pumpkin spice everything, but I wanted to leave my summer lovers with one last cocktail to enjoy the end of the season with. A mix of fresh pineapple, lime, basil, and mint steeped in white wine and rum for several days makes for a fruity and potent summer sangria. I topped mine off with a little champagne for a nice crisp finish and… Keep Reading
I haven’t attempted to grow any berries yet in my summer garden, but I think next year is the year because I want to make berry sorbets all summer long! The best part is that you have to freeze the berries anyway so you can make this long after the growing season has ended. I added in a basil syrup for a sweet herb flavor and it was the perfect… Keep Reading
Last year I grew tomatillos for the first time and was quite surprised at how many just one plant can produce. Not knowing that before I planted though, I had started FIVE plants. I made tons of salsa verde and used them in chilis, but I was starting to run out of recipes. Everyone always raves about fried green tomatoes so I thought, why not fried green tomatillos? I made… Keep Reading
Turmeric has long been revered as a powerful medicinal herb with it’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. So why not mix this wonder ingredient into a potent cocktail so you can get your health benefits while enjoying a drink or two? Not only did the turmeric lend a bright and beautiful hue to this drink, but it provided some bright and bold flavor as well. I started with fresh ginger muddled… Keep Reading