It’s ridiculously hot and swampy feeling here in Iowa and all I want is to sip cocktails while floating in the pool. The reality is that I’m working not floating and I would fry up like the little vampire I am if I spent all day poolside. I can still enjoy a nice cocktail though and this Habanero Watermelon Cooler is the perfect summer drink! Freshly juiced watermelon, mint, and… Keep Reading
I used to dread the heat and humidity that comes with summer, but having a garden has made the sweltering season grow on me a bit. I’m able to produce a ton of fresh vegetables and herbs for my own consumption and to create new recipes with all season long. To highlight one of my favorite herbs I chose to make this Lemon and Lavender Bread that I thought would… Keep Reading
I was 8 years old when I watched the movie Twister and became obsessed with the idea of storm chasing. I loved thunderstorms and that eerie feeling right before a tornado would hit. I remember once I was home alone and the sirens went off. I then set about the task of hauling the rabbit cage, the dog in his kennel, and our cat downstairs and setting up a stool… Keep Reading
I’m not sure how I let this happen, but the last cupcake post I did was in December! That is just way too long to go without some scrumptious cupcakes in your life! For this batch I knew that I wanted something sweet and summery and I wanted to spike it with rum. If you guys truly know me then you know that last part was just kind of a… Keep Reading
If you want to know how these delicious veggie-friendly tacos taste you can go on and skip to the second paragraph, but I wanted to start out by explaining why recently I’ve opted for making more vegetarian recipes on the blog. Being born and raised in Iowa I’m definitely a meat and potatoes kind of girl. I love a good rare steak, sizzling bacon, and fried chicken, however I want… Keep Reading
Our spring was off to a really slow start, but now that everything is slowly budding and turning lovely shades of green I wanted to put together a roundup of some of my favorite spring-inspired recipes from the blog! First up are these scrumptious Spring Fruit and Basil Bruschetta appetizers. Toasted baguette slices, rich goat cheese, sweet fruits, and honey make for a delectable combination. Click here for the full… Keep Reading
I’ll be the first to admit that when I moved to Oregon I turned into a bit of a beer snob. I mean.. it’s hard not to when Portland is dubbed as the beer capital of the world and you’ve got access to over 30 breweries within city limits. Needless to say I always gravitate toward Oregon brews when given the option, Deshutes being a big favorite. As soon as… Keep Reading
I’ve been trying to get back into exploring the creative aspect of everything in my life and that includes recipes. We’ve had such a lack of greenery and spring blooms with the never ending winter so I wanted to recreate spring on a plate. A salad isn’t the most exciting culinary meal that I’ve ever produced, but I still had fun putting it all together and damn it if this… Keep Reading
Nashville is best known as being the Music City and home to some of the most delicious hot chicken. When we took a road trip there last spring everyone told us it was an absolute must try and being a lover of all things spicy, I was up for the challenge. We seem to be plagued by rain on most of our trips and it was a particularly chilly day… Keep Reading
I was looking at my last cocktail post and realized it was nearly a month ago! Surely you all need something new to drink by now. I also realized that I had created another cocktail that same day and it’s just been hanging out, unedited on my laptop for the last month. I’m going to go ahead and blame myself for volunteering for a 55 hour work week that left… Keep Reading
The other day I tried to make it into work during a blizzard and realized very quickly that I was more likely to wind up flipped over in a ditch than I would be making it to work. After watching everyone else quickly exit off the highway to turn around and head back home, I decided it was safest to do the same. I didn’t want my day to be… Keep Reading
I have been craving grilled cheese sandwiches lately so I put this one together with a few twists. First off I never thought I’d be consuming a grilled cheese that had green apples or purple cheese on it, but holy cow.. I don’t want them any other way now! I diced up some jalapeño and mashed up blackberries into the goat cheese to create this purple-people-eater concoction of cheese. It’s… Keep Reading
I’m always mystified at the new coffee drink flavor combinations that they come up with and some that customers come up with… “I’d like a non-fat caramel macchiato unicorn blood crunch drizzle.. ” Or at least that’s what their orders sound like to me when I’m grumpy and uncaffeinated in the morning. To each their own, but about as crazy as I get is switching from a vanilla latte to… Keep Reading
Every holiday season I look forward to making Hot Apple Jerrys to enjoy with friends and family after our big Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. This year I was craving a bit of a twist on my classic and made a big batch of Spiced Slow Cooker Pear Cider to use instead. In addition to the cider and rum I added a splash of sparkling pomegranate juice, an orange wedge, and pomegranate… Keep Reading
The last few days I’ve had a craving for a hot mug of cider and some much needed time at home and I was lucky enough to make both happen. I had several recipes I wanted to create so to make it easy on myself I made my cider in a crock pot while I worked on everything else. I threw some fresh pears, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, and a… Keep Reading
My days off seem to pass by within the blink of an eye so I’ve been taking them a bit slower to savor every minute of them. Cooking is the best way that I know how to do that as it involves all of my senses. It forces you to focus, be present, and be patient. And of course I purposely made sure the recipe called for some wine so… Keep Reading
If you’re looking for a Halloween sangria as black as your soul then you’ve come to the right place. This potent mixture calls for only the darkest fruits and spirits. Fresh blackberries, plums, grapes, dark rum, and Apothic Dark wine. This full bodied sangria is the perfect libation to enjoy while conjuring the dark forces… or just having a Halloween movie marathon at home if that’s more up your alley.
I imagine that if the Evil Queen ran into Snow White at a cocktail party she would serve up one of these instead of handing over a plain old apple in the woods. The difference with mine is that I chose vodka as my “poison” and unless you take down too many, you won’t slip into a magical sleeping spell. They’re seductively sweet, crisp, and smooth with not a trace… Keep Reading
When September hits, we all lose our minds over Halloween decorations, scary movie marathons, and of course PUMPKIN SPICE EVERYTHING. I fall into the hysteria just as much as the next person, but where I really go ham on pumpkin flavored goods is in the beer aisle. I love trying all the new pumpkin ales and Octoberfest beers that hit the shelves this time of year and finding new favorites,… Keep Reading
After one last gasp from summer in the form of a 3 day heat wave in the 90’s.. we’re finally into fall with gloom, rain, and falling leaves. I don’t know about anyone else, but it makes me want to snuggle up with Punk (my 17lb cat), marathon the last season of Game of Thrones (again), and make a big pot of spicy chili. With my garden still producing a… Keep Reading
I’m still making tons of pickles out of all the cucumbers I harvest from my plant each week, but I whipped up a new recipe to use them in a different way. Head over to Dream A Little Bigger to get my recipe for this zesty and spicy Cucumber Mint Greek Yogurt Dip made with fresh cucumbers, mint, and serrano peppers!
Last month I shared a recipe for some basil simple syrup on my Instagram and now I’m sharing the perfect cocktail for you to use it in! Freshly juiced watermelon, citrusy lime, and the fragrant and sweet flavors of basil blend together in one delicious thirst quenching summer drink. And for my non-drinkers or soon-to-be-moms.. I’ve got you covered with tips on how to make a booze-free version as well!
As we finish out this last week of August and head into the cooler fall months, I wanted to end my summer recipes with one that pulls together some of my favorite seasonal ingredients. And since I’ve had a craving for something sweet I thought a cupcake would be perfect for the occasion! Now I know some people can’t get behind the idea of using lavender in cooking or baking,… Keep Reading
I’ve got boatloads of cucumbers growing in the garden, taking up space in the refrigerator, and even more packed into canning jars undergoing the delicious transformation into pickles. I’ve scoured dozens of recipes and methods online and finally arrived at my own adaptation. The pickling spice ingredients are simple, yet affordable because we can’t always splurge on gourmet spices (especially when you’re making enough pickles to feed an army) and… Keep Reading