Grilled Honey Sriracha Chicken Skewers

On most days I say that chocolate and peppermint is my favorite flavor combo but today it is honey and sriracha... and possibly every day hereafter. 

This sauce gets all caramelized and sticky in the best way. Oh. My. God. I'm in love. It starts out sweet but not too sweet and then the heat creeps in. Oooh, that heat! I'm not one for overly spicy foods seeing how I don't like to sweat when I eat but this sauce has the perfect amount of non sweat-inducing heat. Also it can be tweaked for the individual palate so, I mean, it's basically perfect.

Perfectly Chewy Chocolate Orange Brownies

This is the kind of brownie recipe that makes you want to decorate a Christmas tree but also lay on a beach but definitely eat the entire batch. What I'm tying to say is that this recipe cannot and will not be pigeonholed. These milk chocolate brownies have the perfect amount of density with subtle orange essence and get all chewy around the edges in the best way. I am in love.

12 (hot) Holiday Cocktails

Do you love having warm hands and also drinking alcohol? Then this collection is for you! It has 12 warm and seasonal drinks that will make you want to snuggle up by a fire and sip all night long!

16 Appetizers with 5 Ingredients or Less!

The thing about appetizers is that they should be as easy to make as they are to eat. Each and every one of these amazing appetizers has only 5 ingredients or less! How is that even possible?!

Any one of these would be the perfect addition to any holiday, birthday, or dinner party no matter the season! There is something for everyone in this collection.

Cake Batter Cheesecake!

Reasons I think you'll love this cheesecake: 1- You are a human being with a mouth and 2- You are not a monster.
First thing's first, you neeeed a springform pan for this recipe. I would love to be like "Hey, it'll probably be fine in a round cake pan!" but, no, the world is not a perfectly beautiful place... Unless you make this cheesecake then your troubles will melt like lemon drops. You can find a springform pan pretty much anywhere they sell cooking stuff. I'm pretty positive they even have them at Safeway! If you don't know what a springform pan is it's your lucky day because we live in a modern world and there is a Wikipedia page for EVERYTHING, even different types of baking pans! Here it is!
Once you have that one little gadget you are pretty much set to start baking this silky, dense, celebratory, beauty of a confection.

Garlic Citrus Green Beans

Summer side dishes are in full swing in my house! They definitely take up more of the plate than the main dish and I usually make sure they pack a punch. These green beans bring more to the table than you thought possible for a little green veggie. Yum yum yum!

For a while now I have been using a lot of citrus in my cooking, I recently realized that I have been under-utilizing my zester and quickly remedied that situation by zesting EVERYTHING. This particular dish has a hearty dose of orange zest along with orange and lemon juice. I have always loved the sweet-tartness of citrus paired with savory flavors, so in this recipe I used garlic for the balance. 

One Pan Prep: Orzo with Pancetta and Peas

One pan prep is probably one of the best things to hear for a short-cut type of cook. It's right up there with "don't worry, the potatoes are already peeled" and "I think we'll just order pizza instead." It's the kind of thing that only produces a good meal every so often, but when it does magic happens. The kind of thing that dreams are made of.

This dish has a simple charm and is filled with kinda sweet and crunchy, salty bites that make you hope the bowl is bottomless. It starts with like, 3 or 4 ingredients and only one pan and will probably make your week a little/a lot better. Trust.

Skinny Taco Salad Lettuce Boats

Something in my mind is telling me it's Summer time... I know in my heart that we're not quite there yet but because of the almost-everyday-sunny days we've been having here in the Pacific Northwest my mind has been tricked into thinking it's time for Summer food!

Here is a little view of the amazing sunsets we've been having in the upper-left USA-

Something about the sun makes me think I need fresh fruit and veggies, this is not a want but an absolute need! Also, I might add, it is of utmost importance that the fresh produce be served within other produce as often as possible. These little taco salad lettuce boats are setting the perfect example for all other Summer dishes to follow... They set a high bar indeed.

Sticky Bourbon Teriyaki Seared Sirloin Steak

This was my lunch today and I have to say that it was delicious! This sticky, smokey, rich, sweet, dark molasses sauce is an amazing complement to steak 

I've been trying to cook out of my comfort zone recently and this recipe is a good example of how I am doing that. The sauce is a sticky-sweet reduction unlike anything I have tried before and I am pretty pleased with the outcome. It is too simple not to try and there is a lot of wiggle room for preferred flavor, which is just lovely!

Stuffed Red Velvet Poppers

This is the kind of day I'm having. The kind of day that isn't a bad day but a day that could be made better by the perfect li'l snack. With just the right amount of cream cheese frosting in the middle, these Stuffed Red Velvet Poppers make for a nice treat for a red velvet cake lover like myself.

Each popper is about the size of a 50 cent piece and a great excuse to indulge in a rich red velvet experience without digging into an entire cake... Which I obviously have never done... 

Mini No Bake Apple Pie Bites

So I have to say that this recipe was totally made up on the fly today because I had a wicked craving for apple pie but did not want to labor over an entire pie because I have other important things to get done, like browsing Netflix! Since it was made up on the spot there aren't any photos of the prep process, sorry... But there are pictures of these cuties all done and ready to be snacked on.

Chocolate Pancakes- Good Morning!

Good morning, beautiful!

I love chocolate for breakfast... There, I said it! So if I can pass the chocolate off for breakfast food I will. Here we have a perfect combination of chocolate and breakfast foods: Chocolate Pancakes.

These sweet flapjacks are the perfect cure for an early morning chocolate craving. This is a tried and true recipe from the Meeker family that never fails. It makes thin, light, fluffy, and flavorful pancakes. If you prefer thicker pancakes just slowly add more Bisquick/pancake flour until the batter is your desired consistency. So without further ado, in order not to delay you from getting your sweet tooth fix here is how to make these chocolate pancakes.

The Easiest Butternut Squash Soup Ever

Okay, so today is a "stay at home and do nothing because I am sick"  kind of day and the number one thing I ALWAYS want whenever I am sick is soup! Usually I take the easy way out and heat up a can of condensed soup, slurp it down, and crawl back into bed but today was different. It was different for one reason: I had butternut squash. Butternut squash isn't ordinarily considered a game changer but today, for me, it was. The story of how I ended up with butternut squash is not an interesting one. I was in the store, saw a package of Green Giant pre-cubed butternut squash and had to have it, for some reason. I was fantasizing about roasting it, or sauteing it, or whatever else and serving it as a side to some amazing main course. But, alas, I made soup!

Pan Seared Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Garlic Olive Oil

So I know it has been a little while since I have posted anything but it has been a very busy week or so! Last week my sister, step-mom, and I hosted a birthday party for my dad so I spent a good amount of time baking up brownies and finalizing details for that event and I neglected to post anything. So here I am, making up for lost time with something delicious!

Frozen Reese's Pie with Oreo Crust

This pie might be TOO GOOD! It might not have been the best idea to make a frozen pie during Winter time but I don't think there is ever a bad time for any type of pie! The recipe for this pie and crust is so simple and it's no bake which is great! The total prep time, including the crust, is only about 10 minutes, not including the freezing process. This type of frozen pie is so versatile and isn't limited to Reese's candy, you can use any kind of candy bar that you like (I think I'll try Butterfinger next time) and add different flavors to the filling if you want to. It can pretty much go along with whatever mood you happen to be in.

Gluten Free Chicken Strips

I have been so busy trying out new recipes all week that I have had very little time to blog! I am going to post a few new things to try out today! First up are these super delicious gluten-free fried chicken strips. These are really simple to whip up and take no time at all to cook. I'll post all of the ingredients first then go into the step by step.

6 Ingredient Drop Biscuits

I have been trying to find more recipes recently that will become staples in my kitchen and this is a perfect example of that! These are super easy drop biscuits which are not the type of baking project that you look at and think they are something to "tackle". These only take a few minutes to mix and plop on a baking sheet, then you're good to go. I would say they take about the same amount of time that it takes me to pluck up the courage to pop open those terrifying canned biscuits, plus they're ten times better because they're homemade! The six ingredients in this recipe mix together to create some of the lightest, fluffiest, and most delicious biscuits I have ever eaten (which is something I never thought I'd say about some simple biscuits).
Here is how to make them:

Apple Pie Moonshine Recipe

Okay, so this last holiday season I made gift baskets with a bunch of homemade goodies in them but the star of the show was the apple pie moonshine (of course)! If you've never had apple pie moonshine before it is exactly like drinking apple pie and even the pickiest cocktail drinker will love it, but it will sneak up on you pretty quick if you don't watch out. What most people don't realize about this delicious drink is that it is super easy to make and I have had A LOT of people ask me for the recipe so I decided to post it here! I also decorated the mason jars that I used to package the hooch and I will include the information for that project as well.

Delicious Vanilla Cupcakes- Gluten Free

This is an awesome recipe for gluten free vanilla cupcakes that I tried last night and I am so excited about it!

I have tried a bunch of different gluten free baked goods and when there is a good one (not crumbly and dry) it is a revelation! This made a yummy, dense, moist, not-too-sweet, vanilla cupcake! I used my all purpose baking mix for this and it worked like a charm, which I am happy about.

A lot of the time home-made gluten free baking can result in an extremely dry and crumbly mess which loses quality by the minute as it cools but this is really tasty and would be a perfect go-to cupcake for someone looking to go g-free.

Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes:
Yield: 12 cupcakes, one 8" square layer; or one 9" round layer.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup- Soft Butter (room temperature, not melted)
• 1 Cup- Sugar
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1/2 Cup- Milk (I used reduced fat but any percent will do)
• 3 tsp- Gluten Free Vanilla
• 1 3/4 Cup- Gluten Free Baking Mix (see my recipe for it HERE)
• 1/2 tsp- Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp- Baking Powder
• 1 tsp- Salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line 12 muffin cups with cupcake papers. You can optionally grease the cupcake papers but I skipped this step and had no problems. (You can also use this recipe for a cake: lightly grease an 8" square or 9" round pan)
2. To make the batter: Beat the soft butter and sugar until thoroughly combined and somewhat lightened in color. I whipped mine for a while to ensure a lighter batter.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until just incorporated.
4. Combine the milk and vanilla.
5. Combine all dry ingredients. I sifted mine together
6. Stir one-third of the baking mix into the mixture; stir in half the milk, another third of the baking mix, the remaining milk, then the remaining mix. Scrape the bowl occasionally throughout this process.
7. For cupcakes, scoop the batter by level ¼-cupfuls into the prepared muffin tins. (For a cake spread the batter into the prepared pan) 
8. Bake 20 to 22 minutes for cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, and the middle springs back when pressed lightly. (Bake 30 to 35 minutes for a layer cake)
9. Remove from the oven. Serve warm; or cool completely, then spread with the frosting of your choice.

I frosted my vanilla cupcakes with a lemon buttercream frosting that I made and you can find the recipe for that HERE. 
These cupcakes are really dense and moist (even on the second day) and this recipe is a good staple to have in any gluten-free kitchen!


Enjoy!

Fresh Lemon Buttercream Frosting

Lemon is bright and fresh and delicious!

This is a recipe for a delicious, fresh, and simple lemon butter-cream frosting!
Butter-cream is my favorite kind of frosting to make because it is simple and you can make virtually any flavor you can think of. This recipe is quick and simple and only has 5 ingredients! Anyone can make this and be proud of creating something so delicious from scratch!




Lemon is a great flavor to use for frosting because it pairs well with many other flavors and adds freshness to any recipe. I used it to frost some vanilla cupcakes and it really made them pop! Here is how to make it:

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup- Butter Softened (room temperature, not melted)
• 3 3/4 Cup- Confectioner's Sugar
• 1 Lemon (you will use the juice and the zest)
• 1 tsp- Vanilla Extract (use gluten free vanilla extract for g-free recipes)
• 1/8 tsp- Salt

Directions:

1. Combine butter, sugar, and salt and beat until well combined
2. Add lemon juice, zest, and vanilla and continue to beat until light and creamy

Here is the result! YUM!

I hope you enjoy trying this recipe out!