For a dessert that’s only two ingredients, I sure had a hard time naming this one. An intensely chocolatey concoction of coconut milk + deep dark chocolate, chocolate mousse truffle cups are mousse-ish, but not fluffy, and truffle-like, but you can eat it with a spoon. I don’t really care what you call it, but…
Party Food
JP’s 6 Ingredient Salsa in the Blender
**This post is brought to you by my brother-in-law, JP!** A few years ago we had this great idea. We wanted to be able to make salsa with ingredients grown in our garden. So we planted tomatoes, onions, jalapeño peppers, and cilantro.
Easy Lemon Pie.
I made this easy lemon pie (aka: lemon icebox pie) for the first time over the summer (okay, fine, the first couple of times) – and the bright citrus flavor is so fresh and summery! But even though lemons are available year-round, they do have an actual season – late fall through the winter. It’s…
Chocolate Cake (aka The Birthday Cake).
I’ve always loved to bake, and a few years ago I decided to part ways with cake mixes. I mean, making a cake from scratch has to taste better, right? Um, not necessarily. I’ve tried a lot of recipes and while they’ve all been “good” in the “I’m eating chocolate cake” sense, I haven’t always…
Chicken Caesar Wraps.
**This Faster-than-Fast-Food post brought to you by my sister, Laurie!** When I was in college, one of my favorite meals from our little food court (affectionately knows as the Furman P-Den) was chicken caesar wraps. I haven’t thought of them in years, but all of a sudden last night I was consumed with the need…
First Taste: Copycat Outback Bread.
I made a pot of this ham, potato, and corn chowder (incidentally, I made it without ham – and no one missed it, because bacon), and my initial plan was to make a batch of no-knead bread to go with it. When I was getting out the ingredients, though, I noticed a box of vital…
Apple Cake.
I’m not immune to pumpkin fever this time of year. I made a double batch of pumpkin bread last week (why yes, that is 4 loaves) and it was glorious. But you know what else can give you all the happy cinnamon-spicy fall feelings? Apples. In many forms…applesauce…apple pie dip with cinnamon sugar pita chips…and especially, especially,…
Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup (with crunchy baked tortilla strips).
I’ve been wanting to add some more crockpot recipes to my repertoire…and according to the survey, that would help a lot of you, too! (Thank you so much for your feedback! If you haven’t responded yet, it would be a huge help!) To be honest, I tend to feel a little uninspired in my crockpotting….
The Best Oven Fries.
These aren’t just good-for-homemade oven fries. These are my favorite fries in all the land. They’re crispy and salty, thick but not stodgy…and you don’t have to peel the potatoes (which saves time and obviously pushes us to the right on the junk food<—–>health food continuum).
Grilled Chicken (the only recipe you’ll ever need).
This is the grilled chicken of my childhood. My dad loved to cook out, and it’s one of the ways I picture him – standing over the grill in a white t-shirt. Like this:
Homemade Pizza Part 3 – Homemade FROZEN Pizza.
Being able to make pizza dough at home (and pile on glorious amounts of whatever toppings you want) doesn’t necessarily diminish a person’s need for takeout and frozen pizzas. (Or…delivery. Delivery is, like, the unicorn of pizza options.) Because sometimes you don’t have the time…or the energy…or the relevant ingredients. Your people need dinner stat! You’re going out…
Homemade Pizza Part 2 – The Toppings.
Pizza crust is important, and if you missed Part 1 about making easy and delicious homemade pizza dough, read up! But we’re really here for the toppings, amiright? Here’s a rundown of ideas for bringing your homemade pizza to the next level!
Homemade Pizza, Part 1 – The Dough.
Pizza is #1 (by, like, a mile) on the list of “meals my whole family loves”. (Umm, now I’m trying to think of what else would be on that list. Anyone? Bueller?) And it’s a good one to be able to make at home on the cheap, and a little on the healthier side, so you…
Pita Pizzas (a Faster than Fast Food Meal).
We have officially completed Phase 1 of our move! Everything we own* is out of our house and in storage, and we’ve moved in with friends in Raleigh. Eventually we’ll be house/dog-sitting for them, but for now we’re just taking up a lot of their space. Phase 2 is a teeeeny rental place in Wilmington…
The BYOM Potluck Cookout (the easiest way to entertain this summer).
I have a wonderful friend named Julie who is the creative mind behind the amazing Happy Home Fairy blog. She has lots of fun and totally doable ideas – perfect for the crafty and uncrafty alike! (Check out this adorable free printable for Father’s Day!) She’s also one of the best sources if you need some encouragement in your…
A Quick Quesadilla Tip.
This is just a little quesadilla PSA. In theory, quesadillas are such a quick, easy, and cheesily delicious meal – but if you’ve ever tried to flip a 2-tortilla, overstuffed quesadilla and lost half of its innards in the process, this tip can save your dinner!
Crusty No-Knead Bread (with salty honey butter).
I can’t even count how many times I’ve made this no-knead bread…because it’s that easy. Four ingredients (if we’re even counting water as an ingredient), one bowl, no kneading – and the end result is piping hot, crusty-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside bread that also happens to be beautiful. And then you slather it with honey butter with a…
Crockpot BBQ Beef.
I just love it when dinner cooks itself!! This is the best, best kind of crockpot meal – absolutely minimal prep, and at the end you have a pot of saucy, tender shredded bbq beef that makes a deliciously messy sandwich (or the perfect topping to a baked potato or rice – anything that will soak up…
Natural, Dye-Free Pink Icing (with beets!).
The first several years we were married, Jay and I had a Valentine’s Day tradition of going out to a different burger place each year. It beat fighting the crowds at a nicer restaurant, it fit our seminary budget, and frankly, there’s just not much I love more than a burger! Now that we have kids…
Cookie Dough Truffles (Christmas Cookie Week).
**This post is brought to you by my lovely sister, Laurie!** Once upon a time, I was at a potluck supper and found myself walking past the dessert table on my way to the end of a long buffet line. I snagged a little round chocolate something and took a bite… and found myself with…
Carnitas (The Ultimate Crowd-Pleasing, Make-Ahead, Freezer-Friendly Party Meal – Part 1).
If you bothered to read the whole title – I really didn’t want to stop there, to be honest. I wanted to say this meal can also be paleo! vegetarian! gluten-free! perfect for meat-lovers! kid-approved! and lends itself well to having people over, transporting a meal to someone, and even a themed potluck. In other…
Apple Pie Dip and Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips.
Having a three-year-old has really cramped my snacking style helped me to make healthier snack choices. It’s just a lot harder to sneak things than it used to be! That means I generally only snack at designated times, and I eat something I’m willing to give her. So I’m very glad when there’s a big…
