Snickerdoodle Blondies

This snickerdoodle blondies recipe is irresistibly rich, buttery, tangy, and sprinkled with a crunchy cinnamon-sugar topping. Yes, they’re just as good as you would imagine. ♡♡♡ Turns out that everyone’s favorite cinnamon-sugar cookie (with its signature slight hint of tanginess) is a dessert mashup match made in heaven with rich, buttery, caramelized blondies. I simply […]

This snickerdoodle blondies recipe is irresistibly rich, buttery, tangy, and sprinkled with a crunchy cinnamon-sugar topping.

Yes, they’re just as good as you would imagine. ♡♡♡

Turns out that everyone’s favorite cinnamon-sugar cookie (with its signature slight hint of tanginess) is a dessert mashup match made in heaven with rich, buttery, caramelized blondies. I simply added some extra cinnamon and cream of tartar to my favorite blondies recipe, tossed the batter with white chocolate chips, sprinkled the tops with a thin layer of crunchy cinnamon sugar and popped them in the oven until they were just ever-so-slightly underbaked (the key with blondies!). And oh my goodness, they were so much better than I even expected.

We absolutely loved these snickerdoodle blondies, as did everyone who happened to be passing through out house during the weeks that our first batch…the second batch…then third batch were available for the sampling. Highly recommend adding them to your baking bucket list this holiday season!

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Homemade Dog Treats (3 Ingredients!)

This 3-ingredient homemade dog treats recipe is quick and easy to make and cut into whatever shapes you love. This holiday cookie season, we can’t forget about our furry friends! I don’t know about your dogs, but our sweet elderly pup, Fiona, has been sniffing eagerly around the kitchen all season long as we’ve been […]

This 3-ingredient homemade dog treats recipe is quick and easy to make and cut into whatever shapes you love.

This holiday cookie season, we can’t forget about our furry friends!

I don’t know about your dogs, but our sweet elderly pup, Fiona, has been sniffing eagerly around the kitchen all season long as we’ve been baking up a storm. So I decided to whip up a simple batch of pet-safe dog treats to keep on hand for her so that she wouldn’t be left out of the sweet cookie fun.

After a bit of research, I decided to play it as safe as possible and limit the ingredient list to three basic AKC-approved ingredients for dogs — natural peanut butter, oat flour and bananas. Simply mix all three together until you have a dough that is firm enough to roll out. Cut out your desired shapes, like these cute little dog bones. Bake until crispy, and drizzle with a little extra peanut butter if you’d like. Then get ready to make your pup’s day. ♡♡♡

Lol, Fiona was convinced she won the lottery with these peanut butter cookies and jumps and twirls and wags her tail a million miles per hour each time we bring another one out for her to enjoy. So hopefully your pup is a big fan too! Enjoy!

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Gingerbread Cake

This gingerbread cake recipe is easy to make, perfectly moist and fluffy, and made with a delicious blend of molasses and warming spices. This is one of those recipes where I so wish I could just pop over and serve you a warm slice to try. ♡ Because if you love gingerbread as much as […]

This gingerbread cake recipe is easy to make, perfectly moist and fluffy, and made with a delicious blend of molasses and warming spices.

This is one of those recipes where I so wish I could just pop over and serve you a warm slice to try. ♡

Because if you love gingerbread as much as I do this time of year, I’m telling you, this gingerbread cake needs to be part of your life. It’s made with the classic rich mix of molasses and warming spices that we all love in a good batch of gingerbread. And I’m partial to this particular gingerbread cake recipe because it bakes up to be incredibly moist and fluffy. You can either serve it up solo, dust it with some powdered sugar, or go all out and top it with whipped cream or cream cheese frosting — all will be delicious. And of course, cake for breakfast the next morning is always an excellent idea too.

I’ve included a few extra customization ideas below, if you would like to mix in some orange zest, chocolate or bourbon for a slightly different twist on this recipe. But however you make it, you can count on the fact that this cake is going to make your home smell extra cozy and festive this time of year…and taste even better.

Alright, let’s make some gingerbread cake!

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Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

These brown butter mashed potatoes are easy to make with a short list of ingredients and swirled with rich and nutty brown butter. I mean, do we really need any convincing to make this one?! ♡ Deliciously nutty, caramelized, rich brown butter is naturally a match made in heaven when it comes to enhancing creamy […]

These brown butter mashed potatoes are easy to make with a short list of ingredients and swirled with rich and nutty brown butter.

I mean, do we really need any convincing to make this one?! ♡

Deliciously nutty, caramelized, rich brown butter is naturally a match made in heaven when it comes to enhancing creamy mashed potatoes. But when combined with a generous amount of garlic, freshly-grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkling of fresh chives, these potatoes are simply divine. I’m always tempted to toss in a half dozen other extra add-ins when making mashed potatoes, but I highly recommend exercising some restraint in this case so that the flavor of the brown butter can be front and center here when it comes to flavor. Trust me, you are going to love them!

As always, I recommend making mashed potatoes with a mix of Russets and Yukon Golds, for the optimum mix of starchy and buttery textures. And while I kept things simple for this recipe with plain milk to make them nice and creamy, you’re welcome to add in some extra sour cream or cream cheese if you prefer more of a tang.

Let’s cook up a quick batch of brown butter and take our mashed potatoes to the next level, shall we?

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Brussels Sprouts Arugula Salad with Pomegranate and Parmesan

This festive Brussels sprouts arugula salad is tossed with pomegranate, Parmesan, avocado, candied pecans and a lemony shallot vinaigrette. Say hello to my favorite new salad of the season. ♡ I’ve been bringing this festive salad to just about every gathering this season and couldn’t love it more. It’s surprisingly quick and easy to throw […]

This festive Brussels sprouts arugula salad is tossed with pomegranate, Parmesan, avocado, candied pecans and a lemony shallot vinaigrette.

Say hello to my favorite new salad of the season. ♡

I’ve been bringing this festive salad to just about every gathering this season and couldn’t love it more. It’s surprisingly quick and easy to throw together with a gorgeous mix of jeweled pomegranate arils, candied pecans, salty Parm, shredded Brussels, creamy avocado, peppery arugula and my favorite shallot vinaigrette. And the mix of salty and sweet, crunchy and creamy, tangy and peppery flavors here is absolutely delightful! Friends keep asking for the recipe, which is always the best sign!

I’ve gotten in the habit of reaching for a few store-bought shortcuts to speed things up — a bag of pre-shredded Brussels, pre-seeded pomegranate arils, and occasionally store-bought candied nuts — which shave the prep time here down to just 20 minutes. But feel free to make this salad with whatever ingredient swaps and add-ins you love best here. And while it would be a wonderful side dish for the holidays, we’ve also happily made a meal out of this one and find it to be so lovely and filling.

I know you’re going to love it!

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Pumpkin Cornbread

I was guessing that pumpkin cornbread was going to be good. But this recipe went far beyond my expectations — we absolutely love it! ♡ Turns out that the sweet and earthy flavor of pumpkin purée complements the classic flavor and texture of cornbread absolutely beautifully. And when made with a rich and nutty browned […]

I was guessing that pumpkin cornbread was going to be good. But this recipe went far beyond my expectations — we absolutely love it! ♡

Turns out that the sweet and earthy flavor of pumpkin purée complements the classic flavor and texture of cornbread absolutely beautifully. And when made with a rich and nutty browned butter batter, lightly sweetened with honey, and baked up until perfect light and fluffy, this pumpkin cornbread recipe will likely steal the show at your next dinner. We can’t stop making it here in our kitchen!

You’re welcome to customize yours with any additional mix-ins that you might love, such as nuts, dried fruit, or a handful of cheese. I’ve included notes for how to easily make this recipe gluten-free, if you prefer. And while the cornbread is delicious on its own, I’m going to highly recommend that you make a quick batch of honey butter to serve with it. Because melted into a slice hot out of the oven? Oh my goodness, there’s nothing better.

Let’s make some pumpkin cornbread!

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Grandma’s Beef and Noodles

This Midwestern-style beef and noodles recipe is easy to make with a small list of ingredients and always so flavorful and comforting. Now that we’re back living in the Midwest again, I’ve found myself revisiting many of the comfort food classics I grew up with here. And when it comes to comfort food, it doesn’t […]

This Midwestern-style beef and noodles recipe is easy to make with a small list of ingredients and always so flavorful and comforting.

Now that we’re back living in the Midwest again, I’ve found myself revisiting many of the comfort food classics I grew up with here. And when it comes to comfort food, it doesn’t get more nostalgic for me than my grandma’s homemade beef and noodles. ♡

This simple, flavorful, no-frills dish was a staple at her farmhouse during all of our huge family gatherings growing up. And even though I was her picky-eating granddaughter who avoided just about anything with veggies growing up, my grandma always knew that I would be the first one darting back into the kitchen to scoop up seconds and thirds whenever it was beef and noodles day. I absolutely loved her beef and noodles. And now that our toddler is equally as noodle-obsessed as I am, this winter seemed like the perfect time to introduce him to the family tradition.

Sadly, I missed the opportunity to get my grandma’s exact recipe from her before she passed. But after some tinkering around with ingredients over the years, I’ve landed on a recipe that tastes as close to the original that I remember. It’s intentionally very simple — basically just a tender cut of beef browned and simmered with onion, garlic, bay leaf and thyme until ultra-tender, then cooked with egg noodles to saucy, delicious, cozy perfection. You can either slow cook the beef on the stovetop or in a Crock-Pot, or speed things up with an Instant Pot if you’d like. And if you feel like tossing in some extra veggies or greens, you’re more than welcome to add some in too.

So for any of you fellow Midwesterners out there who might also be craving this throw-back dish, or any of you who could just use a cozy bowl of noodles, round up these simple ingredients and let’s make some beef and noodles together.

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Parmesan Creamed Corn

This Parmesan Creamed Corn recipe is layered with sweet and savory flavors and sprinkled with irresistible crispy toasted garlic breadcrumbs. Quick and easy to make (and prep in advance, if you’d like) too! Say it with me — no more boring creamed corn! ♡ This Parmesan creamed corn recipe is here to steal the show […]

This Parmesan Creamed Corn recipe is layered with sweet and savory flavors and sprinkled with irresistible crispy toasted garlic breadcrumbs. Quick and easy to make (and prep in advance, if you’d like) too!

Parmesan Creamed Corn

Say it with me — no more boring creamed corn! ♡

This Parmesan creamed corn recipe is here to steal the show this holiday season and guaranteed to have everyone coming back for seconds. It’s seasoned with a generous amount of garlic and smoked paprika, balanced out with an extra drizzle of honey to bring out the sweetness of the corn. It’s simmered with a creamy broth which is then mixed with lots of umami-rich Parmesan, to make it extra cheesy. It’s topped with zesty, crispy, toasted garlicky breadcrumbs, which add a fantastic bit of extra flavor and crunch to each bite. And finally sprinkled with chopped herbs for freshness.

Even with all of these delicious flavors and textures layered in, this creamed corn recipe is surprisingly quick and easy to make in less than 30 minutes. I intentionally designed this recipe so that it can be 100% made on the stovetop, in case a turkey happens to be taking up most of the oven. You’re also welcome to prep all of the components up to 3 days in advance if you’d like, then heat and assemble right before serving. And if you have loved ones around your table who are gluten-free, simply swap in gf breadcrumbs to make this dish without gluten.

Everyone around the table raves about this cream corn whenever we’ve served it. So if you’re looking for a winning side dish this holiday season — or for any random weeknight of the week — I hope you’ll give it a try!

Parmesan Creamed Corn Ingredients (more…)