So while you’re all busy dreaming about what you’re going to do when you win your vanilla beans (giveaway open until tonight at midnight!), I’ve been dreaming up this little number.  I was inspired by one of the sweetest girls on the planet- my good friend Jillian from back in Ohio.  This girl is the […]

Yesterday marked my third trip into Atlanta for some good local (sort-of) eats.  My first trip was to The Varsity, an Atlanta institution and a must-eat for any visitor.  The second trip was to Fox Brothers BBQ, hailed one of the best barbecue joints in the city.  My third stop was at The Flying Biscuit […]

Have you seen this one coming?  You know I love vanilla and making things from scratch, so it was only inevitable that I learn to make vanilla extract.  Luckily, the only thing that’s difficult about making vanilla extract is the waiting. The main thing you need for vanilla extract is high quality vanilla beans.  Vanilla […]

I love when steam from a piping hot dish messes with my photo.  That little haze makes the photo all the more tempting to me. I know I said I was done with the pumpkin, but I’m gonna ask you to give me a break, because: a) It’s savory. b) It’s made with real pumpkin, […]

I hope you’re not a brussel sprout hater. Brussel sprouts get such a bad rep, but they are so good!  I think roasting or sauteing brings out their flavor best.  They’re a perfect side dish for Thanksgiving.  I mean, perfect.  They’re crazy nutritious and pair well with all of those other yummy fall flavors.  Try […]

Sweet readers, I feel as if I’ve neglected you all these years, never doing a giveaway. I’m sorry if you aren’t feeling the love. So now I’m crawling back, begging for forgiveness.  And I come bearing a gift.  It is the holiday season, after all. But, I’m not going to tell you what it is […]

Ropa Vieja.  Ever heard of it?  It’s a classic cuban dish meaning “old clothes.”  I know that sounds totally awful, but it’s so named for its long-cooked beef resembling shredded rags.  Still not sold?  Let me tell you my little story about ropa vieja. I was first introduced to the dish on my 21st birthday.  […]

See!  I wasn’t kidding about the healthy stuff. I asked my trusty readers and Facebook fans yesterday what veggies were intimidating to them and I got some good answers: eggplant, jicama, mustard greens, fennel, celery root, parsnips and cauliflower.  Little did you know that I had eggplant, parsnips and cauliflower in my fridge already!  I’m […]

Fact: Healthy food can really taste good. Conflicting Fact: It’s hard to eat healthy when things like brownies exist. I’ve always had food drama and I think I always will.  Most of us Americans do.  I try to have healthy habits; buying local and organic when I can, eating veggies, less processed stuff, you know.  […]

Reese’s Explosion! (The exclamation point makes this post so intense.) So, I stocked up on candy this year in the hopes that we’d have trick-or-treaters at our new house, but alas.. just a few knocks on the door.  We had about a billion treats left, and I was not about to let them sit around […]

Are you relieved that there’s no pumpkin in this post?  I feel like you might be.  Joke’s on you, though- I still have lots of pumpkin inspiration that I plan on slipping in during the winter months.  You’ll be pumpkined when you least expect it! Back to today’s little treat.  Let me introduce you to […]

Alright, homies.  I think I’ve done this pumpkin thing to death.  I’ve got some more pumpkin to share with you, but I think I’ll just sprinkle it in with the rest of the fall recipes.  Speaking of sprinkles.. Here’s a second take on the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Giants.  I made these cookies smaller, removed the […]