Apricot Pecan Spiral Coffee Cake

My kitchen is currently overflowing with Pillsbury brownie mixes and refrigerated cookie dough. Don’t worry, I’m not just looking for a sugar high  - I’ve just started working on recipes for the 44th Pillsbury Bake-Off! Recipes are due April 20 and I encourage all my...

Pumpkin Beer Bread

We’ve been all about beer lately. Apolinaras has recently gotten into home brewing and just proudly sealed 40 bottles of Oak-Aged Baltic Porter last night. It's supposed to age for at least a month before it’s really ready, but I snuck a couple sips of the green stuff...

Spinach Sauce Pasta with Shrimp

Work has been more hectic than usual lately so I was trying to brainstorm ways to be more efficient when a light bulb went off and I realized that I could save a bunch of time if I started running home from work a few times a week! Not only do I get a great workout...

Plantain Gnocchi/Koldunai Stuffed with Cheddar Cheese

So I finally got around to making plantain gnocchi again, but was so tired that I didn’t even make a sauce to go with them and just ended up topping them with some fresh tomatoes. They were still delicious though, mainly because they were stuffed with chunks of...

Strawberry Cheesecake Filled Yellow Cake

Have you had any baking disasters? I’ve had my fair share, and naturally, they all tend to occur when I’m making a treat to share at a party. One time the pecan crust just fell off the sides of a cheesecake I had made for a lab birthday celebration. Another time a...

Sweet Potato and Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms Topped with Hazelnuts

I love stuffed mushrooms and serve them almost every time we have friends over, but I’ve been wanting to lighten them up for awhile now since the usual cream cheese-filled versions are very heavy. When I was making my Truly Outrageous Baked Sweet Potatoes, I was...

Mediterranean Lamb with Gnocchi

Kia ora! I’m finally gone through all our New Zealand pictures, so my next several posts will be recaps from our trip! New Zealand is just a breathtaking country and has something for everyone – mountains, beaches, wine country, even glaciers, volcanoes, and...

Peanut Butter Chubby Hubby Bars

Have you ever thought you didn’t like an ingredient and then suddenly realized that you’d actually been enjoying it for years? This recently happened to me. I never liked Whoppers growing up and remember being thoroughly confused about why someone would prefer a...
Southwestern Mini Meatball Salad

Southwestern Mini Meatball Salad

For a couple of years, I was in the habit of buying pre-washed salad mixes. You know, the kind that come in a bag or plastic box. This lead to the donation of our OXO salad spinner to the Good Will, because it was just sitting there collecting dust and taking up...

read more
S’more Snacks

S’more Snacks

Today’s “recipe” is a bit of a pregnancy cliché. It all started when we were discussing the annual Boston area Fluff Fest at lunch one day. Marshmallow Fluff, also known as marshmallow crème, was invented in my town and is still made in Massachusetts. It’s probably...

read more
French Onion Phyllo Squares

French Onion Phyllo Squares

Sometimes you have to milk an idea for all it's worth. My French Onion Mac & Cheese is by far the most popular recipe on my blog, so I was recently thinking about what other way I could highlight the same flavors. How about layers of flaky crispy phyllo dough...

read more
Caprese Bulgur with Chicken Sausage

Caprese Bulgur with Chicken Sausage

Apolinaras is like a kid in a candy store at any establishment that sells tools or hardware stuff. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful he’s so handy and likes to do all the maintenance on our cars and tackle home improvement projects. But, the other weekend I was so...

read more
Mango Coconut Muffins

Mango Coconut Muffins

Today is Apolinaras’ birthday! He actually doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth and is one of those weirdos who will take all the frosting off his cupcake before eating it. He also prefers fruity ice creams instead of the over-the-top decadent versions I enjoy (Chubby...

read more
Video: Sugar Cookie Dough Decorations

Video: Sugar Cookie Dough Decorations

Who else looooves the Olympics?! I’ve been doing my best to avoid the web and twitter during the day so I don’t accidently read any spoilers before the broadcasts at night. I just love tuning in and watching all the events, and I want to cheer along and be surprised...

read more
Cherry Lemonade

Cherry Lemonade

During the winter months, I love to curl up on the couch with a big mug of hot chocolate. I always crave a little something sweet after dinner, but try not to have any heavy desserts on weekdays since I have a hard time resisting snacking on treats at work like those...

read more
Banana Mascarpone Mousse Trifles

Banana Mascarpone Mousse Trifles

I’ve been on quite the popsicle kick lately. This unbearable heat wave means our oven hasn’t been turned on in weeks, so I haven't baked any desserts. My sweet tooth still needs to be satisfied though, and popsicles are just the perfect low calorie refreshing treat! I...

read more
Blackened Chicken Breasts with Gorgonzola Sauce

Blackened Chicken Breasts with Gorgonzola Sauce

My recipe for Blackened Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Blue Cheese and Bacon is one of my favorite main dishes on my blog, but pounding out chicken breasts and stuffing them takes more time than I want to put into a meal during the week. So, I recently decided to...

read more
Individual Breakfast Pot Pies

Individual Breakfast Pot Pies

I’ve been waking up a couple hours earlier than Apolinaras on the weekends lately. My grumbling tummy and earlier bed time (pregnancy can be exhausting!) are to blame. I’ve been putting the time to good use though. First, I devour a bowl of cereal or some yogurt and...

read more