We are in soup mode at our house and surprisingly, my kids have been loving it. This lasagna soup was a huge hit as was Creamy White Chicken Chili and even Authentic New Orleans Gumbo (not truly a soup but a total winner!). I guess the only positive thing about cold winter temperatures is that you can continue cooking warm comfort food and soups, like this delicious Lasagna Soup! This soup is seriously yummy!...

Easy Chocolate Christmas Bark Candy Christmas bark is something I remember fondly from childhood. Except the kind my mom and the neighbor ladies made wasn’t quite as doctored up as this version. ‘Tis the season and the more goodies the merrier is the way I look at it. Fa la la la la. This is a ridiculously easy no-bake treat with Oreos, pretzels, peanuts, M&Ms, white chocolate chips, and holiday sprinkles all embedded into dark chocolate....

You can browse all of my Thanksgiving recipes including my famous Thanksgiving Turkey, Homemade Rolls, Turkey Gravy, Pumpkin Roll, or Pecan Pie! Make Ahead Tips: Thanksgiving Turkey: Allow the turkey plenty of time to thaw. Plan for one day in the fridge for every 5 pounds of turkey. I even give myself one extra day, just to be safe. Mix together the herb butter and store it covered in the refrigerator, up to several days....

It’s dangerous that I can be there in five minutes. I was out of a couple Mac makeup items and needed to replenish. I picked up some studio fix powder, a new-to-me mineralized loose powder (not sure if I love this yet), and picked up some staples: pink freeze eyeshadow, bootblack liquid eyeliner… …and lipglass in “Prrr” that I’ve previously professed my love for. As long as I was already at the mall, I reloaded on a couple of my favorite bodysprays, too....

Easy Buttermilk Pancakes From Scratch Mini pancakes are such a treat. Because everyone knows mini food just tastes better. Buttermilk keeps them tender, light, fluffy, not at all heavy, and these are the thickest, fluffiest buttermilk pancakes I’ve ever made. Normally mini pancakes are something I’d only have at a fancy brunch or when someone else is making them. Admittedly pancakes aren’t my favorite things to make for a few reasons....

Easy Peanut Butter Balls Recipe Back in October, I asked on my Facebook page and on Instagram for family favorite holiday recipe submissions from all of you. I said that if I thought the recipe looked good I would make it and possibly post it on my website in December. And here we are. This recipe comes from Ashley C. and she told me she and her mom make these every year and said about the recipe, “I think it is from a church cookbook of my Grandma’s....

In candy bar form In Blizzard form One summer I think I slurped down my weight in Heath Bar Blizzards, horrible dairy intolerance reactions and all. It was worth it. But since I don’t plan to raid Dairy Queen for a Heath Bar Blizzard anytime soon, and because I love cookie dough, I came up with today’s recipe which satisfied my toffee cravings. I think it will do the same for you....

The Best Cinnamon Coffee Cake Recipe EVER There’s plenty of cinnamon-sugar in this cake and I’m not complaining, nor did anyone in my family when they tried it. First, there’s a ribbon of cinnamon-sugar swirled through the center of the cake. Not only is it eye-catching and pretty, it tastes damn good too. Second, the outside of the cake has a cinnamon-sugar crust, which is accomplished simply by adding cinnamon-sugar to a cooking-sprayed Bundt pan and rolling it around....

Here’s my new and freshly touched up color. Photos courtesy of my iMac’s built-in camera and the Photo Booth program. No cut, just highlights. Ba-bye root regrowth. I can’t believe I am posting that picture, but whatever. I’ve posted foil pictures already. It was my first time using the built-in camera since I got this computer and it’s so much easier than trying to balance my DSLR in one hand, while doing it in reverse in a bathroom mirror, with a huge lens covering half my face, and somehow trying to snap a decent picture....

Tex-Mex Mac and Cheese with Ground Beef My family never says no to Mexican food or to mac and cheese, and this recipe marries the two. It’s easy comfort food that’s fast enough to make for busy weeknights and will be a guaranteed winner and family favorite. One of the things I dislike about making scratch mac and cheese is that you dirty a lot of pots, pans, and colanders. Boiling noodles, draining them, melting the butter and cheese for the cheese sauce, and so forth....

How to Make BBQ Chicken Pizza: Spread pizza crust dough with a thin layer of BBQ sauce. (I pre-bake my homemade pizza dough for 6 minutes before adding toppings.) Add cooked, shredded chicken to a bowl and cover it with bbq sauce. Top pizza with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, sliced red onion, and shredded rotisserie chicken. Add remaining cup of cheese, and sprinkle with cilantro, to taste. Bake at 450 F for 10 -15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and toppings are bubbly....

I’m jumping with joy to have Ken Haedrich, one of America’s most well-respected pie experts, sharing a pie recipe, on this very day, on this very blog. <—- SERIOUS. Ken Haedrich is the author of Pie, which was voted one of Cooking Light’s 7 best baking cookbooks of the last 25 years. Say what? Wait, there’s more. If you want to see the bazillions of other pie-related cookbooks and magazines he’s authored or contributed to, check it out here....

I’ve got the perfect Valentine’s Day treat for anyone who wants to spread some happiness, cheer, and make everyone smile. If pink mini muffins with sprinkles don’t make them smile, nothing will. When my daughter came home from school and saw these waiting, the smile on her face was huge. The muffins are fast, easy, you don’t need a mixer, and they’re accidentally vegan. That’s right – no butter, no dairy, no eggs – but you would never guess it based on how fabulous they taste....

comment icon 69 more comments When there’s cinnamon glaze all over your fingers and pumpkin cake crumbs at the corners of your mouth and your mind is in food heaven instead of photography set-up mode… well, you end up with three very similar (ok, um, almost identical) pictures. Forgive me? I know you will forgive me, though, because I am giving you the most awesome recipe for a baked fall treat....

comment icon 111 more comments It has pumpkin, oats, maple, chia seeds, almond butter, pumpkin seeds, sea salt, and cinnamon all packed together in a densely-textured nutritional powerhouse bomb. It’s just sweet enough, and it slightly resembles cookie dough, but with more of a fall cookie flavor and more of a feel-good healthy body buzz. It requires no baking and no chopping. It’s made in 15 minutes and easily stored in the fridge or freezer for easy grab-a-ball-and-go level snackage....

Honey Butter Pumpkin Dinner Rolls Pumpkin Banana Bread with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache Soft Vegan Pumpkin Bread with Brown Sugar Streusel Crust Vegan Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Soft and Puffy Pumpkin Spice Honey Cookies Pumpkin Cinnamon Overnight Pull-Apart French Toast with Vanilla Maple Butter Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Granola (vegan, GF)...

Easy Homemade Salsa … in a Blender! I’m a chips and salsa fiend. I almost don’t even need the chips and can just shovel in the salsa by the fork-full. When I want salsa now, I turn to this restaurant-style salsa recipe made in a blender. The best part of this salsa is how fast, easy, and goofproof it is. Add all the ingredients to your blender or food processor, blend, and you’re done in under 2 minutes....

These Quinoa Black Bean Crockpot Stuffed Peppers topped with cilantro, Pepperjack cheese, sour cream, and avocado are making Monday dinners everywhere just a little more wonderful. comment icon 263 more comments How To Make Our Crockpot Stuffed Peppers: A few other things that are making me happy on this Quinoa Black Bean Crockpot Stuffed Peppers Monday –> The Minnesota Twins! Well, not so much the Twins, like, actually playing baseball, but more like me going to the Twins home opener at Target field this afternoon to a) sit in the perfect, golden spring sun, and b) sample all the best food in the baseball park lands....

comment icon 318 more comments With a soft oat-brown-sugar-butter cookie-like base, and a thick, sweet, and tart but not overwhelming layer of raspberries in the middle, tucked in by a light dusting of those subtle streusel-like crumbs on top. You’re gonna need to be making these. I have strong opinions about fruit bars. I like them to be soft, not crunchy. I like them to be fruity, but not overloaded with fruit....

Want more cookie recipes? Try Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, Sugar Cookie Bars, or S’mores Cookies! Why I love these cookies: Delicious – The chocolate flavor with hints of vanilla is absolutely divine, especially with the cream cheese frosting. They are thin enough that it’s not overwhelming when you sandwich two cookies together. Beautiful – Whether you are looking for a festive holiday cookie for Valentine’s Day or Christmas, or just looking to make something a little extra special, these are made to impress!...