I love that Christmas is the last holiday of the year because it ends the year on such a high. From the fresh fallen snow to the twinkling Christmas lights, and the excitement of little kids, it’s just a magical time of year. I enjoy listening to all of the laughter, feeling the joy of the season, and best of all the TREATS! Guys, the treats! I feel like I have to workout all year long to prep for the amount of traditional Christmas treats I consume every December; and I LOVE IT....

Quick Homemade Pizza … on French Bread! It’s hard to meet someone who doesn’t have a weakness for freshly baked pizza, topped with plenty of pepperoni and gooey melted cheese! This easy and fast homemade French bread pizza recipe comes together in just minutes before baking it off. Taking advantage of store-bought French bread from your grocery’s bakery section helps save you time and energy on those busy weeknights when you have hungry mouths to feed, and quickly!...

Easy Brie Bites with Cranberry Sauce When you’re in need of an easy holiday appetizer recipe that’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser, this is the one! These little two-bite gems are made with flaky crescent roll dough, tart cranberry sauce, creamy brie cheese, and garnished with a bit of fresh rosemary to really capitalize on a wonderful holiday flavor profile. This is a quick brie appetizer to throw together – ready in just 30 minutes from start to finish with only a handful of ingredients....

Baked chicken ziti is a quick and simple dinner recipe that’s ready from start to finish in about 45 minutes. Ziti pasta is cooked until al dente and then tossed with shredded chicken, marinara sauce, and dried herbs before being layered in a baking dish. A mixture of Parmesan and shredded mozzarella cheeses cover the top of the chicken ziti bake. The cheese turns golden brown as it bakes and gets slightly crispy at the edges — I love sneaking bites of those crispy bits before my family gets to the table!...

The BEST Mint Chocolate Brownies One thing I’ve always loved are Andes Mints. My grandma used to keep a stash and I knew exactly where it was. I raided it frequently and thoroughly. I’ve made many desserts with a base layer of chocolate, then a mint filling, and a chocolate topping. Love them all, but wanted to change up that pattern. The brownies have a box of 28 Andes diced and stirred into the batter, and another box of 28 mints that are diced on top....

comment icon 118 more comments Tender baby broccoli with a little crunchy char: check check. Baked salmon, simply salted, peppered, brushed with olive oil, and baked to flaky perfection: absolutely. Prefer To Watch Instead Of Read? Click here to watch step-by-step stories to make this recipe! And enter -> the herby, creamy, lemony lemon sauce. Yes, yes, and y-e-s. Everything else is delicious, but if we’re being honest, it really just serves in the supporting role for this sauce....

Healthy Fruit Smoothie Recipe I love sweet, fruity smoothies. They’re so refreshing and go down quickly and easily. But they can be sugar minefields, and many clock in with stats that should make them meals, not snacks. Luckily, this banana strawberry pineapple smoothie has no added sugar and won’t derail your diet. It’s made with just three (real) ingredients: strawberries, bananas, and pineapple juice. Plus, it’s naturally vegan, gluten-free, contains no added sugar, and it’s healthy....

What is Zuppa Toscana? Zuppa Toscana translates to Tuscan Soup. It’s a hearty, creamy, comfort food soup that’s filled with flavors of crispy bacon, spicy Italian sausage, tender potatoes, Parmesan cheese and creamy, along with a bit of kale. The kale makes it healthy, right?! These layers of various flavors combine for a rich and mouthwatering soup that the whole family will love. What’s even better is that my homemade version of the Olive Garden Tuscan soup is far better than the restaurant version....

Easy Better-Than-Takeout Teriyaki Chicken Recipe I have a ton of better-than-takeout recipes on my website and they’re always a favorite with readers. Most of them are easy, ready in less than 30 minutes, made in one skillet, and use common and easy-to-find ingredients. I realized I didn’t have a better-than-takeout teriyaki chicken recipe and needed to change that so I created this recipe! Like most of my Asian-inspired chicken skillet recipes, this one is ready in just 20 minutes, and it’s full of rich teriyaki flavor from the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and more....

Homemade Biscuits and Gravy Pots Mile-high buttery biscuits slathered in spiced sausage gravy is the dictionary definition of comfort food. And that’s what you’ve got right here! These biscuits and gravy pots have all the same flavors as your favorite breakfast dish, but they’re served in individual ramekins for added elegance and ease. Think of them as mini biscuits and gravy pot pies! I love serving these biscuits and sausage gravy pots at brunches....

Want more vegetarian recipes? Try Pupusas, Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers, Veggie Enchiladas, or a Buddha Bowl! Serve: on a hamburger bun or in a lettuce wrap with chipotle mayo and your favorite toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, avocado, onion, sautéed mushrooms, jalapeños, or pickles. Mash Beans: Drain and rinse black beans then blot with paper towel to remove extra water. Mash well with fork. Form Patties: Add veggie mixture to bowl with black beans and mix in spices and beaten egg....

…I asked Skylar if she wanted to get her hair braided and she, of course, said, “YES!” Enjoy the pictures. There are tons! I had fun taking them and watching her enthusiasm! But most of all, the sheer joy on Skylar’s face during the whole hair-braiding experience was wonderful to watch. I may have shed a few tears watching my “baby”, now 4.33 years old, have her waist-length hair braided....

Quick & Easy Ravioli Dinner This meat ravioli recipe is comfort food at its finest and it’s ready in less than 30 minutes. It’s a perfect meal for busy weeknights, especially when it’s chilly out. Nothing will warm you up better than pasta smothered in cheese and loaded with seasoned ground beef! The recipe makes a big hearty batch, which is perfect for leftovers the next day or as planned freezer meals....

There’s something else you should know. I don’t have much time to write this post today because right as soon as I’m done writing this, I am going to go up to the shelter to enjoy my favorite time of day: playtime. comment icon 224 more comments This is an adorable video that Bjork made on his iPhone during a lazy afternoon of play that might help give you an idea of what is currently competing for my time....

Red Velvet Cookie Recipe … With Cake Mix! These are the softest, gooiest, moistest red velvet cookies I’ve ever had. I’ve made tons of soft and gooey things, but these red velvet cake mix cookies truly take the cake and live up to their name. Since it’ll be until next December before it’s seasonally appropriate to blog about red velvet again, I wanted to squeeze in one last red velvet recipe before Valentine’s Day....

I still haven’t made one, but cookies stuffed with chocolate that flows like lava is more than okay. If you’re craving chocolate, these are the cookies to make because there’s chocolate incorporated three ways: Nutella, chocolate chips, and dark chocolate chunks. They’re rich, bold, and supremely fudgy. The cookies are thick, slightly chewy on the outside with super soft and tender interiors. The puddles of melted chocolate keep the cookies extra moist....

Festive Peppermint Kiss Christmas Cookies The richness of the chocolate cookies pairs perfectly with the bold yet sweet peppermint in these holiday favorite and oh-so-festive peppermint kiss chocolate cookies. These easy cookies definitely aren’t short on peppermint flavor! There’s peppermint extract and crushed candy cane pieces in the cookie dough, and a Hershey’s Candy Cane Kiss is pressed into the center of each cookie while they’re still warm. And because I can’t resist chocolate around the holidays – or really ever, who am I kidding – I made the cookie dough with double the chocolate....

Some of my other favorite treats and desserts include Apple Crisp, Buckeyes, Chocolate Mug Cake, and Caramel Popcorn! Why I love homemade pudding: Quick – Only 15 minutes to make this chocolate pudding recipe – that’s faster than a trip to the store! Convenient – it’s made with pantry ingredients you probably already have. I use this recipe to make our triple chocolate trifle. Taste– Nothing beats the rich chocolate taste and smooth texture from homemade chocolate pudding....

I love tequila and usually drink it in the form of a margarita. But I felt like switching things up with this tequila sunrise drink. This is a classic tequila mixed drink. Classics like this never go out of style. It’s similar to the tequila sunrises we all drank on spring break in Cancun in college and we’re likely still drinking at sunrise. Okay, maybe I speak for myself. But really, though, there’s something about sunrise or sunset drinks with the color gradient that’s so eye-catching — and they always make me thirsty!...

Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf Recipe This iced lemon loaf cake recipe has been beyond a long time in the making. I’ve been trying to make this copycat Starbucks lemon loaf on and off for years. I can’t even tell you how much I have obsessed, tried, trialed, and failed at it. Until now. If you’ve ever had Starbucks’ Lemon Loaf, you know how good it is. Full of lemon flavor, moist, dense, and rich....