Best Ever Hunan-Style Beef Recipe This Chinese takeout-inspired Hunan beef recipe is exploding with flavor — salty soy sauce, smoky-spicy Fresno peppers, and tangy rice vinegar make for the most incredible stir-fry sauce that I could slurp up with a spoon! The perfectly silky Hunan sauce coats every nook and cranny of the broccoli, bell peppers, and onions, and water chestnuts. The variety of veggies provide that irresistible crunch I love in hearty stir-fries like this one....

After a little cardio and gym time, and I met up with fellow blogger Nicole. Nicole was one of my very first commenters on my very first post a year ago! She and VeggieGirl knew me from way back! Nicole and I “knew” each other when I was living in San Diego before moving to Phoenix, but because she lives a bit outside of San Diego proper, we never made the effort to connect in person....

I took those warm and fuzzy flavors, and baked them into this coffee cake. The cake is soft and fluffy, with a slightly crunchy topping, and the drippy glaze seals the deal. Between the cinnamon-and-sugar laden cake batter, the buttery brown sugar topping, and the vanilla cream cheese glaze, it’s my idea of the perfect coffee cake. Take that, Entenmann’s. I made the cake, using my favorite foolproof, one-bowl, easy cake base....

comment icon 63 more comments They are my ultimate favorite coffee drink of all time, and they have a prime season, and their prime season is now! This is a good thing. As soon as December hits, it’s game over for me. I will no longer order my standard, smart, responsible decaf Americano with cream for my commute over to work. That’s not going to cut it when it’s DECEMBER....

comment icon 205 more comments Deep, dark, frozen winter. We’re talking multiples of ten below zero where your hands get frostbite within like two seconds of being exposed to the air. Why/how/why? This is exactly why I am channeling the warm vibes by bringing avocado, zucchini, and tomatoes into my life in the ultimate cozy form of PASTA. If there was ever a category of food to bring me back to life, it would most definitely be my old friend, my first love, the sustainer of my winter days – p-a-s-t-a....

Fudgy Brownie Bites Recipe We’ve all had store-bought brownie bites and they’re pretty good. But homemade is definitely better and you’ll never settle for the store bought kind again. Why make just regular brownie bites (boring) when you can stuff them with caramel and top them with whipped topping and chocolate sprinkles? And that’s just what I did. I used my favorite homemade brownie base and baked them in mini muffin pans....

comment icon 38 more comments Listen, whenever we whisper a prayer to the air that’s like “oh no, it’s dinner o’clock what do I doooo?”, that answer is always: taco-y things! And this crisp, salty, quick-fried tostada topped with creamy refried black beans, seasoned roasty cauliflower, and some fresh tangy pickled red onions is NOT. HOLDING. BACK. And neither should you. Did we mention the drizzle of your favorite queso on top?...

If you have some picky eaters in your house or people who ‘don’t like vegetables’ or aren’t fond of asparagus, I can almost guarantee they will like it when it’s roasted with red onions and covered with cheese. Take advantage of springtime asparagus while you can. This is a perfect fast and easy side dish that’s ready in 20 minutes. Or if you’re like me and love both roasted vegetables + cheese, then this is a meal unto its own....

What Are Anzac Biscuits? Last week I was at a potluck lunch at my daughter’s school and someone brought in Anzac biscuits. They were soft, chewy, full of oats and coconut, and I knew I had to recreate them. I’d been wanting to make them for years, but tasting them gave me the nudge I needed. More like a huge push to research recipes and come up with something. That night....

Looking for more authentic Mexican recipes? Try my Pozole Verde, Mexican Rice, Tamales, Elote and Mole Poblano. Why I love this recipe: Red AND Green Sauce – Chilaquiles are usually made with either red or green sauce, but I love the flavors of both so I combined the two, resulting in the BEST chilaquiles I’ve ever had! They are SO authentic tasting and easy to make from scratchVersatile – Can be served for any meal of the day, but I particularly enjoy them for breakfast or brunch, with a fried egg on top....

Better-Than-Nestle Toll House Pie For those of you who read my site regularly, you know I am not a pie maker. So for me to post a pie recipe, it means this is one damn good pie. This chocolate chip cookie pie is rich, decadent, and the filling tastes like the center of an under-baked and extremely chocolaty chocolate chip cookie. Gooey perfection. The batter tastes like the best chocolate chip cookie dough of your life....

Easiest Toffee Cookie Bars There are two ingredients I love but I rarely bake with and I changed that with these bars. The first ingredient is almond extract, with its heavenly scent that I wish I could wear as perfume. It adds a special sweetness to desserts and I adore it. The second ingredient that I have a thing for is toffee bits which are crushed Heath Bar candies. They were always a favorite Halloween candy growing up....

But the bigger problem is that today the Commenting System I use, Intense Debate, decided to Stop Working! Friend and fellow blogger, Charlotte, also uses it and the people at Intense Debate told her they upgraded their systems and there was a bug. Yes, clearly. But that they were working to resolve it. So in the meantime, I am aware that I will probably not get a single comment on this post because no one can get through....

Copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars I love Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars but they’re a seasonal item and as fast as magically appear in the bakery cases this time of year, they can disappear just as fast, never knowing if, or when, they’ll return. Something about seasonally-available items makes me yearn for them them even more. Just think of the pandemonium that surrounds the first few days of Pumpkin Spice Latte season....

Do you love soup recipes as much as I do? Try my Chicken Tortilla Soup, Creamy Tortellini Soup, Chicken and Dumplings, or Beef Noodle Soup! We can thank the American restaurant Olive Garden for the namesake of this Zuppa Toscana recipe, which translates to “Tuscan Soup”. As usual, the homemade version is fantastic, healthier than what you’d find at a restaurant, and seriously EASY to make! How to Make Zuppa Toscana: Brown Sausage: Cook and stir it until it’s nice and brown and crumbled into pieces....

Looking for more quick meal ideas? Try Taco Salad, Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas, or Cheese Enchiladas! Why I love this recipe: FAST! I can whip these up in less than 20 minutes. Here’s a list of my other favorite meals you can make in under 30-Minutes. Few Ingredients: I always have these basic pantry ingredients on hand! If you want to go the extra mile use these Homemade Refried Beans!...

In honor of Mother Earth, here are a some of my favorite Green Recipes: First some avocado-based recipes: Avocado, Cream Cheese, and Salsa-Stuffed Puff Pastries (with a vegan option) – Avocado, melted cream cheese, and two kinds of salsa. Mango salsa for a hint of sweetness and a slight kick from the green salsa verde. Cheater’s Guacamole (Vegan, GF) – 3 minute recipe. No vegetable, onion, or garlic chopping required....

If you love easy and kid-friendly air fryer recipes , try my Air Fryer Grilled Cheese, Air Fryer Potato Wedges, or Air Fryer Chicken Tenders. Why you should make Pizza in the Air Fryer: Quick – Just a few simple steps and ready to eat in less than 10 minutes! Crispy – The air fryer takes homemade pizza to the next level with delicious crispy crust! Let me help you learn how to use an air fryer!...

Want more bread recipes? Try Garlic Knots, Buttermilk Biscuits, The Best Homemade Rolls, or Easy Homemade Breadsticks. Why I love this Buttermilk Cornbread: Easy: I usually have the ingredients on hand and it comes together quickly for an easy side dish to serve with soup, chili, BBQ pork sandwiches, meatloaf, Goulash, Jambalya or Baked Salmon. Moist: No one likes dry and crumbly cornbread, and thanks to the buttermilk this cornbread is moist and cake-like....

Stovetop Loaded Baked Potato Soup This easy baked potato soup has everything I love about baked potatoes, but in soup form. It’s easy, loaded with so many good things, and packed with flavor. It’s creamy, cheesy, thick, rich, comforting, very filling, and hearty. I know it’ll be a favorite for years to come. If you’re a cheesy baked potato person, and let’s face it most of us can go to town on a baked potato especially when it’s cold outside, you’re going to love this soup....