This wrought-iron heart-shaped gate I love wrought-iron work and swirls. The pattern me of my first armband tattoo. Not to be confused with my half sleeve. Sugar snap peas dipped in Mango Ginger Chutney Jars and jars of this stuff have found their way into my tummy cupboards. Don’t have a TJs? Use mango, apricot, or peach jam + pinch of ground ginger + pinch of cayenne or chili powder or red pepper flakes Crunchy and green meets fruity and ka-pow heat Sounds odd but I dig it....

And you need it all within 5 minutes. The mugcake is part rich chocolate cake, part fudgy brownie, and it’s so fast and easy. It’s a very dangerous little trick to have up your sleeve. The batter is whisked together in a minute, and the cake cooks in under 3 minutes. I’ve made mugcakes in the past on my blog and in my cookbook, and have experimented with my fair share of microwave cakes over the years....

Ultra Fudgy Brownie Batter Cookies I love shiny things. Shiny lipgloss, shiny granite countertops, shiny clean cars. But shiny cookies are the best kind of shiny. Especially when they’re shiny chocolate cookies. And these are definitely chocolaty. There are three kinds of chocolate in these brownie cookies: melted dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips. That trifecta is destined to produce an ultra-chocolaty cookie that will give even your most severe bad day a run for its money....

Let’s face it, these walking tacos are just fun to eat! Some of my other favorite kid-friendly recipes include Ham and Cheese Sliders and Mini Meatloaf. Walking Tacos (also called “tacos in a bag”) are one of those dinners that kids and adults love equally. They get their name from the way they are easy to “walk” around with, chatting at a party, or eating around a campfire, with no plates needed and little mess to clean up....

And don’t forget about the NuNatural’s rockin’ Stevia GiveAway either, ok lovies? Nuff about all the loot, I’m peddling, let’s talk about my latest eats…a really awesome cauliflower salad with orange vinaigrette that I made courtesy of Gena’s recipe. Thanks Gena! I lightly, and I mean really lightly, steamed a couple cups of cauli, added some chopped carrots, subb’ed out her asparagus and parsley because I didn’t have them. In place, I added some raw zuke wedges & cukes and put it all on top a bed ‘o greens....

Easiest From-Scratch Lemon Buttermilk Cake My daughter loves lemon desserts and I had a ton of lemons and some buttermilk to use. Lucky for her, I made a buttermilk lemon sour cream cake. And lucky for me too because in the past couple years, lemon desserts have really been growing on me. If you’re a lemon lover, you’ll love the perfectly tart yet just sweet enough big pop of lemon flavor this soft and fluffy buttermilk cake has....

comment icon 163 more comments !!!! This is The Bowl Life. When did this concept of bowls come on the scene, anyway? All is know is that sometime between maybe last year and this very moment I’ve become completely obsessed with the idea and practice of piling a bunch of foods in a bowl and calling it all fun bowl names. Oooh I know let’s have Bangkok Curry Bowls tonight!...

comment icon 57 more comments Er, didn’t. Past tense. Friends, meet this healthy GARLIC HERB CHICKEN SALAD. She is basic and simple and 10-minute-fast while still being (obvs) rocked out with flavor. She is also clean, real, get-back-your-glow food for a Monday dinner. And she is, as of this moment, my favorite chicken salad ever slash the best healthy chicken salad slash the only chicken salad that I like. This salad – she knows us....

comment icon 185 more comments Okay, maybe I did just go and make gingerbread in November. Maybe I did and maybe I like it. Before I get distracted talking about any other life thing, I want to say this: I LOVE THESE MUFFINS. I say it a lot, I know. But these ones are special in that always puffy, always pretty, always have the ingredients on hand and always make the house smell good way....

Serve these easy French Fries with a Hamburger, or Turkey burger, and if you love fries, don’t miss my killer Sweet Potato Fries! You only need three ingredients to make French Fries, but the real key to restaurant quality fries is in the preparation! I’m excited to share all my tips for perfectly crispy French Fries that don’t require any special equipment to make, and can be seasoned lots of fun ways....

Frozen treats hit the spot every single time! Try our Chocolate Milkshake, Healthy Frozen Yogurt, Homemade Fruit Pops, or Mochi Ice Cream! How to make Ice Cream Sandwiches: Brownie Layer: Place a sheet of parchment paper on a half sheet size pan (18″x13″) and spray lightly with cooking spray. Pour brownie batter into an even layer in the pan then bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean....

Easy Marshmallow Recipe Making marshmallows at home from scratch is easier than you think and the results are so worth it! These delectable marshmallows have a classic taste but truthfully are far superior to both the taste and texture you find in store-bought marshmallows. They’re chewy, sticky and bouncy. They are soft yet firm. Even adults who may have outgrown a childhood love of marshmallows tend to agree these homemade marshmallows are irresistible!...

This spaghetti sauce recipe may be the first thing I learned to cook, completely by myself, when I was really young. As I got better at cooking and baking (and because I loved it so much) I can specifically remember two recipes my Mom would let me make all by myself: this homemade spaghetti sauce, and our family’s favorite Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. She’d be nearby for supervision, but it was a huge confidence boost for me to cook all on my own!...

YESYESYES, we can smell it in the air, grilling season is upon us! All those delicious food swirls and scents filling up our warm blue skies. Here for it! Always. But move over (literally) burgers, dogs and other grillables – let’s get some bright golden cobs on those grates. If you have yet to know the exquisite taste experience of grilling your own fresh summer sweet corn, well, YOU ARE IN FOR A TREAT....

Once you’ve got this peeling trick down, you can bottle/preserve peaches or make something delicious like peach cobbler, peach crisp, or peach scones. When a recipe calls for several peeled peaches, you know it’s going to be delicious but getting peach skin to come off smoothly, using a knife or a peeler, can be time consuming! (Not to mention you often lose chunks of peach flesh doing it that way....

I went to ALDI and I bought just about every single holiday product I could find. The candies. The cookies. The special flavored snacks and drinks and cheeses and crackers and chocolates and OMG. There was a lot of food. And a lot of festive feelings. I took it home, and I basically tried all the food (happy to do all this hard work for you), and I made my lists of favorites so that I could share the best of the best with you today....

comment icon 177 more comments 9 out of 10 times this month, these Buffalo Chicken Tacos have been my answer. Gang’s all there: buffalo tangy, salty browned bits of broiled chicken covered with a limey fresh slaw and a smothering of homemade ranch, all tucked into a pan-charred tortilla, and suddenly it’s Tuesday night and my mouth is having a total rave. It’s all the good things we like in a weeknight wonder:...

When it comes to comfort food, any type of cajun or creole food ranks high on my list of favorites! I adapted this jambalaya recipe from my popular one pan jambalaya that’s made on the stove top. It’s one of those easy and filling meals that I know my kids will eat with smiles on their faces, and thanks to the instant pot it comes together even easier than ever and has all of the same delicious flavor!...

comment icon 273 more comments And being that we’re in the middle of our series, it’s Instant Pot Chili! Whee! Also hey forgot to mention that it’s Pumpkin Walnut Chili! Wheee! I know. Go ahead and get your lols out. Are you kind of having a hard time believing you actually might let me convince you to make a chili that is loaded with – that’s right – pumpkin and walnuts?...

What is Agua Fresca? I was recently in a small taco shop here in San Diego and had the most amazing kiwi water. Refreshing, healthy, naturally sweet, with the perfect amount of texture, and just so good. I polished off my tiny glass in ten seconds flat and knew I had to recreate it. This is the easiest agua fresca recipe ever. Add peeled kiwis to a blender with water, optional sweeter, and it’s ready....