Barbed wire gates, a tangle of electrical lines, and hard working people. Election posters everywhere, everywhere, and everywhere. And campaign events happening right outside our apartment gate. Jeepneys and stuff. The view from where I’m sitting right now. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: those kites. This is my neighborhood.

These dessert bars are a guaranteed crowd pleaser; I get asked for the recipe every time! Some of my other go-to cookie bars include Smore’s Cookie Bars, World’s Best Peanut Butter Bars, and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars. Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars There’s nothing I love to do more on a relaxing Sunday afternoon than bake a treat with my kids! If you follow me on Instagram you’ll see that I often use the hashtag #weekendsareforbaking, because it’s so true!...

Tropical Alcoholic Slushies It’s 5 o’clock somewhere. I just know it. These vodka slushies go down so easily and are the perfect summer refresher. Even though they’re a frozen drink, which are prone to being both skimpy on the booze and heavy on the sugary syrups, these alcoholic slushies are neither. There’s plenty of booze and no added sugar, a win-win. I used Malibu, pineapple vodka, and peach schnapps. The Malibu gives the drinks their signature tropical vibe....

Ultra Fudgy Pumpkin Bars First I made these bars using lemons, then bananas, now pumpkin. Why not? Everything is better after it’s been pumpkin-ified. Fudgy is the only word that describes the pumpkin bars. They’re like biting into a piece of super soft pumpkin fudge that’s crossed with the pumpkin equivalent of moist, fudgy brownies. They’re rich, soft, supremely moist, and tooth-sinkingly dense and satisfying. If you’re looking for a fluffy slice of pumpkin cake, they’re not that....

I prepared a couple dozen Valentines for Skylar’s nearest and dearest, complete with candyless Valentine’s treats affixed. I spotted these in the grocery store next to the pink-wrapped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and although I would have preferred handing out peanut butter cups (and as a kid I would have preferred receiving them), but for Skylar’s classmates I chose something fruit-based rather than chocolate-based. I can’t wait to see what Valentines she brings home and how she likes the Valentine’s exchange with her classmates....

Allow me to twist your arm with 10 vanilla + ice cream recipes. I’m sure it’ll just be torture working either of those two items into your diet: Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups and Ice Cream Vanilla Avocado Banana “Ice Cream” (vegan, GF) – I promise this doesn’t taste like guacamole; the avocado simply lends creaminess and richness to the ice cream Mango Banana Vanilla Softserve (vegan, GF) Vanilla Chocolate Chip Softserve (vegan, GF) Vanilla Cake Batter and White Chocolate Chip Caramel Corn...

If you love protein packed foods, try our Chocolate Protein Shake, Protein Bars, Green Smoothie or Protein Pancakes. Why I love this recipe: Healthy – High in protein and fiber, this easy Vanilla Protein Shake will keep you full for hours. Delicious – This shake satisfies my sweet tooth every single time. I love eating it for a quick breakfast, or even a late night dessert. Quick – The best healthy meal or snack ready in just 5 minutes!...

comment icon 119 more comments Roasted bell peppers, caramelizey onions, and steak-like portobello mushroom strips just go really well together to begin with! But now add some mashed avocado and a mini-waterfall of spicy chipotle cashew queso, and tuck it all in nice and cozy into a soft flour tortilla, and wow. Game over. This is what’s for dinner, on repeat, indefinitely. So About Sheet Pan Fajitas. In other words, let’s roast stuff....

I flew home, got everything wrapped, house decked out in pink streamers, cupcakes with sprinkles ready, just in time for the Birthday Girl to walk in! And she loved every second of her party!!! I am really glad you enjoyed my Highlights of the Week Post, where I recapped everything from Vegan Gluten Free Pancakes to Greenery with Homemade Salad Dressing to Mailbox Finds To my Homemade high Raw Vegan Desserts: Raw Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls Chocolate Coconut Snowballs and No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars But, it’s a new week and time for a new recipe!...

Especially when they’re served in individualized portions. Cute, right? This dish is as easy as they come. Two eggs in each portion, a few diced tomatoes, and topped with a white cheddar cheese and Dijon mustard mixture before baking for 10 to 15 minutes. So few ingredients and so simple, but full of flavor. It’s amazing what a little Dijon mustard and some tangy white cheddar can do for eggs....

Cheesy Taco Skillet I love tacos and have savored them at taco stands from Tijuana to Puerto Vallarta. But it’s not always practical to run to Mexico when I need a taco fix, but I’ve done it. San Diego and TJ are only 20 minutes apart. Nor is it always practical to eat hundreds of calories of tortillas with said tacos. I’d rather save those calories and carbs for something more fun, like a margarita....

Six months. That’s how long it’s been since I left my first dream job as a fourth grade teacher to pursue my second dream job of being a full-time food blogger, spending my days working on that one little hobby food blog that I started almost five years ago when I had no idea that blogging was even a real thing. LIFE why you be so crazy? As you might have picked up on, I’ve really loved blogging and setting my own schedule and working on projects that I value and that I can get lost in for hours....

This is what I created. I was debating between this design… Or this design… …But decided on the white background. Walgreens Photo has thousands of designs to choose from with the option to include 1, 2, 3, or 4 photos, vertical or horizontal orientation, 5 x 7 or 4 x 8 cards, folded cards, stationary cards, and more. So many choices. That was after I decided what photo to select....

Like, could write a novel about it. The quality, affordability, variety, sustainability… This is not a surprise. I know you know this already because a) I talk about it quite regularly here on POY, and b) you love ALDI, too! My DMs on Instagram are frequently filled with love for ALDI products and requests for more ALDI product recommendations from fellow ALDI fanatics. I mean, ALDI lovers are just a force to be reckoned with....

Easy Mediterranean Pasta Salad Recipe I am a huge fan of pasta salads, especially during the summer months when meals are more casual, and I’m not in the mood for anything fussy or complicated. This Mediterranean pasta salad checks all the boxes. Easy, ready from start to finish in under 30 minutes, and is chock full of Mediterranean inspired ingredients including juicy cherry tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, both black and green olives, crumbled feta cheese, and of course al dente cooked fusilli pasta....

Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad Recipe This avocado corn salad is my idea and my daughter’s idea of perfection. It’s got so many awesome flavors and textures that whenever I make it, we eat the whole batch the same day. Juicy sweet corn, creamy avocado, crisp red bell peppers, and the fresh zing of lime juice and cilantro is what summer is all about. If I could get my hands on fresh corn all year, I would make this year-round....

Every cupboard was open, tons of bowls and measuring cups were in use, and I had multiple sink-fulls of dishes to do. And I hate doing dishes. But I do love baking Ingredients for both recipes were out I had these on the brain And also had something else in mind with these ingredients below Hello, Candy Corn. Tis the season. No time like the present to get in the holiday spirit....

Tender Oven Roasted Beef Tenderloin Recipe If you want to really knock people’s socks off at a holiday dinner, birthday celebration, or anniversary, roast a beef tenderloin! Beef tenderloin is one of the most premium cuts of beef you can purchase. That makes it sound intimidating to cook, but with better cuts of meat like this you’re actually signing up for ultra tender beef that requires minimal ingredients and effort to prepare....

Blender Pot de Crème Recipe If you are looking for easy chocolate desserts AND one that is sure to impress anyone who has the pleasure of trying it, look no further than this extremely simple recipe for chocolate pots de crème. No-bake, no-cook, made in a blender in five minutes. Yet elegant and extraordinary. The desserts gods are smiling down with this recipe. Even my preteen daughter who has an incredible appetite, especially upon coming home from sports practice, said that one pot is a lot of chocolate and very rich....

comment icon 91 more comments Eh, I’m not much of a lemonade drinker, said the old me. But the concept of making lemonade, fresh, fast, sweet and almost creamy-like (thank you sweetened condensed milk) has made me into something of a new summer person. This blender lemonade takes, oh, let me see, three seconds? And requires four ingredients: lemons, sugar, water, and sweetened condensed milk. And it’s definitely tart and refreshing, but is still magically mellow and light because of the – yep, you guessed it....