This delicious cheesecake recipe is a remake of my Cake Batter Cheesecake that was super popular on Simple Joy for many years. While I’ve loved that recipe, I’ve grown as a baker, and this new version is even better. I use my tried and true recipe for cheesecake. To that I add sprinkles (obviously), vanilla extract, almond extract, and butter extract. The combination of those three great flavors are what really give this the taste of birthday cake....
This beef ragu might actually be the most perfect meal to make on a cold Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Savory beef short ribs simmer with tomatoes, fresh herbs, and red wine for several hours, making your kitchen smell amazing. By the time your short rib ragu is ready to serve, everyone will be so ready to eat the savory sauce that they’ve been smelling all day. And while this recipe is easy enough for a simple Sunday family dinner, it’s also delicious enough for special occasions too....
I totally just deleted what I was about to write to all of you in this post. I was trying too hard to be funny. But here’s the thing. I have spent the last 8 years growing people. And I’m pretty sure that a good 50% of the energy it took to grow those people was expended in the last three days. You guys. My baby is eating me out of house and home....
My mom is awesome. I feel like I need to add this disclaimer before I tell you that if you meet her, she will talk to you about dead people. She USED to be normal, but ever since she retired she’s started volunteering at the local cemetery. She can tell you some crazy stories, like the time someone buried their dog illegally on the premises, or a few weeks ago when a crazy lady came in practically with shovel in hand to exhume grandpa (FOR REAL)....
So since the kids have started school I’ve been working with them on seeing mistakes as a good thing, you know because you learned something. A difficult ask for these Type A kiddos of mine bent on perfectionism . . . so weird, I wonder where they got that from. Anyway! Ya’ll, it has totally come back to bite me. I have had so.many. recipe fails lately! And craft fails!...
Over the weekend, we had the strange and rare opportunity to talk to a bunch of unmarried youngins’ into their 20 year olds. #imold Nathan’s employees, our babysitter . . . and what I have determined is that I am SO GLAD I’m married. The tipping point for me was a story about a Tinder (SHUDDER) date gone bad. At that point Nathan turned to me and said, “I’m so glad I locked you down when I did....
Over the weekend we celebrated our sweet little Piper turning one! I can’t believe that she is already one. Since we tried to get pregnant so hard with our other three kids, but Piper just kind of burst into our lives with joy and love . . . I affectionately refer to her as our Cherry On Top. So we had a Cherry On Top birthday party! We did have an ice cream bar (you know, with cherries for on top) and Cherry Sangria (I made a double batch and it still wasn’t enough)....
Charlotte came home from school the other day and announced that she’s learning about Abraham Lincoln at school. Truman’s face lit up. “Yeah! That guy was watching a movie and another guy came up behind him and shot him in the head. They tried to save him but, (shoulder shrug) he didn’t make it.” How disturbing is it that the only fact my 3-year-old knows about the greatest president is that he was murdered?...
So, it’s January. A brand spanking new year. A wonderful new beginning. A chance to start fresh on a clean slate. 2014 was a great comeback year for me. I felt motivated after attending my first ever blogging conference the previous summer. Baby Dear was growing older, starting pre-school and that gave me the time to reconnect with my readers and dish out new recipes. 2015 promises to be better, brighter and much, much bigger for this blog of mine, so watch out for many fun, informative and interesting things coming up....
Christmas mania is really high at home and we have been planning on how to maximise our Christmas Holidays, what presents to pick and what’s baking ? In between this, I am always up on the Internet browsing to find the perfect presents for family/friends and for myself ( yay !! Me too) . Then I realise,one really doesn’t have to run like a headless chicken shopping from one retailer to another to find your perfect presents....
Peanut butter blossoms might be my favorite type of flower! I am a huge fan of the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, and I think I’d choose a peanut butter cup over a bouquet of flowers any day. If you love peanut butter cookies like I do, try making my Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies next. This recipe for Hershey’s kiss cookies with peanut butter is not a new recipe, it’s one that has been made for many years by our moms, grandmas, and beyond....
PUDDING SHOTS ARE A WORK OF GENIUS Move over Jell-O Shots, there’s a new dessert cocktail in town! Pudding shots are becoming all the rave and it’s no wonder. They are creamy, delicious, and boozy. Little shots of heaven to brighten up any party. I got started with Birthday Cake Pudding Shots and even made you some amazing Pumpkin Pie Pudding Shots. Now I have for you the incredible irresistible Cookies & Cream Pudding Shots!...
We love fast chicken dinner recipes around here, and this lemon garlic chicken is just that. This one-pan meal comes together by quickly pan-frying some chicken and then whipping up a creamy sauce in the same pan with fresh lemon slices. You will love this fast and simple chicken dinner. Cooking Temperature Chicken Chicken is considered fully cooked for food safety purposes at 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Check the thickest part of the chicken and use a meat thermometer....
Tender pieces of chicken breast and noodles are coated in a luxuriously rich peanut butter sauce that is savory, sweet, spicy, and fresh, all at the same time! This easy to cook Peanut Noodles with Chicken recipe is so packed with flavor, you’ll be amazed at what you’ve created in such a short amount of time! A rich and creamy sauce featuring garlic, ginger, and peanut butter is irresistibly good, and you can make this simple and exciting meal on the stovetop, quickly, and mostly in just one large skillet....
I still can’t believe that summer’s already here! The sun’s shining, birds chirping, flowers blooming and the trees are all green again. And with it, comes joyful times – of enjoying an early dinner in the backyard, of late evening walks around the block, camping trips, biking through undiscovered trails and yes, of course, picnics with crispy Spicy Fried Chicken. Picnics have always been a favourite summer thing for me....
Road trips in India are whole different ball game altogether when compared to those in North America. Driving conditions are worlds apart, and not to mention, traffic rules are seldom followed by the book. But while families in the western part of the world make pit-stops at fast-food chains and greasy diners for meals while driving, those in India look forward to long relaxed lunches often featuring Dal Fry Dhaba-style (also quite greasy, to be fairly honest!...
Homemade Mint leaves dried - 3 methods below Even after that, I have plenty left and I find drying mint is the best to preserve them. The method is similar no matter which herb you are drying. With my yearly ritual of homemade dried basil, I found that the same preservation technique seamlessly applies to mint as well. Cost of making dried mint is only the cost of using the appliance....
If you’re looking for a creamy tahini eggplant dip recipe, then you must be looking for Mutabbal, not baba ganoush. People often confuse Baba Ganoush with Mutabbal, and it drives me crazy! If I go on Google and type “Baba Ganoush” I get Mutabbal recipes instead. The original Baba Ganoush recipe DOES NOT contain any tahini. I wonder who started this and introduced Mutabbal as Baba Ganoush? So today I’m here answering all of your questions about Baba Ganoush, how is it different to Mutabbal, how to make it, how to enjoy it, etc....
My little one calls this Burger Sauce too! Yes, it tastes fabulous on Burgers. Why make this Boom Boom fry sauce recipe? Because this boom boom sauce is a delicious sauce for burger, fries, hash browns, hamburgers, seafood - literally everything. Drizzle inside your pita sandwich … It is truly delicious. Check this recipe out by my friend Sushma to make PITA BREAD like a pro at home. Great for dipping vegetable sticks They are so easy to carry to potluck parties, football parties, game day gatherings !...
Recipes that use pantry ingredients are great to have in your meal plans. They don’t require much in the way of planning and depending on how your pantry is stocked, you may have the ingredients already on hand. Canned chickpeas, canned tomatoes, and canned coconut milk make this flavorful meal so simple. Meals that use beans as the main source of protein are budget-friendly too. You can make Indian Food at home!...
