The Best Vanilla Bean Horchata Drink Last weekend my brother Nathan and I decided to have a Steak, Shake, and Movie night. So we went to the store to buy steaks and ice cream (literally nothing else, we’re purists). On the way back to my car I go to reach for my keys and realize I don’t have them. When I go places without my kids I get so excited about the fact that I don’t have to bring diapers, wipes, hot wheels, extra socks, 15 broken crayons, and 1 year old Easter candy (what’s in YOUR diaper bag?...

By that time it had already jumped, yes, jumped two times, toward the safety of the crack between the head of the bed and the wall. Eric arrived in time to see the third jump, which he claimed was a fall, down the crack. Where it still is, I’m sure, waiting to crawl into my ear and lay eggs in my brain, right when I’ve let my guard down. If you don’t hear from me soon, assume the worst....

You are going to love this easy Mushroom Bread Pudding! This is a savory bread pudding, unlike my traditional dessert versions. It’s made with soft bread, sauteed mushrooms, and veggie stock for moisture. You might want to call this a mushroom stuffing or even mushroom dressing! No matter what you call it, It’s the perfect vegetarian side dish for Thanksgiving. Want to try a sweet bread pudding recipe? Try my classic Bread Pudding, or get a bit fancier with Croissant Bread Pudding instead....

Frosting Zucchini Cupcakes Tips and Tricks Use fresh ingredients. Both baking powder and baking soda are in this recipe and should be replaced every six months or so. They won’t work like they are supposed to in your baking recipes if they are not active. To test yours to make sure they are fresh, mix a little baking soda with vinegar and a little baking powder with water. Both should bubble up right away....

I’ve been trying to get up earlier lately. I read this tip about doing 10 reps of something to help you wake up in the morning. Today I hit the snooze and went back to sleep because 10 reps sounded really hard. I drifted back to sleep and had a vivid dream of me doing the arm curls I had planned to do…except that I gave out half way through....

As a child, one of my most despised vegetables was the cauliflower. This was because the ONLY way my Mom ever cooked it was a traditional Aloo Gobhi – which I’m not at all fond of, even to this day. Had she even tried to serve it in any other way, say maybe this Achari Gobhi style, then I may have opened up to it much, much earlier. But alas!...

India - rich in its diverse culture, language and heritage, comprises of 29 states and 12 Union Territories. Each state has its own regional language with a variant local dialects and food. Just like Coriander Powder, Cumin Powder, Garam Masala Powder and Kadai Masala is core to North Indian, it is Panch Phoran for Bengali’s. For SouthIndian’s it is Sambar Powder, Rasam Powder and Dosa Milagai Podi. These powders are core Pantry Stock Fillers that come handy every other day....

Storing These delicious apple cookies can be stored in an air tight container for up to two weeks. As mentioned above, they do freeze very well if you need them to last longer. With any recipe, always use your best discretion when it comes to storing. They get their great apple flavor from Apple Butter, and the foundation of the rest of the recipe is my Perfect Sugar Cookies. These are sure to be a hit with any apple lover, they are like apple pie cookies....

The cherry tomatoes at this time of year are so sweet and good. They are also the ideal size for these tarts (or tartlets, if you like). Now, they may be labeled ‘breakfast, but truthfully, this is perfect for any meal of the day. Nutty gruyere, sweet cherry tomatoes, smokey bacon with a little chive onion bite all bathed in a runny egg yolk. Hungry yet? This is your bacon and egg breakfast taken to the next level....

Well, if butter-slathered cold hot dog pizza is what’s wrong with America, here’s what’s right about France: Ratatouille. More specifically, Roasted Garlic Ratatouille. Full of vegetables, and no butter in sight. I thought we had reached the depths of trashiness, when Nikki turns from where she was standing at the counter: “I have to say, putting butter on your cold pizza is the way to go.” When I was little I used to be grossed out by how much butter my mom put on her rolls, but these days I’m the one slathering it on....

Also, I just want to add a note that there has been literally no day of my life where both the washing machine and dishwasher were running by 7:15am. Most days I’m barely crawling out of bed by then. Things have not changed since we were roommates in college and she would have to shove my piling laundry back on my side of the room with a broom handle. Sarah and I: the odd couple indeed!...

Pumpkin! It’s practically its own food group between now and the end of the year. I’ll take it in any form I can. From Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies to Pumpkin Risotto. But I most especially love it when it’s combined with alcohol. This Boozy Pumpkin Milkshake is the creamiest, booziest, pumpkiniest (totally a word) dessert for this time of year. WHAT IS A BOOZY MILKSHAKE? When it comes to dessert in a glass,you can’t go wrong with ice cream and booze....

Burrata. The famous Italian cheese with the funny name that has a pleasing shape and a smooth texture. This is an elegant and colorful dish that is really not difficult at all to recreate at home. I would even go so far as to say it’s a piece of cake to make! Impress your friends and family and serve them a dish reminiscent of Italy. Trust me, you’ll be the hero of your own kitchen!...

There is something so satisfying about a cutting into a lava cake that is slightly warm (or even room temperature) and seeing the filling ooze out, but in this case it’s a glorious liquid fondant center. I also have a recipe for Peanut Butter Lava Cakes (below) which will blow your mind if you are a peanut butter fan. Chocolate eggs (large and small) are the best part of celebrating Easter in the UK for kids....

Over the last year or so, I have gotten so many requests for more low-carb options on Simple Joy. I am slowly working on this and building up a great library of low-carb recipes that you can depend on. These recipes are not only delicious but are great if you are following a low-carb diet. One problem that I have run into is with my great love of stir fries....

Using Chicken Breasts I love using chicken thighs in this recipe. Their flavor compliments the other ingredients so well. That being said, if you prefer chicken breasts, you can absolutely use that. You will want to cut the chicken into cutlets, butterflying each breast open and cut into two chicken cutlets. The breasts will also need to cook a small amount longer. Use an instant read thermometer to determine when they reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit....

I often get a ton of emails asking for help with meal planning and readers wanting to know if and how I do it. Well, to be honest, I do meal plan and have been doing so for the past 15 years. It has helped me immensely on days when I’m completely bogged down and can’t bother to even come up with an idea for dinner. Knowing that I’ve planned and shopped for at least six meals, including this quick and easy Chicken Pulao recipe, makes it so much easier for me to simply pick one that would suit my mood and the time I have on hand on any given day....

If you’re not familiar with Christmas pudding, it is a dried fruit pudding that is traditionally served in the U.K. at Christmas for dessert, topped with brandy cream and garnished with holly (picture below). I noticed that not only do I have a distinct lack of cookies on this blog, but I am desperate need of Christmas cookies, so I just changed that. Chocolate lovers will love how chocolatey these cookies are and they’re not too sweet....

Churmuri is an instant No Cook healthy Street food, prepared by mixing chopped vegetables with puffed rice, tossed with spices and served immediately. Learn how to make this quick and easy street food recipe from Karnataka in 10 minutes. 10 MINUTES CHURMURI RECIPE Growing up in Mumbai, Street food topped my list of favourite food. Right from Mumbai’s vegetable sandwich , Sev Puri, Pani Puri, Dahi Puri to Ragda Patties typically....

It was many many years ago before I really knew my way around the kitchen that I discovered that if you added a little lime juice and fresh cilantro to rice you could get it to taste like it came from Qdoba, and when you are in your early 20s and a total dork, a discovery like that feels seriously life changing. I was all, “Okay, watch out Rachael Ray....