seasonal snickerdoodles

Alright, these are in honor of my newest sister-in-law, Jen, the Jenerator. She loves snickerdoodles. According to her, she could eat the whole batch! She loves 'em.

One of my favorite things to do is to take a well-loved classic and adapt it up for the season. That's exactly what these seasonal snickerdoodles provide -a taste of the holidays.

With just a simple swap of cinnamon to pumpkin pie spice, these cookies are ready to hold their own against any fall and winter treat. . .

and leave you wondering why you never thought of this tiny tweak before.

chewy caramel butter bars

My mother-in-law understands my long-standing love of baking. A few years back she gave me this  recipe book which is wholly dedicated to baking ooey-gooey, yummy treats -and this little guy's number finally came up.

If you don't like caramel, shortbread, or nuts, this butter bar is not for you.

I love these  Gooey Chewy Caramel Butter Bars. They were easy to make and man, they were good!

ice cream cake

I recently threw my daughter a birthday party, and this was the cake she requested -which I was pretty happy about because. . .

This seriously has to be the easiest cake to make, ever!

cookies and cream cheesecakes

It was my babysitter's birthday this week and we wanted to let her know how much we appreciate her. Seriously, she's the best babysitter! The kids are always in bed when we get back and the house is spotless. And she's spills the scoop on everything that happened while I was away. She's the best! So, the kids and I made and delivered these little treats for her.

These little cupcakes are for Oreo and cheesecake lovers only!

I love how you can read the Oreo imprint right through the paper cupcake liner of these cookies and cream cheesecakes.

broccoli salad

Want your kids to eat their veggies? Serve this slightly sweet broccoli salad with your next dinner.

I'm pretty lucky. . .my kids like broccoli! But I know lots of kids, and, ahem, some adults don't.

This raw broccoli salad could not be easier to make.

It's the perfect make ahead side dish.

sweet broccoli salad

lemon bars

Ok, I've been making these for years. They are that good! and I know its not just me -they've had the endorsement of my professional baking buddies.

secret- it's the salt that makes these so good!

Lemon Bar Cookies

cooking {how to} videos

Have you seen these fun little Martha Stewart How To Cook videos yet?

I was looking up a recipe the other day and discovered them. They are a great resource.

Forgot how to cut a mango? No problem. Want to know how to prep an artichoke? Easy.

cooking how-to videos

{no-bake} cheesecake

I have to thank my wonderful professional baking buddy Angie for this one -she lent her spring form pan last minute. And I'm so glad she did, because this cheesecake was super yummy. My daughter spotted it in my latest issue of Everyday Food, and insisted we try it.

Unlike the baked variety, this cheesecake chills in the fridge to set up, giving it a light, mousse-like consistency perfect for summer!

no bake cheesecake

 

camping {with kids}

Last summer, I took off a few day to take my kiddos camping. Unfortunately, Handyman had to work. I've never gone camping without him before, and our last trip was cut short by an unhappy camper -this little guy-so even though we went with friends, I was still a little bit nervous.

don't be scared, go camping!

camping with kids: easy meals and activities

danish apple pie

While my sweet mother-in-law was visiting last month, she was reading Susan Wigg's The Apple Orchard. At the beginning of the book was the following recipe for aeble kage or Danish Apple Pie. My mother-in-law, who loves to cook and to bake, whipped this up for us one night. It was so good! And you know I love a good apple pie. This would be a great week night alternative to my classic apple pie, posted here.

A great week night alternative to classic apple pie!

no bake birthday cake

I have tell you why the girl who loves to make everything from scratch would even bother with something so simple.

This really is the easiest ice cream cake you will ever make!

beach party

School is letting out across the country, which leads to. . .summer birthdays and summer pool parties. Put 'em together and you can have a fun summer birthday beach pool party anywhere -pool or no pool!

summer birthdays + summer pool parties =summer beach pool parties!

{new} old fashion oatmeal cookies

Looking for a packable treat for your Memorial day picnic? These fit the bill!

I got this recipe from a friend and I just had to try it. Handyman was out town, the kids in bed, the kitchen clean, and I without any book to read. So what else to do? Bake, of course. And good thing, because the next day one of my friends was sick and this was the perfect dessert to go with the dinner that I took her. Let's face it, I didn't want these sweet little treasures sitting around my house -my kids ate one after lunch and then I packed up the rest.

I love baking for other people!

clock {birthday} cake

My daughter's birthday is coming up at the end of this month. When I asked her what she wanted for her cake, she replied, "a clock cake!" Admittedly, its a bit of an odd choice, but hey, it's her birthday right?

I made one for her 4th birthday a few years back. It came about after I let her browse my cake decorating book. It's suggested event is New Year Eve, setting the hands on midnight, but since she was turning four, we adapted it to four o'clock.

With some frosting, peppermint patties, and mini chips, you've got an easy birthday cake!

bbq + ranch deviled eggs

I made these deviled eggs for Thanksgiving appetizers this year. Considering I was preparing three other dishes, I wanted to make something yummy and easy for my appetizers. And yummy they were. And gone in a flash! They are just as easy to make as the traditional variety.

This fun spin on a classic works for any party or season!

banana bread muffins

This was my grandmother's award-winning banana bread recipe. I've modified it to fit into a busy afternoon of homework and soccer practice. Or you can bake them on the weekend, keep them in the freezer, and just pull them out as you want throughout the week.

put those over ripen bananas to good use-

the riper the better in these perfect after school snack muffins

raspberry shortcake

these sweet cakes incorporate some of the raspberries right into the shortcake

I made these little sweet treats for a last minute get together with my girlfriends the other week. They were easy to throw together, used mostly pantry items, and were fresh and summery. Definitely girl food that any guy would sneak a bit of!

spicy pesto fusilli

An Easy One-Dish Meal
Great back to school dinner + Simple way to sneak some
veggies into pasta

pick your own

Summer is all about vacations, lazy days, lounging by the pool, sleeping in, bike riding, baseball games, and eating fresh fruit.

All of these activities make an appearance on our annual summer list. Since{for a time period} we used to move every summer, it was handy to know where to pick fresh fruit no matter where we lived. (It's also great if you will be visiting family or friends in a different area and get a hankering for nature's local goodies!)

cinnamon rolls

I got pretty lucky in the mother-in-law department. Not only did I get a great mother-in-law, but she also makes the yummiest cinnamon rolls. Here's the recipe she's been making her family for years.