I had such a good weekend — it was my birthday and I had the best time relaxing, celebrating with friends and family, and of course indulging in some birthday treats. I have been craving Thin Mints lately, some subliminal Girl Scout messaging must have seeped into my brain and sure enough the Girl Scouts were waiting at the top of the subway platform on my way home from work last week and the cookie gods had given me a sign that it was time for Thin Mints. Now serving a bowl of Girl Scout cookies would probably have been a welcomed dessert by my family that came over to celebrate my birthday, but you know I don’t roll that way. So I crushed up the cookies and layered them in glasses with brownies and whipped cream,  the flavors melded together into a minty, chocolatey sweet treat — it was delicious! Full recipe below:Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset read more

Do you have those go-to recipes in your head that you can just make with your eyes closed? You know that pinch of this and a dash of that are the perfect measurements, no need for measuring cups or recipe cards. That’s my chili recipe — honed over the years to be both classic and at the same time totally unique to me. For example, I alway do half beef, half ground turkey — you still get the flavor of the beef but it cuts down on fat; I also feel strongly that all chili should be made with tasty golden kernels of corn (fire roasted is the way to go!) and simmered for hours in a sturdy cast iron dutch oven (I love our Martha Stewart one.). And my secret ingredient — a trick my dad taught me as a kid — is to add a can of baked beans into the mixture for a little punch of sweetness to balance out the spice.  A  few weeks back my sister pointed out that even though I make this 2x a month all winter long, I never posted about it before on the blog. So here it is, finally written in stone for her to use (and hopefully you too!). Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset read more

I’ve been on a major Moscow Mule kick lately, and have been trying different spins on the classic recipe (like an apple and vanilla vodka version that is amazing!), testing new ginger beers (obsessed with Picketts Ginger Beer Syrup), and all around getting lots of use out of my favorite copper mugs. When I saw that IZZE had a sparkling cherry-lime flavor, inspiration struck for another variation. I mixed this one up with ginger syrup, fresh lime juice, and vodka. Full recipe below. Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset read more

I’ve got one last minute recipe to add into the Thanksgiving mix for tomorrow, a savory, skillet-baked corn bread stuffing with apples and sausage. I didn’t grow up with corn bread stuffing (mom, we need to have a talk about this), but I love it and think it’s got such a savory and sweet flavor combination perfect for your turkey-dinner plate! Full recipe below:apple cornbread sausage stuffing 1 read more

Countdown to Turkey Day is on! I cannot wait to eat all.the.stuffing. I’m not ashamed to admit it, I love the junky, classic, out-of-the-box stuffing. But one can never have enough stuffing, so I’ve been experimenting with some new recipes for this delectable, carb-y side dish. This recipe uses brioche which gives it a light and fluffy texture, and it has tons of flavor from the maple roasted squash and onions. Plus a little fresh sage adds that seasonal flavor that makes it just taste like Thanksgiving. It was a winner when I brought it to a Friendsgiving party last week so this one has earned a spot in my holiday rotations! Full recipe below:SquashBriocheStuffing 5 read more

This recipe should come with a disclaimer: if you are on a diet right now please immediately close this window and don’t read any further — I can’t be responsible for what you do next after you’ve seen this recipe! At our annual friendsgiving celebration this past weekend I decided to test a fresh spin on scalloped potatoes and they were a hit. I heard lots of mmmms, and ahhhhs, and then a few shrieks when I told my girlfriends that the potatoes were boiled in heavy cream and baked with three cups of cheese in between them. I’m sorry I’m not sorry, but it was worth it. What makes these scalloped potatoes different? I layered in sweet potatoes with traditional yellow potatoes, and gave the dish a distinctive, nutty flavor with a mixture of gruyere and manchego cheeses. Full recipe for the calorie-brave below:Mixed Potato Gratin 1 read more

Remember when brussels sprouts were that food you would use to describe what could only be the worst possible meal someone could possible force upon you as a child? Like, ugh, I’ll eat anything but brussels sprouts, yuck! And now I’m 30, and brussels sprouts are having their moment, and I’ve probably said out loud at some point in the last 6 months: “you should really order the pancetta skillet brussels sprouts, they’re the chef’s speciality” or,I can’t stop thinking about those fried buffalo brussels sprouts with whipped blue cheese mouse from last night’s menu.” Funny how things like that work out, right? So while b-sprouts are in my culinary spotlight, I thought it would be a good time to mix up how I make them at home and tested this recipe with the intention of it being a Thanksgiving side dish.
Brussel Sprout Salad 1It’s *almost* a salad — a way to get a little bit of green onto my gravy-soaked plate on Turkey Day. The good thing is that you can make it all on the stovetop — it’s always smart to have dishes that don’t take up precious oven-room on Thanksgiving. The dish also tastes great served hot or cooled down to room temperature. So go ahead, make sure you eat your veggies! Full recipe below:  read more

Christmas gets egg nog, New Year’s Eve gets a champagne cocktail — but what’s our go-to Thanksgiving drink? I’m all for mixing up cocktails at family Thanksgiving celebrations, and my friends-giving parties tend to have a few drinks flowing too.  A holiday as delicious as Thanksgiving (my second favorite holiday, actually! carbs!) deserves one, don’t you think? I started thinking this week about some of my favorite autumnal flavors that could make up a festive cocktail for friends-giving gatherings and a marrying of pomegranate (fresh seeds + IZZE Sparkling Pomegranate), sage leaves, and the herby flavor of gin felt like the perfect combination when served in festive flutes. Check out the full recipe below!Friendsgiving Cocktail 4 read more

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. In less than a month we bought a house, packed up our old apartment and moved, went to two weddings, helped throw an engagement party, relaunched this website, all while doing all that fun everyday stuff like working hard and trying to get settled into our new home. I may be the only person in the  world who thinks her life may actually slow down at the holidays this year. Part of our lives’  recent craziness was rooted in the fact that we were overlapping a few weeks in our house and apartment, which lead to a lot (a lot!) of driving back and forth between the two locations and wondering at which house half our belongings where located at any given time. Our hour-long drives to and from the new house happened after work, in between errands and events, and unfortunately meant we were taking a lot of meals on the road too.
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You didn’t think you could love a mimosa more than you already do, right? Well, prepare to be amazed. I’ve been participating in a little drink recipe contest with Better Homes & Gardens and Simply Juices, and I’m excited to announce I’m a finalist for the best recipe: A Frozen Berry Mimosa — everything you love about frozen drinks, combined with the greatest brunch cocktail a girl could ask for, the mimosa. The recipe for this tasty concoction is below, and if you’re feeling kind please head over to BHG to vote for my drink!
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