Chili Lime Popcorn with Grand Rapids Popcorn Company

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner so I've popped up a delicious recipe for Chili Lime Popcorn with Grand Rapids Popcorn Company! This recipe is the perfect combination of spices with cumin and chili powder paired with fresh lime juice for a tart finish. Your friends are going to love this snack paired with an ice cold margarita. Cheers!

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are a classic and perfect for spring with their bright citrusy flavor. Made with sour cream (or Greek yogurt) these muffins are super moist and the flavor from lemon zest gives them a tangy citrus taste that I love. You can also make a glaze for these muffins with powdered sugar and a little lemon juice. Enjoy!

Blueberry Orange Bread

With spring just around the corner I'm loving the fresh produce I'm starting to see at my local grocery store. Blueberries are one of my absolute favorites so I decided to try this blueberry orange bread for a little weekend treat. The combination of blueberries and orange is a match made in heaven and the sweet crispy top gives this bread great texture. 

Carrot Souffle

Carrot souffle is my aunt's signature dish at Thanksgiving dinner and has quickly become a family favorite. The sweet carrots and a pinch of cinnamon are a delicious comfort food during the chilly winter months. The best part about this dish is it's super easy to make with a food processor and makes quite a statement as a puffed up soufflé when served directly out of the oven. 

Fennel & Apple Salad

Fennel is one of my favorite ingredients to use with pasta, pizza or a salad. Although this vegetable can look slightly intimidating at the grocery store, fennel is very easy to prepare and the sweet anise flavor is a perfect addition to some of your favorite dishes. In this salad the fennel paired with a sweet apple, crunchy celery and a tangy dressing has become my go-to for lunch. 

Cinnamon Sugar Pie Crust Cookies

I know what you're thinking "pie crust cookies?" Yes, it's a thing and yes they are delicious. When it comes to pie let's be honest that flaky, buttery crust is the best part and these cookies prove that fact. With a cinnamon sugar center these cookies are pretty close to a mini version of a cinnamon roll. You can't go wrong with these cookies for a holiday party or cookie exchange and trust me you won't be able to stop at just one. 

Spicy Gazpacho Soup

This past weekend was a hot one and a refreshing bowl of gazpacho soup was a perfect way to cool off. To make this batch a little different I added some Hatch Chile peppers that are currently in season. The Hatch Chiles are from New Mexico and add a great depth of flavor and spice to this gazpacho. 

Honey Vanilla Pound Cake

It's officially strawberry season here in Michigan which means strawberry freezer jam is a must. The sweet berries from Michigan are perfect in this recipe for jam and trust me you'll never go back to store-bought jam after tasting this. With strawberries left over I decided to make Honey Vanilla Pound Cake with strawberries for Father's Day last weekend.

Lemon Bars

During the spring and summer months I love a refreshing dessert. These Lemon Bars have a sweet and tangy lemon curd filling and a crumbly crust that make it hard to eat only one.

Bibb Lettuce with Grapefruit, Avocado, and Creamy Avocado Dressing - Pure Food Cookbook

As a vegetarian it can be really difficult to find a cookbook with satisfying yet easy meals to prepare for everyone to enjoy. I recently received a copy of Pure Food and I quickly realized this book was different from all the rest. 

Cranberry Almond Biscotti

As many of you know I'm slightly obsessed with cookies (my Cookie Crazy Pinterest board proves this). When it comes to biscotti I figured it was too difficult to make and easier to buy, but I was definitely wrong. These Cranberry Almond Biscotti were actually very easy to prepare and tasted delicious.

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

Strawberries are one of my all time favorite fruits so when I came across this recipe for Strawberry Oatmeal Bars I just had to give them a try. 

Peanut Butter Snickerdoodles

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching I couldn't resist making a sweet treat this week to celebrate. As someone who absolutely loves cookies (my Pinterest board Cookie Crazy proves this) I remixed a recipe for Vanilla Bean Snickerdoodles from Rodelle and created Peanut Butter Snickerdoodles for Valentine's Day.

Egg and Avocado Toast

Raise your hand if you're obsessed with avocado toast. I'm sure most of you reading this raised your hand because avocado toast is the absolute best breakfast, snack or lunch. To switch things up I added a scrambled egg on top for a little extra protein and now I'm hooked.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Coconut Granola

Can we talk about how amazing granola is? Yes, it's easy to pick up a bag of granola at your local grocery store, but homemade granola is probably one of the easiest recipes to make and the best part is you can control the sugar and added ingredients.

Brown Butter Banana Cranberry Bread

Tasty Tuesday: Banana Coconut Muffins

Tasty Tuesday: Christmas Crack

Whatever you call this holiday snack (Christmas Crack/ White Trash/ Christmas Trash/ Reindeer Chow) it's pretty much the best thing ever. Not only is this mix super easy to make, but its the perfect combination of sweet & salty and I'm warning you now it's highly addicting. This mix is great for gifting around the holiday season, but I would be shocked if you have enough to give after you try this recipe. Seriously this is the best thing ever.

Christmas Crack

Ingredients:
2 cups Rice Chex
1 1/2 cups pretzel sticks
1-2 cups M&Ms
1-2 cups peanuts
2 (12 oz) bags white chocolate chips

Directions:
In a large bowl combine the Chex, pretzels, M&Ms, and peanuts (you could also use Corn Chex, Wheat Chex, Crispix, or Cheerios). Make sure you stir these ingredients so everything is evenly distributed in the bowl.

In a medium bowl heat the white chocolate in the microwave until melted. Once the chocolate has a smooth consistency, pour the chocolate over the cereal mix and fold the mixture with a spatula.

When the entire batch has been combined, place the mixture on a large cookie sheet covered in parchment or wax paper. Let the mixture dry for at least 3 hours so the chocolate can cool and harden.

xoxo

PS

Tasty Tuesday: Kale, Apple, & Walnut Salad

Ok, I'll admit my diet has been consumed with sugar cookies, candy canes, hot chocolate and peppermint bark these past few weeks. The thought of eating a salad right now actually sounds quite amazing for a little break from the endless sugar high. 

This kale, apple and walnut salad with blue cheese and my all-time favorite dressing is the perfect salad for lunch or side-dish at your next holiday party. The sweet apples, creamy blue cheese, hearty kale and this slightly spicy/tangy dressing is a true winner. 

Kale, Apple & Walnut Salad

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale (de-stemmed and roughly chopped)

1 Honeycrisp apple (diced or sliced)

1/2 cup walnuts (chopped)

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup blue cheese

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon tabasco 

1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

Directions:

In a large bowl toss together the kale, apple, walnuts, dried cranberries, and blue cheese. Combine the oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, tabasco and dried parsley in a container and shake well. Lightly toss salad with dressing just before serving. 

xoxo

PS