Birthday Recipes
Aperol Spritz
Bright orange in color, lightly sweet, and crisply refreshing, an Aperol spritz conjures up the taste of summer all year round. This simple formula guarantees a perfectly balanced cocktail every time. No cocktail shaker required! A really good Aperol spritz conjures up images of sitting on a piazza in Italy (or maybe your front…
Nutella Brownies
Chewy edges yield to delightfully creamy insides and a “just right” chocolate flavor in these Nutella-infused brownies…and the recipe fills a 9×13 pan! Most years, I kick off the unofficial start to summer with some sort of ice cream treat. Because I’m making a slight deviation this year, I have two words for those…
Wacky Cake with Easy Chocolate Frosting (Egg- & Dairy-Free with GF option)
This clever cake mixes up in a single bowl without the need for eggs or milk, making it ideal when ingredients are low or working around dietary requirements. The size is perfect for smaller celebrations, although the foolproof recipe can easily be doubled. Celebrations of all kinds have taken decidedly different twists and turns over…
Healthy Chocolate Overnight Oats
Chocolate for breakfast? This bowl of deliciousness provides all the health benefits of chocolate with none of the sugary downsides because it is 100% sweetened with whole fruit. As a bonus, a simple adjustment will accommodate a range of flavor preferences, from deep dark to sweet milk chocolate.❤️ Chocolate for breakfast…
How to roll sushi
Successful sushi rolling is easy with these step-by-step instructions. Fun for date nights, girls nights, slumber parties & ringing in the new year. Instructions include how to make the best spicy tuna and sriracha mayo along with tips and shortcuts for creating your own favorite rolls. Midway through a busy month, rolling your own sushi may seem…
Apple Crumb Cake
From holiday meals and casual entertaining to easy weeknight desserts, one-bowl Apple Crumb Cake is a go-to dessert for fall and winter–and it even passes as coffee cake! My grandmotherโs apple cake has long been a family favorite. For years, we focused on the sheer deliciousness of it, as well as the fact that we could whip it…
Congo Bars
Congo Bars = the ultimate blondie! Perfectly chewy and so much easier to make than a batch of cookies, this foolproof recipe is a childhood favorite that has stood the test of time. Readers occasionally ask me if I ever really mess up a recipe โ and the answer is a definite โYes!โ Earlier this…
Easy Mud Pie
This easy, make-ahead recipe is sure to become a favorite for casual entertaining and special occasions. The quick, no-bake homemade crust adds something special (and allows for a gluten-free option) but a store-bought cookie crust works well, too. After a recent swim, I overheard a mother attempting to prepare her young daughter for a nap…
PB&J Breakfast Bars
Healthy, filling and easy to make, Rachael Ray herself thinks these tasty bars are a total win! Convenient for grab-and-go breakfasts and anytime snacking. As if a compliment by Rachael Ray isn’t cool enough, the following recipe comes from a cookbook I recently reviewed call The Teen Kitchen ๏ผand Amazon just named it one of the best cookbooks…
Banana Bread Pancakes (or Waffles)
A wholesome, naturally gluten-free version of the perennial favorite quick bread, these light and fluffy pancakes incorporate heart-healthy oat flour (or oats) and can be prepared as waffles, too.ย Sometimes we just need a stick-to-our-ribs breakfast โ and, happily, we can have it in a deliciously wholesome way! The first banana bread I…
Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore (with slow cooker option)
Tender, flavorfulย chicken and lots of healthy veggies are the hallmark of thisย easy meal that can be made in an Instant Pot or slow cooker. Leftover sauce can be enjoyed like a favoriteย marinara.ย Chicken Cacciatore is a classic. Also known as Hunter’s Stew (“cacciatore” means “hunter” in Italian), there are many different interpretations of the meal. The…
Emma’s Favorite Cupcakes (dairy- and gluten-free optional)
What happens when a dear friend requests a spot-on replica of the utterly perfect cupcakes her mom used to make๏ผminus the dairy and gluten? You figure out a way, of course! This cupcake recipe, however, is bigger than any one birthday or Valentineโs Day. It represents love and loss and how we can form everlasting…
