Making candy is one of those things that can be daunting. Working with boiling sugar is a little tricky, because the potential for 3rd degree burns and a hospital visit is a very real possibility. Making your own Peanut Brittle is a good way to get your feet wet with candy-making because you don't have...
Appetizers and Snacks
Spiced Pecans
Spiced pecans are the perfect holiday snack or homemade gift to share with those you love. Spiced pecans were sort of a happy accidental discovery for me. While finalizing my plan of attack for the Thanksgiving menu, I thought I would try to add a little extra kick to my pecan pie. Something to offset an...
Apple Butter
Thanksgiving is upon us, my friends, and I am thrilled. By far, it is my favorite holiday. Thanksgiving possesses all the characteristics of the perfect day. Tons of spectacular home-cooked food that brings back childhood memories. (Some food memories are better left in the past: Mincemeat cookies, I’m talking to you…) A big gathering of friends and...
Churros
For me, churros will always be synonymous with high school final exams. Strange, right? My high school always served churros in between final exams at the end of every semester. The smell of cinnamon-sugar coated goodness would fill the halls and signal the arrival of sweet freedom. By the time I visited Spain after my...
Garlic Parmesan Kettle Chips
Sometimes when I'm having a bad day, I feel like I need to bake something. Other times, when I'm having a REALLY bad day, I feel like I need to pullout the big guns and deep fry something. Yesterday was one of those days. Believe me, if you were in month 8 of the deeply...
Homemade Pop Tarts
Before I tell you how amazing these Homemade Pop Tarts are and how you'll never want to buy store-bought again, let me make one thing clear: These are not a copycat version of Pop Tarts. They are what a Pop Tart should be. They're not at all difficult to make either, and with endless possibilities...
Salted Caramel Sauce
Growing up, my brother and I had a set of honorary grandparents who did not have any grandchildren of their own, so we were their "grandkids". I don't think I even understood that they weren't my actual grandparents until years later. Anyhow, one of our favorite activities with them was going to their house on...
Chinese Marbled Tea Eggs
Happy Easter Week! No bunny-shaped waffles, pastel-colored snacks, or cupcakes covered in Peeps around here. If there's one holiday to take seriously, it's Easter. I'm talking about the REAL Easter. The Jesus-Christ-died-on-the-cross-and-rose-again-on-the-third-day-to-save-me-for-my-sins Easter, and that is something to remember, and celebrate. I may not be an Easter Bunny super-fan, but I have been wanting to try...
Homemade Crackers
This post was updated to include new step-by-step photos on 2-25-2020. Homemade Crackers may sound complicated, but trust me, they're really not. Making these crackers at home is easy and well worth the effort. The perfectly flaky texture and the rich buttery flavor make these homemade crackers way better than store bought! Crackers don't need...
Creamy Spinach-Artichoke Dip
I'll be the first to admit that so far this year, my life has been...comical. A chain of events that would make for a decent storyline in a sitcom...like how my purse was stolen from a popular Canada-based donut/coffee chain by an employee, then the ridiculousness that followed was...well, it was something. Or how our...