I'm not sure about you all, but I am definitely growing weary of the arctic tundra snowpocalypse that we have been experiencing here in the mitten state lately. Case in point: my husband went hiking this weekend and he and his buddies built and slept in igloos. True story. I went ahead and passed on...
Food
Lobster Risotto
Around our house, "Risotto" has become synonymous with Mushroom Risotto. It's one of our favorite meals, so we can sometimes be a bit predictable when it comes to the deliciously creamy rice dish. It was a no-brainer when I came across this recipe for Lobster Risotto while reading my new Molto Italiano cookbook by Mario...
KitchenJoy Turns One, and a Convertible Apron Giveaway!
One year ago today I began my little food adventure. I was working long hours and was feeling bored of the same recipes all the time and overwhelmed when it came to planning meals. I felt like I didn't have as much time to cook as I would like (then again, who does?) and I...
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
This was the first time I have ever made Spaghetti alla Carbonara and I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. I knew that Hubby would like it, considering it contains pancetta and eggs and pasta. What's not to love, right? I, on the other hand, wasn't so sure. I'm not a...
Cookbook of the Week: Molto Italiano by Mario Batali & A Foodie Field Trip to Eataly Chicago
Last weekend, hubby and I went to Chicago for the weekend to celebrate his birthday. As always, we had a wonderful time and ate as much delicious food as we could pack into one weekend. Aside from the stolen purse fiasco, it was magnificent. The only request I had for the weekend was that I...
Slow-Cooker Roast Beef with Red Wine Sauce + Alternate Pressure Cooker Method
Update December 2016: This post was updated to include additional instructions for making this recipe in a pressure cooker. Slow-Cooker, Crock Pot, call them what you like. They can be incredibly convenient at times. Other times, they're rather unpredictable and in my opinion, can yield a rather uninteresting texture to the recipe. When everything comes...
My Favorite Homemade Pizza Dough
Pizza is quite possibly my favorite food. I'm not referring to take-out pizza, which has its place, but the high-quality, made-from-scratch with fresh ingredients kind of pizza that somehow seems like an entirely different food group than the stuff that shows up at the door in a box. It's so easy, and so cheap to...
Homemade Caramel Popcorn
Sometimes you just need something sweet and crunchy. I'm talking about lay-on-the-couch and watch several episodes of your favorite show and be able to munch without shame or silverware. It's been one of those days. Definitely a homemade caramel popcorn kind of day. My purse was stolen over the weekend just as we were leaving...
Vanilla Bean Macarons
Is it just me, or are macarons quite possibly the cutest concoction on the planet? I've been dying to try some for a long time now, but haven't had the opportunity. I intend to change that soon though! Until I get to try the real thing in a bakery with rows and rows of colorful...
Three-Cheese Fondue
In the past, we've usually done our fondue menus with either chocolate fondue with fruit (amazing!), or oil fondue with meat. It is an incredibly easy way to prepare a sort of fun "experience" meal. For whatever reason, fondue restaurants are quite costly, especially considering how easily you can recreate the experience at home. This...