Category Archives: Dessert

Pumpkin Spice Season is upon us.  It symbolizes the end of summer and the start of fall.  I know summer isn’t officially over, and to be honest, I’m not ready to say goodbye to warmer weather, but I am going to enjoy some delicious pumpkin treats either way 🙂 I have a few go-to recipes to share with you today.  All are themed around, you guessed it, pumpkin spice.  It’s hard to say which recipe is my favorite because they are all delicious in their own way.  Luckily, because it’s still technically summer and not fall, I have even more time to enjoy them all! First up is Individual Pumpkin Pie Pops.  These are miniature pumpkin pies on lollipop sticks, so you eat them like a candy sucker.  It combines all your favorite pumpkin pie flavors in an individual size, grab and go treat. The recipe can be found here. … Continue reading

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The MN State Fair is cancelled.  Those are words I never thought would come out of my mouth, but it’s 2020, and anything is possible this year 🙂  And what a year it’s been!  Luckily, some food trucks and vendors are still able to sell their highly demanded food at various locations around town.  If you have ventured out and waited in line for any of your favorites – good for you!  If you have not, there’s still time.  OR…. drum roll, please…. you can enjoy fair food in the comfort of your own home. Just think….no crowds, no waiting in line, no overcrowded buildings, no “sold out” signs, etc.  I love the MN State Fair so if I have to miss out on one of my favorite summer traditions, this is as good as it gets.  The list of foods we “have to get” is quite long and the … Continue reading

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Sunday, July 19, 2020 is National Ice Cream day, and what better way to celebrate than with some homemade ice cream! There really is no better time to enjoy ice cream than a hot summer day!  You can obviously eat ice cream year-round but it’s such a cool and refreshing treat during the warm months.  With so many flavors to choose from, you’ll be sure to find your favorite.  I wanted to do something different for National Ice Cream day so I’m celebrating by making homemade ice cream. I have 5 flavors to share with you today; 3 require an ice cream maker and 2 require a high-speed blender, so you don’t necessarily need all the fancy equipment to make homemade ice cream.  It can be super simple and require few ingredients or it can be a more complex recipe with a variety of ingredients.  Basically, you can put as … Continue reading

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This year, Cinco de Mayo falls on a Tuesday, which is also known as Taco Tuesday, so this is basically the best situation ever!  Maybe I’m stretching a bit, but it gives us something to look forward to and celebrate in light of being quarantined. How do you plan on celebrating?  We are going to enjoy a nice Mexican themed dinner with all the fixings!  Here is the menu: Spicy Homemade Tomato Salsa Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas Homemade Churros with Chocolate Dipping Sauce Frozen Pineapple Daiquiri   We’re going to enjoy a “Trio of Dip” with Guacamole, White Queso, and Spice Homemade Tomato Salsa.  This will be something to snack on while we cook and also to enjoy with our meal. The guacamole and queso are both store-bought.  I do have a great recipe for Chunky Guacamole, which can be found here, and White Queso Dip, which can be found … Continue reading

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Do you remember eating Pop-Tarts as a kid?  I do.  The wonderful little toaster pastries filled with sugar were one of my favorite breakfast items as a kid.  My tastes have changed a bit since then but every so often I do crave the fruity-sugary-goodness of a Pop-Tart. I decided to take a crack at making my own Homemade Pop-Tarts and they were delicious!  The crust was soft and flakey, the filling was packed with fruit and tasted like fresh jam, and the icing on top added the perfect amount of sweetness.  The nice thing about these is you can change up the flavor and use whatever fruit you like.  I chose blueberry and raspberry, but you could easily substitute strawberry, for example. If you have kids (or are still a kid at heart) these could be a fun quarantine project.  The kids can help in the kitchen, put those … Continue reading

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This week is Spring Break for me but we’re not going anywhere.  Plans were made, then cancelled, and we’re finding other ways to enjoy our staycation.  I’m thankful we have a healthy household and even more thankful to have time to work on recipes! This blog is about a variety of Snack Mixes, or Trail Mix as some people call it.  I was going to make a variety of Snack Mixes to bring on our road trip but just because the trip was postponed doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy those snacks at home 🙂 Snack Mixes are great for a variety of reasons; they are easy to make, are a great on-the-go snack, can be customized to different tastes, they make a TON, and hold up quite well in a Ziploc bag.  So…they make the perfect snack for a road trip.  Since most of the country is missing spring break, … Continue reading

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Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts.  I love the crumbly crush, the sweet and creamy filling, and the variety of toppings you can use.  It’s such a customizable dessert!  I recently tried my hand at cheesecake bites made in an Instant Pot and let me tell you, they did not disappoint.  They had the perfect texture, were just the right size to satisfy a craving, and took very little time to make. Please note, you will need not only an Instant Pot but also an Instant Pot Silicone Egg Bites Mold to make either of these recipes. My first batch was Instant Pot Oreo Cheesecake Bites.  This is the easiest cookies and cream dessert you will ever make.  The “crust” is one Oreo and the filling has crushed Oreos mixed in.  I could eat each and every cheesecake bite from this recipe in one sitting.  Delicious! The recipe can … Continue reading

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Can you believe it?  Easter is right around the corner.  With all that is going on in the world these days I’m starting to lose track of time.  What is typically a day of family and friends gathering together will most likely be spend apart or perhaps in very small groups.  This puts quite the strain on menu planning when you won’t be hosting, won’t be attending the usual get-together, or are just trying to maintain social distance. Not to worry – I won’t let you know down!  I have created a menu of simple items you can make at home.  Some can be modified depending on the ingredients in your pantry, some can be reduced in size or doubled depending on the number of people in your household, and some make great leftovers 🙂 I’m going to start the morning with Peeps Pancakes and Hash Brown & Bacon Egg … Continue reading

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St Patrick’s Day is a fun holiday for everyone!  You can usually find some type of celebration around town whether it be a parade, green beer at your favorite bar or specials on Irish food at restaurants.  Even if you aren’t Irish, it’s fun to participate in the festivities. We like to watch the parade and enjoy an adult beverage with the dressed-up crowds (the people watching is phenomenal), then head home for a feast!  Some years we like to enjoy traditional Irish food but other years we like to take a favorite dish and add and Irish twist.  It really depends on what we feel like cooking that day!  This year, we are going to enjoy the following menu with friends and family: Reuben Dip Guinness Cheddar Mac & Cheese Guinness Glazed Chicken Sandwich Irish Mule Guinness Brownies   The Reuben Dip is our appetizer and something to much … Continue reading

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I.  Love. Sweets.  Candy, cake, cupcakes, pie, cookies, you name it!  I would rather skip dinner and go right to dessert, then go back and have dinner.  That’s how much I like sweets. I recently made some homemade candy bars as a treat to bring to work for Valentine’s Day.  These can be treats for any time of year, no special occasion needed, it just happened to be around Valentine’s Day for me 🙂  If you like to treat your coworkers (or family or friends) from time to time, I would highly recommend trying any of these recipes! First up is Homemade Snickers Bars.  These taste so similar to a Snickers bar you won’t be able to tell the different!  The nougat is soft and chewy, the chocolate is rich and melts in your mouth, and the caramel so smooth. The recipe can be found here. Start by lining a … Continue reading

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