Peppermint Meringues

 When I first saw this recipe I wanted to make them for two reasons. First in honor of my sister who lives far away from here, she's a big fan of peppermint. And secondly, because I have never tasted meringues before and they intrigued me. These were super cute because they were swirled with red and white and had a great peppermint flavor to them. They just burst and then melted in your mouth. I will be making another batch of these soon even though the holidays are behind us. They are simple and taste great, what more can you ask for in a treat?

German Apple Pancakes

My grandmother would always make us pancakes when we went to visit. They were quite different from the traditional pancakes you are probably thinking of. They are fried in a pan and we only ate them dusted with a bit of sugar. She always had apples on hand for those of us who wanted them in our pancakes.

This recipe is not quite the same in that it is baked in the oven instead of fried in a pan but it was still very tasty and brought back some fond memories. This is a perfect warm breakfast dish for the chilly winter mornings.

Banana Cream Pie "Bake Off"

Years ago while visiting Rob at school he made me a banana cream pie. Apparently it was a pie he had made many times. But that was 6 Christmases ago and he hasn't made it for me since. I found another recipe online and thought we could give it a go. Shortly after finishing this pie we decided that Rob should also make his version so we could do a side by side comparison of the two.

Eggnog Cupcakes

Alright so I might be on an eggnog kick right now. But hey, this is a special time of year and you can't have too much eggnog right? These cupcakes worried me because they do not call for any additional eggs. I made a rule a few months ago about not trying cupcakes on their own before they are frosted. I cannot seem to keep this rule and these were no exception.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

I'm a chocolate lover and a peanut butter lover. Naturally I'm a fan of both of these two working together. This was my first time making candy at home and it was quite fun. I see more candy making in my future. The filling is so smooth it almost melts in your mouth.

Eggnog Cheesecake Bites with Dulce De Leche

Eggnog is one of those special time of year treats that is always associated with Christmas. I love all things about Christmas. The movies, the music, the decorations, the baking, the reminder that Jesus, my savior, was born. These things all combine to give me the warm fuzzies. But I have a confession...

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Believe it or not the weather down here in California is pretty chilly. We are going to see rain for a good week starting tomorrow. It might, just might, reach a high of 60 degrees. When the weather cools down it usually means it is time for some hearty filling warm soup.

I had not ever made soup from scratch before so I was a bit nervous. This soup was incredibly tasty and simple. Most of all it was quick to prepare. I am already planning to make a second batch of this in a few days.

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing

I love gingerbread. Well, I guess I should say I love the idea of gingerbread because most gingerbread items are way too spiced for my tastes. I always cut down the amount of spice I add. My kids also enjoy the more milder versions.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Every morning when I get up one of the first things I do after getting the kids their breakfast is sit down and check the blogs that I follow. These ladies are amazing and are always supplying me with wonderful new recipes and ideas to try. This recipe was on Annie's Eats this morning and since we're fans of the cookie I thought I would see how these turned out. Hers are much much prettier than mine, I only have a small star tip, but they taste wonderful.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

You know you have a baking problem when you're sitting on the couch, the kids are napping so the house is finally quiet, and all you can think about is what do you have on hand in the kitchen that you can throw together to make some sort of baked item. A cookie, a cupcake, a muffin or brownies. Well this is what I had on hand and this is what I made.

Lemon Frosted Lemon Cake

Robbie and I both love lemons! And this cake was moist yet dense and full of lemon flavor. The icing was sweet and tart. The fragrance of the batter is amazing! Next time I will leave out the lemon zest as neither of us are fans of it but it certainly does add to the aroma of the cake. This cake could be eaten in the morning with your coffee or as a dessert. I found myself nibbling on it throughout the entire day. In fact we had already dug into it before I remembered to take a picture!

Chocolate Banana Muffins

While browsing one of my favorite blogs I found this recipe posted there. My kids will eat nearly anything that comes out of the oven in cupcake shape without questioning it. They love chocolate and banana flavors so I thought we'd give this one a try.

Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Icing

The Disneyland Resort released this recipe for their pumpkin muffins last year to their annual passholders. I love pumpkin pie but haven't had many other things with pumpkin flavor. I fell in love with these the first time we tried them. It would be difficult to find a cupcake that is more moist and full of flavor! The cream cheese icing has spices in it which makes it just heavenly! A nice change from the typical cream cheese frosting. The recipe calls for raisins but since the kids do not like raisins in their baked goods these are usually left out.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red Velvet has always been one of my favorite cakes! My mother used to make it for us every Valentine's Day. Robbie and I are big Paula Deen fans and I saw her make these cupcakes on her show one afternoon. I knew right then that I needed to try them for myself! They are moist and the frosting is to die for! These do not have as much red coloring in them as other recipes and therefore are not super dark red, if that doesn't bother you then I reccomend you give these a try!

Snickerdoodles

I remember my mother baking these for us fairly often. We were always so excited to come home from school to find a plate full of these delightful cookies! They are slightly crisp on the edges and so soft and chewy in the middle. I love these when they are still warm from the oven but they keep well and are still tasty days later.

Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies

We made these yesterday and they were so yummy! The kids begged for them for breakfast this morning. The way they smell reminds me of Christmas and got me just a tad bit more excited for the holidays, if that were even possible!

French Toast Sticks

Having toddlers means you often have picky eaters in the house. Mine is no exception! However my kids love french toast and french toast sticks. These are easy to make and easy to eat. They are sweet so no syrup is required. They also can be frozen for a quick breakfast later. I use wheat bread because we only eat wheat but the recipe calls for white.

Chicken Piccata with Garlic Mashed Potatoes

A dear friend of mine, Mal, introduced me to a blog written by a woman who loves fresh food and lives a vegan lifestyle. Although Robbie and I are far from being Vegans we do enjoy fresh and light foods. I changed this recipe to suit our semi-vegetarian needs and it turned out wonderful! I am not a mushroom eater but decided to give this recipe a try and ended up eating all of the mushrooms on my plate. This is definitely a dish that I will be making again soon!

Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

These always seem to disappear quickly and the kids really enjoy them. They are quick to make and you probably already have all of the needed ingredients on hand. The peanut butter is good protein and the oats have good fiber but the kids just think they are eating a sweet treat! I prefer these cold from the refrigerator but they can be left out at room temperature as well.

Peanut Butter Cookies

When I asked Scott today which kind of cookies he wanted to help mommy bake today he very enthusiastically declared "peanut butter!" These cookies are sweet and slightly crisp on the edges, chewy in the center. We found ourselves eating them faster than we could bake them. This recipe makes a generous amount of cookies.

Hummingbird Cake

I made this cake for Robbie for his birthday last month. He loves pineapple and we have been baking several loaves of banana bread lately so a cake that combined both and covered with a cream cheese frosting, another favorite here, seemed like a winner! I do not have step by step pictures of this one as it is pretty self explanatory and I wasn't planning on sharing this at that time. I found the flavor of this cake to be unique and my favorite part was the frosting. It had a wonderful flavor! Even our picky eater Scott really enjoyed this cake.

Better Than Reese's Peanut Butter Bars

I was sitting on the couch with Charlie watching Modern Family when I got a bit restless. I decided to get up and make a batch of these tasty treats! They are super simple and quick and require no baking at all. I discovered this recipe on another blog during one of the many hours I have spent hunting for recipes online. The recipe calls for semi sweet chocolate but we have made them with milk chocolate and enjoyed them as well!

Fall has arrived...

As a stay at home mom of 3 children 3 years old or younger it is often hard to find time to do anything for yourself. Thankfully one of the things I enjoy doing most is cooking and baking! And those things are already part of a normal day routine. I like trying new recipes and finding exciting new things for my family to try. In this blog I hope to share with you, my friends and loved ones, some of our favorite recipes and meals.

The fall is a favorite time of year for cooking and baking for me. I love the fall colors, cooler weather and smells of a fresh rain. The smell of cloves and cinnamon always makes me think of fall baking and warms my heart. I hope you are able to try some of the recipes shared here and let me know how they turned out for you.

We are just everyday folks sharing the food we love with the people we love. Thanks for reading!

Turkey Pot Pie

Chicken pot pie was not always my favorite meal. I didn't like the meat they put into those ones you buy pre-made at the store and often just ate the filling.

 Everything tastes better homemade, including this dish. I am going to be honest, I was nervous to make one.

Not only was it my first time trying this recipe, or anything like it, but I was making it for my husbands parents.

I am happy to report that this recipe was simple and tasted like it took all day to make. It is the perfect comfort food for this chilly weather! 

 This recipe was so tasty that I made it again using left over Christmas ham and chicken.

This serves 4 if you are being polite but Rob and I could easily finish one off on our own. Try it, I know you will love it!


Chicken Pot Pie:
Recipe from: Unknown


2 celery stalks
2 medium carrots, peeled
1/2 medium yellow onion
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup mushrooms, halved or quartered
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 chicken bouillon cube, crushed
1 cup heavy cream
1-2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
1 pie crust, 9'' (I used the refrigerated prepackaged ones)


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Finely dice the vegetables. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add veggies and saute until the veggies start to turn translucent. About 10 minutes. Add the chicken and stir to combine. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the veggies and chicken, stir to combine. Cook for a few minutes, stirring gently. Pour in the chicken broth. Stir in the crushed bouillon cube. The flour will combine with the chicken broth to create the gravy. Pour in the cream and stir gently. Allow mixture to cook, over low heat, thickening gradually, about 5 minutes. Season with thyme, salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Pour chicken mixture into a deep pie pan. Roll out the crust and place it on top of chicken mixture, making sure to cut small slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Press the crust gently into the sides of the dish to seal. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Sweet Lemon Loaf

I love lemons. It is no secret. I used to go grab a slice of lemon loaf at Starbucks each morning before work. If they were out I pouted, it is pathetic but I did. When this recipe popped up I knew I was going to be baking it, and soon!

Pumpkin Pie

For the longest time we always had a store bought pumpkin pie on the holidays. A few years ago I decided to try baking our own at home. It didn't turn out too well. The crust burned and the taste was just off, it wasn't spiced enough. I usually just followed the recipe on the back of the Libby's can. However this year I came accross this pie listed on all recipes. It had great reviews so I decided to try it this year. It was great! It has a subtle sweet flavor and is a bit firmer, which I like. Topped it off with some fresh whipped cream and it was hard to have just one slice! Try this recipe if you haven't before, you won't regret it!

Pumpkin Pie:
adapted from allrecipes.com

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 425. In a small saucepan empty the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves and salt and cook over med-low heat until warmed through. This will help enhance the pumpkin flavor. Set aside and allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl empty the condensed milk and eggs. Add pumpkin mixture and mix until well blended. Pour into pie crust. Cover pie crust edges with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Then turn down to 325 and bake for another 30-40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before placing the in the fridge. Serve topped with fresh whipped cream.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

These have been our go to enchiladas for a few years now. I cannot recall where I found this recipe as I have since searched for it online with no luck. I keep telling myself that I need to branch out and try something new. But why mess with something that doesn't need replacing? These are so full of flavor, have a wonderful texture and we just gobble them right up! Serve with a side of black beans and your favorite Mexican rice and it's a meal everyone will love!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas:

2 cups chicken stock
2 chicken breasts
2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp chili powder
1 package cream cheese, 8 oz
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup salsa
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp black pepper
10 flour tortillas
1 large can enchilada sauce

In a large saucepan or stockpot add chicken stock and chicken breasts. Add more water if needed to cover your chicken. Boil the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove from heat and let sit while you prepare the filling. Cream together the cream cheese and the sour cream until smooth. Stir in salsa, 1 1/4 cups cheddar cheese, corn, onion, green onions and black pepper. Mix well. Shred chicken, add to medium sized bowl and toss with cumin, oregano and chili powder. Add chicken to cheese mixture and stir to combine.

Add about 1/3 cup of filling to each tortilla. Add rolled enchiladas to a 9 x 13 pan sprayed with cooking spray. I use 2 pans. When all enchiladas are placed in the pans cover with enchilada sauce. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Top with remaining cheddar cheese and bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.  All of these measurements are approximate so you can adjust it to your liking. To add some spice you could also try this with pepper jack cheese or cayenne pepper. Enjoy!