Last week, my parents came to visit and we took a short trip up to northern Michigan. We spent some time on Mackinaw Island (more on that later!) and in Traverse City, and before heading back south, we stopped by King Orchards to do some cherry picking! I’ve always wanted to bake a pie with fruit I picked from the tree myself, so I was elated to find that our trip coincided with the short two-week ...
Dessert
Blackberry Peach Cobbler
Is there any scent more heavenly than that of a bag of fresh peaches? Well, I suppose that depends what you’re in the mood for, but wow…the peaches I bought for this cobbler barely made it into the cobbler – they smelled so amazing that I nearly gobbled all of them up by themselves! ...
Very Berry Cheesecake Squares
The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays – cookouts, beach bonfires, fireworks…ah, fun times! One of the things I love about this holiday is how laid-back it is: you don’t have to worry about figuring out gifts to give or fancy outfits to wear, because what’s more important is just spending time with friends and family and hopefully enjoying a great meal. ...
Coconut Almond Truffles
It's Monday. And Mondays require chocolate, right? Don't worry - I've got you covered! As a child, Almond Joys weren’t even on my radar: my favorite candies were pretty much all peanut-based (Snickers, NutRageous, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, etc.) This probably stems from the fact that my brother is allergic to peanuts. The only time we really had much candy was at Halloween—we got some at ...
Apricot Rhubarb Crumble
Warning: this apricot rhubarb crumble is not for the faint of heart – if you don’t like tart desserts, this is not your cup of tea dish of crumble. If you do, keep reading! And if you’re on the fence, serve it with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream! Actually, even if you’re not on the fence, putting ice cream on top still sounds like a good idea… ...
Strawberry Rhubarb Galette
For me, fruit pies and tarts are the quintessential summer dessert. While ice cream is a great treat when the temperatures are soaring, ice cream is available year-round. But summer fruits? If only they were available year-round! ...
Orange Ricotta Poppy Seed Coffee Cake
This weekend, I made my own cheese for the first time! Making homemade ricotta has been something I’ve wanted to try for a while now, but I always remained a bit skeptical – would it turn out with a normal consistency, or would I be left with a mess of lumpy, sour sludge, and even if it did turn out properly, would I be able to eat it all before it went bad? Luckily, this month’s Cheese Please! ...
Baileys Irish Cream Chocolate Cupcakes
I find it interesting how in different parts of the country, certain holidays or celebrations are a much bigger deal than in other parts. Observation of St. Patrick’s Day, for example, seemed pretty minimal when I was living in California. ...
Lemon Chess Pie with Candied Blood Oranges
Earlier this week, I heard birds chirping outside my window for the first time this year! The sun was shining and the temperature had finally risen above freezing, and (dare I say it?) it felt like spring might actually be on its way! Hopefully spring has started to materialize for the rest of you as well, but even if it hasn’t, this lemon chess pie with candied blood oranges can help make up for ...
Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles
The first time I made truffles was about two and a half years ago. It did not go so well. They tasted fantastic, but it was a rather time-consuming and frustrating experience and only about three of them looked even semi-presentable. ...