In elementary school, I learned that leprechauns are mischievous and elusive beings. Tasked with devising a leprechaun trap, however, I was unable to come up with anything more elaborate than a shoebox with some (chocolate) gold coins inside—in retrospect, this probably should have been an early indication that I was not cut out to be an engineer, which is what most of my family members are! Not ...
Miscellaneous
Peanut Butter Butterscotch Puppy Chow
Even before the first hints of fall appeared, I began craving all things butterscotch. Which is kind of strange, considering that butterscotch-y treats were never big in my family and I’m fairly certain I’ve never made anything with butterscotch…ever. But cravings are cravings, so I whipped up a batch of this peanut butter butterscotch puppy chow to satisfy my sweet tooth, and it certainly did the ...
Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie
After making whipped feta crostini a few weeks ago, I had a little extra cream cheese to use up. I didn’t want to buy bagels, because I knew I’d run out of cream cheese before I’d run out of bagels, and then I’d be tempted to buy more cream cheese—it's a vicious cycle, you know? As it happened, I also had a bunch of strawberries I needed to finish. Because who goes to Costco and buys two pounds of ...
Cranberry-Apple Smoothie
Try as I might, I cannot bring myself to be excited about drinking a cold green smoothie in the morning for breakfast. Or as an afternoon snack. Or, well, anytime. My excuse is that I live in Michigan. Gut reaction to “winter + smoothies” = noooooo. At least, that was the response the boyfriend gave when, on a recent dog walk, with icy snow blowing in our faces, I asked if he wanted to split ...
Dog-Friendly Turkey Pumpkin Meatloaf
Now that we’re only a few short days away from Christmas, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for you to expect today’s post to contain a recipe for Christmas cookies or a dish to enjoy at an elaborate holiday dinner. Indeed, I do have a recipe for Christmas dinner to share with you, but here’s the catch: it’s not really for you. It’s for your dog! After all, why shouldn’t the furry members of the family ...
Easy Spiced Nuts
Confession: I feel a little silly adding “easy” to this recipe title, because I’m of the opinion that if you’re making spiced nuts that are anything but easy, you’re probably doing it wrong. But having a recipe title with only two words seemed weirdly skimpy to me, so here you have it: “easy spiced nuts”! ...
Tzatziki Hummus
Having a routine is often beneficial. Routines provide structure and a certain amount of comfort—those of us with pets or small children know this especially well! But sometimes, routines can turn into ruts, and I find this to be particularly true when it comes to food. In order to prevent food burn-out—like my major aversion to turkey sandwiches, which I mentioned the other week—it’s important to ...
Pico de Gallo Grilled Chicken Salad + Second Blogiversary!
Every time I go to Red Robin, I face the same dilemma: I very much enjoy their southwestern-themed salad, BUT salads don’t come with bottomless fries. And if I’m being honest, the bottomless fries are a big part of why I go to Red Robin (I’m not alone in this, right?). ...
Fourth of July Recipe Roundup
With only a couple of days left before the Fourth of July (although the fireworks shows have already begun and Phoebe has taken permanent refuge under the bed), I thought I'd pull together a few of my favorite summery recipes from the archives. ...
Strawberry Rhubarb Vinaigrette
It has been almost five years since I moved from California, and you know what I’m still not used to? Summer rainstorms and the staggering attendant humidity. Snow and the bitter cold I can handle – although I’ll gripe about it along with everyone else, for sure! At least I was mentally prepared for the cold. I mean, it’s all anyone talks about when you say that you’re moving to Michigan. ...