Move over strawberry shortcake, there’s a new summery fruit recipe in town! This blueberry shortcake with vanilla ice cream just can’t be beat. Spring has sprung here in California and I couldn’t be happier about it! The temperature is a constant 70 degrees, the trees are full of blossoms and my twins will be turning 5 (!!) in April. Another thing I’m looking forward to is spring produce – asparagus is already here and berries will be soon to follow....

Like clockwork, September hits, and I’m back to sharing more casseroles. For me, September is all about transitioning into a more cozy lifestyle. With school starting and the days getting shorter, it means crisp fall crisp days are just ahead. Even though our summer was short and I didn’t want it to end. There’s probably not a month I love more than September. Our weather is perfect, there’s so much excitement for the season ahead, and I can finally share the recipes I really love most....

If there’s one thing I really know how to make, it’s a quesadilla. Ok well, I think at this point in time I actually know how to make a lot of things. But I’ve really perfected the art of the quesadilla. A little back story for ya. When I was 15 or 16, I was working my way through high school, taking college courses for double the credit. Yes, it was a bit of an alternative schooling program....

I’m not sure how this is possible, but one week from today is Christmas Eve. Honestly, Christmas has never snuck up on me faster. I still have so much do, and oh my gosh, so many recipes I want to share! When I looked at the calendar this week and realized I hadn’t yet shared these cinnamon rolls, I kind of panicked. This is the first “Christmas” recipe I had on my list months and months ago....

It would not be Thanksgiving, or November for that matter, without a good amount of creamy, buttery mashed potatoes and stuffing. Without a doubt, mashed potatoes are the crowd favorite at our Thanksgiving table. My brothers take double helpings, always going back for more. The potatoes are the first dish to disappear. No matter how many mashed potatoes I make, I always wish I would have made more. Anyone else the same?...

After the perfect summer weekend, I am feeling so ready for the week! How about you? I can’t think of a better recipe to kick the first full week of June off with than this mushroom and clam pasta. I know that salads are much more of a Monday thing, but you guys know me, when it comes to food, I don’t do the expected. So pasta on Monday! Over the weekend I spent most of Saturday working and brainstorming new summer recipes....

Well technically right now I am very clean, but that is only because I have not started cooking/baking yet. Yesterday before I got in the shower I glanced in the mirror and just kind of laughed at myself. I mean I had food all over my clothes, my face and in my hair. You name it and I probably had it on me. Chocolate, ice cream, BBQ sauce, greek yogurt, ketchup, strawberry stains, smudged avocado, really I could go on and on....

You can never go wrong with apples and caramel, whether it’s snicker apple salad, apple nachos, caramel apple dip or these classic caramel coated apples. Whenever I visit a candy shop, I find myself drawn to the fancy caramel apples. I can’t resist all those layers of chocolate and caramel and nuts! Store bought gourmet caramel covered apples can be on the pricey side, but you can easily make them at home for a fraction of the cost....

A couple of days back I shared the recipe for Instant Oats Rava Idli and as a side for it, I made this simple yet delicious Chana Dal Chutney. As I have repeated myself many times in the past, we use coconut and peanuts fairly regularly in our day-to-day cooking. Coconut Chutney and Peanut Chutney are a must on most mornings. But on days I am bored of the usual, I make Onion Tomato based chutneys....

Christmas cookies with plenty of chocolate too, because if you’re going to add chocolate…you might as well go all out. Okay, fine. You don’t have to add chocolate, but let’s be real, these ginger cookies are a million and one times better with the addition of a generous drizzle of chocolate…or chocolate dip. Whatever you prefer. I know it may be slightly early (or not..depends on how you feel about Christmas…and cookies) to be circulating Christmas cookie recipes, but before you know it December 25th will be here and we need to be prepared....

Chicken madeira is one of my family’s favorite chicken dishes to make at home. A couple of my family’s other favorite chicken dishes are Monterey chicken and Cajun chicken pasta. Want to make more Cheesecake Factory copycat recipes at home? Check out my list of the best 25 Cheesecake Factory Recipes! So I will admit, I love a good meal at The Cheesecake Factory. One of my favorite dishes to order there is the chicken madeira – you just can’t go wrong with golden brown chicken, melty cheese, amazingly delicious mushroom sauce and asparagus....

You just can’t go wrong with a good pasta salad, whether it’s pesto pasta salad, Greek pasta salad, or this hearty variety loaded with chicken and veggies. Pasta salad is a summer staple for good reason. It’s easy to make, great for picnics and potlucks, and is packed full of flavor. This mayo free chicken pasta salad recipe takes the classic dish to a whole new level with plenty of color and texture....

If you’re a chocolate lover, you’ll most definitely enjoy this cake. It’s loaded with different flavors and textures and is a unique addition to any celebration. Looking for more chocolate recipes? Try my brownie pizza and chocolate pudding cake. I started making this chocolate coconut cake years ago when I first learned to cook. I’ve adapted the recipe over time and can confidently say that if you’re a coconut fan, you will love this cake....

When the holidays roll around, you can find me in the kitchen baking dessert recipes such as eggnog cake, M&M cookies, peanut butter blossoms, Nutella cookies and these classic chocolate crinkles. Chocolate crinkle cookies are a time honored favorite, and they also happen to be quick and easy to make. The flavor which is a cross between cookies and brownies just can’t be beat! This recipe calls for common ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry....

Well, that and there is this restaurant in Lakewood, Ohio called The Melt. Basically it’s a bar/grill that sells a gazillion different types of AMAZING grilled cheeses. Yes, it’s a restaurant focused on grilled cheese and if you are ever in the Cleveland area you have to check it out. They have something for everyone. Meat lovers, meat haters and even the dairy haters too. It’s so good. Anyway, one of the sandwiches is the Cleveland Cheese Steak....

Starting the week off on a healthy, but still cozy, note with this Indian..ish inspired recipe. Somehow it’s already the second week of February and I know many of you have spring on your minds. Here in Colorado, it’s still very much winter, and very, very much comfort food kind of weather. That said, we’re coming off a weekend of enjoying way too much ski resort food, meaning lots of french fries and cocktails, after watching my younger brother, Red, compete (and win!...

From being a person who absolutely had nothing to do with bitter gourds what so ever, I am now this person who loves the bitterness of bitter gourds. When I made my Thengai Paal Sadham, the coconut milk Pulao – I wanted something to go on the side with it. While a vegetable Kurma or even Dal Makhani sounded delicious, I wanted something different. Sometimes, going all non-traditional is good....

We’ve officially entered crockpot season! I use my crockpot throughout the year, but I really start to lean into crockpot recipes once September rolls around. They feel cozier and are usually pretty easy to prepare. Creighton has been asking me to make a curry for weeks now. Butter chicken and tikka masala are both his favorites. My very favorite way to cook meatballs is in the crockpot (they never dry out)....

I haven’t met a chaat I haven’t loved. Chaat is an intergral part of indian street food. Chaat is a wide variety of savory snacks served at roadside stalls or chaat shops throughout India. Indian chaat is a riot of flavors & textures- sweet, sour, spicy, creamy and crispy. Different regions of India have a wide variety of chaat inspired by local ingredients with vendors giving their own twist to recipes....

Spicy flavorful Double Beans biryani made in pressure cooker, a quick meal that’s both healthy & delicious! Loaded with fresh double beans, this coconut-based pulao is real treat. As the winter produce is soon vanishing from the market, I had to get some fresh double beans this week. I wanted to make some biryani and then save some for making Double Beans Kurma. Fresh double beans are a like dream and when it is used in a recipe, it makes the whole dish so delicious....