My big girls are 4! How did that happen? It feels like they just got here. For their party this year we decided to go with a mermaid (Under the Sea) theme. I had been pinning ideas for months, everything from food to decorations to party favors. The party was amazing, all of the kids had a great time and most importantly, my birthday girls were so happy! Here are all the details of our mermaid birthday party....

Pinwheel sandwiches are the hit of any party, I often serve taco pinwheels, turkey pinwheels, or these fun and festive Mexican style pinwheels. A while ago I made these rainbow veggie pinwheels and they’ve turned out to be one of the most popular recipes on this site! They’ve been on tons of websites (most recently Redbook magazine!), been pinned hundreds of thousands of times and have been the featured recipe in kids cooking classes around the country....

At least I am bringing a little excitement, pleasure and color (aren’t they kind of Christmassy?) to the table. You know, a little kick-start to the week. These are not just any wraps either, these are some of the best I have ever made. They are kind of like the middle eastern gyro but with a twist. Please listen when I say, YOU HAVE TO make these. They are so stinkin’ good....

Like your mom’s recipes. Especially when she only has a handful of them. Seriously, do not be stupid like me and try to make them better or give them more of a wow factor. It just does not work. I tried with the monkey bread and failed. Miserably. Alright, is was not that bad and the bread was still pretty delicious, but hers is better. So that is what I am showing you today....

I’m a huge fan of Mongolian beef, but I have to say, I think I may like this easy Mongolian chicken even better. The chicken is perfectly crispy on the edges and the sauce has the perfect balance of flavors. I recently ordered Mongolian chicken at my local Chinese restaurant instead of my go-to Mongolian beef, and boy am I hooked. I decided I needed to learn how to make this dish at home, and it’s been on constant rotation in our house ever since....

Seriously though, who’s in need of some chocolate?! It’s been a busy weekend thus far and I’m feeling like some Sunday baking is a must. Who is with me? The one thing I truly love about this month of February? All the sweet recipes flying around just about everywhere. Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with someone you love, spending it with your family, or just flying solo like me, desserts are a very welcomed thing....

Hey all! Happiest Sunday – here are my Nine Favorite Things! This week was my first full week home after my France trip. And now all I can think about is when can I go back! My time in France was short and sweet. It left me excited to see more of the beautiful country. My goal is to return in September, but this time for Paris Fashion Week. I have zero plans, but I’m putting that out into the universe....

I figured you guys might be pretty excited for another one pan, crazy easy meal. I mean, I know I am! Let’s be honest, even me, who loves cooking gets totally tired. There are plenty of days and nights when the thought of dirtying a gazillion dishes makes me just want to run and hide under my cozy, awesome, completely heaven-like covers (yes, I REALLY LOVE my bed). Dishes are my worst enemy, I really dislike them, I somehow seem to make the most giant mess when I cook....

Do you have a fall back dinner? You know, a tried and true recipe. One you really enjoy making, that’s easy, and that you can always count on to be good? Oddly, I only have a handful, since I’m constantly creating new recipes for HBH (or other projects). I rarely repeat recipes once they’ve been posted. Which is kind of sad, since I have SO many favorite recipes that I love so much on the blog....

There are days when developing new recipes, that do not go nearly as planned. The “bad” days don’t happen often, so I’m thankful for that, but they’re never very fun when they do happen. I had a day last week where literally not one of the five recipes I was working on showed any promise. Nothing I was testing was working and the entire day was a struggle. Finally, at the end of the day, I accepted that something was clearly off and it just wasn’t my day for recipe testing....

I love serving potato side dishes to round out any meal! Some of my family’s favorites include crispy garlic butter smashed potatoes, funeral potatoes, creamy crock pot mashed potatoes, and these classic oven baked potatoes. In my opinion, this is the best baked potato recipe! I often serve these potatoes alongside baked chicken wings or London broil for a memorable dinner. I always have a bag of potatoes in my pantry....

Kicking off December the best way I know how to, with these Overnight Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls. As I’m sure you all can tell, I could not be more excited that December is here! December is my favorite month of the year, it holds so much magic! It’s a time for slowing down, spending time with family and friends, and enjoying the last couple weeks of the year…all while eating delicious food....

I was trying to figure out just what recipes to share on these final days leading up to Thanksgiving. I wasn’t sure what type of recipes you all might need most this week. Is it more Thanksgiving recipes, quick appetizers, or desserts? I have ideas for them all. It’s the time of year when my mind never quiets. I’m always thinking of what to make. So many good recipes to share!...

When I’m entertaining around the holidays, I serve a total crowd pleaser for dessert such as eggnog cake, pumpkin meringue pie, molasses cookies or this fabulous pecan pie cheesecake. Pecan Pie Cheesecake Ingredients To make this creamy pumpkin pie cheesecake make sure you have graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and melted butter for the crust. You will need cream cheese, brown sugar, eggs, flour, cream and vanilla extract for the filling....

Today we are going back to basics. I am sharing a very simple, basic recipe that is quite common in millions of kitchens in India – Phulka. Phulka is an Indian flat bread, that’s directly cooked over fire until it puffs up. Roti or Chapati are also very similar to Phulka, but the key difference lies in the form of cooking. Chapati is a flatbread cooked on the tawa with either oil or ghee....

I’ve been excited to share this recipe all month long. It’s, without a doubt, my favorite recipe of April, and my family has been greatly enjoying it. This past fall, I discovered a new love for slow-cooked pot roast. I made this cider braised pot roast, and that recipe officially sold me on cooking more pot roast recipes, whether it’s fall, winter, spring, or summer. There are so many ways we can cook affordable meat and make it delicious!...

When I’m making dessert recipes such as pumpkin chocolate chip bread and pumpkin bars, I like to use my freshly mashed pumpkin recipe whenever possible. It really gives the recipes a unique and fresh flavor, no one will be able to guess your secret ingredient! Did you know that a can of pumpkin puree doesn’t necessarily contain actual pumpkin? When you make your own puree from scratch, you’re guaranteed to be getting real pumpkin, and the homemade version is much better than store bought, both in flavor and consistency....

Because yesterday it snowed, and there is more snow predicted for the weekend. Seriously? Really though, I just wanted lasagna, but without all the work and layering. So skillet it was. This is one of those meals that’s perfect for the days when you come home and your feet hurt, your brain is fried and carbs are just needed. That was kind of my day yesterday. LONG. Some of it was good, some of it not so much....

Ragi Dosa or Ragi Rava Dosa is a popular breakfast recipe from South India, especially Karnataka and it can easily be found in many darshini-style hotels around Bangalore too. It is lacy, crispy and at the same time, melt in mouth delicious that it can turn anyone who does not like ragi also to fall in love with it. It can be made with readily available ingredients in any standard kitchen or pantry and does not require much effort too....

Yes, I know that there are probably not too many of you that are familiar with rava dosa, and really I was not either, but I did some reading and discovered that basically, rava dosa are Indian style crepes. They are so good. And a tad easier than regular French crepes too! I have kind of been on an Indian food kick lately. I think because of summer and the fact that they use a lot a vegetables and spices, both of which I love....