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Food, Recipes

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

September 20, 2023

I know it’s basic Betty territory, but I really do love it when pumpkin spice latte season rolls around each year. I think for me, it signifies the turn of the seasons and signals the official end to summer. Nothing against summer, but fall, and the months leading into the holidays, equal my wheelhouse for joy.

In my defense, I have always loved the coffee portion of this craze the most for this seasonal treat. I will admit it has gotten a bit out of hand with pumpkin spice eeeeverything, but if you are like me and go cuckoo for that creamy flavor mixed with your morning java, you have to give this a whirl.

It is super easy to make your own pumpkin spice creamer at home. You can mix this with your own choice of coffee, and nowadays, you can get a fairly priced espresso maker and get down to the business of making your very own legit lattes.

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Food, Recipes

Autumn Apple Bundt Cake

September 19, 2023

Ahhh the beginning of fall. That magical time of year when the air feels crisper, giving us that first little shiver in the morning to tell us that the end of summer is drawing near. The leaves begin to turn and shimmy from the trees to the ground and we have that first inkling to reach for an extra sweater to ease the chill in our bones.

It brings me a thrilling sensation. I am a lover of baking. This is the time of year when all things come to life in this realm of my life. Warm, hearty pies, spongy cakes to accompany an evening tea. There is something that is so lovely and comforting about it all.

The stars of the autumn show when it comes to the baking game are obvi pumpkin and apple, accompanied by their spicy cousins, cinnamon and nutmeg. Naturally, as soon as the first cool breeze hits me, I am off and running to the store for my first batch of fresh, seasonal apples. This is their prime time to shine.

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Food, Recipes

Ham Delight Bites

September 11, 2023

If you live in the south, the chances are high that you have had these mini bites of delight at any given party or get together. They are an absolute staple, and if you have tried them, you know why. If you haven’t, then you must add these to your list to whip up for a holiday nibble or gathering.

Growing up in NY, I don’t remember ever coming across these mini sammies. We moved south during my junior year of college, and I remember coming home for the first holiday season and attending get togethers at the homes of my parents’ friends. These little gems were everywhere! Each time I mentioned how delicious they were, as if I had unearthed some sort of ancient treasure, I was generally met with a giggle.

I understand now that the humor in it all was that these have been a must in the south for ages, almost a given, at any get together. There are actually catering companies throughout the south, rated and revered based on this one finger food…I am looking at you Ladyfingers of Raleigh, NC.

They were new to me and I was forever changed for the better for finding them. So now I will share them with you. This recipe is straight from the Southern Living cookbooks, to give credit where it is due. I am simply repeating their genius here with a few small tweaks. Make these once and you will be asked to make them for every occasion, I guarantee you.

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Food, Recipes

Monster Cookies

September 2, 2023

It seems only fitting to post a recipe for my favorite Monster Cookies, with the ghoulish Halloween season just around the corner!

I call these Monster Cookies because they are chock-full of just about any kind of chip or candy you can fit into the dough. It uses a basic recipe, and it is a great project with kids, as you can add just about any kind of candy flavor that you like.

I have posted my own recipe using M&M’s, Reese’s Pieces and Reese’s peanut butter chips. If you want to swap the chips out for chocolate chips, or add both…go for it! Just try to keep the ratio of dough to candy low enough so that you aren’t just eating a glob of candy with little specs of cookie in between.

These also freeze beautifully for about 2 months, if they last that long! Just be sure to allow them to thaw for a little so you don’t crack a tooth on an M&M (I have almost done it!).

These are super easy and fun! Enjoy and leave a note in the comments to tell me about your version!

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Food, Recipes

Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls

September 1, 2023

I have been baking banana bread to my heart’s content for years now, to the point where I have my recipe and the steps fully memorized. I have been doing this since before it became chic to do so in the midst of the pandemic.

I have always had extra bananas lying around from my morning smoothies and I have always loved baking a homemade treat to give to friends. Something about it just says, I like you. It is my ultimate expression of admiration for another, to put time and love into baking my banana bread.

That said, this week I was staring at the brown-flecked bananas sitting on my countertop and I dared to dream even bigger. I thought, there must be something new, maybe even better to bake with those slowly wilting beauties. A browning banana never goes to waste in my kitchen. Not on my watch!

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Food, Recipes

Fried Goat Cheese Balls

August 24, 2023

After years of threatening to try the recipe for goat cheese balls, I finally did it. Now, I am completely unsure of what I was waiting for and how I could have missed out on these tasty morsels for so long.

If you are a fan of the show Vanderpump Rules on Bravo (which I will abashedly admit I am glued to regularly) you will be familiar with these little treats. The show, which follows a group of servers at a SUR Restaurant, a popular West Hollywood eatery, has had this appetizer on rotation and as a topic of conversation since the start of the series, roughly 11 years ago.

I never considered myself a goat cheese fan years back, but I have since developed my palate and come to my senses. I bit the bullet and tried making these mostly out of necessity. We have been trying to lean into eating vegetarian more regularly during the week in an effort to be healthy, but at times, finding recipes that excite us gets cumbersome.

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Food, Recipes

Cherry Berry Protein Ice Pops

August 9, 2023

Like most of the globe, the southeast is simply blazing more than usual in the dog days of this August heat. By this time in the summer, I am seeking any kind of relief I can find from the hot sun and humidity to keep things light and fun in that last stretch of warm weather.

Judging from my previous posts (and as is evident to anyone who knows me), it is no surprise that I absolutely love to eat. Hands down my favorite past time. I indulge as well as the next person, but during the week, I try to balance things out by exercising and keeping it healthy for my mind, body and energy levels.

That said, anytime I can find a fun, new, healthy way to get my nutrients and actually enjoy my food, I am all for it. This recipe qualifies.

I am not sure if you have seen these little gems, but a few years back, I purchased my own set of ice pop molds…and I mean good, sturdy ones that you can wash and reuse with reckless abandon.

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Food, Recipes

Cherry Brown Butter Bars

August 4, 2023

I am a lover of all things cherry. When the season rolls around and the grocery stores are stocked with these rich, red beauties, I have them on repeat on my grocery list until, alas, they disappear like a thief in the night until the summer returns again.

This year, I have been looking into various new ways to incorporate the inevitable glut of cherries residing in the fruit drawer of my refrigerator. I am always guilty of buying a bit too many of those pretty plastic totes when I see the irresistible display.

I always convince myself somehow that I can live on cherries and peaches alone in the summer. This inevitably results in overdoing it with my zeal for this sweet fruit while under the influence of that icy-cold rush of air conditioning flowing through my local Publix grocery store.

On a recent scroll through Instagram, I came across a photo of this dessert and it made my heart flutter with delight. Smitten Kitchen adapted a recipe from Bon Appetit magazine recipe for a raspberry brown butter tart by removing the raspberries and incorporating my beloved seasonal cherries in bar form (genius), making them easy for sharing at your traditional backyard BBQ.

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Food, Recipes

Easy Fresh Fig Jam

July 17, 2023

South Carolina is ripe with fresh local figs in the month of July and August. If you haven’t tried a fig, or you just aren’t quite sure of what to do with them, there are recipes galore for cookies, breads, oatmeal bars…the sky is the limit for this tart, sweet fruit in terms of preparation.

One of my very favorite uses for figs when they are in season is, hands down, FIG JAM. If you haven’t had it, I will venture to say you are just plain missing out. Pairing fresh fig jam with a freshly baked baguette, good creamy goat cheese and a drizzle of fresh local honey on top is a can’t miss combo.

And, if you are a fan of the latest charcuterie board craze and find yourself assembling your own decorative platters, fig jam is a must have. It pairs well with a variety of cheeses, breads and crackers and offsets the sharpness of your stronger cheeses beautifully by providing just the perfect hint of sweetness.

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Food, Recipes

Homemade Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches

July 3, 2023

One of my favorite treats around the American holidays is a good old-fashioned ice cream sandwich. Something about these screams ‘Americana’ to me.

Normally, I would head straight over to Lowcountry Fresh here in Bluffton to pick up a stash of some of the best ice cream sammies in town. They keep a freezer full of Leopold’s version. Leopold’s Ice Cream is an established creamery located in Savannah, GA, and they are an institution here in the Lowcountry.

If you haven’t tried one, theirs are sold in individual boxes like a little present to unwrap, mostly because they are so large and full of goodness that they require individual packaging. The two ginormous homemade cookies sandwiching their storied vanilla ice cream are outstanding. If you are ready to give a try to making your own, here is the lowdown on how to do it!

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