I discovered the most delicious trail mix a few weeks ago at World Market but I realized the cost per ounce was insane so I decided to make it myself after my son and I downed the whole bag in a few days. A week later, I had already ordered and received each ingredient in bulk from Amazon Prime and got ready to mix it up. After filling a few of the giant-sized baggies with all the mail order yumminess, I realized I had a big problem…I have a tendency to eat trail mix like it’s popcorn…could I handle this much trail mix? Could my thighs? No. Probably not. Continue reading
Tag Archives: homemade
Valentine’s Day Cupcake Sandwiches
Last year, I couldn’t think of what to bake for Jeff for Valentine’s Day when I ran across an adorable heart-shaped Whoopie pie/muffin top pan in Michael’s and inspiration struck. He loves red velvet cupcakes so I decided to make him a sort of whoopie-pie-cupcake-sandwich hybrid. The result was gorgeous, super tasty and a less messy version of a cupcake to boot! I used the Magnolia Bakery recipe exactly, so no need to reprint, but be sure to check the cakes often because they don’t take long when they are in a shallow pan.
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Simply Wonderful Tomato Soup
There’s just something about homemade tomato soup in the winter (yes, even in LA) that warms me to my toes. I was never a fan of the canned stuff growing up, but real tomato soup is the perfect accompaniment to almost anything. When my friend served us this family recipe one night last year, I was blown away by how perfect it was and I’ve been making it two to three times a month since that dinner! Her recipe is a little creamy, a little tangy and a little spicy. It also freezes well which has been a lifesaver during busy months. I recommend pairing it with a grilled pimento cheese sandwich or sweet corn muffins! Continue reading
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On the 7th Day of Christmas…Speculaas!
Okay, I’m not gonna lie. Speculaas cookies are a total b#*@h to make…but you can’t deny it, they are so lovely. I tend to shy away from things that take a lot of time, but I’ve had my speculaas molds for about 6 years and they were still brand new. Not anymore! I did it. I spent 12 hours pressing, cutting and baking these puppies to ship out to friends. Now my molds can go back into the cookie cutter drawer for another 6 years until I conveniently forget how tedious they were to make and then I’ll try again! I know I’m not really selling this to you as a cookie recipe, but what good is winter if not to zen out a whole day and make something completely beautiful in the kitchen? Continue reading
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On the 6th Day of Christmas…Hot Cocoa!

I ordered cube molds and bamboo spoons on Amazon for a few bucks to make them a consistent size.
I’ve been trolling the hot cocoa sticks recipe on Pinterest for years now, so I figured it was finally time to try her out. I used the King Arthur recipe but altered it a bit to make a fragrant and slightly spicy Mexican hot chocolate and I made a bunch to ship out to our friends and family on the east coast. It was a teeny tiny bit tedious the way I did it, but I have to say…it’s makes pretty freaking delicious hot cocoa! Continue reading
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Cheeky Modern Baby Shower for a Girl
I jumped on the opportunity to throw my friend’s baby shower when I found out it was a girl. I usually strive for unisex in all things baby until their preference is obvious, but honestly, I wanted to tackle this girly party because I love a good challenge! I break out in an itchy rash whenever I see the “girl” aisle in the toy store even though I totally loved it as a kid. Now that I’m a parent, I’m definitely more sensitive to the gender specific stuff. Rather than give into the unisex themes, I thought it would be more fun to go straight at the stereotype with a tongue-in-cheek uber-girly party with all kitschy vintage teenage girl details. Think pink foam hair rollers, 60’s prom dresses, pleather diaries with locks…you get the idea. Since my friend is a fellow North Carolinian , the theme also accidentally took on a 60’s Southern belle vibe! Continue reading
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Modern Watercolor Wedding Invitations
Back in March, I made my brother’s wedding invitations and they’re a great example of professional looking invitations that you can achieve with a home printer. Since watercolor washes and hand lettering are very hot right now, I decided to incorporate their wedding colors and greenery into something very modern and simple using both of those trends. Continue reading
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Four years ago!
Today is our fourth wedding anniversary, so to celebrate, I thought I’d do a little flash back post to the big day. We had the ultimate DIY picnic wedding, from my dress to the food to…well, everything. Click here for more. Enjoy!
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(Three) Rustic Wedding Cakes

The largest cake was a yellow cake with salted caramel buttercream. It had two tiers and an adorable owl topper.
When your little brother and his fiancée ask you and your dad to make their wedding cake, you say “of course”, but when they ask if you can make THREE, you choke a little, then smile and still say “of course”. They insisted that they wanted something simple and rustic, but when you have to make cake for 150 people in a rented home kitchen, things will always get a little interesting. We had made three cakes for our wedding as well with only a few hitches, but we rented an industrial refrigerator for them and bought vanilla buttercream instead of making it ourselves (a huge time and money saver!). These two crazy kooks wanted flavored buttercreams and one carrot cake, so everything was made from scratch in many, many batches. Continue reading
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Pinterest Tuesday
I don’t know about you, but I love Pinterest. LOVE IT. But for a while there, I think I was just creating an internet-only beautiful life that I wasn’t fully living. Virtual life no longer! I’m cooking the recipes, crafting the crafts and using the inspiration boards for my own decor. Here’s what I tried out for my latest party! Continue reading
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