Snickers Cookies (And a New Favorite Base)

These cookies are a new favorite.  The dough that serves as a base is fantastic! I love the snicker recipe, but this dough would be fabulous even as just a chocolate chip cookie.  The secret is the browned butter.  It's an easy step that only adds a few minutes but greatly enhances the flavor.

Cowboy Quesadillas

My dear husband was gone to a conference last week, and so I filled our menu with all kinds of food I would normally need to avoid while he's here (foods including onions, tomatoes...which practically exclude all forms of Mexican food altogether).  I typically find ways to compromise with our meals and have become very skilled at the use of onion powder in our dishes.  But I have to say I was excited about the chance to cook with the "real ingredients".

These cowboy quesadillas had enough substance to serve as a main dish, and tasted delicious when paired with a side of tortilla chips and guacamole.

Savory Herb Roast Beef

This is one of my husband's favorite dinners.  The herbs in this roast make it flavorful and the broth keeps it nice and moist.  I love coming home to this cooking in the slow cooker, because it makes our house smell SO good.  This time around we used fresh dill from the garden, and my mouth was watering all day.

Easy Chili Enchiladas

These enchiladas are great simply because they are so easy to make.  They are made up of only five ingredients, and are perfect for nights when I just don't have time to spend hours cooking.  I usually dress them up with a side of refried beans to help calm down the mild spiciness of the green chili sauce.

Homemade Pizza Sauce

In our home we LOVE home made pizza.  The pizza sauce recipe I use was handed down to me by my wonderful mother.  We usually combine it with pepperoni, cheese, and occasionally olives, but you can play around with it as much as you would like to.

Quick and Easy Yeast Prep

I'm sure I'm not the only home chef who has suffered from a yeast disaster. What makes these moments just so depressing is the many hours of kneading, resting, rising, pleading that go into each bread experience. To spend so much time and end up with a flat loaf of bread is heartbreaking.

There are many factors that affect the outcome of a bread recipe- many of them have to do with the health of your yeast. Here's an easy way to make sure that your yeast is nice and healthy before you invest too much time and hard work.

Cheesy Ham and Basil Breakfast Casserole

This morning I made this breakfast casserole for a back-to-school brunch at a friend's house.  I forgot to take my photo until the casserole was nearly gone- but my friend Angela insisted it would only demonstrate how much everyone loved it.  This is one of my handful of go-to breakfast recipes.  It's always a favorite.

Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps

For my husband's birthday earlier this month, he requested Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps.  These are so much fun to eat.  We were inspired by the lettuce wraps at PF Changs, which are absolutely delicious and I definitely recommend trying them.  While we tend to eat these for a meal, they would be a perfect party appetizer as well.

Olive G Alfredo Copycat

This has been a favorite in our family for a few years now, and is especially wonderful now that our nearest Olive G is 45 minutes away! The secret to this recipe is to use REAL butter and regular cream cheese.  Margarine, or reduced fat substitutes will create a disaster, so stick with the all-natural full fat variety, please.