Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats

My friends and I spent half the weekend baking a bunch of holiday treats. We made cookies galore, along with these reindeer rice krispie treats. My friend is very crafty and was the one who suggested these. All of ours looked slightly different and none of us really figured out how to master the antlers, but they still turned out cute if you ask me. We used the classic rice krispie recipe for these and decorated them with melted chocolate, red hots and candy eyes.

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Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

In case you did not know, pumpkin and I typically only get along on a savory basis. Sweet pumpkin and pumpkin dessert usually is not my favorite thing. This year my mom baked this pumpkin bread and I was very pleasantly surprised. I actually went back for seconds on a pumpkin desert, which is pretty much unheard of. This bread is very easy to make. It can also be frozen for a month or 2 if you don't want to use both loaves at once.

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Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

It's the time of year where the weather is cold and all I want to do some days is curl up with a good book and a bowl of soup. My mom first made this recipe and we have loved it ever since. The soup is a classic comfort food, but definitely a bit time consuming. This is best to make on a day or evening when you are at home anyway since it has long simmer times. The egg noodles make a big difference here, so try finding them for this recipe. They have a slightly different flavor than traditional pastas.

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Simple Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan

I know spaghetti squash has been around for a while, but it was only recently that I started experimenting with it. Spaghetti squash is very easy to make, and you can top it with anything you'd enjoy on a pasta. One of my favorite ways to enjoy spaghetti squash is very simple: roasting it and sprinkling it with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. When I am home by myself, this make a great, simple dinner. It would also be a wonderful side dish. What I love about spaghetti squash is that you can use the outer peel of the squash as your serving dish.

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Arugula Pesto

I got a little excited last weekend at the farmer's market and bought way too much produce. Half way through the week I realized there was no way I'd be able to finish up all the arugula I bought before it wilted. I thought about making an arugula pesto and came across this recipe. It had a few more steps to it than many other, where the arugula is not blanched. However, i liked the idea of taking some of the kick out of the arugula. This pesto goes great on pasta, spaghetti squash or as a pizza sauce.

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Salmon Souvlaki Bowls

I made this recipe one night when I wanted to attempt a healthier dinner after a few days of eating terribly. I found this recipe and thought the idea of a "bowl" for dinner sounded great. Though couscous is not exactly the healthiest thing, it's still better than lots of other options- and this was delicious. I set up a build-it-yourself style dinner with all the bowl condiments in a line and everyone built their bowls how they preferred them. Personally I love tzatziki and would use more than most people, so I made more than the recipe asks for. You can't ruin this recipe and feel free to adjust based on your preferences. The fish turns out very flavorsome and your can grill it to your preferred level of doneness (I like mine still slightly rare on the inside).

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Frozémonade

I've been wanting to make frozémonade all summer. For some reason or another, it never worked out, until now. We happened to ave all of the ingredients at home and decided it was time to try the ultimate hipster/bougie summer drink. This beverage is not very strong, so it actually makes a great addition to any brunch, BBQ, etc... The simple syrup is very easy to make, so don't be intimidated by that. Serve frozémonade immediately for the best slushy factor, but feel free to prep the simply syrup and juiced lemons ahead of time.

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Energy Bites

I finally decided to try making energy balls after reading about them all summer long. Turns out these are extremely easy to make and they are surprisingly filling and satisfying. I loosely based this recipe on the Trader Joe's recipe from their ground flax seed, but there are tone of variations that can be made to this. You can substitute maple syrup for the honey. You can used dried cherries or raisins instead of chocolate chips. Feel free to tweak this recipe however you'd like, just don't stray too far from the wet and dry ingredient proportions.

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Fresh Spinach Frittata with Cheese

Earlier this summer my mother decided to make this dish as a light dinner. None of us were particularly hungry, but a frittata sounded great. Often I am not impressed with frittatas and find them a little boring. The cheese in this recipe definitely adds a lot of flavor and also changes the texture of the frittata. This is a little more dense than your usual frittata, but is still absolutely delirious. I love this dish both hot or at room temperature. The ingredients are simple and the end result makes a great vegetarian dinner. Pair with a green salad and you have a terrific weeknight dinner.

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Caramelized Onion Tart

I was visiting my sister earlier this year and we decided to make this onion tart. Though caramelizing onions takes a while, the rest of the recipe looked easy enough. We made it simpler by using a store bough pie shell, but feel free to use the link to the original recipe for the homemade dough recipe. Once the onions are caramelized, this recipe comes together very quickly and easily. I ended up cooking this in stages and the end result was still delicious. We served this quiche with a big green salad and were absolutely stuffed. If you're a hungry group, this feeds about 3 people.

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Soft Baked Oatmeal, Walnut and Chocolate Chip Cookies

I absolutely love soft baked oatmeal cookies. I was looking for a new oatmeal recipe to try when I came across this one. With a few tweaks here and there I ended up with delicious, chewy cookies. I don't think you can go wrong with this recipe. I love having these cookies with a giant glass of milk or cup of tea. This recipe made over 60 cookies, so I tend to share these with friends or coworkers when I make them.

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Kale, Farro and Strawberry Salad

My friend and I went to the beach this past weekend and she surprised me with this absolutely delicious salad. I was lazy and packed simple snacks, like hummus, and salsa, while she made us a few great salads. I'm not typically a big fan of kale (in any form), but this salad was great! I finished my plate in minutes.The perk of this salad is that to ravels well since it's made with kale. It's won't get soggy and you can even keep it for the next day if you have extras.

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Three Ingredient Pancakes

I love making delicious pancakes with all sorts of add ins and ingredients, but when I don't have these things on hand, this recipe is my go-to for quick and easy pancakes. You can probably make this without having to go to the grocery store. I've been making these for years but only recently realized I'd never put them on the blog. I sometimes add a little sugar or extra baking soda, but these are great even without that. Add whatever toppings on extras you enjoy. I usually slice in some bananas or sprinkle on chocolate chips.

If you don't have self-rising flour at home, don't worry about buying it. You can easily make it with this recipe.

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Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad

My office recently had a potluck and I decided to take advantage of all the delicious summer produce at the farmer's market. I found this recipe and it sounded like a great option. I prepped most of the salad the night prior and it received rave reviews at the potluck. This was the first food devoured by my coworkers and many for them wanted the recipe. If you're in the mood food for an easy, tasty summer salad, look no further.

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Tomato and Gruyere Tart

This tart makes a delicious snack or started for any occasion. You can make one larger tart or smaller individual tarts. Even though I would typically serve this as a starter, it also makes a great, light dinner option paired with a salad. As with most puff pastry based foods, this tart is best served straight from the oven. Though you can prepare it ahead of time, the dough is most crisp when it's made right when you need it. If you make the tart ahead of time, reheat it in a 300F oven until it is warmed.

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Lantana's Honey-Ginger Salmon

This salmon recipe is packed with flavor! The ingredients combine some classic Asian ingredients (hoisin sauce) with Latin ingredients (chipotle chilies). A few years ago I was making salmon fairly regularly, and for some reason I just got tired of it. This recipe has reminded me why salmon makes such a great dinner option. This is a great weeknight dinner option since it's very simple and quick to make. The restaurant which created this recipe, located on the British Virgin Islands, serves these with banana fritters. As delicious as that sounds, I have always enjoyed this salmon with just about any side dish.

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Maple Bacon Macarons

A couple weekends ago my friends and I took a macaron cooking class. I had never tried making macarons in the past since they always seemed to be very labor intensive. Turns out there are a lot of steps involved, but they aren't actually that hard to make. If a class of amateurs manager to make multiple successful batches of these, so can you. My favorite flavor from that class was the maple bacon macaron. The filling is a caramel and maple sauce with bacon morsels. I could eat it by the spoonful (I may have done that in reality). These macarons can be refrigerated and will last a week. In fact, the flavor comes through even better on day 2.

In the top picture, the macaron has been in the fridge overnight and is much more stable and together. The bottom photo is of the macarons right after we added the caramel bacon sauce. Make sure you don't go crazy with the caramel or it will ooze everywhere. We had a few macarons where that happened if you didn't already notice. They are a very delicate cookie so take extra care when transporting them.

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Carrots

When I was younger I used to dread any meal that involved Brussels sprouts. Luckily, times have changed and I now love them! From Brussels sprout chips to grilled Brussels sprouts, I love them all. This recipe is a very simple one and you can add any roasting vegetables you like to the mix. I happened to have carrots and Brussels sprouts at home, so that is what I used. I also sometimes add chopped rosemary or other herbs to this mix.

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Grilled Potato Slices

A few years ago I accidentally discovered grilling potatoes. I decided this was a must have on BBQ days. It's so easy to make and falls into the realm of comfort food. Cut your potatoes skinnier to reduced grilling time. I love serving this with a side of chive and garlic sour cream, but any dipping sauce that you love will be great. I've also made a cumin, Greek yogurt and mint dipping sauce in the past. If you think the flavor will taste good with potatoes, then go for it.

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Sweet Potato-Chickpea Patties with Sriracha-Yogurt Dip

My mom found this recipe a while back and recommended it. These patties make a great vegetarian dinner option, especially if you're still on board with Meatless Mondays. I tend to eat lighter meals in the evening, so a dish like this is a great choice. The patties are also easy to make. They may seem a little difficult to work with, but once they patties begin to fry they stick together.

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Quick and Easy Miso Soup

My friends and I have started a tradition where we have make-your-own sushi night. I tend to host them at my place and I usually have some appetizers ready to go since the sushi rolling process can be time consuming. One thing that I have made for each night is this miso soup. It's so simple and you can flavor it to your liking very easily. When I first made this I couldn't believe how easily it came together. I did have to go to an Asian grocery to find some of the ingredients (like the seaweed and the Japanese style bouillon). Once you have the basic ingredients on hand this soup is very easy make a second time. Enjoy this with some homemade spicy tuna rolls of Japanese style ginger and carrot dressed salad.
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Dairy Free Banana Bread

I am a huge fan of banana bread. It's one of those easy to bake, hard to destroy breads that turns out great every time. I am pretty plain when it comes to banana bread. I'd rather have the batter be simple, without any nuts or chocolate chips. But if you love those additions, feel free to add them. This is another recipe which my sister discovered. It's a great baking option for people who don't consume dairy since the moisture comes from the oil instead of butter and/or milk. This bread also lasts for days in an airtight container- but don't expect it to stick around for that long.

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Chopped Tomato Basil Salad

Luckily I live in an area where summer produce is still available in November. As much as I love apples and pumpkin and chard, summer produce is still some of my favorite. I was able to find some great heirloom tomatoes and decided to make one of my favorite, super easy salads. I love eating this wish some fresh olive bread to mop up any extra dressing. If that sounds crazy, just try it. Make sure you use fresh basil since that brings a lot of flavor to the salad.

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Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

I first discovered this soup at my sister's house. She was making a giant pot of this on a very cold day and it was the perfect dinner. Luckily, she had made this soup many times and had already perfected it to her taste preferences. The two tips she gave me were to halve the recipe if I was not feeding a huge group. She also suggested reducing the amount of curry powder. She said the first time she made it exactly as the recipe stated it was a curry overload. I like curry flavors, but my sister prefers a hint of curry- nothing too overpowering. I also always prefer my soups to be a little spice, so I add red pepper flakes. This recipe is also a great vegan option that is filling but not heavy. However you tackle this soup, it's a delicious comfort food and freezes very well for future use.

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Spicy Tuna Rolls

My friends and I decided to have a homemade sushi night after 2 of them took a sushi making course. We are all sushi making novices, so our rolls were not necessarily the most beautiful. But they tasted delicious and we came up with some fun variations. Our one friend was the sushi master as he had the most experience and he helped us all create our rolls. These spicy tuna ones were a huge hit. We made them plain and some with finely sliced avocado on top. The spicy may is a great addition to the roll and I would suggest making it along with these rolls.

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