the happy kitchen

Due to the global outbreak of COVID-19, the government has ordered a '"shelter-in-place" in our area with the intent to decrease the spreading of this virus. This pandemic has really created a lot of panic in the world, and particularly within my surroundings. Never have I ever seen grocery store shelves so empty. Everyone is stocking up their carts with non-perishables, cleaning supplies, and toilet paper! But it's awful how this hoarding mentality is creating a situation where people who actually need certain items can't acquire them. Insane. Maybe things will start settling down.. one can only hope. Now, as I do my best to practice "social distancing", I suddenly have a lot of free time on my hands. Every once in a while, when I go to the grocery store, I pick up a few bananas. I always think maybe I will need them in case I decide to make a smoothie or pair with a spoonful of peanut butter. And sometimes, depending on how the week is going, those s...

Happy Pi Day! This is one of my favorite days of the year because it's a good excuse to bake pie, eat pie, or [even more realistically] both. When I think of making pie, there is only one that comes to mind. It's a rustic apple pie recipe that I developed many moons ago. I made this on many Father's Day occasions (because apple pie is my dad's favorite). I made it with a homemade caramel sauce for my DVC Intro to Speech class so we could snack while we listened to everyone's speeches. I made this for my dental hygiene classmates. I made this for my Anthropologie coworkers. I made this for my family and extended family. This is something has been enjoyed by many over the years and it truly is a gem. So, I'm officially bringing it out of the vault. I can't remember the last time this rustic apple pie has made an appearance, but it certainly feels long overdue. The first time I made this pie, I was thinking I wanted to do something a little untraditional- n...

Happy Sunday! Friday night was date night. Ryan and I drove into the city and got some delicious pizza at Pizzeria Delfina and then Salt & Straw before heading home. Saturday, Ryan was gone sailing for most of the day. Since the weather wasn't that great, Bella and I had a lazy girl's day. We mostly marathon-watched Love is Blind  on Netflix and I'm not at all ashamed of it. And now, here we are to Sunday already. Like most Sundays, I ran most of my errands early in the morning. The rest of the day is catching up on laundry and trying to meal prep a little for the week. After I got back from grocery shopping this morning, I felt like it was a Pancake Sunday sort of day. So I whipped up some cornmeal pancakes. They were surprisingly fluffy and had a nice little bite of the cornmeal. I definitely would make these again. I know that it may not be as easy as adding water to a boxed pancake mix. But this recipe is still pretty darn easy with a great end result. And, that...

Hi Friends! I have had a few blogs over the years, but I felt like I needed a fresh start. All my former blogs are filled with stories, recipes, and memories- all of which I'm very much proud to have shared with the world. They all truly represent the person I was at that point in my life. Over the years, I have learned a lot about my relationship with food. Basically, it's a loving one. There is a lot of love in my kitchen and, I can definitely say, it is my absolute favorite place to be. I really miss the girl who would make homemade Pop Tarts on any given day, or successfully execute homemade cookie shots because she was inspired by the Dominique Ansel creation. This is who I am deep down inside. I am not a professional of any sort, just someone who enjoys the little wins along the way. One of my biggest goals for the new year (and all other years to follow) is to, simply, be happy . And I can't think of a better way to feed my soul than to create more memori...