i love cooking and baking but what i don’t love is a bunch of random kitchen gadgets around the house. i love a good spatula but i don’t need an avocado pitter. you know what i am saying? i have a few devices that have earned themselves a permanent spot in the kitchen and over […]

I told you that the frosting from the cake i made on thanksgiving by half baked harvest was so good I was going to put it on other things. and I held true to my promise and put it on waffles. and made a waffle tower cake of sorts. a frosted waffle tower. nothing fancy […]

there is a lot of pressure having thanksgiving at your house! even though it was a small group (my parents and us) it’s in my top two favorite holidays and i wanted it to be special. i have a tendency of going over the top but i think i managed to keep it in check […]

my grandma was always good at “whipping up” recipes. i remember one time she brought a crushed pineapple hot dish that had crunchy salty toppings and it was insanely amazing. we only got to enjoy it once because she didn’t write down the recipe and just whipped it up on the fly! then there was […]

i’m calling these cranberry christmas cookies because if i’m going to think of what the holidays smell like, it’s cinnamon and cranberries. maybe chestnuts roasting on an open fire but there is none of that in these cookies. as “hunting season” approaches i’ve been cooking and baking up a storm to send a bunch of […]

it’s become a habit, good or bad (yet to be determined) that sunday night after the chores and prep for the week are complete, we make a comfort meal. last night it was meatballs with left over gravy and crusty toast and the week before that it was this cauliflower mac and cheese. i added […]

this fall i’ve barely touched the pumpkin puree and have been CRAVING caramel apples. instead of ice cream (which hudsonville pumpkin pie ice cream is a revolution) i’ve been going for the caramel apples with peanuts. i typically do not even like nuts. but i make that my sunday night snack. joe and i have […]

before work this morning i woke bright and early and headed off to the fulton street farmers market. guys, life has been moving at a face pace and every wednesday or friday morning i’ve been busy with something. i got to take a quick walk up and down the aisle this morning gathering just a […]

growing up i thought michigan was the most boring state on the planet earth. all i could think of was… robins and cherries. you know simple kid stuff. guys, not to brag about my state but i’m going to brag about my state. we have the most amazing fresh water beaches, 4 seasons (one however, […]

towards the end of the week i am always left with half bottles of this or that sauce, one or two of this veggie etc. i hate waste so i try to be creative and use what i have left so i don’t end up throwing things away and letting them expire. it’s so hard […]

i don’t think it’s a secret that if it’s covered in cheese, i want it. my dutch great grandma once said “if given the choice between chocolate or cheese i will always choose cheese”. so it’s hereditary. i love cheese really but nothing beats a good cheese plate. you don’t need a ton just some […]

this weekend we stayed home and had time to lounge around the house and dare i say…relax?! guys it’s so hard for me to sit. i’ve alway struggled with rest because there is just so much that i love to do and it’s hard to stay in one place. but one thing i love to […]