When my grandma was moving to her condo she gifted me a stack of her Country Women Christmas books from the 90’s and they are FULL of amazing church cookbook style recipes. Some of them are scary jello’s with floating fruits in them but other recipes like these no bake potato chip chocolate bites are […]

Michigan is currently being blessed with an early spring right now and I have never been happier about it. The flowers are popping up a bit earlier and the earth is thawing. I’m holding my breath for one or two more light snows as Michigan likes to do. I am looking forward to all the […]

Joe was gone for the day so Otto and I had the house all to ourselves. Since he had already broken in to his easter basket I thought we should have a little fun with it. He’s been begging to eat a chocolate bunny since the moment he found them and I finally gave in. […]

Easter Candy is the king of all candy. There is not a better holiday for candy offerings than Easter. Try and prove me wrong. Nothing can or ever will top Cadbury eggs and marshmallow Peeps. To celebrate such occasion I thought it would be so fun to put a spin on a classic charcuterie board […]

This fall when I was at the Springfield Antique Market my snack of choice was the delicious homemade pretzels that the amish were making on a folding table under the tent. They were hot, soft and doughy, covered in delicious crunchy salt and served with a rich cheese sauce. There were no tables available so […]

Nobody puts baby in a corner. Especially if she’s dutch. I whipped up this gruyere and onion dutch baby last week Sunday for our stay at home brunch (again). It was an act of desperation I guess one could say. It was the end of the week and I hadn’t bought groceries yet so it […]

I needed a brain break last week. I wanted to be creative and I also wanted some pumpkin pie. I feel like pumpkin pie is similar to candy corn. You either love it or it’s garbage. I could eat candy corn by the fist full and I would argue that a good pumpkin pie might […]

Making marshmallows is a combination of art and science. It’s about time, speed, temperature and setting. I have been working on perfecting my marshmallows and these in the future I’m going to work on getting them a little more fluffier. Homemade marshmallows by nature are a little more dense (and sticky) but so so delicious […]

My mom and grandma make the best bread pudding and one of them usually makes it every Thanksgiving and Christmas and while some would call it a dessert….we Hoppens call it a side dish. Saturday was a cool crisp fall morning and the first one of the season and we had every intention of venturing […]

The mornings and evenings are getting chillier and chillier around here and when that happens my brain immediately goes COMFORT FOOD. Joe said a few days ago remember when we could travel and we had that awesome fondue in Switzerland? Random.. it was like five years ago. But yea I never forget a good pot […]

I don’t know if it was my son driving his paw patrol through the bowl of flour or what but these muffins are some of the best pumpkin muffins i’ve ever made. I know, I know I say that about all the muffins I make.. (see blueberry muffins here) but i’m not joking around. They […]

I read the other day that there could potentially be a pumpkin puree shortage this year. I shouldn’t be surprised it is 2020 after all. Maybe this is the time in my life when I teach myself to whip up my own pumpkin puree? hmmmm I smell a weekend activity. An activity… Kind of like […]