Avalanche Bars

This is a yummy, super simple, quick recipe from cookiesandcups.com! In fact, they smelled and tasted so good as I was making them, that I had to put them in the refrigerator so they would cool faster! And, I had everything I needed in my pantry. No notes or adjustments, except these might not last til morning! :)

Broccoli cheddar soup

I've never been much of a soup person, as in I love to eat it, but it seemed like too much work to make it. This recipe is perfect for someone like me. It has a short list of simple, common ingredients, easy prep, and DELICIOUS results. Seriously, I think this is as good as some I've had in restaurants. So give this broccoli cheddar soup from Annie's Eats a go this fall as the weather is getting colder. You won't be disappointed. As a note, I did add a bit of salt and pepper towards the end of the simmer time, as the recipe recommends, and I used my immersion blender to blend the soup a bit to create a thicker soup (but left some larger chunks of carrot and broccoli intact.

Honey- lime chicken

I found the recipe for this super simple chicken marinade on pinterest! We had it for dinner tonight and it was very tasty... even the boys ate it (though they did mention that it was spicy, so if your kids are sensitive, cut down on the cayenne). I cut my chicken breasts down to "cutlet" size so that they would marinate better (more surface area) and cook more easily on the Foreman Grill. Delicious, quick weeknight main dish!

Divine Caramel Sauce

I have posted this recipe before, but I wanted to begin my new format with something great, and this recipe is DIVINE... just like the name says. As I made another batch this evening, I was thinking back on how many times I've made this since I found it. Countless. This sauce is good on ice cream, brownies, a spoon... but Caleb and I use most of it in a little coffee confection. A couple shots of espresso, a little of this lovely caramel sauce, and a splash of magical half and half. De- lightful!

That said, this caramel sauce requires patience and vigilance. On my first couple of attempts, it wasn't until my second try that I managed not to end up of a pot full of hard white candy... so be SURE that your sugar is FULLY dissolved before you bring it to a boil! It always takes me longer than Mel's time estimates.

Try this, you will not be disappointed!

Divine caramel sauce from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Programming change

So, you'll notice that I haven't posted anything on this blog in a good long while. I had great intentions to, but the stars never aligned. That being the case, I'm going to reformat this blog a bit. I'll simply be posting links to the recipes that I love and use. I'll, of course, give tips or input from my experience with the recipes, but I'll let the very capable gaggle of talented food bloggers already on the internet share their step by step instructions and photos. Because, let's face it, I'm not adapting recipes or making up my own, and these bloggers take MUCH better photos than I do anyway. And each time I create a blog post for a recipe, I'll also post the link for the recipe on FB. So you can go directly there, if you like, and check here if you want to see my two cents! Excited to be sharing the recipes that I use in the kitchen again!