Blackberry Muffins...

I thought this recipe would make for a good morning! I recently got back from a camping trip with some friends and I brought these along! They were yummy and an easy breakfast. They were also a cinch to whip up, which is great because I had a brief and fleeting desire to bake last week, so I hopped on board and whipped these up before the desire vanished. That usually happens when I see the mound of dirty dishes in my sink...dirty dishes make me grumpy, but clean kitchens make me happy, so I charged through my baking, washed the dishes, and sat down and ate a muffin. It was all worth it:-) These Blackberry Muffins are another Joy the Baker recipe. Cheers to baking, and making messes, and cleaning them up, and muffins, and all those little things that make you smile!

Sweet and Summer...

So it's been awhile since I've taken on a new recipe and shared it with you all. And I even received a pretty new apron from my mom to dress up the whole cooking mess I usually make in the kitchen. But, tonight I donned the new apron (trying not to get it dirty:-) and tackled another Rachael Ray recipe for Citrus Soy Stir Fry...say that ten times fast! It was tasty with the sweet and spicy combo and lots of colors that remind me of summer. And true to my nature, I couldn't just follow the darn recipe; I had to improvise. I threw in some carrots, extra hot sauce, and served mine with rice instead of pasta. And I'm already dreaming up what else would be scrumptious for next time. So go ahead, throw whatever the heck you want in that wok and go crazy!!

P.S. The linked recipe is not the exact recipe from her book, but it looked close.

A FRIENDly surprise....

Today, I was inspired by a couple of different things. First, the lovely weather inspired me to whip out the grill! Yay:-) Second, a loving and dear friend of mine sent me a surprise package of some fun new dishes to jazz up my display options for photos. So, tonight I made Steak with crispy potatoes and pistachio pesto. I have to say that this was another golden recipe! It was so yummy!!! Though I did veer from the recipe slightly (I grilled my steak and roasted my broccoli), I followed the pesto part closely and mmmm, mmmmm I'm glad I did!  I loved the delicious nutty flavor of the pistachios with the steak...who would of thought? So there you go! Enjoy...

 

 P.S. Despite my desire to consume this entire platter, I refrained:-) Leftovers here I come!!

Yuuuuummmmmm.....

 

Okay, so I have to start off by saying that my mouth is still watering over these pictures even though I'm stuffed to the brim!! This was so yummy! It was another recipe of firsts: First time cooking with leeks; First time correctly zesting a lemon; Second time cooking with raw shrimp (which taste so much better than the precooked ones:-) I also think it would be good with chicken if you're not a shrimp person. This Shrimp, Leek, and Spinach Pasta was from my Real Simple magazine and it was fantastically quick. I had such a lovely evening chopping, prepping, zesting and smelling all of its yumminess while the sun shined (or shown?) into the kitchen. Hooray for Spring...and yummy food:-) Happy eating everyone!