Bailey's Balls (No Bake)

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Happy weekend before Christmas! I've been busy doing some holiday baking lately, and this morning I made these Bailey's balls, which are the perfect sweet treat for the holidays! I thought I'd write this post sooner than later, in case you're searching for a last-minute treat to make for Christmas or New Year's!
The original recipe I followed was for Kahlua Balls from Sugarcrafter. I changed a few things though... The original recipe called for dark cocoa powder, but I didn't have that so I just used regular unsweetened cocoa powder. Also, the recipe called for finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate, but I used a mixture of chopped semi-sweet and milk chocolate. Also, instead of agave, I used honey. And obviously, I used Bailey's, not Kahlua! We just didn't have Kahlua on hand, which is why I used Bailey's instead. I would definitely like to try this recipe with Kahlua as well!
Ingredients:
-3 cups finely crushed graham crackers-3/4 cup powdered sugar-1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder-1 and 1/2 cups finely chopped chocolate (I used a mixture of semi-sweet and milk)-1 tsp. vanilla extract-3 Tbsp. honey-1/3 cup Bailey's Irish Cream liqueur-3 Tbsp. brewed coffee-1/2 cup granulated sugar, for rolling
Instructions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the crushed graham crackers, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and chopped chocolate. Stir in the vanilla, honey, Bailey's, and coffee until the dough comes together. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and roll in granulated sugar. This recipe made 26 balls for me.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days to develop the flavor. And continue to store in the fridge until they're gone...which may not take too long. ;)
If you noticed in my pictures, the sugar on the outside of these balls does not look like regular granulated sugar. That's because I used this sparkling white sugar from King Arthur Flour. It felt like a fun, more festive option to me. It's somewhat like snow, right?! :)

As I mentioned earlier, I used a mixture of semi-sweet and milk chocolate. I did this simply because I wanted to use up a few types of chocolate I had on hand. So in the end, my 1 and 1/2 cups of chocolate included some mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, some chopped Hershey's bars, and regular semi-sweet chocolate chips. To save yourself the time of having to chop chocolate, I might actually recommend just using all mini chocolate chips. That would be the easiest, I think! And I bet that any type of chocolate - semi-sweet, milk, or dark - would be wonderful additions to this recipe.
Another tip is to crush your graham crackers in a food processor. That saved me a lot of time and effort! To make 3 cups of crushed graham crackers, I used about 2 and 1/2 sleeves of crackers.



The star of the show, Bailey's!


Aren't these great Christmas stockings?! My parents gave them to us. I thought they'd make a nice backdrop for a few photos. :)

It was nice to actually be in the kitchen during the daylight hours so I could take a few photos in the natural light. Lately I've only been taking pictures at night in the kitchen, and our lighting is horrible for food photos. I know my pictures are never that great compared to most food blogs, but I at least know that they're better when I have the opportunity for natural light. :)

The Bailey's flavor in these balls definitely comes through, as does the coffee flavor. The balls are dense but not too heavy. And they're small enough that if you eat one...or two...you won't feel too guilty. Everything in moderation, right?! ;)

If you need one more recipe to make for your family or friends this holiday season, these Bailey's balls might just be for you!

Have a wonderful weekend, all!!

Peppermint Mocha Blossoms

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I know that a lot of people associate the flavor combination of chocolate and peppermint with Christmas. And I know that Christmas was three days ago. But you still should make these cookies. It's not too late, I promise!!
I made a batch of these cookies before Christmas. And I made a second batch after Christmas. After the first round, I couldn't stop thinking about them and knew I wanted to make them again! 
These cookies use Hershey's Kisses candy cane flavored kisses, which tend to only be in the stores around the holidays. They're likely still available to buy in the stores, so you should probably go get yourself some ASAP! And since it's after Christmas, they might even be on sale?! Next time you head to the grocery store (you know, after you finish reading this post), you might want to look for these candy cane kisses!
This wonderful recipe is from Damn Delicious. The only change I made was substituting instant coffee for the instant espresso powder that's in the original recipe. I couldn't find the espresso powder anywhere! The coffee worked great though; it still imparted a nice coffee flavor.
Ingredients:
-3 cups all-purpose flour-1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder-1 tsp. baking soda-1/4 tsp. salt-1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened-1 and 3/4 cups sugar, divided-2 Tbsp. instant coffee-2 large eggs-1 tsp. vanilla extract-1 tsp. peppermint extract-34 Hershey's candy cane kisses, unwrapped
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. With an electric mixer, beat together the butter, 1 and 1/4 cups of the sugar (set remaining 1/2 cup sugar aside), and espresso powder or instant coffee until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Beat in vanilla and peppermint extract until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture at low speed, beating until just incorporated.
Roll tablespoons of dough into 1-inch balls and coat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Place onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper and bake until outside is crackly, but center is still moist, about 9 to 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool 2 to 3 minutes before topping with a Hershey's candy cane kiss in the center of each cookie. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Crackly tops!

The flavor of these cookies is wonderful - chocolatey with a hint of coffee. And of course, there's also a noticeable peppermint flavor going on too. :)

You may be able to tell in these photos, but I didn't roll these cookies in regular granulated sugar. Instead, I used the same King Arthur Flour sparkling white sugar that I used in my Bailey's Balls recipe.

I think it adds such a fun, wintery touch, don't you??




:)

Nigella's Ritzy Chicken Strips.. An Easy Lunch or Dinner..

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This practically took minutes to prepare and a few more minutes to cook. But needs a couple of days for it to be ready, so prepare them a day in advance. If you have kids, they will love this recipe and grownups do too! I tried this Nigella Lawson easy breezy recipe accompanied by homemade Honey Mustard Sauce.. tastes sooo good!

Ingredients:

2 Packets of boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup buttermilk (Leban) - I prefer KDD because it's think and creamy
20 pieces of Ritz cracker crushed to form bread crumbs


Method:


. Put the chicken breasts into a freezer bag flat.
. Bash them gently with a rolling pin until the chicken is quite thin.
. Once done, take them out of the bag and slice them.
. In a bowl, place the butter milk and chicken and leave then in the fridge to marinade for 24 hours atleast.
. When ready to cook, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven.
. Take the bread crumbs and place them in a shallow dish to coat the chicken.
. Take the chicken out of the fridge, take each piece, shake off the excess buttermilk and dip them in the crumbs.
. Coat them well and lay them on the baking sheet, bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. and Voila !!!!




Dinner is served! ... or lunch ;)

Meat Lover's (No Bean) Chili Recipe

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I was challenged to see if I could make a low-carb, no bean chili. I know there are lots of people who don't need beans in their chili. 

I am not one of them.

or at least I THOUGHT I wasn't one of them. I stand corrected. Very very very corrected.

This is a great chili --- it has all the spice, kick, texture, and heartiness of chili but doesn't have a single bean.  I hate it when I'm wrong.

The Ingredients.
serves 8


2 pounds beef stew meat (frozen is fine)
10 ounces smoked andouille sausages, sliced
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes (whole can)
1 onion, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced (or about 2 teaspoons garlic powder)
1 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups beef broth

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. I didn't brown anything for this recipe, but merely plopped it all in and turned the slow cooker on. Load everything into your cooker --- meat, sausages, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and all the seasonings. Stir in the broth. Cover, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. For chili, the longer the better, in my opinion -- get the flavors to really meld together and provide the meat an opportunity to fall apart.

If you'd like, you can help the meat out by shredding it completely with two large forks, or you can even pulse a few times with a handheld stick blender to naturally thicken the gravy/sauce (what do you call the juice in chili?). 

Serve with your favorite toppings. My kids really like the Scoops chips that Tostitos puts out -- they ate their bowls that way.

The Verdict.
I served this on a chili night to three other families, because I was eager to test out a no-bean version. The crock was scraped clean! I've made quite a few chilis the past few years, and love having a new one to share. I think you'll really enjoy it.

Have a great day! Here are a few other chili recipes you might enjoy, and feel free to share your favorites --- you can never have too many chili options!

pizza chili
enchilada chicken chili
white bean chili
poor man's chili
sweet potato chili (vegan!)
traditional chili
21-Ingredient chili




We're still hosting daily giveaways! Click on over to join in the fun, and start compiling great ideas for the upcoming Holidays.
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Black Eyed Pea Chili in the Slow Cooker

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2012 is practically over which means it's been nearly 5 years since I had my first bowl of Black Eyed Peas. I wasn't impressed.

I've grown a lot since then. 

We've eaten black eyed peas every single New Year ever since, and I can't imagine ringing in another January 1st without them. This year's edition has a twist, though, since I continue to get emails from people complaining that black eyed peas taste like dirt.

I know what they mean --- there's definitely an "earthy" flavor, and while soaking helps, there's really no denying that these beans taste rather BEAN-Y.

So, I've tried my hardest to mask that earthy component by turning these lucky little guys into a chili. And it's a pretty darn good chili, if I do say so myself. 
While I type, I've got 2/3 of my kids eating bowlfuls and they are making yummy noises. Adam's not home yet, but I'm pretty sure he'll eat not only his bowl but the unattended serving.

Have an absolutely wonderful (and SAFE!) New Year.

Need party drinks? My friend Jen, the cocktail lady, has got you covered!!

The Ingredients.
serves 8


1 pound dry black eyed peas, soaked overnight and drained
1 pound lean ground meat, browned and drained
1 onion, peeled, chopped, and browned
4 cloves garlic, peeled, chopped, and browned
28 ounces diced tomatoes (and juice!)
1 (15-ounce) can corn (and juice!)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (and maybe more at the table to taste)
2 cups beef broth

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. In a large skillet on the stovetop (I used the Ninja) brown the meat, onion, and garlic. Drain any accumulated fat, and put the meat mixture into your slow cooker. Add soaked and drained beans.  [note: if you don't have time to presoak the beans, bring them to a boil on the stovetop for 10 minutes, then turn of heat and cover. Let sit for one hour, then drain.]

Add the entire cans of tomato and corn. Stir in dried spices and the beef broth. Cover, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until beans are bite tender and flavors have melded. Serve with your favorite chili toppings. We used shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and some avocado slices.

The Verdict.

I really really liked this, and think you will, too. The chili flavor is mild, and there isn't any heat. If you like heat, I'd suggest tweaking at the table with some Tabasco, because the tang from the Tabasco is awesome with black eyed peas. My kids did well, and liked that I included corn, because it reminded them of Taco Soup.

other stuff:
--start 2013 off on the right foot with a copy of my Totally Together: Shortcuts to an Organized Life planner. We're giving away 5 copies this week!
--Hoppin' John Recipe
--Black Eyed Pea Soup


Have a wonderful New Year!!



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Pear Cranberry Walnut Bread

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I just wrote and deleted a whole post because it was super boring. Instead, I've decided to take the easy way out and share some of my favorite Christmas things on the interwebs. This is the last recipe I'll be posting until after Christmas. For those of you that celebrate, have a safe and Merry Christmas! For those of you that don't, enjoy the day off work!

Five Awesome Christmas Things:
1. These Christmas puppies:



2. The 12 Days of Grumpy Cat Christmas:


3. One of my favorite ladies of YouTube makes up a Christmas drinking game:



4. This video of Jimmy Fallon, The Roots, and Mariah singing All I Want For Christmas Is You (using classroom instruments!):



5. This bread. Yes, I included something I made on my list of awesome Christmas things. Oh my gosh. I don't know if my gushing will do it justice. It's totally Christmasey and delicious. Pears, cranberries, walnuts, and spices are brought together here for a super moist, super flavorful quick bread that needs to be on your breakfast table Christmas morning. I have tons of bread recipes on here because they're one of my favorite things to make, and I think this is my new favorite.




Here's what you'll need:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 large egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups grated, peeled ripe pears, with juice (2-3 pears)
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray a 9x5 loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

In a large bowl, whisk together egg, oil, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and pears.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet until three-quarters mixed together. Add walnuts and cranberries, and fold together until no flour streaks remain. Scrape batter into the prepared loaf pan, and bake for 65-80 minutes, until a wooden skewer comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

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Source: Adapted from Joy of Cooking via Shutterbean

Meat Lover's (No Bean) Chili Recipe

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I was challenged to see if I could make a low-carb, no bean chili. I know there are lots of people who don't need beans in their chili. 

I am not one of them.

or at least I THOUGHT I wasn't one of them. I stand corrected. Very very very corrected.

This is a great chili --- it has all the spice, kick, texture, and heartiness of chili but doesn't have a single bean.  I hate it when I'm wrong.

The Ingredients.
serves 8


2 pounds beef stew meat (frozen is fine)
10 ounces smoked andouille sausages, sliced
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes (whole can)
1 onion, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced (or about 2 teaspoons garlic powder)
1 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups beef broth

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. I didn't brown anything for this recipe, but merely plopped it all in and turned the slow cooker on. Load everything into your cooker --- meat, sausages, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and all the seasonings. Stir in the broth. Cover, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. For chili, the longer the better, in my opinion -- get the flavors to really meld together and provide the meat an opportunity to fall apart.

If you'd like, you can help the meat out by shredding it completely with two large forks, or you can even pulse a few times with a handheld stick blender to naturally thicken the gravy/sauce (what do you call the juice in chili?). 

Serve with your favorite toppings. My kids really like the Scoops chips that Tostitos puts out -- they ate their bowls that way.

The Verdict.
I served this on a chili night to three other families, because I was eager to test out a no-bean version. The crock was scraped clean! I've made quite a few chilis the past few years, and love having a new one to share. I think you'll really enjoy it.

Have a great day! Here are a few other chili recipes you might enjoy, and feel free to share your favorites --- you can never have too many chili options!

pizza chili
enchilada chicken chili
white bean chili
poor man's chili
sweet potato chili (vegan!)
traditional chili
21-Ingredient chili




We're still hosting daily giveaways! Click on over to join in the fun, and start compiling great ideas for the upcoming Holidays.
TweetAdd this recipe to ZipList!

Ina's Coconut Cake

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Today is my Grandma's Birthday. My mom had us over for dinner and to celebrate and she asked me to make the cake. Now I know that my Grandma loves cakes made from scratch so I set out to find a yummy one that she would love. I also know that she loves Hawaii and the flavors of the Islands, so I decided to go with coconut. When I found Ina Garten's recipe, I had to try it out since every recipe Ive ever tried of hers has been awesome. Well, I was not disappointed. This makes a great, buttery, moist cake with a pretty light texture.

I did make some changes to the recipe based off other's reviews. Instead of using 3 sticks of butter, I used 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce in place of one of the sticks. I cut the sugar from 2 cups to 1 1/2. I also used buttermilk instead of regular milk and coconut extract instead of almond (in the cake and the frosting). Also, mine was done after 35 minutes, I think the original 45-50 minutes would have been way too long. This turned out perfect with just enough coconut flavor. I will be making this many more times.


Coconut Cake (inspired by Ina Garten)
nocoupons

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure coconut extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup butter milk
• 4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

For the Frosting

nocoupons

• 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon pure coconut extract
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, then line them parchment paper. Grease them again and dust lightly with flour.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Beat in the applesauce until well mixed. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and coconut extracts and mix well. The mixture might look curdled; don't be concerned.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the butter milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 35 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.

For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth (don't whip!).

To assemble, place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.

Ina's Shrimp Scampi

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I had some shrimp I wanted to use, so I went onto my favorite cooking board on The Nest and asked for recipes. I got a few responses that I had to try Ina Garten's recipe. Well, I found a couple different ones, but this one I happened to have most of the ingredients on hand, so I went for it. Let me tell you, looking at the pic, it doesn't look like there is much sauce or flavor on those noodles, but there is. It was really yummy and flavorful. It had a very lemony taste. I changed a couple things with the recipe so it would be saucier, I added white wine and a bit more butter. I also forgot all about the lemon slices, so that was omitted. I had this meal prepped, and when I went to go make it it took me less than 15 minutes total. So easy and quick! I will definitely have to make this one more often.

Shrimp Scampi with Spaghetti (adapted from Ina Garten)

• Vegetable oil
• Kosher salt
• 3/4 pound linguine
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 1/2 cup of your favorite white wine
  
• 1 pound large shrimp (about 16 shrimp), peeled and deveined
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 lemon, zest grated
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
• 1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the white wine and let it cook a couple more minutes. Add the shrimp, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

Peppermint Perfection

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I’m not a real huge fan of peppermint.  Not by a long shot.  But there’s something about this time of year that makes the taste tolerable.  Infact, I downright ADORE peppermint flavored anything during the holidays.  I knew this little number would be a holiday favorite in NO time.  Paired with my favorite holiday drink, peppermint punch {peppermint ice cream, baileys, and ginger ale}, this is absolute peppermint perfection!

 

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT PRETZELS

recipe via Peppermint Plum

1 bag butter snaps pretzels

1 bag hershey’s candy cane kisses

1 bag m&m’s {I used the green dark chocolate candy pieces!}

This couldn’t be easier.  In addition to a hot oven and peppermint cravings, this is what you’ll need…

It’s so easy your kids can help, too!  Even the big ones ;)  And trust me when I say you’ll want their help…you don’t want to unwrap all those kisses alone!!!!

 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and start lining up the butter snaps.  You can fit quite a bit on a baking sheet, so don’t be shy.  Unwrap the kisses and place them in the center of the pretzel.  I actually used two bags of kisses so I could make A LOT!  And you’ll DEFINITELY want to do the same!!!!!

Bake at 200 for about 5-8 minutes or until the kisses start spreading over the pretzels.  Keep your eye on them so they don’t completely melt through!!!!  Remove from the oven and place a little chocolate M&M in the middle of the kiss.

You’ll want to go at this alone because the chocolate is pretty hot and you don’t want to scorch any little fingers :)  I removed the pretzels from the pan and transferred them to the fridge to cool for about 20 minutes. 

Now, if you’re giving these as a little gift {which we did}, you’ll want to quadruple the batch.  For real. We couldn’t.stop.eating.  Talk about ADDICTING!!!!!!  These little chocolate peppermint pretzels are TO DIE FOR in every sense of the word!!!!!  Try them and see for yourself!  But get ‘em quick!!  These candy cane kisses won’t be available for long!!!!

We're MARRIED!!!

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Well, it happened!!!

Mike and I were married last Saturday, November 3rd. :) It was honestly the best day of my life, and we couldn't be happier right now!

I've included several pictures from the day in this post. These pictures are from a few different wedding guests. The professional ones won't be done for another month or so, but once we get them, I will be sure to share them with you on the blog!

My handsome groom, his brother and best man, Dave, and one of his groomsman, Andy.

We got married in my hometown church in upstate New York.




This is my parents' 1938 Chevy, which they also rode away in at their wedding in 1979. How cool is that??!

Pictures on the beach by the lake! This was Brant Lake, NY, by the way. :)

The day was actually quite cold, low 40's, and during pictures, the winds were blowing pretty strongly (15 - 20 mph). We tried not to look cold in the pictures even though we were freeeezing!



Cake cutting!!

The cake Mike and I cut was a pumpkin cake with vanilla frosting. It was soooo soooo good!

And for our guests we had two types of cupcakes - vanilla cupcakes with a Bailey's chocolate frosting and chocolate cupcakes with creme de menthe Oreo frosting. I didn't get to try either kind that night, but I was able to try a vanilla cupcake with Bailey's chocolate frosting the next day. It was awesome! And our guests said the other flavor was deeelicious too.
And no, I did not bake our wedding cake or cupcakes. No time for that. ;)


My wonderful mom, sister (best maid of honor ever!!), and me.

Love that guy - who's now my husband. :)


We had an absolutely amazing weekend, and we are so thankful to have had such a wonderful celebration to begin our married lives together! I could go on and on here, but for now, I will just keep it at that. We are so very happy. :)
In the coming weeks, I actually hope to mix in some wedding-related blog posts with some normal food posts. I thought it would be fun to share more details of our big day (if you all don't mind!).
Hope everyone's had a great week! Happy Friday and weekend!