Best Chocolate Cake with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream

This cake is extremely moist and dense, without being overly rich.  It really is the best chocolate cake recipe I've come across thus far.

Ham and Swiss Sliders with Sweet Poppy Seed Glaze

Today I give the gift of ease.

And these little devils are gloriously good. 

Grandma Hill's Cheese Cake

Today's my birthday. 

How To :: Classic Gingerbread House + Free Printable Pattern

I have an early Christmas gift for y'all today. 

I am thrilled to be able to share this How-To and as a bonus I've created free printable patterns, just for you.  Ho Ho Ho.

Making these Gingerbread Houses was a highly anticipated tradition as I was growing up, and now I enjoy making them with my own little girls.  It is so magical and fun and totally worth the mess.

Pani Popo, Samoan Coconut Rolls

Dinner rolls are indeed a sacred Thanksgiving staple.  Each year I mostly serve up the same traditional dishes, but I try to mix it up and add a few new ones too.        

These hover somewhere between the status of roll and dessert, and to be frank, they're da bomb. 

   

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

It snowed today.  First snow of the season, and a frigid cold day.

So the girls and I huddled inside and baked.

Rainbow Sour Cream Cupcakes

My youngest baby girl Gigi recently turned one.  

She's my angel baby.  Sweet, quiet, cuddly and the calm observer amongst her two spunky, boisterous elder sisters.  And like all babies of the family, my unabashed favorite child.  

Berry Crumble Bars

These bars were bonkers good.  

They remind me of my sweet Grandma Hill and all of the happy childhood memories of the lovely home baked goods that she spoiled us with as kids.  Mmmmmm.  

My choc-aholic P-Man loved 'em too.  He's always proving me wrong that way.  I'll make something that I'm sure he'll reject on principle alone, and he's like "Hey these are super good".  

Roasted Sweet Italian Sausage and Vegetables (a one-pan dinner!)

I really like Pam Anderson. 

No, not that Pam Anderson, but Pam of Three Many Cooks.  She's the inspiration behind this recipe and my new preoccupation with one-dish dinners.  Her new cook book Perfect One-Dish Dinners: All You Need for Easy Get-Togethers  is an absolute revelation.      

A work of utter genius.         

Soft melt-in-your-mouth Sugar Cookies

Everyone needs a killer sugar cookie recipe in their dessert arsenal.   

Here's mine. 

The oooper doooper secret for fabulous sugar cookies?  Sour cream.  That's right.  They're soft, moist and perfect for use with cookie cutters.  You'll never need another recipe, trrrust me.

Shamrock Cheesecake Brownies

Being that we've got a good amount of Irish heritage in our clan, there's a special place in our hearts for St. Patty's day. 

And I'll tell you a secret; I've never really been a lover of traditional brownies.  But cheesecake brownies... Oh that's another story for this Lass.

Caramelized Onion, Chicken, Bacon, Blue Cheese and spicy Honey Mustard Pizza- aka "The Incident".

No.  This recipe title could not possibly be longer.  I had no other choice, this pizza needed an introduction that could give you a proper glimpse into its glorious flavor complexity.  It has been my phantom pizza.  Many times attempted, and now at long last perfected. 

"The Incident" background: Once upon a time, I tried an exotic brick oven pizza that I have since felt was my mission in life to recreate.  Here it is, and you're welcome.  The end. 

Vanilla Buttercream & Doctored Cake Mix

Oh Buttercream.  Thank you for being so flawlessly easy to whip up and so sinfully perfect.  I shan't ever open a can of store-bought frosting again.  

You surpassed my every expectation.  

But there's more!  My lovely Mom-in-law Charlyn--who has loads of cupcake wisdom--shared with me the secret to achieving wonderfully moist, flavorful cake from a box.  

Mayonnaise!  Who knew?!

Pecan Pie Mini Tarts

I needed a sweet holiday fix.  One that was miles away from chocolate.  Being that I'm more of a vanilla girl and my soulmate is a choc-aholic, every now and again chocolate and I have to take a break. 

This recipe was heaven sent, and they're dainty and lovely to boot.  The caramely filling and cream cheese crust are a positively scrumptious pairing. 

Blueberry Muffins. The heavenly kind.

It has occurred to me that most anything worth baking will naturally call for the use of either butter or buttermilk.  These heavenly muffins wisely require both.  And the batter- oh trust me when I say that one taste will never suffice, and your muffins may never make it into the oven. 

The Galaxy's Best- Easy Dinner Rolls.

I meant what I said.  These pillowy rolls are so easy to make- no kneading, no letting them rise three times, or any of that nonsense.  They are perfectly fluffy, yeasty, and need no further introduction.  My only stipulation is that you try one hot out of the oven, schmear on some butter, and promptly die and go to heaven.

Brick-oven-like Pizza, at home.



The heavens have opened my friends.  Fabulous home made brick-oven-like pizza is rather easy.  Yes I said it.  Easy!  Albeit I will admit that my path to painless pizza making has not been purely smooth sailing.  A low point being five bowls of various yeast proofing experiments, which speaks volumes doesn't it?  However that is where my well earned tips and tricks will invariably help you to meet with much success.  Before you know it you'll be steering clear of the frozen pizza aisle & deleting the delivery pizza chains from your cell phone contacts list.  That's right.  This is life altering folks.