TGIS!

Seriously, I thought Saturday would never get here.

I’m sorry I skipped the last two Slice of Life Saturday’s. Did you miss me? Nah, you probably didn’t even notice I was gone. I have a very good excuse for my Saturday absence. Wanna hear it?

I was busy preparing for my very last day of class as a college student. That’s right, kiddos, I’m finished. I’m officially the proud owner of smarts—the for reals kind, too. Not that fake, hear-say kind. Nope, I have a piece of paper to back me up… A very expensive piece of paper, I might add.

So, I’m officially for reals smart. Time to break out the bubbly and celebrate!

What’s a girl to do with her newfound freedom? Up until now, I haven’t had any freedom. I my life pretty much came to a halt when I decided to back to school three years ago (remind me again why I did that). I’m not even familiar with the word freedom; it left my vocabulary in 2009 and hasn’t returned. I’m sure I’ll find something to fill the gaping void that was once writing extensive research papers and reading 500-page novels from the literary canon.

Heck, I might just go wild and crazy! Eh, maybe I’ll wait awhile. I think I’ll take a small break first–give my brain a much deserved rest before, say, riding a mechanical bull or doing body shots. Maybe read a few books, peruse my extensive cookbook collection, ride my bike. Yeah, I’ll take it slow. Ease myself into wild and crazy.

Here’s what I’ve been doing in my free time. I’m not ready to go wild and crazy just yet, but that doesn’t mean my nails shouldn’t be given the opportunity to get funky.

I hope all the moms out there had a wonderful Mother’s Day. I know my mom did…thanks to me and not my lackadaisical brothers. I don’t know what it is about my brothers (maybe even boys in general), but they’re just not good at being attentive and involved when it comes to special occasions. Every year, I do all of the work when it comes to making Mother’s Day and my mom’s birthday special. They literally have no clue. I pick out and purchase the gift, make the card, and prepare the celebratory cocktails and food while they sit back and relax. When the day arrives, they try not to act surprised when my mom unwraps her gift from the three of us. “Oh yeah, I picked that out myself. I risked my life in the throng of people at the jewelry store the day before Mother’s Day purchasing your gift. Don’t you love it,” my brother mocks. Ugh, I could kick him sometimes. “Yeah, bravo on the gift,” I quip in return. My mom just looks at him with that please-I’m-sure-this-was-all-your-idea look on her face.

I knew I wanted to make my mom a special cocktail for her special day. I chose to go simple and make sangria. I knew I could rely on Stephanie, the author of Eat. Drink. Love., for a great recipe.Stephanie doesn’t know it, but I call her the Sangria Queen. Her sangria recipes, along with all of her other recipes, are creative and full of flavor. I’m a frequent flyer at Stephanie’s site, and I’m always drooling over her yummy cocktail recipes. I made her Spring Sangria. It was a hit! My mom adored it. It’s fruity and bubbly and perfectly sweet. We loved it so much that we decided to put it the menu for my graduation party.

I also made my mama a cake. What’s a special occasion without a cake? Certainly not special. I decided to go with a simple white cake with blueberry filling and lemon buttercream frosting. Mmm, it was so good. I think it’s safe to say that my mama had a delicious Mother’s Day. 

I’d like to thank Baltimore County Public Library for allowing me to borrow books even though I’m an irresponsible library patron. I promise I’ll find and return the misplaced (maybe even lost) book that I owe you. Thanks for having faith in me and allowing me to borrow these lovelies in the meantime.

Recipes I pinned this week:

Tipsy Lemonade & Peach Iced Tea by The Comfort of Cooking
Grapefruit Margaritas by Fake Ginger
Grain-Free Raw Peanut Butter Cookie Dough by Texanerin Baking

Recipes I’m craving:

Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Tart by Food Babbles- No words can describe the deliciousness that is this tart. Seriously, this is a must make!
Blueberry Cheesecake with a Macadamia Nut Crust by A Periodic Table- This cheesecake is absolutely stunning with its beautiful blue-purple bursts of fresh blueberries.
Buttermilk Ranch French Fries by Savory Simple- I’ll take a double order, please!
Peanut Butter Honey Buttermilk Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Streusel by Averie Cooks- This cake means business. Averie, you’re a peanut butter genius!
Turtles French Toast by Cravings of a Lunatic- This recipe is the very reason I love Kim. The girl loves her some turtles, and I love her for it.

Look What I made:

Teedo’s Famous Salsa by Eat.Drink.Love (original recipe by Jenny Flake of Picky Palate)- This salsa was a hit in my house. We snacked on it. Cooked with it, and maybe even ate it by the spoonfuls (I’m obviously a weirdo).
Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough by Eat.Drink.Love- I made this recipe for my brother’s 18th birthday. They didn’t last long. Seriously, make these!
Toasted Coconut Blueberry Muffins by Honey What’s Cooking?- I made these for a breakfast gathering with my favorite ladies a few weeks ago. These are really special muffins. The combination of blueberries and coconut together is dreamy.

Today is a very special day. It just so happens to be Carla’s birthday today. You know Carla; the very talented baker over at Chocolate Moosey. She’s the gal that brings you amazing desserts like Award-Winning Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes, Lemon Coconut Cinnamon Rolls, Cadbury Creme Egg Milkshakes, and Funfetti Cheesecake. Um, yes please, I’ll take one of each. She’s even got your back when it comes to savory dishes with these Honey Butter Dinner Rolls, Roasted Jalapeño Soup, and Buffalo Chicken Dip Quesadillas.

I can’t take it anymore, I’m heading over to Carla’s for dinner and dessert. Do you think she’ll mind cooking on her birthday?

Carla is one of the nicest bloggers ever. She’s super sweet and would do anything for a friend. I’ve been lucky enough to get to know Carla over the past year and half since I’ve been blogging. She’s a fellow #SundaySupper contributor and a friend.

Guess what? I’m finally going to meet her in July at The Big Summer Potluck. I can’t wait! I foresee us becoming real pals, cupcake buddies, and maybe even BFF’s.

I knew I had to bake something really special for Carla’s birthday. Something fun and vibrant, just like Carla’s personality. I got funky with it and made cake batter funfetti cookie cups with dark chocolate nutella ganache.

Any time I get to throw a bunch of rainbow sprinkles into a bowl of batter is a good day. The flecks of brightly colored sweetness exude happiness–perfect for a birthday celebration. No matter how your day went, a bowl full of rainbow-studded cookie batter is sure to make it better.

There has been a bunch of hype recently about cake batter cookies using boxed cake mix as the base. Recipes spread like wildfire on blogs, Pinterest, and food porn sites. I have nothing against boxed cake mix. It’s great to use in a pinch and a guaranteed success, but I wanted a cookie that had that classic cake batter flavor, but also tasted homemade. To acheive this, I added a combination of vanilla and almond extracts to the sugar cookie base.

This recipe has taken me a few (eight to be exact) tries to perfect, but it was worth it. Look how festive and colorful they are.

They lure you in with all those bright sprinkles. They’re soft and chewy on the inside and crispy, crunchy on the outside.

Add a dollop of creamy dark chocolate nutella ganache and these cookies become instantly special–special enough for a birthday party. I think Carla is really going to enjoy these cookies. Whatdoya think?

If you’re not in the mood for chocolate, don’t add it. They’re just as good without the chocolate as they are with it.

Happy Birthday, Carla! Enjoy your special day, and make sure you eat a piece of cake for me.

• Coconut Fudge Cream-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars ~ Juanita’s Cocina
• Chocolate Mousse Cake for Chocolate Moosey ~ Chocolate, Chocolate, and More
• Chocolate Moose Cookies | Happy Birthday Chocolate Moosey ~ Cravings of a Lunatic
• Individual Funfetti Cake ~ The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Chocolate Moose Cupcakes ~ Daily Dish Recipes
• Torticas de Moron (Cuban Sugar Cookies) ~ Magnolia Days
• Funfetti Cookie Cups ~ The Messy Baker
• Happy Birthday Thumbprint Cookies ~ Family Foodie
• Lemon Poppyseed Layer Cake for a Chocolate Moosey Birthday ~ Gotta Get Baked

I learned something about myself on Friday. I’m getting old, and I’m so not hardcore. I don’t stay up late, wake up with hangovers, go clubbing, sky dive, or bungie jump. And you know what? I’m okay with that.

I’m more of a sit-back-and-watch-the-crazies while slowly sipping on a cocktail kind of gal. I realized just how non-hardcore I am when Squirrel and I were at the Limp Bizkit concert on Friday evening. I was standing against the rail on the second tier balcony above the stage so I would have a decent view of the stage and sort of seclude myself from the crowd. Thank goodness I did, because as soon as the show started, the crowd went bonkers. Like, gigantic mosh pit bonkers! I’ve been to several concerts, none of which have been as rowdy and wild as this one. I watched a guy leap over the second floor railing as if he could fly. Well…he couldn’t. He ended up landing on some poor innocent soul on the first floor. Crazy! I would have feared for my life if I wasn’t safely isolated upstairs and away from the crowd of wild monkeys.

I had a great view of the crowd from the second floor. Looking down over the rail, all I could see was a sea of people swaying back and forth like rolling waves, their heads bobbing up and down with the beat of the music. My brother-in-law was brave enough to face the crowd of wild monkeys. Squirrel and I? Not so much. I would have been trampled, kicked, and knocked around like a weightless rag-doll. I would have drowned in the sea of people. But not my brother-in-law. I watched him bump and sway with the crowd. I watched him like a hawk, fearful that he may go down and never resurface. He was a crowd-surfing trooper. I was in awe of his bravery.

I may not be a hardcore, crowd surfing diva, but I’m hardcore in other, less brutal ways. I can garden with the best of them. I’m a hardcore vegetable planter. Does that count? I can mix a cocktail like no other. How about that? Does that count as hardcore?

I know one thing. I’m a hardcore foodie–always have been, always will be. Who needs crowd surfing when you have baking skills?

This month’s #BundtaMonth theme is berries, and since blueberries are one of my favorite berries, I decided to bake a blueberry-coconut bundt.

This bundt recipe was inspired by this very delicious blueberry muffin recipe I made a few weeks ago from Honey What’s Cooking? The muffins were so good that I had to create something else that combined the flavors of blueberry and coconut.

The slightly sweet cake is buttery with a moist, tender crumb. Each bite is bursting with sweet blueberries and flecks of toasted coconut. I added a bit of lemon zest to brighten up the cake and add an extra layer of flavor.

I consider this the perfect breakfast cake. It’s not too sweet and pairs well with a cup of coffee or tea.

Enjoy!

Don’t forget to check out the other berrilicious bundts:

• Blueberry Banana Bundt by Veronica at My Catholic Kitchen
• Blueberry Buttermilk Cake by Lora at Cake Duchess
• Blueberry Coconut Bundt by Jennie at The Messy Baker Blog
• Blueberry Cream Cheese Bundt Cake by Anuradha atBaker Street
• Blueberry Orange Baby Bundts by Anne at From My Sweet Heart
• Lemon Berry Bundt Cake by Heather at Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks
• Lemon Berry Bundt by Holly at A Baker’s House
• Lemon Raspberry Bundlets by Kate at Food Babbles
• Lemon Rhubarb Bundt Cake with Blueberries by Laura at The Spiced Life
• Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Bundt Cake by Karen at In the Kitchen With KP
• Orange Blueberry Yogurt Bundt Cake by Renee at Magnolia Days
• Strawberry and Orange Bundt Cake by Alice at Hip Foodie Mom
• Strawberry Sweetheart by Kim at Ninja Baking
• Very Berry Streusel Bundt by Anita at Hungry Couple

We have a berrilicious theme this month for #bundt-a-month. 14 gorgeous cakes using berries in every form will be inspiration enough for you to bake with us this month.

Here ís how you can be a part of Bundt-a-Month:
• Simple rule: Use your favorite berries or a combination of two and bake us a Bundt for May
• Post it before May 31, 2013
• Use the #BundtaMonth hashtag in your title. (For ex: title could read #BundtaMonth: Cherry Bundt)
• Add your entry to the Linky tool below
• Link back to our announcement posts

Even more bundt fun! Follow Bundt-a-Month on Facebook where we feature all our gorgeous bundt cakes. Or head over to our Pinterest board for inspiration and choose from hundreds of Bundt cake recipes.

This week the #SundaySupper crew is celebrating Cinco de Mayo. I’ll take any excuse to indulge in Mexican food–it’s my favorite cuisine in all the world! The lovely Jen of Juanita’s Cocina is hosting this week’s festivities.

Jen is my girl. She is the perfect host for such an event. If you’re not familar with Jen or her site, go on over and get friendly. Trust me, you won’t be sorry you did. The girl takes her Mexican food seriously, and it’s a good thing she does, because her food is delicious. These tacos–yum! I’ve only made them like 5 times and usually scarf down 3 in one sitting. Like I said, she’s the perfect host for this week’s event.

What’s a Cinco de Mayo party without booze? Being the lover of cocktails that I am, I decided to combine two of my favorite boozey beverages, Corona and a margarita. I call it the margarona. Fun, right? I can’t take credit for the idea, just the recipe. I was first introduced to this creative combination at Plaza Azteca in Williamsburg, Virginia when Squirrel and I were on vacation in April. We listened to the suggestions of the locals and found ourselves at Plaza Azteca on the last night of our vacation, which is sad, really, because if I would have found it sooner, we would have eaten there every night. Yup, it was that good!

The beergaritas or margaronas, as the locals called them, were all the rave. Every single person we spoke to instructed us to try them. When we arrived at the restaurant, everyone, and I mean everyone, ordered the margaronas. There were margaronas as far as the eye could see, glistening like sparkling green stars on all the tables. What’s a girl to do?

Order the margarona, of course! Mmm, and were they delicious. I knew I would recreate them at home the minute the tangy, bubbly beverage hit my tongue.

The second I found out what this week’s #SundaySupper theme was, I knew I’d have to make the margarona for y’all.

You want to make sure your margarita mixture is fully chilled before blending it with the ice. If you neglect to chill your mixture, you run the risk of the ice diluting your margarona. Trust me, you don’t want a diluted and potentially less flavorful margarona. Nope, you want it full leaded and potent.

Don’t do like I did and fill your glass up all the way and then try to snuggle your mini Corona in the icy mixture–overflow! The mixture spilled out over the sides, causing me to chug.

Fill your glass up half way, then place your Corona bottle into the mixture until it touches the bottom of the glass. The Corona will begin flow out into the glass and mingle with the frozen margarita mixture. Don’t worry, it will eventually stop. What’s really cool is that the Corona bottle will form a type of suction, and the only way for it to empty into the margarita mixture is by drinking the cocktail (preferably with a straw). The Corona will slowly mix with the margarita as you drink. I love it!

What you get is a tangy lime and beer fusion. The bubbles tickle your tongue, while the lime makes your lips pucker. It’s my new favorite margarita. Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Check out the other Cinco De Mayo themed #SundaySupper recipes:

Cinco de Mayo Appetizers & Sides {Aperitivos}:

• Chili Lime Crab on Watermelon Salad from A Stack of Dishes
• Chipotle Roasted Chickpeas from Home Cooking Memories
• Cinco de Mayo Tuna Pepper Poppers from Shockingly Delicious
• Elote (Mexican Grilled Corn) from Magnolia Days
• Esquites or Mexican Corn Salad from Kimchi Mom
• Grilled Corn on the Cob with Lime-Cayenne Butter from Healthy. Delicious.
• Guacamole Rice from Foxes Love Lemons
• Healthy Mexican Ceviche from Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Loaded Cheesy Nachos from Gotta Get Baked
• Lobster Guacamole from I Run For Wine
• Roasted Garlic and Bacon Guacamole from Ruffles & Truffles
• Slow Cooker Chicken Con Queso from Daily Dish Recipes

Cinco de Mayo Main Dishes {Platos Principales}:

• Chicken Enchiladas with Avocado Cream Sauce from Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Chicken Fajita Feta-ccine from Chocolate Moosey
• Chicken Fajita Salad w/Home made Easy Salsa from Momma’s Meals
• Chicken Mole Potato Skins from Noshing with the Nolands
• Chorizo Fajitas with Sweet Potato and Poblano Pepper from The Urban Mrs.
• Corona Beer-Battered Fish Tacos from Pescetarian Journal
• Duck Carnitas from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Fish Tacos with Lime Salsa from Curious Cuisiniere
• Japanese Mexican Tacos from Ninja Baking
• Lightened Up Taco Salad from Kudos Kitchen
• Mexican Pizza with Chipotle Orange Sauce from Family Foodie
• Oven Baked Beef, Bean, and Cheese Chimichangas from In The Kitchen With KP
• Pork Carnitas from From the Bookshelf
• Red Chile Jam + Tequila Chicken Quesadillas from Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Roasted Poblano and Corn Lasagna from Juanita’s Cocina
• Shrimp Soft Tacos with Lime Dressing and Crunchy Vegetables from Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Slow Cooked Carne Asadas from Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Soft Shell Tacos from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Spicy Shredded Beef Chimichangas from Supper for a Steal
• Spicy Steak Fajitas from Cravings of a Lunatic
• Stuffed Poblano Peppers from Country Girl in the Village
• Tequila Lime Chicken from No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
• Tex-Mex Chopped Chicken Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing from The Weekend Gourmet
• Tofu Tacos from Hip Foodie Mom
• Yucatan Pollo Pibil and Corn Tortillas from MarocMama

Cinco de Mayo Desserts {Postres}:

• Dairy-free Flan from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Dark and Spicy Chocolate Pots de Creme from Happy Baking Days
• Fried Ice Cream for a Crowd from Growing Up Gabel
• Luxuriously Healthy Chocolate Frosting from What Smells So Good?
• Mexican Brownies from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Paletas de Tamarindo (Tamarind Popsicles) from La Cocina de Leslie
• Peanut Mazapanes from Pies and Plots

Cinco de Mayo Drinks {Bebidas}:

• Fresh & Fruity Sangria from Webicurean
• Frozen Jalapeno Daiquiri from Blueberries and Blessings
• Fruity Aguas Frescas from The Foodie Patootie
• Mango Aqua Fresca With Chia Seeds from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Margarona from The Messy Baker
• Mexaratini from Gourmet Drizzles
• Tamarindo Drink (Agua de Tamarindo) from Basic N Delicious

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on Twitter on Sunday, May 5th to celebrate Cinco de Mayo! We’ll tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more delicious recipes and food photos.

It’s an exciting day in the kitchen today! Why, you ask? I made you brownies–guilt-free brownies! It’s always a good day when brownies are involved.

Go ahead, I’ll wait while you read that title again. Yup, it says skinny! I know it’s uncommon to relate brownies with the words skinny and guilt-free, but I was on a mission to make it happen.

It took me three attempts to get this recipe perfect, but it was totally worth the effort. The first attempt came out too dry. The second attempt yielded a rubbery brownie (yuck!). The third attempt was guilt-free brownie perfection.

Yeah, I had to crack the eggs three times, measure the ingredients three times, melt the chocolate three times, and, the worst part, wash the dishes three times. What can I say, I do it out of love…and the fact that I refused to lose to a batch of brownies.

I recently had the pleasure of baking with Zulka Morena Pure Cane Sugar. Zulka specializes in all-natural sugar made directly from the cane plant. Unlike traditional refined sugar, Zulka products retain naturally occuring colors and flavors that are traditionally removed during the refining process.  The result is a more natural sugar that tastes like you’re biting into fresh sugar cane.

Zulka was nice enough to send me a big bag of their Morena Pure Cane Sugar for me to bake with. Man, have I been doing a ton of baking lately. I’ve been knee deep in mixing bowls, and my kitchen has been dusted in a thick layer of flour for days. I’ve been using my Zulka sugar in just about everything I bake:  cookies, brownies, cupcakes, and even iced tea. It tastes amazing and bakes up nicely. I’m going to make it my go-to sugar for all of my baking needs.

These brownies taste amazing. They’re fudgy, yet light in texture. The Greek yogurt produces a subtle tang, which is just lovely. They have a crunchy top and crisp edges.

They’re everything a brownie should be, only half the fat and calories of a regular brownie. Winning!

I mixed in a generous handful of mini chocolate chips to give the brownies that extra boost of chocolate flavor. The chips melt slightly, giving the brownies a creamy center. They’re so good!

I bake my brownies in the Wilton Nonstick 12-cavity Brownie Pan. Yeah, it’s another pan, but I happen to adore this one. It separates the brownies into perfect portions, creating consistent squares. The best part:  all four edges are crunchy, not just one or two sides. All you have to do is grease the pan with some baking spray, and they pop out easily with the help of an off-set spatula or butter knife. Viola, brownie perfection!

My family and friends adore these brownies. I get texts informing me that they’re out of brownies and could I please replenish their stock. Ah, the life of a food blogger.

Enjoy!

And now for the giveaway! Zulka was kind enough to provide me with one bag of their Zulka Morena Pure Cane sugar to give away to one lucky reader.

Required Entry: Leave a comment telling me what you would bake with Zulka Morena Pure Cane sugar.

Additional Entries:

Follow The Messy Baker on Pinterest
Like The Messy Baker on Facebook
Follow The Messy Baker on Twitter
Subscribe to The Messy Baker via email or RSS feed
Follow Zulka on Facebook
Follow Zulka on Twitter

Make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry. That’s 7 chances to win!

***The giveaway is for one bag Zulka Morena Pure Cane sugar. The giveaway is for U.S. Residents only and will run from Thursday, May 2cnd to 6:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday May 10th. The winner will be chosen at random drawl and will be notified via email. The winner will have 2 days to respond before another winner is chosen.

Disclosure:  I received a bag of Zulka Morena Pure Cane sugar for recipe development and review purposes. All opinions are my own.

I’m finally participating in #SundaySupper again. I usually participate every week, but recently I’ve been posting sporadically because life has been busy. Finding balance has been tough. I’m getting ready to graduate (May 14th is my last day!), I’m currently training for a 5k, and I’ve been developing several new recipes for various companies I’m working with. It’s all very exciting, but also very time consuming. I’m just happy to be back in action with my virtual family this week!

This week we’re being challenged to make something outside of our comfort zone. Maybe try a new cooking method, saute instead of whisk, bake instead of fry, tackle a new cuisine, or cross something off of your bucket list. No matter how we do it, we’re pushing fear aside and trying something new.

Since a majority of my baking is decadent, full-fat recipes, I decided to challenge myself with a skinny recipe. I have several ice cream recipes on my site, but no frozen yogurt. As Barney Stenson would say, “Challenge accepted!”

Frozen yogurt is a bit tricky. You wouldn’t think it would be, but there are certain rules that need to be followed for frozen yogurt success. Of course I didn’t do my research before I dove in full force–typical! The first time I made the yogurt, I used fat-free greek yogurt. The yogurt base tasted amazing. I took it out of the freezer the next day to taste it, and it was rock solid–hard as a brick! I let it sit at room-temperature for half an hour and tried again with no luck; it was still frozen solid.

“What’s a girl gotta do to get a taste of frozen yogurt,” I yelled. Was it lady like? No. But who can be lady like in a time of yogurt desperation? Back to the drawing board I went.

After some extensive research, I learned that fat-free yogurt freezes into a massive solid brick. Duh! That’s like the weather man telling me it’s raining outside when I’m clearly staring out my window at the monsoon that’s happening on the other side.

When making frozen yogurt, you’ll want to use whole-milk, total-fat Greek yogurt. In this instance, fat is a good thing. The fat prevents the yogurt from over freezing, getting icy, and turning into a blunt instrument. Seriously, I could have inflicted some significant pain with my first batch of yogurt. The fat keeps the yogurt soft enough to scoop.

You want to be able to scoop the frozen yogurt, not use it as a murder weapon. The fat keeps the yogurt at a scoop-able consistency.

I gifted this frozen yogurt to my grandfather, and he loved it…as did everyone else in my family. The Greek yogurt gives this frozen treat a lovely tanginess. The lemon pairs perfectly with the strawberries and brightens it up a bit.

Enjoy!

Check out the other #SundaySupper recipes:

New Expeditions (Sides, Starters & Staples)

Homemade Corn Tortillas from Pescetarian Journal

Easy Oven Polenta from Shockingly Delicious

Homemade Spiced Flour Tortillas from Chocolate Moosey

Naan from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Homemade Tofu from Kimchi MOM

Savory Mushroom & Herb Steel-Cut Oat Risotto from Foxes Love Lemons

Indian Moong Beans from Magnolia Days

Baked Lemon Coconut Risotto from Soni’s Food

Homemade Peanut Butter from Home Cooking Memories

Homemade Ricotta Cheese from Webicurean

Portuguese Chorizo Bread from Family Foodie

Grand Quests (Main Dishes)

Traditional Pork Tamales from Gourmet Drizzles

Braised Lamb Brisket with Lemon Oregano Yogurt Sauce from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen

Rice Burger from The Urban Mrs.

Pan-fried Scallops with Garlic Chili Linguine from Food Lust People Love

Miso-Glazed Salmon from The Foodie Patootie

Penne with Mustard and Chives from My Other City By The Bay

Arepas Rellenas (Stuffed Arepas) from The Wimpy Vegetarian

Spanish Baked Scallops from Momma’s Meals

Black Beans and Cheese Empanadas from Basic N Delicious

Pork Dim Sum from Small Wallet, Big Appetite

Venison Steak Gyros from Curious Cuisiniere

Baked Tilapia with Parmesan Basil Sauce from Growing Up Gabel

Vegetarian Hortobagyi Pancakes from Happy Baking Days

Caribou & Andouille Chili from The Foodie Army Wife

Escapades (Sweet Treats & Spirited Companions)

Vegan Chocolate Mousse from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen

Zebra Cake from That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Multilayer Bars from What Smells So Good?

Meatball Grinders & How to Grind Meat from Cravings of a Lunatic

Rut-Busting Wines For New Cooking Adventures from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Homemade Vanilla Marshmallows from Vintage Kitchen

Strawberry Raspberry Fruit Leather from Juanita’s Cocina

Making Macarons – FAIL! from girlichef

Macaroons from Noshing With The Nolands

Fresh Strawberry Frozen Yogurt from The Messy Baker

Bircher Muesli from Peanut Butter and Peppers

Hello Kitty Rice Krispies from The Ninja Baker

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls from In The Kitchen With KP

Dorie Greenspan’s Orange Almond Tart from Hip Foodie Mom

Ombre Mini Cakes from Daily Dish Recipes

Chocolate Dipped Madeleines  from Big Bear’s Wife

Happy Saturday!

This week flew by. I swear yesterday was just Monday.

I spent a majority of the week developing some new recipes to share with you. One of the recipes may include some of these:

And I may have made some  of this:

I love baking with sprinkles. They’re so cheery and bright, and life is just a little more fun when sprinkles are involved. I also developed a skinny brownie recipe this week. Yup, skinny, totally guilt-free brownies! It took me several attempts to get the recipe just right, but I prevailed and showed that mix who was boss. I’ll be posting the recipe next week with a pretty awesome giveaway to go with it.

The trees are whooping my butt this spring, causing my allergies to be off the charts horrible:  sneezing, runny nose, swollen eyes, and clogged sinus cavities. The works! I had to shut all the windows and doors in the house just to get some relief. Everytime I run, I get attacked with some fierce symptoms. Darn you trees (waves fist)! 

Squirrel and I discoverd a new Mexican restaurant this week. I’ve been craving good Mexican food ever since our Williamsburg trip. It’s not quite on the same level as Plaza Mexican in Williamsburg, but it’s still pretty yummy. Their sangria is jumbo-sized. My eyeballs popped out of my head when the waiter sat down the trough of fruit-filled wine on my table. I drank the entire thing; it was so good!

My girlfriend came over on Wednesday for some overdue girlie time. I haven’t seen her in awhile, so I made us some homemade pizza dough for a pizza party. We chowed down and chatted about the upcoming movie release of The Great Gatsby. I can’t tell you how excited I am for The Great Gatsby movie premier. I love the book, and the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio is playing the part of Gatsby and Baz Luhrman is directing, it’s sure to be a great movie. I’ll be wearing these retro beauties, along with the patterned tights, to the premier:

I’m not sure if you know this, but I have a bit of an obsession with pigs. I want one…bad! Not a big one, just a wee little tea cup piggy. Squirrel says no. Usually I don’t bother to listen to Squirrel’s protests, but he’s pretty firm with his decision,  and since tea cup pigs aren’t like shoes, I can’t just sneak one in and tell him that I’ve had it in my closet forever. Feeling my pain, my aunt decided to buy me the next best thing and purchased me Frederico the googley-eyed pig :

Here’s what I pinned this week:

Milky Way Chocolate Cookie Crumble Bars by Averie Cooks
Carrot Cake Bars with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting by The Comfort of Cooking
Hazelnut Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting by Whipped
Mexican Popsicles by Pineapple & Coconut
Chocolate Covered Macaroons by Gotta Get Baked
Cranberry Margaritas by Damn Delicious

Here’s what I’m craving:

Alfajores by Roxana’s Home Baking- Roxana’s photos have me drooling. I just want to reach through the screen and grab a cookie…or three!
Dulce de Leche Milkshakes with Coconut Milk Whipped Cream by Chocolate Moosey- Creamy, dulce de leche spiked ice cream swirled into a shake–yes, please!
Tropical Fiesta Cocktail by Hungry Couple- Fruit paired with rum… Does it get any better?
Strawberry Pie Sour Cream Crumb Bars by Crunchy Creamy Sweet- No words can describe the deliciousness that are these bars.

Look what I made:

Chocolate Avocado Pudding by Mama’s Blissful Bites- I know what you’re thinking, “Ew, pudding with avocado in it!” Squirrel said the same thing. This pudding is just about the best chocolate pudding I have ever tasted. Amber is a genius! You can’t even tell that this pudding is made with avocado; it’s just kind of hiding in there. What you’re left with is the creamiest, rich chocolate flavored pudding ever. Did I mention the fact that it’s healthy and made with all-natural ingredients? Well, it is. This pudding is a new staple in my fridge. Get this, I forced Squirrel to taste it. I jumped on top of him and shoved the spoon in. There was no way he was going to be a prude and not try this delicious pudding. Guess what? He liked it. All that fuss, and he liked it.

Are you ready to get festive? I hope so, because we’re throwing a Cinco de Mayo blog party. The lovely Anita from Hungry Couple was nice enough to invite me to a food blogging group that celebrates the holidays with delicious recipes. Today we’re sharing our favorite Mexican recipes for Cinco de Mayo.

I hope you like cheese. I mean, who doesn’t? It’s only the best thing on the face of the earth. To celebrate Cinco de Mayo, I made a big ol’ bowl of creamy queso blanco full of spicy peppers.

It’s cheese. It’s dip. It’s cheese dip!

In my world, the phrase “too much cheese” doesn’t exist. The cheesier, the better.

This dip is extremely easy to make. Sauté the peppers, add the cheese and milk, and stir until melted and gooey–only 10 minutes to cheesy bliss!

If you’re making this dip for a party, I recommend keeping it warm in a crockpot so it stays melted and creamy…or you can serve right away and eat the entire bowl by yourself. I like to offer options.

If you really want to throw a Cinco de Mayo party, then I suggest pairing this dip with a cold Corona or frozen margarita. It’s a must, really!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Check out the other Cinco de Mayo recipes:

1. Alfajores from Roxana’s Home Baking
2. Spicy Fish Tacos with Avocado Yogurt Sauce from Crumb Blog
3. Classic Flan from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
4. Dulce de Leche Milkshake with Coconut Milk Whipped Cream from Chocolate Moosey
5. Lime Margerita Bars from Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
6. Shrimp and Avocado Ceviche from Magnolia Days
7. Tropical Fiesta Cocktail from Hungry Couple NYC
8. Paletas – Mexican Popsicles from Pineapple and Coconut
9. Bizcochitos Cookies from Jen’s Favorite Cookies
10. Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes from Gotta Get Baked
11. Vegan Taco Salad from What Smells So Good
12. Gluten Free Tres Leches Cake from Kelly Bakes
13. Spicy Queso Blanco from The Messy Baker
14. Gorditas with Picadillo from Juanita’s Cocina
15. Strawberry Margerita Slurpee from Chocolate Chocolate and More

I think the bugs are in cahoots with one another. I think they’re on a mission to scare the living bejeezus out of me. Remember the stink bug that tried to kill me? Well, the other day I had a spider try to do the very same thing. Maybe I’m giving off some pheromone that bugs like. I dunno!

Mr. Spider picked the worst time to scare me. He showed up unannounced in my truck as I was driving to get some lunch the other day. There I was rockin’ out to Awolnation when all of a sudden I see something move in my periphery. I look over and there’s a fury spider crawling on the lip of the door.

That was it, I couldn’t take my eye off of it. I feared it would crawl off of the door and attack me with its spider teeth. I’m sorry, fangs. Spiders have fangs (I looked it up), which, now that I think about it,  sounds more ominous than teeth. I scooted as far way from the thing as I could. By the time I was done scooting, I was smooshed up against the center console with my arms angled across my body so I could continue to drive. I kept one eye on the spider and one eye on the road so I wouldn’t hit the powder blue car in front of me.

What made it worse was the fact that the spider had acrobatic abilities. It could jump! I’m sure you know the breed I’m referring to. They’re the spiders that can bounce in the air like a Jack Russel terrior. Weird!

The smart thing would have been to pull over, but, being on a time constraint, I kept going until I arrived at my lunch destination. By this time, the spider was on my door handle. “Come on! How am I supposed to get out,” I yelled at the spider. Meanwhile, the lucky poor guy parked next to me was staring at me with a puzzled look on his face. ”Okay, you win!” I exclaimed, defeated. I did the only thing left to do… I crawled over the center console and let myself out through the passenger side door.

I couldn’t let the spider win, so I walked over to the driver side, opened the door from the outside, and flicked the spider to the ground with the corner of my CD case. ”Ha! You lose!”

Are you a chili lover?

Me, I can take it or leave it. Squirrel, on the other hand, loves it. He starts putting in his request for chili as soon as the weather starts to cool down, and he continues up until the weather starts to warm up.

I was eating a pulled pork sandwich the other day and said to Squirrel, “You know what would be really good?”

“Huh,” he responds, only half listening as he shovels food into his mouth.

“Pulled pork chili! I’m not a huge fan of chili, but I would eat the heck out of some chili with pulled pork mixed in.”

The mention of pulled pork got his attention. “That sounds really good. You should make that.”

This chili is no joke! It’s loaded with tender pulled pork that I cooked to juicy perfection in the slow-cooker, smoky chipotle peppers, hearty chunks of onions, green bell peppers, jalapeños, and a melange of smoky spices.

I even added a touch of spicy BBQ sauce. You can’t have pulled pork without it, right? It sounds odd, but it adds a nice contrasting sweetness to the heat. It’s good!

This is a really simple chili. The slow-cooker does all of the work cooking the pulled pork, so all you have to do is throw everything in a pot and let the mixture simmer for a bit to allow the flavors to come together.

Enjoy!

Happy Saturday! As you read this, I’ll be travelling to Pennsylvania for my cousin’s wedding. I’m excited for wedding cake eating (I may even treat myself to two slices) and booty shaking. It should be good times!

This week was a sad and tragic week. My heart goes out to everyone involved in the Boston Marathon bombing. There are no words to describe the sorrow I feel for the victims and their families. I was at work the day of the tragedy, and all I can remember was seeing the headlines on the news and stopping dead in my tracks to stare at the television. I stood there for while listening to the chain of events with tears in my eyes, unable to process why someone would do something so awful to poor, innocent people. Who has the heart for such violence? Why? I suppose we’ll never know.

On Wednesday, I dedicated my run to Boston. I ran for the victims, for their families. Come to find out, people from all over the globe have joined together and are running in honor of the victims. There’s even a global document that you can log your runs for #RunforBoston. It’s nice to see people coming together for a good cause.

I didn’t do anything exciting this week. I kind of just took it easy and relaxed a bit. I even had a chance to tackle the huge stack of magazines I haven’t had time for–it felt good!

Here’s what I pinned:

Marscapone Strawberry Tart by Tutti Dolci
Gnocchi with Light Tomato Cream Sauce by Texanerin Baking
Meyer Lemon Tart by Roxana’s Home Baking
Ginger Beer Concentrate by Cookie & Kate

What I’m craving:

White Chocolate Buttery Waffle Snack Mix by Averie Cooks:  Snack mix with toasted, buttery waffles… Need I say more?
Sugar Cookies by A Periodic Table:  These aren’t your run of the mill sugar cookies. Oh no, these are fancy, sprinkle dipped sugar cookies. I’m in love!
Chicken & Asparagus Stir-Fry by Gimme Some Oven: I’m always looking for a delicious stir-fry recipe that can be whipped up in no time, and this recipe is just that.
Classic Baked Macaroni & Cheese for Bacon Lover’s by Bakeaholic Mama: So cheesy!

Look what I made:

Banana Funky Monkey Smoothie by Cupcakes & Kale Chips: This is one grade A smoothie. It’s healthy without tasting healthy. It’s smooth, creamy, and chocolatey. It’s a smoothie dream come true!