From week one of our Pioneer Woman adventure, jokes have been flying about our love for Mexican food. We swore off fried recipes after the first week, somehow none of us got that message. Splattered covered stovetops and delicious dinners joined us together. So, when Julie asked me to do a guest post while she moved into her new home, it only seemed right to do a fried Mexican recipe.

I’d never eaten a churro before this week. And I can tell you with absolute certainty that I’ll be eating them again. Over and over and over… They’re beyond easy to make. Cross my heart – super duper crazy easy. If you can make cookies or cupcakes, you can make these.

I know some people have a fear of frying. I promise it’s easy and not to be feared. You don’t even need a special machine. I had a deep fryer but eventually tossed it because it became ridiculous to clean. Maybe you don’t know how I feel about scrubbing dishes. Scrubbing a deep fryer is even lower on my list of likes. I’d rather do laundry than scrub a deep fryer ever again.

My new and favorite method of frying is in my French oven but any deep pan will work. Additional items to make this adventure easier: a candy thermometer, a piping bag or large plastic bag and a large star tip.

The dough comes together surprisingly quick, then it’s cooled and added to your bag for piping. Dough is fried in very hot oil. I kind of get a kick out of watching things bubble and turn golden brown. I get this weird satisfaction out of it. And it’s kind of exciting too knowing what you’re making is going to have a super crisp exterior with a warm soft center.

Finish off these bad boys with a cinnamon sugar mixture and dip in warm chocolate.

I think I need another. Or ten.�

Continue Reading Fried Churros {Guest Posting}

Here we are in the fourth week of JC100, the celebration leading up to what would have been Julia Child’s 100th birthday. After week two, I keep hoping for more chocolate. And maybe I’ll be happily surprised in the coming weeks. Only time will tell!

This week we were given salad niçoise to make. It’s a mixed salad traditionally made with a bed of lettuce, topped off with flaked tuna and anchovies. Hard boiled eggs, green beans and tomatoes round out the bunch. Julia’s recipe called for potatoes and olives as well

Continue Reading Salade Niçoise – Julia Child

Clearly we love our Mexican food. I wouldn’t be shocked if there were another Mexican dish tucked away in the cookbook somewhere. If there is, one of us is sure to find it. This round was Tina’s pick, Ree’s white chicken enchiladas.

We all knew going into this that there would probably need to be some adjusting. The recipes thus far have all been over the top in one way or another, some good and some just… not necessary? Everyone has their own preference when it comes to amounts and flavors though so I’m not saying it was wrong. I did make a bunch of adjustments to suit our preferences more though. I cut my ingredients basically in half and went from there

Continue Reading PW Wednesdays ~ White Chicken Enchiladas

I love cookbooks, especially pretty cookbooks with lots of drool inducing photos and tempting recipes. When I heard that Heather had a cookbook coming out I knew it would be just as amazing as her blog, also titled Sprinkle Bakes. She’s always posting over the top desserts that I couldn’t even dream up if I tried. To my delight, I was given the opportunity to review her book… and give one copy away

Continue Reading Pâte à Choux: Cream Puffs and Éclairs {Sprinkle Bakes Cookbook Giveaway}

I should’ve known I’d be at one point cooking with wine this summer. I suspect after having two recipes so far with liquor in them, I should stock up or maybe get familiar with the liquor store hours. Thankfully my grocery store carries wine so I was off the hook with the scary alternative… eh hem… taking an 8 month old and a crazy 2 1/2 year old that is in a bit of an independent stage (i.e. no I don’t want to hold your hand or go where you want me to go) into a store full of breakables. Yeah, I don’t think so. That’s a disaster waiting to happen. There should really be drive up liquor stores for times like that. It’s a cooking emergency, I swear

Continue Reading Coq Au Vin (Chicken with Wine) – Julia Child

I’ve had this bottle of coffee syrup in my pantry for weeks. I went grocery shopping the day after one of our weekly Wednesday question nights on Facebook and was determined to find it. Being a New Englander, I probably should have had a supply of it but I didn’t. Honestly, I’d never heard of coffee syrup before that night. That’s the sad truth. You see, I grew up on strawberry milk. Not chocolate and definitely not coffee. What flavor milk drinker were you as a kid

Continue Reading Mini Coffee Cheesecakes with Caramel Whipped Cream

I apologize in advance for how I’m about to tempt you.

This round of PW Wednesdays was my pick. For ages I’ve been wanting to make a breakfast pizza, so when I got my copy of Ree’s cookbook I immediately bookmarked this recipe. I think it was meant to be. I mean seriously, how can you go wrong with potatoes, cheese, bacon and eggs… all on a pizza! The only thing that would make this meal better is having a fruity margarita on the side, or maybe a mimosa since that’s more breakfasty. Next time I’ll be sure to do just that

Continue Reading PW Wednesdays ~ Breakfast Pizza

Two weeks down, thirteen to go! That sounds like a lot, but I’m truly excited to see what recipes will be sent my way to try. In case you missed week one and info about #JC100, check it out here: Julia Child’s rolled omelette.

Yet again I did some research for this recipe online. I found a video of Julia Child whipping up her chocolate mousse and watched it with my girls. They were glued. Not all cooking shows keep their (or even my own!) attention, but Julia really has a special way with things. Her personality and know-how in the kitchen are both entertaining and educational. If you haven’t had the opportunity to watch a full episode of hers, I highly recommend checking out your local PBS station to see what time her shows air. We have two that air on Saturdays. I wish they aired more frequently but I’ll try to be content with just the few

Continue Reading Chocolate Mousse – Julia Child

It’s currently 83 degrees as I write this, clearly not soup weather. I promise this wasn’t the case a week ago when I made the soup, it was a nice cool spring day. The Mr requested Italian wedding soup again but I decided to switch things up a bit. I wanted mini meatballs and a similar, but different, variety of vegetables. Let’s not forget the differently shaped pasta, that’s important

Continue Reading Slow Cooker Mini Meatball Minestrone Soup

It’s a mouth full, that’s for sure. But these babies are finger lickin’ good, and in a serious way. Have wet wipes on hand for this or just plan on eating with a fork and knife. Who am I kidding… don’t eat them with a  fork and a knife, you want to get messy and lick your fingers because otherwise you’re missing out on part of the fun. Maybe it’s not lady like. Maybe it’s not proper or pretty, but licking something tasty from your fingers is how it should be. It’s right. You don’t eat cheese puffs or Doritos and wipe your fingers clean… or eat messy ribs and wipe your hands, right? What about chocolate? I couldn’t possibly be the only one. If it’s a kid thing, then so be it. Call me a kid

Continue Reading Bacon Wrapped Barbecue Chicken Tenders