3 INGREDIENT CARAMEL SAUCE & DIP

This is the easiest caramel sauce recipe that I've ever come across. And it's perfect for just about everything... dipping apples, smothering over ice cream, brownies, cakes, and even eating straight off the spoon. I would do it! In fact, I have!

APPLE PECAN TORTE

Today I am sharing my all-time favorite dessert! When I first started my blog, I brainstormed for a long time what I wanted to do for my very first post. Apple Pecan Torte was very high up on the list because it is so delicious and it is a great representation of me... Sweet!!! ;)

HOMEMADE FUDGE RIPPLE ICE CREAM

Today I am sharing the Homemade Fudge Ripple Ice Cream from my Ice Cream Party Date Night! If you haven't already checked out that post, you should, my husband and I had a blast creating this Ice Cream and there are some fun FREE printables that I made just for YOU!

ICE CREAM PARTY DATE NIGHT

My husband and I love two things... We love to party and we love to eat sweets. Ice cream is one of our favorite comfort foods! It definitely helps us feel happy and excited about life even after we break (badly bruise) our tailbone... and by we, I mean "I" because Scott didn't fall down the stairs...

GENERAL TAO'S CHICKEN--A LIGHTER VERSION

I love to travel and love all kinds of foods from different cultures. Both my husband and my brother have spent some time among the Chinese and have a great love and passion for Asian inspired foods. This last Christmas, we were traveling to visit family and we decided to do a double date with my brother. Scott and I rarely eat out. So when we do eat out, we like to order something that we'll both like and we share.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL CAKE DOUGHNUTS

Have you ever made a homemade doughnut???

Growing up, my family had a tradition to make doughnuts twice a year for a very special occasion. I always looked forward to this event because all the men would go out for the night and all the women and kids would get together in the kitchen and make doughnuts. We made these light and fluffy doughnuts comparable to Krispy Kreme... Except homemade!!

TOP 3 FORTS from the BUILD-A-FORT DATE NIGHT

I'm so grateful for all the support and comments I received on my Build-A-Fort challenge. One of the goals that I have as I share some of the things we do as a family, is to encourage others and help strengthen homes and families. Quality time spent together is one of the best ways to strengthen families.

CREAMY & TANGY SUMMER SAUSAGE PASTA SALAD

I love, love, love pasta salads. They are the perfect side dish to bring to summer Barbeques. The pasta salads are always my first stop! There are so many words that could describe this salad... so the title just keeps going and going. This pasta salad is full of flavor and a quick and easy fix, you just throw it all together!

ENERGY BITES

I am constantly looking for quick and easy ways to get a little more energy in my life. I love to snack, but if I don't have something healthy ready and available, I sometimes make bad choices... like eating a handful of chocolate chips or not eating at all. When my family and I did our 30 days of real food, I loved to have 3 smaller meals with some snacks in between. So I did a lot of research on simple, healthy snacks. I discovered energy bites. They seem to be very popular right now. There are so many different combinations of flavors and they are quick to make.

SWEET BANANA NUT MUFFINS

I am a total fan of muffins. They are the perfect breakfast food and I love them for snacks. The reason why I love them so much is because they are delicious and I can eat them while I'm walking around. Without making a mess. I like to multi-task. Especially when I eat. 

STRAWBERRY COCONUT SALAD

This is a dreamy salad. I don't know if you can even really call it a salad... It's like dessert, really! But I call it a salad so I can eat dessert, too! :) I started making a more simple version of this salad last summer, but it has evolved into this and the last time I served it I got so many compliments that I thought I would share!

S'MORE CARAMEL POPCORN

Oh my YUM! I love summer, camping, the smell of a bonfire and roasting marshmallows. I love watching the ooey gooey marshmallow melt the rich and delicious chocolate. So, when I got this idea for a fort date night (from my brother-in-law, Steve)... the ingredients for a delicious S'more Caramel Popcorn popped into my head.

ITALIAN CREAM CHEESE CROCKPOT CHICKEN AND RICE

I'm flashing back to college, here, so bear with me. The transition to college was a little rough for me. I gave myself an ulcer from stressing so much about whether I would be able to fit in with my new roommates and balance work and school responsibilities. I'm not sure if that kind of stress is normal, but I'm pretty sure its not. Ha ha. I prayed constantly the whole summer before I moved out that I would have an amazing roommate who would become my best friend. You are learning way too much about me right now...

SIMPLE & DELICIOUS BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

These muffins are good! So good that I have been craving them for a whole month...

My family and I completed 30 days of real food during the month of March. I had never heard the term "real food" until February. After doing some research, I found that "real food" is becoming a lot more popular among parents and other health nuts. The hardest part for me was the no sugar rule, especially at breakfast time. For those of you that are curious, I learned a lot from 100 Days of Real Food--you can learn more about the rules here. 

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES WITH NUTELLA FILLING

Today I was feeling a little down. We all have those days where we don't feel good enough, strong enough, smart enough... just enough. I don't mean to be a downer, but it's the truth. I think its important to realize that everyone struggles. But it's what we do when we struggle that matters. That is what's important. I bake when I'm bummed. That's not the only thing I do... but baking is definitely something that comforts me. Today I decided to make these delicious Peanut Butter cookies, but when I opened my pantry door I saw the Nutella and my mind started working overtime.

HOT & HEALTHY QUINOA WRAPS

Quinoa is kind of weird. My husband actually spent two years researching Quinoa in his Master's program and got me curious enough to try it. The first time I tried it... I'll be honest, I didn't love it. It has a very interesting texture. Then he spouted off all the nutritional information, so I decided to give it another try. Over time, I've developed some AMAZING recipes using Quinoa. Amazing meaning... quick, easy, super delicious and healthy!

HEALTHY HOMEMADE GRANOLA

As a mother, I think it’s easy to put yourself on the back burner and focus on your kids, your husband and all your other responsibilities. I believe it’s important to find a little bit of time to take care of yourself!!! I have been working hard to get back into shape after my last pregnancy (almost 10 months ago) and I just can’t seem to lose those last 10 pounds. However, for me this isn’t just about the weight, it’s about being healthy, happy and feeling great about myself.