Baked Potato Soup

This soup is one my mom would make when I was growing up. It's a really nice thick creamy potato soup. This recipe is actually halved but still ends up making a lot. This time I added kidney beans for extra protein.

Baked Potato Soup

Taco Beef Bake

Taco Beef Bake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adapted from bettycrocker.com

Jalapeño cheddar artisan bread

This bread is made in a cast iron pot with a lid. It's very simple but needs lots of time to rise. It'll be very sticky and that's ok, you don't even need to touch it because I left my dough in the bowl while the pot preheated then plopped it in the hot pot and baked.

Crusty Bread

http://www.simplysogood.com/2010/03/crusty-bread.html?m=1

Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars

 This recipe makes a big cookie sheet full of bars, which is great for big groups but I hear they freeze well too.

Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Vegan, so no eggs or butter, but yet they taste like a normal  cookie and have a normal texture.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Kalvin has been requesting these cookies for awhile now. I don't think I have ever actually made them myself, but I've had them tons of times. I made mine with dark chocolate kisses! I also rolled them in cinnamon and sugar rather than just plain sugar like some recipes do.

Southwestern Chicken Barley Chili

Good hearty soup. Pairs well with cornbread. I added more spices such as cocoa chili powder, onion powder, and chipotle spice mix.

Cornbread

This moist cornbread cannot compare to the just add water mix. Cornbread is one of Kalvin's favorite, he deemed this the best cornbread yet. Delicious alone or with butter and honey.

Strawberry Banana Nutella Muffins

The original recipe did not include banana, but I had both strawberries and bananas to use up so I added it in. The combo of strawberries, banana, and a nutella center was divine.

Crockpot Black Beans

Honestly once you try this recipe you will never want to go back to regular canned black beans. These beans are so flavorful they can stand on their own, but are absolutely delicious in recipes. Plus an extra bonus, dry beans are cheaper than canned beans. I imagine you could use any bean, black beans are just my favorite.

Cinnamon Syrup

I have recently been looking for alternative syrups for pancakes/ french toast. Awhile ago I tried a vanilla syrup/sauce, it was a big flop, like a thick goo that hardly tasted like anything. Then I found a recipe for cinnamon syrup and figured cinnamon was a stronger flavor than vanilla so it had a good chance of deliciousness. I liked it and Kalvin also approved. It's not as super sugary sweet as normal maple syrup, but still has a lot of flavor from the cinnamon. Plus it is excellent with peanut butter, which is how I eat pancakes/ french toast, peanut butter and syrup. This is a recipe I will be making again!

Edit: I have since made this syrup twice more and honestly like it a lot better than regular syrup. I'm not a huge fan of pancakes or waffles, but really this syrup makes them so much tastier. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bowl Cake

This is not like any other microwave cake! Seriously microwave cake is gross and has a weird texture, but honestly this one is different. This one is addicting, has real cake like yet gooey texture that goes perfect with a scoop of vanilla icecream. Normally you make these cakes in mugs, hence the name "mug cake", but Kalvin and I have discovered this is way easier to make and eat when it's in a bowl. So we've named them "bowl cakes". This recipe makes 1 bowl cake which is the perfect amount for two people to share or a large helping for a very hungry person. Seriously try this cake, the whole process takes about 3 minutes and then you have delicious chocolately-ness.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

It has been a long time since I've made cookies, these were the cookies that helped break the non-cookie making streak I've been on, and boy were they worth it. I've been baking my cookies on parchment paper for the last little while and I think it does make a better cookie.

Olive Garden Salad Dressing

I love Olive Garden salads especially the dressing, the more the better. This dressing I would say is very very close to Olive Garden's dressing, but Kalvin says it is better, which says a lot because he is not too fond of Olive Garden's dressing. No matter how close or not this dressing is to Olive Garden, it is delicious and I received many compliments on it when I took it to a potluck.

Nutella Cheesecake Brownies

A wonderful combo of chocolatey deliciousness. Kalvin made these beauties. They are deliciously thick and the cheesecake layer is smooth. Definitely a recipe to try out.