HEY I THOUGHT IT WAS 7-LAYER DIP! Yeah, so did I. I was perusing Pinterest one day and I saw a picture for a 7-layer dip that looked PHENOM, and I thought, I have to make that.  Except guess what?  It was a bad link.  ?  Supwitdat.  So I kind of had to wing thisRead more

Hey there fellow foodies.  In case you noticed it, I’m sorry for my absence.  My life has been taking over my life.  Did that make sense?  It did to me.  Anyway.  There’s a lot going on these days.  But I need to get back to this blog, because I really love this blog, and IRead more

I met an adorable fellow food blogger, Daniela, in the food bloggers group on Facebook, and immediately fell in love with her work because….. well, because the very first post I read of hers had the F word in it, and I knew she was my kind of girl! Ok, ok, ok… also, because, sheRead more

I may have mentioned once or a hundred times that //Distrito// is one of my favorite restaurants in Philadelphia.  They used to have this dish on their menu that was so good it legit brought tears to my eyes – arroz con crema.  It was a rice side dish that was cheesy, creamy, warm, andRead more

Are you guys ready for the big game?  I get excited for football season in the fall because it means I can make game food on Sundays.  I care much more about the food than about the game.  Usually.  Our Eagles aren’t the best.  But in recent years I have become more interested in football. Read more

Y’all know who Tyler Florence is, right?  I mean really, who doesn’t.  ?  He makes some pretty amazing food.  I have a bunch of his cookbooks, and in one of those cookbooks he posted a recipe for the ultimate garlic bread.  I tried it a few times and tweaked it a little bit, and IRead more

I’m sure this sounds kind of strange to you, right?  Balsamic potatoes?  But I assure you – they are so good.  I haven’t made these in years, and when I thought about them recently and how I should make them for the blog, my mouth immediately started watering. But!  I warn, they are not healthy.Read more

You guysssssss. If you’ve noticed, I’m SO sorry for my absence. If you haven’t noticed, it’s cool. So I am finding out very quickly that getting a house ready to put on the market is no freakin’ joke.  Since early January, I have spent part or all of every single weekend packing stuff I don’tRead more

So here’s some news for ya – my husband and I are going VEGETARIAN for the entire month of May.  ?  *gasp*  ?  Yes!  We are! Aaron adopted a project I did a few years ago, where instead of trying to abide by a few new year’s resolutions for an entire year, I tried toRead more

I have previously //waxed poetic here// about my love for blue cheese dressing.  I consider myself a blue cheese dressing expert.  I know what restaurants have good blue cheese dressing, and what restaurants have meh blue cheese dressing.  I have had my go-to recipe for forever, which is straight out of a //Morton’s Steakhouse cookbook//,Read more

I. LOVE. Blue cheese dressing. Like I kind of have a sick obsession with it. It’s literally THE ONLY salad dressing I ever use. And I use it on more than just salad. I dip cheese fries in it (because it’s better than ranch). I dip anything “buffalo” in it (because it’s better than ranch).Read more

Two years ago, a dear friend of ours, Lyle, came to visit at Christmas time and brought a beautiful jar of bourbon pecans, and I scoffed, because I hate pecans. Or… so I thought… Cuz then I ate one of these and I couldn’t stop eating them, and I insisted on getting the recipe fromRead more

You guys, this is the greatest dip ever known to man.  I’d put my life on it. When I was a kid, my dad was into politics, and my mom was forever hosting campaign-or-something-related events at our house.  All us kids had to hide upstairs while they had all these important people over till allRead more

I recently hosted a party and decided on a theme I thought all attendees could get behind – cheese and bread!!  ?  I mean, who can’t get behind that?? Back in November of last year I tore this recipe out of my Food Network magazine and could not WAIT to try it.  This party finallyRead more

It is no secret that I looooove //smitten kitchen//.  Love her.  LOVE.  HER.  She was probably one of the first blogs I’ve ever followed, and I found so much inspiration in her photography.  She has taken some really mouthwatering pictures, famously, with only a single window in her NYC apartment kitchen to light the food.Read more

Since making my very first risotto a few months back and discovering exactly how not hard it was, I have sort of been on a risotto kick.  This is the third one I’ve made, and I can’t wait to try more.  I especially love this one because it’s a good way for me to getRead more

A couple weeks ago my girl Jodie over at //Two Lucky Spoons// posted a recipe on Instagram of her Ham Broccoli and Potato Chowder and my mouth instantly started watering.  Only problem is, I kinda hate ham (fight me), but I’m also leaning towards vegetarian lately.  So I asked her, could I make it withoutRead more

Bruschetta! How do you say this, by the way?  Broo-skett-ah?  Broo-shett-ah?  Who knows.  I don’t care.  I say Broo-shett-ah. Anyway.  I love bruschetta because you know why?  It makes me think of spring and summer, because can you really think of anything fresher and more delicious than a juicy, ripe tomato and some fresh basil?Read more

Did you guys ever find yourself with like a ton of leftover bruschetta and no idea what to do with it? No?  Yeah, me neither.  Not often anyway.  But when I do have some leftover, I usually make this the very next day! So one of the ways I originally toyed with introducing cheese toRead more

Happy November!! I don’t especially love November, at least not like I love October.  But, my husband’s birthday, my daughter’s birthday, and Thanksgiving usually all fall within the same week.  It makes for a hectic week, but I love it.  Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday of the year bc food duh.  This year weRead more

Holy cow! Let me just start by saying that I don’t think I can say enough good things about this cornbread.  This buttermilk cornbread was absolutely amazing.  I love cornbread but I don’t often make it at home because it can be dry, crumbly, and just kind of generally unsatisfying.  BUT NO MORE! This recipeRead more

Over the summer, I took a girls overnight trip to NYC with my mom, sister, and daughter.  We had dinner at this amazing restaurant called //Cacio e Pepe//, and the whole reason we went was so we could eat… cacio e pepe.  I had seen some //videos on Instagram// of them mixing up the pastaRead more

If you follow me on Instagram, it’s no secret that I looooove cacio e pepe.  During #52NewEats last year I found a recipe that I really liked and I’ve made it many times since.  So when I saw //this recipe for cacio e pepe macaroni and cheese//…. well duh, of course I had to makeRead more

So if you’ve ever been to Philly, you probably have heard about Chickie’s and Pete’s.  It’s a famous sports bar chain whose original location is actually in my neighborhood.  They are probably most famous for their Crab Fries – crinkle-cut French fries seasoned with Old Bay seasoning, served with a cup of white cheese sauceRead more

Ok so let me just be honest up front and say that THIS IS NOT MY RECIPE.  It’s Bobby Flay’s.  But it’s so simple, and so perfect every time I make it, that I really have to share it with you.  There is literally no way that I could improve upon it and make itRead more

If you’ve ever done any kind of shopping for Valentine’s day, then surely you’ve come across how much chocolate covered strawberries cost. Seriously though, like $5 a berry?  It’s kind of ridic. I’m in the wrong business. Making chocolate covered strawberries at home is SO EASY.  There is really no need to buy them asRead more

Once I perfected my homemade //macaroni and cheese//, I started noticing that my husband was desecrating his plate of perfectly creamy mac and cheese with hot sauce.  ?  The nerve! Originally it was Tabasco.  I couldn’t believe such things.  Who dare muddle my perfectly perfected cheese sauce with Tabasco?  No!  No no no. But thenRead more

With Cinco de Mayo behind us, summer is fast on its way.  And after this winter in Philly, I can-not-wait-for-warmer-weather ! This winter really hung on for dear life.  It did NOT want to move on.  Today it’s 85 and sunny and I am heading down to Atlantic City with my sister for the night.Read more

Have you guys ever had cinnamon chips? They are pretty amazing.  Every Christmas I make oatmeal cinnamon chip cookies and they are so delicious.  They’re my favorite cookie.  But I always buy too many bags of cinnamon chips.  I’m overly ambitious at Christmas-cookie-baking time.  At first I’m always like I AM NOT MAKING ALL THOSERead more

It is finally here – it is finally upon us – one of my most favorite food holidays of the year! – THANKSGIVING. Thanksgiving wasn’t always one of my favorite food holidays of the year.  There was a time once when I couldn’t have cared less about turkey, it was really just another day offRead more

For this week’s 52 New Eats recipe, I chose – yet another – sorry not sorry but actually yes a little sorry – pasta recipe.  This week though, my daughter picked it out, and she wanted to choose because she hasn’t liked any of the recipes I’ve made so far.  ?  I know, I know.Read more

Hey ya’ll!  For this week’s 52 New Eats recipe I chose another mac and cheese dish – primarily because my daughter LOVES Brie cheese, and LOVES Ritz crackers, and I though, why wouldn’t she LOVE this?! Silly me.  ? She’s too picky I suppose.  She didn’t like this mac and cheese, but I thought itRead more

Creamy.  Roasted garlic.  Tortellini. Hands-down, without a doubt, my most favoritest pasta dish of all time. I know I know, it doesn’t look like a whole lot in the picture.  But I can assure you that this pasta dish is so flavorful and so filling and so creamy and so slutty. Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaany years ago, whenRead more

It is pretty much a given, that if a recipe has the word “creamy” in the title, I will be all about it.  I looooove creamy sauces and dishes.  Can’t get enough.  Creamy sauces for drowning, dousing, blanketing, dipping, smothering… are all my favoritest sauces ever.  I would eat piles of vegetables if I couldRead more

Guys!  It’s my 3-year blogaversary! Yes, yes, yes, I can hardly believe it, but three years ago today, I started this little bloggity blog as a creative outlet for my writing, food photography, and enthusiasm for food.  My first post was (DUH) a nachos recipe inspired by one of my favorite food bloggers, Pinch ofRead more

Eggs Benedict Fries. Yes.  They are A Thing. They should be A Thing on your menu for this week too.  Because seriously.  Why not?!  Life is short.  Eat the French fries, topped with creamy, tangy Hollandaise sauce, topped with a glorious poached egg, topped with smoked paprika and chopped chives.  Eat them. Eggs Benedict FriesRead more

This is one of those recipes that is so easy, you will wonder how you did without it all your life. Or maybe I’m just late to the game and people have been eating this forever and I’m the one who did without it all my life. I was never really an egg person growingRead more

Hey guys!  So today I have a super duper really super healthy pasta dish for you! (Did you detect my sarcasm through your screen?) Really all I was being sarcastic about was the “healthy” part.  This IS the slutty food blog, after all.  Not the healthy food blog.  There are enough of those. This isRead more

So it’s sort of time for me to come clean about something, and that something has directly lead to the development of this smoothie recipe, so here goes. Back in May I woke up in the middle of the night one night with incredibly severe knee pain in my right knee.  I was laying inRead more

When I first made //this French onion dip// for #52NewEats last year, I was so blown away by the flavor that I was immediately interested in how else I could use French fried onions in other recipes.  And one of the first things that came to mind was a French onion grilled cheese! I choseRead more

One of my best days ever was just a few weeks ago when I discovered that a local farm carries cheese curds.  I saw them and gasped on the spot and yanked the cold case door open and squealed with delight!  I made such a(n embarrassing) scene that the cashier a couple aisles away pokedRead more

This dish popped my zoodle cherry. I have been wanting to try zoodles for a while now, but I hadn’t quite found the right recipe until I found this one. I love alfredo sauce too much to cover zoodles with it. I might try a Bolognese sauce on zoodles, but for this month, we needRead more

As an “Irish” girl, I LOVE potatoes.  I mean, L O V E them.  I could eat them with every meal of every day.  Potatoes all the ways.  Hot, fried, boiled, baked, smothered in butter, smothered in sauces, //smothered in balsamic//; Cold, covered in mayo, mixed with bacon and scallions…  Potatoes.  All.  The.  Ways. SoRead more

WHO IS READY FOR SPRING? I know I am.  This is like the winter that is never going to end.  I’m currently sitting on my couch covered in a heavy chenille blanket, with a heating pad wedged between my upper back and the back of the couch, freezing. I am so ready for spring. OldRead more

So like.  Did y’all know you can make ricotta at home?  And that it’s better than almost anything you could buy at a store (unless you have access to some mom and pop Italian market that makes it fresh)? It’s true.  And it was SO easy to make, that of course I immediately had toRead more

Today, I bring you one of my favorite old-time recipes from when I first started learning how to cook: fresh tomato and garlic penne. When I first started learning how to cook, I was also sort of discovering that I liked pasta.  Weird, I know, right?  Like, who am I?  I don’t even know sometimes.Read more

I have a confession to make. Until about 5 years ago, I totally hated guacamole. I know.  Can you forgive me? Interestingly enough, what changed my mind was going to Mexico.  We went to Cozumel for Aaron’s 30th birthday, to a beautiful all-inclusive resort, where I felt like hey, if I don’t like it, atRead more

Herb and garlic cheese spread is another old recipe I found in my binder from my early days of learning how to cook.  I remember Aaron loved it back then, so when I saw this I thought it would make a good snack for him to bring in for lunch! It’s funny because the dayRead more

I discovered within the last couple of years that I am, indeed, a passionate lover of goat cheese. Not really the crumbly goat cheese – I like the stuff that comes in a log and is creamy and tangy and delicious. So when I saw //this recipe for Herbed Goat Cheese//, my mouth immediately startedRead more

Several years ago, I went to visit my friend Sara in Kansas City with some girlfriends, and we went out to dinner at this Italian place called Garozzo’s.  On the way there, Sara raved about the bread dipping oil.  WAIT TILL YOU DIP YOUR BREAD IN THAT OIL… OMG.  And I chuckled a little, thinking,Read more

This is my favoritest Spanish rice recipe of all time.  It has become a true staple in my house, especially for me when I make lunches for work for the week.  It has evolved a lot over the past year, and I think I finally have a version that is both totally healthy and totallyRead more

My close friend told me the other day that she’s tired of looking at my Instagram because all that’s ever on there is nachos. Oops. I can’t help it though!  Nachos are my most favorite thing on the planet.  I’m pretty sure she was joking.  She loves me.  She’s not a meanie. And then aboutRead more

So like.  I just want to know when the heck I turned 35.  When did this happen, and why do I not feel 35?  I don’t believe that I’m 35.  No, not me.  I’m 26.  At heart. It’s a funny thing to come to terms with your age.  Before long I’ll be 40.  I rememberRead more

I mentioned in my post for Mexican Street Corn Tostadas a couple weeks back that I was pretty inspired by that recipe and made a corn dip….thing. Is it weird that I think the words “corn dip” just don’t jive together?  I don’t know why.  It sounds pretty redneck.  Y’ALL COME FETCH YA SOME CORNRead more

This layer dip was inspired by one of my favorite recipes I made last year, the //street corn tostadas//.  I wanted a way to eat more of this flavor combination and came up with this super simple layer dip!  Enjoy!

These tostadas were quite possibly my most favorite new recipe that I made when we went vegetarian during the month of May.  Oh GOSH these were so good!  Also, as a result of making this, I was inspired to create a delicious corn dip recipe, so stay tuned for that!  I have already made theseRead more

It should come as no surprise to any of you that I’ve been a huge fan of Grilled Cheese Social since the day I found her many years ago.  She is known for coming up with some of the most epic grilled cheese combinations.  I actually haven’t tried too many of her recipes, because theyRead more

As part of my 2017 new year’s resolutions, I would like to make one new recipe every week.  I’ve been in something of a cooking rut lately – creativity has escaped me, thanks to the stress of moving and renovating a house – and am looking for some inspiration and some new foods to droolRead more

I could eat cashews all day long.  I love them so much, but sometimes you want them to have some flavor, right?  So twice in the past 6 months I have attempted to make ______ Roasted Cashews, and I will now say, NEVER AGAIN.  Leave the flavored roasted cashews up to the experts, and justRead more

So I am always down to try Paleo recipes because they are grain-free and sugar-free, which I realize sounds icky, but can sometimes be really good!  I also love the flavor of coconut oil so when I saw this recipe for //coconut oil fudge//, I was all about it. This recipe literally could NOT haveRead more

I may lose my foodie card today, because I have to tell you that there is one food I have yet to master on a consistent basis – and that is mashed potatoes. Most of the time when I make mashed potatoes, they are just ok.  They aren’t terrible, but they don’t knock your socksRead more

I have to tell you guys… I’m a late-blooming foodie. It’s true. I grew up a very picky eater.  We didn’t eat a lot of exotic or fancy food in our house.  Tacos was about as ethnic as it got.  Both my parents worked full time, and with five kids in the house, it wasRead more

It’s been a while since I made something to contribute to the #365Recipes project, but here you go! Who doesn’t like a nice warm, cozy bowl of creamy pasta?  On these cooler fall nights, it’s one of my favoritest things to eat.  This penne with four cheeses pasta recipe is one I dug out fromRead more

Pico de gallo is like… the perfect condiment for Mexican food. I use it on almost everything I make that’s Mexican.  Tacos, taco salads, nachos, quesadillas, even as a dip on its own.  Obviously you want to make sure you have the freshest, ripest ingredients as this is a raw dish with simple flavors. TwoRead more

Earlier this year I discovered the amazingness that is pimento cheese. I went to Lexington for work and we went to this amazing little place to eat called Stella’s Kentucky Deli.  I really went for the hot brown, but came away with a newfound love and appreciation for pimento cheese.  (The hot brown was alsoRead more

As my first blog post, I think it’s only right that I post a recipe that was inspired by the blog that inspired me to start this blog!  (Did you catch that?) Pinch of Yum is one of my favorite food blogs.  Without even knowing it, I had a bunch of her recipes already pinnedRead more

If there’s one vegetable I could eat for the rest of my life, it would be the potato.  (Shut up, they are too vegetables.)  I love potatoes.  I could literally eat them with every meal.  So when I was flipping through a recent edition of Bon Appetit, and saw this new method for roasting potatoes,Read more

Risotto is one of those dishes that intimidates people, and I am not even really sure why.  A few months back, I tried my hand at risotto by making The Pioneer Woman’s //sun-dried tomato risotto//, and it was FABULOUS.  And it was amazingly NOT HARD. I don’t know if you guys know me?  Or ifRead more

Chips and salsa is one of our FAVORITE snacks around here.  And //this salsa// is one of our favorites. My daughter is so picky.  SOOOO picky.  SO.  PICKY.  And I don’t even know how she got that way because her father and I are pretty good eaters.  But she does like chips and salsa.  IfRead more

Back when I lived in Spokane, there was a restaurant there called the Sawtooth Grill.  I heard it has since closed, but when we lived there it was one of our favorite places to frequent for cheeseburgers.  They had GREAT burgers.  And they had an appetizer on their menu which was skinny French fries dousedRead more

Spinach Dip. Really, SFB? I know, I know.  Everyone knows how to make spinach dip, right?  In fact, it just may be that you know how to make it the way I make it here.  Maybe what I have here is not even new to you.  But it’s new to me, and I’m excited toRead more

I found this recipe on Pinterest a while ago while looking for vegetarian meals.  I wasn’t sure how ‘on board’ hubby would be with a vegetarian chili-style meal, so when we decided to go vegetarian for a month back in May, I jumped at the chance to make this! This recipe was very, very tasty,Read more

There is an awesome foodie restaurant near me called The Butcher & Barkeep, and it’s about the only foodie restaurant around.  The waits there are regularly an hour or more during dinner time, any day of the week.  It’s a popular place with the locals, and for good reason – they have an excellent craftRead more

After a few weeks of #52NewEats recipes that fell flat with my daughter, I thought I’d look for something more up her alley.  And voila!  I found this recipe pinned from way back in da day for soft pretzel bites. My kid LOVES soft pretzels.  Like every time we go to Target – “Mom canRead more

I love snack mixes.  They are usually ridiculously easy to make, and highly addictive, and great to have out at a party. I also love mixed nuts.  Planters Mixed Nuts – my favorite – I usually eat all the Brazil nuts first and then all the cashews and then it’s a free-for-all for the rest.Read more

My husband and I got married in a small seminary just outside of West Philadelphia, and had our reception at Morton’s Steakhouse downtown.  We reserved their private boardroom for the event, which was small at less than 45 people, and we treated everyone to an amazing steak dinner.  It was a lovely, memorable evening, andRead more

Mmmmm, baked brie.  Warm, melty, spready cheese.  On a salty cracker.  With sweet, tangy balsamic strawberries on top.  Mmm, mmm, mmm. This recipe for baked brie was really, really decadent.  I had to make myself stop eating it so that I would eat my dinner!  I will definitely make it again, but I will changeRead more

Some time ago, when I discovered that I liked Italian food, I tried a stuffed shells recipe and fell in love. I can’t even remember whose recipe this is now, because I’ve modded it a little bit and am not sure what’s what. But I’ll tell you what my favorite thing is about this stuffedRead more

If you were looking for a highly-addictive, semi-healthy, fresh-tasting dip to put on the table for Cinco de Mayo, you need look no further. This recipe has been in my family for as long as I can remember.  My mom used to make it all the time.  She probably got the recipe off some productRead more

Guysssssss.  Who knew vegan desserts could be SO delicious? This is another recipe from my friend Daniela over at //dulce y natural// blog.  The //original recipe// was for chocolate chip cookies, but for whatever reason, the dough did not really come together enough for me to be able to roll into a ball, so IRead more

While I was vegetarian in May, I ate a TON of Mexican recipes.  It wasn’t even really on purpose… okay, maybe subconsciously it was, but… there are just a lot of options out there for vegetarians in Mexican cuisine.  This dish has become one of the ‘keepers’ out of all the new recipes I triedRead more

So I know I just shared a recipe last week for //chicken enchiladas suizas//, but I loved it so much that I immediately wanted to come up with a vegetarian version, so here it is! To me, there is just something about the combination of black beans, corn, and poblanos and that really sets myRead more

Ok so.  I’m just going to say this loud and clear: you WILL want this dip at your next family or friends get-together.  You just will. You WILL need to get over the idea of sauteeing the onions for 45-60 minutes.  You just will.  Because this step, this crucial step, is what sets this dipRead more