Ham and Cheese Breakfast Bake

Great news!  The wedding planning is going great...which means a little time has cleared up in my schedule to return to blogging.  Phew!  I was missing it!  But planning the most epic wedding Cleveland's ever seen takes a lot of time!  Anyway, now I'm getting back into the groove of my normal food-obsessed self and doing things like making risotto on weeknights and hosting fancy brunches on weekends - my favorite things!  Last Sunday, Howie's parents were staying with us and I made them a Ham and Cheese Breakfast Bake that my family has been making for years!  This isn't just any old ho-hum egg bake.  It's my favorite egg bake!  It's just so tasty and different from the breakfast dishes you're probably used to making because you crush Corn flakes over the top and drizzle it with melted butter before you bake it in the oven.  It sounds strange, but it's an explosion of flavors and textures!  Try making it for your sweetie on Valentine's Day tomorrow!

Apple Cinnamon Cranberry Bread

So I just came to the mind-shattering realization that Thanksgiving is 2 weeks away.  Where did the fall go??  Why haven't I started listening to Christmas music??  Just kidding about that last one.  I had you, didn't I?  The only thing I seem to be on top of this season is coming up with some ahhhh-mazing holiday recipes!  Like Apple Cinnamon Cranberry Bread.  Seriously though, the sweet apples, tangy cranberries and fresh orange zest combined with a heavenly brown sugar cinnamon mixture that caramelizes on top of the bread when you bake it in the oven...it's just perfect.  On top of how great it tastes, the bread is light enough that you can serve it for breakfast on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day and it will tie your guests over until the scrumptious dinner!

  Let the holiday season officially commence on the blog!

Breadsmith

I'm not quite sure that there is much more I need in life besides bread.  I don't discriminate...white bread, wheat bread, cinnamon raisin bread, especially garlic bread...they're all fine by me.  I'm sure that you probably feel the same.  If you don't, then either your diet is extremely unfortunate, or you haven't been to Breadsmith in Lakewood yet.  This awesome locally-owned bakery makes some of the best loafs I've ever had!

Steph's Pick: Brown Butter

So if you've read my blog in the past, you might remember that I have an avid dislike of butter.  Yep, I'm one strange creature.  I promise it's not because it's unhealthy - I totally work out enough to compensate for a least a few tablespoons a week.  It's the taste!  So the even weirder part in this twisted story is that I'm going to introduce a new type of blog post about cooking tips that you can apply to any recipe involving the featured method or ingredient...and my first one is about BUTTER.

What?!

Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese

There are few things I like more in life than grilled cheese.  Or pizza.  Hmmm anything involving cheese and carbs apparently?  Anyway, after I finished up at the gym last Monday, Howie cut our phone call short because he was being summoned to half-off pizza night at Angelo's Pizza...only my favorite pizza place in all of Cleveland!  Pizza was officially on my mind, and this epic sandwich was born.  I took the typical grilled cheese sandwich topped with American cheese and turned it up a notch, adding provolone, pepperoni, spinach and some Italian herbs.  It tasted just like pizza, especially when dipped in some warm marinara sauce on the side.  YUM.

Pepperoni Bread

Superbowl Sunday is tomorrow!  Let the parties begin!  I know that everybody is always looking for new appetizers to bring to get-togethers because, let's face it, the buffalo chicken dip is starting to get old.  It's so delicious, don't get me wrong, but predictable.  I've been bringing homemade pepperoni bread to parties for about 4 years, and I swear it's always the first food to go.  Maybe it's because each loaf only yields 12 slices or so...but I like to think it's because the recipe is SO GOOD.   I've even had friends come a little early to my house when i'm throwing a party so they could make sure they get one of the first slices right out of the oven!  I love how it's a finger food that seems fancy, but only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish!  Try it tomorrow!

Rosemary Garlic Focaccia Bread

Focaccia bread has always been near and dear to my heart because it was my favorite food when i studied in Italy almost 4 years ago.  It wasn't just an "oh, I l always had a side of focaccia bread with my pasta" type of love.  I'm talking I ate more focaccia bread than I did spaghetti, croissants and gelato combined.  At this point, I like to consider myself a connoisseur, so it's hard to find a truly authentic recipe in America.  Lucky for you guys, I've been researching different recipes on Italian websites, and this is as close to the real thing as I can get.  It's surprisingly easy to make yourself, but just make sure you clear out your afternoon because the process is a little lengthy with the time needed for the dough to rise.  It worked perfectly with my massive baking day last Sunday!  I made the bread dough before I started my butternut squash soup and apple crisp, and whipped up the other recipes while this was rising!  It was a heavenly trio to say the least!

The Best Banana Bread...Ever

The recipe I'm about to share with you is a very special one.  I've actually been sitting on my couch for the last twenty minutes debating if I should share it publicly because it's taken so long for me to make it perfect...but the smell of warm banana bread with a hint of cinnamon is wafting into my living room and bringing out my soft side, and I feel like it would be morally unjust not to spread the happiness that this recipe brings around to everyone!  I'm going to start by saying that banana bread is one of my all-time favorite desserts.  It's just so comforting, light, fluffy, it somehow feels healthy (even though it isn't), and tastes great anytime of the day, even for breakfast!  Usually, I make a recipe once, and if I like it, and then other people like it, I consider it a keeper.  This recipe, however, is a combination of 2 family recipes, a helpful tip from my friend's mom, and a new twist I added on my own...COCONUT!  I've baked this recipe close to a hundred times, experimenting with different additions each time, and can honestly say it's finally perfect...every single batch I share with people yields at least one response saying "this is the best banana bread I've ever had!"