Easter Brunch

Happy Easter!  I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful sunshine and celebrating the holiday with family, friends and of course, food!  Howie and I's day got off to a bit of a rocky start when the mass time at St. John Cantius Church in Tremont randomly changed for Easter Sunday, but at least we got a chance to catch a glimpse of the (empty) interior!  The architecture of the nave was incredible, and brought back many memories of the massive cathedrals that I visited throughout Europe while I studied abroad in Italy.  Though we were a little bummed, especially after our half hour attempt of driving to every church in the Tremont/Ohio city area looking for a Catholic mass turned into an epic failure, we at least had a delicious brunch that made up for it!  Howie was in charge of the peach-orange-mango mimosas, and I made a savory breakfast skillet with sausage, homemade home fries, peppers, onions, egg and cheese!

Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Though my checkbook has apparently thought it's been spring since sundresses started coming out in February, it seems like the weather is finally catching up!  But sadly, warm weather means it's also that time to say goodbye to the hearty winter recipes that can be camouflaged by a sweater, and hellooooo to delicious yet satisfying lighter recipes.  Tonight for dinner I tested out Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps, a new recipe I've been thinking about for the last few weeks.  I blended a ton of bold flavors to create a healthy meal with an Asian twist that won't let you feel like you're missing out on anything!

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!"

Slow Cooker Sunday

MIDTERMS ARE OVER!  I don't even think that all caps does that statement justice.  School and work have been so busy that I haven't gotten to post anything this month, so I wanted to make a really special dinner for a relaxing Sunday night and practice my Crock Pot skills.  I made Howie and I a deliciously tender beef pot roast with potatoes, veggies, and a side of flaky biscuits.  I'll admit, it's definitely a winter dish, but it was also snowing yesterday, so I think it's justified.  And who wouldn't pair this comfort meal with a night that involved making (non-visual) progress on our 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle and watching American Hustle.

Birthday Brunch!

This week is very special because my best friend and mom is turning the big 5-0 on Thursday!  We obviously had to commence the festivities the weekend before her birthday, so we decided to have a girls day complete with brunch, shopping, and coffee.  We started the day off right by ordering delicious mango mimosas at Press Wine Bar in Tremont.  They were so good that we felt obligated to get a second round during our meal...it's a celebration week! 

Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day was great this year because it was full of surprises!  Howie and I tried Chinato, a fantastic East 4th Street restaurant that I hadn't been to before, a new type of wine, French Pinot Noir, which I didn't know existed, a new brand of chocolate from Lilly Handmade Chocolates in Tremont, and a new dessert recipe I invented: Baileys-infused chocolate cake with a chocolate mocha mouse and Heath bar bits.  Any day that involves you and a loved one consuming Italian food, wine, chocolate, and then more chocolate, coffee, and Baileys afterwards is bound to be an excellent day!

Sweets For Your Sweetie

Valentine's Day has always been one of my favorite holidays.  I love the romantic dinners, flowers, and cards...but my favorite part is without a doubt eating as many sweets as my heart desires for the entire day!  My love for this day and all of the sweets that go along with it began when I was younger.  My mom would bake my brother and I our own massive cookie hearts in our favorite type of dough, and it made me look forward to the holiday every year.  Now that I'm older, I like to bake all the people that are special to me something delicious to carry on the tradition for Valentine's Day.  I promise my Italian Buckeyes and Nutella Heart Cookies are better than any storebought chocolates!