product review – Chocoley. [fudgy toffee brownies drizzled w. white chocolate & homemade caramel]

June 6th, 2014 by Caroline Stegner | comments

Chocoley–an online provider of high quality chocolate ingredients–contacted me a few weeks ago, asking if I’d be interested in baking a dessert with the company’s gourmet chocolate. I decided to make these decadent and gooey toffee brownies topped with homemade caramel and a white chocolate drizzle. The Chocoley dark chocolate gives the brownies an incredibly rich and delicious flavor. I brought the brownies to my office and they were a huge hit!

product review & a giveaway! [cheeseburger sliders w. homemade thousand island dressing]

June 5th, 2014 by Caroline Stegner | comments

I was recently approached by Healthy Solutions Spice Blends to try one of the company’s 16 spice blends. The spices are recipe-ready and made to cook with fish, beef, pork and poultry. I used the Ultimate Burger spice blend for my cheeseburger sliders–the delicious spice blend gave the juicy burgers a ton of flavor, which paired wonderfully with the homemade thousand island dressing.

Healthy Solutions Spice Blends is giving away 4 spice blend packets (of your choice) to one lucky winner!!

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY HERE!

welcoming summer. [pulled bbq chicken sliders topped w. homemade coleslaw & tangy bbq sauce]

June 2nd, 2014 by Caroline Stegner | comments

With summer right around the corner, I couldn’t think of a better way to welcome the season than some delicious BBQ food. These pulled BBQ chicken sliders are a twist on the pulled pork sandwich–the chicken is just as flavorful and takes half the amount of time to cook! Pair the sliders with some homemade potato salad (recipe coming soon), and your taste buds will thank you. :)

the gang’s all here. [pickled red onions & pickled cauliflower]

May 29th, 2014 by Caroline Stegner | comments

I know I’m late, but I hope everyone had a relaxing Memorial Day weekend! My brother and his girlfriend flew in from Atlanta, so I spent the weekend at my parents’ house with my entire family. It was so nice to have everyone home–we had a wonderful time eating, drinking and laying out by the pool.

We hosted a dinner party over the weekend and my boyfriend and I were in charge of pickling the onions and cauliflower for the salad (will post salad recipe soon). The pickled onions and cauliflower turned out delicious–and the pickling process was so easy!

the sweetest thing. [decadent butterscotch cupcakes topped w. a rum syrup, buttercream frosting, butterscotch sauce & English toffee]

May 23rd, 2014 by Caroline Stegner | comments

You guys, I honestly have no words. These cupcakes are everything. Please go make them and have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

feeding my obsession. [quinoa crusted chicken strips w. bbq honey mustard]

May 21st, 2014 by Caroline Stegner | comments

I’ve always been obsessed with chicken tenders–served with lots of ranch, of course. Growing up, my brothers and I ordered chicken fingers every time our family went out to dinner…every time. But one night at dinner, my mom forced us to order something else on the menu. We had no idea what to get!

A few years ago, my mom fed my obsession and sent me a three-ingredient recipe for homemade chicken strips. Since then, these chicken tenders have been my go-to recipe for game day appetizers or dinner parties; that was until I found this recipe for quinoa crusted chicken strips. Although more labor intensive than the other recipe, these chicken strips were incredibly flavorful and delicious, especially when paired with the slightly sweet BBQ honey mustard.

back in the kitchen. [moist banana bread]

May 16th, 2014 by Caroline Stegner | comments

Not being able to cook for the last couple of weeks has been torture! Now that I’m finally able to eat solid foods (well, soft foods), I decided to bake some banana bread with my over-ripe bananas. This banana bread recipe was delicious, but I have to admit that I prefer this recipe!

human again. [creamy four-cheese mac & cheese w. mushrooms, peas & chicken]

May 12th, 2014 by Caroline Stegner | comments

It’s been a long two weeks. I’m still recovering from a serious gum surgery, but am finally starting to feel human again. My diet for the past two weeks has consisted of frozen yogurt, protein shakes and Ramen…and all I want is a cheeseburger!!

I couldn’t bear to eat another bowl of Maruchan Ramen, so I decided to try eating mac & cheese. Granted, I was only able to eat the noodles and cheese sauce, but the rest of my family enjoyed the pasta with the mushrooms, peas and chicken. Everyone gave the dish two thumbs up!

pure perfection. [churro cupcakes w. cinnamon cream cheese frosting]

April 25th, 2014 by Caroline Stegner | comments

I never thought a cupcake could be so perfect until I stumbled across this recipe for churro cupakes. Yes, churro cupcakes. Say what?! These cupcakes taste exactly like the warm, chewy churros from Disneyland–but made even better with the addition of cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Please go make these asap!

cure the cold. [turkey chili loaded w. vegetables]

April 23rd, 2014 by Caroline Stegner | comments

As much as I tried to avoid it, I caught the dreaded cold going around. Sleep, DayQuil and NyQuil have been my best friends this week. I wanted to make something hearty and healthy, so I came up with this turkey chili loaded with vegetables. The chili is of course healthier sans sour cream, but I’m a sucker for sour cream, so I figured a dollop wouldn’t hurt. :)