Dublin Roasters in Frederick: 5 Cool Facts
Admittedly, it doesn’t take much to bring me joy — they say “it’s the small things,” and I’d have to agree. Like a breathtaking sunset, an announcement of a new season of your favorite show, or really good coffee. Speaking of really good coffee, I was invited to tour Dublin Roasters in Frederick, Maryland, while on a mini-vacation to the area earlier this fall. The goal of my visit was to understand the process by which they specially roast their uniquely sourced beans, as well as learn more about Serina Roy’s vision as owner and founder — and to have a tasty latte along the way. (Of course, right?) And…
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Chocolate chip cookie bars make an already simple recipe even easier — because, as we know, making chocolate chip cookies from scratch isn’t difficult. But, even I can be lazy enough to not want to spend time plopping dough by the tablespoonful onto cookie sheets, batch by batch. And that’s why cookie bars were invented! All of the cookie dough bliss, with none of the individual cookie fuss! Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Here’s a quick run-through of the steps; the full recipe card is just after: First you cream butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until they’re soft and fluffy, and then mix in the…
Spaghetti and Easy Homemade Meatballs
Make this yummy spaghetti with easy homemade meatballs in under an hour! I recently watched Anne Burrell make meatballs on one of her Food Network shows. Spaghetti and meatballs are a quintessential comfort foods that almost everyone loves. Plus, they’re the type of meal that gets better with time, which means you can make a gigantic batch and then feast on the leftovers all week long. As a person who *loves* eating leftovers for lunch, this is right up my alley. During my last trip to the grocery store, I bought a package of ground lamb/beef/veal (a.k.a. “meatloaf mix”), and with an open afternoon and the whole family home for…
Make-Ahead Casserole Recipes
There’s nothing better than having dinner ready to go on a busy night. Who doesn’t love a warm, gooey casserole? Especially casserole recipes that can either be tossed in the fridge till dinner the next day, or frozen for weeks (or months)! To me, casseroles are one of the best comfort foods out there, and make-ahead casserole recipes are the best. THE BEST! A friend who’s due any day with her second baby recently asked me if I’d help her prep a few freezer meals to tuck away until after the baby’s born. (For the record, I was not that smart with my food prep. For either child.) Those of you who’ve raised…
Rich Chocolate Mocha Pudding
This rich chocolate mocha pudding uses coffee to turn an already decadent dessert into something even more special! I love the opportunity to try and take a great recipe, tweak it, and make it even better. Or … at least … just as good. A few years ago, I Pinned a chocolate pudding recipe from smitten kitchen that she adapted from a chef’s blog. I mean, how could you not stare at Deb’s endless photos and not want to make the recipe yourself (or at least wish she was around the corner so you could become friends and enjoy her spoils)? Right. Here’s my take on it. Rich Chocolate Mocha Pudding Chocolate…
Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast
This slow cooker pot roast starts with a frozen rump roast. You can’t make dinner prep any easier than that! This may be the easiest slow cooker pot roast recipe in the world. I mean, what recipes start with a frozen roast and end with a full meal, all the trimmings and au jus to go with it? This one. There’s nothing better on a busy workday than knowing you can reach into your freezer, grab the rump roast you bought on sale at the grocery store and froze in order to keep it until “I don’t know when,” and then slow cook it deliciously over the next eight to ten…
100 Easy Christmas Cookies
This holiday season make a few of these easy Christmas cookies to give as gifts and to enjoy at home! It can be argued that the tradition of giving Christmas cookies started in Medieval times, as winter solstice rituals transformed into holiday celebrations. Just like today, food was an integral part of gatherings in those days. With a shift into celebrations instead of ritual, the parties became grander — less about sustenance before a bleak winter and more about feasting together to ring in the season. Back in those days, sugar was considered a delicacy reserved for important occasions, and Christmas was one of the *most* important. Unlike pies and cakes,…
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars (Gluten Free)
These gluten free pumpkin cheesecake bars are a great alternative to the traditional pumpkin pie during Thanksgiving and fall holiday gatherings. This is a guest post by Diana Girtain. I was recently diagnosed with an autoimmune disease which benefits from a gluten free diet. I’d gone gluten free/low gluten years ago because I’d started to notice that I felt remarkable better without it, so it was satisfying to have a doctor’s explanation for my improved quality of life — it wasn’t just all in my head! Since that diagnosis and my dietary adjustments, I’ve been on the search for a good gluten free pie crust for years. Spoiler: they’re not easy…
