• a little queso fun at home

    Whether you plan on celebrating with a big party or a simple dinner for the family this Queso Blanco is a MUST MAKE!  Just trust me it really, really is. My most favorite (& that is saying a lot) I am not sure there are enough words in my vocabulary to express my love for queso.   I judge restaurants by their level of queso.  To make it great it has to be rich, creamy, not too thick and not too thin, with a little heat to make it the perfect bite. One of my most favorite queso’s I have ever had was actually from a cheesesteak place here in…

  • ch…cha…charro at home

    Are you a refried bean or charro bean person?  Me, I am a charro bean person.  I just love the hint of heat in each bite…and now I can make them at home! It all starts with bacon Yep…you read that right.  These Charro Beans start with bacon.  You can use your favorite bacon but I highly recommend either bacon ends or thick cut bacon.  These beans are going to be cooking for a while and the chunks of bacon will cook down better and in the end add in some great flavor.   I mean just look at that big hunk of bacon in the middle of the beans…

  • some cinco de mayo flan fun

    Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner…in my world that means tons of food, margaritas and some delicious sweets…and this Espresso Flan Cake is definately going to be on the menu. Flan & Cake…really? Ok, I know what some of you are thinking…flan and cake together?  YES…flan and cake together is a perfect treat.  There is something so decadent about a rich chocolate base topped with a creamy flan and a little caramel flowing over the top. Oh yeah…it is also really pretty. Espresso….yes please. Now if you follow me much at all you know I love espresso with chocolate.  In almost all my brownies, chocolate cakes and cupcakes…

  • THE BEST EVER…cornbread that is

    Cornbread is one of those recipes that I seem to have a 1000 recipes for.  Some sweeter than others, some super savory, some spicy, and even some with bacon but this recipe will be my go to recipe from here on out.   Sweet or Savory I grew up with a more savory cornbread and was not really introduced to sweet cornbread until I was in high school and I immediately fell in love, but still went back to a savory cornbread recipe when I would make it.  But over the years I find myself going back to the sweeter side of cornbread…and this recipe is the BEST! A treat…

  • a new chili night…steak chili

    Growing up in Texas I have had my fair share of chili.  The traditional chili with beef (no beans) and loaded with spices, turkey chili, white chicken chili and of course chili with beans…but sometimes you just have to take a favorite to the next level. Just trust me Ok now I know you might be shaking your head at me and asking “why go and mess up something and make it weird” but trust me this chili is everything you love about your favorite traditional chili, only elevated!   It is loaded with tons of spices (some that are a little surprising) and big chunks of meat making this a…

  • It’s a muffin puff kinda morning…

    I do not have enough words in my vocabulary to tell you all how much I love these muffin puffs.  Yes, you read that right, I am in LOVE with a little treat we call a muffin puff.  Trust me they are as cute as they sounds and as yummy as they look. What is a puff? Simply put it is a cross between a muffin and donut hole, but there is nothing simple about these bites. First, they are easy to make like muffins.  Mix everything together and then bake it off in cute mini muffin pans.  I LOVE mini muffin pans.  Don’t you?  Some of the best bites…

  • bacon green bean casserole-yes I said bacon

    Over the years I have come to the conclusion that you are either a fan of green bean casserole or you are not…it’s really that simple.  I have always landed on the not a fan side of this debate but my brother, James, is a HUGE green bean casserole fan and asks for it every holiday…but this year it was time to take it to the next level. For my brother Most of the time my sis-in-laws mom will make it for him, but for Easter I decided to take on his request but to make it in a way that I (and the other non-lovers) would love as well.…

  • a little late to the carrot cake table…

    I asked some of my family a few weeks ago what they wanted for Easter desserts and surprising to me a couple of them mentioned carrot cake.  Now this may not be so surprising to many of you, but to me it was as I don’t ever remember this cake EVER being on our Easter buffet…EVER!!   It is so much more than just a cupcake And just to make things more fun, I have never even had a bite of carrot cake, so from the start this was going to be a super fun dessert to take on. OK, now I know it is crazy that I am in…

  • Pistachio fluff?? Yes, please

    Growing up there is one side dish that I always remember being on almost every Holiday table…Pistachio Fluff Salad.  I also remember that I was never a big fan of it (I didn’t like anything green as a kid) but I knew that everyone else LOVED it).   Fluff…yes please!! As I was thinking about our family Easter dinner this year I kept thinking about that green stuff that everyone seemed to love, (& my brother asked for it) so I decided it was time to make it.  Now as I am sure you have realized a lot of childhood memories are a little distorted being that they are from…

  • no oven space needed for this ham

    Easter is this weekend and that means it is time to start planning the menu and trust me this ham is a must have for your Easter get together.  I don’t know about your family but Easter always mean ham to us.  We used to buy it from that Honey Baked place and it was crusted with this delicious sweet crust and as delicious, but also expensive so this Easter I decided to try to fix one myself. No oven needed There are tons of ways to fix a ham.  Some recipes call for maple syrup, some for pineapple slices, or pineapple juice, while other just have a spice rub…for me I…