Homemade Sriracha Salt

I have a friend who loves sriracha, and what do you get for your sriracha-loving friend who already has everything rooster-related? Sriracha salt, I say. I have never flavored salt before and was worried it would be difficult, but honestly, it was so easy. I got the recipe from Radical Possibility and it makes one cup of salt. Keep an eye out for tons of other salt flavors in the future!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Last night was the annual Great Cookie Exchange at my house. I baked some chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies that were decadent and filling, to say the least. These cookies aren't too difficult to make, but have a bunch of ingredients, so make sure that you have everything you need on-hand before you start! This recipe is a alteration of one over at Kitchen Treaty and makes 18 cookies.

Holiday Butter Cookies

For my office holiday party, I volunteered to make some cookies. This can feel like a lot of pressure, since everyone has a certain idea of what holiday cookies are, and can be really picky about it. Also, a quick disclosure: I haven't been to the grocery store in a few weeks, so my cupboards aren't overflowing with baking options. I decided to go with this recipe for butter cookies because it is a simple, easy-to-make recipe and it's super-likely that you have all of the ingredients in your house already. This recipe makes a baker's dozen and was adapted from this recipe. Enjoy!

Cinnamon-Infused Rum

Infusing alcohol is super-easy because it involves a very passive recipe. Really, you just need to decide which kind of alcohol you'd like to use and which flavors you think would go well with that. I've seen a lot of standard flavors (cinnamon, apple, vanilla, etc.) and a lot of more "wild" flavors (rosemary, pickle, elderberry, etc.). Since this was my first infusion experience, I decided to stick with a standard cinnamon rum. I ended up making about six pints of rum for holiday gifts and a little leftover for myself.

One-Pot Chili Mac

This comfort food is especially comforting when you're just tossing things together from your pantry. I have a few different chili recipes up on this blog already, so feel free to make this with one of them or with your own special chili recipe. Enjoy!

Guest Post: Ange's Shortbread Cookies

My lovely friend, Melissa, wrote up this guest post that is perfect for the cold weather and the holiday season. Not only does the recipe sound good, but I have tasted it, so I can vouch for its buttery, flaky deliciousness. Remember, if you also want to guest post, please don't hesitate to contact me. Enjoy!
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I have always been a “cook” not a baker, when it comes to the time I spend in the kitchen. In fact, the idea of baking anything, especially cookies, would cause a reaction in me similar to when you say Brussels Sprouts to a four-year-old.  Ick.  It was so time-consuming and exact... ugh.  But suddenly something happened… maybe it was all of the delicious desserts seen in every magazine and tv show, maybe it was my Great Aunt’s years of scratch pies calling me home. Whatever it was, I finally started baking.  And the more I baked, the more I loved it.  And found out that baking is EASY. And the exacting nature of baking turned it into a challenge to try more and more difficult items and accomplish it and do it well.  The feeling of finishing a beautiful, complicated homemade cake could never compare to anything I put together on the stove for dinner. So, I guess I call myself a baker now and I love it! 

My friend Ange has been making this shortbread recipe for us for years. And every time she shows up with a plate of it the entire plate will be devoured in a matter of minutes, all of us picking the crumbs off the plate with our fingers when whole cookies are gone.  Shortbread is such a classic, simple, delicious taste and something I’ve never made before, so I thought I would give it a shot.  And, yep, Easy!  Turns out I’ve actually been making shortbread for a while now, I just called it crust and didn’t think about it being the same thing.

Holiday Gift Guide: Quirky Kitchen

One of my favorite things when I'm cooking is to use adorable cooking tools. Trust me; it makes hanging out in a kitchen for hours much more bearable. Here's some of my favorite items to make your kitchen as cute as possible.

Potato Latkes

Happy Hanukkah! The official food of Hanukkah is potato latkes (potato pancakes). My awesome Jewish friend, Rebecca (the same friend that taught me how to make hamantaschen last year), hosted a latke party tonight to celebrate Hanukkah. There are two main ways to make latkes - bird's nest-style and pancake-style - and we made both! Enjoy & happy Hanukkah!