Black Bean Raspberry Dip

I grew up close to Manhattan, Kansas (The Little Apple!). Tucked away in Aggieville is this unassuming restaurant called So Long Saloon and they make this killer black bean dip. It has a layer of spicy raspberry preserves and a layer of savory cream cheese. I've been thinking about this dip for many years (I haven't lived there since 2007, to give you an idea). A few months ago, I figured I'd search online to see if anyone else had experienced this magic appetizer and, to my surprise, one of my favorite food bloggers has, and wrote a recipe up for it. My recipe below is an adaption of hers (the main difference is that I've written out how I create the raspberry layer, because I couldn't find the store-bought version she uses). I also apparently didn't take any photos of my process (which is very unlike me), so I guess I have an excuse to make this again (& then update this post). I hope you enjoy this dip as much as I have!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Croissants

This week, my coworker celebrated surviving breast cancer by hosting a "pink potluck" at work. We all wore pink and many of us brought in pink food. Choosing a recipe based on the food's color is actually not an easy thing to do, but I did it. This is an easy and delicious addition to any potluck or brunch.

Creamy Potato and Kale Soup

This semester has been incredibly busy for me. One full-time job, one part-time job, and finishing my degree. Cooking (and even more so, blogging) food has, unfortunately, been low on my priority list. I have been eating old favorites, quick meals, and going out to eat more than I would prefer. So, last night, I had two hours between jobs and decided to toss together this soup to eat when I finished my second shift. It was the greatest idea. I have made & blogged a lot of soups before, but I will say, not-so-humbly, that this is the more delicious one yet. This recipe makes many servings, which is great because it heats up so well. Enjoy!

Homemade Vegan Sushi

Let me dispel some myths for you, quickly. First off, vegetarians & vegans can totally eat delicious sushi. Second, rolling your own sushi at home is actually not that difficult! Once you get everything chopped & ready, you can make a bunch of rolls quickly & easily. Before last night, I had never made my own sushi, but my friend was having a sushi party (which is an amazing idea, by the way) and it really got me out of my comfort zone. We all brought tons of ingredients (veggies, fruits, crushed wasabi peas, fish, tofu, cream cheese, etc.) and went at it! Below is a really simple recipe to get you through your first roll. Once you do that, go crazy & see what kind of new sushi recipe you can come up with! Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Biscuits

I'm traveled for Thanksgiving this year, so I wasn't really involved in making any food. I did really want to be put in charge of something, so I made biscuits. Because of that, this holiday turned into that episode of Friends when Monica lets Chandler make the cranberry sauce and he makes too much of a deal about it. That's me. With biscuits.

I made two different kinds for dinner: cheddar and cranberry cream cheese (original recipes linked). Between the two recipes, this makes 24-30 biscuits.