I am a firm believer in the foodcation (as proven here and here). Before going on vacation, some ask friends, family, and Twitter what are the best places to stay, or see, or experience. I am more concerned about where the best places to eat are. Good weather and a full stomach are almost always going to ensure that your vacation is remembered as a good one. You can explore a city or a region through their local eateries. You see how people really live, work and play instead of being surrounded by other vacationers or passers-through.

We've all been there. Sitting in a car in a semi-deserted parking lot trying to decide where to eat. There's a group and some of you are on the verge of hanger. You must make a decision ASAP or you might not all be friends by the end of the night. At this point you are tempted to google the nearest Panera or Chipotle and call it a night, despite the fact that you vowed not to eat at places you have back home.

And this is where my new favorite foodcation planning tool comes into play. The Besty helps people all over the world find the best restaurants and food. You can create a profile and share your favorite restaurants, both local and from your travels, and also search based on location or food type depending on what you're in the mood for. The interface and feel of the website is much more streamlined than Yelp and Urbanspoon. The recommendation feature is also helpful. Have a foodie friend who never steers you wrong at dinner? Follow them on The Besty (or encourage them to join) so you can stay up-to-date with where they've been eating lately.

Want to keep up with my foodcations? Follow along here :) 

When you are traveling or looking to try a new restaurant in town, what is your go-to source of reviews and recommendations? 

I checked another item off of my 30 before 30 list this weekend. Taking a cooking class is now complete. And if I'm being honest, it is not going to be the last. If you live in Florida (or Atlanta) you can see if there is a Publix cooking school in your area. If so, I highly recommend attending one. They offer both demonstrations and hands-on classes, depending on whether you want to brush up on your knife skills or eat an entire plated meal complete with wine parings for each course.

I used proper knifes (that weren't bought wrapped in plastic), a mandolin and an emersion blender for the first time. As someone who gets giddy every time she walks into Bed, Bath and Beyond, I was having so much fun.

On the menu were holiday side dishes. If you are looking for the perfect (simple) recipe to bring to a holiday gathering, or if you are still finalizing the menu for your first year hosting Thanksgiving, here are my three favorite recipes of the night. Also on the menu were Creamy Garlic Turnip Mashed Potatoes and Crispy Rosemary Fennel.

The sides were heavy on the starch, butter, bacon fat and garlic. If you are looking to lighten up your meal, then pass these recipes over.

Creamy Three Cheese Truffle Macaroni

Serves 6

Ingredients 

2 tlbs. butter

2 large sweet onions, julienned

1/2 pound elbow macaroni

1 tlbs. white truffle oil

5 tlbs. butter or bacon fat

5 tlbs. all-purpose flour

3 cups milk

1/2 tsp. ground annatto

1/8 tsp. turmeric

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup Colby Jack cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Havarti cheese, shredded

1 cup breadcrumbs

Method

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large skillet, melt butter on medium high heat. Add onions and cook until caramelized to a dark golden color.

Cook macaroni in boiling water for about 10 minutes until tender but still firm. Drain well. Place in large bowl with caramelized onions and a drizzle of truffle oil; mix well and set aside. 

In a deep skillet, melt butter on medium heat. Add flour to make a roux and cook, stirring, to remove any lumps. Pour in milk and cook until mixture is thick and smooth. Season bechamel with salt, pepper, annatto, turmeric. Remove from heat, stir in Cheddar and Colby Jack cheese until melted.

Add pasta and transfer mixture to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish; bake 10-20 minutes. Top with 1/2 cup havarti cheese and and breadcrumbs and bake for an additional 5 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Spaghetti Squash with Brown Butter and Sage

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 large spaghetti squash

1 ounce olive oil

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon sage, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Coat squash with olive oil and place, cut side down, on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes or until tender. Rest at room temperature until cool enough to handle. 

Scrape cooked squash with a fork out of its skin into a bowl and set aside. In a large saute pan, melt butter on medium-high until the color starts to change to  a slight brown. Add sage and toast for 10 seconds and then add squash. Toss until coated with butter, season with salt and pepper. 

Serve hot.

Zesty Orange Cranberry Relish

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 (8 ox) can mandarin oranges

12 ounce bag cranberries (fresh)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

Method

Drain oranges and reserve juice. In a medium sauce pan, combine cranberries, sugar, water, and mandarin orange juice. Bring to a boil, add oranges and reduce to a simmer until cranberries pop and oranges break down. Remove from heat, cool and serve. 

All recipes written by the Publix Apron Test Kitchen

Looking for a dessert to satisfy your craving for fall? How about one that is literally fool-proof? If you can open cans, dump them in a pan and then set a timer and remove said pan when said timer dings, then you can make this and impress friends and family at your holiday gatherings. Also, it is quite easy to make a half recipe if you have a craving, but don't want to eat it for two weeks.

This recipe has been going around for a while and with half a cup of butter it's no surprise that it is a crowd pleaser. 

Do you have a favorite or signature dish that you bring to Thanksgiving/friendsgiving/or get togethers?

Ingredients:

1 (29 oz) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

3 eggs

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 (12 fl oz) can evaporated milk

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1 (18.5 oz) package spice cake mix

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1/2 cup melted butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, eggs, brown sugar, white sugar and milk. Stir in cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Pour into pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the pumpkin filling. Sprinkle pecans over the cake mix. Drizzle melted butter over all.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool.

Recipe via allrecipes.com

I'm excited to be linking up with Samantha today for Cooks in the Kitchen. As you are well aware of by now, breakfast foods are my absolute favorite. Eggs and toast are eaten at all hours of the day and pancakes are acceptable morning, noon and night.

So of course, when I found a recipe for classic buttermilk pancakes on The Everygirl, I knew that I had to test it out. I am a self-proclaimed box mix pancake girl. And proud of it. So I went out on a limb taking the time to really make the batter myself. 

While it didn't turn out perfect, I'm turning to those cooking experts out there reading this that might be able to solve the problem. My guess is, I didn't take the time to sift the flour before measuring it. Whatever the problem, the batter resembled buttermilk biscuits more than pancake batter.

Even though they were extremely dense, once I added berries and bananas to the top, all doubt in the recipe slipped my mind. I microwaved frozen mixed berries until they became soft and the juice became the syrup. You can also add the berries to maples syrup as you're heating it for added sweetness.

*I will admit that I did not read all the details and about how this month's ingredient is semi-sweet chocolate. oops. But since I'm not the biggest chocolate fan, well, that's fine by me.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, sifted before measuring
1 tsp. salt
4 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups buttermilk
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
Maple syrup or Berry Syrup (see recipe below), for serving
Fresh fruit (sliced bananas, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries), for serving

Directions

Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix egg, buttermilk, and butter. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients. Whisk the batter to combine, until the flour is dampened and just a few lumps remain. Heat an ungreased griddle. Throw a few drops of cold water on the griddle--if they dash about briskly it's ready for use. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter quickly onto the griddle. When bubbles start to form and the edges begin to firm, use a spatula to flip the pancakes to the other side. Cook another minute or two longer, then remove. 

 

I prefer pies and Talenti gelato to a vegetable plate, especially after eating said veggies, because it's all about balance and moderation, right? I can wax poetically for hours about my favorite tarts and pastries. And let's face it, my time in France didn't help this habit. If nothing else, it made me more of a dessert snob. Rows and rows of beautiful eclairs, mille fuilles, napoleons and pain au chocolat were my motivation in French class because I didn't want to be that American simply pointing at the item they wanted to order. I wanted to know exactly what I was ordering and what to expect. In the beginning of my menu ordering days, I just closed my eyes, pointed at something I could afford and hoped for the best. And, honestly, it wasn't a half bad method of ordering, in case you ever end up in that situation.

Also, desserts just photograph much better than say, casseroles. And, for me, it's all about the presentation and my second favorite hobby, instagramming my every meal. 

Sometimes sitting down in a chair to eat breakfast is not an option. Sometimes the snooze button gets the best of you. And sometimes you hair just doesn't want to cooporate. But that doesn't mean you have to forego the most important meal of the day. These apple oatmeal muffins are the perfect on-the-go breakfast or afternoon snack. With rolled oats and not a lot of sugar, they won't break your calorie bank. So go ahead; take your time getting ready, put your coffee in a thermos and grab a muffin for the road. 

If you enjoy baking and have leftover baking ingredients, try making apple oatmeal muffins. They make a perfect to-go breakfast, afternoon snack, or Christmas gift for your suitemates. 

Ingredients: 

2 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking oats)


1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


1 TB baking powder


1/2 teaspoon salt


1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


2 large eggs, lightly beaten


1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar


1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly


1 teaspoon vanilla extract


1 finely chopped apple

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease well a 12-cup muffin tin. In a medium bowl, mix the oats and the milk and set aside for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, making a well in the center. Stir in the liquid ingredients and the oatmeal mixture until just combined, being careful not to over mix. Batter may be lumpy. Fold in chopped apple. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full. Bake for 16-18 minutes until lightly golden or a cake tester inserted into center of muffin comes out with moist crumbs attached.

*recipe from aggieskitchen.com

It is no surprise that brunch is my favorite meal of the day. Maybe because it is a meal designed for people who want to sleep late. Or that I see it as the perfect diet, because you only eat two meals instead of three. Although, most of my brunches include french toast, so I think that is a moot point.

Here are my favorite brunch foods: 

1. Maple bourbon french toast (in Valdosta, you can find it at Friends Bar & Grill)

Photo and recipe via Pixels & Crumbs

Need I say more? If you have a sweet tooth, you will be craving this every Saturday morning. Some of the best dishes are ones that toe the line between brunch and dessert. 

2. Croque Monsieur/Madame and Breakfast Potatoes (pictured at Tartine)

A ham sandwich with melted cheese on top leans more towards the "lunch" part of brunch, but is a great option for those of you who don't like sweets (although I have a hard time understanding you.) But to each his own.

3. Sweet Potato biscuits (in Valdosta, you can find these at Friends Bar & Grill)

Photo and recipe via Southern Living

I am not a biscuits and gravy person. If we're being honest, I really hate white gravy. So when given the option to choose between biscuits and gravy, or sweet potato biscuits and honey, the choice is pretty obvious. By adding a piece of ham to these, they make a great snack all day long.

4. And for brunch on a budget, there is always pecan waffles and hash browns at Waffle House. 

Fun Fact: The WH at Turner Field is the only non-24 hour WH. 

What are your favorite brunch foods?

For dessert on Thanksgiving day, mom and I made the apple-pecan carrot cake from the November issue of Southern Living. It's a combination of my three favorite kinds of cake, so I had no doubts that I would love it. This cake exceeded all of my expectations. By grating both the apples and carrots, you don't run into the issue of taking a bite of mushy apple. It is moist, dense and flavorful. Because it has 1 1/2 cups of carrots I tried to convince my family that it is in fact considered a vegetable side dish. They didn't buy it. 

The real stars in this recipe are the apple cider caramel sauce and the mascarpone frosting. The caramel sauce calls for regular apple cider, but all we had was spiced cider and I think it gave the cake an even better flavor. You pour the sauce in between the two cake layers and let it soak in. And now let's talk about the frosting, which is somewhere in between cool whip and cream cheese frosting and is ten times better than both of them. Because the sauce is extremely sweet, the frosting's mellow flavor is the perfect complement. 

It was decided that this cake was going to become a new family tradition at the holidays. While it was fairly time-consuming, the final product is worth the hour or two spent in the kitchen. Mom made the cake the night before and let them sit to soak in all the flavors. While she was fixing the rest of the lunch, we made the caramel sauce and frosting and assembled everything right before we sat down to eat. 

_________________________________________

Mar of To and Fro

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I started this blog back in 2010 as a way to communicate with friends and family when an unexpected move took us over 4000 miles from home in Toronto to the land of the midnight sun, Alaska. Alaska immediately stole our hearts and gave us both opportunities we never could have imagined, but like all good things, it had to come to an end and we decided it was time for the next adventure. I am a travel addict, animal lover, photography junkie, outdoor enthusiast and my hockey-playing hubby's #1 fan and love blogging about our adventures living in Toronto and working as a professional hockey player and environmental educator/animal handler at an aquarium.

What is your favorite Christmas song?:

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas (it reminds me of elementary school, when all the students would gather in the gym to sing carols)

What you should be reading: This Isn't Goodbye | The Ultimate Road Trip | In the Blink of an Eye

Ella of Paper Umbrella

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Brief description of you/what you blog about: I am a recent college grad living in Portland, Oregon. I work in a special education classroom by day, and blog by night! I love sharing DIY projects, recipes, design and fashion inspiration, music, photos of my daily life, and anything else that inspires me. I'm the type of person who will elaborately package your sandwich in washi tape and craft paper because I think it's important to put thought into the smallest details and make life more beautiful in every way you can.

What is your favorite Christmas song?: It's so hard to choose just one!...Probably "Merry Christmas, Baby" by Otis Redding.

What you should be reading: DIY Wire Rings | Anthropologie Inspired Tassel Pillows | Thai Noodle Soup

Jess of Foreign Room

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I'm just a girl that believes in photographing every day life, drinking mass amounts of iced coffee, adventuring whenever possible, cuddling with my pup, enjoying life's small moments, hoarding mason jars, and blogging about it all.

Favorite Christmas song: "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" by Michael Bublé. I'm just smitten by his whole Christmas album!

What you should be reading: Let's Talk About Stress | In the Quiet Moments: First Baby Shoot | Thankful Project: Something About My Guy

Then make them Shortbread Sundae Bites. 

Trust me, they will sing your praises

through the holiday season.

It's all in the presentation. 

Make it look pretty and they'll

never guess you spent less than 

20 minutes fixing it. 

The key is to use Talenti gelato.

Tahitian vanilla bean, butter pecan, & belgian chocolate 

to be exact. 

(No, I did not receive payment from Talenti for this post, 

but I am open for collaboration in the future. Got that, Talenti PR pros?)

What you will need: 

2 in. tart pan (this is important. 4 in. pans are a tad too big for a single serving)

1 c. butter

1 c. brown sugar

2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

ice cream of your choice (see recommendation above)

cocunut shavings

toffee bits

chocolate and/or caramel sauce

strawberries to make it pretty

To make the shortbread torte: Preheat oven to 300. Gently cream together softened butter and brown sugar. Whisk flour, salt and baking powder together and gently fold into the creamed mixture, handling as little as possible. Dough will be crumbly. Lightly press dough into small torte pans. Bake at 300 for 15-18 minutes. Check often, do not overbake.

Use a small scoop to create vanilla ice cream balls. Roll in shredded coconut and freeze. For chocolate (and butter pecan), use a larger scoop and roll in toffee bits. Freeze. Melt 8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips in microwave for 1-1.5 minutes or until creamy. Do not overheat. When ready to serve, place one vanilla and one chocolate (or butter pecan) ice cream ball on each shortbread torte. Add a strawberry and top with melted chocolate (or caramel sauce.)

*recipe from "A Gathering of Friends Vol. 1" cookbook

_____________________________________

Meet Caroline of A Batonnet a Day

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Caroline blogs over at A Batonnet a Day when she is not busy at cooking school in Portland or spending time with her cat, Willow. I'm sure if you asked her, she could come up with a dozen more recipes to impress a dinner party. In case, like me, you were wondering what a batonnet is: "A bâtonnet is one of the first knife cuts that you learn and one that you use every day, the dimensions are .25"x.25"x2". At school you start by cutting potatoes, lots of potatoes, only potatoes (with the occasional onion). In fact, the entire first week is based on cooking potatoes! (And as you can probably guess, cutting A LOT bâtonnets.)"

What are you most thankful for? 

My family and friends. They are always there for me, no matter what, any time - day or night. I know that I can always count on them for anything. 

What you should be reading: Vegan Pumpkin Muffins | Baked Feta | DIY Glitter Leaf Garland

Welcome back to another installment of Weekly Wishes, a place to share your goals for the week and to encourage others along the way too. Last week my goal was to organize my gift list for friends and family, and while I didn't quite get everything figured out, I am prepared for all of the online sales so I will not have to get out in the mass chaos and mayhem that is the day after Thanksgiving. It's like, for one day we are all thankful for our families and all the blessings in our lives, and the next day it's all about consumerism. We can't get away from our families fast enough. But that is another rant for another day. 

This week is all about rest and enjoying time with my family. Going to school so far from home seemed like a brilliant idea senior year of high school when I couldn't pack my bag fast enough to move, but it's always nice coming home. It almost feels like I've never even left and I get settled back in to my same routine effortlessly. There are only two more weeks of school left before graduation, and while the worst is behind be, it is nice to have a break to rest up and finish strong.

I arrived back home late Friday night in time to celebrate my mom's birthday dinner on Saturday at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club. And don't get me started on the food. Salad with candied pears, strawberries, gorgonzola cheese and balsamic vinaigrette; followed by halibut with a veggie medley and mashed potatoes; and the meal ended with my grandmother's Italian cream cake.

So maybe when I planned my spring break trip to New York last year, I built my itinerary around all of the places I wanted to eat. New York is one of those cities that is a melting pot of cuisine and you can tour the world without ever leaving the island. I was craving classic French dishes, so most of the places I ate at were reminiscent of the French cafes I dined at every afternoon living in Paris. 

1. LT Burger | Bryant Park ($15-25)

If you eat no where else while in the city, which is highly doubtful, you must make a beeline for LT Burger. And when you do, order the smoked gouda cheese fries (best split between 2-3 people.) They will change your life. LT Burger does upscale burgers right in a modern, casual atmosphere. Finish off your Americana meal with a tall milkshake. Afterwards take a few laps around the block to walk off your dinner. 

2. Tartine | West Village ($15)

It is no secret that brunch is my favorite meal, especially a French brunch. And since NYC is the epicenter of casual (and not-so-casual) brunch cafes, you must take part in this tradition at least once. If you find yourself needing to get away from the crowds of tour buses, you can find a moment of calm in the West Village. And while you are there, you must eat at Tartine. I recommend the brioche French toast, croque madame or omelette. Brunch is served with orange juice and coffee all for $15. 

3. L'entrecote | Midtown East ($27)

Another one of my French favorites, but trust me on this pick, this ain't your mother's steak frites. After eating at the restaurant in Paris more times than I care to admit, eating at L'entrecote was a wonderful nostalgic moment for me, but everyone will enjoy this French steakhouse. There is no menu. Everyone receives salad and steak frites with their famous sauce. And then when you think the meal is finished, they bring you a second helping of steak frites. If that doesn't brighten your day, I don't know what will. Follow it up with profiteroles and espresso for dessert.

4. Donut Plant | Lower East Side (multiple locations)

A day of sightseeing will make even the most seasoned traveler hungry for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. Donut Plant's wide variety of donuts will give you the perfect pick-me-up to continue on to your next destination. With all natural ingredients in a selection of yeast, cake and filled donuts, your sweet tooth will be satisfied. And dozens of locations all over Manhattan, you are never far away from one.

5. Chelsea Market | Meatpacking District

The food concourse has a little bit of everything from crepes to thai, and artisanal cheese to tacos with every other speciality item you can imagine. The foodie in your group will thank you for making a pit stop.

6. Pret a Manger | Midtown ($4-15)

If you need a sandwich and coffee on the go, stop by one of the many Pret a Manger stores, located primarily in Midtown. Their prepackaged handmade sandwiches with all natural ingredients make a perfect lunch, especially if the weather is nice and you wish to eat in a park. They have minimal indoor seating and are not the best option if you are seeking shelter from rain or cold. 

7. Le Grainne Cafe | Chelsea ($5-15)

You didn't think that my dining guide would only include ONE French bakery/cafe? Of course not. Le Grainne Cafe is located in Chelsea only two blocks away from the Highline and is the perfect place to start your morning off right. Aside from their menu, they have a wide variety of a la carte items to help you build your perfect breakfast. My suggestions always include a cafe au lait and almond croissant. All other selections are up to you. If you are in the mood for something more savory, try the french onion soup or one of their many savory crepes. 

Hi, my name is Jess and I take pictures of food. You have probably seen the stereotypical photos of a group out to eat and they are all snapping pictures of their meal and trying to get the best angle. Well, that is me. And I know it probably annoys friends and family to no end, but all I have to say to them (in the words of Miley): can't stop, won't stop. 

I wish I could say that I am trying to remember the dish so I can recreate it at home. Or that the plating was artistic and spoke to me in a creative way and it would be inspiration for a project later on. But that's not the case. 

What can I say, there is something about a pastry, coffee cup or homestyle meal that screams "photograph me!" 

In all seriousness, nine time out of ten there is a story behind each meal. A friend who haven't seen in a long time, great conversation, or a moment you don't want to forget. As someone who frequently hashtags "foodcation" I know that if the food (and weather) on a trip were good, then you are going to have fond memories of it. So yes, there may be a method to the madness after all. 

Which brings me to my question: For those of you who aren't avid food photographers, are you annoyed when those around you make you wait to eat your meal so they can take a photo of it first?  

This was thrown in to the mix 1) to show my excitement for the early release of the red cups and 2) to let baristas everywhere know that my name is NOT Jen. It's happened at least three times at the one on campus and other random ones I've gone to when traveling. 

Need I say more? Nothings ushers in the fall season like pumpkin desserts. I personally don't understand why pumpkin dump cake can't be served year round, but some like to reserve our favorite orange (fruit? vegetable?) for October and November. Their loss.

So yes, I love pumpkin baked goods. And then when you add a Biscoff streusel topping, well then now we are talking about a culinary masterpiece. My only change to the recipe would be to put the creme cheese layer in the center of the muffin instead of on top under the streusel topping. 

Yet again, I've armed you with the best way to make new friends in the office. Trust me, if you leave a dozen of these on the break room table, they will be devoured by noon.

Recipe from Lil' Luna

Biscoff Streusel Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

1½ c. all-purpose flour

1 c. sugar

¼ c. brown sugar

1 c. pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

2 eggs

¼ c. vegetable oil

¼ c. unsweetened applesauce

¼ c. water

¾ tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. vanilla extract

Streusel:

¼ c. all-purpose flour

¼ c. sugar

¼ c. brown sugar

¼ c. finely crushed Biscoff cookies

2 tbsp. Biscoff spread

3 tbsp. butter, cold

4 oz. original cream cheese, cold and cut into dime size slices

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line one standard size muffin pan with liners* or lightly grease with baking spray, set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with mixing speed on low, combine sugars, puree, vegetable oil, applesauce, water, and vanilla extract. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until just combined.

3. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and ground cinnamon. With mixing speed on low, gradually add in the dry ingredients, mixing until no flour pockets remain. Remove bowl from stand and set aside.

4. For the streusel, in a small mixing bowl combine sugars, flour, crushed cookies, and ground cinnamon. Using a pastry blender, cut in cold butter and Biscoff spread. Continue working the mixture with the pastry blender until it resembles chunks about the size of a rice krispie.

5. Pour batter into prepared muffin pan, dividing evenly. Top with slices of cream cheese, then sprinkle streusel over top. You will want to be generous with the streusel, but you may have a few tablespoons left over. Gently pat the streusel into the batter to help it bake into the muffin.

6. Place in the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes or until the tops spring back and the streusel is golden brown in color (note: baking times may vary depending on how much you streusel you add and the heat of your oven). Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

I'd like to think that I'm a much better baker than cook. I can follow a recipe like my life depended on it. I love the exact measurements, the precise cooking times and the detailed instructions. None of this "eyeballing" business. Needless to say I end up with a disproportionate amount of sweets to dinner food ratio. And I'm ok with this. 

When Lauren shared this recipe for banana bars and raved about how easy they were to make/a crowd pleaser, I knew I had to try them. Also, I had two bananas that had seen better days. When life gives you mushy bananas, make banana bread...or bars (which was perfect because I don't have a loaf pan to make banana bread anyways.)

I tweaked her recipe a tad and added chopped pecans and used Duncan Hines cream cheese frosting instead of making my own. It tastes just the same to me and I don't have to deal with cleaning up all of the powdered sugar that inevitably lodges in every nook and cranny of the kitchen. I have a hard enough time cleaning up all of the flour left over. There was so much white powder everywhere, the kitchen looked like the set of Breaking Bad. True story.

Back to the banana bars...they are simple and a crowd pleaser. win-win situation. I love that you make them in a 9x13 pan instead of a loaf because you can feed three times the amount of people, if needed. Or you can keep the whole batch for yourself. No judgement. They are perfect for breakfast, afternoon snack or second dinner.

BARS:

1 cup sugar

2 mashed bananas

2 eggs

1/3 c vegetable oil

1 c flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

FROSTING:

1 regular pack of (light) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup of butter

2 cups powdered sugar

splash of vanilla

METHOD:

Preheat your oven to 350.

Mix the bananas, sugar, eggs & oil together in a bowl until it's a nice yellow, sloppy mix.

Stir in remaining ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon & salt).

Pour into greased pan (9x13) and put into oven for 25-30 minutes... 

or until a knife/toothpick comes out clean when inserted from the center.

Leave to cool for one hour.

Now is great time to toss the cream cheese & butter out on the counter to soften.

After you've run an errand, eaten some lunch or watched a little tv

while the banana bars cool,

come back to the kitchen and start on the frosting.

Mix all four ingredients in a bowl.

You can beat by hand or in a mixer... both will be yummy.

Spread on the cooled bars & cut into 6x4 rows.

If you knew my culinary ability and patience, then you would know that even Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals is pushing the clock for me to get dinner on the table, or couch if we're being completely honest here. I'm not alone in this? Perfect. Then this is the perfect meal for you.

Ashley first made this meal at our Paris reunion dinner a few weeks ago, and since she made her own bbq sauce, I am fine admitting that her's was better than mine. To save time I used store bought sauce and, of course, rotisserie chicken. Because you know how much I love buying a whole chicken that is already seasoned and cooked for me. This is as simple as grabbing all of the ingredients out of the fridge, putting them on a pita and baking for ten minutes. That's it.

Ingredients: 

Pita bread

bbq sauce

chicken

red onion 

corn

spinach 

mozzarella cheese

How to: Preheat oven to 375. In the meantime, layer your ingredients on the pita. If you're using frozen corn, you don't even have to microwave it if you don't want to, it will heat up while the pizza is cooking. Bake for 10-12 minutes and enjoy.

It doesn't get much simpler than that my friends. Unless you want to live off of frozen dinners. And if you do, I won't judge you one bit. Because the Healthy Choice Asian steamer meals are better than any stir fry I can fix.

What are your favorite go-to meals when you're short on time?

I am somewhere in the middle of my culinary journey. Gone are the days of being ok with living off Ramen and peanut butter sandwiches, but I lack the funds to cook full meals all week.

Enter the $5, fully cooked whole rotisserie chicken. I don't know why I have been paying the same amount for a few chicken breasts that I would still have to take the time to cook. What was I thinking? I shredded that bad boy up and had two meals of chicken with broccoli and rice, added chipotle mayo and pecans for chicken salad and also made the best pasta salad. Since it is sans mayo, it is perfect for picnics and bbqs.

I found the recipe on Pinterest and you can view the original here.

Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Sherry Vinegar
1 Shallot, chopped
1/ 2 clove Garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Lots of fresh ground black pepper to taste

Puree the ingredients together in a small processor or blender. Set aside.

Tomato Zucchini Pasta1 pound riccioli shaped pasta, or any favorite shape
2 medium sized zucchini, or 1 large thinly sliced into half moons
1 cup chopped scallions
3-4 ripe Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 recipe Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil the pasta according to the package directions in heavily salted water. Drain and rinse in cold water.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette.

3. Toss the pasta together in a large bowl with the dressing and the rest of the ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or store covered in the refrigerator until chilled.

I cut the pasta recipe in half, but used the whole dressing recipe. Also, I used red wine vinegar because my grocery store was severely lacking in their vinegar selection and I thought it was the closest thing to sherry vinegar. It still tasted good, and is perfect to make if you have a cold because smelling the vinegar will immediately open your sinuses up. 

Enjoy!