Cherry pies are my absolute favorite kind of pie.  Especially with some really tart cherries.  Last summer my mom bought a bunch of cherries and gave me enough to make three cherry pies!  They’ve just been hanging out in my freezer.. until today.

It’s killing me to not cut myself a piece, but I’m waiting for [...]

Yesterday, I got together with Roxy to do my first ever maternity shoot.  Roxy’s little cupcake is due in just a couple of weeks and we did the shoot in her cupcake-themed nursery, which had some really lovely afternoon light coming in the window.   Roxy looked beautiful and happy (and she’s still wearing her [...]

Growing up, my favorite thing about going shopping with  my mom was getting to eat one of those enourmous M&M cookies from The Original Cookie Co.   I’ve never found a recipe for an M&M cookie that has tasted as good as those mall cookies… until yesterday!  I baked a batch of these using the pretty pastel Easter [...]

Today, my friend Lesley, Harlow (Lesley’s cute-as-a-button 9-month old daughter) and I went to The Pioneer Woman’s Columbus, Ohio stop on her book-signing tour.
(If you don’t know who Ree Drummond, aka The Pioneer Woman is, she’s arguably the most popular blogger in the world, her cookbook is  a #1 New York Times Bestseller, and a [...]

Valentine’s Week has been great –  because of the weather (it was 62 degrees yesterday.  in OHIO.  in FEBRUARY.) and time spent with my Valentine.
On Valentine’s Day, Funnel had to work 2nd shift, so I made him some Nutella crepes when he got home (reminiscent of the ones we had in Paris), following these directions. Yum!
Then [...]

I love you not only for what you are,
but for what I am when I am with you.
I love you not only for what you have made of yourself,
but for what you are making of me.
I love you for putting your hand into my heaped-up heart
and passing over all the foolish, weak things
that you can’t help dimly seeing there,
and for drawing out into the light
all [...]

I’m really thankful to have had a quiet weekend.  
Funnel & I had a great dinner out at PF Changs. 
I did some spring cleaning and organized some things that badly needed organized, while listening to some old “Travel with Rick Steves” podcasts.  
I baked a couple loaves of bread.  
I went grocery shopping.  
I [...]

This creme brulee is so yummy.  The version I tried uses orange zest – which gives a really unexpected but wonderful flavor.  And with anything Julia Child, I don’t think you can go wrong!
Also, I’ve never tried making creme brulee at home because I don’t own a kitchen torch.  Well, in this version, you simply [...]

I have wanted to make Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon for awhile now – ever since I saw the movie “Julie and Julia” a year and a half ago and became slightly obsessed with Julia Child.  But I didn’t have a dutch oven, which is pretty important for making this.  For Christmas this year, my parents [...]

Feeling inspired by Valentine’s Day, Julia Child & our visit to France last year, I decided to cook a romantic French dinner for Funnel tonight – Julia Child’s boeuf bourguignon with an orange-infused creme brulee for dessert.
It was an all-day adventure – the boeuf bourguignon alone takes about five hours to make  - but cooking [...]