Churro Cupcakes for Cinco de Mayo

Cinnamon Cupcakes Filled with Salted Dulce de Leche and Topped with a Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting and a Churro Tortilla Crisp.

Let me begin this post with saying that these cupcakes are sooo good!  You don't need to make them for Cinco de Mayo only, they are a big hit all year round!  The description of these treats may seem a little complicated, but I've created lots of shortcuts with disguises so that no one will ever know! Really the hardest part is trying not to eat all of the cupcake centers before you are done filling the batch with dulce de leche!





My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie

Thin and Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Like many bakers, whether a professional or a home baker, we are all searching for that perfect chocolate chip cookie.  Well, look no further. I've found it! 

This cookie is perfect for those that like their chocolate chip cookies thin and crispy, with lots of chips, a perfectly golden bottom, and a tiny salty bite that just makes everything taste better!  Unlike the other cookie recipes that all begin with you preheating your oven to 350, you bake these babies at a hot 425 degrees for a shorter amount of time. You must be very careful not to over cook these, they can be very finicky, but once you get it down, they come together so quickly.

Visiting the Claremont Farmer's Market

 

Farmer's Market, Market Night, Street Fair.  Everyone has their own name for it, but visiting these local events is one of my favorite things to do, especially as the weather starts to warm up. 

I've been very lucky to have a Friday night event in my very own town that I frequent at least a couple times a month. The Monrovia Street Fair and Farmer's Market is one of my favorite places. I grew up hanging out there every week while my parents sold their crafts, and now I go to support the local vendors. They have a great selection of handmade gifts and jewelry, as well as a produce and food selection that rocks! I just can't get enough, so I am trying to branch out and visit other local markets in my area to discover new vendors and items that I've never seen before.

 

 

Cream Cheese Peanut Butter Cookies

The Best Peanut Butter Cookies

My man loves Peanut Butter Cookies!  He gets the prepackaged ones from 7-11 all the time and he just recently, unknowingly, bought a giant vegan peanut butter cookie.  Sorry vegans, but it just wasn't the same without the eggs and butter! :(

After this, I decided to make him a batch of fabulous cookies, but I didn't want to do a plain ol' PB cookie.  I tossed around the idea of either adding cream cheese or apples...  both options sounded so good, I thought I'd make the cream cheese ones now and save the apple PB cookies for apple season!

Sweet Potato Hash

Eggs Baked in Sweet Potato Hash with Chorizo, Sweet Caramelized Onions and Rosemary.

Brunch is really my all-time favorite meal, both to eat and to prepare.  I love that you can mix savory and sweet, breakfast and lunch, and it is completely acceptable to be drinking Mimosas, spiked coffee and Bloody Marys.

Chili with a Twist

Spicy Turkey Chili with Pumpkin

When I woke up and looked outside today we had a little bit of morning gloom.  Although there was no rain, I couldn't help but think of "April showers bring May flowers", and hoping we get a little more rain before Summer comes.  I love warming up my house by cooking something in the kitchen all day.  Slow cooked meals are some of our favorites, and I love being able to prepare the meal early and come home to a house that smells wonderful!

I've always loved cooking chili in the slow cooker, and for the last few years have been trying to get my recipe just right.  Pretty early on we decided that we wanted it hot and spicy and made with turkey instead of beef.   About a year ago, I thought I had it just the way we liked it, until I discovered a chili recipe that called for pumpkin.  Pumpkin and chili?  How awesome did that sound!? I simply added the pumpkin to my regular chili recipe and it was fantastic!  I have added pumpkin to my chili ever since. 

The Boys Take Over! And I Bake...

Armenian Barbecue Feast and an Armenian Nutmeg Cake. 

Spending months and months making the inside of our new (old) house livable has been quite a task.  There are still many, many more projects that need to be done, but we have been somewhat ignoring the outside of our home.  Right now the front yard consists of a beautiful blooming tree with pink blossoms surrounded by... dirt.  Our backyard has three 100-year-old Oak trees and even more dirt, along with a pool who's vinyl liner is severely damaged and that is in extreme need of cleaning and chlorine.  But, it's all a work in progress.  I mean, we aren't millionaires! Baby steps, baby steps... At least we got the sprinklers installed last weekend!