Apple and Walnut Blondies

My mother-in-law has always had shelves upon shelves of cookbooks. Like me, she sits and reads these cookbooks as if they are novels, with pen and paper in hand to write down the shopping list for the week. A few months ago she gave me a few dozen of those cookbooks that she no longer …

Peach Bars

Mid-August=peaches. It was a hot day for peach and nectarine picking but we enjoyed walking through the rows of trees, heavy with fruit, at an orchard a few towns away. Once home, we got straight to work making a sort of shortbread cookie dough. Ethan likes to be the one that twists or "cracks the code" …

Cranberry Crumb Bars

Bags of cranberries have made their way to the produce section of our local grocery store. You know what that means, it's cranberry time! Last night, I made a batch of whole-berry cranberry sauce to go along with dinner. Today, I used what was left over for these scrumptious crumb bars. I love the simplicity …

Chocolate Chip and Cherry Blondies

The sun is shining and there's a hot breeze blowing the tops of the tall maples and oaks in our yard. Their leaves are dancing, soaking up the sun and turning it into energy. It seems silly to have the oven on while the air conditioners work, but we are turning that heat into energy …

Extreme Lemon Bars

These lemon bars are serious. Seriously lemony. And tart. And yummy. The fun begins with two lemons, zested and juiced. I've baked with lemon before. Here, here, here and here. Oh and my all time favorite drink contains lemons too. We love all things lemon! A simple recipe that I feel must have come about from a …

PB & J Bars

My little boy is ten years old already. How'd that happen? There was a time when all he would eat for lunch was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Those days are over but so are the endless hours of simply watching him sleep, cooing over his little toes and wiping his chin and tiny hands clean. …

Caramel Apple Tart

There's nothing better than autumn in New England. There's no where else I'd rather be right now. The crisp cool air, the wind tugging at the leaves that haven't fallen just yet, and that smell. The smell of apples in the orchard, waiting to be picked. Apple picking is one of my very favorite things to do. I …

Hermit Bars

Sometimes when a loved one dies, the family disperses their belongings, not because of greed but so that there's something tangible to remember them by. I received the afghan when my grandfather passed away last month. It’s been in the family since I can remember and even before that. The crocheted blanket can be seen …

Homemade Pistachio Granola Bars

Pistachios are rich in antioxidents and phytochemicals. They are a great source of vitamin E, B complex groups of vitamins and minerals, like copper and iron. They are known to lower LDL cholesterol levels and increase good levels. We had a bag of pistachio nuts in the cabinet calling out to be utilized and I had a sweet tooth screaming …

Chocolate Hazelnut Blondies

  Nutella is great on sandwiches and graham crackers. I love its smooth texture. I recently made Peanut Chocolate Chip Blondies, which were superb. I was so happy with the way they came out. I figured why not substitute the peanut butter for nutella and the peanuts for hazelnuts. They have a very distinct hazelnut …