Jalapeno Cheese Dip with Cheddar Cheese and Potato Chip Topping

It's a cold rainy Sunday and I just want to stay curled up inside. Sunday means watching football for me so I wanted a game time snack that would warm me from the inside out. We still have a fridge full of leftover items from the holidays so it was very easy for me to put together this spicy creamy and comforting dip. I divided the recipe into two ramekins for easy sharing and paired it with crackers, carrots and celery. You can adjust the heat level depending on how hot you or your guests like food. It's also an easy recipe to increase for a large batch appetizer. 

Cranberry Upside Down Cake with Clementine Cream Cheese Frosting

Christmas is less than a week away and the holiday parties are in full swing! I was asked to make a dessert for the last party I went to. I'm always happy to make food for a party but desserts have always been a struggle for me. Personally I prefer savory foods so it's harder for me to think of creative dessert options since I don't really eat dessert. That being said, I think I found my new winter go to dessert! This cranberry upside down cake isn't only delicious, it's beautiful! Plus it's a time saver with a boxed cake mix! The caramelized cranberries hit the light and invitingly glisten for you to take the first bite. The sweet and creamy clementine cream cheese frosting adds the perfect sweet note to balance the cranberries. I grabbed a few greens from outside to really make this cake look extra inviting! 

Smoked Ham Hock and White Bean Stew

It seems winter has decided to arrive a little early this year. We've currently enjoying a beautiful snowfall. Combine that with having plenty of things to do around the house and the desire not to be in front of the stove all day and cue my slow cooker! It's perfect for today. I can enjoy a delicious hearty meal without really having to do anything. This white bean soup is an adaption from a cooking light recipe but with me I always have to add my own touches. I was excited about this recipe because it uses dry beans and I've never used them before. Plus you don't have to soak them! The soup turned out thick and hearty- perfect a cold night.

Pumpkin Risotto with Mushrooms and Crispy Shaved Brussels Sprouts

The weather seems to be in a perpetual state of the unknown today. It started out a little sunny and not unbearably cold but now it's a little dreary and getting cold so I wanted some comfort food to enjoy. Pumpkin risotto was the trick! Personally I find risotto easy to make. The "hardest" part of the entire cooking process is really just stirring and that's never bothered me. You won't find me hunched over the stove stirring like a fiend as the risotto horror stories would suggest. I really like mushrooms in my risottos but they can be omitted if you're not a big fan.. This would also be great as an easy dinner party meal when you don't want to deal with making multiple dishes or stick to a traditional roast supper. If you're eating this as a meal you can get 4 nice servings. If you want a side dish, you can get 8 or more sides, depending on how hungry your guests are. 

Turkey Pot Pies

Oh hello there!! I know it's been a while... Life has been a little hectic these past few months. I'm in the process of buying a house so between the packing and busy work schedule I haven't had a lot of free time. Now that my life is in house limbo, I have seemed to muster up some free time to do what I love- Cook! And what better season to start blogging my recipes again than fall? It's my favorite time of year with my favorite flavors. We had plenty of turkey left over from Thanksgiving so I decided to use the leftovers to make turkey pot pies! This is my first time making a pot pie of any kind and I can't wait to experiment with different versions of vegetable blends. I kept this recipe very simple by using a bag of frozen vegetables- less prep and sometimes you just need that, but I'd like to do this with roasted vegetables.