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That might possibly be the longest blog title that I have ever used. I did try and cut it down but I couldn't figure out what word I could possibly eliminate. Chocolate? Heck no. Chocolate is the essence of this decadent cupcake. Bourbon? No way. Bourbon is what makes these cupcakes extra special and holiday worthy. Pecan Pie? Ummm No. The pecan pie filling that oozes out when you bite into the center of this cupcake is just about the best thing to ever happen to a cupcake. Butter Pecan Buttercream? Never. The buttery, nutty, creamy frosting swirled on top of this cupcake is the perfect compliment to this elegant treat. So I guess the name stands: Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcakes with Butter Pecan Buttercream.  Add these Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcakes to my other Thanksgiving favorites like Apple Pie Cupcakes and Browned Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes, and you've got the perfect trifecta of Thanksgiving cupcakes.  So for all of you looking for an extra special treat for your Thanksgiving table - allow me to share my Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcake with Butter Pecan Buttercream recipe with you.  Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcakes with Butter Pecan Buttercream
1/4 cup chopped pecan pieces
Add to chocolate mixture. 
Bake 22 minutes at 350.
Cut a hole in the center of each cupcake.  Fill each hole with cooled pecan pie filling.  Swirl some remaining filling into a batch of vanilla buttercream and pipe onto cupcakes.
 It's a lucky Thanksgiving table that has these beautiful cupcakes on them.
Ciao!
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 I never dreamed of becoming a food blogger. Before I started my own blog, I didn't follow food bloggers and only entered the "blogosphere" occasionally, by accident, when looking for a recipe. I was just a girl who wanted to get her recipes on the internet. Turns out -- the easiest way to add recipes to the internet is on a blog. Before I knew it - I had become a food blogger. Now that I've been a part of the food blogging world for a few years, I still don't follow any blogs regularly but I do have a few favorites that I like to check in on every once in awhile. Damndelicious is one of my very favorite blog sites and in my opinion - very appropriately named. There was a recipe on her site last year for Honey Glazed Salmon that I've been intending to make for months. I finally got around to it and now I'm kicking myself for waiting so long, This salmon was soooo good. To borrow a phrase from my fellow food blogger - it was damn delicious.
Honey Glazed Salmon
Transfer fish to 400 degree oven and cook until cooked through. (8-10 minutes)  Serve with browned butter sauce and lime zest. My pictures don't do this salmon any justice. It is waay better than I made it look in the photos. Trust me.
The plan is to make this again soon and snap a few more - better- pictures. (That's really just an excuse to make this salmon again.) :)
Ciao! Friday night is pasta night. (Yes, I am THAT predictable.) It's not always easy to squeeze dinner into our Friday night activities which is exactly why I like to go the pasta route. It's quick, it's easy and most importantly - it's carbs - so it's delicious. Try my super simple One Pot Baked Penne with Sausage and Spinach out on your family tonight. I'm betting that they'll love it.  One Pot Baked Penne with Sausage and Spinach 8 ounces sweet Italian sausage 3 cloves garlic 28 ounces tomato sauce 15 ounce can diced tomatoes 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon oregano 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes 3 cups water 12 ounces penne 6 Tablespoons fresh basil 6 cups fresh spinach, chopped 1 1/2 cups mozzarella 1 cup Parmesan 1 cup ricotta cheese
Place pot under broiler and broil until cheese begins to brown.  Add a couple of whole grain bread and a green salad and Friday night dinner is served.
 Enjoy this beautiful weekend friends.
Ciao!  It's starting to feel like Fall around here which means that I've launched myself into yard tasks of gargantuan proportions. This year, I decided to add not one, but two - GIGANTIC flower beds to my back yard. They are long overdue and they will look amazing when they're finished but right now - in the middle of the digging process - I have to remind myself why I ever started this project in the first place. Spending an afternoon digging up flower beds sounds exciting but trust me - it's not all glamorous. :) It does take a lot of energy and it doesn't leave me with much extra energy to get dinner for my family. All I feel like doing after a long day of digging in flower beds is to take a long soak in a tub filled with bubbles.  Spending the day working in the yards is tiring AND it makes me crave food that's warm and hearty and delicious. But without a lot of energy to spare, it needs to be easy to prepare too. Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup to the rescue. I would call this soup SEMI homemade. It is REALLY good and it definitely hits the spot after a day of digging.
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup 2 chicken bouillon cubes 4 cups of chicken soup stock 1 cup water 5 Tablespoons of butter 2 cups chopped carrots 2 cups chopped celery 1 cup chopped onion 2-10 oz. cans of cream of chicken soup 2 cups half and half 3 Tablespoons of butter 3 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour 2 cups of cooked diced chicken 4 cups of cooked noodles Salt and Pepper to taste
I kept my creamy chicken noodle soup meal super simple. A handful of crackers and a sliced apple is all that I needed to complete this yummy dinner. It was delicious AND there are plenty of leftovers for the rest of the week. 
As for the flower beds - well, they're coming along nicely. I have lots more work to do and hopefully some nice Fall weather while I work.
Ciao!  I rely on my website almost exclusively as the place to store my favorite recipes. I was somewhat skeptical about moving away from my index card recipe filing system at first but I have to say that I can't imagine doing it any other way now. It's super convenient to be able to access a recipe in the middle of the grocery store when I need to look up ingredients or when I'm visiting at my parent's house and I want to whip up a batch of biscotti. Getting 1300 recipes onto my website was a task of gigantic proportions but it was defiantly worth it in the end. Nearly all of my recipes are on the website but every once in a while, I have a recipe that slips through the cracks. Just like this banana bread recipe that I've been making for years. I'm not sure why in the world I haven't posted this yet but without any further ado - here it is... my favorite banana bread recipe.  Of course, I turned an ordinary banana bread into a sweet, chocolaty decadent banana bread by adding my favorite Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips.
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread 1 2/3 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 3 medium bananas 2/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup oil 2 eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Spoon into a greased loaf pan. 
Slice.    I underbaked this loaf slightly because I got in a hurry. When baked properly, there is no sinking in the middle of the loaf. It definitely didn't stop us from enjoying the bread - it was still deliciously decadent. I love banana bread.
Ciao! |
