Up until last year, Scott and I traveled to visit either his family or mine for Christmas. Last year, between my scary first trimester and everyone else having one health issue or another, we just couldn't make it work. This year, it's a choice. Marcus is such a little guy and already exposed to enough,… Continue reading Mom’s Christmas Cinnamon Rolls
What, another cookie recipe, right on the heels of my delicious gingerbread? Why not? It's cookie baking season, and while I've got a ton of good ones to share, these are a particular favorite. They're my Lofthouse knock-off cookies that ended up being better than Lofthouse {IMHO, of course}. Probably because they're soft, fresh, buttery, and can… Continue reading Soft + Fluffy Frosted Sugar Cookies
In this season of frenetic cookie baking, we need a variety of cookies, but we especially need ones that travel well. And if you're looking for something deliciously seasonal that will survive a trip to faraway friends and relatives, my family's classic gingerbread cookie recipe is the one for you! When I was deployed in… Continue reading Classic Christmas Gingerbread Cookies
My family has always shared a love of good food, cooking, and gathering together. Even when we're not together, I love brainstorming ideas with my dad for big family dinners to cook up and serve. It's been a long time since we've been back to my folks' house for a big family dinner and even… Continue reading Spice Rubbed Beef Tenderloin with Creole Mustard Sauce
We used to have a hard and fast rule in the house about when the Christmas decorations went up and when the Christmas playlists started playing and all the rest :: no Christmas until the weekend after Thanksgiving. We kept everything tucked away in storage tubs and didn't go hunting for a Christmas tree and… Continue reading Cranberry Macadamia Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate
Happy Monday, friends - as happy as it can be to try to get back into the daily grind after a holiday weekend which hopefully included a lot of merriment and feasting! Ours included all of that, even though - and perhaps because - it was our first Thanksgiving as just a little family of… Continue reading Thanksgiving Leftover Panini
I never know how to address complicated and potentially emotionally charged issues. Political garbage happens. Living just outside D.C., I feel like while we're not at the epicenter, we're definitely on a fault line for all the garbage infesting the news lately. I spend most of my day mired in it and trying to influence… Continue reading Virginia Skillet Cornbread
