Mini berry hand pies are popped right on a stick for a fun baby shower treat and the secrets of kettle corn that rivals what you find at the fair. Pin It “What are little girls made of? Sugar and spice And everything nice, That’s what little girls are made of.” Sugar and plenty of spice, in my case. My husband says it’s my own spice that causes our girls to be so spicy, but regardless, every time I hear that song I wonder if the person writing it did not have much behind-closed-doors... more

Cinnamon meringue is piped into a tart-shaped pavlova shell, baked and filled with a dark chocolate mousse and then topped with cinnamon whipped cream. An elegant Valentine’s Day dessert or special treat. Pin It Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. I’m not planning anything. My husband and I have been together for nine years. We’ve laughed, cried, yelled, and made up more times than I care to remember. We have held hands, worried and stood silently in hospitals together. Dreams have... more

A creamy vanilla and buttermilk custard envelopes a pile of perfectly plump pears, all baked off in an all-butter pie crust. Yesterday my husband and I packed up our car. Not the family car that fits all the kids securely in their car seats, us in the front, but the small commuter vehicle he drives to work every day. We roused Kjell from his bed before the other children were moving in their rooms and drove across the state to visit the Mayo Clinic. As we made our way between the oil refinery, the... more

An easy, all-butter pie crust recipe to impress your friends and family with a flaky, homemade crust this holiday season or any season. Grab a shortening crust recipe from me over at TidyMom. I recently had the opportunity to make pie at J.M. Smucker’s in Ohio, (did you know they have both Pillsbury and the White Lily flour?) but before that even, I have been putting the finishing touches on the pie chapter in my book. There has been a lot of pie around these parts as of late, and I’d... more

This peanut butter pie is creamy, chocolatey and everything you’d expect from a peanut butter pie. Made specifically for Mikey Perillo, as requested by his wife, Jennie, it will forever serve as a reminder to hold those closest to you daily and tell them how much you love them. I’ve been staring at the screen since Monday, unable to find the words. Writer’s block isn’t necessarily a new thing, but that’s not what I’m suffering from. Instead, there is only a heart,... more

A fresh take on the classic strawberry-rhubarb pie that your mother used to make. Rhubarb pie filling spiked with ginger and an almond shortbread crust are finished off with fresh strawberries in a bright glaze. There’s no question that Dr. Seuss has captivated many of children, mine and myself included, with his whimsical storytelling. When Hollywood started to produce his stories on the big screen I squealed with joy at the sight of Jim Carrey grinching it up and Mike Myers donning a... more

Food is a passion. I’m not sure that it necessarily comes out all the time as I tell you about the mess my kids and I made, how I have taken to making my own fruit snacks or that I’m making ice cream in the fall, but I hope it does. I hope that you can see my relationship with food is one that I’ve fought for and continue to fight for daily. It’s important to me, and it’s important for me to share it, this time with an apple pie cheesecake topped with a salted caramel... more