2023 - They Call Me Mini Chef

Updated on January 26, 2024December 23, 2023Dessert

Candied Cranberry Snowballs

Candied cranberry snowballs are snowy white, bright cheery red, sweet, and bursting with tangy juice. These adorable white snowballs are fresh cranberries coated in a shell of powdered sugar and baked til juicy. Once you bite into these delectable treats you will be surprised with a bright pop of flavor hidden away within the sweet snowy shell. Serve candies in a bowl for any holiday get together or use them to garnish desserts. Candied cranberry snowballs are perfect for gift giving, parties, and more! Merry Christmas!

Updated on January 26, 2024December 1, 2023Drinks

The Best Instant Hot Cocoa Mix

The best instant hot cocoa mix is incredibly easy. Imagine the nostalgia of Swiss Miss cocoa packets, but extra chocolatey and delightful. Homemade, zero preservatives, real ingredients, and beautifully simple, instant hot cocoa mix is the perfect pantry staple to have whenever the mood for a cup of cozy strikes. Instant hot cocoa mix is a great stocking stuffer, Christmas gifts for teachers, or neighbor gifts. No milk is required to have a decadent cup of smooth, chocolaty goodness. All you need is water and the best instant hot cocoa mix! Get ready for instantaneous joy!

Updated on January 26, 2024October 31, 2023Dessert

Apple Pie In a Mug: Easier Than Pie!

Ever heard of the phrase “Easy as Pie?” I hate to break it to you, but while pie is my ultimate favorite dessert to bake and eat, pie isn’t always easy. There are lots of steps involved. The perfect flaky crust can be so elusive, and it’s quite time consuming. However, there is nothing better than the buttery, cinnamony goodness of an apple pie baking in the oven. All the cozy smells in the house are comforting and warm. So, if you are looking for a delicious mouthful of apple pie without any of the hassle, look no further! Apple pie in a mug really is easier than pie!

Updated on January 26, 2024October 9, 2023Breakfast

Okinawan Sweet Potato Sugar Buns: The Ultimate Cinnamon Rolls

There is nothing more cozy and delicious than super-sized, fluffy, swirly buns oozing with spiced sugar and topped with gobs of sweet cream cheese frosting. Warming scents of cinnamon, ginger, and a hint of cardamon blend beautifully with golden notes of brown sugar. This recipe can easily be made the day of or overnight for the best breakfast surprise! If you’ve ever had mashed potato cinnamon rolls, you know they are ultra soft and have an incredible texture. Okinawan purple sweet potatoes create a gorgeous pink color and beautifully shreddy, pillowy soft dough. If you don’t have purple sweet potato, this can easily be made with normal sweet potatoes! It’s pumpkin and sweet potato season after all! If you have some time and want to make something extra special this fall, make this and treat everyone to the best Okinawan sweet potato sugar buns. They really are the ultimate cinnamon rolls!

Updated on September 9, 2023September 9, 2023Lunch

Peach Prosciutto Caprese Salad: The Ultimate End of Summer Salad

Peach Prosciutto Caprese Salad is the ultimate end of summer salad. It’s like a final summer treat when pumpkin spice is encroaching around every corner and hectic school days begin again. I love caprese salads year round. There’s something about tomatoes, mozzarella, balsamic vinegar, and basil that are so perfect together. The sweetness and tang from tomatoes is cut by creamy mozzarella. Balsamic vinegar adds a welcome hit of rich, dark notes, and fresh basil finishes the salad with a light aromatic smell and flavor. You may be confused by throwing a peach into the mix, but if you really think about it, tomatoes are fruits too! This is basically a glorified fruit salad! Peach prosciutto caprese salad is the perfect packable lunch for school days, work days, or for anyone on the go!

Updated on September 3, 2023September 3, 2023Dinner

Campfire Rainbow Trout Foil Packets

The change in seasons this year was very abrupt. The last days of August were bright, blue, and sunny, September 1st I woke up to a raining, damp morning. Every food blog I follow also transitioned to pumpkin spice everything! While I do love a good pumpkin chai tea latte, in my book it’s still summer! Labor day is this week, and the weather is still good. I’d say it’s the perfect day for a fish fry! While I actually don’t like the taste of fish, this method of cooking trout has convinced me that fish isn’t as bad as I thought growing up. Steamed over a campfire and slathered in garlicky herb butter, this fish is tender, fragrant, and very satisfying after a day out on the lake. If you end up going camping or fishing this Labor Day, keep this campfire rainbow trout foil packets recipe in your back pocket!

Updated on August 27, 2023August 27, 2023Dessert

Roasted Peaches with Miso Cinnamon Sugar Glaze

Peaches are the ultimate fruit for dessert. It’s fun to make cobblers, pies, and cakes, but roasting your peaches is such a special, simple dessert that can be perfect for a date night or for hosting one last summer party! Miso maple cinnamon butter adds a slight salty, cozy vibe which gives this glaze a warm, nutty, taste. Imagine the best peachy caramel sauce oozing in dark golden pools around sweet, cold vanilla ice cream. Roasting the peaches gives them such a decadent and pure peach flavor. If your schedule is getting busy but you still want to celebrate summer, don’t hesitate! Grab your peaches and make the best roasted peaches with miso cinnamon sugar glaze!

Updated on August 19, 2023August 19, 2023Dinner

The Best Summer Stuffed Zucchini Soup

Here in the pacific northwest, zucchini seems to explode between July and September. What better way to celebrate the bounty of the season than with a summery stuffed zucchini soup! This soup bursts with a rich hearty broth, tons of zucchini, and deliciously seasoned beef. This is the best one pot meal for busy back to school days, laid back weekends, and chill hosting parties. I suggest sprinkling gobs of mozzarella cheese on top for the perfect spoonful of stuffed zucchini soup. Mmmm! It’s the best type of comfort food!

Updated on August 13, 2023August 13, 2023Breakfast

Easy Instant Mochi Pancake Mix-No Eggs, No Milk…No Problem!

This instant mochi pancake mix is the perfect camping breakfast! You don’t need eggs or milk to enjoy these light, fluffy, golden babies. If you enjoy camping, glamping, or if you simply ran out of eggs and milk, you can still eat a delicious fluffy stack of pancakes. Keep on reading for some helpful tips on campfire cooking along with a great pancake recipe! You will have your own perfect mochi pancake mix for whenever the craving for pancakes strikes in no time!

Updated on August 13, 2023July 18, 2023Dinner

The Best Smoked Kalua Pork: Almost Island Style

Hawaiian sea salt, smoked garlic, pork shoulder, and time. This makes the most amazing meal ever invented. While nothing beats the real thing, this simple and succulent pork is almost as good as a ticket back to the islands! I love the beauty of simplicity. Kalua pork is traditionally cooked in a pit filled with hard wood and extremely hot lava rocks. once the Imu (or earth oven) is ready, the pork is covered in ti leaves or banana leaves and left to cook for a loooong time. Time makes it tender and the steam and smoke gives true nuanced and complex flavor. Since most people don’t have access to a whole pig, lava rocks, and probably don’t want to dig a big hole in the backyard, I discovered using my smoker is a really easy alternative to the Imu! Give it a try! You will be rewarded with the best smoked kalua pork almost island style! Keep on reading for step by step instructions with pictures!