~well fed~

 It's no secret that I love to bake.

I also happen to love pumpkin.

 I thought I'd share a couple recipes with you that I made this past week, and they turned out fantastic!

I am a huge fan of Starbucks pumpkin scones.

I happen to think the other day that I bet I could find a recipe for them online.

So, I googled it and sure enough, a ton of recipes popped up.

I will say, they turned out almost identical to the Starbucks ones!

You can find the recipe here.

 This past year I have also discovered Nutella~yum!

I found a recipe for pumpkin nutella bread {you can also make it into muffins if you prefer}

and, h my goodness, soooo good!

You can find the recipe for it here.

xoxo

~happy weekend~

~yum~

Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies
Sweet Pea's Kitchen

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus more for rolling)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
3/4 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together sugars, butter and 1/4 cup of peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg, beating to combine. Stir in the flour mixture and stir to combine, blending well. Set aside.

4. In a medium bowl, mix together powdered sugar and remaining 3/4 cup of peanut butter until smooth.

5. Pull off a heaping tablespoon of cookie dough and flatten with your hands. Take about 1 teaspoon of peanut butter mixture and place it in the center of the chocolate dough. Wrap the chocolate dough around the peanut butter center, pressing to seal. Roll the cookie into a ball and roll the cookie in the sugar. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a glass, flatten each cookie to about a 1/2 inch thickness.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes. Let stand on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack.

xoxo

~our kitchen nook~

 This little nook in our kitchen I am always changing up.

It's fun and it keeps me out of trouble :)

Yesterday I added a stack of ironstone plates that I once had for sale at Ruffles and Rust Square. 

When I started dreaming about them at night I knew it was time to go in and reclaim them.

It's a secret love affair I have with ironstone.

 I also raided my parents peony garden yesterday.

Thanks Mom and Dad, you grow much lovelier peonies than I ever could.

I filled a white bowl with fruit, and added a new/old oil painting I got recently.

I LOVE the pink and the turquoise together~one of my favorite color combinations.
{caesar salad dressing recipe from Pottery Barn ages ago, check ebay if you are wanting one}

 And just for fun, here is what the same nook looked like this past winter.

Goodbye hot chocolate and hello lemonade!

xoxo

~my niece turns 2, a cake, and a winner!~

 We celebrated my darling little niece Lyla's birthday on Saturday, she turned 2.

I made Meg's rainbow cake.

It was very easy and so pretty when you cut into it!

 And most importantly, the birthday girl loved it!

 I love her big blue eyes!

Happy birthday sweet girl!

I also wanted to announce the winner of the Martha and Ash giveaway......

Denise from The Painted Home, you are the lucky winner of

75% off one item in the Martha and Ash etsy shop! 

Please contact me via email

or 

Martha and Ash via their etsy shop,

and then you can start shopping!

I hope everyone had a great mothers day!

xoxo

~fried chicken & champagne, & the pomegranate bistro~

We have this fabulous little bistro near us that serves the most delicious food.

It's quaint, it's delicious, and I love meeting friends there.

One wall in the restaurant is a big window so you can watch the pastry chefs preparing pie crusts, rolls, and desserts. Lisa Dupar is the owner of this restaurant and has this fabulous cookbook with recipes from the bistro. While I don't own the cookbook yet, my friend Lissa was kind enough to share a recipe for the soup I get every single time I go there.

 I will say, I am not a huge tomato soup fan. 

But I could seriously eat their tomato soup daily, along with their fabulous house salad.

So, although I haven't made it yet, I thought I'd share the recipe with you. 

It looks fairly simple to make, not many ingredients and it looks like it will serve a crowd.

Isn't Lisa a doll?

Ok, without further adieu, here is the recipe for Pomegranate's tomato soup.
{and I don't know why the recipe is so funky, sorry!}

pom tomato soup

bouquet garnish:

6 thyme sprigs

1 rosemary sprig

 to make the garnish:

tie the thyme and rosemary sprigs together with a piece of kitchen string.

Ingredients:

4 oz butter

3 med size fennel bulbs chopped

1 c chopped yellow onions

1/2 c chopped shallots

2 T chop garlic

3 1/2 lbs canned Italian plum tomatoes, with juice, chopped

1 1/2 quarts chicken stock

1 c heavy cream

salt and pepper

fennel greens for garnish

In a large saucepan over med. heat, melt the butter.  Add the fennel, onion, shallots, and garlic.  Saute until tender.  Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the bouquet garnish and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.  Add the cream and bring to a simmer, then remove from heat and let cool.  Discard the bouquet garnish.  Blend the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth, then pass blended soup through a fine strainer.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  

Enjoy!
xoxo 

~the best strata~

Over the holiday weekend my good friend and neighbor made this strata that was seriously to die for! The recipe is from epicurious and will be a crowd pleaser for sure! 

Enjoy!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway below!

xoxo

~please forgive me~

I am about to share with you the worlds most fattening delicious recipe ever.

I have put on a few pounds in the last few

 months due to recipes just like this.

I figure if my pants are getting tight,

 I might as well drag you down with me.

I'm just nice like that.

Are you ready? What says yummy more than oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookies?

Your speechless aren't you?

Photo from Heidi Claire.

I know you are probably all trying to eat healthy, with summer right around the corner and all, so I'm sorry, I just couldn't help but share.

If you make them, please let me know how many pounds you gain so I don't feel like the only loser

how you like them.

And please tell me you didn't only eat one.

Then, I will just have to hate you.

xoxo

~do you see the similarities?~

 Yesterday I was at one of my favorite stores~the dollar tree, when I came across this fabulous contact paper. While I was lining my kitchen drawers the thought came to me.....

 This paper looks a lot like Lauren Leiss'

wallpaper in her kitchen niche! Do you see the similarities?

Now, what else should I do with this fabulous roll of gorgeous flowers for a buck?

Wallpaper something?

 Hum, we'll see.

xoxo

~St. Patrick's Day Menu~

Today is my husbands birthday.

We have plans tonight so we celebrated last night with family and friends who all came over for dinner.

I thought I'd share the menu as it was a tasty one!

We started the pork on the traeger at 6 am and smoked it for 12 hours.

The avocado fries were delicious.

The recipe came from here.

The coleslaw recipe was from here.

I also served green grapes in keeping with the "green" theme,

as well as veggie appetizers such as cucumber

and zucchini slices, green peppers, celery, etc.

All green of course!

For the adults:

Key lime pie and devonshire pudding.

I cheated and bought the pie, but I did make the devonshire pudding.

It was my sister in law Debbie's recipe.

For the kids:

Lime jello and shamrock cookies.

It was a really fun night getting together with everyone.

Today I am off to go junking with a couple friends.

It should be a good day!

I hope you all are having one as well!

xoxo