To celebrate the New England Patriots advancing to the NFL championship game, I decided to make Nutella Peanut Butter cookies.  I mean, what says “I’m so happy that the Patriots are making their 9th Superbowl appearance” better than Nutella and peanut butter combined in a cookie. Nothing.   Nutella Peanut Butter Cookies   Ingredients   1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1 egg 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1 3/4 cups flour 3/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 cup Nutella   Directions Preheat the over to 350 degrees Beat together the butter, peanut butter and sugars by hand or using an electric mixer, until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes) Add in the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined In a separate bowl, combine the flour baking soda and salt Using the mixer (or…

Nothing says “it’s the weekend” like homemade pancakes for breakfast. And no recipe makes having homemade pancakes easier than the one from the queen herself, Martha Stewart. The recipe is built off of basic pantry ingredients, but in true Martha fashion, it takes it one step further and offers flexibility and variations of the recipe for different ingredients (for example substituting milk with either buttermilk or yogurt).  She has also added an instructional video on how to measure flour, just in case you don’t know the Martha way. The batter makes 12-15 pancakes, depending on the size. Regardless of which route you decide to go, Martha delivers a nearly foolproof, delicious pancake recipe.  All hail the queen.   Easy Basic Pancakes (my rendition)    Ingredients 1 cup flour (spooned and leveled) 2 tbsps sugar 2 tsps baking powder ½ tsp salt 1 cup milk 1 egg 2 tbps unsalted butter…

As the weekend rolls around I usually find myself with ripe bananas.  What do you do when life gives you ripe bananas?  Make banana bread.  Here is my go-to recipe that I’ve adapted over the years:   Sunday Morning Banana Bread   Ingredients 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup + 2 tbsps white sugar 2 eggs (room temperature) 1/2 cup canola oil 3-4 ripe bananas, mashed 2 tbsps sour cream 1 tsp vanilla extract 2/3 cup toasted and chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, pine nuts – I used pecans this time)   Directions Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and line bottom of a loaf pan with parchment paper In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt In a large bowl, beat sugar and eggs with a whisk until fluffy (about 10 minutes) Drizzle in…

Halloween weekend is always busy. Every year one of my good friends throws a huge party, and this year was no exception. The theme this year was “Sausage Party”. Needless to say, I was mildly hungover this morning (maybe more than mildly). Whenever I find myself in such situations (tired, hungover and not wanted to leave the house), I have three go-to hangover fixes:   1. Something greasy to eat   Today’s choice was spicy cheddar Kraft Dinner and a grilled cheese sandwich. If you have not tried the spicy cheddar KD, you are truly missing out. It has the ooey-gooiness of classic Kraft dinner but with an added heat that is almost addictive. For the perfect grilled cheese sandwich:   1. Add 2-3 slices of cheddar, Monterey jack or Swiss cheese (your choice) between two slices of white bread.   2. Heat 1 tbsp of salted butter in a cast iron or nonstick skillet over…

Peanut butter cookies are one of my favorites.  This recipe is a quick fix to satisfy any peanut butter cookie craving and only uses 5 ingredients.  The last ingredient, sea salt, is the key that gives the cookies an addictive salty finish.  I used natural peanut butter because I feel they hold up better but feel free to try them with any kind – crunchy, smooth, natural, not.  I also add an extra splash of vanilla. Since the cookies are flourless, they’re very tender, so I advise letting them cool on the pan before moving them.   Ingredients 1 cup peanut butter 1 cup sugar 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1 egg, lightly beaten Coarse sea salt (for sprinkling)   Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F In a medium bowl, mix the peanut butter, sugar, vanilla and egg until well combined (smooth) Spoon one tablespoon portions of the…