Thankful

Oh hey there! It's been a while. Life has been a little busy lately, and unfortunately this blog has taken a back seat. I'm sure none of you have been crazy busy with the holidays, right? ;) I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Mine was full of pie, baked brie and of course turkey and family, so I would say it was a success. Oh, and having this view while enjoying all that deliciousness wasn't bad either!

The next few days are going to be a whirlwind because I'm starting a new job on Monday! I'm really excited to start a new chapter and dive into something completely new. Black Friday marked my last day in retail, and I'm thrilled. I worked at Macy's as a Clinique consultant for the past three years, and while the experience overall was great, I needed something new. So, on Monday I will be starting my new job as a social media assistant for a local soap making supply company, Bramble Berry. I'm excited and nervous, but oh-so ready. 

It's funny to think that while my college degree certainly helped, this blog gave me a lot of the skills needed for my new position. When I started blogging, I really had no idea what I was doing. I didn't know how to use my camera, I didn't really know what I wanted to blog about, and I had no idea how awesome the blogging community was. I have learned so much through blogging, and I'm so glad to have found a hobby that I can be really proud of and passionate about. 

I know I'm a few days late, but I wanted to say how thankful I am for blogging. Yeah, it sounds a little corny, but it has opened up doors that a few years ago were closed to me. It inspires and pushes me to try new things. It provides a platform to share with others and connect with people all over the world. I'm so glad I made the crazy/scary decision to share my thoughts, ideas, creations and my life online. It has been an amazing experience so far, and I can't wait to see where else it takes me. 

Comfort Food Monday: Roasted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Pasta Bake

Yep, it's Monday. But we can do this! 

To congratulate yourself for making it through the day, why not cozy up to a bowl of this red pepper pasta bake? Oh, can't forget the goat cheese! It adds a tang and creaminess that compliments the red pepper perfectly (if I do say so myself).

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cups with Blackberries

Some things are simply meant to be together. Macaroni and cheese. Ross and Rachel. A glass of wine and and an episode of Scandal. And of course, peanut butter and jelly. If we are talking peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I firmly believe white bread and a glass of milk are necessary. But, if you really want to take peanut butter and jelly to the next level (you do), then add cream cheese into the mix. Woah! So good.

Giveaway Extraordinaire! Win a Canon Rebel T3i & Accessories!

I'm excited to be apart of this amazing giveaway to celebrate Katherine's birthday! Not only does the winner receive a Canon Rebel, but they also get a bunch of camera accessories like an extra battery, memory card and a tripod. Woah! Such an awesome giveaway, and I'd love it if one of my readers was the winner! 

There are lots of ways to enter, so go check out some new blogs, follow them, then enter to win! There are a lot of awesome ladies pictured below, so get to it!

Katherine of Of Corgis & Cocktails // Kelsey of Ladies in Navy // Sabrina of One City Owl // Maddie of Maddie Richardson

Marisa of The Shades of Monet Chronicles // Jennifer of Earl Grey Blog // Shell of Kitty and Buck

Amanda of Amanda K By The Bay // Ali of The Drawing Mannequin // Nicole of Happy Pretty Things // Yen of Diva In Me

Elana of Room 334 // Sara of Swing the Day Away // Jenna of Smitten

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One Day, When I Host Thanksgiving...

Oh dear...it's Saturday already? Holy moly, where did the week go!? Also, Thanksgiving is almost here! Hip hip, hooray! Are you ready to stuff your mouth full of deliciousness and then lay around, enjoying family time? I certainly am.

As I get older, I am looking forward to the day when I host Thanksgiving. I'm sure I will be singing a different tune when I'm cooking 10 things at once, and freaking out about forgetting to pick up onion straw-things for the green bean casserole. But until that day, I will continue to fantasize about my crispy-yet-juicy turkey, balanced cocktails and remembering to buy everything. So gonna rock Thanksgiving one day.

Are you hosting Thanksgiving this year? Here are a few recipes I would love to make if I were hosting!

From top left, clockwise: Roasted Garlic Brussel Sprouts, Cider Bourbon Cocktail, Green Bean Casserole, Roasted Garlic Horseradish Mashed Potatoes, Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole, Praline Pumpkin Cheesecake, Soft Honey Oat Rolls, Spiced Rubbed Roasted Turkey

Comfort Food Monday: Deep Dish Sausage, Yam and Arugula Breakfast Pie

Recently, I bought a deep dish pie pan and it pretty much made my day. I started to think of how much more filling I could put into every pie. Is it weird to get super excited about pie filling? I'm not sure. Okay, that's a lie. I know it's a little strange.

Eggplant Margherita Pizza

Well guys, it's officially the holiday season. Christmas music is playing at the mall, people are putting up their trees and I've started to brain storm gifts. Have you started prepping for the holidays yet? It's so crazy they are already here...it seems like it was just New Years a few weeks ago!

Overcoming Kitchen Intimidation

The kitchen can be a intimidating place, and trying new recipes can be a little scary. It's so easy to stay in our comfort zone when it comes to cooking. I certainly have dishes that feel safe, and I make them often. There isn't anything wrong with this, but I think trying new things in the kitchen is important and fun. Sometimes a new dish won't turn out perfectly (or even at all), but that's when we learn and become better!

My personal kitchen fearmonger? Macarons. Those dainty, cute, finicky little cookies were a recipe that I didn't think I could master. I had read how difficult they are to make, and saw pretty good bakers fail at making them. I made my first batch yesterday and I'm happy to report about 70% of them turned out great! Not a total victory, but I'm excited to keep practicing!

As you can see, some turned out, some not so much.

This little baking victory yesterday was a reminder that trying new recipes can be really rewarding. I love cooking because I love food, but what I love the most is creating things for others to enjoy. When that source of happiness can also be a personal victory, it's a win for everybody involved.

What recipe intimidates you? I bet if you gave it a try, you'd be pleasantly surprised! Here are a few things to consider when trying something new in the kitchen.

1. Do your research! Make sure to read the recipe from top to bottom. Any terms or ingredients that you're unfamiliar with? Learn more about them before starting.
2. Be realistic about your abilities. When trying new things, the goal is to push yourself but not set yourself up for failure. If grilled cheese is a struggle, making a souffle may not be the best idea.
3. Practice makes perfect. If you try something new and it fails, don't beat yourself up about it. It might take a few tries to get a recipe right.
4. Choose the right time to try a new recipe. Don't put extra pressure on yourself by trying something new for a party/event. That way if it doesn't work out, you don't have to panic.
5. Celebrate your kitchen victories! Make something awesome? Share it with others! A humble brag is okay every now and then :)

Have you tried something new recently? I'd love to hear how it turned out! Oh, and just incase you're wanting to try macarons yourself, I found this video to be really helpful!

PS: Looking for some new recipes? I'm sharing some pumpkin recipes on Amanda's awesome blog, Write in Tights. Check it out here!

Comfort Food Monday: Creamy Mushroom, White Bean and Rosemary Soup

Anybody else been fighting a cold bug? I started feeling icky last week, and for a few days had no voice at all. Losing your voice is kinda fun at first...you get to talk in a sorta sexy, sorta old smoker voice for a while. But then you start squeaking out noises at people instead of words and it gets real awkward. I'm happy to report that I'm past the awkward squeaking stage and back to normal voice. Hooray!

My 5 Favorite Food Photography Props

I think we can all agree food photography doesn't "just happen." Most images of food online are staged to make the food look as pretty as possible. If my food photography was "real" pictures of my food, you'd probably see a lot more images in bad light, on the couch with maybe a glass of wine nearby and Parks and Recreation playing in the background. Real life.

In order to make food look as delicious as possible, it helps to have some props! Props can get spendy pretty quickly, but most of my favorites are probably already in your kitchen! Of course there are tons of fun props to use, but these are the five I find myself using constantly. This post from Pinch of Yum is full of more great ideas! Also, if you're looking for some very basic food photography tips, this post might help.

Now, my top 5 food photography props!

1 // Cutting board Definitely my most used prop. My kitchen doesn't have great lighting (it's horrible actually), so taking pictures on my kitchen table doesn't really work. So in order to get the light, I photograph my food outside on my back deck. I use the cutting board to give a nice clean background, and to kinda give the allusion of a kitchen table. The bigger the cutting board the better!

White Chocolate Chip and Almond Matcha Cookies