Strawberry Cream Cheese Oat Bars

Happy middle of Jul–wait, what?

Strawberry Cream Cheese Oat Bars 1--070616

I’m not sure how we’re already halfway through the summer–nobody ever consulted with me about this matter, or I would’ve veto’d it faster than you can say “pandas on a water slide”–but here we are, even so…and in spite of me, it seems!

These past two weeks have been unusually crazy ones…which is my way of excusing myself for the recent lack of updates. Whoops! Thankfully, we’ve finally hammered out our final plans for le big Europe trip, which is exciting because I hate travel planning with a passion, and more than one late … Read more

Easy French Apple Pie {15-minute prep!}

Easy French Apple Pie 5--061816

The end of term was last week, and–as one of my graduating friends reminded me–nothing smells comfort-y quite like pie does. And nothing spells comfort when you’re tired and hungry and stressed like a 15-minute prep time!

Yes, none of my jokes here: this is quite possibly the easiest dump-it-all-in French apple pie recipe that I’ve ever made, and my summer-ready self is SO thankful for it.

Easy French Apple Pie 2--061816

In the past two weeks, I taught my (possibly last ever!!!) undergraduate English class and started kicking my butt back into full dissertation writing mode. Oh! And I haven’t shared the biggest news … Read more

White Chocolate Cookie Butter Pecan Shortbread Cookies

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BiteSizedBitsOfJoy #CollectiveBias

White Chocolate Cookie Butter Pecan Shortbread Cookies 2--060616

My favorite phrase of the year: oldies but goldies!

As the de facto ancient dinosaur/matriarch of every one of my friend circles–I’m officially like a 22nd grader or something this year–I now love this phrase because it makes me feel…classic. And let’s be honest here: some things really do get better with age. Wine, cheese, dad jokes…my students’ end-of-year evaluations, which from now on I will only read while I am double-fisting these gorgeous White Chocolate Cookie Butter Pecan Shortbread Cookies, … Read more

Caramel Shortbread Cocoa Krispies Bars

Caramel Shortbread Cocoa Krispies Bars 2--052916

For anyone who is currently sitting in an office, classroom, library, or other public setting, you may want to bookmark this page and come back to it later…unless you don’t mind running the risk of accidentally salivating onto your keyboard in front of your boss. If that’s the case, then by all means: scroll on!

Caramel Shortbread Cocoa Krispies Bars 4--052916

Caramel Shortbread Cocoa Krispies Bars 6--052916

I was editing the photos for these treats this weekend when the boy poked his nose hopefully over my shoulder and stared at my computer monitor. “What are those?” he asked with an air of studied nonchalance that wasn’t fooling anyone. When I told him … Read more

Fried Ice Cream Cake

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SoHoppinGood #TopYourSummer #CollectiveBias

Who’s ready for summer? I am SO ready for summer.

Fried Ice Cream Cake 1--052316

As you’ve probably surmised from the dearth of recent blog posts, life lately has been busier lately than the ball pit at Chuck E. Cheese’s in the middle of birthday season. These past two weeks, I’ve flown home for a 24-hour stint, seen Young the Giant perform live, hosted my wonderful friend and her sister at my place for several glorious days, won the Family Cup with my global sibs … Read more

Caramel Coffee Toffee Sticky Pudding Brownies

Happy Teachers’ Appreciation Week, everyone!

Caramel Toffee Pudding Brownies 1--050216

It’s crazy how much you take for granted until you’re the one standing in front of the classroom–that, and the amount of baking that you end up doing for your students in any given school term because you genuinely love them and want them to be happy human beings, even if they sometimes ask you questions whose answers are on the syllabus and expect responses when they email you 5 hours before a paper is due. I guess it’s good practice for the 40-kid family I plan on having someday.

Caramel Toffee Pudding Brownies 4--050216

Facetiousness aside, though, I owe … Read more

Mini Churro Donut Muffins

Mini Churro Donut Muffins 1--042016

If you love churros, donuts, and the excuse to justifiably eat them both for breakfast–trust me, these sugary babies are for you.

Mini Churro Donut Muffins 5--042016

Mini Churro Donut Muffins are, as their name implies–ahem–the perfect balanced breakfast food. Okay, so they’re rolled in glorious cinnamon sugar post-baking, and maaaaybe they’re more like a donut/cake than a muffin–but they’re baked instead of fried, which has got to count for something…right?

And that makes them okay to consume for breakfast.

And lunch.

And dinner.

And maybe dessert, if your stretchy pants are feeling particularly stretchy.

Mini Churro Donut Muffins 7--042016

Mini Churro Donut Muffins 10--042016

We’ve been having a lot of sweets around here lately…and … Read more

Chocolate Chip Toffee Walnut Cookies

Raise your hand if you’ve ever gone grocery shopping at an absurd hour of the night. Say…..4 AM? No? Anybody?

Chocolate Chip Toffee Walnut Cookies 2--033016

I realize that there are a lot of things that I take for granted as an unmarried, mostly unemployed, highly mobile grad student. Free pool access, on-campus groups, friends living within walking distance, and yes–spontaneous 4 AM grocery shopping trips, apparently. Which may or may not be coupled with–ahem–the 5 AM baking sprees that yielded these chewy, amazing chocolate chip toffee walnut cookies.

On Sunday night, that’s exactly what I did. My friend and I had stayed up … Read more

Lemon Meltaway Cookies

I’m posting and running today–after all, it IS spring break around here!

Lemon Meltaway Cookies 1--032416

We visited San Diego Zoo this weekend and oh my gosh, I’ve forgotten how much I miss my old zoo days–yes, I worked at a zoo for four summers in high school–surrounded by discussions of conservation and environment and animal enrichment. We also got to stay at the SD Welks Resort, and I swam at a pool for fun for the first time in years. Bliss!

I even made it back to LA in time for an impromptu dinner with friends and way, way too much good food … Read more

Baymax Sugar Cookies

Baymax Sugar Cookies 1--031416

I rarely fall in love at first sight, but if I had to make an exception, it’d be Baymax. Or should I say Bae-max? <3

Baymax Sugar Cookies 5--031416

If you’ve never seen the movie Big Hero 6, a) I have a lot of questions for you, most of which are not particularly innocuous in nature, and b) unless your house is burning down at this very minute, I want you to drop everything you’re doing and watch the movie. Wrangle in a couple of five-year olds for the cause if it’ll make you feel better.

Then you can come back and … Read more