| Oreo Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches | When my siblings and I were all still living at home, my mom would buy Oreo Cookies - but only once every month or so. She wasn't big on having sweets in the house and now that I am a parent I appreciate this - but not so much so...
Delicious 4th of July Dessert Hi friends! For many of us on the East Coast, the July 4th Holiday Weekend was rained out. Thankfully, we have glorious weather and the beach fireworks have been rescheduled for today, July 5th. Whatever your plans are, I hope that they...
CT in Style - A Connecticut-based lifestyle blog. Planter's Punch Recipe With the kiddos getting out of school this week, the unofficial start of summer is finally here! The weather is warming up and as soon as it gets above 80° I know it is time to get into beach...
Best Irish Soda Bread Recipe Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I want to share my favorite and totally foolproof recipe for delicious Irish Soda Bread. It is so yummy that it would be a shame to enjoy it only once a year. This easy to make bread is ideal for Sunday...
Brains and Bubbles. That's what I'm calling this Halloween-inspired cocktail. It's smart because it only uses a few ingredients and also because it uses a (gummy) brain! If you follow my blog, you know that I love Halloween...to death. It combines so many of my...
Thank you to Bell & Evans for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own. Happy Monday! We are only one day away from the first day of autumn and the "fall crush" has already happened. I always seem to feel it the most during the month of September. I'm not...
Memorial Day Snacks | images from create craft love | One of the things that I hear on a daily basis is that the days have started to blur. We are all spending so much time at home these days that it's easy to forget what day of the week it is. It's happened to me...
Best Banana Bread Recipe Years ago, I was entrusted with the only existing hand written copy of our family's famous banana bread recipe. Somehow I lost it (YIKES!). The recipe had been used for decades and handed down from generation to generation. Friends, it was...
Geronimo Fairfield Review Hi friends! If you are a lover of Southwestern cuisine - this post is for you. Earlier this summer, I had the privilege of attending a "tasting" experience at Geronimo in Fairfield, CT. I have eaten there numerous times, but this occasion was...
Chocolate Muffin Recipe. This is the good kind of muffin top. I'm one of those people that prefers the top of the muffin. It is the first part that I eat, I like the fact that it has a slightly crispy outside and a moist inside. And clearly, I am not the only one that...
Homemade Raisin Scone Recipe Several years after we moved to Westport, Connecticut, my mother met Martha Stewart. They bonded immediately over the same appreciation for elevating your lifestyle, entertaining, and of course, food. Their bond grew into a friendship and...
if summer was a fruit, it would be watermelon. At long last, temperatures have spiked, pools are open and our beaches are packed! I'm sharing my "go to" recipe for summer's ultimate cocktail, Watermelon Margaritas. They are so delicious! My inspo for this recipe came...
Grilled figs. Goat Cheese. Prosciuto. Nuff said. These are ridiculously good and I can't take credit for the idea. We were entertaining friends for dinner and I was grilling figs and drizzling them with honey for our appetizer and I said out loud, "These would be good...
Brrr! Chilly temperatures in Connecticut means it's time to whip up some hot cocoa and get out the mini marshmallows. Below is a delicious recipe that completely elevates the traditional flavor and makes hot chocolate a gourmet treat! Hot chocolate is one of the...
Cherry Bourbon Friendsgiving Cocktail Thank you to Sparkling Ice for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own. "Just remember, it might be Monday but it's a short week that ends with pie and shopping. We can do this." Welcome to Monday and what I hope is a short...
White Cosmopolitan Ghost Cocktail Every Halloween, I like to welcome the spirits. Both literally and figuratively. Inspired by my girlfriend Kirstin's Friday night ritual, she drinks a Cosmo every Friday regardless of where she is in the world, I decided to...
This was one of those weeks when I was grateful that my husband was traveling in California. Beginning on Monday, every conceivable surface in our kitchen was overflowing with baking pans, cake flour, butter, confectioner's sugar and piping bags. And because I knew...
Something wickedly delicious is coming! I'm gearing up for Halloween with Chocolate Witches' Hats! This is a decadent Halloween-themed treat made with chocolate striped cookies, marshmallow cream - and more chocolate. There are lots of wonderful textures and flavor...
Let me start by saying a big fat BOO! This morning I spotted the school bus driver making his test rounds through my neighborhood. The nerve! I don't know why I am so outraged. They do this every year. Regardless, I never feel ready to hear the tell-tale noise of the...
We celebrated my Mom's birthday this year with a dinner party. It was a small family affair, just the way she likes it. I'm grateful that the rain held out and we were able to dine al fresco and I could take advantage of using our grill. I was in the mood for a little...
I love a fabulous surprise. One of the best ones I had took place on a Sunday afternoon, as I was making my way from Connecticut back home to Pennsylvania where I was living at the time. As I was driving through the winding interstate, the road crested and I was...
Hi everyone! Everyone once and a while, I search through my blog posts and revisit some of my favorite ones. Building the Ultimate Bloody Mary Bar is definitely among the top blog posts in the Food & Drink category. Not only do I love this cocktail, I love the...
At long last, I finally feel like the cold weather is gone for good. I've been waiting for the tell tale sign of the explosion of green in out backyard. I came practically overnight and it was such a welcome sight! I'm assuming that you are experiencing the same thing...
The Best Chocolate Cookies Ever + Recipe As much as I try to stay on top of everything that inspires me, I get introduced to things that have been out there for a while that have slipped by me. During a book club meeting, our hostess served the best chocolate cookies...
How to make the ultimate cheeseboard | my take on the ultimate cheeseboard | Grazing. That's what I've been doing lately. We've all been pretty much hanging out around home during the long winter storm, and eating at "normal" times doesn't excite me. I'd much rather...
Table at Home Personal Chef Reviews! I come from a family of chefs. All self taught. My mom's first entry into the culinary world was working for Martha Stewart. She started out by helping Martha with parties and weddings. As Martha grew into a household name, her...
Lemon Drop Martini {lemon drop martini} It's been a long winter y'all! I'm totally ready for spring. We've been getting a few teasing glimpses of what's to come. The sun is finally out and the temps are rising. Although (dare I say) I heard we might...
Temperatures are dropping in Connecticut and when it starts getting cold, few things are better than a mug of homemade hot chocolate. My kiddos have the day off school due to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, plus - there is a snowstorm is forecasted for this week. I'm...
Joie de vivre. A Breezy and Bountiful Thanksgiving Plate. Here's how to have a delicious and carefree traditional Thanksgiving meal with friends - without the hassle. Sometimes you have to go to the French to describe the joy of life, friendship, conversation and food...
What's with this weather y'all? The temperatures almost feel like we are in the South. Despite what the calendar says (it really is November 6th), it has been unseasonably mild for this time of year. However, we've had glimpses of cooler weather to come and a lot of...
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe Are you in the same situation as me? Did you buy pumpkins to carve for Halloween and then get completely overwhelmed with Halloween festivities, events, parties, decorating and never got around to carving them?...
If you are like me, you are counting the days until Halloween! There's less than two weeks to go and still plenty of time to make plans for Halloween-themed treats and goodies. Today, I want to share the Best Halloween Treat Ever! Bat Bites! I can't get over how...
I have a question for you. How many times a month do you eat the same meal? If you are like me, you can easily get stuck in the same predictable meal rut. You know the one. It's the rut where you don't even need to take a list with you to the supermarket. You just...
Tomato and Avocado Salad has got to be summer's most perfect salad. Made with ripe tomatoes, creamy avocado and diced purple onion all doused with a cilantro and lemon juice dressing. It is totally divine. Once I learned how to make it, I became addicted. If you like...
Strawberry & Avocado Salad It's a beautiful thing when superfoods come together to make something incredibly delicious. I saw a photo for a Strawberry & Avocado salad from health.com that looked so incredible, I wanted to make it. The photo was a good...
Sparkling White Sangria | Sparkling White Sangria | It was 90 degrees today people! I can't think of a sweeter way to welcome summer than with a sparkling white sangria punch. This cocktail is so delicious and refreshing. The photos say it all, it is as amazing...
| you had me at Gin Gin | I blogged a couple of weeks ago about the lovely invitation I received to visit the home of One Kings Lane, President, Debbie Propst. While I gushed about her home, one of the other things that I mentioned was the delicious Gin Gin Mule...
Cutest Easter Cupcakes Ever We're changing things up a little this Easter. Instead of hosting like we did last year, we've been invited to spend it with very good friends. They always go out of their way to make any celebration wonderful by taking care of every...
Homemade Lemon Pound Cake | homemade lemon pound cake | Some of my fondest memories as a child include coming home after school to find that my mother had been baking. Whether it was brownies, chocolate chip cookies or banana bread, homemade desserts immediately...
The Oscars - Party Ideas! Last year, I dedicated an entire week to party ideas for the most anticipated and glamorous night in Hollywood - the Oscars! The Oscars celebrates the best films of 2016 by honoring all the women and men who made movie magic. If you...
The Best White Hot Chocolate Recipe. | the best white hot chocolate recipe with the cutest marshmallow polar bear garnish | I was first seduced by white hot chocolate at Le Rouge in Westport, Connecticut. During a visit there one day, Aarti, the chocolatier, made one...
Photos! Bartaco Westport | bartaco's ancho chile & coffee braised short rib tacos | Can you keep a secret? I've got the recipe for Bartaco's 8th Secret Taco - The Braised Short Rib Taco - and I am going to share it with you! Here's the lowdown on #bartacosecret...
Fresh Apple Cake from Connecticut | fresh apple cake from connecticut | I think that it is important to eat seasonally and take advantage of the foods that are naturally available during certain parts of the year. We're fortunate to have a lot of farms in Connecticut...
Crispy and Creamy Corn Casserole Thank you to Balduccis for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own. There are some traditions that I don't mess with. The Thanksgiving menu is one of them. Roast turkey and all "the fixins" must be consumed on Thanksgiving...
Warm Apple Cider and Rum Float I think that wind is invigorating. It seems to me that we get a lot of it this time of year as the season changes. I imagine it's Mother Nature's way blowing away the summer. As soon as the weather begins to get chilly, I start thinking...
| Frankenstein Rice Krispies wrapped up in treat bags and tied with a bow | Hi guys, did you have a great weekend? I certainly hope so! My weekend was a little out of the ordinary - in a very fun way. I spent most of Saturday preparing for a live TV segment that aired...
Cutest Halloween Rice Krispies Treat! These little Rice Krispie pumpkins are so CHARMING! They are super easy to make, it took me less than 30 minutes and I love how they turned out. I made one small batch using a 10 ounce bag of mini marshmallows, half of a...
How to make Brain Cupcakes Mmmmwaaaaaaahahahaha! As the mother of a 12-year old boy, I am very familiar with "the grosser the better." This Halloween, we are working on creating a whole new series of treats - and some of them give me the willies. If you are hosting a...
Easy Homemade Donuts I effing love donuts. I wish I could eat them every day, especially glazed donuts. They are my weakness. Someone has to watch my girlish figure which means that donuts are a treat saved for special occasions. One such occasion came up a few weeks...
Delicious Old Fashioned Recipe | Old Fashioned Cocktail featuring Lexington Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey | While we were vacationing in the Outer Banks, we had dinner at 1587, a fabulous restaurant in the historic district of Manteo on Roanoke Island, N.C. After we were...