I am the resident baker in my family and am in charge of desserts for pretty much every holiday. I love baking so much and I definitely get that from my aunt. When I was little and would have sleepovers at her house, we would always bake something. From brownies to cookies and cakes, to her special nut tarts, I always loved baking when I was there.

As I grew older and learned the powers of Pinterest, the world of baking only grew. Now, I try to make something different every holiday and try to make things as festive as possible. It's fun for me to do but also I like to try to make things nice for my family.

My mom yells at me every holiday to take it easy, not go so crazy and just try to make things a little easier on myself. I tend to stress myself out with baking; one Christmas, I baked so much I made myself sick (and threw up for days because of the sugar overload). Two Christmas' ago, I baked so much I passed out on my couch halfway through because it was so exhausting.

This year, I've made a vow to take it easy in that I'm not going to make any crazy concoctions. I'm keeping it simple.

I think it's important to note that I bake for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (Christmas Eve is the big holiday in Italian families) and my family are not huge dessert people. Everyone is usually so full from dinner, they take a few bites of one or two things and I'm leftover with tons of sweets. Those are two other reasons I'm keeping it simple this year.

Here's what I'm planning...

Gingerbread Cookies

Last year's gingerbread cookies

Gingerbread Cupcakes

Credit

Chocolate Covered Oreos

Last year's sugar cookies

What are you making for Christmas this year?
xoxo
B

Mother Nature finally delivered the Fall weather to New York this past weekend. I was freezing dressed in a sweater, sweatpants and socks and desperately wanted to put the heat on. I hope that this weather sticks around so I can truly enjoy the Fall season.

I make it very known that I am the queen of Pumpkin Spice everything and I feel like with every Fall season, my love for it only grows. I make the most of the three months where I can enjoy all things Pumpkin Spice and this year, it is no different.

Everyone is getting in on the pumpkin spice trend nowadays, from beauty products to accessories, no one is safe from the basicness of all things pumpkin.

I figured it was a good time to round up all my favorite pumpkin items... 

Pumpkin Spice Lattes: These are the OG of Pumpkin items and the first thing I treat myself to the day after Labor Day. I love the Starbucks one but no matter where I am, I always get a Pumpkin Spice Latte if it's available. I make them at home with the Caffe Latte Starbucks Keurig cups, or just treat myself to regular pumpkin coffee.

Pumpkin Baked Goods: Whether it's a scone, muffin, bread, cookie or cake, I eat all of the pumpkin things during the Fall season. I bake some, I buy some, and it's the one treat I really allow myself to splurge on.

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice O's: This is new to me this year and it was such a delight to find a pumpkin cereal that was tasty. I've tried so many other pumpkin cereals and am always disappointed but these Trader Joe's Os were delicious. They had a sweet, subtle cinnamon pumpkin flavor but nothing too overpowering.

Pumpkin Spice Belvita Biscuits: A few years ago I had a Belvita Biscuit for the first time and my life was changed forever. I became obsessed with this little babies and savored every bite. I've since stopped eating them because they are heavy in Weight Watchers points (8 points for 4 biscuits) but at the start of the season, I treated myself to the Pumpkin Spice ones. They have more of a cinnamon flavor but are so satisfying and delicious, it's all worth it.

Pepperidge Farm Pumpkin Spice Swirl Bread: Talk about the perfect Fall breakfast! Toast this bread with some butter (or even Pumpkin Butter) and your life is automatically 100x better. Taste it, and let me know what you think.

Burts Bees Pumpkin Spice Lip Balm: I just went to look for this in my makeup drawers and couldn't find it -- must mean I need a new one. This lip balm smells perfectly like Pumpkin Spice but the scent doesn't linger. Also, Burts Bees is a great company and has great lip products so it's a win-win.

Too Faced Pumpkin Spice Palette: I've only used this once but I'm including it in this post. Too Faced does so well with their themed and scented palettes so it's no surprise that they finally released a Pumpkin Spice one. It has the most gorgeous color scheme and screams Fall; from brown neutrals to plums and true pumpkin colors.  It also has that faint pumpkin scent which really puts me in the Fall spirit. You can only get this on HSN and it comes with a pumpkin scented and colored lipgloss. It's SUCH a good collection and good value.

What are your favorite pumpkin spice items?
xoxo
B

In the world of Weight Watchers, I haven't felt super deprived of anything, except maybe bagels and pastries, which I do not eat that often.

I can have a slice of pizza, I can have pasta, it's all well and good. However, when I saw this recipe floating around the Internet a few weeks ago I immediately jumped at it.

The Two Ingredient Dough is 6 points in total, which is a STEAL. Once you add toppings it is, of course, more, but I hardly count that if you use the right stuff.

I've never made a dough in my life and even though it's only two ingredients, it was still hard to make. There was a lot of kneading involved, and it makes quite a mess but it is so worth it.

What are the magical two ingredients you ask? They are self-rising flour and greek yogurt.

1/2 cup of each gives you a small, little dough that tastes pretty damn good.








So far, I've created multiple pizzas, garlic knots, and everything bagel knots. There has never been a better time to test out Trader Joe's Everything Bagel Seasoning than with some dough and butter.



Really, you can make anything with this dough; I wonder how it would taste/come out as just a regular loaf of bread.

Even though I have created little bagel knots, I haven't done actual bagel yet and I really want to try. That requires me boiling the dough before baking it and that's a big commitment for me.

In conclusion, this dough is delicious and very versatile. If you're not on weight watchers but still want a good, diet alternative I highly recommend whipping a batch of this up!

Ever since I was little hunger came at me quick. As soon as I woke up in the morning, I needed to eat and if I let myself go too long, I got nauseous, dizzy, and light headed. My hanger is unlike anything I've ever seen, so I constantly need to eat.

Whether it's some roasted almonds, pretzels, or a granola bar, I need something in my stomach to remain cool, calm, and collected. Because of this, I ALWAYS have food on me. If I'm going to work, I have afternoon snacks, and at least 3 granola bars in my bag. If I'm going to visit my family or friends, theres something in my bag, and I've stooped so low to even put a granola bar in my bag when I go to the bar on a night out.

I'm so terrified of feeling sick and without something to soothe me so yes, the point is that I always have food on me.

Sounds weird but it's true.

I have my go-tos but I've been expanding my favorites recently so I figured that it would make a good post.



1. Nature Valley Oatmeal Bars: These are my FAVORITES and have been for quite some time. I really only eat these in the morning before work while I'm on the train, and they give me substance I need to curb my hunger. Sometimes between this and coffee, I'm not even hungry for breakfast once I get into the office.

2. Nature Valley Chewy Dark Chocolate & Nut: I'm a huge Nature Valley person but depending on what granola bar it is, they can irritate my throat *I have a slight nut allergy if the nuts are raw but these are perfect. They're a great combination of chocolate, chewy, and nuts so they fill me up.

3. Justin's Almond Butter: This is something new I've been trying. For years I thought I was allergic to almonds but when I was trying to become healthier, I did a little experiment and realized I could eat roasted almonds. Raw nuts and fruits make my throat and ears itch so anything roasted is good. I love peanut butter so almond butter was the next thing to try and since it's made with roasted almonds I'm ok. UGH I'm obsessed with the little packets of Justin's Almond Butter in different flavors: Classic, Honey, and Maple. I eat them with pretzels and it's the perfect mid-afternoon snack.

4. Belvita Breakfast Biscuits: These are the macdaddy of breakfast snacks; 4 biscuits keep me full all day long. I love the Golden Oat flavor and sometimes I feel like I'm eating one of those baby biscuits but Belvita is so addictive, I don't even care!

Honorable Mention: I've only tried these once but they are so tasty! I haven't been able to find them in stores anywhere but I think I'll have to take a trip to Target to get some.

What are your favorite snacks?
xoxo
B

DISCLAIMER: This was a post I found in my queue from TWO YEARS AGO. I searched the blog and never found it, so therefore I don't think it was ever posted.

PPS: This was SO FREAKING GOOD and now I want to make it again!


I don't cook nearly as much as I want too. I always see recipes and have such a desire to go out to the grocery store and buy all the ingredients to cook up some fabulous, unique meal.

Ever since I was a little girl, I've always loved baking and experimenting with food and as I got older, along with the invention of Pinterest, that desire has only increased.

I've definitely made a few Pinterest dinners and desserts before, some hits and some misses, but I never let that get me down.

A few weeks back, before Thanksgiving, I was watching so many cooking shows and surfing Pinterest, and was feeling so inspired...and awfully hungry.

I saw a recipe and decided to try it out.



I wanted something easy, quick, and something I knew I would love. I was set with the task of cooking dinner that night for me and my mom so it seemed like perfect timing.

Chicken Alfredo Bake






Ingredients

-1 box of pasta of your choice (I used Penne)
-Alfredo Sauce (I didn't know where to start with making my own so I used jarred sauce)
-Baked Chicken (Chicken cutlets will probably work fine but I bought a store rotisserie chicken and it worked fine)
-Shredded Mozzarella Cheese





Instructions

1. Boil pasta in salt water, al dente (tender but not fully cooked, it will continue to cook in the oven)
2. Heat Alfredo sauce in microwave or separate saucepan until hot
3. Shred chicken into small pieces
4. Once pasta is cooked, combine pasta, chicken, and sauce in a greased baking pan.
5. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese
6. Bake in 350 degree oven until top of the pasta bake is golden brown (or until you like it)
7. Let sit for a few minutes and dig in!

This is one of those recipes that is nearly impossible to mess up. Everything is already precooked so it's just a matter of cooking them together. Also, you are in complete control of everything...if you like your pasta a little harder, don't cook it as long...if you want to use a different kind of cheese—go right ahead! It can be whatever you want!

I have to say, this was so delicious. It's basically baked ziti, just with Alfredo sauce. It was cheesy, gooey, and such a great comfort food. It didn't even last the night...after dinner was over, later in the evening, both me and my mom went back for seconds.

Happy cooking!

Another long week, another new month, and more cold weather! I wore a scarf yesterday and was super thrilled about it. Today I'm planning to wear boots and a sweatshirt. Have I mentioned how much I love fall?!

This week was long and I'm exhausted. It physically hurt to get out of bed every morning; I was so comfortable under my blankets and pillows, and it was SO dark out. It's not even daylight savings time yet!

I'm super happy that it's October. October is always the best month-- it's the start of the holiday season, the beginning of fall, and the weather is always great. October is always the busiest month for me socially, as well. I have so many fun things planned in the upcoming weeks. I have a work event tomorrow, a few work trips in the next two weeks, and just so much going on! It's very hectic and confusing but in the best way possible.

On another note, NYC is currently gearing up for another hurricane and my goodness, I am hoping that it's not going to  be as bad as Sandy. It's definitely throwing off my groove and a little nerve-wracking but I'm hoping that it's ok.

Anyways, that's my little ramble. How was everyone else's week? Is your city/state prepping for the hurricane?



With all that's been going on, I still found some great links that I loved:

I finished listening to "After Perfect" by Christina McDowell and this interview is perfect. 

Alarms going off in the morning are what nightmares are made of

Fun fact: I HATE salad so this was an article made for me

Forgotten shows that we loved as kids? Yes please! Allegra's Window was my FAVORITE

Did anyone watch Quantico? It was an AMAZING show on Sunday at 10 PM on ABC and oh my, it's my new favorite.

Parents are scaring kids with the new snapchat filters and I never knew something could be this funny.

It's fall so I'm breaking out the slow cooker

On another food note, I love cooking in muffin tins. The possibilities are endless

What did you love this week?

Have a good and safe weekend everyone :)