coconut bliss ice cream

I think I might need to try some of this coconut milk ice cream...




YUM!

(Available at Whole Foods. For more info, click here.)

Have a great weekend, Friends! Do you have plans? Wade is going out of town on a golf outing and my days are wide open. I'm happy to fill them with long walks, a visit to the farmer's market and the zoo, and plenty of cuddles with the kids. And it must be that the weather is feeling more comfortable because I've suddenly got the urge to bake something. Hmm... perhaps this?
xo, Kristin

raspberry brownies

My parents spent last weekend at our house. It had been a pretty long time since they visited, and so I wanted to mark the occasion with a special treat. And since I come from a long line of sweet-tooths, I knew it had to be really, really good.

While I was weeding through my recipes, I kept coming back to these Raspberry Brownies. The recipe looked simple enough (kind of a necessity now that twins are underfoot!), and I'm such a sucker for the combo of rich chocolate and tart berries. So the decision was made, I mixed up the batter, sprinkled some fresh berries on top, popped them in the oven, waited - very impatiently - for the timer to ring while the smell of dark chocolate filled our entire house, and then proudly brought them to the table once our dinner plates were empty.

Oh. my. gosh. Let me tell you about these brownies. In a word, perfection. Rich, chewy, dark chocolate. Not too sweet. And with little bites of fresh raspberry flecked throughout...



Needless to say, they were a hit. ;)


PS - the only thing that can possibly make these better is a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Of course I speak from experience.

(Recipe from Sweet Paul Magazine.)

it's hummingbird cake, y'all

A few weekends ago, Wade took me to Table 52 for dinner. Dinner was outstanding, but the real show-stopper was dessert. We finished our meal with one of the most delicious, won't soon be forgotten slices of cake I have ever eaten. It was Hummingbird Cake, which from what I've heard, is a pretty popular cake down South. And now I can't stop thinking about it!

The love child of banana bread and carrot cake (except with no carrots at all, but with pineapple) and with thick layers of cream cheese frosting, this cake has very quickly staked its place in my top five favorites list...




And I am so excited that I found not just the recipe but HIS recipe! online.

Now I need a special occasion to make it. Perhaps because tomorrow is Tuesday would be a good reason, no? I'll let you all know how it goes. And if you happen to have a recipe for Hummingbird Cake that you love, please share!


PS - Everything about dinner was uh-mazing, and I highly (highly!) recommend it to anyone in Chicago.

(Photo from here.)

chocolate eggs

Dark.

Chocolate.

Covered.

Caramel.

Eggs.

Alone they don't mean much, but string those five little words together and I'm powerless against them. How can I resist such a wonderful treat?

Loving that Easter is just around the corner...

And now I have to stop looking at these and focus instead on convincing myself that walking up to the corner store for an afternoon candy fix is not a good idea.

(Available at Terrain.)