Erica

Chocolate Coconut Butter Cups

April 26, 2013 by Erica

Chocolate Coconut Butter Cups

I am nearly falling asleep at my computer at 9 pm as I type this. I guess that’s what two workouts and a sugar rush will do to a girl. Also, I love my sleep and am 99% certain that my grandpa goes to bed at least 3 hours later than me on most nights.

But I have to hold it together long enough to tell you about these chocolate coconut butter cups. They are the direct result of a little Amazon shopping spree I went on recently. I bought these adorable silicone cupcake liners!

Chocolate Coconut Butter Cups

I had to make something fun with them, and was none too eager to get back on the cupcake train after the cupcake-filled month that was March. So I skipped all that cakey stuff and went straight for the chocolate.

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Grilled Asparagus and Crispy Black Bean Tacos

April 24, 2013 by Erica

Grilled Asparagus and Crispy Black Bean Tacos

I couldn’t let the spring pass by without posting at least one asparagus recipe.

Grilled Asparagus and Crispy Black Bean Tacos

The blog world goes gaga for asparagus, but until recently, I wasn’t the biggest fan. Then I discovered that when you grill or roast asparagus, it turns into an entirely different vegetable.

I should have known. I seriously don’t think I’ve ever met a grilled vegetable I didn’t like.

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Weekend in Arches and Canyonlands National Parks

April 23, 2013 by Erica

Delicate Arch, Arches National Park

I promised you guys some pictures of my trip down to southern Utah this past weekend. And although I can never get my act together for a “weekend activities” post on Monday, Tuesday’s not bad, right?!

Nate and I spent the weekend in Moab, which has quickly become one of my favorite places over the past year. Less than a four-hour drive from Salt Lake City, it is an adorable touristy town that is a mecca of hiking, biking, climbing and Jeeping. It is close to the Slickrock trail and Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, so it’s a popular outdoorsy destination. Despite my childhood dreams of becoming a park ranger, I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself outdoorsy… in fact, I made Nate stay in a hotel because I’m a huge wimp and the desert gets COLD at night! But I do like the hiking, running, and beautiful scenery down there. I have to say that these pictures, even with my nice camera, don’t come anywhere CLOSE to doing it justice.

It was a popular weekend to go down to Southern Utah, since the weather is just starting to warm up. We ran into two different sets of friends while we were down there, which was lovely!

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Nutella Pizzelle Ice Cream Sandwiches

April 22, 2013 by Erica

Do you know what pizzelle are?

Even harder question: Do you know how to pronounce “pizzelle”?

I thought I did… until the woman at the bakery where I bought these made it rhyme with “gazelle.” Pazelle. Huh. Or maybe she was rhyming it with “Gisele”? I’m not sure, but it really threw me for a loop. In my puzzling over the pronunciation, I hadn’t even considered that option. Some googling put me back on track, though, and I think I can now confidently say that an acceptable Americanized pronunciation is “Pete’s ellie.” And yes, all we’re going for is an acceptable Americanized pronunciation, so that you don’t stumble over the word, but can also use it in a sentence without pretentiously faking an Italian accent.

Anyway, let’s get back to the first question. What are the darn things? Well, they’re Italian cookies that look like thin waffles. They’re sweet, usually crunchy, and sometimes dusted with powdered sugar. The ones I bought were almond-flavored, but they are also commonly flavored with anise or citrus.

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Baked Eggs with Tomato Sauce, Spinach & Quinoa

April 19, 2013 by Erica

Baked Eggs with Tomato Sauce, Spinach and Quinoa

It’s been a long week in these parts. Monday was not the best day, obviously, and that set a heavy tone for the week. I also started off the week already excited for to our trip down to Moab today. And waking up on Monday morning looking forward to the weekend is NOT a way to have your week pass by quickly!

Thank goodness Friday is finally here! My hiking shoes are packed, my gas tank is full, and Nate and I are psyched to drive down to Moab after work/school this afternoon. The one slight issue: my enthusiasm for planning is trumped only by my enthusiasm for grocery shopping. Also, I tend to think that I can cook 5 or 6 dinners in a week. Wishful thinking. I cooked twice this week? But as always, I got a little overzealous in the produce section last Sunday, and forgot that I don’t have the weekend to cook up any odds and ends. Goodbye asparagus, avocado, and bell peppers. Good thing you aren’t like the three most expensive things I could have purchased.

Anyone want to come over and clean out my fridge? I’ve got some wilted asparagus for you.

I won’t be in the kitchen this weekend, but should you be inspired to whip up a tasty brunch, lunch, or dinner, may I suggest these baked eggs:

Baked Eggs with Tomato Sauce, Spinach and Quinoa

We don’t often have eggs for breakfast, since I will pick sweet over savory any day, but I did make these for lunch recently. I think they’d even make a great dinner (I mean, they have spinach!), especially if you’re in the mood for a breakfast-for-dinner-ish type thing.

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