Dean's Awesome Egg White Omelets | Supernatural

Although Dean's breakfast style is more Pig 'n a Poke than cutting carbs, the Mark of Cain has forced him to change his eating habits. He's been getting a lot more green and a lot less fat into his diet with meals like Kale Wraps and Egg White Omelets, aka the Breakfast of Champions for dorks (like Sam). And while Sam looks pleasantly surprised as he declares them “awesome”,  Dean's face reveals my exact thoughts on eating plain egg whites. Because really, there’s nothing quite as flavorless.

That situation is easily remedied by the addition of a bold, FLAVORFUL…but still healthy…filling. I mean, if Dean can eat stomach kale, he might even enjoy my favorite member of the leafy greens family - collards! Throw a little turkey sausage in there, and I think he might even eat this once that pesky mark is removed for good.

Pig 'N A Poke | Supernatural

"Rise and shine Sammy!"

So, you know what's funny? Not funny ha-ha, but funny curious? I've shared tons and tons of recipes, talked about almost as many books, movies, and tv shows, and mentioned bits and pieces of my everyday life here on the blog over the past 7+ years, and yet, I've never featured many of the most constant parts of my life.

One example—the recipe for the one pasta dish that will please every single member of my family, every single time I make it. I know it's because I usually wind up making it later in the day once all of the natural light has faded, therefore I don't wind up taking any photos. I always think "next time" to myself.

Cinnamon Scones | The One That Got Away

Welcome to the TLC Book Tours stop for the debut novel by Leigh Himes called The One That Got Away!  I'll start by saying that I always love these kinds of stories...the "what if" stories. For example—would my life have turned out differently if I had said yes instead of no that one day 20 years ago? I actually think this is my first time reading one of these, so I'm basing my love on movies like The Family Man and a handful of made-for-tv movies.

Wild Blueberry and Thyme Breakfast Sausage | #BonneMaman #SayItWithHomemade

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bonne Maman. All opinions are my own.

Well, I think that spring has finally sprung in northwestern Indiana. There are tiny green buds on the trees and birds in all shapes and sizes are raising a ruckus outside of windows that have thrown open to air out a house desperately trying to shake off winter. Along with signs of rebirth and revitalization comes the time we celebrate and honor the women who (sometimes) birth, nurture, and raise us—otherwise known as mom!

Bisquick Pancakes w/ Raspberry Maple Syrup (for Glenn & Abraham) | The Walking Dead

I know it's been a while since I've shared a recipe inspired by The Walking Dead, but I'm sharing one today to mark the mid season 7 premiere. So, the thing is, I had an extremely rough time with the first half of the season. Episode 1 brought on a ton of anxiety, that seemed to carry me through the season. It was so brutal and heart-breaking that just typing the words are making me cry. Literally. Sometimes my extreme empathic nature feels like a curse.

Quick Bacon, Avocado and Egg Breakfast Sandwiches

I've mentioned before that I was raised on the old adage that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, though I admit it's not always the easiest one to get on the table. That's especially true on school days and busy work mornings around here, so it helps to have a few tried and true shortcuts up your sleeve.

I love getting the chance to try out new OXO kitchen tools and gadgets, and then sharing them with you. Today I'm going to introduce you to four products that have recently become invaluable to me in the kitchen on those busy mornings. Actually, I've found myself using them even when I'm not in a rush, because they're so darn convenient.

Nest Eggs (Eggs in Potato-Carrot Nests) | French Kiss #FoodnFlix

This month's Food 'n Flix club pick is the 1995 Romantic-Comedy French Kiss, starring Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline. I'm hosting over at the Food 'n Flix site this month is you want to join in the fun! So, I chose this flick because it's one of my all-time faves. What can I say, I'm a cheeseball and a sucker for a good chick-flick.

Bacon Rosemary Einkorn-Cornmeal Biscuits | #EinkornExperiment

The experiment in einkorn continues! I've been in the mood for biscuits lately, so I thought that was the perfect excuse to do further experimenting with the all-purpose einkorn flour that I mentioned last month. I started with a base recipe that I'd saved from the November issue of Cooking Light magazine, when best intentions of adding it to my Thanksgiving menu fell through.

The original recipe used spelt flour, and I thought since spelt and einkorn were so similar (and sometimes used interchangeably), that maybe this recipe would translate well. I did change things up a bit by adding fresh rosemary and that elusive thing known as leftover bacon to the mix.

Chocolate Chip Walnut Streusel Coffee Cake

Are you ready to make the most insane, over-the-top coffee cake in the history of ever? We're talking a super thick layer of streusel sitting boldy atop a sour cream cake swirled with a spiced cocoa and walnut mixture and dotted with chocolate bits. You'll have no less than 5 dirty bowls staring you in the face once you slide the pan in the oven, but every single one is worth it.

Tortilla Española | Gilmore Girls

Welcome to another edition of the Wednesday coffee klatch, where I discuss and create recipes inspired Gilmore Girls. Last time I talked about A Year in the Life, episode one (Winter), and today I'm talking, unsurprisingly, about episode two (Spring). So, without further ado, here are my thoughts. I'd love to hear what you thought about this episode in the comments below.

Tater Tot-cos | Gilmore Girls

It's coffee klatch Wednesday! Sorry I missed a couple of weeks, but life threw me a couple of curve balls recently. So, let's talk A Year in the Life. Although I've watched all four episodes a couple of times, I'm only going to discuss one episode at a time. Here we go!

Slow Cooker Apple Cranberry Einkorn Porridge

Let's talk hot cereal for a moment. I grew up with Cream of Wheat, Malt-O-Meal, and oatmeal...and I liked them. Warm, comforting food that made a cold, midwestern morning a little more bearable. And the "new" microwavable oatmeal packets of the day? It was a toss-up between apple-cinnamon and maple brown sugar for which was my favorite.

Ogling Eyes Breakfast | Gilmore Girls Coffee Klatch

I made myself slow down this week. Well, to be perfectly honest, I binged season 6 in a couple of days then made myself stop. I need a season to talk about next Wednesday! But never fear—even if I binge the whole final season this week, I'll fill up the following Wednesdays with more coffee talk and Gilmore Girl inspired recipes, quotes, and clips.

Actually, I'm looking all the way back to Season 1:Episode 19 for today's recipe. I've been craving pancakes something fierce since I haven't been able to press play for the past 5 days. I've been dreaming about Luke's. Or maybe it's just withdrawal. Either way, the mood called for a breakfast that would ogle me.

Swedish Cinnamon Buns (Kanelbullar) | Let the Right One In

It's time for the August edition of the All Vampire Book and a Movie Challenge! This month's picks were Let the Right One In, a novel by Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvist and the Swedish movie adaptation by the same name (screenplay also written by the author). There was also an American remake of the book/film called Let Me In. Today I'm going to talk a little bit about all three.

I'd seen both movies, each when they first came out on dvd, but I only remembered bits and pieces. This was my first time reading the book. Also worth mentioning is that there have been a couple of stage adaptions of the book, as well as a comic book series, and a reported television adaptation.

Peaches 'n Cream Stuffed French Toast

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Land O' Lakes, Inc. All opinions are my own.

Summer...lounging by the pool, fresh produce everywhere you turn, glowing skin, cook-outs and bonfires...longer days to connect with family and friends. Sunshine and beautiful days are glorious things. But there's a dark side too all of that sunshine too, and it manifests itself in butter dishes on kitchen counters across the country in the form of a pool of melted butter.

Baked Honey Cinnamon French Toast inspired by In Twenty Years

Today I'm happy to be hosting a book tour stop for In Twenty Years, a the latest novel by New York Times Bestselling Author, Allison Winn Scotch. The prologue takes us back to May of 1998, the final day on campus for a group of Penn graduating seniors who formed a bond freshman year and have since become so tight that they consider themselves a six-pointed star.

The main thing that drew me to this book in the first place was that I am the same age as the characters, so I figured I could identify with the premise—great friendships and hopeful dreams formed in college...and the reality of what's happened over the next 20(-ish) years. I knew the moment I started reading that I was right. Both of my favorite bands from that time period were referenced (Pearl Jam and Dave Matthews Band—still my fave, by the way), as well as some other pop culture and iconic references from the time.

(Captain) Quark Waffles inspired by Ratchet & Clank

For the past month or so, my daughter has been telling me that she wants to go see the Ratchet & Clank movie. Daily. Sometimes more than once. Well, it was finally released this past weekend. Guess what we did? Oh yeah, went to the movie theater.

So, here's the thing—I wasn't really familiar with Ratchet & Clank. I knew it was a video game, but I'm not a gamer. It's basically for the same reason that I can't read e-books...a bit of photosensitivity. If I decide to throw caution to the wind (like I did when my sister first bought Guitar Hero so many years ago), I'm dizzy and unbalanced for at least 2 days. It's not fun and I can't get anything accomplished or even focus on anything, so I just don't do it.

Yogurt Chia Pancakes

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Greek Gods® Yogurt. All opinions are my own.

If I ask my kids what they want for breakfast, 9 times out of 10, their answer will be (or include) pancakes. It was probably the same in my household when I was kid. Perhaps pancakes are the universal language of love. It's not difficult, but to see mom in the kitchen scooping, measuring, and stirring ingredients together means something.

I'm not sure if this extends beyond American households (since pancakes differ across the globe), but I know that the pancake process is a rite of passage in these parts. It starts with the small, neatly cut squares of pancakes scattered on the tray of a highchair. As a toddler, you want to drag a chair up to the stove while you watch the bubbles burst on the pancake dough and then help mom by flipping each and every pancake in the batch.

Orange Crush Oatmeal (for Denise) inspired by The Walking Dead

I swear it seems like I was just talking about the mid-season premiere of The Walking Dead and the season 6 finale is TOMORROW already! TWD always concludes way to fast for me. Fortunately, it's one of the few shows that I can watch endless reruns of and still want more. So, in honor of the close of another amazing season and countless months of waiting for the new season, I'll be sharing a couple of recipes inspired by the show today and tomorrow.

It's always a tough decision deciding which scene and/or character to pull my inspiration from (because I have SO MANY ideas written down), but *SPOILER* I knew I'd be making something for Denise the minute that arrow poked through her beautiful face. Which I'm so bummed about; her character really started to blossom over the second half of season 6 and she was quickly inching her way closer to my favorites list. And who else can't stop thinking about Tara and how she's going to react when she gets back to Alexandria?

Ham Biscuits inspired by The Walking Dead

It's day 6 of Dead Eats: Recipes Inspired by The Walking Dead, and I'm super excited to be sharing a recipe inspired by the man of many profound sayings and one magical mullet—Dr. Eugene Porter. But first let me say - ONE MORE DAY 'TIL GO TIME! I've had a blast with Kim and Dionne this week, cooking up TWD-inspired food.

Okay, on to today's recipe. This reference is easy to miss, because the line slips out of Eugene's mouth as he and Tara are walking into the "doctor's office" in Alexandria. As they come through the door, we hear Eugene say "It hams my biscuits is all".