Sugar & Spice by Celeste

A stack of fluffy buttermilk pancakes dripping with maple syrup is like a warm hug on a cold day.  I have a serious weakness for them, and they're always easy to whip together on an easy Sunday morning (are you humming the song now?). I have a handwritten journal where I jot down my very favorite recipes, which I turn to again and again and again.  This recipe earned a spot in it long ago and the page is now lovingly splattered from frequent use. If you're in a creative mood, you can add fresh blueberries, chopped strawberries, chocolate chips, chopped nuts or even mashed bananas to this batter.  The possibilities are endless!   Classic Buttermilk Pancakes   Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 2  1/2  tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp salt 2 Tbsp granulated sugar 2 large eggs 2 cups buttermilk 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil Butter or cooking spray, for greasing the cook surface Directions: Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (for keeping the pan...

This is one of those dishes that sort of sneaks up and surprises you with how delicious it is.  It has all of your favorite egg roll flavors - pork sausage, cabbage, green onions, garlic and ginger - over a bed of rice, and I'm totally here for it! A sprinkling of roasted peanuts and fresh cilantro over the top finishes it off perfectly.  My Homemade Wontons , which can be either fried or cooked in an air fryer, would be a great addition on the side, too. I used a simple bag of coleslaw mix to speed up the process and simplify things a bit.  With a relatively short ingredients list and quick preparation, it makes for an easy weeknight meal, for sure! Enjoy! Sausage Egg Roll in a Bowl Adapted from::     Allrecipes.com Ingredients : 1 cup white rice 1 pound ground pork sausage 6 cups bagged coleslaw mix (with carrots) ¼ cup chopped green onions 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce 1 Tbsp sesame oil 1 Tbsp grated ginger 1/2 cup roasted, unsalted pean...

  Last week, we had a marvelous visit to the Smoky Mountains in TN...one of my favorite places in the whole world...with some of my favorite people in the whole world!  There's something about those beautiful mountains that calms my spirit.  My parents were able to join us, which was such a big treat.  Caroline loved spoiling them with lots of snuggles and it was so nice to relax and breathe in that fresh mountain air together.   My family got a great big laugh at the fact that I lugged our espresso machine all the way from Alabama to Tennessee.  But you know what?  They ALL enjoyed sipping their homemade lattes and hot chocolates while taking in that grand mountain view from the porch, and I will most certainly take it with us again next time we go...hah!   My husband and I were able to get in a hike to the top of Mt. Leconte, which has been at the top of my hiking bucket list for a VERY long time.  It was an 11+ mile hike with an elevation ...

These beignets are an absolute DREAM for four reasons: 1.  They are pillowy and dreamy on the inside and crisp on the outside. 2.  They are healthier!  Thanks to an air fryer, these are NOT deep fried...plus they are made with greek yogurt. 3.  They are super EASY (only 6 ingredients). 3.  They are shaped like MICKEY! If you have ever been able to enjoy Mickey Beignets while visiting Disney World, you know how incredible Disney's version is.   There's just something about Mickey-shaped food, as well. I mean, it just TASTES better, right?? When making these beignets, I actually tried two different recipes/methods.  The first recipe involved yeast and evaporated milk.  While they were good and held their shape well, they were a little dense and not pillowy/soft on the inside.  The recipe below was much easier and tasted far superior. It was a win-win. There's no working with yeast and waiting on dough to rise with these.  You can whip...