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...

Hello Dolly Bars (aka 7 Layer Bars/Magic Bars) are one of those classic desserts that you no doubt probably had as a kid.  With a graham cracker crust and easy layers of chocolate chips, pecans and coconut, these bars are a classic for a reason!  A can of sweetened condensed milk is drizzled over the top, which magically binds all of the layers together into ooey gooey perfection! In short, they are incredibly scrumptious with very minimal effort. A friend recently made a special request for these bars, so I got to work!  It's been a long time since I've had these, and as lover of a good chocolate/coconut dessert, I'm glad to have these back in my life (Thanks, Del!). These bars have several variations - You can also add white chocolate chips and/or butterscotch chips.  You can also substitute the pecans with walnuts, or leave them out altogether.  In fact, you could even use chocolate graham crackers in the crust, if you want a double (or triple) dose of chocol...

I couldn't post my Homemade Naan Bread recipe without also sharing my favorite homemade hummus!  They go together like peanut butter and jelly, after all! I'm fairly certain our daughter could live off of hummus.  She loves it with soft pita bread, pita chips, grape tomatoes, sweet peppers and sliced cucumbers.  Really, our whole family loves it.  I've even been known to spread it on lightly toasted slices of my Homemade Naan Bread  with a  sprinkling of Everything Seasoning and sliced turkey for a quick turkey sandwich. For convenience sake, I often buy the individual snack packs of hummus at the grocery store to make snack time easy, but nothing beats making it homemade.  The lemon juice adds a terrific freshness, and this recipe reminds me of the hummus at Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe. Celeste's Favorite Hummus Ingredients: 1 (15 oz) can chick peas, drained (reserve liquid) 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup tahini 1 clove garlic, minced 2 Tbsp Extra...

Have you had the bread service at Disney World's Sanaa Restaurant at Animal Kingdom Lodge?  The stuff is legendary.  There, you can feast on fresh Naan with a big selection of assorted dipping sauces...all with a view of the savanna while zebras and giraffes meander by.  I love Animal Kingdom and Animal Kingdom Lodge...they are a must when we visit! Homemade Naan is easier than you might think.  While traditional Naan is made in a hot tandoor oven, home cooks can get a similar result with a hot cast iron skillet (or a non-stick skillet if you don't have cast iron).  The trick is making sure your skillet is nice and hot before cooking the bread.   Also, the secret ingredient is the greek yogurt, which helps gives Naan it's pillowy texture.  I love drizzling warm Naan with either a little melted butter or olive oil and a sprinkle of Everything Seasoning.  YUM!   Naan has many uses, such as flatbread, pizzas, sandwiches, or just as a side for hu...