Teddy Bear Chocolate Chip Cookies

Food is a big way that I show love. Lately, it's been tough to find time to bake/cook. When I started this little food journal, I was a single gal just going on a suggestion from a good friend to chronicle my adventures in the kitchen. It's hard to believe that was over 10 years ago. Now, my time in the kitchen is very limited but it's for good reasons. When I do get a few minutes to play with my mint green stand mixer, it's usually to come up with something for our daughter. ♡ I'm head over heels for that kid ♡ I'm always looking for recipes that are healthy and/or cute to surprise her. 

Birthday Cake with Dora the Explorer

This cake and cupcakes were made in honor of my friend's daughter's 2nd birthday! Happy birthday little Fernanda - we love you so much! The theme was Dora the Explorer and we went with simple cake toppers for decoration. Luckily, since it's an older show, I was able to find some on Facebook Marketplace and my brother went the extra mile to pick them up (thank you, Joey). 

Cardamom Cream Cake

In celebration of our friend/fam's birthday, I made him this Cardamom Cream Cake posted on the New York Times (with a little tweak). It was the least I could do considering how much he has done for us over the past few years. He is my walk buddy, fellow cardamom craver, co-cook, and toddler wrangler when we simply don't have enough hands. We love to tease him, but that's only because we love him.  

Roasted Kabocha Squash Cake with Cardamom & Turmeric {Cannelle et Vanille}

This little number is from one of the first blogs I ever followed, Cannelle et Vanille. It's a gluten-free loaf cake that is is very moist and tender with a crunchy top. If you have never had kabocha squash, it is creamy, sweet, and somewhat resembles the flavor of sweet potato. I love the spices in here - it's surprisingly addictive. 

Pumpkin & Cardamom Cinnamon Rolls

Rabanadas {Portuguese French Toast}

Rabanadas have accrued many nicknames since I started sharing them with non-Portuguese people. My favorite one is from our buddy Ben: "whet bread." You have emphasize the w-h sound to capture how he pronounces "wet." Rabanadas are generally reserved for Christmas in my family.  Once my husband proclaimed his love for them, my mom started making them every month for her beloved son-in-law. Food is our language. 

Pastel de Flores Para Flor

It's been several months since I've been able to post anything on this actual blog- relying more on Instagram to feel plugged into the baking world. That's because working full time and taking care of our little Acorn (daughter) is all consuming - in the best way possible. I've still been baking and trying new recipes but it's hard to take pictures. We're always on a deadline and running out the door. My husband has been amazing, giving me time to still pursue my interests in the kitchen. Thank you, amor!

Boo Brownie Cake

Halloween may not be my holiday, but I love an excuse to bake. Things have been super busy. In the wee hours, I scroll through Pinterest and tap my husband's shoulder to show him all the cool baking ideas that inspire me.  I don't bake to eat cake and cookies (though that's not a bad perk). It's more of an accessible creative outlet. Hence, I was tickled pink by a pink ghost cake from Erin Bakes.

The Golden Ghouls {Halloween Italian Breakfast Cookies}

These silly cookies were inspired by some Pumpkin Biscotti that I recently made. I love decorating with little ghosts because they are easy to create and are on the cuter side of the Halloween spectrum. The goal was to decorate a cookie quickly and with minimal effort. Shortbread was a close contender but then I found this recipe for "Italian Coffee Cookies." And thus the Golden Ghouls were formed.

The short one is definitely Sophia. 

Banana Bread with Walnuts and Tahini

This lovely loaf was made because we had a crazy amount of super ripe bananas in the house. When in doubt with banana - make a loaf! At the same time, I wanted to try something new - hence this recipe. I am eager to try anything with sesame.

Pumpkin Biscotti

While Halloween isn't my jam, fall certainly is my favorite time of year. Every season has it's unique flavor and memories. There are so many thing to love. One of my favorites is the crispness of the autumn air. The subtle burn in your throat and lungs from the chill after running. It's exciting and awakening. Ah fall. 

Vietnamese Coffee Buns

If you're like me, the name of these cinnamon rolls is what lured you in. I am totally in love with Vietnamese Iced Coffee as you can clearly see by this humble blog's recipe selection (Vietnamese Iced Coffee Cupcakes, Vietnamese Coffee Eclairs, and Vietnamese Coffee Sundaes). It's a drink that I can relate to - the anger of the coffee paired with the sweetness of the condensed milk. One part sugar, one part spice.

Samosa Empandas {Baked, Vegetarian}

In celebration of the latest addition to our family, we threw a little shindig to hang out while we still had the energy. I didn't want to expend too much energy so the majority of snacks were outsourced in the most spectacular fashion possible. Mini pies from Pie Sisters. Cupcakes from Baked and Wired. Fresh rolls from Bangkok 54. Mint Tea from Al Zaytoun. It was like the greatest hits of Noms + Bun gastronomy.

There was one item missing.... samosas.

Coco-Apple Walnut Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

We're in the middle of the summer heat - and yet somehow I was craving fall flavors. I've been making quinoa bowls for breakfast on a weekly basis, using chocolate and cocoa to make it a little naughty. This round, I decided to take out my fall fever with a classic cinnamon-apple combination thanks to my new found favorite applesauce from Buy Natural Nectar. 

Banana Walnut Muffins {AIP and Paleo}

These muffins were inspired by the delightful blog Fed and Fulfilled's recipe for Paleo Pumpkin Spice Muffins.  The Pumpkin Spice muffins were in heavy rotation in our house for several months and I started to play with variations. What I love is that the base ratio of wet and dry ingredients is on point and can be easily customized. It's difficult to find Paleo and AIP recipes that can boast such a trait!

Nailed It: Panda Creme Puffs with Nutella-Mascarpone Filling

Not going to lie... these creme puffs had me and my husband laughing for a good 5 minutes straight. They didn't come out exactly how I had pictured them. Maybe next time - it's always a learning experience! In the interim, I'll take the "A" for effort and enjoy their delicious flavor.

Spring Pavlova {Lemon Curd, Roasted Strawberries, and Whipped Cream}

I didn't want to bake a cake for my mom's birthday. It was time to switch things up. With the beautiful spring weather, it needed to be light. Fruity. A little refreshing.

Inspiration struck with a lovely Pavlova.

Yeast Pancakes

Not going to lie - these pancakes are not for everyone. They're definitely not what American's think of when they hear the word, "pancake." The site that I found them actually refers to them as Racuszki (Yeasted Polish Pancakes). I don't think I've ever had Polish food but apparently sour cream is a thing?

Chocolate Chip Espresso Cookies

We have a super terrific friend named Dai. It's one of those friendships where you don't need to see each other often nor know all the details; you fundamentally like each other - no questions asked. Dai is funny duck. He follows the beat of a different drum and doesn't get bogged down by the typical social noise. When he decided to move in order to pursue a more fulfilling job, we were all on board. We sent him off full of these caffeinated cupcakes.

Blood Orange, White Chocolate Pound Cake

It's a wonderful thing when a pretty cake actually tastes good. I grow weary of the "food porn" pictures of overly frosted confections with ridiculous combinations. Form and function should work together! That's why this little number from The Boy Who Bakes is such a welcome recipe.

It was serendipitous that I had bookmarked this cake on my to-do list when I happened upon some blood oranges at the market. Who am I to question such an obvious sign?