White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies

Giant chewy white chocolate raspberry cookies that melt in your mouth and are so indulgent, you’ll feel like you’re cheating on your boyfriend, the giant chocolate chip cookie.

Ok, so our daughter is crazy obsessed with the raspberry white chocolate cookies at Goodly here in Utah, but each location is just far enough away from us that we don’t get them very often. So, for over two years I’ve been bouncing around different versions of the cookie but they never hit the mark. Too fat, too thin, too wet, etc. and then I tried freeze dried raspberries. It was allllll over! They pack so much raspberry flavor, and I mean like fresh-off-the-bush raspberry, but without the added moisture.

Trick number two? I subbed a little cream cheese in there and oh man, they were so good!

Final tip? Chop up white chocolate bars vs chips, they melt down all creamy and wonderful while the chips tend to dry out and brown anywhere that’s exposed to the oven heat.

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Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

I’m going to say it…the “M” word…this chocolate mayonnaise cake is moist, decadent, and so delicious! And it is topped with the most creamy chocolate cream cheese frosting! You’re going to fall in love with it!

What was the “M” word? Mayo or moist? Hahaha…originally I was thinking “moist” because it’s so taboo, but then I realized that some of you might have thought I meant “mayonnaise”. Mayonnaise in a cake? Heck yes!

Ok so this is typical me, but I heard about mayo cake as a kid and swore it off. First of all, I grew up on Miracle Whip. Say whatever you want, it happened. And I loved it on a grilled cheese Anyway!!!

As an adult everyone was swearing by it and I’ll be honest, mom’s chocolate zucchini cake is more moist and delicious (thank you zucchini!) in my humble opinion, but I have worked out the kinks and practiced and perfected and finally humbly bow to the Southerners that swore I just HAD TO TRY IT. It is moist and delicious and you were all right!

Ingredients for Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

Something so delicious shouldn’t be so easy! The list of ingredients is brief and just the basics. You might just have everything already in the pantry and fridge. Cha-ching!

Sweet blueberries and bananas combine with tart grapes in this Blueberry Grape Banana Smoothie without any added sugar. It is one of my favorite smoothie combinations.

My boys used to ask for this smoothie all the time when they were younger. Even now that they’re teenagers, it’s rare that I get to drink a whole smoothie by myself.

Grape Smoothie

I have always loved eating grapes. There was something joyous as a child about tearing off a bunch of these round and juicy sweet berries that burst with flavor. 

Nature might package them into bite-size pieces already, but as an adult, I have a long-standing love affair with smoothies. So, it doesn’t take much for me to break out the blender. 

My local grocery stores have their best prices on grapes in late summer and early fall. That makes them great to pair with blueberries which are also ripening at that time, and bananas which are ripe year-round. 

So, I am happy to report that this trio – blueberries, grapes, and bananas – combined to make an amazingly good end-of-summer smoothie.

It’s pretty incredible how the grape flavor stands out in this smoothie. You will still pick up the flavors of the blueberries and the bananas, but this truly is a Grape Smoothie.

Smoothie Ingredients

• Milk
• Bananas
• Red grapes
• Black grapes (or whatever you have on hand)
• Blueberries

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Italian Pressed Sandwiches

For years and years I’ve wanted to share these fantastic Italian Pressed Sandwiches with you all but never took the time to snap pictures.

Layers of Italian meats, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, spinach and fresh mozzarella all pressed between tender slices of Italian bread. Oh baby, these sandwiches are so yum!

You see, picnics are kind of my thing. I adore them. I always have. Growing up we would make a delicious bowl of potato salad, pick up KFC (I KNOW, but don’t judge, KFC and picnics was a thing and I bet you did the same thing!) and head to some park or up into the mountains. Especially in July when our church would hold a huge Stake picnic, an entire day of games, water slides, family activities etc. It was incredible!

Sometimes when we would ditch KFC, we would haul sandwiches and sides and that was truly my favorite kind of picnicking. There’s something so free and wonderful about unplugging and finding respite in the hills. So, in case you’ve forgotten that joy-especially the one you were reminded of during quarantine (come on, did we so quickly forget the lessons we learned?!) then let me remind you, a stacked sandwich, a bunch of fresh fruit, salty chips and maybe a dessert like our lemon drop cookies will bring all kinds of happy to you and your favorite people.

You can try all sorts of flavors for pressed sandwiches such as mayo and turkey blt style,

June 11, 2022

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! Our weather has been absolutely spectacular this week. I’ve been walking most mornings and really loving it. 

ON THE BLOG this week: Slow Cooker Mexican Pork is some of the best-pulled pork you can make at home. On its own, stuffed into tacos or burritos, or served over rice, the pork is slightly spicy, with just enough heat to keep it interesting.

Crisp Pulled Pork Tacos are an irresistibly delicious way to change up your average taco night. With crunchy taco shells and plenty of cheese on top, this taco recipe is one of our favorite ways to use leftover pulled pork.

Tender pulled pork is simmered with Mexican spices for these Pulled Pork Enchiladas. The pork is layered with tortillas and plenty of shredded pepper jack cheese to make this cheesy, saucy, slightly spicy recipe. Whether you eat it with a fork or dig in with chips, this is going to be a dinner-time hit.

Pulled Pork Tater Tot Nachos start with piping hot cheesy tater tots that are piled high with crispy pulled pork. This dinner is a guaranteed two-thumbs-up meal in our house.

The Best Ever Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches start with the best ever perfectly chewy cookies. Over the years, I’ve made ice cream sandwiches using many different cookies. In the end, I simply love the way the flavor in these oatmeal peanut butter cookies adds to the overall awesomeness of this frozen treat.

What I’m CRAVING: This Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Pizza by Show Me The Yummy sounds absolutely incredible. I know that mushrooms are loved or hated in equal parts, but me? I’m an absolute mushroom lover for life.

What I’m WATCHING: Infinite. This movie was a win for the whole family. Not super deep, not preachy, just fun and action-packed. Just a warning though, you must suspend all disbelief when watching this one. (Clearly, as the entire plot is based on characters that remember their previous lives.) The plot holes and complete impossibility of it all are just part of the fun.

What I’m READING: He Who Fights with Monsters by Shirtaloon and Travis Deverell. This was such a fun read (actually a fun listen, as this was an audiobook for me.) The main character is a young Australian guy who wakes up one day in a mys