Welcome to the weekend, my friends! And happy happy happy birthday to my little sister, Jenny! (Aren’t you thrilled that your birthday fell on a newsletter day, sis?) I hope that your day is a wonderful one – and I wish the same for every person reading this today.

My day has already been filled with yoga, a Costco date with Sean, delicious hot pretzels here in Granville, and time spent at home with my oldest son. Here’s to all the normal, everyday, very unfancy things that make our lives lovely.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK:  Sweet bites of oranges are tossed with crisp lettuce and parsley and then topped with caramelized almonds to create this refreshing orange parsley salad. You’ll be hooked from the first bite – I know I was!

Elegant enough for a fancy occasion and fast enough to serve any night of the week, pan seared scallops might become your new favorite way to eat seafood. Restaurant-quality scallops are easier to make at home than you ever thought! Each bite of these scallops has a light and almost sweet flavor, highlighted by the caramelized crust on the outside.

Pasta and sausage in a rich tomato pasta sauce is topped with an abundance of cheese to create this cheesy sausage pasta. Everything bakes and melts together to create an irresistible dinner for any cheese or pasta lover!

I’m a big fan of vegetable side dishes (no surprise there, right?) and lately I’ve been all about roasted broccoli and sweet potatoes. Together or separate, it’s a winning side dish.

And if you like roasted carrots, you might not want to make them any other way after tasting parmesan-roasted carrots. Bite-sized and toasty perfect, you can’t eat just one!

Have you tried your hand at making french bread pizza in the air fryer?? This method creates cheesy pizzas with a crispy crust. It’s homemade pizza that’s fast enough for a quick lunch or casual dinner.

Sweet chunks of edible cookie dough fill each scoop of this rich and creamy chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.

What I’m CRAVING: The answer is still dark chocolate Oreos – thanks a lot, Lynne. I should probably hand the remaining stash of cookies over to my boys to get them out of my

Snowman Soup – Easy Neighbor Christmas Gift [+Video]

Looking for a quick and easy Christmas neighbor gift? This snowman soup recipe comes together in minutes and is a fun and festive way to spread holiday cheer. Just add hot water to this white hot cocoa mix and you have a creamy, comforting warm drink for those cold winter nights!

Plus, check out our step-by-step video tutorial! It’s so easy and only 4 ingredients! Basically just dump everything in a bowl and whisk to combine, then package up the powder mix to share with friends and neighbors with instructions for how to make it. Such a simple and great gift idea!

Now this might be a little morbid, but picture jolly ol’ Frosty or Olaf getting too close to the warm fire or accidentally finding themselves in San Diego in the winter and melting into a puddle of sweet and delicious goodness. Snowman soup!

It tastes like the vanilla steamer from Starbucks with a hint of cinnamon and it is a family favorite! It’s a great alternative to hot chocolate or wassail for a warm holiday beverage.

Ingredients for Snowman Soup

You’re just 4 ingredients away, well 5 I guess if you count water, from the most delicious warm holiday beverage! Here is what you will…

• Powdered Milk
• Instant Vanilla Creamer
• Sugar
• Cinnamon

A single batch of this recipe makes about 24 servings, so you can scale up or down depending on your needs! The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Snowman Soup

There’s not really much to this recipe which is why it’s such a great neighbor gift for the busy holiday season.

Pour all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and whisk until everything is combined. Divide into smaller jars to give to neighbors or store in an airtight container in a dry place for your family.

Combine 1/3 of the cinnamon vanilla hot cocoa mixture with 1 cup of hot water and stir to combine.

The complete instructions can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Watch How to Make Snowman Soup

Marshmallow Dulce De Leche Brownies

Treat yourself to these decadent Marshmallow Dulce De Leche Brownies for a sweet and fluffy treat. These chocolatey brownies are topped with a layer of creamy dulce de leche and marshmallow fluff for the ultimate dessert indulgence.

I feel like I should really name this post roll-over-and-die brownies because you’re going to devour so many of these rich, over the top, sticky, gooey, fluffy bars of deliciousness that you’ll probably roll over and die of brownie overload.

Seriously, they are so rich and fantastic you’ll think you cannot possibly try one more bite and then the next thing you know you’re standing in front of these dulce de leche brownies with fork in hand.

Creating this Recipe

I originally posted this brownies recipe over at BHG Delish Dish blog, and I have to say it was so much fun. Gosh, it was more than 10 years ago now, but I remember making them with our oldest daughter, and I had so much fun teaching her about melting chocolate, picking out toppings, etc. Now she’s off at college making these brownies for her friends and roommates!

If you could drop everything and recreate a memory for your kids what would it be? Would you be willing to create a memory for them or are you too busy?

But seriously, why didn’t I slow down a little more when I was younger? I was in such a hurry to grow up that sometimes I feel almost homesick, no sad, gosh I don’t know how to explain it, but I miss sitting in the kitchen with my Mom, gardening in our ginormous garden and snitching as many raspberries as I could, camping, singing around a fire, etc. Life passed by and now the same is happening for my kids. I hope I can create memories for them like I had growing up.

Ingredients for Dulce de Leche Brownies

You’ll make delicious fudgy brownies first, and then top them with dulce de leche and marshmallow fluff. Here is everything you will need:

• Unsweetened Chocolate: We like Baker’s brand.
• Butter: adds fat and richness to the brownies
• Sugar: regular white granulated sugar
• Eggs: gives the brownies structure
• Vanilla Extract: adds flavor
• Flour: regular all-purpose flour
• Baking Soda: acts as a leavening agent to give the brownies rise
• Mini Semisweet Chocolate Chips: adds more chocolate flavor and texture to the brownies
• Dulce de Leche: grab a can at the store on the baking aisle or make your own at home with sweetened condensed milk
• Marshmallow Creme: any brand will work great
• Chopped Pecans (optional): If you’re not a nut fan, you can use chocolate chips or toffee bits. I love the texture it adds to the brownies.

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post so keep scrolling for all the details.

Dreamy Homemade Hot Chocolate [+Video]

Cozy up with a delicious cup of homemade hot chocolate. This easy recipe will have you sipping on a dreamy, creamy, chocolatey drink in no time. Plus, check out our video tutorial for the perfect cup every time!

Hands down the creamiest dreamy homemade hot chocolate!  No more taking a couple of sips and throwing the rest away, you’ll gulp down every bit of this one! The taste of real chocolate in every gulp!

Oh Cade, you and your hot chocolate obsession are ridiculous. I’ve personally never cared that much for hot drinks, apple cider, hot chocolate, tea, bleh. I like ice water, aren’t I lame? But after moving to Utah and experiencing winter for 9 months of the year I’ve really started to enjoy homemade hot chocolate.

This hot chocolate is made out of love for Cade because he loves hot chocolate. He grew up eating cocoa and toast. He actually dips buttered toast in the hot chocolate. Are you kidding me? It gets soggy, sweetheart! I don’t get it!

We had a chocolate fountain at our wedding (don’t judge it used to be cool) which used a mix of milk or semi sweet chocolate and white chocolate which was just dreamy so I knew I wanted to go with a combination again. And of course whole milk and heavy cream add to the creaminess, but the real secret is the sweetened condensed milk.

Cade is all about that in his drinks and even cereal thanks to his time serving his mission in Brazil (yes even his cereal and Brazilian lemonade and gosh darnit jello, and even his lime pie all call for it thanks to Brazil.)

What is the Difference Between Hot Chocolate and Hot Cocoa?

Hot chocolate is made from melting real chocolate and mixing it with milk, cream and/or water. It is usually more creamy in texture and more rich in flavor.

Hot cocoa is make from the cocoa powder and sugar mixture combined with either hot milk or hot water.

Hot cocoa and hot chocolate are often used interchangeably as the name of a warm chocolate beverage even though they are technically different.

Ingredients for Hot Chocolate

We include all the ingredients you’ll ever need to make creamy, rich hot chocolate with bold chocolate flavor. Here is your grocery list:

• Heavy Cream
• Whole Milk
• Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
• White Chocolate Chips
• Milk Chocolate Chips

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below.

Watch How to Make Hot Chocolate

Elegant enough for a fancy occasion and fast enough to serve any night of the week, this scallop recipe might become your new favorite way to eat seafood.

Restaurant quality scallops are easier to make at home than you ever thought! Each bite of these scallops has a light and almost-sweet flavor, highlighted by the caramelized crust on the outside.

Pan Seared Scallops

Similar to an oyster or a clam but even more tender with a hint of sweet flavor, fresh scallops are irresistible when cooked the right way. Pan searing is by far my favorite way to enjoy scallops.

For years, I only ate scallops at restaurants. Since scallops are more costly than shrimp and most other seafood I cook, I was nervous about wasting my investment by cooking them poorly at home.

When I finally set aside my fear, I couldn’t believe how easy and quick it was to cook seared scallops! My whole family loves scallops now.

Whether you enjoy indulging in scallops when you go to a restaurant or you’ve never tried them before, I know you’re going to love this easy recipe.

A restaurant-quality meal made right in your own kitchen. Served for a romantic date night or a family meal, these seared scallops are sure to impress!

How to Clean Scallops

Nowhere near as finicky as lobster or crab, scallops are easy enough for even a beginner cook. You can even get them prepared and ready to cook at any grocery store with a seafood counter.

I love that there’s no de-tailing or bone removal involved and virtually no prep time. The only prep for the scallops is actually optional. Check over the scallops as you’re handling them and remove the little side-muscle if you find any still attached.

This muscle looks like a little tag of tissue on the side of the scallop. It feels tougher than the rest of the scallop and will be a bit tough and chewy when cooked. It’s just fine if you leave it on (and sometimes it’s already been removed), some people are bothered by it and many others are not.

Just rinse the scallops under cool running water and pat them dry. I place them on a paper towel-lined plate or small sheet pan after rinsing them and th