Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I am getting excited for fall and the approach of winter. Our weather has been swinging between chilly and sunny, the leaves are turning color and drifting to the ground, I have a list of fun fall baking and cooking ideas, and I’m ready to dive into all of it.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Fresh apples, dried fruits, nuts, creamy oats, and brown sugar create a deliciously filling hot breakfast. Less than 15 minutes from start to finish, a piping hot, warm, and creamy bowl of holiday oatmeal can be on your table.

Want the easiest crockpot dinner possible? Hearty meatballs, sweet pineapple, and colorful bell peppers are tossed with your favorite barbecue sauce and simmered in the slow cooker to make these sweet and sour meatballs that my whole family craves.

And speaking of the easiest dinners, we made these BBQ chicken stuffed potatoes again this week. When saucy barbecue chicken is stuffed into steaming baked potatoes and then topped with melted cheese, the result is mealtime perfection.

These garlic roasted carrots are caramelized carrots with slightly crisp edges cooked in a garlic honey butter sauce. This carrot side dish will steal the show on your plate.

The sweet decadence of maple syrup balances the soft nuttiness of roasted Brussels sprouts along with crispy bacon pieces in a side dish that is simply divine. If you serve this to guests, the odds are good that you will be asked for this recipe.

Make the most of this fall’s apples with a batch of brown sugar frosted apple blondies. They’re packed with delicious fall flavors in a soft, cinnamon apple blondie.

Star Crunch ice cream is creamy caramel-flavored ice cream with bits of crushed Star Crunch cookies in each bite. This is an indulgent and irresistible taste of childhood!

What I’m CRAVING: I’d never heard of Dynamites (also called Torpedoes) before this week and this saucy recipe sounds pretty awesome. Picture a kicked-up sloppy joe sauce that can be served in rolls, over pasta, or even as a dip with tortilla chips. Yes, please! Thanks for sharing another Rhode Island favorite with me, Lynne. I know my guys are going to love this.

My FAVORITE THING this week is my Kitsch hair towel scrunchie. (I’ve

Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

Indulge in these delicious chocolate marshmallow cookies, perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth. With a soft and gooey center and a chocolate frosting, these cookies are a treat for any occasion.

These cookies are thick and chewy and loaded with chocolate flavor. They are topped with a gooey roasted marshmallow and then frosted with a luscious chocolate cream cheese frosting. Totally indulgent and decadent!

Chocolate Marshmallow cookies always make me feel loved. I have had two lovely connections with these cookies and not only do I want you to read about my experience, but I totally want you to have the recipe too.

First memory…going shopping with my mom at the Vancouver mall in Vancouver, WA. They had a cookie shop and we weren’t really a family to eat out, actually, we weren’t really a mall family either, haha. Well, on one occasion my mom and her best friend had to run to the mall and I was with them when they allowed me and her friend’s child to buy a cookie from the little cookie shop on the top floor. I got a chocolate marshmallow cookie and I can still remember the feeling of my teeth sinking into that thick and chewy cookie. IT WAS AMAZING!!!

Fast forward a few short years and an interning teacher in my 4th grade class treated another little girl and I to a fun day out which included… a chocolate marshmallow cookie!!! I can still remember what a special teacher she was and mostly because she made me feel special and seen. It’s no wonder that all these years later I wanted to share the cookie with those I love! Don’t you love when food is linked to special moments?

Ingredients for Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

We are going to use cocoa powder and chocolate pudding mix to load these cookies with chocolate flavor. The rest of the ingredients are pretty standard cookie ingredients. Here is everything you’ll need:

• Unsalted Butter: make sure it is softened
• Granulated Sugar: adds sweetness
• Brown Sugar: adds rich flavor and sweetness
• Large Eggs: gives structure to the cookies
• Vanilla Extract: adds flavor
• Flour: just regular all-purpose flour is all you need
• Salt: enhances all the flavors
• Baking Soda: adds rise and fluffiness
• Cocoa Powder: adds bold chocolate flavor
• Instant Chocolate Pudding: grab a 5.1 oz box of either Devil’s Food or Chocolate Fudge flavor
• Marshmallows: you want large marshmallows

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post. See the next section for all the ingredients for the chocolate cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients for Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

There aren’t any surprises in the ingredients for this smooth chocolate cream cheese frosting. Here is the ingredients list:

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Star Crunch Ice Cream is creamy caramel flavored ice cream with bits of crushed star crunch cookies in each bite. This is an indulgent and irresistible taste of childhood!

Star Crunch Ice Cream

Little Debbie treats are a hugely nostalgic treat for many Americans, and Star Crunch is one of the most enduringly popular of the lot. This hilarious round-up divides their treats into the “best” and “worst” and Star Crunch gets some serious love.

What’s not to love, though? They’re basically caramel bound chocolate rice crispy treats. That’s enough to make anyone smile!

Little Debbie Ice Cream

To make this recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Heavy cream
• Whole milk
• Brown sugar
• Kosher salt
• Vanilla extract
• Star Crunch cookies

The most popular question I get is whether it’s possible to make ice cream without a machine. The answer is YES. You can make ice cream without a machine. Find the full directions here!

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Easy Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers Recipe [+Video]

Spice up your snack game with this delicious jalapeño poppers recipe made easy in the air fryer! This tasty treat features a creamy cheese filling and a crispy Panko topping that is the perfect appetizer for game day or New Year’s Eve!

When I was just graduating college, jalapeño poppers were really starting to take off as the most popular snack to bring to a game day football party. But I hated spicy. Who wants to bite into a straight up jalapeño?! It made no sense to me, but I could tell Cade actually thought they were pretty good.

I’ve set aside testing a recipe for many years now until it dawned on me that I could air fryer them! The crunchy topping, creamy/cheesy filling would be the perfect way to ease into spicier foods!

Ingredients for Homemade Jalapeño Poppers

The ingredients for homemade jalapeño poppers are simple and easy to find at the grocery store. Here is a list of everything you’ll need:

• Jalapeños
• Cream Cheese
• Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• Green Onions
• Garlic Powder
• Salt
• Franks Red Hot Sauce
• Panko Breadcrumbs
• Butter

I always like a quick overview of everything I’ll need for a recipe. For all the measurements and details, scroll down to the recipe card below.

How to Make Jalapeno Poppers in the Air Fryer

Making jalapeno poppers in the air fryer is so simple and so much healthier than deep frying them. They are crisp on top and creamy in the middle, and perfect for a Super Bowl party or a game night with friends! Here are basic steps:

1. Prep: Halve the jalapeno peppers and remove the seeds and membranes. Preheat the air fryer to 370 degrees F.
2. Mix: Add all the filling ingredients into a small bowl and mix them all together.
3. Fill: Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the pepper halves.
4. Combine: In a separate small bowl, combine the panko and butter and then sprinkle the mixture over the top of the filled peppers.
5. Bake: Place the peppers in a single file and bake for 10 minutes.
   • NOTE: You’ll need to cook the peppers in two batches. You don’t want to overcrowd the peppers.

Please refer to the photos below to see the steps. Then keep scrolling to see a video of the whole process too. All the instructions can also be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Watch These Jalapeño Poppers Be Made…

The Best Oven Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey Ever [+Video]

A classic turkey recipe for making the best oven roasted Thanksgiving turkey ever! It starts with a brine, gets smothered in lemon herb butter, and ends with a perfectly roasted whole turkey to feed your Thanksgiving crowd!

I’ve done it all. Over cooked, undercooked, bland, you name it. Thanksgiving has always been a stitch lame to me because the turkey was absolutely never exciting, hence why I loved the leftover sandwiches the best!

Mmmmm, potato rolls, mayo, turkey and a little cheese! Or, lately I’ve been doing a little cream cheese, poppyseed dressing, cheese and turkey on a roll and oh my goodness it’s life-changing.

But back to the turkey, you guys I’m serious I have spent every year for the past 15 years trying to figure out the best Thanksgiving turkey recipe and this is it. The secrets are for sure brining and proper herbs and rest time three things to make the perfect combo.

Turkey Basics

Before we jump in to making this roasted whole turkey, I want to cover a few of the basics:

• A frozen turkey will need thaw 24 hours per every 5 pounds.
• Turkey will need to cook for 13-15 minutes per pound.
• Safe internal temperature for a turkey is 175 degrees F the thigh and 165 degrees F in the breast.

So let’s assume you are going to roast a 12 pound turkey that is frozen when you purchase it and you want to have your meal on Thursday afternoon. Here is your brief timeline:

• Remove turkey from freezer to thaw in the fridge: 4 1/2 days ahead of time (Sunday morning – Tuesday afternoon)
• Brine: 24 hours (Tuesday afternoon – Wednesday afternoon)
• Turkey rests in fridge: 4-12 hours (overnight Wednesday to Thursday morning)
• Turkey rests at room temperature: 1 hour
• Turkey roasts in the oven: 3 hours
• Turkey rests: 30 minutes

Now the turkey is ready to carve and eat Thursday afternoon! Now here are those same steps in a little more detail…

How to Roast a Whole Turkey

Roasting a whole turkey starts with a 24 hour brine. Head to our favorite turkey brine recipe for all the details of why to brine, how to brine and what goes into the brine.

Turkey Prep

After the turkey brines, remove the turkey from the brine, pat it dry with paper towels and put it on a baking sheet uncovered. St