Food Blog Finds Made at Home

Well, well, it is time for another edition of Food Blog Finds Made at Home. There are so many creative individuals out there sharing their delicious creations that it gets overwhelming. Seriously! It makes me so sad to think that I won’t have time to make everything promising that I see or read about. However, certain recipes just grab my attention and call for me to try them, immediately.

Here is a list of some recipes I made at home after reading them online. My non-stellar pictures do not do these recipes any justice. So, I urge you to click on the links for the original source and make them!  

Perfect Roasted Acorn Squash (Eat, Live, Run)

I brought these delicious babies to our friends’ 2013 New Year’s party and it was a hit! It is so easy to prepare and takes only a few minutes. The roasting part takes a while, but it gives you time to do other things. In my case, it gave me time to shower and dress for the party! The hearty meat of the acorn squash drenched with honey, brown sugar, and butter then roasted to goodness is awesome. So delightfully filling you could eat it alone and call it dinner.

Oatmeal Persimmon Cookies (Happyolks)

Kelsey’s beautiful post on the Sandy Hook tragedy stirred in me the need to make these cookies. Oatmeal cookies make me think of healthy snacks for children and their heartiness makes them my favorite cookie. The addition of persimmon and warm spices make these cookies extra special. Bake these for your family, I guarantee it will put a smile on their faces!    

Baked Polenta with Tomato and Basil (Joy the Baker)

As soon as I read this post, I knew it was a must try. This creamy baked polenta with tomato sauce and basil is very simple and homey. It is the kind of food that humbles you and makes you appreciate how simple ingredients can be turned into a filling and delicious meal. I followed Joy’s baked polenta recipe closely and added a bunch of good stuff in my tomato sauce, sautéed garlic, onion, mushrooms, and bell pepper.  

Orange Ricotta Chocolate Chip Muffins (Two Peas and Their Pod)

This post was bookmarked as soon as I read it! One of my most favorite things to do when baking is to add orange zest, so naturally this one caught my attention. I tweaked Maria’s recipe just a bit by using half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour, using ¾ cup sugar instead of one, and adding two tablespoons of orange juice. They turned out so perfect! These muffins are quite heavy which makes them an ideal breakfast… you get your carbs, some vitamin C, dairy, and that chocolate fix. Delicious!

Salted Caramel Brownies (Smitten Kitchen)

Man, oh man, Deb sure knows how to make everyone swoon! I have never tried my hand at making homemade caramel and am so happy to know that it is so darn easy and tastes a million times better than the store-bought ones. I whipped it up and had it ready to harden in less than 10 minutes. There was also some tongue burning that happened in the process… friends, please don’t get too excited and start licking that spatula. Chocolate + caramel + sea salt = heavenly. If you are looking for something to make for your loved ones on Valentine’s Day, bake these sinfully decadent brownies! I promise everyone will love you even more than they already do.

Have a great Valentine’s Day everyone!