Margarita Cookies with a Tequila Lime Glaze

You read that right 🙂 I told you I’m not missing out on Cinco de Mayo again this year! With all this recipe testing I think I’ve celebrated the holiday ten times over (and after this one, ten pounds over..hehe).  These margarita cookies don’t disappoint and with the vibrant tequila lime glaze they are ADDICTING! Break out the tequila and get to baking.

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Cinnamon Twist Wreath

Ok…so I’m a little delayed in getting this recipe to you guys and I get there’s no way you’re going to fit this into your already packed and hectic Easter weekend but here’s the truth – I totally had a FAIL on the first one! It happens y’all. This is my first time working with yeast and rising dough and sometimes it just takes practice. Good news is that while the first one didn’t turn out as pretty as I was hoping, it still tasted AMAZING and there was no complaining in this household when I said, “Well…we’re just going to try that one again!” And BAM. Not only did it turn out beautiful but I also was able to test some theories I had from my flaws on the first one that I can now share with you. So here we go, this yummy and beautiful Cinnamon Twist Wreath by Chatelaine.

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Banana Bread & Gift Wrap

I have a confession y’all…I hate bananas. Even more odd…I love making banana bread. Right? Such a contradiction. Here’s the deal: from a very young age I would complain to my parents that bananas made my mouth itch. However, this weird itching thing didn’t lend itself to showing up on an allergy test so my parents chalked it up to this little girl being her dramatic self and just not liking bananas. So be it. But I still stand by my complaint – bananas make my mouth itch and I will not eat them. As much as I personally despise the fruit…my little girl has given me a new appreciation for them. They’re natures easiest food – soft for the early eater, loaded with nutrients and no packaging required. And thanks to banana breads, I can always get the most out of my bananas without ever having to eat them. I’ll take it…just don’t make me eat it.

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Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes

Let me just brag for a moment…Texas is having an AMAZING winter this year (and now I’m sure I just jinxed it). In fact, I’m currently enjoying the sunshine and 65 degree weather as I write this (I’m pushing my luck at this point, I just know it). I think my favorite part about it so far are the abundance of bright, springy flowers in the shops around here. Bushels of bright yellow calla lilies can be seen everywhere! Perhaps this is the normal time of year for it but for some reason it just feels like this is the first time I’m thinking “yay!” versus the typical, “ok, you’re getting ahead of yourself spring.” Maybe it’s the calla lilies, maybe it’s the sunshine, but at this point in time all I can thing about is getting out from the heavy dark chocolate lava cakes and making springy, fluffy, bright desserts.

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Strawberry Hearts

I know it’s not quite strawberry season just yet but nothing can stop Valentine’s Day from covering fruit in chocolate to convince everyone they’re getting a healthy goodie right? See …it’s not me…it’s that tricky Hallmark holiday, Valentine’s Day. Regardless, Trader Joe’s has my strawberries and I had an idea I just HAD to try. And now I just HAVE to share it with yall! I present to you…drumroll please…strawberry hearts!

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Kids Christmas Cookie Decorating Party

You know those celebs that sign up to do bikini photo shoots like three months after having a baby as “motivation” to get back in shape? And we all think they’re crazy? I mean they are…let’s all be honest. Well, I kind of had a moment like that when planning a kids Christmas cookie decorating party this year. I had had it in my head for a while and thought, “oh it can’t be that hard!” And then in looking at the dates was like, “ya! Let’s do it super early in December like right after Thanksgiving.” And then it hits me that that means the whole house would also need to be done and decorated before I even started on party prep – mind you we would be gone until the Sunday after Thanksgiving on a two day road trip with a 14 month old and a dog…motivation right? 🙂 But this adorable party was SO WORTH IT! And truly, the party prep was nothing. Especially when you blast Christmas tunes the whole time.

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The Best Pumpkin Cookies You’ll Ever Eat

That’s a loaded title…I know. But ask any of my friends and they will tell you, “If it has pumpkin, Melissa will eat it.” So it’s no surprise that I’ve already gone through an embarrassing amount of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice this season. But it has all been worth it because I have finally hit the jackpot when it comes to pumpkin cookies! These have been adapted from one of my new favorite bloggers, Lauren’s Latest, who shares my love for all things pumpkin and pretty food pics – hers are gorgeous. A forewarning, the art of these coming out perfect is in the timing so pay attention and you won’t be disappointed!

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A Very Girly First Birthday Party

It happened. We raised a child without killing ourselves or said child for a whole year. Actually – I think we did surprisingly well 🙂 And that’s cause for celebration. If you’ve been keeping up with me from the beginning here you’ll know we didn’t find out if we were having a girl or boy (see this post or this one if you want more details on gender-neutral baby world things) and we loved every moment of our beautiful surprise. That being said, I didn’t have any super girly or super boyish baby prep festivities. So for this little girl’s first birthday I decided to make up for it – the theme would be all things GIRLY. Bring on the pink, sparkle, flowers & frill!
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Sweets for a Sweet Little Girl’s Party

White chocolate? Chocolate and strawberries? But some people are a salty sweet kind of person. How does one choose what to make for a birthday party? My answer is don’t! When it comes to sweets – make it all!! There’s only a few times a year you get to go totally crazy with your baking creations. Now if that’s just ridiculous, cool – choose whichever of these creations tickles your fancy – you can’t go wrong.

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Scrumptious Mini Apple Pies

Think summer time, think 4th of July, think Memorial Day, think Labor Day, think back-to-school, think teacher appreciation day. I can come up with countless reasons to make apple pies and countless recipes to try. These mini apple pies happen to be my fave. Probably because of the streusel topping (because who doesn’t need a second helping of brown sugar and butter?) but also because they are so darn cute! Not to mention – bite size always seems to make serving and eating oh-so-easy.

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