Ugh, plastic bags. 

The average American family takes home almost 1,500 plastic shopping bags a year. According to Waste Management, only 1 percent of plastic bags are returned for recycling, most end up in the ocean.

1. In a blender, combine flour, milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt. 

2. Blend until smooth - about 15 seconds.  Scrape down sides and blend for another 10 seconds. 

3. Set aside and rest for 25 minutes. 

4. Preheat oven to 425˚F

5. Place the skillet in the oven to warm up the pan with the oven.  

6. Remove pan, add butter and evenly distribute as it melts. 

7. Pour batter in pan and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. 

Enjoy warm with your favorite toppings and a drizzle of maple syrup. 

And it only took a couple of minutes...

Easy Strawberry Frosé

Sparkling Rosé or Rosé Of Choice

Frozen Strawberries

Blender

I personally like to use about a cup of frozen strawberries with about 8oz of Rosé. But you can absolutely adjust to your personal preference. 

Just add the strawberries and rosé to your blender and blend until smooth. 

Well, it's official, we painted the living room! 

After 6 months of looking at greige-colored walls we finally bit the bullet and got down to giving our walls an enormous glow-up. I couldn't be more thrilled with how it came out: It's warm, it's inviting and changes with the lighting throughout the day.

Forget burgers. Forget pizza. Jambalaya is where it's at. 

When I think of comfort food, I think of diving into a huge bowl of Jambalaya with all of the fixings. I want that hopping Creole flavor bursting through like fireworks at each and every spicy/savory bite. I could eat it all day everyday without so much as batting an eye. And while I might not be in the epicenter of Creole cooking as a resident of Astoria, Queens - I've managed to perfect a recipe that makes me feel like I'm sitting at a cast iron bistro set in the French Quarter while a brass band marches by.

Well... I think it's safe to say we're all going to need some extra pampering this year. I know I am. It's been a heck of a couple of months and self-care is wayyy high up on the list of things keeping me sane in a house full of rambunctious boys. Yes, I do most certainly go to the only room that has a lock on the door and yes, I spend a good hour trying to tune out the bangs, clangs and crazy random outbursts from kids running from one end of the house to another. It's not perfect but it works.

Obviously we're spending Mother's Day at-home this year so it's going to look a little different than the usual spa day of brunch out with friends and girls trips. But different doesn't mean it can't be just as good. 

This is where I have you covered!

 Yes, you absolutely deserve to spoil yourself for at least *one* day, so I'm sharing 10 of my favorite ways to pamper myself at home and how you can get the total 'spa' experience at-home this Mother's Day. I've teamed up with one of my favorite brands, Burt's Bees to help make the the ultimate Mother's Day at home. The best part? You don't have to leave the comfort of your home, cozy pajamas and slippers.

10 Ways To Pamper Yourself At Home This Year

I think it's safe to say some of us are feeling seriously bummed right about now. Nearing month two of social distancing can do that to you. I have definitely found myself wanting to watch more upbeat, and/or sappy and musical features to help lift my mood. Add some popcorn and brownies to the mix with a cozy blanket to top and I've got all the key ingredients needed to help brighten even the gloomiest of days - or at least that's my hope.

Whoa, I post a lot of brussel sprout recipes over here! In my defense, I like to think each one is slightly different than the last - or at least that's what I tell myself.

I've been playing around with flavors and I found one that sticks so it seemed only fitting to share the wealth of the crunchy, lemon peppery and parmesan cheesy goodness that just popped out of the oven. I have to admit even I surprised myself with this pairing. I have to warn you ahead of time that it's insanely good and you might find yourself eating an entire pan before realizing you forgot to share with the family.

Is it better than pumpkin? I daresay it is. 

Apparently, I'm late to the butternut squash game. I guess I've never really been a huge fan for some reason- no idea why. Luckily though, I have spent the last several months making up for it by picking up bags of frozen, cubed Butternut Squash on repeat.
It's great in a pinch and is especially tasty when whipped together with spinach, sausage and pasta- the frozen stuff literally just melts into the mix! Super easy. Which is why when fresh cubed arrived instead, I had no idea what to do with it. After a few days of it staring me in the face every time I opened the fridge I was determined to put it to good use. I was craving either bread or pie. Pie won, because let's face it. Pie is ALWAYS a good idea. 

I'll admit I had some reservations on whether a butternut squash pie would actually be tasty but after a little comparison to it's cousin, the pumpkin, I knew I had to at least give it a go. Moment of truth, It blew my expectations out of the water. Holy crazy delicious concoction.

Best of all, it's super easy to make. Indy helped from start to finish and I was thoroughly impressed with his skills and the pie...

Roasted Butternut Squash Pie

- Here's What You Need - 

2 Cups Pureed Butternut Squash

 (I used fresh and roasted it for 20 minutes on 350˚)
9" Pie Crust/Shell

2 Eggs

1/4 Tsp. Allspice

1/4 Tsp. Ground Ginger

1/8 Tsp. Ground Black Pepper

1/4 Nutmeg

1 Tsp. Cinnamon

Pinch Of Salt

1 3/4 Cups Milk (or Milk Alternative)

2 Tbsp. Sugar (Honey or Maple Syrup)

Optional: Whipped Cream or Vanilla Ice Cream

Preheat Oven To 425˚

1. If you went fresh, puree your roasted butternut squash. 

2. In a large bowl combine whisk together butternut squash puree, milk, sugar, eggs and spices until smooth and thoroughly combined. 

3. Pour into pie shell and put on middle rack in oven. 

4. Bake for 15 mins at 425˚. Then lower temperature to 350˚and continue baking for an additional 30-35 minutes or until knife comes out clean. 

5. Enjoy warm or chilled with whipped cream, ice cream or both! ;)

As we practice Social Distancing I figured it would only be fitting to spend the weekend (er, all of the weekdays) cozied up and watching my favorite supernatural and sci-fi shows across the streaming networks.

It's been a heckuva two weeks, amirite? And who knows how the next two weeks are going to look? So I think, considering everything, we all deserve a batch of fresh-baked cookies right out of the oven.
At first I was thinking classic chocolate chip cookies, but I had some extra fixings that I REALLY wanted to get rid of, so this went quickly from classic to 'everything but the kitchen sink'. So with a few items from the pantry that were on their last leg and needed to be used ASAP, a star was accidentally born.

After inhaling two right out of the oven, I'll never go back to plain ol' chocolate chip cookies. These bad boys are the real deal and can be made with all sorts of ingredients like nuts, oats, raisins (er, maybe not), and shredded coconut. The sky is the limit- I mean, whatever you have in your pantry that's taking up space and is nearing its expiration date. Potato chips? I don't know - let's do it. 

This particular batch is chocolate chips, pretzels and mini marshmallows and they're basically heaven on earth...or at least heaven in my belly. That said, we should probably keep this on the down-low from my dentist because I'm sure he would NOT approve of this concoction. But hey it's all about moderation guys, moderation. 

Let's dive in and whip up a batch to dip in your milk (or alternate beverage of your choice). 

Everything But The Kitchen Sink Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Yields 15 Large Cookies)

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 C. Melted Butter, at room temperature

1 Tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp. Salt

2/3 Cups Granulated Sugar

1/4 Cup Honey

1 Large Egg

1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

2 Tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips

3/4 Cup Mini Marshmallows

3/4 Cup Chopped Pretzels

Preheat oven to 350˚

1. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt. Set aside.

2. In another bowl - combine sugar, honey, vanilla, apple cider vinegar, and butter. Add eggs and stir until just combined. 

3. Combine the wet mixture with the flour mixture. Stir until just combined. 

4. Add chocolate chips, pretzels and marshmallows. Stir until just combined. 

5. With a cookie scoop, or in my case an ice cream scoop. Scoop cookies onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. I did 6 cookies at a time to give them space to spread out. 

6. Bake for 8 to 11 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. 

7. Remove from oven and let (semi-) cool. 

Yes, they're better warm. 

(But not scalding hot where the marshmallows burn your mouth - you've been warned)