Jack popped over for dinner this week, so that means cookies — cookies for after dinner and cookies for him to take to the office the next day. Since Mark works from home now, I love living closer to Jack and having more people upon whom to pawn off cookies.  How to describe these Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies? Buttery, just-the-right-amout-of-salty, brown sugar, coconut cookies with loads of chocolate chips. Or, you could say they're brown sugar, buttery, salty chocolate chip cookies with coconut.  Either way, they are delish!  CLICK TO READ THE FULL POST > ..read more

Yes! Between cookies, cakes, and brownies, we often eat salad. I actually love a good salad—usually when it's made by someone else.  Let me introduce you to Salad Whisperer: Veggie-Forward Recipes for Mouth-Watering Meals. I promise you'll want this on your cookbook shelf!  Embarrassingly, for years, my go-to salad to serve with dinner was baby spinach tossed with olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper.  Well, Sarah Faris has changed all that with her new cookbook Salad Whisperer: Veggie-Forward Recipes for Mouth-Watering Meals. Just look at her Not My Mother's Tabbouleh above ..read more

What has made this our family's favorite coconut cake for decades now? A. It's freaking delicious. The cake is moist, the icing is decadent, and the coconut flavor is just the right amount. B. The cake is SO easy to make!  C. Made in a 13 x 9" pan, there are no layers to frost, and it's perfect for transporting to parties, the neighbor's house, picnics, and potlucks! I'm not saying you need to make it this week. (OK, maybe I am.) It's a great cake for a weeknight celebration, and it's also scrumptious enough for a special occasion.  CLICK TO READ THE FULL POST > ..read more

If you've been around here a while (hi and thank you!), you'll know we love celebrating a half-birthday. My mom started this tradition, and it lives on!  Recently, we celebrated Jack's 25 and a half! (Excuse me while I go back and look at photos from TWELVE AND A HALF, which I think was the first one I documented on the blog.) Time flies, y'all.  CLICK TO READ THE FULL POST > ..read more

What? How has it been almost a year since I've given you a glimpse at what we've been reviewing over on Sweet on Trader Joe's?  Here are some Trader Joe's review highlights... Let's start with Trader Joe's breakfast reviews! We've reviewed: almond butter granola and peanut butter chocolate granola (one was better than the other) love croissants? We reviewed Mini Chocolate Chip Croissant Swirls and Double Chocolate Croissants. (Spoiler alert: We loved them both, but only one earned double-5 stars!) CLICK TO READ THE FULL POST > ..read more

A recipe that I've made over and over again is Cherry Pie Bars. I've made so many desserts over the years that sometimes I'll have to remind Jack and Mark which dessert I'm referring to..."Remember those cookies I made last summer that we ate after taco night and shared with the neighbors across the street?"  NOT THESE. The boys know what I mean when I say "cherry pie bars." You might remember that we recently moved. Coincidentally, the (darling) daughter of one of my Dallas besties and her husband just moved in a few neighborhoods away. I know from first-hand, very recent experience ..read more

If you've never paired the flavors of peaches and almonds, you're going to fall in love with the duo in this Almond Peach Dump Cake. Now, while I've made peach pie (oh man, this recipe is so, so good!), Texas peach pecan cobbler, peachy blueberry muffins, and even peach-decorated cookies (still one of my favorite designs), I've never made a peach dump cake.  Heck, I'd never made a dump cake, period. I'll be honest - I don't love the name. Ha.  *this recipe was sponsored by my friends at Imperial Sugar Based on the vintage recipe calling for canned f ..read more

Don't be like me.  This post is short and sweet today, but I wanted to share so you don't make the same mistake that I did.  My mom was known as the cinnamon roll baker on our street. She would even bake them FOR OTHER PEOPLE when they had company visiting!  CLICK TO READ THE FULL POST > ..read more

A brown sugar, crispy-edged, soft-in-the-middle oatmeal chocolate chip cookie with a shot of espresso? Yes, please! I honestly can't decide whether to eat these for breakfast or dessert.  Let's be honest; I'm eating them for both.  Salted Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Latte Cookies are not only scrumptious, they're a cinch to make! I had all these ingredients in my pantry and fridge without running to the store. Win!  CLICK TO READ THE FULL POST > ..read more

I won't even go into the "these-cookies-are-good-for-you-because-they-contain-carrots" lecture. You know that already. I love, love, love carrot cake. I'm a chocolate girl through and through, but I think carrot cake wins almost every time. The carrots ensure its moistness, that little bit of spice makes it intriguing, and cream cheese frosting—you really can't beat cream cheese frosting. You've got a little carrot cake in cookie form, mounds of carrot and ginger-laden cookies flecked with toasted pecans and topped with an orange-flavored cream chee ..read more