This incredibly easy pineapple cake is topped with a light and fluffy pineapple frosting for a simple, summery dessert that you can whip up any time. The instant summer hits, I start craving all the pineapple. There’s just something about a perfectly sweet pineapple that is so delicious and refreshing on a hot summer day. I love to throw it on the grill for simple grilled pineapple, turn it into pineapple fluff, and I really love using it in cakes. Pineapple upside-down cake might be the most well-known cake that uses pineapple in it, but it’s not the only one! My pineapple cake with cream ch ..read more

Tender lemon scones are topped with a lemony glaze for a bright addition to any breakfast or brunch menu. I love breakfast pastries. From muffins to scones to donuts, they’re some of my favorite breakfast treats. And long-time readers also know all about my love for lemon, whether it’s in the form of homemade lemon bars, mini lemon cheesecakes, or simple but delicious lemon sorbet. So is it really surprising that I combined these two loves into these beautiful glazed lemon scones? Nope. It is not. These tender lemon scones, which are similar to my raspberry lemon scones, are topped with a bri ..read more

Bursting with fresh blueberries and topped with a simple streusel, these bisquick blueberry muffins are made quick and easy with your favorite baking mix. My homemade bisquick mix is one of my very favorite kitchen staples to keep on hand and I love coming up with new recipes that use it. Bisquick biscuits and bisquick pancakes are some of my long-time favorite recipes, but there are so many other options beyond just those. Impossible coconut pie, 7UP biscuits, and bisquick breakfast casserole are just a few of the other recipes I regularly make with this mix.  And now we can add these s ..read more

Made with tart cherries and flaky pie crust, sour cherry pie is the ultimate summer pie. Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to savor every bite of the season. One thing we do really well here in the Midwest is summer produce. From the very best sweet corn to the juiciest strawberries and blueberries, our farmers sure know what they’re doing. Most of the country’s tart cherries come out of Michigan. If you live in Michigan or one of the neighboring states, you probably have seen piles of these bright red beauties at your farmers’ markets. This year, make sure you grab some and bring th ..read more

Mini lemon cheesecakes are topped with lemon curd and fresh berries for a bright addition to any summer menu. I come from a cheesecake obsessed family. Whether it’s mini cheesecakes for a spring birthday party or a pumpkin cheesecake on Thanksgiving, a cheesecake of some variety graces our table for almost every occasion.  It’s one of those desserts that immediately takes me back to being a kid and baking with my Nana. Perched up on a kitchen stool, I’d help her every step of the way. From sifting cups of flour and cutting shapes into pie dough to rolling up the perfect pumpkin roll, I w ..read more

Strawberry salad combines summer-ripe strawberries with tender spinach, zesty arugula, caramelized almonds, and creamy goat cheese for a fresh, delicious summer salad. Top it with homemade poppy seed dressing for the perfect finish! It’s nearly strawberry season around here and I couldn’t be more excited. Soon, the farmer’s market will be full of fresh strawberries and the u-pick farms will be open. My step-mom and I have loved taking Elle strawberry picking in the past, and soon the baby will be big enough to go, too. I can’t wait to have our fridge overflowing with fresh, perfectly ripe ber ..read more

Tangy poppy seed dressing is easy to make and adds a delicious pop of flavor to all of your favorite summer salads. I really love a good poppy seed dressing.  Look, I know it’s not a “cool” salad dressing like green goddess dressing. Poppy seed dressing belongs on an old-school steakhouse menu, probably right next to the ranch dressing and blue cheese dressing on the salad bar.  But maybe that’s why I like it so much. It’s an old-fashioned classic, but it’s still absolutely delicious. And it’s super easy to make, so you will never need to buy a bottle of it again! (more…) The post P ..read more

Made easy with frozen vegetables and baking mix, this bisquick breakfast casserole is a savory, cheesy brunch dish that can be prepped ahead or just before serving. If you’ve been following MBA for a while, you know that I’m a big fan of my homemade bisquick mix. It’s one of my favorite homemade kitchen staples – maybe only surpassed by my pumpkin pie spice.  I love using my homemade bisquick in everything from 7UP biscuits to impossible coconut pie. And of course bisquick pancakes are on the weekend breakfast menu all the time around here. You also probably know how much I love my ..read more

Rich, creamy peanut butter pairs with sweet bananas for a loaf of peanut butter banana bread that both kids and adults will love.  We love peanut butter around here. Whether it’s the classic PB&J combination in my peanut butter and jelly bars or mixed with chocolate in peanut butter cup cookies or peanut butter cup brownies, my family loves it all. We’ve been on a big banana bread kick lately, so it just made sense to combine our love for peanut butter with our banana bread obsession. The result is a peanut butter banana bread that we all devoured immediately. (more…) The post Peanut ..read more

Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and bursting with the flavor and aroma of vanilla, these are the very best homemade waffles!  Waffles are a big hit around here, especially on the weekends. We have some mini waffle irons and Elle LOVES having her own mini waffles. Yes, I said “some.” We have more than one and I’m not ashamed to admit it! We have a mini waffle maker that makes standard circle-shaped waffles, but we also have a mini waffle-stick maker. Elle is obsessed with the mini waffle sticks. I usually whip up a batch of bisquick waffles, but sometimes I want to make from-s ..read more