Mini Cheesecakes

I'm all about mini foods lately, especially dessert recipes for one or two people. There is something so aethetically pleasing about miniature desserts. They just look better and somehow taste better. I always want ten more mini cupcakes or mini cookies, but am usually all set after eating one cupcake. Is it a mental thing? Or are mini desserts just that irresistable?

Cream Cheese Swirl Guinness Brownies

Let's talk about beer for a second. Beer, a lot like wine, has been an acquired taste for me. When I first started drinking, I could not stand the smell or taste of beer. Even the lightest beers made me turn the other way and ask for every high schooler's new drinker's go-to: Mike's Hard Lemonade. Now I think about Mike's Hard Lemonade and gag. Funny how things change. Even to this day, I'm still learning to appreciate different beers. I no longer squinch my nose when I try a new beer, but I still have a long way to go to fully appreciating beer, especially darker beers. Now you might be wondering why I decided to make Guinness brownies. If you are anything like me and haven't developed a taste for Guinness, don't worry; these brownies are amazing despite the strong, dark beer in them.

Grammy's Creamy Cheesecake

Traditions are a pretty cool thing. Traditions are something special that unites a group of people and gives them a special memory to share. For example, as I type this, I'm watching the Duke v. OSU basketball game. While this specific game has no special significance (except that I want to be able to brag to all my Buckeye friends that we beat them!), watching Duke basketball has been something that I grew up doing and love sharing with fellow Dukies. My dad, who stands at 6 foot 7 inches and was a pretty awesome basketball player himself, taught me all I know about basketball and Duke sports. As a treat growing up, he would take me to some of the Duke women's basketball games. I thought I was the coolest kid going to Cameron Indoor Stadium, staying out late on a school night, and cheering for the Blue Devils with my dad. Memories and traditions, they are a great thing.

No Bake Peach Cheesecake

I dunno about y'all, but I've loved every second of Greek Week. I was already a huge fan of Chobani yogurt (ask my coworkers-I'm religious about bringing one in every morning), and this past week has taken my love to a new level. Challenging myself to find new ways to use an amazing product was a lot of fun. And rewarding-it's not a shabby job to taste test all of these recipes! And as I said in my previous post, I'm already thinking of doing a Greek Week part 2. So stay tuned!

Arlington Bars

Desserts are my weakness. They are my favorite thing to make and my favorite thing to eat. When I find a recipe that combines elements of multiple desserts, I have a heyday. Cake and ice cream? Yes please! Brownies and cookies? Oh yeah! S'mores and any other dessert? I've died and gone to heaven! These Arlington Bars combine chocolate chip cookie dough AND cheesecake. Yes, I'm serious.