Capturing Joy with Kristen Duke
Capturing the Joy in Life
About 7 years ago, our friends Gabe & Becca introduced us to the idea of Fresh Squeezed Limeade. I was never a big fan of lemonade, it was too tart for me. I don’t know why it never occurred to me to squeeze a lime instead of a lemon. I fell in love, instantly. Gabe’s mom is from Mexico, and she grew up drinking it daily. Limes, sugar, water– that’s all it is! I’ve shared… Continue Reading
I’m so very excited to share with you a recipe for True Belgian Waffles, they have pearl sugar & yeast in them, and making them made my heart sing! I’ve always loved a great waffle, and for years I’ve tried different irons and recipes, never making something I loved. Every time I go to Salt Lake City, I plan to make a stop at Bruges Waffles and Frites because I love them SO much (the… Continue Reading
My friend Suzette has the most amazing caramel corn recipe, and I’ve since declared it Gooey Vanilla Caramel Corn because of it’s unique consistency and ingredients. She’s made it for me several times, and since I got the recipe over a year ago, I’ve made it quite a few times myself. I love it so much, I HAVE to share it! I am quite picky with my treats, so I only share the best of… Continue Reading
Some may say that this is a summer salad, but I pledge right here and now to eat this Easy Caprese Salad all. year. long. It has become my new obsession/favorite salad to eat. I don’t think I’d ever heard of it 6 months ago, and I can’t seem to pinpoint exactly where this delectable treat entered my radar, but my sister in law Alayna helped me throw this together in June, and I nearly… Continue Reading
My Honey Curry Chicken Dinner recipe is a family favorite that I often forget about. I got the recipe a good 12 years ago from my high school BFF, Natalie, and she got it from her mother in law (K.K). It’s written down on a small ratty paper, that when I thought of making this the other day, I had to search for it. It’s so stinkin’ easy, I don’t know why I don’t make… Continue Reading
One summer, about 7 years ago, I must have had this cake about 10 times. Among my circle of friends, it was requested at every baby shower, book club, or girls night we had. There was a gal, Tiffany, who introduced it to the group, but it was my dear friend Linda who typed it out, and included it in the recipe book she gave me of her favorites when she moved away. I hadn’t… Continue Reading
Maybe your kids need fruit in disguise, maybe you like a little extra “oomph” every once in a while. This souped up banana is a delight for breakfast, snack, or even dessert. It’s a banana+peanut butter+granola+honey and if you want to make it more of a treat, a little nutella. I used granola cereal because it’s what I had on hand, but you can also crumble up any granola bar. slice any ole’ banana right… Continue Reading
Cooking shrimp is easier than making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. That’s what my neighbor told me when I mentioned I was very intimidated by the process. I LOVE shrimp, but I had never in my life attempted to make it because I didn’t know how. Besides not knowing how to cook it, I didn’t know what to buy: already cooked and frozen, not cooked and frozen with tail, without tail, de-veined, fresh over… Continue Reading
I mentioned in a post last week that I’ve had an “altered” eating regimen. I’m in week 4 of 6 weeks with no sugar and no starches/carbs. I know! This was a first for me. I’ve been looking all over online for recipes that I could make for my family, and not have to make a separate meal for myself. I was THRILLED when I saw the “crusted” part of this recipe because I love a little crunch… Continue Reading
I had this yummy treat at a holiday party we attended, and was so excited to get the recipe! {The above image looks extra dreamy because it was taken at 1:30 a.m. under the vent hood light in my kitchen. The things I do for you, friends.} Start with crushed Nilla wafers mixed with butter as the crust…then drop the chocolate mixture… My mom’s lovely hands spreading above. Let that freeze… Then drop spoonfuls of… Continue Reading
I just heard my daughter say, “6 days until Christmas” while hearing my boys practice their Jingle Bells duet on the piano for their recital this morning. Ahh, the joys of Christmas. Our elf J.J., has been very mysterious and colored on our large family portrait with a dry erase marker making marks on our faces (It’s ok, it wipes off on glass). Last night, he got into my handmade gumdrop Christmas treat. (taken with… Continue Reading
I like a little warm cider on a cool day, but I don’t care for the pre-mixed jug. Too much…stuff in it. I like an apple juice base with a few extras. The other day, I had the juice, and hoped I had enough on hand to mix up something good. I posted a query on my facebook page and got a few links, but when someone mentioned dropping some red hots in…my interest was… Continue Reading
Oh me, oh my…I shoved 172 Christmas cards into the box at the post office yesterday. I could hear a hallelujah chorus singing as I did so, but I couldn’t help but feel a slight anxiety: Did I put stamps on each one? Did they all have a letter enclosed? Were the addresses correct for everyone? Will it really reach my hubby’s roommate that we’ve never heard back from? How many will be returned this year?… Continue Reading
Oh yes, you read that right. A year ago, I went to a holiday cookie exchange and had some delicious cookies that I kept daydreaming about. I love myself some craisins, and they were inside this delectable cookie. I remembered the cookies had a really odd name, that had the word “hooty” in them. I just called them hooty cookies. I lost the recipe, got it again from a friend, forgot about it, kept daydreaming,… Continue Reading
Seriously loving this quick and easy treat lately! I am now keeping these wilton wafers on hand along with popcorn and its all ready in 10 minutes. It’s as easy at 1.2.3! Step 1: Pop a bag of popcorn. Step 2: Melt some chocolate. Its fun to have colorful (Wilton wafers) but chips or almond bark work as well. DO NOT OVERCOOK chocolate….melting a little and stirring inbetween helps loosen the big chunks of chocolate.… Continue Reading
