I don’t know about you all but I’m in a bit of a crazy place right now. After a three day trip to Florida for work, I returned to Des Moines, only to turn around and head out to Illinois for a weekend at J.’s apartment. The weekend was lovely and relaxing. I didn’t think about work or the number of things on my to-do list, but now I have six bags of flour, ten bags of powdered sugar, and … Read More
Candied Almonds
Greetings from Florida! No, I’m not posting from a beach. In fact, I’m posting from a hotel room while preparing for a full day of work tomorrow. But not to worry, I took a few photos before I left this morning of a recipe I’ve been dying to share with you all. Although I hope there are plenty of other good reasons why J. enjoys dating me, I think there is one thing that definitely tops the ‘cool’ list. When … Read More
Southwestern Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers
Wow, thank you all so much for making the one-year anniversary of Espresso and Cream better than I could have imagined. I loved hearing about your favorite desserts and gaining a little insight into who you all are. Day to day I think about what recipes I want to share with the readers on this site without really knowing who those readers really are. Every time you post, comment, or e-mail it gives me a little bit better picture of … Read More
Peach Anniversary Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and a Giveaway
This week marks the one year anniversary of Espresso and Cream! And while it pains me to look back at some of my earliest posts, I am so excited about how far my little blog has come and how it will change in the year ahead. I could not have anticipated the kind words, e-mails, and interactions I’ve had with those of you who read Espresso and Cream. Some interactions are with people I know personally and others I know … Read More
Coconut Lace Cookies
Another Monday, another weekend come and gone, and while I’ve never really been the type of person who loathes Mondays, I do loathe the end of the weekend for the sole fact that it means J. and I have to part yet again. As I write this on Sunday night he’s back in the car on his way home to Illinois. I, on the other hand, am cuddled up on my bed watching Netflix on my computer and taking comfort … Read More
PB&J Buckwheat Crepes
Every morning I eat the same breakfast, boring but true. Greek yogurt, fresh or frozen berries, and a half a cup of cereal, usually Kashi. It’s a delicious dose of protein and calcium with a serving a fruit. What can I say? I’m a creature of habit where matters of breakfast are concerned. But today I broke out of my breakfast rut because I couldn’t say no to these crepes filled with a thin smear of homemade peanut butter and topped … Read More
Jam Crumb Cake
When I moved into my new office two weeks ago there was a lot of sorting to be done. Things to toss, file away, display on bookshelves, study and devour. Once I tossed what needed to go I sat and marveled at the treasure I found tucked away in the magazine racks of my new digs. Gourmet magazines. Lots of them, dating back over 10 years, sitting in my office, and for the last two weeks I have been curled … Read More
Outstanding In The Field
Back in February, when it was cold and bleak, I received an e-mail from my mom with this link attached. It was the website of a company called Outstanding in the Field, a group of chefs and organizers who spend the months of May through October traveling around the country in a bus, setting up large farm-to-table dinners in fields, on beaches, and barns. Immediately, I was drawn in by the pictures of beautiful, simple tables and the idea of … Read More
Peanut Butter Brown Sugar Oatmeal
Oatmeal. I know, it’s really not the most exciting thing to blog, let alone photograph. But seeing as that this blog is birthed in my kitchen and is inspired by my favorite recipes, it only made sense. When J. and I started dating, I secretly hoped there would be something I made for him that he loved, asked for me to make time and time again, something that I made better than anyone else. Little did I know it would … Read More
Almond Macarons with Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Throughout my years as a student I spent a good deal of time studying Spanish, going on to minor in the language during my time at Iowa State. Anyone who studies a foreign language for any length of time will find that foreign language instructors love to watch movies, and in my case, study poetry as well. And while initially I griped and moaned about having to study the arts in another language, eventually I grew to appreciate and love … Read More
Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies
I’ve been a real-life, full-time working girl for three whole days now and boy is it tiring! Tiring in the best sort of way, in the my-brain-is-exploding-with-new-information sort of way. Yet despite thinking about food all day at work, I still somehow find myself baking and cooking at the end of the day to decompress and relax. This morning I woke up to a sky full of rain, I have a new Netflix movie coming my way this afternoon, a … Read More
Caramelized Onion, Spinach, and Shiitake Mushroom Pasta
I love weekends. I eat them up, every second of them. And though I can’t say this is anything new, being in a long distance relationship has most certainly caused my weekend love to grow. Last weekend I ventured out to Illinois on a mission to spruce up J.’s apartment and make it feel a little bit more like home before he started life as a working man. For someone who loves to take photos of food, I do a … Read More