Melissa

velveteen speakeasy

For Valentine’s Day this year we opted for a cozy speakeasy in Stillwater Minnesota called Velveteen. It was a gorgeous way to spend a cold winter day. The atmosphere, service, and drinks were outstanding. We shared the three (very strong) cocktails shown above and it was perfect. “LOOK…FOLLOW THE RABBIT…LISTEN…ONCE YOU WALK INTO THE LOBBY…

summer camp hungry man’s pie

I remember this delicious dish from summer camp when I was younger and wanted to recreate it in my kitchen. It’s so delicious and filling, and reminds me of going to the dining hall with all my friends after a day of hiking, canoeing, and playing Capture The Flag. We’d gather in that rustic hall…

five minute funfetti cake

Five minute funfetti cake! It’s true! You can make a cake in only 5 minutes in your microwave. I know it sounds too good to be true, but I decided to create a recipe for five minute microwave cake yesterday. I knew I didn’t want to use a cake mix, and that I wanted it…

indian eggplant pickle {spicy brinjal}

I’ve had pickled eggplant at different Indian and Italian restaurants. Recently I was reminded about it in this amazing novel I’m reading. The main character says it’s on her list of “desert island” foods. I totally get that. First I thought about just ordering some pickled eggplant from Amazon, and then I thought, “Hey! Why…

copycat white castle sliders

I’ve been wanting to do a copycat White Castle slider recipe for quite some time. I’ve looked at a bunch of recipes for these beloved burgers and decided that Super Bowl Sunday was the time to give it a whirl. What could be a better time to enjoy the taste of these addictive little sliders…

cheesy sloppy joe tater tot hotdish

We take our hotdish very seriously here in Minnesota. Hotdish, not to be confused with casserole. I’m not sure where the ridiculous trend of calling food by the dish it’s served in started, but I’m here to tell you that the hotdish, the stuff in the casserole pan, is what the food is actually called.…

Betty White’s Banana Bread {easy slice loaf}

Betty White was everyone’s favorite, and news of her passing was quite a shock to many. Even though she was 99 years old, I think everyone kind of expected her to be around forever. Everyone loved her. What an incredibly cool lady! She was the female with the longest TV career to date, and because…

banh mi burger

I wasn’t going to start this post complaining, but I decided to make a vegan Banh Mi burger because I tried to order a makeshift banh mi sandwich at a restaurant recently and it just made me mad. Usually restaurants are happy to accommodate vegans, and seem especially eager to please when all they have…

easy pizza cupcakes

I thought I’d breathe some new life into these posts by sharing them here on my blog, but if you want to see the original with The Cuties from over at Two Cuties in the Kitchen, just click on this link and it will bring you to the adorable post where they walk you through…