
Sometimes on the weekends I wake up, take a shower, walk my dog and then make myself a steaming bowl of tortellini with tomato sauce for breakfast. This is often followed by eggs and hash browns for lunch. I don’t always eat foods at their proper time of day.
I’ve also been known to eat ice cream for breakfast.
I’m kidding…sort of.
I need more meals like this pizza. There is never a wrong time to eat this. Sure it’s a pizza, which means you can eat it for lunch or dinner and no one will question you. But it’s also dough topped with cream cheese and smoked salmon, so it’s basically like eating a large, flat bagel with lox. Totally cool for breakfast.


Continue reading 'Smoked Salmon Pizza w/ Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce'»

I have no excuse for this pie. Absolutely none. I could maybe defend it by pointing out the use of fresh fruit, but I’m aware that this is just not something I should be showing you in the dead of summer, also known as Bathing Suit Season. Maybe I can place the blame elsewhere…specifically, to Saluda Grade Café, the restaurant that I worked at in high school, and the place that gave me the inspiration for this recipe.
The funny thing is, this was not a popular dessert there. It only showed up for maybe 2 months out of the year, and when it did those pies would sit and sell so slowly that eventually I would take some home to keep it from going to waste. Not that I ever once complained about this. Except when I had to put on a bathing suit. Damn those pies.

Continue reading 'Blueberry Cream Pie'»

Growing up, I was a total tomboy who had to be bribed with candy to wear dresses, or fancy shoes, or anything remotely girly. And even now, I wouldn’t consider myself a super girly-girl. But every now and then, I totally give in and embrace it. Case in point: Thursday night a friend scored tickets to the Twilight premiere, and yes I’m going. I have this weird love/hate thing with the Twilight series and am sort of excited to laugh my way through the movie. I’ll be doing what any normal person would do at the premiere: tweeting pictures, of course. So if I end up getting tackled by some security dude, I’ll just blame it on all of you…
Back to cupcakes…these things taste down-right pretty; they’re baby pink, paired with cream cheese frosting, and topped with shredded coconut. Try them. Embrace your girliness for gosh sakes, even if you’re a dude. Trust me–they’re worth it.
Here are a few other girly things I’m loving right now…

Continue reading 'Pink Lady Cupcakes'»

We’re friends right? I mean, I like you, and if you like me then I guess that means we’re friends. So I can tell you about my guilty pleasures. What exactly is a guilty pleasure? It’s something that you know without a shadow of a doubt is bad for you and has no business being in your life, and you still think it’s wonderful. When it comes to TV shows, I am obsessed with the Real Housewives on Bravo. Notice how I didn’t specify a specific city? That’s cause I love all of them. Regardless of how loudly Chase or my friends tell me that these shows are trash TV and are a dredge on society, I still can’t help but be enthralled with the meaningless drama that consumes these women’s lives. Go ahead and judge me, I’m used to it. (Oh, and for anyone that watches, I’m totally on Team Bethanny)

Now, my food equivalent of a guilty pleasure is fettuccine Alfredo. Maybe you’re wondering why Alfredo is a guilty pleasure and not chocolate cake? Here’s the thing about unhealthy foods, you have your items like cookies and cake, that make no pretense of what they are: sugar and fat, plain and simple. Then you have things like fettuccine Alfredo that tries to convince you that it’s dinner, perhaps even part of a well balanced diet. Don’t be fooled though, this entire meal is two things: starch and heavy cream and I LOVE it. All you health nuts can yell at me all you want, you can tell me how fattening it is, how each bite is clogging my arteries, you can give me your estimates on how long it’s going to take me to exercise off this fat, and I will smile at you over my plate of steaming pasta, complete undeterred from eating the whole thing. Continue reading 'Fettuccine Alfredo'»

I sometimes wish I could have conversations with my past, younger self…here’s a conversation between Little and Big Adrianna that I wish I could have:
Big Adrianna: Hey…geez you’re tiny.
Little Adrianna: You’re tiny too and you’re supposed to be a grown adult. Umm…I don’t mean to be a harsh, but you don’t look like Cindy Crawford. People tell me I’m gonna grow up to look like her.
Big Adrianna: I know I know, disappointing. I’m not as rich either. Oh and by the way, sweet punch stain on your upper lip. Classy.
Little Adrianna: I like Hawaiian Punch, sue me. Hmm…well, your hair is pretty.
Big A: Oh yea…way nicer. I mean, I have to blow it straight and I need this fancy straightening cream and a flat iron…but it works, you know.
Little A: Yeah, totally…well, you look really happy.
Big A: I am…really happy.
Little A: Is it as hard as they say? You know, life…

Continue reading 'Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies with Cream Cheese Filling'»

It’s finally starting to feel like fall here in LA. Well, kind of. For a few brief days a cold front will settle in and I actually have to reach into the back of my closet to find a jacket to wear. Then, the summer heat will come back with a vengeance and I immediately trade in the jacket for a tank top and flip flops. However, on those few brisk days I’ve finally found myself with the desire to embrace the autumn season in my recipe choices.

Continue reading 'Pumpkin Coeur a la Creme'»

When I was in elementary school my mother made me French toast for the first time. For 2 months straight after I refused to eat anything else for breakfast. I would get up for school every morning and happily cover every square inch of delicious toast in powdered sugar and then devour it before the sugar had time to dissolve in the butter from the bread. I’m in my 20s now and have discovered stuffed French toast. It’s basically like eating a hot, melting cheese Danish, and what can beat that?

Continue reading 'Strawberries and Cream Stuffed French Toast'»