Just Putzing Around the Kitchen

Crock Pot Short Rib Burrito Bowls

A couple weeks ago, after hearing me wonder aloud for the millionth time “why aren’t we saving more every month?”, Dan metaphorically wrestled me down and made me walk through, in excruciating detail, all of our expenditures for the previous month. Turns out, I shop a lot! And, we eat out/order in a lot! So now, in…read more »

Grilled Nectarine, Burrata & Prosciutto Crostini

Guys, the heat and humidity in Virginia this past week has been INSANE. When I checked my weather app at 6am yesterday, the humidity indicator was already at 96%. I’m not a metereologist or anything, but I’m pretty sure that means we’re basically moving through water at that point. Or at least that’s how it feels. On…read more »

{Gluten Free} Churro Waffles with Chocolate, Strawberry & Caramel Dipping Sauces

For my 30th birthday two months ago, my mother-in-law gave me my first ever waffle iron. It’s a gorgeous black/chrome, double-decker machine that lets me make two belgium waffles at a time. Twice the deliciousness in half the time! I’m afraid she’s created a bit of a monster, because having this thing in our kitchen makes us want to…read more »

Grilled Chicken Thighs with Italian Salsa Verde

A few weeks ago I flew out to Portland for a long weekend with some girl friends, and we spent 72 hours eating our way around the city. Did we plan our whole trip around food? Definitely yes. And. It. Was. AMAZING. The food scene in Portland is crazy good, you guys. A sampling of…read more »

Wine Slushie Pops

Summer is officially here, and it’s starting to get hot here in Virginia. Usually that means the start of cocktail season at our house, but now that I’m 30 my body suddenly won’t tolerate the endless stream of sugary, boozy beverages that I want to put into it. Acid reflux and hangovers – they’re no joke, you guys. So,…read more »

Rosemary Greyhound Cocktail

Dan says I’m a sucker because I can never say no to the nice young people/children that show up at our door with something to sell. It’s true – Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, high school kids raising money for one thing or another…they can all usually get a few bucks from me. But in my defense, it’s…read more »

Pineapple Whiskey Sour

Spring has sprung, and that means warmer weather, which (of course) means the start of cocktail season here at Just Putzing Around the Kitchen. And with pineapple in season right now, and St. Paddy’s Day just around the corner, it seems like kind of the perfect time to introduce y’all to this killer Pineapple Whiskey Sour recipe. Reasons…read more »

Melomakarona Cookies

The Mediterranean seafood restaurant next to my office has been doing an insanely brisk lunch and dinner business everyday since they moved in a few years ago. Considering three or four other restaurants tried and failed to make it at that location previously (all were there 1 year or less, I heard), that’s pretty impressive. The food there…read more »

How to Make an Epic Valentine’s Day Cheese Board + Dark Chocolate-Chili Ganache

In the last few years, I’ve really became a fan of cheese boards for my dinner parties. They’re the perfect appetizer and mood setter – a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach, there’s something for everyone, each bite is totally customizable by the eater, and nothing is so filling that your guests’ appetites will be spoiled….read more »

Blazin’ Bulleit

Since the Patriots aren’t in the Super Bowl this year, tomorrow’s game is officially all about the food and drink for me. Which is perfect, because I’ve partnered with Smirnoff Ice to come up with a fun, tasty “FANtail” for the big day. Smirnoff Ice and I have a long and happy history. In college, it was…read more »