So, I like crack.  The treat kind.  Not the life ruining, jail bound, illegal kind.
Although maybe the treat kind should be illegal.  It's easy to make, cheap, addictive, and it just takes one try to get hooked.

So consider yourself warned.  If you would like to become the friendly neighborhood crack dealer, make up a few batches, print out some tags, wrap them up, hand them to  anyone and everyone that could use a new addiction in their lives.  Remember, the first try is always free.  Sharing is caring.

You can find my recipe here, in it's old school, absolutely unpinnable glory, back from the olden days when you just blogged to blog, without the thought or the hopes of going viral on Pinterest.  Sigh... I miss those days.  Don't be alarmed at the bag of Ralph's brand chocolate chips either.  I only use Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips now, because I am not an animal.  Like Oprah says, when you know better, you do better.

So today was fun.  You know that kind of day when you show up for a birthday party that is actually tomorrow?
At least it wasn't yesterday, I suppose.
Still.  I am a grown up who might be taking this whole summer vibes deal too seriously, and might lack a little bit in the whole details on the calendar thing.
Remember last year when I was all cute and organized?
So, ya.  That was last year.
This summer has been pretty much not that.

Summer vibes forever.  Responsibility never.

So tonight I am going to make pulled pork nachos for dinner.  Because it is America and I can do what I want.

I could post a recipe, but I made a totally unrelated printable for you instead.

Glitter and nachos can make any catastrophe of a day awesome.

Well, maybe a sort of recipe would be awesome.  It's not really a recipe.
I am not taking pictures of the process.
Because I don't want to clean the kitchen.
Plus, it is just throwing some ingredients on chips and then sticking them in the oven.

If you need a step by step of that, I think there are some bigger issues at play.  Namely your deprived childhood where clearly you were raised by nacho hating wolves.

In case you are curious here is what you need:

Two of my ingredients are from Trader Joe's.  If you don't have a Trader Joe's nearby I have the number of a great real estate agent.
Chips (hello)
Cheese (duh)
Pulled pork
Plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
Chipotle salsa
Whatever your family likes on their nachos

My family is drama and only likes cheese.  They don't even like the sauce.  So I make them a lame plain pan and I make myself a loaded, spicy, saucy, one.  Jalapenos are my love language.  So is not sharing my nachos.

Prepare pork according to package
Cover a cookie sheet with foil (no scrubbing is awesome)
Throw chips on cookie sheet
Throw pork on top of chips
Add any other awesome ingredients
Top with gobs of cheese

Bake at 400º until cheese is melty

While baking make the chipotle sauce.
Highly complicated recipe:
Stir one part greek yogurt with one part salsa

Take nachos out of oven and drizzle with sauce.
Eat them right off the pan.  Remember.  America.  You can do what you want.  You are a grown up.  Even if you forget birthday parties.

So there you go.
A weird day, a printable, and totally unpinnable recipe all in one.
How awesome did today just get?

I don't even know what to call this salad (is it salad? it is salsa?) It's like Texas Caviar, except it isn't.  California Caviar? It has things like beans and it is served in a salad size bowl and we always eat it at our annual summer couples bunco.  So Bunco Bean Salad is it's current working title and I am going with it.  It is either that or I-Want-To-Marry-Cilantro-Salad.  Because I do.

It doesn't photograph well, it has a questionable name, most dudes won't touch it, but I cannot not stop eating it.  It screams school is almost over and picnics and happy times and kids napping so I can sit in a corner eating and eating and calling it my precious.

Ingredients
(Makes enough to serve a crowd)

Salad:
2 cans corn, drained
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 red onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped fine
3 ripe avocados, diced

Dressing:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup salsa (I use Pace medium)
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine all salad ingredients except avocados.
Whisk all dressing ingredients together
Pour dressing over salad
Chill until ready to serve
Add avocados right before serving

Serve with tortilla chips, or just eat with a big old spoon.

My body likes protein.  It hates sugar and flour.
I do not like protein.  I like sugar and flour.
It's a constant battle, knowing that when I eat more protein, less refined carbs, I feel better.  Sometimes feeling better isn't fun.

Would I prefer quiche with a perfect, flaky, buttery, delicious pie crust?
Hello. That is a dumb question.

I also would prefer to have a delicious, protein packed, day fueling, way bigger piece of crustless quiche, which helps me save up my carbs for a cupcake later in the day.

My friend, no-blog Alicia, has drastically turned her eating upside down in the most inspiring of ways, and served this quiche to me as we sat around her table drinking coffee and chatting about life and dreams and the future.
Surprisingly, I didn't miss the crust.  It is flavorful, rich, and seems way more indulgent than it really is.

Ingredients:
7 eggs
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups frozen chopped broccoli (or your favorite veggies)
1/2 cup half & half
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 pieces of bacon cooked and crumbled
Pepper to taste
Whisk eggs, stir in the remaining ingredients, sprinkle the bacon on top.
Pour into a lightly greased (or sprayed with Pam) pie dish
Bake at 375º for 40 minutes.

Serves six.
Approx. 310 calories per hearty slice.

*Also great divided up into twelve cupcake lined muffin tins.
Easy and portable, and quick to heat up in the microwave the next day.
Two muffins per 310 calorie serving.

Yay protein.  And cupcakes. And not making Myfitnesspal mad.

Last year I baked, and ate, and ate, and baked, and fell in love with a cookie.
A simple cookie with way too long of a name.
A cookie that makes me think of snow and pine trees and cozy quilts.
A cookie that isn't going to win any beauty pageants, but has what matters most- it's crazy delicious.
This year was going to be the year to bake White Chocolate Cranberry Cream Cheese Snickerdoodles.
Then my cookie scoop broke. 
Don't go messing with my cookie scoop.
Plan B was stolen right from the mind of Jami Nato.
Cookie dough to go.
Brilliant, right?  Because the homely looking, delicious tasting, too many words in the title, cookie could have been passed over in the vast sea of holiday treats that find their way into our parties, doorsteps, and offices.
Cookie dough to tuck in your fridge or freezer, to bake at your leisure, say when you are in need of eating some Christmas-is-already-over feelings, however would be a welcome delight.

Meet White Chocolate Cranberry Cream Cheese Snickerdoodles version 2.0:

A sleeker name.
A cute package.
Same glorious insides.

You might just feel the need to save a batch for yourself, you know, for quality control, and safety testing issues.
Each snickerdoodle pouch makes three dough rolls.  Each dough roll makes one dozen cookies.
I was able to bust out twelve in one naptime.  With multiple jalapeno Cheeto breaks in between, obviously.
With no cookie scoop, and one oven, baking twelve dozen cookies would have taken me twelve dozen years.
The dough plan is SO MUCH BETTER.

Happy dough rolling.

Download the printable labels here.

I'm a girl.
I get emo.
No getting around that issue.
The last six months have been full of so much change, so much loss, so many decisions, honestly, just so very much of everything.

Sunday I woke up with a cold, and just broke.
After church I shut myself in our room and slept the entire day away, which is something I never ever, ever do.  It was so needed.  I recommend indulging in a little breakdown day here and there.

My emo feelings are usually accompanied by chocolate and peanut butter.  Lots of feelings.  Lots of eating of said feelings.  Making things in the kitchen is how I deal.  Oh how I wish that I was one of those starve through your feelings people.  Sign me up for that coping mechanism.

Two things were on the top of my Eat My Feelings list.  Two things that I wanted to make.
First thing?  Buckeye Bark.  Heather put a pic of her eating said feelings via Buckeye bark a few weeks ago.  Yes please.
Second thing? Buckeye Truffles.
The thing is, my feelings needed to be eaten quickly.  Truffles seemed too labor intensive.
A decision needed to be made.  A new recipe needed to be created.  One that would be like if Buckeye Bark and Buckeye Truffles had a baby, and that baby was an amazing therapist.

Meet that delicious baby.
I named it Emotional Breakdown Bark.

Let's call a spade a spade.  If you are going to eat your feelings- EAT YOUR FEELINGS WELL.

Ingredients:
2 bags chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk, whatever is your fave)
Shortening
1 cup crushed pretzels
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Directions:
Peanut butter drizzle:
Cut into squares using a very sharp big knife.