Every Saturday, my girlfriends and I get together for brunch and alternate cooking so today was my turn. I decided to make breakfast and dessert crepes! They’re light, yummy, and very easy to make — perfect for brunch!

Ingredients (Makes 4-6 crepes)
1 cup all purpose flour
3 eggs beaten
1-1/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of butter, melted
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
A pinch of salt

Method
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk all the ingredients together until the batter is smooth.

2. Heat a non-stick frying pan (or lightly oiled griddle) over medium heat and scoop the batter onto the pan. I used about 1/2 cup for each crepe.

3. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.

4. Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes until the bottom is light brown, then turn the crepe over to cook the other side for another minute.

5. Remove the crepe from the pan onto a plate and add your desired toppings.

Breakfast crepe: scrambled eggs, chicken, ham, bacon, spinach, tomatoes, cheddar cheese.
Dessert crepe: strawberries, bananas, blackberries, nutella, powdered sugar, ice cream.

I love making French onion soup because it looks so complicated but its soo darn easy! Its quite filling too!

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)
8 large yellow onions
1/2 cup of unsalted butter
6-8 cups of beef stock or broth
1 tsp dried thyme
sea salt & fresh cracked pepper
4-6 slices of toasted baguette
4-6 slices of provolone cheese

Method
1.  Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once it’s melted, add the thinly sliced onions. Gently toss to coat the onions in the butter.

2.  After about half an hour, turn the heat down to medium-low and let the onions cook while gently stirring every 15-20 minutes. It should turn a deep rich brown when its fully caramelized.

3.  Add the beef stock and dried thyme. Let it simmer half-covered for about 1-2 hours. Taste and adjust the soup with salt and pepper.

4.  Once it’s ready, ladle the soup into oven-proof bowls and float a toasted piece of baguette on top. Cover with slices of provolone cheese, allowing it to hang over the edge of the bowl or else it will all melt into the soup.

5.  Place the bowls on a cookie sheet and broil for 10-15 minutes. Keep an eye and watch carefully for the cheese to melt and turn golden brown.

Rich and flavorful with the crusty topping of cheese… Serve it with fresh French bread and butter, and you’ve got yourself a delicious meal!

It’s summertime and its hot, hot, hot! Chill out with some ice cold popsicles! The last time I made my own popsicles was when I was a kid in elementary school, so I think it’s time I start whipping some up! Here are some delicious frosty relief for a hot summer’s day…

(Clockwise)
Orange-Banana Smoothie Pops from Country Living
Watermelon-Lime Popsicles by Emily from Cupcakes and Cashmere
Lemon Frozen Yogurt with Raspberries by Anita (Pastrygirl) at Dessert First
Triple-decker Citrus Popsicles from MyRecipes.com

I’ve been drinking a lot of hot coffee over the past year, especially since we have our own single-serving coffee maker at home. There’s nothing like a warm cup of coffee to wake you up right before plugging away at a 8 hour shift. Plus, I was on the graveyard shift for over a year, so I drank a lot of hot coffee and my durable coffee mug was a favorite accessory for work.

But a couple of months ago, I switched over to the day shift and with the weather starting to warm up, I’d look kinda silly holding a coffee mug every morning with the temperature rising to the 90′s. Even more strange to put iced coffee in a mug!

So my boyfriend and I started shopping around for tumblers to hold iced beverages. We found a 16 oz. cold cup tumbler at Starbucks for $12.95 and I love it because looks exactly like a Starbucks plastic cup!

It’s double walled and insulated to keep your iced beverages cold and your hands dry. It’s also machine washable and BPA free. You can also get the 20 oz. cold cup tumbler for $2.00 more at any Starbucks location.

If having a brand name or logo on your tumbler isn’t a big must, then you should definitely try shopping around at Target, Walmart, Bed Bath and Beyond, Ross, or Marshalls to find better deals. We found a clear cold cup 20 oz. tumbler from TJMaxx for only $2.00, no kidding! Just look on the bottom of the tumbler to check that it’s BPA free and dishwasher safe.

This is my favorite snack! I learned how to make it from my friend Kiomi a few years ago when she made it for a house party. Its really simple to make and addictively yummy!

All you need is soft cream cheese and brown sugar. Mix the two together until you get a caramel-tasty dip! If you’re feeling nutty, topple on some peanuts and toffee. Slice some fresh apples and enjoy!