Slightly Obsessed

I don't know what exactly has prompted my recent fixation with one particular food blog. But I'm pretty much in love. I might be because:

a). I was provided a whole bunch of great meals from family and friends after Caleb was born, so I got a nice little break in the kitchen, which renewed my love of cooking.

b). I am just hungrier than usual since I've been nursing ;).

c). The author of the blog is basically me, when it comes to food (she loves cooking from scratch, eats a wide variety of food, desires to eat healthy, and loves dessert!).

d). I have a DISHWASHER, finally! Time spent in the kitchen is so much more lovely than it once was.

Whatever the reason, my husband now asks nearly every night if the new recipe in front of him is from "my friend Mel". And she is my virtual friend, that is for sure. Usually the answer is yes. I kind of feel as if I am cooking through her blog, Julie & Julia style. It's not entirely true. I have a nice collection of great recipes from a variety of places that I still use. I'm just having a great time trying new things. And I am not joking when I say I've liked everything I've made. Seriously.

So, just for fun, here is the website. And here are my top FOUR in a few categories. Try them. I dare you ;).

Main Dishes:

*Hearty Beef Stew (read the recipe through before you start. We were a good 15 minutes late for church one Sunday because of it ;))

*Baked Ziti (my favorite that I've tasted!)

*Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas (My friend Carly made this for me first and they're fabulous!)

*Basil Chicken with Coconut Curry (Jono's favorite)

Breads:

*Pumpkin Scones with Ginger (almost identical to a family recipe we've loved for years!)

*Pumpkin-Maple Hazelnut Bread (made it the night before my induction with Caleb and we had it in the hospital. With nutella, of course. A great memory!)

*Healthy Banana Oat Snack Bars (have made these 3 times!)

*Oatmeal Pancake Mix (this is the reason we're having pancakes at least 2x a week these days. So good!)

Dessert:

*Double Chocolate Mousse Torte (So rich and delicious - a special treat!)

*Chocolate Toffee Shortbread Bars (another one Carly introduced me to. Amazing.)

*Magical Layered Brownies (These have browned butter in them. Ridiculous)

*Hot Fudge Pudding Cake (So easy. And good)

I just counted. It took me way too long, while going through her recipe index. But I'm officially at 36 recipes completed, with two in the works for this coming week (Indian Butter Chicken & Brownie Mosiac Cheesecake, in case you're wondering). Sheesh. It's kind of ridiculous, really. But not that ridiculous, right?!