True Love

People who know me well know that I don't usually have an answer to any question that starts with "What's your favorite...?"
I have no favorite color, no favorite song, movie, or book, no favorite restaurant, and no favorite outfit.
But I do have a favorite food- one that I'll rarely announce when asked, but one that I love nonetheless.

My one true love and the only thing I really ever call my favorite?

Peanut butter.

It's kind of an obsession, really. Spoonfuls of peanut butter soothe me, and I think the best thing in the world is the smell, taste, and texture of a freshly opened jar of peanut butter. Needless to say, anytime I find a recipe that includes peanut butter, I will always check it out.

It was a busy night in my kitchen- two peanut butter recipes plus some delicious veggies (carrots and zucchini) to go with a salmon fillet. (That's right- 3 pinned recipes in one night!!)

First, the vegetables. Not the first time I've done these, and I love how they taste every time! They're so easy to make, too. The original blogger of this recipe isn't kidding when she says this is "the best way to cook zucchini and carrots". My seasoning choice for veggies tonight was salt, pepper, and Herbes de Provence (a new addition to my spice cabinet just this weekend), and the result was delightful!

Now, for the star of tonight's post- my peanut butter treats. I'm going through a granola phase right now- I really can't get enough of the stuff, so I had to give this recipe for Peanut Butter Granola a try. I went a little too heavy on the cinnamon in my mixture, but I'm really looking forward to trying this tomorrow for breakfast with milk. It's got just the right amount of crunch and the peanut butter is, of course, to die for!

While that was toasting in the oven, I got to work on one more dose of peanut buttery goodness- something to take with me to dinner at a friend's house tomorrow night. I love all of the ingredients in these No Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites and I knew the blend of sweet and salty (plus the satisfying crunch of crushed pretzels) would make this the perfect treat for me!
I used a mix of dark and milk chocolate chips for dipping, which I think worked well. Similar to the original poster of this recipe, I quickly got frustrated with trying to dip these in the chocolate (I think I needed to let them chill in the fridge longer than I did), and ended up pouring and spreading the chocolate over the top and sides.
I'd share a picture, but they are far from attractive (pouring and spreading will do that). Even though they don't look the best, they are still delish! Can't wait to share them with my friends tomorrow night!

Definitely a delicious night in my kitchen... Now to tackle the pile of dishes in my sink...

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It’s strawberry season in the Midwest.

Strawberries hold the Emily-designated title of The Best Thing You Can Buy at the Farmers’ Market, so when they’re in season, I freak out a little bit. If you’ve never had locally grown strawberries but have lived your entire life eating those freakishly large strawberries they sell at grocery stories, I’m ordering you to go out and buy some local berries from your closest farmers’ market or pick-your-own strawberry farm right now. YOUR LIFE WILL CHANGE FOREVER.

Real strawberries are smaller, redder, softer, sweeter, and much more delicious than those store-bought things. Yes, I will occasionally weaken in the middle of winter and buy some Driscoll berries from the store, but they really can’t compare to the Real Thing.

Because of this strawberry love, I’ve been cooking all things strawberry for the past couple weeks. Some notable recipes include the strawberry-Brie grilled cheese, strawberry salad with strawberry-poppy seed dressing, and, obviously, the honey-whole-wheat strawberry shortcake. However, the meal that takes the cake is undoubtedly the strawberry basil pizza I made for dinner last night.

This delicious and fabulous invention includes four of the six most delicious foods of all time: strawberries, fresh basil, cheese, and bread, if you count the crust. (The other two are chocolate and butter. I have my priorities straight.)

This was my first time making a balsamic reduction glaze, too, and it was pretty easy and incredibly delicious as a last-minute addition to the pizza once it’s out of the oven. Seriously… YUM.

If you want a quick, easy, and unbelievably delicious meal, I would highly recommend the strawberry basil pizza. But hurry—strawberry season doesn’t last forever!

Saying Hello

Welcome to Quarterlife Chronicles- stories of our twenties told through our Pinterest boards! 

First, a little about us. We're two tree-hugging, grammar-loving twenty-somethings navigating the winding road that is life after college. Our friendship blossomed from our mutual nerdiness in middle-school, and I think it's safe to say that we haven't gotten any less nerdy with time. 

We decided to start this blog after noticing that our Pinterest boards were growing bigger and bigger, but neither of us was trying out nearly as many new things as we could! Hopefully, by sharing our stories with each other (and the world!) through this blog, we'll be encouraged to cook, craft, and create more and more!

My first pin to share is Skillet Shrimp with Orzo, Feta, and Asparagus- tonight's dinner!
I wasn't planning to have dinner at home tonight, but confusing forecasts kept me from traveling out of town to meet some friends at the last minute. I knew I had to stop at the store after work anyway, so did a quick mental inventory of what I already had to work with at home on my way there. I remembered the asparagus I bought last week and decided to go from there- of course consulting Pinterest first. When I saw this recipe on my "Recipes" board, I knew I had to give it a try, especially since it includes most of my favorite ingredients! It was a quick and easy recipe to follow- and the result was delicious (can't get enough fresh basil)! And- with plenty of leftovers in the fridge, I get to look forward to eating it again tomorrow for lunch!

Many more pins to come...!