tart cherry crisp with oaty crumble topping

It’s now September, which means that most kids have already started school. That means new backpacks, dreaded homework assignments, and the school cafeteria!

Wait… do kids still eat lunch in the cafeteria? The last time I did was probably in 1998, so things may have changed a bit! In the next few weeks, I’ll be bringing you some childhood nostalgia in the form of re-vamped — and dare I say delicious? — recipes from those days of eating from plastic lunch trays with your friends by your side.

There were a few dishes served in my school’s cafeteria that I actually didn’t despise. Of course desserts are always high on the list (they’re also kinda hard to mess up), so it’s no wonder that the cherry crisp served at my school was actually top notch.

Continue reading “tart cherry crisp with oaty crumble topping”

AmandaSeptember 7, 2014September 13, 20153 Comments

Cakes, Dessert, Fruit, Spring, Summer, Sweet

almond pavlova + new beginnings

It’s a three day weekend! Hooray for Memorial Day, and the start of summer, and having something to celebrate. Will you have a slice of this yummy pavlova and celebrate with me?

Continue reading “almond pavlova + new beginnings”

AmandaMay 24, 2014September 13, 20152 Comments

Dessert, Drinks, Fruit, Holidays, Main Dish, Salads, Sandwiches, Savory, Snacks, Spring, Sweet

¡cinco de mayo!

If you’re not from Mexico or the US southwest, chances are you don’t celebrate Cinco de Mayo. If you do, it’s a great reason to celebrate and have a party! Now’s the time to roll out your best margarita recipe, and definitely your favorite salsa. Looking for a few more ideas? I’ve got you covered. You gotta have drinks at your Cinco de Mayo parties. … Continue reading ¡cinco de mayo!

AmandaMay 2, 2014May 4, 2014Leave a comment

Cakes, Dessert, Fruit, Holidays, Spring, Sweet

spring flower cake with meyer lemon curd + strawberry frosting

It’s Easter time again! Time for little bunnies and chocolate candy and the smell of vinegar mixing with dye tablets (we always made way too many colored Easter eggs when I was little!). It’s the perfect time of year for a bright, cheerful cake. After most of you have slogged through a winter packed with snow and ice, don’t you deserve a springtime-y cake filled with meyer lemon curd, covered with fresh strawberry frosting and topped with fresh flowers?

Yes, you most certainly do.

Continue reading “spring flower cake with meyer lemon curd + strawberry frosting”

AmandaApril 12, 2014September 13, 2015Leave a comment

Drinks, Fruit, Spring, Sweet

cherry + lime aguas frescas

Looking through my blog, you can find plenty of recipes for desserts, snacks, main dishes, and pretty much anything else. There’s one area where oven&apron is slacking off, though, and that’s in the beverage department.

You may remember my honeyed peach aguas frescas from last March? I must get a craving for sweet, fruity drinks around the end of wintertime. This drink is similar in idea, but a little less sweet and more complex. I’ve always been enamored with the flavor combo of cherry and lime (and who doesn’t love the Cherry Limeaid from Sonic?) Consider this drink the older, more mature cousin of Sonic’s fruity, overly sweet version.

Continue reading “cherry + lime aguas frescas”

AmandaMarch 22, 2014September 13, 20152 Comments

Breads, Breakfast, Dessert, Fruit, Sweet

strawberry scones with cornmeal + black pepper

I can never resist the combo of strawberry and black pepper. I can’t remember where or when I first heard of pairing the two together, but it’s somehow genius! I’ve done it before with these popsicles, and I had always wanted to apply those flavors to a pastry of some kind. These scones seemed like a natural match!

Continue reading “strawberry scones with cornmeal + black pepper”

AmandaMarch 1, 2014September 13, 2015Leave a comment

Dessert, Dinner, Drinks, Frozen Treats, Fruit, Lunch, Main Dish, Meat, Salads, Savory, Snacks, Sweet, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

hello, 2014!

The beginning of a new year usually means people are throwing on their running shoes, buying gym memberships, and searching Pinterest for healthy new recipes. What am I doing? I’m daydreaming about how I can re-create a gorgeous cheesecake dessert that I ate during my NYE trip to Vegas. Clearly I’m not like most people. If you happen to fit into the former description rather … Continue reading hello, 2014!

AmandaJanuary 5, 2014November 9, 2014Leave a comment

Dessert, Fall, Fruit, Snacks, Sweet, Winter

caramel pears

Pears are better than apples.

There, I said it. I’ve never been a huge fan of apples, they always smell better than they taste, to me. I do enjoy a few varieties that I’ll snack on if the rare mood strikes (Pink Lady, Honeycrisp), but I’d rather eat a pear than an apple, any day of the week. That’s why I decided to create a new cool-weather staple: enter the caramel-dipped pear!

Continue reading “caramel pears”

AmandaNovember 23, 2013September 13, 20152 Comments

Breads, Breakfast, Dessert, Fall, Fruit, Snacks, Sweet, Winter

autumn spiced donuts with apple curd filling

You guys. Ohhh, you guys. I can’t remember the last time I cooked something that I loved as much as these donuts.

Fall and cider donuts go hand in hand. I live in the southwest so they’re not quite as popular around here as they may be, say, in upstate New York or somewhere, so I decided to make my own. I had been wanting to make homemade donuts for a while, and I’m so glad that this is the recipe I settled on. Think of it as sort of a modified, inside-out cider donut.

Continue reading “autumn spiced donuts with apple curd filling”

AmandaNovember 16, 2013September 17, 20155 Comments

Cookies, Dessert, Fall, Fruit, Sweet, Winter

spiced apple butter bars

Back a few months ago when I made these Strawberry-Lime Crumble Bars, all I could think about was how I couldn’t wait to make a fall-inspired version! The strawberry and lime ones were amazing, but when the weather turns cool, you just want something with cinnamon, vanilla and warm spices, preferably with some apples included, to ring in the season.