But if you don’t have one near by or prefer to make this copycat recipe at home, that works for me.

It’s not that it’s the only thing I crave on their menu however, they have so many great breakfast & brunch options. My kids even got me a First Watch cookbook for Christmas last year because they know I’m a breakfast lover!

If you’ve been following along with us for some time, you’re probably well aware that I love bacon. And this sweet and spicy million dollar version is down right addicting!

What I love about this recipe is it’s so easy to make and the bacon cooks in the oven. Easy clean up too!

The strips of bacon are raked through a simple glaze of brown sugar, maple syrup, cayenne and black pepper thinned with a touch of water. You then lay the strips on a rack over a parchment line baking sheet. Into a 325 degree oven for about 25 minutes.

What you end up with are mildly spicy lightly caramelized strips of perfectly cooked bacon. Completely acceptable to enjoy as a snack. Million Dollar Bacon will elevate your brunch game and your burger bar too!

You’re going to love our Ultimate Jack & Coke Bacon Cheeseburger! It’s got the million dollar magic!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Million Dollar Bacon (First Watch Copycat)

What you end up with are mildly spicy lightly caramelized strips of perfectly cooked bacon. Completely acceptable to enjoy as a snack. Million Dollar Bacon will elevate your brunch game and your burger bar!

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Burgers, Snack

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound bacon regular thickness

For the Glaze

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Tablespoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325° F. Place a rack onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Combine the glaze ingredients in a shallow bowl.
• Drag strips of bacon through glaze and place on rack. Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate pan and bake another 10 minutes or until your desired doneness. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

The post Million Dollar Bacon (First Watch Copycat) appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

They’re sweet & spicy, saucy & sticky and taste just like the popular Chinese take-out dish!

As promised, it’s Week #2 of my latest personal cooking challenge.

Five new Chicken Wing recipes in five weeks!

Last week’s Crispy Greek Chicken Wings were a great success, but we’re changing it up this week.

For the Baked Wings

• For this recipe you’ll make a dry rub for the wings, which consists of garlic powder, ground ginger and corn starch
• The wings are baked, not fried, at 400 degrees F. for an hour until the skin is crispy and golden.

This is my ‘healthier’ version of the classic deep fried General Tso’s chicken. Believe me, once tossed in the sweet & spicy sauce you will not miss the batter!

Meanwhile, while the wings are baking you prepare the signature sauce.

For the General Tso’s Sauce

• The sauce begins with the aromatics – freshly grated ginger, minced garlic, and dried red chili peppers (stems & seeds removed). I used japones (very hot), but you can use tianjin, arbol or red pepper flakes as well.
• Once the aromatics are sizzled in a little oil, make a slurry with soy sauce (coconut aminos for gluten free) and corn starch and reserve.
• Add chicken broth, rice wine vinegar, hoisin, sesame oil, and brown sugar to sauce pan. Bring to a simmer, then whisk in soy sauce slurry.
• Bring to a gentle boil until sauce thickens, thin with water for desired consistency.

Recipe note: We achieved our desired level of hot & spicy after bringing to a boil, so I removed the dried chilies at that time.

Toss your crispy baked chicken wings in the General Tso’s sauce and prepare to be amazed!

These wings are roll up your sleeves, two-handed, lip smacking delicious!

I plated the wings with steamed broccoli because General Tso’s Chicken is served with broccoli.

Honestly, it seemed silly but in the end the broccoli brought a nice cooling palate cleanser between rounds.

If you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing appetizer or family night dinner General Tso’s Chicken Wings are the way to go.

Crispy chicken wings with all your favorite asian flavors!! If you make this recipe I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
Libby

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General Tso’s Chicken Wings

These oven-baked wings have all the sticky spicy sweet flavors of the original Chinese food take-out dish!

Course Entree or Appetizer

Cuisine Chinese

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Ingredients

For the Rub

• 2 Tablespoons corn starch
• 1 Tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 pounds chicken wings flats & drumettes separated

For the Sauce

• 1/4 cup soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
• 1 Tablespoon corn starch
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 3 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon neutral oil (avocado, coconut, canola)
• 1 Tablespoon grated ginger
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 5 dried red chilies (such as Tianjin), stems and seeds discarded or substitute 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

To Serve

• 2 cups steamed broccoli florets
• 2 scallions thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400° F. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place rack onto pan.

For the Rub

• Combine rub dry spices in a zipper top bag. Add chicken wings and shake to coat. Place wings on prepared rack. Bake in oven for 50-60 minutes, until skin is crispy.

For the Sauce

• Make a slurry with soy sauce (coconut aminos for gluten free) and corn starch and reserve. In a small sauce pan saute grated ginger, minced garlic, and dried chilies in 1 Tbl. oil for 1 minute. Once the aromatics are sizzled in a little oil, add chicken broth, rice wine vinegar, hoisin, sesame oil, and brown sugar to sauce pan. Bring to a simmer, then whisk in soy sauce slurry. Bring to a gentle boil until sauce thickens, thin with water for desired consistency.
• Toss baked wings in prepared sauce. Serve with steamed broccoli. Garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds.

Notes

Recipe note: We achieved our desired level of hot & spicy after bringing to a boil, so I removed the dried chilies at that time.

The post General Tso’s Chicken Wings appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Startbuck’s drive thru speaker: “There’s a nationwide shortage of oat milk…

….and brown sugar.”

Me: What on earth??

Could this be true and if so, why?!!

So I ordered the Iced Chocolate Almond Milk Shaken Espresso instead.

It was good, but no where near as tasty as the Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso.

The Oat Milk

Apparently when Starbucks rolled out their new Iced Coffee creations a couple months back they underestimated their popularity.

There are reports that a widespread shift to plant-based diets has created an increase in demand for non-dairy milk. In this case oat milk, but the particular shortage mentioned was for OAT-LY! brand.

Trust me, I didn’t waste any time on my mission to source the ingredients needed to make Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso at home.

Imagine my delight when I found a long row of oat milk readily available at the market for just such a need.

The oat milk is one of the star ingredients in this iced coffee.

Having tried both, I actually prefer Califia brand over OAT-LY!, it’s much creamier. It’s creamy full texture and oatmeal-like flavor pairs really nicely with the remaining ingredients.

But you do you.

Just be sure to choose an unsweetened Oatmilk. PS. try Oat Milk poured over your favorite granola/cereal. It’s delicious!

The Brown Sugar Simple Syrup

The next key flavor in this iced coffee comes from the brown sugar simple syrup. You make it from equal parts water and brown sugar aka ‘simple’ syrup.

One cup of each will yield enough simple syrup to make 12 grande Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso.

Bring the water to a boil, add the brown sugar, whisk to combine, return to a boil to dissolve sugar, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.

For the Espresso

For a grande (16 ounce) Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso you’ll need 3 shots (or 3 ounces) of espresso.

The Starbucks website says they use a blonde espresso, which you can find at local retailers. But I say use your favorite espresso that’s available for your type of coffee maker.

Tips

When I’m making Iced Coffees, I like to cool down my brewed coffee before adding it to the ice so it doesn’t become too diluted.

For this recipe, combine 3 ounces of espresso, 1 ounce of brown sugar simple syrup, and 1/8~1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (the 3rd star ingredient) in a jar with a lid and shake, shake, shake.

Shaking is the key to incorporating the cinnamon flavor throughout the drink (not just a sprinkle on top).

Pour the sweetened cinnamon espresso into a tall glass of ice, then top with oat milk and stir to combine.

Grab yourself a straw and prepare to be delighted.

The warm familiar flavors of creamy oat milk with the brown sugar syrup and aromatic cinnamon scream fresh baked oatmeal cookies.

I’m on my second batch of simple syrup in three days, which tells you precisely how much I (and my friends & family) love Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso.

I have a standing monthly coffee date with a friend (and former colleague). Today is Earth Day so we decided to take it to the woods for a nice 3 mile hike.

Much to her delight I made us two Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espressos and had them in a cooler waiting for us when we were done. I got two thumbs up on this one!!

I’d love for you to comment below. Your feedback is so important to me (and keeps me seriously motivated). Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Espresso video on TikTok!

xo Libby

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Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso

The warm familiar flavors of creamy oat milk with the brown sugar syrup and aromatic cinnamon scream fresh baked oatmeal cookies.

Course Beverage

Servings 1

Calories 120kcal

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the Brown Sugar Simple Syrup

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup water

For ONE Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso

• 3 ounces espresso preferably cooled
• 1 ounce brown sugar simple syrup cooled
• 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsweetened oat milk or to fill glass

Instructions

For the Brown Sugar Simple Syrup

• Bring one cup of water to boil in a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar, whisk to combine, return to a boil to dissolve sugar, then remove from the heat and allow to cool. Yields 12 ounces.

For ONE Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso

• In a jar with a lid (a 16 ounce mason jar works well) combine espresso, simple syrup and cinnamon. Shake well. Fill a tall glass 3/4 full of ice. Pour espresso mixture over ice, top with oat milk. Stir to combine.

Notes

For fun I calculated what this cost me to make at home.  Here’s the breakdown.

• $2.00 2-coffee pods/capsules
• $0.06 1 ounce brown sugar simple syrup
• $0.01  1/8 tsp. cinnamon
• $0.30 1/2 cup OAT-LY! oat milk

---

$2.37 for a Grande Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso

---

vs. Starbucks grande @$5.95

The post Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso {Starbucks Copycat} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I set a calendar reminder for this food holiday because I knew it would be an opportunity to spend some time in the kitchen with Ella, my fun-loving, bright, kind and witty bonus-daughter who can hold her own in the kitchen. She’s 11. She’s a natural. And she makes banana bread like nobody’s business!!

We love quick breads and muffins. They are the perfect grab-n-go snack that’s easy to pack full of healthy goodness. We chose Dutch Apple Pie Muffins because Apple Pie is a favorite dessert in our house and the crumb topping on a Dutch Apple Pie just screams of muffin tops!!

We took our new favorite Pumpkin Morning Glory Muffin recipe and adapted it to create Dutch Apple Pie Muffins. By using equal parts Gluten Free Baking Flour and Old Fashion Oats ground into oat flour these muffins are gluten free with the most delightful texture and they are loaded with fresh apples.

The crumb topping is bursting with Apple Pie Spice aromas; cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.

For the apples we used Honey Crisp because we wanted the natural sweetness since this recipe uses maple syrup or honey in place of cane sugar. You could certainly use your favorite variety.

We hope you’ll give these Dutch Apple Pie Muffins a try. They’ll be the perfect autumn-thyme treat smack during apple picking season. But we loved them equally as much today on National Muffin Day!

This morning we also agreed to recreate store-bought “Little Bites” to see if we could match their undeniable teenager attraction. Check back, we believe we have cracked the code.

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Dutch Apple Pie Muffins {Gluten Free}

Dutch Apple Pie Muffins bring a warm Apple Pie flavor with a crumb topping that just screams of muffin tops!!

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

For the crumb topping

• 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
• 1/2 cup All-purpose Gluten Free Flour
• 1 teaspoon apple pie spice (recipe linked in post)
• 1/4 cup butter melted

For the muffins

• 3/4 cup Old Fashioned Oats ground into flour
• 1 cup All-Purpose Gluten Free measure for measure flour
• 2 teaspoons apple pie spice (recipe linked in post)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups apples peeled and chopped, about 2 apples

Instructions

For the crumb topping

• In a small bowl, combine all crumb topping ingredients. Reserve.

For the muffins

• Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease or line muffin tin (12 standard or 6 jumbo).
• In a large bowl whisk together dry ingredients through salt. In a small bowl, whisk applesauce, brown sugar, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla and eggs. Stir wet mixture into dry just until combined. Fold in chopped apples.
• Divide batter evenly into muffin cups. Sprinkle a couple tablespoons of crumb topping onto each muffin. Bake for 18-20 minutes (slightly less for standard size muffins) or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out mostly dry. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, continue cooling on wire rack.

The post Dutch Apple Pie Muffins {Gluten Free} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

We found such a bargain on Sea Scallops.  Great big juicy sea scallops.  

I believe the steep price tag is what keeps me from eating them every day.  But I do love them. 

We bought eight (should have bought more) and decided to prepare them two ways. 

This month’s issue of Real Simple has a quick guide to marinades. 

Right there in front of me was a Korean marinade, using ingredients already in our pantry like soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil, rice vinegar.

It was a sign and it was soooo delicious. 

Really, really good. 

We literally were dipping chips in it before starting dinner (not sure that’s the kind of thing I should share….no judging).

I decided to use that as a springboard for this dish. 

I’ve been wanting to use udon noodles and they were perfect with this punchy marinade. 

I prepared them according to the package then stir fried them quickly in a little reserved marinade with sugar pea pods and radish for a nice crunch.  I seared the marinated sea scallops in a little olive oil and served them on top of the noodles, sprinkled with toasted seeds (I use a 7 seed blend) and fresh cilantro. 

Such a simple, yet extremely flavorful dish. The Asian Noodles were the perfect pairing for these succulent Sea Scallops.

You might also like our 2nd choice.  Pan Seared Scallops with Basil Pesto Pasta.

Are you a Sea Scallop lover like me? Check out our Favorite Sea Scallop Recipe Roundup HERE. I’d love your feedback in the comments below.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Asian Noodles with Seared Sea Scallops

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 2 bundles udon noodles
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 8 Sea Scallops
• 1 handful snow pea pods
• 2 radish thinly sliced
• 1 scallion thinly sliced
• 1 tsp. toasted seed blend
• fresh cilantro for garnish

For the marinade/sauce…

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 Tbl. sesame oil
• 2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

For marinade…

• Combine all marinade ingredients, reserve 1/4 cup to use as sauce. Pour remaining marinade into a bowl or zip top bag with scallops. Marinate for 15 minutes.
• Prepare udon noodles according to package instructions. Reserve.
• Meanwhile, remove scallops from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Discard marinade. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear scallops untouched for 2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan.
• Add 1/4 cup reserved marinade into skillet, stir fry udon noodles with pea pods, radish, and scallions until heated through, 2-3 minutes.
• Serve scallops on top of udon noodle mixture; sprinkle with toasted seeds and cilantro leaves.

The post Asian Noodles With Perfectly Seared Sea Scallops appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars. That’s what the experts said I should call these two-bite “Change Your Life” treats.  Said in my best Steel Magnolias accent, which I happen to be watching tonight. We’ll come back to that.

I have this friend who is a huge Reese’s fan. So one year for her birthday I made her these Peanut Butter Brownie Bites…Of Love! They are as ooey gooey yummy as they look friends. Here’s that RECIPE.

Then there was the year I discovered how easy it was to make Homemade Peanut Butter Cups. Let’s just say this about those….WOW!!!

Check out the recipe here —>>> RECIPE

The following year I decided to try out a White Chocolate version of above mentioned Homemade Peanut Butter Cups.  They were equally as tasty and quite festive if I do say so myself. RECIPE

Then somewhere, likely on Pinterest, I saw this fudge. This oh so sweet and creamy White Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge. We were in heaven. Sweet tooth heaven. Here’s Another RECIPE for you to try.

Since we’re on a peanut butter cup love fest together, there were these delightful treats that I made one year for my other bff chocolate/peanut butter loving friend.

Surround yourself with like-minded people and you’re sure to find someone with a stash of chocolate. And peanut butter if you’re lucky! Here’s how we put these Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed Oreos together —>> RECIPE

So before I get to the recipe for Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars I must share that as I sat here at my kitchen table typing up this post, Steel Magnolias was fired up on the tv. I know you’ve seen this movie.

After all, I named my kid after the lead character, whether we had a boy or a girl, the name would be Shelby. A little Steel Magnolias text thread exchange with my Shelby.

I promise I’ll get to the recipe for two-bite “change your life” peanut butter bars. I just have to share one more text exchange. Hee.

Recipe slightly adapted from Culinary Hill.

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Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Ingredients

• 10 Tbl. butter divided
• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 3/4 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

• Line a 9×9-inch pan with aluminum foil.
• Melt 5 Tbl. butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Stir in peanut butter, brown sugar and confectioners sugar. Press into prepared pan and chill.
• Melt remaining 5 Tbl. butter and chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in microwave for 1 minute. Stir, heat in 30-second increments until smooth. Pour over peanut butter base.
• Chill until firm, at least two hours or overnight. Cut into bars, about 1 1/2-inch square. Store in refrigerator.

The post Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

First and foremost, Happy New Year!! We are looking forward to a delicious year ahead.  New Year’s Day may seem like an odd time to post a recipe for Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits.  I’m guessing a good number of you (and me) are launching resolutions today, likely containing at least one involving health and wellness. Am I right?

It’s just that I have been really working to perfect homemade biscuits over the past year.  On Christmas Eve, my work mates and I had the most incredible brunch.  We all decided the day before that we would bring in some ingredient from our fridge or pantry. No one needed to go to the grocery store, just bring what you have.  We had homemade crepes with Nutella and strawberries, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, cheesy grits casserole, home fries, toast, cantaloupe, homemade biscuits and sausage gravy, and the biggest veggie frittata you could imagine.  All prepared in our office break room.

A work family that cooks together, sticks together.

Did I mention we wore our pj’s to work that day too?  Ho, ho, ho!!

So after this Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits recipe passed the test at the office and this morning’s batch sealed the deal, I knew I was ready to put it out there.  These are buttery biscuits, with crispy bottoms & edges, and flaky insides.  They are incredible under sausage or bacon gravy.  Make one heck of a vehicle for a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit.  And my personal favorite, those flaky nooks are begging for soft butter and a drizzle of honey.  Oh my my!!

I think the key to making great biscuits is your ingredients and mixing bowl must be cold.  In fact your butter needs to be frozen, as in over night in the freezer, frozen.  Keeping your ingredients cold makes for nice flaky biscuits, instead of those dry ones.  You know the ones.

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Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 27 minutes minutes

Servings 8 -10

Ingredients

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 2 Tbl. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 stick frozen butter
• 1 cup buttermilk very cold
• 1/4 cup heavy cream very cold
• melted butter for brushing tops

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Place buttermilk, cream and medium sized metal bowl in freezer for 10 minutes.
• Using a box grater, grate frozen butter onto a paper plate. Remove bowl from freezer, add flour, brown sugar and salt. Whisk to combine.
• Add grated butter to flour. Using a pastry cutter, combine butter with flour until mixture appears crumbly. Make a well in the center of the flour. Pour in buttermilk and cream. Using pastry cutter, gently fold flour into cream until just combined. Don’t overwork the dough.
• Generously flour your work surface. Turn dough out onto counter and sprinkle with a little flour. Turn edges of dough in toward center just a few times. Pat into a rectangle about 1 1/2 inches thick. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut into the dough and lift without twisting. Place onto prepared baking sheet one-inch apart.
• Bake for 12 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter.

Notes

Butter should be frozen overnight. I also put the mixing bowl, buttermilk and cream in the freezer for 10 minutes before beginning.

The post Buttermilk Biscuits appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Sweet.  Crisp.  Bread & Butter Pickles.  We’re hooked.  Fortunately these pickles are super easy to make and just a day away from pickle perfection.

October may seem like an odd time of year to put out a pickle recipe.  After all, our local farmers market has closed for the season.  The thing is, we’ve enjoyed these pickles all summer long and I’m just now coming around to post them.

So while in-season pickling cukes might be best for making pickles, I have learned that salad cucumbers work just fine.  Their skins are a bit thicker, but that has been no challenge for this pickling liquid.  I assure you, these Bread & Butter Pickles are perfectly sweet and punchy.

I used our trusty mandolin fitted with a ridge blade to slice the cucumbers.  Slicing them with a knife, either in rounds like this or into spears, works well also.  Once sliced, the cucumbers are salted and allowed to sit refrigerated for an hour, before being rinsed to remove the salt.

The pickling liquid is a combination of sugars and vinegars with mustard and celery seed, along with a bit of turmeric.  It is the perfect balance of sweet with a sour bite finish.

This picture is eye candy.  A jar of pickle love.

Earlier this summer, while visiting my local farmers market, I bought cucumbers.  I don’t eat cucumbers, in their raw form.  I like them, they don’t like me.  But I am a sucker for old-timey farmers and can’t walk by without speaking (and most often purchasing) from each and every one of them.  I happily bought the last 2 pounds of his pickling cukes and promptly began recipe research for pickles…a mutual love.  I found this recipe from Recipe Girl and have never looked back.

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Bread & Butter Pickles

Prep Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs. thinly sliced pickling cucumbers
• 1 1/2 Tbl. kosher salt
• 1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp. celery seeds
• 1/8 tsp. turmeric

Instructions

• Place cucumbers in a large bowl and toss with salt; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Transfer to a colander and rinse under cold water to remove the salt. Drain well and return to bowl; add sliced onion.
• In a medium saucepan combine sugars, vinegars and remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pour hot pickling liquid over cucumbers and onions. Allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Transfer pickles to covered jars and refrigerate for 24 hours. Store refrigerated for up to two weeks.

The post Bread & Butter Pickles appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

It all began with an overripe bunch of bananas.  I bought them with the best smoothie intentions.  Before bed last night I declared Banana Cake is going to happen.  Thanks to Pinterest and Sprinkle Some Sugar this holy amazingness happened.  On Easter Sunday.  Banana Upside Down Cake is a recipe you’ll want to remember.

Melt a stick of butter in your cast iron skillet.  Stir in a cup of brown sugar love. Top with a layer of banana slices then pour in your tender cake batter.  Ease into Banana Upside Down Cake with confidence.  This super simple recipe will fill your kitchen with sugary butter love.

Start to finish one hour.  It will be the most celebrated hour you’ve spent when your family takes their first bite.  Amazing.

Recipe source Sprinkle Some Sugar.

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Banana Upside Down Cake

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 10 -12

Author Sprinkle Some Sugar

Ingredients

For the topping (bottom of the pan)…

• 6 Tbl. butter melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 bananas sliced 1/4″ rounds

For the cake…

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• pinch salt
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup mashed bananas about 2 medium
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/3 cup oil
• 2 eggs

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Melt butter in cast iron skillet. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar. Arranged sliced bananas over brown sugar. Once inverted this will be the top of your cake.
• In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Then add in remaining ingredients and stir until well combined (but not overworked). Pour batter over bananas.
• Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cake cool for 5 minutes then turn out onto a large plate. Don’t wait longer to invert or the caramelized sugar will stick to the pan.
• Best served warm.

The post Banana Upside Down Cake appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles.

Seriously?  Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough balls dunked in chocolate?  Oh my word.  Don’t leave me alone with a tray of these bad boys.  No worries raw egg police, these no-bake treats are egg-free.

This recipe completely validates why I surf Pinterest late at night.  Recipes like this one from BHG.com find their way into my feed, then I dream about the day they become a reality.  Today was that day.  I packed up the simple ingredients and headed to the office.

You didn’t really think I was going to sit down and eat the whole pan by myself did you?

I enlisted help for dipping.  The pretty ones are Bethany’s work (cake pop & truffle-maker extraordinaire), the ones with character are mine ;) They all found their way to a good home.  I even cut some in half so that those of us making Healthy Choices could still sample Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles with only half the guilt.  That’s what we call Share the Love around here.

In fact there was a whole lot of “Make Their Day” going on at the office today.  Look at this super delicious care package that was hand delivered by our Customer Service Team to every other company member.  I work with the best and most thoughtful group!!

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter 1 stick
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 Tbl. vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup mini-chocolate chips
• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips or candy coating for dipping

Instructions

• Beat butter, brown sugar and vanilla until combined. Add in flour until just combined, then stir in mini-chocolate chips.
• Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on parchment lined shallow baking sheet. Freeze for about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips in microwave safe bowl. Stirring every 20 – 30 seconds until melted.
• Remove dough from freezer. Using toothpick, dip each in melted chocolate and place back on parchment lined baking sheet. Once all are dipped, return to refrigerator for 5 minutes to set chocolate.

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