Roasted pork chops and potato stacks (two recipes!).

I made these pork chops and potato stacks the same night that I made the Roasted broccoli and parmesan bowls. I must say, it was a pretty marvelous dinner! This is the way that I almost always cook my pork chops, and they always come out delicious. The potato stacks were something new for me, but I think they will become a regular dish.

Romance is in the air (treasury Tuesday).

 June is just a few days away, and that means that it is wedding season! Our one year anniversary is coming up next week, so these treasuries really made me smile. I also have a few friends who will be getting married next June, so I'm always on the lookout for sweet wedding accessories. The music themed items are just perfect for one of the couples I know.

Sing me a song! by Leesa

Red Hearts by Distinctive

Grandma's rum cake (recipe).

Last weekend there was a very nice ceremony for a friend of mine who is a veteran. As soon as I heard about it, I knew I wanted to make this rum cake for his event. The ceremony was held at Mt. Soledad, which is an absolutely stunning place. You have a 360 degree view of the ocean and San Diego (I'll have to share some pictures of the view sometime).

Roasted broccoli served in a parmesan bowl (delicious side dish).

Chocolate strawberry oat and jam tart (recipe).

Last week I traded blogs with Cheryl from Prickly Banana. In case you missed it, here is the recipe that I posted on her blog.

Two beautiful collections (treasury Tuesday).

Lost? You need a map.

Southern California treasury

Cheesy artichoke bread (guest post from Prickly Banana)

Good morning everyone! Today we are trading blogs, and I am happily handing my blog over to the talented Cheryl from Prickly Banana. I am always amazed by the beautiful furniture restorations that Cheryl shares; she has a great eye for the potential that a piece of beat down furniture still holds. Check out this amazing chair refurbish that she did.


In return, I am posting over at Prickly Banana today. Be sure to go check it out (I made oat & jam bars), and take a look around. A big "Thank you!" to Melissa from Serendipity and Spice for organizing this wonderful blog swap.


Now, without further ado, here's Cheryl:

Hey there everyone!!  I am so excited to be guest posting for Monica here at M Double M!  I am a new follower of M Double M and already I can tell this will be a valuble resource when I need to get my creative juices moving!  Monica has some really awesome recipes that I will be trying VERY soon.

It is garden time for many of us and if you are anything like me, you will be up to your earlobes in Zucchini.  Monica's recipe for Cheesy Sausage and Zucchini Casserole will take care of your zucchini overload.

This recipe I actually made tonight and it was Ah-May-ZING!!!  Crock Pot Chicken and Black Bean Burritos defy the meaning of delicious (the kids loved them).  And super easy to boot!

I thought with all of Monica's awesome recipes, I would throw down a little challenge if you will.  I present to you the Cheesy Artichoke Bread!

I had a jar of artichokes in my pantry for no lie....about a year.   It was really time I used them, for something.
I was making pasta for dinner and was going to toast some italian bread when genious struck.
Cheesy Artichoke Bread.  It's cheesy, it's artichoky, and, well ...bread.

Get your chef on: lemon soufflé (recipe).

It's finally here! Today is the day that we all get to share our "Get Your Chef On: Lemons" recipes. I love cooking with lemons, and I can't wait to see what everyone else has come up with! If you haven't heard about the Get Your Chef On challenge, you can learn more here (and see all of the other participants too). 

As soon as I saw that the featured ingredient was lemons, I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I went through a stage last year when I was making soufflés about once a week. I read dozens of recipes and tips, and I took lots of notes every time I made a batch. Then I must have gotten souffléd out because I didn't make a single one for about a year. Luckily, my appetite for soufflés is back, so I pulled out all of my notes and went to work.

Now, the first thing I have to say about soufflés is that you shouldn't be scared of them. They aren't as difficult to make as many people think. I think there are two keys to creating a good soufflé. First, be gentle with the egg whites; fold them gently and don't bang the pans around. Second, precision is important; baking is a science, so order and measurements are very important. These only take about ten minutes to put together, so give them your undivided attention for those ten minutes, and you will be happy with the results. 

I picked these lemons from my father-in-laws tree. Aren't they beautiful!

I love this recipe. The result is a soft, fluffy, light top that becomes richer, thicker, and more custardy at the bottom. It's warm, satisfying, and refreshing all at once. In fact, if I wasn't out of eggs, I'd be making another batch right this instant.

Banana bread (recipe).

I love banana bread for breakfast, so anytime I have some extra ripe bananas I like to whip up a batch. This recipe is perfect; it's a little sweet, moist enough to eat alone, and absolutely delicious toasted with a little butter. This recipe is also great made as muffins or mini muffins (I love those little bite size mini muffins!)

Congratulations, it's a girl (treasury Tuesday)!

Congratulations, it's a girl!