Be warned: I’m having a serious moment with peppermint. It started last weekend at a restaurant outside Chicago. The only thing I remember from that night is when the world’s most perfect peppermint ice cream topped with chocolate sauce arrived at the table, my life was forever changed.

I’ve been a food fan for as long as I can remember. If something is really good, I’m not shy about being all in. That said, I’ve never liked a dessert so much I ordered seconds. Yep, I did that. I ordered an entire second bowl of ice cream with chocolate sauce and devoured it. The ice cream was incredible and every once in a few bites, you got a hit of these perfect little bits of actual crushed up peppermint candies in the ice cream.

It was that perfect combination of chocolate and peppermint that got me hooked on finding a new way to enjoy those simple, classic flavors. I wanted to recreate a version of it and found the perfect vehicle: Peppermint Ice Cream Sandwiches.

There are only three ingredients in this dessert so use the best ice cream, cookies, and peppermint candies you can find. I used Graeter’s Ice Cream and Nabisco’s Famous Wafers for the chocolate cookie. Nabisco’s Famous Wafer work because the chocolate isn’t overwhelming and the size of the cookie is perfect.

This ice cream sandwich is super easy to assemble and fun to do with the kids. Kids love playing with the ice cream scooper, squeezing the ice cream between the cookies, and rolling it in crushed peppermint. If you notice the ice cream getting too soft after you make the sandwich, stick them in the freezer for 15 minutes before rolling them in the candies. If you are looking for a more professional look, use a butter knife to clean up ice cream around the edges of the sandwiches before you roll them in candy.

This delicious holiday treat is the perfect special treat!

Enjoy!

-xo

This BBQ Chicken Sandwich is what football tastes like at my house. It’s insanely good, easy to pull together, and always a crowd pleaser. I’m pretty sure there is nothing better than a lazy day of football with family, friends, and a huge pot of BBQ Chicken ready to go!

We don’t entertain with fancy, sit down dinners at my house. Instead, we have families over for what I call “event television.” Think football games, awards shows, and finales of shows like Survivor. It is super low key entertaining with tons of food and kids running around. The show is basically an excuse to get together.

See the splatter on the counter? Just keeping it real….

Clearly, I still didn’t see the splatter.

This recipe is adapted from The Pioneer Woman. I’ve used it for years and it’s always a winner. This isn’t labor intensive, has 4 main ingredients, and is nothing short of awesome. It takes about an hour and a half in the oven but so worth it!

I love this moment. The chicken, the sauce, the Hawaiian Roll, the pickles…..

I serve these sandwiches on Hawaiian Rolls with pickles, cole slaw, a big pot of baked beans, potato chips, and sweet potato fries.

Enjoy!

If you read my Pasta with Tomatoes and Fresh Herbs post, you know all about my lifelong obsession with tomatoes. What I didn’t share with you is the first recipe I ever concocted as a little girl in Wisconsin. In the summer, I would take a slice of white bread (cough, Wonder Bread), slather it with mayonnaise, and layer thick, juicy tomato slices with a healthy sprinkle of salt. That delicious combination brings me back to those warm summer days in Kenosha.

I’m still obsessed with that simple sandwich, but now I use quality ingredients. Oh, and on the Wonder Bread, cut me a break, people. It was the early 80s, and I hadn’t yet moved to the gourmet ghetto in Berkeley, California.

Feeling out of place is a classic symptom of being 14, but once I moved to Berkeley, I knew I was out of place. I missed Wisconsin terribly, and I had trouble making friends. I dreaded Mr. Brush’s drama class because it fell just before lunch. The end of class meant I had to face the courtyard at lunch with nowhere to sit. It was awful.

When I learned you could go off campus for lunch, I felt saved. I walked with purpose up to Shattuck Avenue as if I had a pressing appointment. As it turns out, I did. Downtown Berkeley introduced me to new foods and taught me the importance of simple but good ingredients. When I recall tasting my first potsticker, lunching on fresh baguettes and special cheese, or even having frozen yogurt for the first time, I relive the moments in my life when I fell madly in love with food.

Lunch is still an important part of my day. I’m usually at home working but don’t want to give up the opportunity to indulge in something delicious. I keep simple, seasonal ingredients at home that create beautiful lunches. Just because I can’t go out to eat doesn’t mean I can’t have something wonderful. My Tomato Burrata Tartine is a great example of a perfect summer lunch. This tartine is insanely addictive, bursting with flavor, and will have you obsessively hunting down the very best tomatoes you can find.

Enjoy!