101 Chocolate Recipes for Valentine's Day

I've always been a fan of Valentine's Day--all the hearts floating around, the words "love" and "sweetheart" printed on every card, and of course, the chocolate. Since Valentine's Day is a little more than a week away, and my husband has an incurable sweet tooth, I'm thinking of recreating one of the decadent chocolate desserts I've pinned to my 101 Chocolate Recipes for Valentine's Day board. Check it out if you're into chocolate or you want to treat your love to something sweet after the romantic, candlelit dinner; it's loaded with mousse, tart, cake, souffle, and truffle recipes.

Eye Candy: Field Day, W Magazine February 2014

This spread shot by Craig Dean in the February 2014 issue of W magazine is absolutely stunning, no?

images via

Pale Ale Turkey Chili

Cooking for a crowd (or even a small crew) for the big game can be tricky when you have little ones because traditional football-watching fare is either too spicy or too greasy. After a lot of trial and error, I've come up with a chili recipe that's perfect for Super Bowl Sunday--not too much heat so the kiddos can enjoy, but it's hearty enough for the manliest of men. Plus, it has beer in it, which could never be a bad thing (the alcohol cooks off, of course).  

Pale Ale Turkey Chili
1 lb ground turkey
1 small white onion, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 25oz can kidney beans, drained
1 15oz can black beans, drained
1 15oz can pinto beans, drained
2 15oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 large tomato, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin 
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
 ½ cup pale ale (I used an Indian Pale Ale, or IPA)

Topping ideas: cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped onion, hot sauce, jalapenos, avocado, tortilla chips, chopped tomato

In a large stockpot, brown the ground turkey with the onion, bell pepper, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Stir in remaining ingredients, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 hours. Alternatively, you can brown the turkey without the veggies, then place all the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours.

Friday Favorites

Sometimes the most uneventful weeks turn out to be the nicest. We didn't do much this week, but I'm telling you, every day felt like Saturday to me (or perhaps I'm just so exhausted, I've finally lost all track of space and time). It was actually quite relaxing to not constantly be thinking about what day it was and what had to be accomplished on that day, and I'm hoping to spend more weeks like this one in 2014. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend. God bless!

A stack of books we donated to the children's hospital. And by the way, my brilliant brother wrote this book--get it here.  

This song.  

A love note pillowcase DIY I'm considering doing for each of my girls. 

Tiny heart legwarmers and my baby's chubby, yummy feet.

Pink marshmallows that I know my four-year old will love making.

9 Wing Recipes for a Super Bowl Party

Chicken wings are the quintessential food for sports viewing. Nachos, beer, and onion rings make nice accompaniments, but it's the wing that is truly the star (according to this over a billion wings will be eaten this weekend). If you're hosting a Super Bowl party this Sunday, you'll want to have at least one killer wing on your buffet table; any flavor will do, but if you want to try something new, these recipes could rival your favorite buffalo wings.   

1. Pineapple Tequila Sticky Chicken Wings  2. Smoked Buffalo Wings   3. Jalapeno Lime Chicken Wings   4. Spicy Citrus Caramel Chicken Wings   5. Sweet Tea-Brined Hot Chicken Wings   6. Spicy Maple Chicken Wings   7. Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Wings   8. Spicy Cajun Style Chicken Wings   9. Samuel Adams Boston Lager-Glazed Chicken Wings