Desserts

My belly’s getting bigger by the second, and I’ve spent a LOT of time in the last month or so doing what many pregnant women find themselves occupying their time with: cuddling up in bed with a big bowl of ice cream. Lack of energy and constant cravings have had me running to the store for last-minute store-bought treats, but I’ll admit that all that readymade stuff hasn’t left me feeling very awesome. I’ve pretty much flipped the old 80-20 rule on its head lately, and it’s time to get back on track with food that will satisfy my sweet tooth and leave my stomach feeling happy. After trying over a dozen recipes and methods, I’ve come up with the perfect paleo ice cream.

The other day, I was shoveling a strange combination of sweet and salty and chocolate ingredients into my mouth when I birthed this genius culinary concoction: Peanut Butter Potato Chip S’mores. I posted it on my Facebook page and got a few responses like, "That looks weird," and "You are definitely pregnant." But I found that this satisfied every single wish my tastebuds could possibly come up with (except meat…I still want some meat. I guess I could throw some bacon on here, perhaps). It took less than 10 minutes to make in the oven with zero clean-up. Come, all you skeptics, and give it a try.

I like pumpkin pie as much as the next person, but sometimes all the traditional Thanksgiving cooking is just a little slooow for me. I want my sweet tooth satisfied NOW, and I want to spend those extra five or ten hours hanging out with my family. These pumpkin brownies are the perfect solution. They whip up fast and easy with a base of boxed brownie mix and some canned pumpkin.

This dish is definitely primal (no grains or processed sugar to be found here). It’s also kid-friendly (my boys gobbled them up!). I’ll admit, though, that I struggled a bit with what exactly to call my bready, cheesecake-frosting dessert. There’s no coffee or rum so it’s not really tiramisu. The dense cake seems more on the side of a biscuit than an airy birthday treat. I eventually landed on "tiramisu cupcakes" because that’s what came into my head when I bit into them. Layers of a marscapone-like cream concoction converging with buttery bread and bittersweet chocolate.

I know. Everybody claims to have a recipe for THE best chocolate chip cookies.

Sometimes a gal simply needs to take care of her sweet tooth. A lot of people claim that a certain recipe or dessert is their weakness. I don’t get that. Indulging the occasional desire is not weakness. No! These butterscotch cookies are my STRENGTH.

The season of barbecues and tailgates is upon us. Oh yes, it’s football season! In honor of game time, I’m going to share my favorite gluten-free peach cobbler that can be made on a barbecue or even straight over a campfire, if that’s more your style (you rugged caveman, you).

The Peanuts Movie is almost here, along with Halloween! I’m so stoked to see the updated version of my classic favorite. I’ve been getting our kids prepared to experience the amazingness of the whole Schulz gang by reading them the books and screening every Peanuts DVD I can get my hands on. Have you noticed that Charlie Brown Halloween stuff is popping up everywhere? This season is going to be a Charlie Brown extravaganza . . . and we’re STOKED!

I’ve heard about this DIY whipped cream hack a ton of times. Like so many other Pinterest-inspired activities, I didn’t think it would actually work.

Nate and the boys and I keep finding ourselves at holiday parties all over the place – tis the season – and we’re noticing an interesting trend this year. People aren’t hosting big sit-down things like they used to, opting instead for small plates and cookie potlucks. We don’t always have time to eat on our own before we head to a party, so I’ve been trying to come up with extra-hearty recipes to bring along. These caramel apple bars are just the ticket!

I got into a bad cookie habit when I was pregnant with Minion, and I’m trying to get back on-track. New Year’s resolutions and all. I like to indulge a little (okay, a lot) and I’m just trying to adjust those midnight snacks to something that won’t totally wreck my metabolism.

Some Boy just turned five, and in true Day family tradition I let him pick out all the details of his party. Every year each birthday kid chooses the meal, who’s invited, what activities we do…the whole nine yards.

Nothing quite compares to the creamy mouthfeel of a big cup of milk and a freshly-baked cookie to go with it!

Want to rock your next neighborhood gathering? Throw a shindig with an old-fashioned ice cream theme and watch everyone from toddlers to 90-year-old grannies bust out grins from ear-to-ear.

Sweet breakfast confections featuring ice cream have been all the rage lately, from ice cream croissants to delectable donut holes and melty muffin bites. Here’s how our family puts a new twist on another breakfast classic with ice cream waffle sandwiches.

I love summer, largely because we’re spoiled with a huge array of fruits and vegetables here in California. All these options make it easy to trim down and fit into that old bathing suit so we can go frolic about at beach parties (that’s the California girl secret: a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables, with a fair number of skinny girl margaritas and the occasional bonfire s’more thrown in). I’ve been trying out Clear American drinks from Walmart as part of a campaign I’m working on with the #CBias blogging program and a genius thought occurred to me. I can swap out the sugar syrup in my favorite summer dessert and use Clear American sparkling water instead! Since the sparkling water is sweet and calorie-free, it’s the perfect substitute to help me continue making creative recipes using fruits, without detracting from their healthfulness.

Raspberries have burst into season, making their juicy debut from mid-summer through fall. If you’re looking for a way to use up a freshly-picked barrel of these bad boys, this raspberry dessert recipe will hit the spot.