Baking with Blondie

With Fall right around the corner, I thought it would be fun to dive into pumpkin early. I kind of cheated a couple weeks ago and let a pumpkin recipe drop early - my Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Muffins were totally worth it, though.  Today? This one's a total gem! Honey butter and I have always been good friends. I don't make it nearly as often as I'd like, but when I do, it's magically disappears along with an entire half loaf of bread within a day or two. Total mystery, I know. Now we're throwing pumpkin in the mix, and all bets are off. It was a total hit (especially with my darling niece), and I can't believe I haven't made another batch to smother on pancakes or some thick french toast! 

Only 2 recipes left here in my official Zucchini Week here on Baking with Blondie! I tried my best to stick to savory-only recipes, and think more outside of the zucchini-muffin/bread box. ;) This last one is a recipe that's a little more on the let's-fancy-up-the-zucchini side of life. It was amazing!!! The crust is flaky puff pastry dough, and the zucchini are all wrapped up in pretty roses on a bed of soft ricotta and mozzarella. These would make a perfect side dish or even appetizer for any Italian dish you have planned for dinner. Let's dive right into these beauties! 

Okay guys, we are already halfway through Zucchini week and I am already getting emails and messages that you've been trying out the recipes! The Zucchini Tots have been a total hit in those who have reported back to me, and I already know of some of you who are making the Zucchini Pizza Crust tonight! This totally makes my day (week and month, actually!), and makes me even more excited to share with you the last three recipes I have ready for you. Today's recipe is one that I'm sure many of you have tried. But I'm telling you, THIS is the recipe you're going to want to keep around and make every year during zucchini season! The zucchini fries are baked, so they haven't been drenched in oil or deep fried. But dang, they sure taste crispy like they have been! For me, that's a win. haha. Making these fries are a process, but they can be an easier and less-messy process with my tips below. I promise you that! Let's dive in, shall we? 

Okay guys, so here we are on day 2 of my official Zucchini Week here on Baking with Blondie. These recipes all make me excited to have zucchini lying around in the kitchen - instead of the usual " crap what the heck am I going to do with this thing " line. Yesterday, I shared my Zucchini Tots , and to stick with that kid-friendly theme, these zucchini pizzas were in order for today! I was highly skeptical, but was pleasantly surprised at how amazing they tasted!! They quickly turned into one of my favorite zucchini recipes I've tried so far this season. 

You guys, this week I am totally hooking you up with some seriously awesome zucchini recipes!!! Each day I'll be sharing one of our new favorites (that happen to all be completely kid-friendly, btw), and each is sure to be a new favorite for you, too! I know we've all been there - too much zucchini, and only so much zucchini bread/muffins we make to use it up before we start to get bored of it. These new recipes are all tried and true, and we have loved each and every one of them!  So to start off the week, I'm sharing these amazing zucchini tots. They are so much fun, and my cute nephew couldn't keep his hands off them. haha

The most perfect classic peach pie you could ever dream of is right here. With my favorite pie crust recipe and the most mouthwatering sure-fire filling using the juiciest peaches you can find, this pie is sure to be a yearly baking tradition and family favorite!

Fall is quickly on it's way, and pumpkin and cheesecake have never tasted better together! Each muffin is packed with a soft pumpkin flavor and beautiful swirl of cream cheese for the perfect combination of each flavor in each bite.

This pear pie crumble has all you'd ever hope for in a pie, with the extra crisp on top only a sweet crumble can provide! Double-win! I sealed the deal with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of my favorite homemade salted caramel sauce. You are going to want this dessert on repeat this fall when we're all lucky enough to have pears in season! Yum! 

You are going to LOVE this one! Spicy chicken (not too spicy, though), soft noodles in a pool of a garlic lemon cream sauce, topped with fresh tomatoes and shredded Parmesan. Dinner is ready in seriously under 25 minutes!

With baking season headed your way in full swing, I've decided to re-share one of my most favorite sure-fire recipes to wet your whistle straight into pie town. The most perfect pie crust can be what makes or breaks your pie's flavor and overall texture. Trust me, this recipe is the one you're going to want to keep close to the vest. Everyone will think you're a baking hero, when really you just mixed together 5 ingredients. Yep, only FIVE. And I've attached step-by-step photos to guarantee your baking success, and rave reviews from your loved ones.  I feel like pies are the Hallmark of everything Fall, and with school starting, the weather changing soon, and our taste buds gravitating somehow straight for the "p" word (okay, it's pumpkin), it's important to not have to worry about a pie crust that's going to flop. I've made countless pies with this recipe, and I promise you it's the best of the best. Let's dive in! 

My youngest son turned one and we had the cutest little Where the Wild Things Are birthday party to celebrate! I love throwing birthday parties for my boys. As they grow older, I try to do smaller birthday parties with a few of their little friends over. But when they are still very little, I like to keep it within the family for the celebration, and get a bit more into the party planning! When I knew my youngest was turning one soon, I invited everyone over to our favorite park (because heaven knows they all wouldn't have fit in our little apartment, and also all of our apartment was in boxes for our move). The park had a cute pavillion, plenty of shade, and lots of tables for family to sit at and enjoy. I decorated everything like a jungle (with the wind against me at full force, I wanted to cry it was so windy!). It all still worked out, though. We had all-fruit popsicles, fruit infused waters, and cute little soda drinks for our families to enjoy. Also, lots and lots of