I can’t tell you how many times someone has asked me, “How do you come up with your recipes?” There is no one answer to this often-asked question. Sometimes I see a recipe where I like a particular concept the individual who created it has used, and other times I eat something that is just so gosh darn amazing that I need to recreate it. It’s hard to say where an idea comes from. It just comes. Sometimes I have to make something right there and then before I forget about it, and then there are times when I need to think about what it is exactly I want to tweak, and figure out a way to do that without compete failure. The recipes below fall into that category. Today I’m giving you a look into my brain and how it works; a very scary thing indeed. Enter with caution. Hopefully you’ll get to see some of these recipes in the near future. Let me know which ones you’re most excited about.
Almond Butter Roasted Banana Bread from How Sweet It Is
When I first saw this picture from one of my favorite food bloggers, I didn’t give a rat’s ass about the actual recipe for banana bread. The only thing I could focus on were the roasted bananas. Genius! There will be roasted banana ice cream because summer has arrived and ice cream is now a weekly thing.
Bacon Wrapped Avocado from Oh, Sweet Basil
I’m still not a fan of baked avocados because I feel like something is lost in the whole baking process. However, what I can enthusiastically get behind are baked sweet potatoes. As soon as I saw these avocado slices wrapped in bacon, the only thing I could think about were sweet potato wedges rolled in Tex-Mex seasoning, wrapped in bacon, and then served with a thick guacamole dipping sauce. I think you will all agree that every part of that idea will turn out to be fantastically delish.
Jam Kolaches from Crackers on the Couch
For our annual Halloween party, I made homemade apple pie jam to use in mini puff pastry pop tarts. They were amazing, by the way, and somehow I never got around to writing down the recipe for the jam or the pop tarts, much less taking a picture of them. Very sad. I still have a jar of the leftover jam in my freezer and have been waiting for the perfect recipe to use it in. I think I’ve found it. Just imagine eating these kolaches filled with that lovely homemade jam and then sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Oh, I drool just thinking about it.
3-Ingredient Mini Stuffed Peppers from A Spicy Perspective
Most people by now know that I am not a fan of peppers in any shape or form. To put it simply, they do not agree with me, and therefor they will never be my BFF. So why you ask would this picture make me excited? Come on now, just look at that filling. It makes me want to grab some mushrooms, fill them with herbed goat cheese, crumble some bacon on top, and then drizzle the little cuties with spice-laden honey. I need to remember to put mushrooms on my next grocery list.
Spinach, Carrot and Zucchini Dog Treats from Damn Delicious
Y’all know that I don’t own a dog, even though I completely adore them, and although Brenna has many doglike qualities, she won’t be begging me for dog treats anytime soon. So why would I want to make them? Little Paws Dachshund Rescue is creating a dog cookie cookbook for charity and in need of recipes. If you have been following me for some time, you will remember how fond I am of dachshunds, and that one of my friends, whose dachshunds I used to take care of occasionally, runs Sophia’s Grace Foundation, which is a nationwide network of volunteers whose focus is the healthcare of abused and neglected dachshunds. I already have an Elvis-inspired recipe developed, but am trying to decide how I want my dog cookies to look. I just happen to have a set of cookie stamp letters, so this picture really has me thinking about what I could possibly write on my dog bones.
Anything-You-Have Coconut Curry Soup from Pinch of Yum
I’m always in search of a great recipe for Crockpot Monday, and this one fits the bill. Forget the tofu, because B.O.B. Bob will lose his shit if I even utter that word after out accidental tofu chicken nuggets experience over twelve years ago. I think chicken, real chicken of the non-tofu variety, will do just fine in this recipe. I will of course have to play around with the vegetables and see what I can come up with to make this recipe my own. I do happen to have an entire bed of onions in our garden that are still waiting anxiously to be noticed, so maybe my version will be extremely onion heavy. Wouldn’t a coconut curry-inspired French onion soup be interesting? Are you beginning to see how my mind works here folks? The thought of that recipe wasn’t even a blimp in my brain until I started writing, and now I can’t seem to quit thinking about it.
Beer S’Mores from The Beeroness
Last, buy certainly not least, are these s’mores. I have no intention of making them because memories of my last adventure with marshmallows are still too fresh in my mind. I do however plan on making beer infused chocolate for ice cream. Of course, I’m still trying to decide on an ice cream flavor, but that’s not an obstacle that can’t easily be overcome. Chocolate and stout are always a safe option, but perhaps I’ll be more daring and do something with orange and chocolate. Shock Top is one of my go-to beers, and I think it would be fun to play around with. Added bonus; I get to drink the leftovers. Don’t you just love how my mind works?
