Books, cats and midwestern charm.
Coming as a surprise to no one: I’m an NPR nerd! I’ve been listening to my local station for ages. It’s by far my preferred way to get the news, and I love so many of the programs.
Recently, my love of NPR has grown even more; I was invited to be on “All Sides with Ann Fisher” on WOSU out of Columbus, Ohio.
It was so much fun to be on this show. I got to talk about some of my favorite holiday cookies—including some lesser-known varieties like rosettes and khrustyky.
Like everyone else, I spent 4th of July inhaling Stranger Things. I was, of course, absolutely tickled by the Scoops Troop. A nautical-themed ice cream shop is what I’m all about. If only it wasn’t fiction…
Well, praise be to Don’s Diner – my perpetual favorite – for hosting a Scoops Ahoy popup so I could live my fantasies.
Now, Don’s didn’t entirely transform their lounge into an ’80s mall ice cream shop, but they got what was really important: sailor-suited servers, Stranger Things playing in the background, an aggressively ’80s playlist and some dynamite ice cream drinks.
I love this menu so much. If I didn’t have to work the next day, I might have ordered Stupid Teenagers for the Night, which was a combo of red wine, Korbel and Coke. Red wine + Coke is good, Korbel + Coke is good, so it stands to reason to me that that’d be an alright drink. But I didn’t want to fall off my barstool.
Instead, I ordered the Jack + Coke Float. I thought it was a good time. Michael opted for the USS Caramel, and that was equally delicious.
Don’s Scoops Ahoy popup is done after its short run, but I’m crossing my fingers for another themed crossover soon!
The anniversary passed me right by, but I realized the other day via LinkedIn that I’ve been at my new full-time gig for six months already. That time just flew by! I guess that’s what happens you’re in neck deep with recipes, snacks, sweets and everything good in this world.
Anyways, I thought I’d mark this occasion by sharing a few fun things that I’ve been up to at Taste of Home.
Really and truly, conducting taste tests at work is one of my favorite things ever. Every week we round up a handful of products and compare them side-by-side in a blind tasting. It’s incredibly fun and also incredibly surprising to see what brands really rank as number one!
By and large my favorite test was boxed wine, but here are a few other faves too!
We Tried Popular Valentine’s Day Chocolates. Find Out Which Brand We’re Sweet On.
The Very Best Butter Brands According to Our Test Kitchen Experts
https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/best-cinnamon-rolls/
But working isn’t all just testing snacks of course. I also get to write up some really fun pieces that just speak to me. Obviously one of my favorite pieces that I pitched, was this amazing GBBO copycat slideshow. But there are a few others, too!
https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/cheese-wheel-wedding-cakes/
We Tried Internet Famous Pan-Bang Chocolate Chip Cookies (and Loved Them!)
Near & Dear
I’ve also got to work on some really fun projects and a few that are super close to my heart. It’s really such a pleasure to share recipes and foods that are special to me with the whole internet (not just this itty bitty, irregularly updated blog). One of my favorite pieces that I’ve got to share was my mom’s recipe for potica. But I also liked sharing my take on pierogi (which 99% of Facebook commenters hated, but I still manage to sleep at night).
https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/how-to-make-potica/
And there you have it! A really brief summary of my time at Taste of Home so far. Hoping the next six months are even sweeter!