Degux - Delicious Recipes Made Simply

Currently Crushing On: What’s Trending in Celeb & Pop Culture

Happy weekend! This week on the blog I shared a giant summer reading list, along with a collection of must-try summer recipes. I also posted a garlic butter zucchini pasta and kicked off a new season of Summer Fridays. Check out my May favorites and my warm weather essentials for seasonal picks I love right … Read more

Cilantro Lime Grilled Shrimp Lettuce Cups — Zesty Summer Recipe

These grilled shrimp lettuce wraps are a perfect summer meal: smoky grilled shrimp, bright cilantro-lime dressing, sweet corn, crumbled cotija and a squeeze of fresh lime. Light, vibrant and seriously delicious. New dinner obsession! These cilantro-lime shrimp lettuce wraps are fresh, easy to make and full of bright flavor. The shrimp are grilled until just … Read more

Hocus Pocus Mocktail Punch Recipe for Halloween Parties

On tap for the next week: Hocus Pocus Punch! This festive Halloween punch is a non-alcoholic mocktail made so everyone can enjoy it. I have a lot of favorite fall cocktails, but I wanted to share something that’s inclusive for all guests — warm, seasonal, and easy to make. Enter Hocus Pocus Punch. The name … Read more

Decadent Chocolate Brownies Made with Craft Beer

Oh yes — beer brownies! If you’re going to make one dessert for Valentine’s Day (or just for yourself), make these. They’re rich, intensely chocolatey and intentionally small — perfect for one or two people. Decadent and just the right size so you don’t have to wrestle with a giant pan of brownies. This recipe … Read more

Bacon and Blue Deviled Eggs with Roasted Garlic & Asparagus

Oh hi! Doesn’t this asparagus look like it’s waving at you? It really is saying hello. I pulled this asparagus out yesterday to make a different dessert, so today we’re back with deviled eggs — rich, savory, and a little unexpected. I’ve gone through phases with deviled eggs — enjoying them as a kid, ignoring … Read more

Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Pasta Skillet Recipe

This spinach artichoke pasta skillet is a fabulous, fast side (or main) that’s creamy, cheesy and utterly comforting. All the familiar flavors of the classic dip—garlicky spinach, tangy artichokes and lots of Parmesan—tossed with penne for a crowd-pleasing dish. It’s simple to make and impressive to serve. This skillet is perfect for a cozy dinner … Read more

Summer Pizza Recipes to Try This Season

If you want a pizza all to yourself—with no one else touching it—this is a great option. It mixes unexpected summer flavors with a touch of protein, and you can customize it however you like. To make a summer pizza, gather seasonal ingredients you enjoy: Fruit—peaches, berries, or other stone fruit Fresh herbs like basil … Read more

Currently Crushing On: What I’m Obsessed With Right Now

I can’t believe we’re already in the week before Christmas!

This week on the blog I shared an incredible overnight croissant breakfast bake, plus a spinach and artichoke pull-apart bread, vodka sauce meatballs on ricotta toast, my favorite make-ahead holiday appetizers, and frosted cranberry drop cookies.

You can find a new weekly menu and a peek at a week in our life on the blog. I also rounded up my November/December favorites — there are so many great things I’ve been loving lately.

All of my gift guides are live, covering categories to help with your holiday shopping. Guides include:

Her — all my favorite things
Him — ideas I’m gifting Eddie and things he already loves
Under $25 — stocking stuffer ideas
Kitchen favorites — my top kitchen gift picks
Kids & babies — thoughtful options for little ones
Beauty favorites — the best beauty picks I recommend

Also, if you haven’t yet, you can order a copy of Everyday Dinners. It’s currently on major sale, so consider grabbing a few copies while the price holds. Once you have a book, join the Everyday Dinners Cookbook Club on Facebook — it’s been going strong since The Pretty Dish and is a lot of fun. I love seeing your creations on Instagram and in our cookbook club; join in for challenges and giveaways. A new challenge just started this week!

Have a great weekend!

What I’m Loving This Week

Oh hi — I’ve been eating this strawberry quinoa salad by the bowlful, every day. If you need a quick, crowd-pleasing dish for the 4th of July or any summer gathering, this is your answer. It’s bright, sweet and seasonal in the best way — you might even find yourself craving it come December. It’s … Read more

Apple Cider Oatmeal Muffins with Warm Spice and Raisins

I want to tell you about muffins, buuuuut…

…I can’t, because I’m in hysterics over this video of Tom Hanks doing a poetry slam of Full House. Full. Freaking. House. It’s one of those shows I still find myself watching at 8 PM and then again at 6 AM. Uncle Jesse was my first TV crush.

Well, actually Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing was my first crush, then Uncle Jesse, and later Zack Morris when things got serious. By “serious” I mean daydreaming about being Kelly Kapowski for days, trying to copy her style (not recommended), and dressing like her for Halloween. If you’d asked me in 1992 who I wanted to have dinner with, my answer would have been Kelly Kapowski—a fictional hero who lived in crop tops and an off-the-shoulder gray Bayside sweatshirt. I tried to recreate that look countless times; most recently this summer. I know. I hate myself a little.

Anyway, that Tom Hanks video only increased my total love for him. I’d give anything to be one of those lucky people who bump into him in a restaurant and then take a bunch of fake, drunk photos. He’s just the coolest.

Now that I’ve annoyingly relived my youth (and accidentally ate a plate of microwaved nachos out of nostalgia), I can actually tell you about cute little apple muffins.

Confession: I had these muffins ready to share after making them last week, but then Erin mentioned caramelizing Brussels sprouts in apple cider in the comments of a recent post, and I had to test the idea with my muffins. I made another batch and “caramelized” the apples in extra apple cider to intensify the apple flavor. The result was just as amazing as when I caramelized them with butter. If you want them extra apple-forward, do the cider route—totally worth it.

These muffins are hearty and versatile. They’re light enough for breakfast and, because they use whole wheat pastry flour, oats, and plenty of fruit, they make a great snack too. They’re not overly sweet, so if you want to indulge, top them with the brown butter apple cider glaze. There’s brown butter in the batter as well—because if you’re using butter, you might as well brown it. It adds a deep, nutty richness that elevates the whole muffin.