Meet Monique
Girl behind the blog. Ambitious by nature. Passionate about pancakes, life, and laughter. Here to inspire you.
Food Photography
Popular Posts
Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing {vegan & gluten-free} 
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies {flourless, no butter} 
Healthy Chicken Chickpea Chopped Salad 
Nutella-Stuffed Brown Butter + Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies {my favorite cookie ever} 
Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies 
Kale, Edamame, and Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette 
Flourless Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondies with Sea Salt {vegan, gluten-free & healthy} 
Vegan Detox Green Monster Smoothie {with kale, strawberry, cucumber, & banana} 
Easy 5-Ingredient Fudgy Nutella Cookies with Sea Salt 
Best Ever Vegan Avocado Chocolate Birthday Cake with Vegan Chocolate Ganache
Fudgy Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies with Toffee + Sea Salt
Out of all the brownies I’ve made, these are my absolute favorite.
Like the best evaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
A bit dramatic but what did you expect? I love chocolate.
A mix between fudgy and a tiny bit cakey, these brownies are incredibly rich, decadent, and downright addicting.
I thought I’d share them with you, because this is as close to a Valentine’s Day dessert that I’ll make. Trust me, it’s got all the chocolate love you need.
Brown Butter Brown Sugar Toasted Almond Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt
I’m turning the big 24 this Saturday. Do you think it’s normal to celebrate by eating cookies for the ENTIRE WEEK?
Of course… because you know the world is supposed to end Friday or whatever. So I’m suggesting we all eat cookies this week (good excuse, right?).
But seriously, these cookies are essentially a mini, delicious birthday present to myself.
It occurred to me that this really couldn’t be just ANY cookie though; it had to be incredible. Kinda like those Nutella-stuffed cookies. Wait, what about the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies? Or those sensational Brown Butter Snickerdoodles? Clearly if a man wants to know the way to my heart, it’s through cookies made with brown butter.
What? Baking your way to love is TOTALLY a thing you know.
Okay, enough about brown butter and man bait and such. Let’s talk cookies because that’s why you are really here.
Roasted Grape & Brie Crostini with Honey + Sea Salt
I have a few foods that I have fond memories of. They continue to be my favorites throughout the years.
This got me thinking… what makes food memorable? It is simply the taste of it? Or more of what we associate with our food experiences?
Every time I have hot chocolate I’m taken back to when I used to ice skate with my girlfriends. We’d grab a cup of rich creamy hot cocoa with excessive jumbo marshmallows, whole milk, and all things that fitness magazines say we shouldn’t have.
When I want to indulge in things like that, I remind myself that I’m just living life. You know, enjoying those simple moments filled with laughter, good food and friendship. In fact, those moments are building memories. So damn right, I’m having that hot chocolate!
With extra whip cream thank you very much.
Often times I wonder why I find pumpkin pie to be the best dessert on the planet. I mean, it’s so simple! But eating pumpkin pie reminds me of the first time I made a pie by all by myself. How I crafted the crust with such determination. In that very moment, I was discovering my passion and creativity for baking. So really it’s not the dessert itself, it’s the memories that come with each bite.
Now it’s my soul food; it feeds me happiness in the form of good memories.
To date, one of my favorite meals was scallops with spaghetti squash, roasted red peppers, with this incredible creamy sauce. It was finished with a chocolate soufflé and rich chocolate ice cream. Which of course I devoured. I think it’s memorable to me specifically because of the person I was with.
Time spent with good people can make food special. This I know to be true. Just think about some of your favorite foods. Or the best meal you’ve ever had. It was probably more of an experience and memory rather just based on taste alone.
Nutella-Stuffed Brown Butter + Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies {my favorite cookie ever}
I know that the title of this recipe is a little absurd and dramatic, but I couldn’t think of any other way to present this cookie to you.
Quite frankly, this is a chocolate chip cookie that will change your life.
These cookies came about when my friend asked me to bake something that he could bring to an event he was going to. Of course, anytime someone asks me to make a dessert I usually end up baking my famous brown butter + sea salt chocolate chip cookies (because they are absolutely phenomenal); however, I wanted to do something a little different with the cookies that would be surprisingly unexpected and delicious.
So off to the grocery store I went, where I proceeded to pace the baking aisle for a good hour. I kept putting things in my basket and taking them out. No real surprise there, the grocery store is my sick obsession. I think I want to live there.
Then I realized, that there is one delicious little nut butter that isn’t featured in any of my recipes: NUTELLA! I put that little jar in my basket and ran to the check out lane absolutely giddy about what was going to take place. I mean, was I really going to stuff Nutella in the middle of a cookie?! I couldn’t wait! I’m not kidding… I really couldn’t wait; I ate some Nutella on the way home from the store. After all, taste testing is really important.
Once I got home, I popped the jar of Nutella in the fridge so that it would be easy to scoop out and place in the middle of the cookies. Next I begin to brown some butter. I should note that browning butter is a crucial part to the flavor of these cookies; it brings out a nutty, caramel flavor. The French even call call brown butter beurre noisette, which translates to hazelnut butter. How perfect is that since these cookies are stuffed with a chocolate hazelnut butter!?
If you aren’t familiar with how to brown butter, I’ve created a step-by-step tutorial for you.
After letting the brown butter cool, I mixed my cookie dough and let it chill for two hours in the refrigerator –another VERY important step when it comes to making cookies!
Now you are probably wondering why you have to wait so long when all you want to do is devour a cookie. I’ll explain: putting warm, gooey dough in the oven will result in a thin and crispy, spread out cookie. Also the longer the dough spends in the refrigerator, the longer it has to relax and absorb the flavors of the butter, which in turn will result in a better tasting, chewier cookie.
Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Corn + an awesome playlist
An extraordinary little place called Vegas happened to me this weekend.
I ate at a place called the Pink Taco. Questionable name, but okay Mexican food.
I have at least six blisters on my feet. This could be a result of wearing high heels or possible swing dancing. Not sure.
I had a Pumpkin Margarita with a nutmeg powdered sugar rim! Wolfgang Puck is a genius margarita inventor. He should probably cater my wedding someday if I get married. Also his french fries are ridiculously addicting. I’m upset about it.
I went to the Marine Corps Ball. I know you are going to ask, so I’ll just tell you now that I didn’t see Justin Timberlake or Mila Kunis.
Besides this, I gambled a bit and I did a lot of other things that probably shouldn’t be mentioned on this blog. I am an angel.
Another interesting note: on my flight back home someone passed out in the middle of the plane aisle. That’s when you know you had too good of a time in Vegas. Tsk Tsk.
Besides Vegas, I’ve been incredibly busy. I was in California for a week vacationing, laughing, eating good food, shopping, living the good life for a bit. I’ll post pictures soon!