I’ve been feeling somewhat uninspired lately. Uninspired in the kitchen, uninspired to write, and even more uninspired to get up at 7 a.m. to exercise outside before it hits 100 degrees. I’m not sure if it is the endless heat wave in Dallas or my body telling me to slow down, but it sure feels like a “funk” and quite frankly, I am over it.

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Ah, June. Usually you are peaceful, if not a little bit hot, but always full of long afternoons, dreams of beach vacations, and gallons of lemonade. Did you forget? You are meant for relaxing and blissfully licking ice cream out of waffle cones as it melts down your fingers. I must say, you are acting a little crazy these days. I mean, I get it. Sometimes things can get a little crazy. But can we relax a little bit in July? Maybe even August, too? I don’t want to be greedy here, but sleep deprived is really not a good look for me.

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Happy Cinco de Mayo! It’s already Thursday, can you believe it? I must have been in a Royal Wedding daze or something. Where did this week go? What an eventful one it has been already! And I’m not talking about the news, people; This is not that kind of blog.

So on Monday, I had the bright idea to try to be a part-time vegan (no weekends, those are always eat out days). I decided going vegan was a good idea—even though the texture of tofu, the essential protein of veggies and vegans, sort of weirds me out. The idea sounds nice though doesn’t it? So that was Monday. I bought almond milk and tofu (I know!) and Earth Balance butter. Baby steps!

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So, I don’t know about you, but I am pret-ty excited about this royal wedding. After watching every single special on television this week (and taping a few others), I feel incredibly knowledgeable about the big day. While most of you out there are completely over all of the hub-bub, I simply can’t wait. I get it. Who are these people? The idea of a monarchy is sooooo 1540. How terribly borrr-ing. Blah, blah, blah. I’ve heard it all. My husband likes to mock me constantly over my endless fascination, and now, I think he simply is starting to feel sorry for me. For the past week, he has insulted Prince William’s looks (okay, okay he used to have a better hairline but he absolutely does not look like a horse!) but in my opinion, there is nothing wrong with him that a little whitening gel and Invisalign from Tom Cruise’s dentist couldn’t fix. This has been a nightly argument discussion this week.

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I have always had a sweet tooth (if you couldn’t already tell from the amount of baked goods on this blog). I blame my mother, really, who would always order dessert at restaurants even if no one else was ordering anything. And being the amazing, supportive daughter that I am, I would never want someone, let alone my mom, to eat dessert alone and thus, felt obliged to order the sweet stuff as well. Of course, I would eat it all because I couldn’t waste a single bite. That would be rude. And I am just really thoughtful like that.

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Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to Jessss-ssssieeeee, Happy Birthday to you! Today, April 11th, is my little sister’s 27th birthday! That’s right. We are getting soooo old! And that’s not all party people, today is my half birthday. As I’m sure my sister fondly remembers, since we are exactly 18 months apart, I always insisted on celebrating my half birthday on Jessie’s real birthday. It took a few years, but she soon realized that she could celebrate her half birthday on my birthday (October 11th, mark your calendars) so it ended up being pretty fair, really.

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I know, I know. Not the Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake, again?! Yep, that’s right. I’m doing it. Every food blogger under the sun has posted this recipe, and I’m posting it here, too. It really all started because I was curious as to what could be so special about this fruity cake. I also just so happened to have New York Times food writer, Melissa Clark’s In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite, AND I remembered that I had blood oranges in the fridge—clearly a sign that could not be ignored. Until I went to said refrigerator to dig out those blood oranges. Huh, that is strange. I swear I bought five blood oranges as I distinctly remember the Whole Foods sale, 5 for $5. Am I losing it? Maybe, but in this case, I knew someone had taken them, and Henry the dog didn’t do it; he can’t even open the fridge.

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Brownies are true comfort food. Cakey, yet fudge-y, and completely decadent when topped with ice cream and served warm. When I got the newest issue of Bon Appetit magazine in the mail two weeks ago, I knew I would have to try the cover recipe, Brownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts. I love trying brownie recipes for some reason and these looked divine. And they did not disappoint. Gooey in the middle with a cake-like crust, these brownies may be some of the best I have tried.

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