The Homebody Foodie Experiment

Being an introvert, I don't get out much. This blog is my foray into the test kitchen world. 

I'm experimenting with new recipes from bloggers & cookbooks and old recipes from my & my husband's families. But all these foods have something in common-- 
they are either mentioned in the books I write, or they are inspired by my characters. 
If you love contemporary romance & good food, join me on this journey.

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

I found this recipe at cremedelacrumb.com and decided to give it a shot. Lemon poppyseed muffins are my favorite breakfast sweet treat (I'm more of a savory morning person), and as a nod to my main girl, Poppy Monroe, I decided this would be the first recipe I'd try here. First let me say these are moist (I know I hate that word too), tangy and delicious. Though not quite sweet enough for my taste, so I gave her recipe a few tweaks. And since I loathe when people give me five days worth of info before they get to the good stuff, I won't do that to you here. Recipe.


Earl Grayson Tea Cakes

In honor of Grayson Maxwell, I found this recipe for Earl Grey Tea cakes on entertainingwithbeth.com. I made a couple minor changes, but they are very moist and spongy, like pound cakes should be. Lightly flavored and mildly sweet, I was impressed (and so were the boys). Recipe. I used silicone mini bundt trays I purchased from Amazon.




Ruby Chocolate Cake

I searched high and low for a recipe that would do my girl Ruby Kendall justice, and I found this little gem on girlversusdough.com. I made several changes to my recipe as I thought the cake was a little too dense and dry and not nearly sweet enough. Also, while ruby chocolate melts well, it keeps much better as a ganache. This cake, with an almost brownie-like consistency, is super chocolatey and moist, plus it's just so darned pretty. Recipe. I found ruby chocolate bars on Amazon

Greek Chicken Gyros

Knox makes Ruby chicken gyros in a bid to win her over, and if you haven't read Trash Talk yet, I won't tell you if it works or not & spoil the surprise. Although, I will say the way to this girl's heart is definietly through her stomach. Thankfully, my husband is a fantastic chef. He talked me into trying his mom's recipe for Greek Chicken Gyros & none of us were dissapointed (even the kiddo approved-- huge props from a picky eater). I hope you enjoy them as much as we did. Recipe

 

Chocolate Lavender Cake

This is scheduled to be tested in the coming weeks. If you've already read, Talk is Cheap, you know that Oliver is almost as much in love with Sophia's signature dessert as he is with her. I found a couple different recipes I'd like to try-- one from thecuriouschickpea and the other from adventuresincooking. *pic is from adventures in cooking blog. 

Emmalime Pie Bars

These Key-Lime Pie Bars (with a graham cracker crust) are tart and creamy and downright delicious. My family devoured the whole pan in a day 😲. They were, of course, the perfect dessert to honor my newest Willow Creek couple, Emmaline Alexander & Graham Freeman. This recipe is my sister's. She's been making them for years; I'm not sure what took me so long to do it myself. But now that I have, they will be a staple dessert in the Honey house. Recipe.


Patriotic Knox Shots

These red, white and blue jello shooters are the perfect addition to your Fourth of July party. Disposable shot cups available here.
*Drink responsibly. Recipe is for 21+ 

Test Kitchen

I've got loads of foods I want to make. Unfortunately, I only have a little time. When I get a few hours to myself, I'm usually in the kitchen trying something new. If you have a recipe you'd like me to try, email me your name, short synopsis of who it belongs to and the recipe. I love hearing from all you creative people & getting your feedback. Write me and let me know how your versions turn out. Happy testing.