Recently

1.) A delicious La Chiquita michelada from the Alta Baja Market.

2.) My mom's cat, always so happy to see me.

3.) Road trip planning!

4.) A plant I brought back from the dead. I'm so proud of this.

5.) An anniversary gift I made for some good friends.

6.) My favorite chocolate chip cookie dough. Recipe here.

7.) A before and after shot of my finished memorial tattoo. It took about 11 hours total. Special thanks to Joey Foote for tattooing it and Allison Peairs for drawing it.

8.) Happy hour with an old friend at The Attic.

Summer Dinner Recipes

I don't know about you but I hate turning the oven on during the summer when my apartment is already 500 degrees. So, I thought I'd share a couple of my favorite summer recipes, none of which require using the oven..

Clockwise from the top left:

Slow-Cooked Spicy Chicken and Beans - This recipe is SO simple and it's prepared in a slow cooker so you hardly have to do anything at all.

Cheesy French Toast and Tomatoes - I love breakfast for dinner and this is a really interesting savory way to prepare french toast and use tomatoes which are everywhere during the summer. You won't be disappointed. 

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas - These are perfect for a last minute meal. Chances are you might already have all of the ingredients on hand.

County Fair Chili - Unfortunately, the county fair closest to me won't be having a chili competition this year but that's not going to stop me from making my favorite chili. This recipe takes a little bit of time and effort but it's well worth the work.