Confessions of a Confectionista

At this moment, there are still thousands of tiny hazelnut peels scattered across my kitchen. Nobody prepared me for how messy it would be to roast and peel your hazelnuts. But is it worth it? Abso-freaking-lutely.
Roasting hazelnuts before using them in a recipe such as this one really brings out their rich, nutty flavor, and thus intensifies the delicious factor of these cookies....

I don't know about you, but when I look at a recipe that has multiple components, that is a sign to me that it is going to be outrageously delicious. Others might look at the same recipe and think all the steps just sound like a lot of work and not worth...

I have an idea. I know, it's probably going to stir up some controversy. But I'm just going to put it out there.
Rather then spending all our time and money planning a first birthday party for a child that will more than likely not remember a thing about it, can we celebrate moms surviving their first year of motherhood? Because that sounds like the kind of party...

What do you do when you've got leftover butternut squash from making baby food? Most people would suggest making soup. Me? I'm more of a dessert gal.
We haven't had a new cupcake recipe around here in a while and I feel like butternut squash never gets a chance to be sweet, only savory. So, we're switching things up and letting it shine in the best way I know how....