I am sharing this recipe for pierogi from scratch because I am sick of you buying frozen pierogi. Make your pierogi from scratch, it’s easy! This is a recipe for the dough, but let me know if you need help with fillings and I will post some ideas! Before you start: make the filling. You don’t want the dough to dry out while the meat is cooking and cooling! Pierogi From Scratch Ingredients: 3c flour, sifted 1 c warm water 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 1/2 t salt Directions: Making your pierogi dough from scratch takes some energy, so I skip the gym the day I make these. Just kidding,…

Ahh, Thanksgiving. A reason to visit your relatives, stuff your faces with tons of food, and most importantly, 4 day weekend, which also means Thanksgiving Leftovers brunch 3 days in a row. This Thanksgiving, like most, I cooked for two. Found the last sad frozen breast in the grocery store, got 3 pre-made sides and a few bottles of wine, and voila! Dinner served., time to pour the wine and binge on Netflix The Punisher (how did Karen get a gun in her purse? How did Billy escape that basement? I need answers, Marvel!) The next morning is always my favorite time of the whole Thanksgiving holiday. Sure, it’s Black…

Blessed with two moms who love to garden, I found myself staring at about 6 pounds of tomatoes at the end of August. It would be very wasteful to let these beauties go bad, and you can only eat so many salads and avocado toasts, I needed to use a lot of tomatoes in one recipe. Enter Tomato Pepper Jam! I looked up a bunch of recipes and realized the common denominator was tomatoes, sugar and seasonings, and this is what I came up with for my recipe. Makes about 1 cup of jam: 2-3 lbs cherry tomatoes, (quartered, diced, smaller chunks) 2 T red pepper flakes 2/3 c brown…

I passed by this mural all summer long and every single time it took my breath away. Murals are taking over Chicago’s walls, and muralist Eduardo Kobra’s color-filled tribute to Vivian Maier stands out from the crowd. Known for her black and white photography, the moment I saw Vivian Maier’s photographs I envied her ability to connect with her subjects, capturing their humanity and emotions. Street photography meets street art.  Check out this beautiful mural on North and Paulina in Chicago. Artist: Eduardo Kobra @kobrastreetart Curators: Lindsey Meyers and Simone Garcia “Vivian Maier” 1651 W North Ave. Chicago Here are a couple photos of my grandparents I took 4 years ago during…

Frosé all day! Summer is here and there is no better way to beat the heat but a tall glass of Berry Refreshing Frosé. What exactly is frosé you ask? It’s basically a wine slushy! Made with summer’s favorite pink beverage, ice cubs and fresh berries. Although I normally don’t know what the phrase “leftover rosé” refers to, this recipe will make that clear. Make this recipe ahead of time and serve with Sunday Brunch in place of Mimosas. Remember to plan ahead and freeze your wine-cubes ahead of time, at least 6 hours in advance. Ingredients: half a bottle of rosé (I used Josh Rosé of Pinot Noir) ice…

This Blueberry Scones recipe is easy and most of all, delicious. Great for a Sunday afternoon soiree with friends or family. Kids love these, too! Meal prep and make the whole batch and keep them in a sealed freezer bag in your freezer. Take one out every morning and let thaw, enjoy with your tea or coffee for breakfast. Ingredients (makes about 7 scones) 1 1/4 c whole wheat flour 1 c all purpose flour 1/4 c sugar 1 T baking powder 1/2 t baking soda 1/2 t salt 5 T cold butter 1 c fresh blueberries 1/2 c buttermilk 1 egg (slightly beaten) 1 t vanilla 2 T lemon…

Let’s be honest, foodies: there is nothing more sad than a dry croissant. January 30th is National Croissant Day and I refuse to let you suffer by eating a bad pastry. Luckily, Chicago has great patisseries where you can pick up a freshly baked croissant and pair it with your morning cappuccino or an afternoon tea. I’m definitely looking for more suggestions to add to this list, so be sure to let me know your recommendations! LaPatisserie P 1050-52 W Argyle St, Chicago, IL 60640 A photo posted by ivy (@inivyshead) on May 15, 2015 at 6:18am PDT I first was introduced to this corner patisserie by my good friend Leila (also a pastry chef,…

It’s become my own personal tradition to bake gingerbread cookies for friends and family during the holidays. I’m not a big fan of the thin, super hard and crunchy gingerbread cookies you can get from the stores and bakeries, so my recipe is made sure they turn out soft and chewy. I’ve kept this recipe a secret for years thinking one day I should sell these and become a billionaire, well, not all dreams come true! I featured this recipe in my Halloween Skeleton Cookies, too, if you want to see a scary-fun version of these. Make these and let me know if you enjoyed them. Gingerbread Cookies (makes about…

Thanksgiving leftovers are the best, so this morning I turned mine into brunch. I made a Thanksgiving Leftovers Eggs Benedict! But first, a little about my Thanksgiving so far. This year I celebrate Thanksgiving twice, once with a dinner for two on Thanksgiving, and the second time on the weekend after with the whole family at Ma’s house. So for Thanksgiving dinner I only had to cook for two people. I got lucky when I headed to the store hours before the actual dinner to get the turkey breast.. There were only thighs and wings left, and the rest was frozen, with thaw time being 1-3 days. I didn’t have…