Forget about the measuring, mixing and pouring — one of the toughest steps in the baking process is choosing a recipe to make! It’s even more of a challenge when you’re making something for a group with different tastes, or if you’ve got a craving for more than one kind of sweet!

Yes, I’ve had those days when cinnamon rolls sound appealing, but so do brownies. Sometimes I’ll get creative and make up a dessert, but other days I just want to try one I know is good. Here are a list of recipes that definitely qualify as delicious and dependable. Try one of these out when you can’t decide what to make.

Have your cake and pie AND eat it too! Yes, it’s possible. Bujvary proves that it is with her Lemon Pie Cupcakes.

You know what’s tough? Craving girl scout cookies when they aren’t being sold outside of your local grocery store! You know what I mean. Porcalina’s going to rescue us from shedding tears, though. Take a look at her Samoas Bars, you can definitely satisfy that craving year around now. This reminds me of a candy bar and that well-loved cookie.

Apple season is just a few months away, be sure to try ChocolateChipotle’s Apple Cobbler Cookies. If you can’t wait for apple season, don’t worry about it! Can’t get ahold of a couple of good apples? Consider substituting the same quantity with sugar-free apple pie filling.

Now you’ll just have to choose which one of these recipes you’ll want to try first :)… but I can’t promise that’ll be easy either!

It’s the middle of the week. It’s hot outside. Who wants to spend the evening cooking? Well, as much as I love to cook, even I don’t care to spend weeknights slaving and sweating over a hot stove! On days like this, I usually go for the simple but filling meals. Spaghetti’s always a good choice, but I also have to get rid of all those veggies sitting in my fridge…

If you’re like me, you grocery shop on the weekends, probably buy more produce than you know what to do with, and you’re left with over-ripe fruits and veggies come Thursday and Friday. Ok, so we have all these dilemmas and only one meal to cook. Let’s find a spaghetti recipe that covers all the bases, like Reeni’s Fuhgettaboutit Meat Sauce.

Simple? Yes! Tasty? Yes again. And guess what else? I was able to use most of this week’s veggies in the sauce. I cloned the recipe and threw in a few extra veggies, I also added tomato sauce instead of paste because I didn’t have the latter. The nice bag of baby spinach that needed to be used up? I threw that in, along with a can of olives for extra flavor. Don’t forget to chop up and add the tomato that’s about to go green, because this is spaghetti after all! Now instead of spaghetti and meat sauce, you’ll be enjoying spaghetti and veggie meat sauce!

So many food groups in one meal, that’s the way to do it when you’re short on time and energy!

Sweet potatoes aren’t just for turkey day anymore. There’s so much you can do with them. Don’t be fooled into thinking they’re only tasty if they’re covered in marshmallows! “But those aren’t really sweet potatoes,” you say, “they’re yams!”. I thought so, too! That is, until I learned that true yams don’t grow in the US. So if someone says they’ve made candied yams, they’re probably referring to sweet potatoes.

One way to enjoy the natural and delicious flavor of sweet potatoes without all the fuss is to make sweet potato fries! You can just pop these in the oven, don’t worry about setting up the deep fryer. Mbshah’s recipe for baked sweet potato fries will be a hit the next time you serve them with a juicy burger.

Since we’re talking about healthy sweet potato recipes, we shouldn’t forget to mention atxvegan’s Roasted Sweet Potato Salad. You’d prepare the sweet potato similar how you would if you were baking fries, except you’d chop them into little cubes then sprinkle them on your salad like croutons!

Who knew sweet potatoes could be incorporated into a variety of savory and sweet recipes? And that’s not all of them, here are a few more you should consider trying. Gen25’s Ham and Sweet Potato Salad is a light summertime meal while MelissaWelch’s Steamed Southern Sweet Potato Custard is the ideal individual-serving dessert… and all of these recipes are family-friendly.

Even the scorching summer heat is no match for these spicy recipes. Now you’ll really have a reason to say you’re burning up! But if you prefer your spicy foods a little more on the mild side, feel free to clone the recipes and make your own mild version of each one. Just remember to share them with us :)!

Let’s start off with IFoundHappy’s Spicy Hummus. This hummus recipe is so good, it has its own fan club! IFoundHappy says she gets rave reviews for this nutritious and tasty dip with a kick.

You’ll never look at meatloaf the same after you try Carla’s Tex-Mex Chili Cheese Meatloaf. This past holiday season she enjoyed it with her family; the only suggestion she makes is to add a bit more chili. Feel free to add as much or as little as you like, just be sure to try it!

The SkinnyGourmet’s Almond Crusted Shrimp Tacos with Raspberry Pico de Gallo and Spicy Lime Mayo are what you’ll want to make when you’re pressed for time. Make these tacos in about 20 minutes, she promises!

So why are we featuring an ice cream shake recipe by Aliwicious in this post if we’re talking about spicy food? Don’t worry, there isn’t any chili hidden in this dessert. After you’ve tried these recipes, you’ll need something to cool you down. Believe it or not, dairy products are known for calming the burning sensation that kicks in after ingesting one too many spicy foods :)!

Friends are coming over but it’s not quite lunchtime. You’re on a tight budget but don’t want to serve pop corn or chips… what to do? Take a moment to look over these appetizer recipes. Appetizers are a great middle-ground for parties. Instead of serving one big meal, serve a variety of smaller appetizers.

Appetizers are a great way to offer a little bit of everyone’s favorite foods without having to hire a chef or caterer (or spend the day cooking!). The Newlywedcook’s Mango Crab Salad Wonton Cups are just the thing to serve to a hungry crowd. The mango and cilantro are fresh ingredients that make this quite the summer snack.

Bsherrill’s Bouyiourdi is a little different from your everyday dip. It’s a yummy Greek appetizer; if you can’t pronounce the name, just tell your guests they’ll be enjoying a tasty combination of cheeses and chili :). Say goodbye to the fondu!

Everything is better with bacon, in my humble opinion! This is why I’m such a big fan of Mytastytreasure’s Inside Out BLT’s! Not only is this an ingenious idea, it’s a delicious one. And guess what else? If you’re looking for an allergy-friendly appetizer, this is it! It is nut free, egg free and even gluten-free! The presentation is also very cute, check it out:

Wipe that sweat off your brow! It’s time for something fresh and cool, and it’s in your kitchen, believe it or not. Or it will be soon. Soon because you can make some of these recipes in a flash. For instance, FoodieWife’s Bruschetta with Fresh Basil would make a quick nice start to your light summer dinner. Once you’ve finished that appetizer, move on to her Skewered and Grilled fresh figs, brie and Prosciutto, this is the way to do sweet and savory!

Looking for comfort food? Soup isn’t just for cold winter nights, finish off your long summer day with bodanzarama’s Corn and Chili Soup. Enjoy it chilled, it’s a nourishing way to cool off. Inspiredbites Cold Soba Noodles with Shrimp is also a healthy meal that’s no sweat to make, pun intended.

Fresh desserts like bsherrill’s Fresh Raspberry Sorbet deserve to be in the spotlight too. Hers is a grown-up version spiked with vodka, but for the kiddos feel free to substitute the alcohol for a fun flavored fruity syrup or omit it altogether, it’ll be just as good.

Enjoy your weekend and remember to not just stay cool but also well-fed with these recipes :).

Who has a hard time following directions? And Who has a hard time following recipes to the T? ME! I do, I struggle with both. Oh, believe me, I’ve tried following recipes to the T, but sometimes my cooking instincts kick in (or the laziness of not reading the recipe instructions!) and I skip a step… or two or three. Thankfully, I came across a forgiving recipe that ginasheppard posted, it’s for Paula Deen’s BBQ Pork Sandwiches.

I know your mouth is watering at the thought of enjoying one of these sandwiches some time before the summer ends. But I’ve got to be honest, instead of sitting there salivating, get the ingredients together you’ll need to make Ms. Deen’s sandwich! The rub in the recipe is excellent. It’s got a good kick to it and would work on anything from a pork roast to chicken breasts. The best part? You can make the rub in large quantities and save it for later.

So how did I not follow directions this time? Well, between you and me, I totally left out the wet ingredients, like liquid smoke and apple juice! So how did I rescue the pork roast? Instead of pulling it apart and serving it up sandwich style, I decided to cook the roast with just the dry rub, then I sliced it into juicy slivers. After that, I mixed together the rest of the wet ingredients in a sauce pan (with a bit of flour for thickening) and let the pork simmer away in this sweet glaze, or smokey gravy. The end result? A flavorful dinner! It worked, give it a try!

If your mom isn’t around to tell you to eat your green veggies, we will! We know that digging through the freezer only to find frost-bitten peas isn’t always the most appetizing experience. But give peas a chance with 1SWEDEGIRL’S Green Peas with Crispy Bacon. Along with the bacon, mint and orange peel nicely complement the naturally sweet flavor that peas have to offer.

What if it’s too early for dinner and you need a quick snack? Green veggies are still the way to go. Chuckwho’s Lobster Artichoke Dip would work as an afternoon snack or fresh appetizer. Serve it with crackers or bread, it’s delicious either way. And, if you’re feeling bold, for extra crunch add grated carrots.

Who knew you could get stuffed with veggies? You will with
Turkle 112’s Zucchini with Chick Pea and Mushroom Stuffing. Though it’d make a hearty side for dinner, this is the kind of stuffing that doubles as a vegetarian meal; it’ll fill you up. With cumin, coriander, lemon juice and garlic in the mix, you can count on this being flavorful.

So many of us have our own idea of what ‘authentic’ ethnic food should taste like. Sometimes I find myself asking what makes a meal or dish authentic to me. Do I compare it to the home cooking I grew up with? Maybe it has something to do with the way the flavors meld, or even how the meat or vegetables are cooked?

If you’re a tough critic that wants a really authentic meal… try making it yourself :)! I really like how Annie_C uses chorizo in her Warm Chorizo and Chickpea Salad. Who says chorizo can only be served at breakfast? And who knew it could actually be part of a healthy dinner?

Tixrus gives us a great piece of advice! Don’t expect to the ’stuff in the jar’ to taste as good as the homemade version, especially if we’re talking about mole. Senora Camacho’s Mole is her secret to making an impressive spicy, sweet and savory Mexican sauce that’s good on pretty much anything.

IFoundHappy’s Homemade Chicken Tamales is a recipe that will impress even the toughest Mexican food critic! Though holidays are a great time to enjoy tamales, this is a recipe that’s worth making year around. Plus, she gives us all the details on how to do everything from spicing up the masa to rolling up the tamales, so we can easily make them authentic…at home!

To those who aren’t a fan of fish, this post is for you! Whatever your reason for not liking fish, your nose and taste buds will actually thank you for trying these recipes. I truly believe anyone can become a fan of fish, they just have to find the right recipe. There are so many types of fish out there, you’re bound to find one you like!

Whether you prefer the mild taste of tilapia that takes on flavor well, or the bold taste of wild salmon that’s delicious when marinated with a variety of ingredients, we’ve got the recipe for you. HoneyB’s Beet Batter for Fish is a great recipe to try out if you’re just starting to experiment with fish. Let’s face it, if it’s fried it’s usually tasty!

Let’s not forget that fish is also one of the healthiest proteins you can eat. Rosemary’s Fish Taco recipe offers a guilt-free way to enjoy a hearty meal. So many layers of fresh and flavorful ingredients, you’ll be convinced there’s nothing fishy about this recipe!

If you’re looking for a meal that’s perfect for these hot summertime days, Dr_Mom’s Grilled Fish Tostadas with Pineapple Jicama Salsa is it! Halibut is Dr_Mom’s fish of choice in this recipe, and I have to admit that it’s a great choice. If you like tilapia or orange roughy, you’ll love the taste of halibut.