Cranberry Walnut Granola Bars

When I was a child, I remember always having granola bars in our pantry. Specifically they were the Nature Valley Oat and Honey Bars. I think my mom had a thing for them and would buy them by the huge Costco box-full. In any case, they were always available for a quick after school snack, or when running out of the house in the morning.

Why Hello, Kitty!

One of my favorite memories as a child was going to the mall with my mom and begging her to let me go into the Sanrio store. What little girl doesn't like Hello Kitty? I vividly remember a "surprise gift wheel", which incidentally taught us gambling at an early age. My mom would pay the dollar or two, and I got to spin a wheel hoping to get the grand prize (usually a large sized stuffed animal). More often than not the wheel would stop, and the pointer would land on a surprise grab bag; usually containing some stickers, erasers, or candy.

I while back, I came across a Hello Kitty cake pan on sale, and couldn't resist. Though I've come across many Hello Kitty items during my travels to Japan, this pan was actually purchased state-side and is readily available online or most craft stores.

Spumoni Cookies

Lately I've been looking for unique cookie recipes for a friend's business. Sure, there's no trumping your go to oatmeal or chocolate chip cookie, but those recipes have been done 500 times in 500 different ways. Add browned butter, sea salt, refrigerate them overnight or what have you. I always am on the hunt for interesting flavor combinations or non-traditional ingredients.

Strawberry sponge roll

About a decade ago, my dad was diagnosed with type two diabetes. Mind you, he's never been a guy who ate a lot of sweets. In fact, pre-diagnosis, his diet primarily consisted of rice and bread, though technically they convert to sugar anyways. Though he was never a big fan of my desserts (or any desserts for that matter), nowadays he opts for fruit, or light desserts.