In preparation for Pi Day, I bought these beautiful berries. Then I immediately came home an made a pie that you're going to want to copy. Today, March 14th is a holiday. Albeit a math related day (and, well, math has never really been a fave of mine), I can get behind a play on words. So, we're having pie for Pi Day. But, actually it's extra special because it's our sweet niece's birthday too! Thus, we must celebrate twice as much. 

In honor of her, I made a pie with two of her current favorite things: strawberries and Oreos.
Oh, and I snuck in a layer of ganache. 

You're welcome.

This is kind of a rarity on here, a recipe post without a lot of pomp and circumstance, but in the interest of all that is right and good, we should cut to the chase.

This three part recipe is mostly original,  i.e. an experiment, so I hope it will find favor with you all. 

Oh So Oreo Strawberry Pie 
Mostly Original Recipe
Makes 1 pie (that you'll want to hoard, but it's nice to share. do with that what you will.)

Crust
25 Oreos
5 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Crush Oreos in a food processor OR enclosed in a ziptop bag with a rolling pin. (I prefer the food processor because it's much more efficient). Pulse until cookies create a fine crumb. 
2. With a fork, mix in melted butter, until well incorporated. 
3. Press into 9-inch pie pan. 
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes. 
5. Let cool completely.

Chocolate Ganache
1/2 cup chocolate chips (milk, semisweet, dark- your choice!)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Using a double boiler, combine chocolate chips and cream. Heat until melted through. Should be smooth, shiny, and a little thick. 
2. Pour into cooled pie crust. 
I think technically for a ganache, you should heat up the cream THEN stir in your chocolate, but I was multitasking with dinner and didn't want to have more than one step. 

This pie is pretty. And it is pretty rich, pretty grand, and pretty delicious. It's perfect for a birthday! (Plus it's the perfect transition to our pending spring and strawberry season!)

And since I can, we want to wish sweet L, aka Baby, a happy happy happy 3rd birthday! We love you to pieces, niece! May 3 be wild, wonderful, and all together fit for the princess you are. Can't wait to celebrate you soon!

I hope you make this pie. Moreover, I hope you enjoy every crumb of it. 
Until next time, 
xoxo

 Hey there. It's been a while. Like, an unacceptably long while. I could tell you that I've been reflecting/letting my new age marinate but let's get real. Life is full.

Freakin' full of mostly good stuff.

Since I've last posted I've legitimately launched my real estate business. I have a listing (yes, check out the home I got the privilege of taking on as my first listing! You might know someone for whom it would be the perfect fit...and if so, please refer them my way.) Plus, I have two buyers I'm currently working with. Albeit small, it's a start. Let's hope this is the beginning of a rocking' real estate career. 

Anyway, I've have been 30 for more than a month now. Yep, I turned 3-0 on February 1st. Funny how time works though, because I am writing this post around the time my momma tells me shoulda been my due date. (5 weeks early folks, that's how I roll. I was supposed to be a Pisces. Looks like my proclivity to overachieve must have been developed in the womb.) 

A lot of people have asked how I was handling giving up my twenties. And you know what, I was happy to kick them to the curb. I'd had them for 10 years after all (buh dum bump, haha!) But in all seriousness, I was pretty eager and open to my impending birthday. My twenties were predictably filled with milestones and unpredictably marked by awesome moments you couldn't even have dreamt up. Now, in the spirit of full disclosure, I did spend a little too much time in Sephora searching for anti-aging cream...but I think that's probably a rite of passage. (And, totally hit me up if you have any to die for rituals or products!) 

Word on the street is your 30s are when all the good stuff happens. Maybe it's because at this point you've sloughed off most of your self-consciousness, loved and lost and loved again, built your tribe, fostered your passions, and grown into who you're supposed to be all along. 
So what to do if you're nearing the big 3-0, or another big year? Well, in my humble opinion, I think you absolutely MUST:
5. Take an inventory of the good things in your  life, all that you have to be grateful for, and the cool opportunities you have ahead.
4. Plan a trip during your birthday month (or within the year). It could be to anywhere-- near, far, or exotic, just get away for a while.
3. Throw yourself a kickin' party and invite as many of your crew as possible. Be sure to serve your favorites sips and sweets!
2. Wear an outfit that makes you feel comfortable, spectacular, gorgeous (insert your own adjective here).
1. Own it :: Rock it :: Be it

And to help soften the blow for my friends and readers who've not hit thirty yet (or those who are struggling with whatever age comes next), I've compiled some of the redeeming qualities your birthday brings. 

PS For those of you in the Forever 29 camp, there are plenty of us who will enjoy 30 for you. But, consider joining us soon! You've earned it! 

 In case you're wondering how I ushered in my big birthday, I coordinated a fiesta at our home with some of our nearest and dearest (minus those who couldn't make it). We had a "It's NACHO birthday" bar and plenty of dessert and drinks. Here's the high level recap in photos. Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate with us! And, I so appreciate all the birthday love I received throughout the month. Y'all are the best! 

Until next time!
-xo

Our Dood turns two today! Yes, Garth the Goldendoodle, is growing up. In the last year, he's discovered the love of a tennis ball and squeaky toy. He gobbles cheese any chance he can get. He regularly tucks himself in at night whether we're ready to sleep or not. He's a fan of sitting on our mid-Century modern sofa (with a dog sheet of course!). And, he's still the worst car rider on the face of the planet. 

And if that's not enough, he's an artist too! 

Because buying a house is expensive enough, we didn't want to spend a lot on artwork to grace our walls. So, taking inspiration from KC Pet Project's Animal Artists, we enlisted our pooches to help create some one-of-a-kind canvases. 

The project is quite simple. And, tyou can create your own in just a matter on minutes. 

1. Purchase a few basic canvases at your local craft store. I got mine on on super sale which makes it even better.
2. Select you paint colors. Use water-based, non-toxic acrylic paint (i.e. Apple Barrel brand). We picked four different colors so that we could use different colors on their front and back paws. Garth is teal and grey; Shaggy is yellow and tan.
3. Prepare the project area with a drop cloth. Set the canvases a bit apart so there's room to walk.
4. Pour the paint onto a flat surface that the pups can easily dip their paws into. 
5. Make sure the dogs' paws are clean and dry. Get the pups familiar with the project area. Let them walk around, sniff, etc. 
6. Dip the paws into the paint. It helps to have two people so you can dip the front and back paws in tandem. And we didn't let both pups paint at the same time. 
7. Let the pups walk on the canvases. Coax and reward (treats are highly encouraged!)
8. Once your satisfied, pick the canvases up and set aside. Wash their paws.
9. After they canvases are completely dry, hang in just the perfect place.

I hope Shaggy and Garth's art inspires you to engage your furry friends and family in a creative project or two. 
Now, as if you haven't had enough, cute dog pics, I'll provide you a gallery of some of our favorites from the past year. Despite all the muddy paws and slobbery mouths, I can't imagine our life without Shag and Garth.

That's enough for now. Our pup only turns two once and we've got celebrating to do. 
Until next time--
xoxo

Holy moly! Today marks this little blog's first anniversary. Cue the parade and candle-blowing. We shall celebrate with exciting ramblings and a killer Salted Caramel Cheesecake recipe. Yes, we're doubling up on the goodness. 

First, I want to thank you all for jumping in on this journey. I wasn't entirely sure what I signed on for when I launched this blog while sitting on the kitchen floor in our wee rental house. You, the awesome readers of the blogesphere, have been encouraging and forgiving. You've come back despite my inconsistent posting schedule. You've made recipes that were depicted in lackluster photos (I promise to get better!). You've shared that you enjoy my rants and words. You've inspired me to be a better cook and baker. You've built my confidence to keep putting forth posts. I now know that blogging is the second best creative release I have. It's a closeclose second to cooking. Hmmmm, I guess this is why Born Daily is primarily a blog with food. And for the record, I find myself on the same pillow on my kitchen floor tip tap typing this post. Oh, the delicious, sugary serendipity of it all.

You might have noticed it has been basically a month (ahem...sigh) since I posted last. Well, life has been busy. Like really busy. I previously posted that we were on the hunt for a house. Well with the help of our main man Saint Joseph and our rockstar realtor, Keely, we found a house, made it through negotiations, etc., AND got our rental sold all within a few weeks of each other. (The rental was only on the market 3 days!) Yes, she's really that good. So just firm that up, yep, next week the Borns are buying a house!! I've been hesitant to write about this because despite my intuition I am a teeny superstitious. So, just for good measure we still have Saint Joseph in his place of honor. 

Accordingly, you should expect many adventures in homeownership to fill the coming installments of this blog. More details, and hopefully minimal mishaps, await.

Second, remember that birthday bucket list of sorts I put forward in February...I am slowly working through it. Next week we'll officially cross of #6 (see paragraphs above). I can also cross off #4 since I ran my second half marathon this past weekend! WAHOO! I went in with an unspoken goal and disappointingly didn't meet it BUT the entire run felt better than my first half. That's something, right? And, I might be crazy enough to try to train for another one...er, did I just type that? Chalk that up to a runner's high... Anyhoo, I'm pretty proud to have completed it and got to run it with a longtime bestie (and when I say run "with" I mean we both performed the activity but she's much faster.) 

Now, I promised you a kick-butt cheesecake with trendy salted caramel sauce. It is rich, seemingly fancy, and totally something you can make at home. Create some special occasion that warrants a serious dessert (i.e. a blog-versary). It comes to us from Joy the Baker. (Joy was one of the first bloggers I started to read regularly. She mixes humor as well as she does butter and sugar. Check her out.)

I have to confess I originally made this cheesecake for the hubster's 25th birthday, last year. This was weeks before this blog entered my brain as a serious outlet. Thus, I have only one picture of the final result. And, I've already revealed its wonder at the top of this post. So instead of typing the recipe for you, I want to drive you to her site, the original. 

I picked this recipe because it didn't require a springform pan. I've gone twenty something years and never acquired a springform pan. Seriously. That probably eats at my baker credit a bit... But nevertheless, I made this in all its flavorful glory and it stands up as a pretty legit cheesecake. And don't fear the caramel. You can do it! BUT if you don't want to do it, it is completely acceptable to melt the caramels and add salt. This treat was the perfect way to usher in his milestone. It lasts a while if there are only two of you. 

Speaking of which, I failed to properly give him a blog post for his birthday earlier this month. (And I didn't make him a cheesecake this year either. He requested a DQ ice cream cake (yes, it's true love when you a baker buy a loved one their birthday treat.)) So, husband, happiest belated birthday blog inclusion. May this year be filled with the best adventures, delicious foods, cold grapefruit shandy, and a well-organized bigger garage! Love you for being you, awesome, handsome, talented, you. 

You all rock. You really do. Thank you again for making Born Daily part of your online reading habits! It is my sincerest hope that we can continue to grow this blog together. And goodness knows, there's plenty of content ahead! #food24/7 #homeownership :)

Have a great week, friends! 
Until next time. 
-xoxo 

29. Twenty-nine. That sounds kind of like an shorthand spy name (like Agent 99, eh, Get Smart fans?...crickets. Hmmm, I am quite sure part of my soul comes from an older era.) Anyhoo, I've been 29 for a week now. Yes, to some "I'm just a baby" and to others, "man, you're 29. really?" Spare me. 
I am genuinely thankful for another year on this Earth breathing, marching to my own drum, with my favorite people. It's pretty fine to be 29. 

I had a great celebration with my husband. He totally surprised me with an adorable cake and a brand new MACBOOK PRO! Yes, this is the inaugural post from my beloved laptop. He knew I would have absolutely never purchased it myself. THANK YOU, Nicholas! And I've been able to belatedly celebrate with my co-workers and our families too, complete with favorite meals, brownies, and beautiful weather. 

In this year, the year before everything starts to go downhill (or at least that's what I'm told), I'd like to make a concentrated effort of both more and less. A constant bundle of contradictions, I am. But what I mean is I want to do more and worry less. I want to focus on more quality and less clutter. I want to love more and complain less. I want to achieve more and be "busy" less. I want to grow more and weigh less. (Wait, this is still a food blog so about that....) Seriously, though, I think 29 is a quest for becoming even more me. 

I've decided to outline 29 things, goals per say, to complete in the next 358 days. 

And because I'm a sucker for typography and words, here's a bit of inspiration for you all as we journey onward. I hope this list causes you to pause, to reflect, and/or to challenge yourself to make a list of your own. Milestones are in the making. Let's do this. 

Until next time. xoxox