Family Foodie Featured Friday: Cupcakes & Kale Chips

Today on Family Foodie Featured Friday: Brianne from Cupcakes & Kale Chips

Who is Brianne:  My name is Brianne, recipe developer and creator of Cupcakes & Kale Chips.  I am a born and raised Jersey girl (I don’t know Snooki or the Real Housewives or anyone like them, never watched The Sopranos, love Bon Jovi, and yes, I used to have big hair), a former Chemical Engineer turned stay-at-home-mom to two adorable little boys , and a wannabe pastry chef with a wheat allergy.  Somehow this all makes sense to me.

I consider Cupcakes & Kale Chips a “love all, serve all” blog with recipes that truly reflect how I cook for my family, from healthy and easy weeknight meals and gluten-free snacks to indulgent entrees and over-the-top desserts.  “Cupcakes & Kale Chips” embodies my philosophy on balance, but it sounds cuter than my true favorites – Salads & Ice Cream!

Her favorite #SundaySupper theme so far:  My Soul Warming Butternut Squash Soup for the Helping Hands for Hurricane Sandy Relief week holds a special place in my heart.  I seriously love this creamy soup with the natural sweetness of the squash balanced by the addition of sage and thyme.  I was directly affected by Sandy, albeit not nearly as badly as many, many others, I was so touched that the Sunday Supper family came together so quickly to show their support for the people of New Jersey and New York – MY people.  It meant so much to be part of it, and to be able to share my story.

Her most popular #SundaySupper post:  My most popular Sunday Supper post by far has been my Sesame Glazed Cauliflower “Wings” for this year’s Tailgate – lightly battered and baked cauliflower florets with a super-flavorful sticky sesame glaze.  I have to say I find this kind of funny because I have tons of vegetarians and vegans coming to my site for these, and the previous recipe I posted to this one was for a chicken salad, and the one after was a fancy pants grilled cheese with bacon (and all kinds of other stuff).  But these little guys are amazing, and I think you may see a new version for Sunday Supper’s Super Bowl Party, if we have one this year.

Fun Fact:  Something that my foodie friends may not know about me is related to my “former life” as a geeky Chemical Engineer.  In the span of just a few years, I traveled to Italy multiple times, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany a couple of times, Portugal, and various locations around China and India…  but sadly all for work.  And although my job was related to pharmaceutical manufacturing outsourcing, and I spent most of the time in meetings and touring chemical factories, my favorite thing about these trips was sampling the local cuisine.  Well, except for the fish lip soup.

Features: I’ve been featured on The Huffington Post, Babble, The Daily South (Southern Living’s blog), and The Daily Meal.

Catch up with Brianne on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Google+