The Chopping Block Cooking & Wine Blog

7 Stress-Relieving Snack Foods to Keep You Calm Over the Holidays

The holidays are a season filled with joy, but they can also bring a good dose of stress. From last-minute gift shopping to hosting holiday dinners, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But what if ...

Simple and Delicious Meals to Start Your Day

I will never tire of hearing the term 'simple and delicious' in regard to meals prepped and enjoyed at home. I am a firm believer in the notion of eating your first meal of the day within the first ...

Creamy Avocado Margaritas

I have always loved going to new restaurants, traveling near and far to experience great food and drinks. But there is one restaurant in particular that I go back to time and time again: Bien Trucha, ...

Grilled Peach and Avocado Salsa: Your Next Go-To Summer Condiment

We’re so lucky to have neighbors that leave Michigan peaches at our doorstep! Because buying peaches at the grocery store can be such a gamble, and after being disappointed time after time I don’t ...

How Quarantining Taught my Kids to Cook

Another Covid-19 quarantine day. Another dinner to plan. Ugh. It had started out with so much promise. Now that my state’s stay-at-home order had eliminated my daily Uber-mom driving duties, I would ...

Chipotle Chicken with Avocado Leaves

Spring is upon us, even though it did not look like it a couple of weeks ago here in Chicago. We had a mixture of snow and hail on a Sunday, and we even needed to salt the sidewalk at our Lincoln ...

Avocados + Chickpeas = “Hummole”

Try thinking of foods that are good for you and that you also have little to no guilt eating obscene amounts of. Did hummus and guacamole cross your mind? Gun to your head: which would you choose if ...

How To Not Go To the Hospital: A Guide To Cutting Avocados

In case you find yourself in need of a break from all the ‘Holiday Gift Roundups’ or ‘what to do with all those leftovers’ articles, I figured I’d share a practical a-seasonal guide for something I ...

Chocolate Avocado Zucchini Bread

A while back I shared my mom’s recipe for perfect Banana Bread, then I shared my recipe for Blueberry Zucchini Bread. Now, in my effort to reign supreme as the quick bread queen, I’m sharing my ...

Ugly Avocados? Make Chocolate Mousse

Oh avocados, my culinary love-hate relationship. I love how creamy and rich they are. I love that they make great guacamole, salsa, salad, and great spread on toast. I love that they're filling and ...