Getaway Weekend!

photo by DaveDilliPhotography - used with permission I am in Sedona, AZ with 5 of my sisters this weekend! I left the laptop at home and I...

Oatmeal, Oatmeal, OATMEAL!

If you know me in real life, the odds are good that you know how much my youngest son LOVES oatmeal. When you ask him, at any moment of the ...

Double Chocolate Brownies with Macadamia Nuts

Can a recipe ever go wrong when it starts with the words "double chocolate?" I made these for a day at the park with friends last...

I just found out how to do this last week. It'...

I just found out how to do this last week. It's super easy and saves a lot of money. If you have ingredients to spare, use 1/2 or all s...

The Pimm's Cup

Are you familiar with the Pimm's Cup? If not, let me introduce you. Pimm's No. 1 is a spicy-sweet gin-based British liqueur. Why #1...

Kitchen Tips: DIY Fruit and Vegetable Wash

Did you know that most chemicals used on produce won't be washed off with a simple rinsing under water? The acid in vinegar kills bacte...

Italian Herb Rice

Sweet Jasmine rice cooked with plenty of herbs and then topped with a pat of butter was an  excellent match for the Lemony Garlic and Herb H...

Lemony Garlic and Herb Halibut

Lemony Garlic and Herb Halibut is a quick and easy weeknight meal. Toss it in the marinade mid-afternoon and then under the broiler just bef...

Orange Parsley Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Sweet bites of oranges are tossed with crisp lettuce and parsley and then topped with caramelized almonds to create the most refreshing sala...

Kitchen Tips: How To Caramelize Almonds

Do you know what often makes the difference between an everyday salad and the fancier salads that we are willing to pay for in restaurants? ...

White Balsalmic Vinaigrette

This dressing is light, sweet and tangy with just enough oil to coat a salad without leaving it soggy. This vinaigrette is part one of the ...

Homemade Butter Mints & Chocolate Butter Mints

These are buttery, sweet, minty candies that melt in your mouth like no store-bought candy you have ever tasted. I used to love after dinner...

Kitchen Tips: Homemade Easter Egg Dyes

Creating your own homemade Easter egg dyes from everyday kitchen ingredients seems to be the thing to do this year. A couple years ago, I sa...

Kitchen Tips: Perfectly Simple Hard-Boiled Eggs

We eat hard-boiled eggs on a regular basis around here and I've been using this method to boil eggs for as long as I can remember. It ne...

Homemade Almond Joys with Dark Chocolate

For as long as I can remember, I've been making coconut candies at Christmas time. I drizzle them with chocolate and the most common thi...

Roasted Potatoes with Brussels Sprouts and Sausage

Last week, I stumbled across a dish that combined Brussels sprouts with pasta and potatoes. I couldn't get that combination out of my he...

Chicken with Mushrooms

When a great many mushrooms waiting in the refrigerator combined with some chicken breasts I found in the freezer, it was time for a chicken...

Blueberries and Cream Almond Oatmeal

Oatmeal loaded with blueberries that plump up when cooked and burst with flavor in each bite is currently my youngest son's favorite bre...

Kitchen Tips: How to Make Homemade Chicken Stock

I've made chicken stock a number of different ways over the years. I've made fancy versions and herb versions and beyond simple vers...

Rosemary and Thyme Potato Soup ~ In The Crock-Pot

  An alternative name for this soup would be "my busy day soup" ~ this soup can be assembled anytime from 5-10 hours before you w...

Corned Beef, Cabbage and Red Potato Hash

When I saw the leftover corned beef in the refrigerator, I imagined that a skillet of cabbage, corned beef and red potatoes would be tasty. ...

Homemade Popcorn ~ Savory or Sweet

Popcorn has been one of my favorite snacks as long as I can remember. A microwave (purchased primarily for popcorn) might have been my first...

Balsamic and Ginger Marinated Salmon

For years, the only way I prepared fish was with a sprinkling of salt and pepper and a drizzle of oil and lemon. We didn't eat it often ...