Normal kids ate sandwiches for lunch during summer vacation. This kid scrounged around for ingredients in the family kitchen. Then I moseyed out to the back garden for ripe tomato and cooked up this Bacon Tomato Potato Salad. Continue reading
Last week I pulled some chili from the freezer for a desperation dinner (nothing fresh and no desire for carryout). The chili had several types of beans and vegetables and Beyond Meat burger crumbles. It occurred to me that not one soul could have noted the difference between the plant based meat and the real thing. It’s that good. Continue reading
Homemade cakes got extra attention when I was growing up. We were a dessert family; store bought cakes showed up occasionally, but when mom made her own, we felt the love. Even when the cakes were lopsided, partially frosted or just plain plain, they were always better than anything we purchased. Continue reading
Strawberries are in season. It’s time to add them to salads, desserts, breads and beverages. This Strawberry Shrub Gin Cocktail has the makings of a tasty mocktail with just the shrub base. Add to gin or a favorite spirit for a delightful seasonal cocktail to start your outdoor entertaining. Continue reading
Cooking is my passion and my life. Even so, if you offered me a no-cook recipe, I am all in. Even in the dead of winter I’ve been known to eat homemade soup straight from the fridge, lazybones that I am when it comes to hunger versus effort. Today’s recipe for Asparagus Burrata Salad, with its base of bright and tart turmeric hummus, is for those days when you want fancy without the heat of the stove. Continue reading
I want to break my dependence on single serving beverages. I get thirsty when I’m running errands so I grab an iced tea at the store. Aluminum cans and glass bottles are more readily recyclable than plastics, which I try to avoid, but I’m still contributing small containers to the huge pool of Things That Must Be Recycled. Most iced tea brands use plastic packaging; many recent articles inform us that only a small fraction of plastics are actually recycled and repurposed. Continue reading
Are you in a vegetable rut? This recipe for Garlicky Kale and Carrots will give you a boost. By rut, I mean the sameness of our vegetable side game: open bag of frozen veggies and heat. Roast simple vegetable in oven. Buy precut veggies and make a stirfry. There is nothing wrong, however, with these vegetable sides unless you are bored with the repetition. Continue reading
Set your priorities for the new year. What are your favorite foods and how will you incorporate them into your meal plan? Potatoes, Cheese and Chocolate are my top three and if I had to eliminate one it would be chocolate. Put potatoes and cheese together and watch me swoon. Breakfast, lunch and dinner could be this combination, in all its myriad forms. This white cheddar parmesan potato gratin is tasty hot, cold (I ate the leftovers for breakfast) and at room temperature. My dinner tasters got a little serving, too. Continue reading
Pear Whiskey Sour is what I’m making this holiday season to make my spirits bright. I am toasting the upcoming year. We have just endured a year that cannot be repeated, right? I am hopeful and wanting the world to recover all that has been lost. Some things may not come back to full speed, like raucous bar behavior. Restaurant patrons, those who enjoy conversation that does not need to be shouted, will likely agree. Homemade cocktails suit me just fine for now, unless takeout is an option. Continue reading
Perhaps your Thanksgiving celebration will look a little different this year, with fewer faces around the table, less hustle and bustle and fewer dishes. Or perhaps you’ve been so aggravated with 2020 you’ll skip the turkey and sides and focus only on desserts like the sweet-a-holic we all know you are. Am I pointing the finger at myself? Yes, why, yes I am. Continue reading