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Cauliflower Gratin

Cauliflower Gratin

Cauliflower Gratin is one of my favorite cauliflower recipes. Although my “Smashed-cauliflower Potatoes” are a close second, I have literally made this cauliflower gratin dozens of times. I love that I can have a large portion of it if I’m especially hungry. It’s a delicious 

Whole Wheat Linguine with Mushrooms and Lemon-Garlic Gremolata

Whole Wheat Linguine with Mushrooms and Lemon-Garlic Gremolata

The following recipe is one of my brother’s go-to recipes. He has made it so many times that he no longer needs the original recipe, and now just cooks it by feel and what looks good. I love when that happens! It all started one 

Quick and Easy Spicy Black Bean Soup

Quick and Easy Spicy Black Bean Soup

When I lived near a Trader Joe’s, I would sometimes buy a carton of spicy Cuban black bean soup that they carried. I thought it was reasonably healthy for being so convenient. The only listed ingredient that bothered me was cane juice. The soup didn’t 

Special Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Special Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes

A few weeks ago I happened to catch Food Network show with Giada. One of the dishes she made really stuck in my mind. So much so, that the next time I went grocery shopping I bought fingerling potatoes. As Giada was cooking the potato 

Chili and Fixings

Chili and Fixings

I have made this recipe a several times now. I usually triple or quadruple the recipe, put it in my crock pot and then chili is waiting for us when we come home with guests.  What makes this special is all the optional fixings.  It 

Penne Pasta Bake

Penne Pasta Bake

Penne Pasta Bake is not only great on a weeknight, but also for any occasion you would like to have something assembled before hand. Then all you have to do is bake it.  It’s easier than lasagna but just as tasty, and this casserole can 

Turkey Dumpling Soup

Turkey Dumpling Soup

Our new winter favorite—Turkey Dumpling Soup. Our Christmas dinner is usually Thanksgiving dinner part II. What can I say? My husband loves my Roaster Turkey, Classic Turkey Stuffing, and Mashed potatoes. Therefore, I had plenty turkey bones to make a batch of homemade turkey stock. 

Happy New Year!

My New Year’s resolution is to blog more consistently.  It is sad to go through my blog reader and click through the list of blogs I like to find that somebody stopped blogging.  I’m sure that in some cases it was for very good reasons. 

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes – 3 Variations

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes – 3 Variations

Using a slow cooker is very useful for making sure Thanksgiving day (or any special dinner with guests) goes smoothly.  After all, there are so many dishes to make sure we get to the table hot – why not take an opportunity to make it 

Roaster Turkey

Roaster Turkey

I never heard of making a turkey in an electric roaster until I saw my mother-in-law make her turkey this way. Of course, after I saw this method I had to get an electric roaster myself! If this is the turkey my husband grew up 

Mom’s Classic Turkey Stuffing

Mom’s Classic Turkey Stuffing

Now I understand why my husband gets so excited about having turkey stuffing every year. The first time I tasted his Mom’s Classic Turkey Stuffing while my husband and I were still dating, I knew I would need to learn how to make it. My 

Baked Bacon

Baked Bacon

Several years ago I worked at a camp and conference center. We had a full time chef that prepared some pretty amazing meals for groups of 50 to groups of 300 plus. One morning I saw how he made the breakfast bacon on large sheet 

The Easiest Salt and Pepper Roasted Chicken

The Easiest Salt and Pepper Roasted Chicken

I have made this recipe several times now, and it just keeps getting better and better. I used to try to put all sorts of spices on top of the chicken, stuffed inside of the chicken, stuffed in between the skin and the chicken (not 

Authentic Recipe Italian Meatballs – Polpette

Authentic Recipe Italian Meatballs – Polpette

Who knew that a “food stuff made of ground meat” could taste so good? I had no idea how many different kinds of meatballs there were until I did a little reading on Wikipedia. There must be thousands of recipes using every kind of meat 

Quick Red Wine Tomato Sauce

Quick Red Wine Tomato Sauce

This Quick Red Wine Tomato Sauce recipe is easy to make, less expensive than store-bought sauces, plus there is no extra sugar or preservatives. This is one of those recipes that was given to me word of mouth from an American born Italian mom. Sure, 

Roasted Garlic

Roasted Garlic

The other day I was walking through Whole Foods admiring their salad bar area (I often cruise by to get ideas) and I saw the biggest station of roasted garlic cloves that I had ever seen—hundreds of little cloves in a light amount of olive 

Genoa Basil Pesto

Genoa Basil Pesto

A couple of weeks ago I was given the gift of a grocery bag full of garden-grown basil and I knew I was going to make homemade pesto which I had been craving for months. The plan was to freeze most of it so that 

Whole Roasted Turkey Breast

Whole Roasted Turkey Breast

For the last couple of years in preparation for November’s Thanksgiving feast I have made two half turkey breast roasts, or one whole turkey breast roast. Really? You may be wondering why. Answer: homemade turkey broth for Thanksgiving day stuffing—of course! While turkey broth might 

Roasted Vegetable Salad

Roasted Vegetable Salad

Friends of mine have a bountiful garden, and I’m grateful that they have shared their abundance with me. They gave me spring onions, Japanese eggplant, zucchini, carrots, turnips and basil. Also, my neighbor gave me some yellow squash. So, almost everything in this salad is 

This Is Going To Be A Challenge

First, I’m sorry that I haven’t posted in a while. Here’s why. My husband graduated from Westminster Seminary California in May, sustained his candidacy exam in June, we planned his parents 50th wedding anniversary in July, flew back to Michigan for the party in August 

Garden-Fresh Pico de Gallo

Garden-Fresh Pico de Gallo

While I was grocery shopping in the produce section, I noticed that the pico de gallo was $3.99 for an 8 oz tub. Now, it is not beyond me to pay for something chopped up and ready made once in a while for a quick 

Strawberry, Basil & Romaine Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Strawberry, Basil & Romaine Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Yesterday, I found organic strawberries on sale—three pints for $6.00 and I couldn’t pass that up. While at the grocery store my husband and I decided to invite some friends over for a casual dinner and a movie. With our usual dinner-for-two bumped up to 

Tomato Sandwich

Tomato Sandwich

Now that I have homemade mayonnaise, I have a week to use the batch. To begin with, my itch to make the mayonnaise started with my craving for a tomato sandwich. A what? Yes, a tomato sandwich. I must have had a hundred of these 

Homemade Mayonnaise (How I learned after failing)

Homemade Mayonnaise (How I learned after failing)

Years ago I read an article about how the taste of homemade mayonnaise is worth the extra effort. I filed that away in the back of my mind on the “to-do-someday” list. Years later I ran across a recipe. I tried it. I crashed and 

Mom’s Salmon Patties

Mom’s Salmon Patties

Mom’s salmon patties were an ingenious method for her to get us kids to eat more fish, I’m sure. We always ate them without complaint, albeit with ketchup. I imagine my mom used this as fast weeknight dinner she could make with ingredients she kept 

Pan-Seared Talapia with Clarified-Butter Lemon Sauce

Pan-Seared Talapia with Clarified-Butter Lemon Sauce

Pan-Seared Talapia with Clarified-Butter Lemon Sauce is a good beginner’s recipe for fish. Most of us know fish is good for us because it is full of heart healthy Omega 3s. And, because it is so good for us we know we should eat more 

Glühwein (a.k.a. Gluhwein, Gluvine or Hot Mulled Spiced Wine)

Glühwein (a.k.a. Gluhwein, Gluvine or Hot Mulled Spiced Wine)

Here is one way to take away some of the winter chill. Make some Glühwein (a.k.a. Gluhwein, Gluvine or Hot Mulled Spiced Wine). The first time I tasted Glühwein was at a German Christmas market in Esslingen, Germany. Yep, I had the real deal, and 

Rotisserie Prime Rib Roast

Rotisserie Prime Rib Roast

Our family recipe for rotisserie prime rib roast made with a Ronco Showtime Rotisserie. The key to this recipe is the amazing dry rub. Every time my husband and I visit my parents we get at least one or two amazing meals made from this 

Stromboli

Stromboli

I love bread. Sometimes, I really think that I could survive on wine, bread, and cheese alone. (But it would have to be really good bread). Even though there all countless types of bread. My favorite type of bread has a crispy crust with a 

Te Con Leche (Tea with Milk)

Te Con Leche (Tea with Milk)

This is a super easy recipe as it consists of 2 ingredients: tea and milk. I first had this beverage back in 1987 on my first night in Spain with my host family. In all honesty, it was the only thing she offered that I 

Quick Fish Tacos (Gluten-Free Options)

Quick Fish Tacos (Gluten-Free Options)

Quick Fish Tacos are perfect for a busy weeknight since dinner can be on the table in 30 minutes. Trader Joes has some great convenience food options—some are healthier than others. One day they were sampling their lightly breaded fish sticks. Within the 10 second 

French Chicken in a Crock Pot

French Chicken in a Crock Pot

The idea for French Chicken in a Crock Pot came about because I wanted to be able to have the moist, tender, and flavorful dish without heating up the house, and I wanted to be able to leave the house and come back to a 

Spicy Almond-Encrusted Chicken Breast

Spicy Almond-Encrusted Chicken Breast

I love Trader Joe’s.  The perfect example — they sell almond meal. If you are trying to cut back on gluten or white processed flour, this is a fabulous substitute. And, Trader Joe’s has it ground and packaged for convenience.  One way I thought about 

Quick Asparagus and Vegetable Saute

Quick Asparagus and Vegetable Saute

Quick Asparagus and Vegetable Sauté is a fresh way to break out of the same old vegetable sides using simple ingredients to create a bold, clean flavor. It comes together quickly, uses simple ingredients, and works as a side dish or a base for meals 

Herb-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Herb-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Herb-Stuffed Chicken Breasts is an easy way to use fresh herbs you might have on the counter or in your fridge. I have been buying more fresh herbs lately. Sometimes I feel like those fresh herbs are like a ticking time bomb in the fridge, 

Kale with Garlic Crunchies

Kale with Garlic Crunchies

You have heard of wilted spinach, right?  Well, here is another version of a wilted green, and it is oh so good for us.  According to Wikipedia “Kale is considered to be a highly nutritious vegetable with powerful antioxidant properties and is anti-inflammatory.  Kale is 

Roasted Rosemary Sweet Potatoes and Onions

Roasted Rosemary Sweet Potatoes and Onions

I love sweet potatoes!  I didn’t know this until last week. Until now, I have confused sweet potatoes with yams. I didn’t realize that there was a difference until I went to a grocery store that had both and were clearly marked! Yams are the 

Easy Lemony Chicken Piccata

Easy Lemony Chicken Piccata

This Easy Lemony Chicken Piccata is made healthier by using a combination of butter and olive oil and nutrient-dense homemade chicken stock.

Zucchini Frittata

Zucchini Frittata

This is one of my all-time favorite  frittata recipes. I have made this dozens of times and it always tastes great. This recipe comes from the very first cookbook I ever bought called, Reader’s Digest Great Recipes for Good Health, published in 1988 back when 

Southwestern-Style Pork Loin Chops

Southwestern-Style Pork Loin Chops

I love to cook, but nobody that I know likes to cook complicated meals every night of the week (unless maybe it is your full time job to do so). Some of my favorite meals to cook when I don’t feel like cooking a “major 

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus

This recipe has made its way to an Easter tradition in our home, and has been served as a brunch item, and used as an appetizer on occasion. If there are any left over (and that is a big “if”) I love to chop them 

Potato Pancakes—German Style

Potato Pancakes—German Style

I have had many versions of potato pancakes, after all, they come in many shapes and sizes. When I was a kid my mom made a version from leftover mashed potatoes which we all loved. I have made them from box mixes. I have ordered 


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