This Warm Spinach Dip for a Crowd is the perfect recipe for a large gathering. Serving the dip warm so the cheese is oh-so gooey is only one secret to this spinach dip. There are at least two other secrets to this recipe—feta cheese and …

I have been making my Mom’s Classic Deviled Eggs for years. Mom would make them for almost every family gathering and party. If people were coming over for Christmas dinner, New Years Day, a Superbowl party, Easter dinner, or a summer barbecue then most likely …

Why hard boiled eggs can be challenging for home cooks Something that seems so simple, boiling an egg, can be a challenge. On the one hand, there are two ingredients eggs and water. Yet, I’ve had under cooked, over cooked eggs with a green ring, …

This Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing is a Whole30 and Paleo friendly version of America’s favorite dressing. We use it for salads and dips, for chicken nuggets, veggie trays, and more. If you tolerate dairy products, check out my original Ranch Dressing and Dip recipe. There are …

This is one of our favorite meals to serve to guests.  I’ve served this hearty salad after-church for a Sunday lunch as well as a weeknight dinner for guests. Actually, this is more than a mere salad. It’s a meat-and-potato salad. This is a meal …

This vinaigrette is delicious and satiating. It’s wonderful with steak or chicken entree salads. One guest said, “Wow, this dressing really makes the salad.” You can also use this vinaigrette as a dip for spring rolls. Cashew-Lime Vinaigrette1/2 cup lime juice (about 5 limes)1/4 cup …

Finally, a whole-food healthy version of nachos. These delightful bites are grain-free and dairy-free. Plus, peppers are a good source of vitamin C. Whether you want to enjoy a nutritious appetizer or introduce others to a healthier option these mini-pepper nachos are easy to make …

Making a simple vinaigrette only adds an additional five minutes of prep time and yields many benefits. Just think about it. You’ll know all the ingredients your dressing contains. You can control the amount of sugar or leave it out all together. Have you ever …

I love going to a produce store and seeing bins of fresh vegetables like snow peas, snap peas, mushrooms, and green beans up for grabs. You can buy as many or as little as you need, and you can hand-pick them to be uniform. It’s …

These potatoes  remind me of my childhood. Mom’s fried potatoes were one of my favorite side dishes growing up. I remember when I was old enough, Mom put me in charge of flipping the potato slices. One of the many ways she introduced me to …

There are many variations of vegetables you can grill on the barbecue. Here is a combo of vegetables that are readily available through, spring, summer, and fall. All you need is sliced vegetables, olive oil, salt, and pepper to grill a delicious side dish. Eating …

Can you make pesto without cheese? Yes! The last time I went to the store they had large tubs of basil and I couldn’t resist. The weather is good enough to grill now and basil screams summer to me. I love pesto with pasta, of …

I love my original Zucchini Frittata recipe. However, many people can’t have cheese or choose not to have cheese if they are doing a 30-day elimination diet. So, I altered my original recipe to create this dairy free version. The main difference is this frittata …

Doing a Whole30 challenge brought sweet potatoes back into my life. I shunned all potatoes, fruit, and starchy vegetables for far too long. I put them in a “bad food” category. I’m recovered from that thinking. I now know that they are good for me …

I periodically get nostalgic for my Mom’s Juicy Ginger-Beer Ham. She served it to our family both at Christmas and Easter. As a child I remember grumbling to my mom about having ham and potato salad twice a year while only having turkey and stuffing …

I have been aware of the term Whole30 for awhile. Someone I knew did a Whole30 challenge about a year ago and I could tell she lost weight. Recently, another friend on Facebook posted a picture after completing the challenge so I visited Whole30.com to …

Brussels sprouts weren’t on my radar. I don’t remember the first time I had them. I don’t remember my mom making them. My best guess is that I was at a restaurant that served them roasted. I was probably at a steak place with friends …

If you’ve been to a picnic or a church potluck then chances are you’ve seen Broccoli Salad. I often see Broccoli Salad for sale at stores in the deli section. What makes this recipe unique is bacon, dried cherries, and shelled pumpkin seeds. To the …

Recently, friends invited my husband and I to a dinner party where the theme was “burgers.”  Everyone was supposed to bring a burger condiment as well as a side dish or dessert.  I decided to bring a bacon and onion relish. It was a huge …

I have been on a major frittata kick lately. It seems that between leftovers and the staples I have in my my refrigerator I can make a frittata out of just about anything. The flavor combination of spinach, tomato, and feta makes for an especially …

I don’t know why I have waited so long to blog about this salad. My husband and I have enjoyed this salad for years. We serve it to company. You can serve it family-style, split between six bowls, or split between two bowls. Add some …

Lettuce leaves make a great vehicle for low carb meals and snacks. Recently, I was craving an egg salad sandwich, but I didn’t want to have the added carbs with this particular meal. I thought why not put it in a lettuce leaf. This seems …

We love Caesar salad in our house. We make it often. So when we got our new Weber gas grill this summer the very first thing I made was a grilled chicken Caesar salad. By “grilled” I mean grilled chicken, grilled Romaine, grilled baguette slices, …

Instead of opening several cans of “Baked Beans,”pouring them into a slow cooker and reheating them, (which I’ve done before for pot-luck parties) I wanted to make something from scratch. I was looking for bean recipe that was more savory than sweet, rich with the …

This salad is a family favorite. We eat it all the time. My father-in-law recently stayed with us and when I asked him what some of his favorite “bites” were during his stay the first thing he said was “Caesar salad.” Wow. I was surprised…a …

I am a Buffalo Wing snob and this recipe is inspired by Outback’s Kookaburra Wings. I won’t go as far to call these a copycat. However, my husband and I agree they are so much better than wings we’ve had at many restaurants. We have …

When I find myself in an abundance of zucchini I turn to this Zucchini Frittata recipe or this dairy free Tomato and Zucchini Frittata. But, one day I wanted to do something different and I did have plenty of zucchini in the fridge. After a …

You know how when you are shopping for a new or used car, and you’ve got it narrowed down to a couple of makes and models, and then you start seeing those cars on the road everywhere? Have you ever had that experience with recipes? …

My husband and I had the privilege to vacation in Costa Rica a couple of months ago. One of many activities that we enjoyed was going to Rainforest Spices. Of all the things people can do on vacation you probably wouldn’t think that going to …

This Oven-Roasted Peel-and-Eat Shrimp can be prepped in advance and broiled in minutes. The garlic-butter zip sauce from this recipe exists in my refrigerator as a staple, so I’m always looking for creative ways to use it. The inspiration for this recipe is from a …

When recently volunteering to prepare fresh fruit for 50 people, at first I thought I would create  a couple of  extra large fruit salad bowls similar to my “Strawberry, Orange, and Grape Salad with Basil” post.  After doing some shopping and seeing what looked fresh, …

Friends recently came over with a large pot of gumbo in hand. I loved it, and after a brief interview, I began forming this recipe in my mind. My friend used different proteins, but shrimp and sausage gumbo sounded so good to me. However, I …

One of my favorite appetizers is a classic shrimp cocktail. If shrimp cocktail is on our menu, it’s probably a special occasion.To be honest, I’ve always bought frozen or thawed precooked shrimp; I have yet to buy raw shrimp and boil it myself for shrimp …

Scrambled eggs, bacon, Martha Stewart’s popovers, and mimosas has become my family’s go-to menu for holiday breakfasts. Whether it is Thanksgiving morning, Christmas morning, or Easter morning there is a good chance that my Mom is making this breakfast. Even though my husband and I …

Spinach salad with leftover turkey coupled with pomegranate seeds is the cure after a couple of days of Thanksgiving leftovers. Soon after the big turkey day, I want a salad. I crave salad. I need a salad. This is a colorful and refreshing concoction items …

Are you wondering what to do with all the Thanksgiving leftovers in the refrigerator right now? This is a great time of year for a Turkey, Spinach, and Cheese Panini. Paninis are grilled Italian sandwiches. They became popular in the 1970s and 1980s in Italy. …

This is not-your-ordinary fruit salad because tomatoes, olives, and avocados are not often thought of as fruits. Technically, they are fruits. Add apples to the ingredient list and that makes four fruits in this salad. This salad is a bit like a party in your …

Salmon was an acquired taste for me. I finally started liking it in my twenties. Up to that point the only salmon I ate was my Mom’s salmon patties with ketchup. One night when I was out to dinner with a few coworkers on a …

I never had corn pudding before, until my husband and I had this at a friend’s house for dinner.  Our hosts served corn pudding with spiral sliced ham.  I can hardly believe that I haven’t experienced this combination before.  I’m very grateful to have received …

One of the more popular posts on this site is for a steakhouse baked potato.  It’s a recipe for a crispy-skinned Russet potato. However, there is more than one kind of potato that you can get at most steakhouses.  Let’s not forget the sweet potato! …

Homemade no-knead breads are hugely popular nowadays. No wonder. In about 4 hours you can have a homemade boule.

Recently, my husband and I entertained another family for dinner. Our guests were unexpectedly surprised with a menu that was Thanksgiving part II. We did the whole thing all over again: roaster turkey, crock pot mashed potatoes, classic turkey stuffing, etc. We were all happily …