Make-Ahead Recipes

Long’s Yellow Tomato Soup

A delightful summer soup with a stunning color and a hint of optional heat. Yellow tomatoes are also a lower acid tomato with lots of natural sweetness.   The mere description of this soup inspired me to plant yellow tomatoes in our backyard garden. The first year, I think I got three.   The second…

Sandy’s Tomato Pie

Essentially a crustless pie, the unique ingredients in this seasonal favorite create a crusty base that’s loaded with flavor and fabulous texture. (For those who need it, there’s an excellent gluten-free option in the recipe notes.)   Soft foods like mashed potatoes, soup, Jell-O, and ice cream are normally on the menu the day someone…

Peach Melba Overnight Oats

Sweet peaches, tangy raspberries, creamy yogurt, and hearty oats come together quickly in this wholesome, prep-ahead breakfast that’s worth waking up for!   Sweet, juicy peaches, tangy raspberries, creamy yogurt, and hearty oats.  This is the recipe that sold my kids on oats several years ago–and eating them cold no less! Fruity flavors lead the…

Mexican Street Corn Salad

Popular Mexican street fare is reinvented as a flavor-packed salad that’s quick to prepare and always a hit!   I’m pretty sure I was a college graduate before I witnessed someone putting anything but butter and salt on corn on the cob. After all, I grew up in Lancaster County where corn is frequently consumed the…

Roasted Eggplant Salad with Smoked Almonds & Goat Cheese

This unique salad offers a little something smoky/salty/tangy plus a hint of crunch to balance the creaminess of the roasted eggplant. For a heartier meal option, stir cooked pasta into the eggplant mixture…or add the cold leftovers to a bowl of baby spinach for a filling green salad. My friend Dan’s two favorite foods are eggplant…

Barbecue Sandwiches

The “Sloppy Sauce” that envelopes the ground beef in these classic sandwiches is quick, easy, and contains less sugar than many traditional recipes. The taste, however, is spot on!   Breakfast for dinner is always a hit in our house. Come six o’clock, eggs are conveniently quick and satisfying, and an occasional stack of pancakes…

Piña Colada Smoothie Bowl

As a boy, my Dad was required to take a spoonful of cod liver oil every morning before breakfast.  It was one of those oft-repeated stories we heard if we voiced displeasure with what was on our plate.  I still have this mental picture of my maternal grandmother hovering over my dad as a young…

Polenta Croutons

Tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, these golden bites are simple to make and add staying power to salads-although sneaky fingers are likely to devour them hot off the baking sheet!   When I was growing up, clothes shopping with my mom was purely functional.  We had fun, of course, but we…

Sunflower Basil Pesto

This easy recipe is economical, loaded with flavor, and ideal for families with a nut allergy. Plus the pesto freezes well, so you can enjoy the versatile condiment all year long!   If I were to choose just one condiment to get me through the summer, it would be pesto. The fresh seasonal sauce can…

Classic Deviled Eggs

A widely popular appetizer, side dish, or that little “something extra” at picnics, potlucks, holiday meals, and family dinners, this simple deviled egg recipe is a family favorite!   Deviled eggs have long been popular picnic and party fare. We all know the drill. Cut the cooked eggs in half lengthwise, scoop out the yolks,…

Deep Dark Chocolate Fudgesicles with Greek Yogurt

An easy-to-make treat that’s cool, creamy, and super chocolatey!   When my friend Nicole mentioned that 40 percent of what we do on a daily basis is habit, it really resonated. For several months, a small voice in my head had been telling me that I was eating too much sugar and that eliminating my…

Tzatziki (and a few graduation pictures!)

In addition to the requisite photos of this cool, creamy, perfectly summery sauce, I have graduation pictures for you!  As I mentioned last week, the past couple of weeks have been equal parts busy and exciting around here. The main event was last Thursday when John and 699 of his classmates paraded across the stage…

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