Make-Ahead Recipes

Shortcut Blender Tomato Sauce

Great tomato sauce is so easy with this simple technique. The recipe may be doubled or halved based on the amount of tomatoes you have. Simply blend larger quantities in batches and choose a pot that accommodates. Freezes well!   It never fails. Every summer I anxiously await the first of the red, ripe tomatoes…

Crunchy Maple Granola

Typically, dishes like spaghetti and chili are thought to improve with age.  But I have always thought that this concept applied to my Chunky Granola, a longtime family and reader favorite. While the taste is absolutely delicious straight off the baking sheet, the flavors really do develop a little something extra by day two or three.…

Blueberry Lime Jam

Homemade jam is a breeze with these clear, simple instructions - even true beginners will feel like a pro. And thanks to the hint of lime, the end result is worthy of a specialty store!           One of my fondest memories from my grandmother’s dinner table is, silly as it may sound,…

Easy Fruit & Yogurt Popsicles

Two basic ingredients are all you need for wholesome, creamy, refreshing popsicles that can be customized to taste.   I have a vivid memory of running through the sprinkler with my sister on a hot summer day, only to hear the distant melody of an ice cream truck. No sound was more thrilling or inspired…

Teriyaki Salmon Bowls

This heart-healthy, flavor-packed meal takes advantage of the cook-once-eat-twice method and can be customized to taste!         When considering foods that taste good as leftovers, lasagna, chili and the Thanksgiving turkey likely come to mind. Fish, not so much. Once cooked, however, leftover seafood can be safely stored in the refrigerator for…

Dinner (and leftovers) out of one 3-ingredient marinade

Minimal ingredients come together with flavor-packed ease in this wholesome, all-in-one meal that can be customized to taste. Effortless summer cooking at its best!    So, I did what I have been strictly avoiding for a very long time. I cooked on live TV.   The thought of preparing something delicious in two to three…

Cold Brew Coffee

This easy process creates a base that can be diluted with water or milk for your favorite cold coffee drinks. Economical and cafe-worthy!     As far as I’m concerned, coffee should be piping hot or iced cold. There’s no middle ground for my dad either. Throughout the hot days of summer, he never thinks…

Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream (easy 5-ingredient recipe that’s dairy-free and naturally sweetened)

Luxuriously sweet and creamy, it’s hard to believe this ice cream is dairy-free and naturally sweetened – and incredibly easy to make.    After years of developing mostly healthy recipes, people logically assume that I am one of those really virtuous eaters. And I truly enjoy lots of wholesome foods. Truth is though, I also…

Shortcut Soft Pretzels

Roll these clever pretzels into letters and spell out names for special occasions or twist them into the traditional shape. Either way, they’re a fun project and a crowd-pleasing snack!     Throughout all my years of being a mom, I can say with 100% certainty that my favorite gifts have been homemade. A handcrafted…

Greeked-Out Gorgonzola Dressing

Blue Cheese Dressing was the first salad dressing I ever tried at a restaurant, at a long-shuttered establishment called The Rose Bowl.  It became a favorite and still is.  Nowadays, I often pass it by because–tasty though it is, it’s so laden with fat.  Happily, the following recipe is an option that is every bit…

Southwestern Confetti Coleslaw (no mayo)

Classic, creamy coleslaw is a perennial picnic and cookout favorite. Like potato salad and baked beans, coleslaw plays a popular supporting role on any plate starring fried chicken or barbecued ribs. While I adore a thick slaw with a hearty dose of mayonnaise, many people prefer a lighter vinegar base. Smoky cumin, tangy lime and…

Dark Chocolate Jar Cakes

Curling up with a new cookbook always feels like a treat to me.  When said book happens to be penned by a dear friend, is loaded with colorful photos, and literally takes the reader on a magic carpet ride from one end of the globe to the next, that cookbook rivals anything on the New York…

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