Make-Ahead Recipes
Classic Chocolate Cake
Light, moist, and perfect for any celebration, this classic chocolate cake mixes up quickly in a single bowl with ingredients you likely have on hand. (And the gluten-free adaptation fools even the gluten-eaters!) When it comes to chocolate cake, this tried-and-true recipe is, without a doubt, the best that I have found. It has been…
Cuban Black Bean Soup
Hearty and wholesome, this soup is a favorite in my family for its incredible flavor. Delightful on its own, although the optional toppings add to the soup’s broad appeal. For years I, like many cooks, rarely measured ingredients. We eat a lot of hearty soups, salads, and one-pot meals in our house, and this sort of cooking…
Foolproof Peanut Butter Frosting
In our family, February is full of birthdays. There are three, all spread out exactly one week after the next. With Valentine’s Day thrown into the mix, there is ample opportunity for cakes and other sweet treats! As I have previously reported, adoration for homemade caramel frosting runs deep on my husband’s side of the family.…
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola with Quinoa
This has been the winter that just keeps on giving! Snow, bitter cold, freezing rain…repeat! The kids have been off school so many days that even they don’t want any more snow days. They know they will have to make them up in June. Although I am ready for a little warm weather, I selfishly…
Chewy Almond Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
For those who know me or have followed The Fountain Avenue Kitchen for a while, you know I have cooked a lot of oatmeal. Several years ago, I began to feel as though I was doing my part to bring the humble oat back into vogue! With good reason–it’s a convenient, hearty, and healthy way…
Buffalo Wing Hummus
Two fan favorite appetizers collide in this winning dip, which offers wholesome, snack-worthy appeal. Depending on one’s perspective, the lure of Super Bowl Sunday might be the good eats, funny commercials, big-name halftime show or, of course, the football! Whether you are in it for the action between the goal posts or the general game…
Warm Broccoli Salad with Fried Garlic
This bright green side dish is a recipe I made often in the early years of my marriage after stumbling upon Ina Garten’s very first cookbook. While she used olive oil in a similar preparation, avocado oil works beautifully here because of its extremely high smoke point. It’s a simple yet delicious…
Chicken, Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup
After 12 fabulous years, I recently said farewell to the only car my almost 12-year-old son ever knew. Even my 15-year-old son hardly remembered the car that preceded this one, but after sinking progressively more money into it, the time had come. I had no idea what sort of car I wanted next, and we…
Homemade French Vanilla Coffee Creamer
Make your own coffee creamer to rival any store-bought alternative. The taste is more pure, and it’s economical too! When I first tried coffee my senior year in high school, I decided I would only drink it if I liked it black. I “learned” to drink tea when I was younger, and from the…
2-Ingredient Breakfast Cookies…with options (and a fun kitchen experiment!)
I never set out to be an oatmeal expert, but one baked oatmeal with an enormous following at a local cafe put the wheels into motion. For those who haven’t read the story in one of my umpteen other recipe posts for baked oatmeal, I initially started making baked oatmeal years ago to replicate…
Warm Yellow Lentil Salad with Double Mustard Soy Vinaigrette
Quick-cooking yellow lentils provide beautiful color and a lightly nutty flavor in this satisfying, plant-based meal, but brown or green lentils work well too. When it comes to recipes, I try not to overuse the word “favorite.” But the truth is, I have lots of favorites. Whether it is a favorite color, number, season,…
Cranberry Almond Baked Oatmeal Muffins
These hearty muffins may be baked in advance for a quick breakfast or healthy snack. They are also ideal for those needing a vegan, eggless, gluten-free, or dairy-free option and can be customized to taste. Those who follow my blog have probably observed my love of baked oatmeal. I have created a dozen or more…
