Make-Ahead Recipes
Apricot Peach Yogurt Smoothie
Christian and I had a date with Grace, my 2-year-old niece, to make homemade play dough (see the blue fingernails in the photo below) and after lots of rolling, cutting, pressing, and being silly, they were hungry! I had promised Christian an apricot peach smoothie the day before, and we never got around to it.…
Walking Tacos
Walking Tacos offer a fun, portable way to enjoy the traditional taco salad and are perfect for kids’ parties and casual dinners. Those who prefer a plated taco salad may absolutely eat the meal that way. Both of my sons are swimmers and, like so many sports activities, the summer swim meets are always over…
Corn, Cucumber and Avocado Salad with Homemade Ranch
Fresh, flavorful, and versatile, this speedy salad is a great way to use leftover corn on the cob, but frozen and thawed works well too. A few months ago, I was the emcee of a heart health expo. At one point in the program, I was asked to speak about some of the tips I…
Nancy’s Sweet and Tangy Salad Dressing
While attending a dinner a few months ago where my mother received a well-deserved award for her many years of service to our local Boys & Girls Club, a family friend approached and told me of his wife’s incredible salad dressing. “Nancy always has a jar of her special dressing in the fridge and everybody…
Sweet Cherry & Feta Quinoa with Peach Vinaigrette
A light, flavor-packed salad that’s delightful paired with virtually any grilled protein but stands alone as a complete vegetarian meal. For a vegan alternative, simply omit the feta. And try substituting dried cherries or cranberries when the fresh cherry season has ended. 🍒 Every summer, I make several varieties of homemade jam that we enjoy throughout the…
Sausage, Mushroom & Pasta Bake (gluten-free option)
Possibly a bigger challenge than creating recipes is naming them! Sometimes, there are lots of delicious ingredients in one recipe, so I feel a need to include as many of them in the name, knowing that different people are grabbed by different ingredients. But then, a recipe name can get rather wordy! Sometimes, I go…
California Potato Salad
Buttery avocado, juicy tomatoes, and a bit of crisp bacon will shake up your potato salad routine for a light yet filling spin on the classic dish. This absolutely delicious reader recipe was sent to me by Leola, Pennsylvania native Nancy Irvin James, who mentioned that the recipe got its name because she developed it…
Classic Strawberry Jam
The quintessential flavor of homemade strawberry jam is easy to achieve thanks to these simple instructions! This is the recipe my grandmother always used for her strawberry jam. It’s traditional strawberry jam at its best. The taste and color when freshly made can’t be beat. Opening a jar in the cold winter months provides the…
Strawberry Rhubarb Baked Oatmeal
A while back, I picked up a good tidbit of information from a stand owner at our local farmer’s market: Rhubarb season lasts through the longest day of the year–the first day of summer. Same for asparagus. I find this helpful as the early days of summer approach. It is a reminder to get my…
Homemade Ricotta
When cheese is made, the leftover whey is used to make ricotta. In general, to create cheese, live cultures (a fancy name for bacteria) are typically added to fresh milk. This starts a fermentation process that results in the milk separating into curds and whey. Depending on the type of cheese being made, the curds…
Sesame Peanut Noodles
I have two favorite preparations for noodles in a peanut sauce so, before I chose one for this space, I made them both for dinner recently. My family declared a tie in the side-by-side comparison. They were no help! It almost came down to a coin toss, but ultimately, I chose this recipe because I…
Hoisin Beef Skewers (or Whole Flank Steak)
Prep-ahead convenience, versatility, and appealing flavor make this recipe a go-to for easy weeknight grilling and weekend entertaining. I’m the type of person who thinks about dinner as I am eating breakfast. So, it may not be surprising that I ponder what to cook for my newspaper column up to a month in advance!…
