Make-Ahead Recipes
Tex-Mex Chopped Salad
With the right ingredients, a salad can be a hearty, delicious, and wholesome meal. Good proteins, healthy fats, and different textures help. So does a homemade dressing. The simple mixture of salsa and ranch dressing lends great flavor and a little kick to this dish. While you could substitute your favorite store-bought dressing, I really…
Root Beer Pulled Pork Tacos with Vinegar Sauce
This pulled pork is a slight variation on my Lean and Mean Pulled Pork which has really become a favorite in our house. While I have always been a fan of tomato-based barbecue sauce, my Southern friend, Lisa, is partial to a vinegar sauce. She shared here recipe with me and it just might win…
Eastern North Carolina Barbecue Sauce
We are usually the tomato-based barbecue sauce type in this family. However, a very dear Southern friend shared her favorite vinegar sauce with me a while back and it was a complete hit! Her recipe has just the right amount of tang and makes for one delicious sandwich. I asked my friend, Lisa, if…
Make-Ahead Blueberry Almond Smoothie
First, I must say that the color of this blueberry smoothie is about as luscious as the taste! Since I first tried the make-ahead smoothie concept, I have been hooked. I love a nice, thick smoothie and typically rely on frozen fruit and ice to get the consistency I prefer. Using the oats and chia…
Roasted Tomato Soup
Roasting the tomatoes, onion, and garlic heightens their flavors, and what could be easier than scraping the contents of the baking sheet into a food processor and blending with a few additional ingredients? In my family, there are some who prefer cold tomato soups and some who prefer hot. The great thing about this delicious…
Lemon Tahini Dressing
Loving big, hearty, healthy salads as I do, I often get ideas in my head about flavors I think would taste great together. Cooler weather means the arrival of all sorts of root vegetables and winter squash, not to mention a myriad of greens. I created this nutty-tasting dressing to stand up to the flavors…
Indian-Spiced Roasted Garbanzos
Whether you call them garbanzo beans or chick peas, they make a perfect snack food when roasted. They are an inexpensive, high-protein snack and a crunchy, low-fat alternative to croutons in a salad. Put out a pre-dinner bowl when company arrives. From boring can of beans to clever hors d’oeuvres…who knew?? A simple mixture of…
Butterscotch Oatmeal Blondies
These Butterscotch Oatmeal Blondies are one of my husband’s favorite treats. So much so, I have actually wrapped a batch and given it to him as a Christmas or anniversary present over the years. He likes to freeze and eat them very cold. The rest of us enjoy them at room temperature－and…
Sunshine Smoothie
Every Tuesday, Project Healthy Ever After hosts a smoothie party and invites people to share their favorite blended combinations. Today, I used one of my kids’ favorite smoothies, a Mango-Peach Smoothie, and added a bit of pureed watermelon to the top, just for fun. The colors were beautiful and reminded us all of a sunny day–on…
Balsamic Pesto Tomato Sauce
A few special ingredients join forces with ripe tomatoes for a memorable sauce that’s deceptively easy to make. The taste of marinara sauce made with in-season tomatoes is divine. Finding the time to peel and seed the required tomatoes, however, can be enough to make you buy a jar! I decided to try a new…
Hot Fudge Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie
The winning combination of peanut butter and chocolate make this ice cream pie an instant crowdpleaser. Salted cashews, a drizzle of honey and make-ahead convenience add to the allure! When I come across a recipe that is tattered and food-splattered, I know it must be good! This ice cream pie recipe is one of…
Almond Crust (Gluten-Free Pie Crust)
Graham cracker crusts can be a crunchy, delicious part of an ice cream or pudding pie. But if you are gluten-intolerant, a graham crust can make those desserts off limits. For my father’s recent birthday, I created a version he could enjoy using almond meal. I think my kids loved the nutty, crunchy crust even…
