Meals Under 30 Minutes
Caramel Eggnog Creamer
Are you ready? I certainly have a calendar, but every year the holidays seem to sneak up on me. As I count the items on my mental to-do list and the stress level creeps upward, I remind myself how important it is to simply slow down and savor the true meaning of the season. One…
Magical Reindeer Food
Magical Reindeer Food is a fun activity to do with your children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews and brings out the wonder of the season. Perfect for kids to give to their friends or use themselves on Christmas Eve. Printable gift tags included! Years ago, when the kids and I still peered towards the moon in…
Homemade Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
Homemade Jiffy corn muffin mix beats the boxed version any day, and it can be made gluten-free! Most of us have a short list of recipes that, for one reason or another, we return to again and again. One of the recipes from my own time-honored list is a cross between baked corn and cornbread…
7-Minute Holiday Caramel Sauce
7-Minute Holiday Caramel Sauce is a holiday twist on my classic recipe, and adjustments for classic and salted variations are included in the recipe header. Easy and foolproof! As I was purchasing my favorite vanilla bean ice cream a few months ago, a friendly cashier asked me if I had tried a flavor called…
Lancaster Cheesesteaks
I was 13 years old when the blockbuster movie Witness was filmed in Lancaster. Without a doubt, it was a very big deal to have Hollywood heartthrob Harrison Ford come to our town. A good bit of the production took place in the vicinity of my childhood home. My friends and I tried to catch…
Egg & Avocado Toast
The simplest of ingredients unite for a filling, wholesome meal that satisfies any time of day. (And don’t miss the avocado tips!) A wooden lazy Susan sat in the center of my family’s kitchen table when I was young. It was fun to whirl around, and since little hands could give big spins, the…
1-Minute Peanut Butter Cup Greek Yogurt
Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to combine a little naughty with your nice. And when the naughty (i.e., the candy) happens to have less sugar and nothing artificial, all the better! Midway through the afternoon, I frequently get a sensation of hunger that no carrot or celery stick will satisfy. I like vegetables a lot, but…
Glazed Pork Chops
Saucy and bursting with crowd-pleasing Asian flavors, this recipe requires a short list of ingredients and cooks quickly! Mother always knows best. Just because I’m in my forties with children of my own doesn’t mean my mom doesn’t occasionally offer some helpful advice. Like most kids, I didn’t exactly relish constructive criticism when I…
Easy Scalloped Apples
An easy-to-make alternative to applesauce that can be enjoyed as a side dish, over oatmeal, mixed with yogurt, or even as a cheater version of apple crisp. (Just sprinkle with granola!) The inspiration for this recipe goes all the way back to 5th grade and THE BEST after-school playdates. In the dwindling days of summer…
Tomato Tuna Melts
Light on mayo and big on flavor, two of these speedy Tomato Tuna Melts deliver 25 grams of protein with just 10 grams of carbohydrates and 289 calories. Most Mondays since the early ‘90s, my father has eaten a tuna melt. He belongs to a men’s lunch group that meets weekly, and after all…
Green Goddess Dressing… and a trip to the Green Mountain State
For much of my life, summers have been all about New England. As a girl, I spent many memorable years going to camp near Camden, Maine, and camp was followed by family vacation on Squam Lake in New Hampshire. My sons veered only slightly off my path, attending a boys camp along the coast of…
Grilled Shishito Peppers
Serve these sweet and (almost always!) mild Japanese peppers as a quick, easy, and surprisingly popular appetizer or side dish. Have you ever heard of chili peppers that are mild…most of the time? Such is the case with the shishito pepper, a small, slender sweet pepper that originated in Asia. A year or two…
