Game Day Recipes

BLT Pasta Salad with Avocado

In recent weeks, I’ve heard from many readers who offered kind praise for my Mexican Street Corn Salad recipe. Many noted the big flavor punch delivered by the small amount of lime juice that’s added to the mayo.  The bright, fresh taste it delivers happens to be my favorite part of the salad, too. In the following…

Classic Gazpacho (A toppings bar makes it a meal๏ผor a party!)

A selection of toppings turns this classic summer soup into a filling meal. Simple advance prep makes it ideal for casual entertaining and easy weeknight meals alike, and the flavor improves over time!   While living in Spain for six months many years ago, I was told that when the weather gets hot, even a…

Grilled Shishito Peppers (with stovetop option)

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 mildโ€ฆmost of the time? Such is the case with the shishito pepper, a small, slender sweet pepper that originated in Asia. A year or two ago,…

Summer Breeze Chicken Salad

This fresh-tasting chicken salad offers a uniquely delicious way to savor sweet, seasonal peaches. The combination may seem unexpected, but once you try, I’m betting you’ll be sold!   Some people are hard to forget.  Take the gem of a teacher who totally gets your toddler.  When my older son first went off to preschool he…

Slow Roasted Cherry or Grape Tomatoes

With their concentrated savory-sweet flavor, these little bites will transform many a meal, and Iโ€™ve included a list of ways we enjoy them. A great way to make use of a bounty of cherry and grape tomatoes, the roasted tomatoes can even be frozen for later use.   If you told me that someone secretly…

William’s Habanero Hot Sauce… and a hot sauce taste test

Though we often cheat and hope for no frost (or April snow, as was the case this year), the safe time for backyard planting where I live is always said to begin on Motherโ€™s Day. Ever since my husband and I bought our first house, weโ€™ve planted a garden. There is something so satisfying about…

Beer Margaritas

This unconventional recipe makes a large pitcherful and tastes like the best version of the classic drink. Leftovers freeze well and become slushy-like!   Cinco de Mayo is the perfect reason to enjoy a favorite Mexican meal, but what exactly is the holiday all about? Cinco de Mayoโ€”the fifth of Mayโ€”commemorates the Mexican armyโ€™s 1862…

Cannellini Tomato Soup… with Grilled Cheese Croutons or Dippers

The unexpected addition of a simple can of cannellini beans provides protein and added creaminess when pureed into the soup…and nobody ever knows it’s there. Whether served with grilled cheese croutons or dippers, what kid (or adult) wouldn’t love it? Plus it’s easy to make with basic, inexpensive, pantry items. You may be wondering how…

Lemon Dijon Kale Salad with Sweet Potatoes & Apples

With a combination of creamy, crunchy, and crisp ingredients, this wholesome salad is sure to satisfy, and leftovers hold up well. For a protein-rich complete meal, top with grilled or roasted chicken or salmon๏ผor white beans or seared tofu for complementary meatless alternatives. Every fall, when the days start to grow shorter and colder, I sell…

No-Bake Refrigerator Peanut Butter Oat Squares

A wholesome, no-bake recipe with peanut butter and chocolate (what’s not to love?), these chewy bars never last long!   Since my kids were little, one of their favorite lunchbox treats has been a chewy peanut butter chocolate chip granola bar. Whatโ€™s not to like? With their convenient portable packaging and ever-growing assortment of flavors,…

German Steam Pot with Special Sauce

An authentic recipe from a German friend, a steam pot is one of the easiest, most flexible dinners โ€“ and the special sauce bumps it up an extra level!   What, you may ask, is a steam pot? I first learned about this rustic yet satisfying meal through Marga, a former neighbor and self-described war-child…

Pineapple Serrano Hummus

I grew up watching the Parade of Roses every New Year’s Day.  Flowers have always been a hobby for my mom.  She had a greenhouse, an undisputed green thumb, and a knack for arranging flowers in the most beautiful way.  I remember being utterly amazed when she told me that all of the parade floats…

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