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…
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…
This recipe came from Genevieve, an English teacher at Lancaster Country Day School. Another teacher told Genevieve she simply must share this recipe for the Summer Salad Challenge conducted by The Lancaster Sunday News and me. The recipe came from Genevieve’s sister and, conceptually, it caught my attention right away. Beyond offering a novel, seasonal…
This springy salad is equally delicious served warm, chilled, or room temperature. And though you could replace the millet with couscous or quinoa, the tiny grain has a mild, corn-like flavor that offers a great way to mix things up. As I continue to experiment with recipes using millet, I have made variations of…
A lovely balance of sweet and tangy with a tender crumb, Rhubarb Streusel Muffins are sure to become a seasonal favorite. The recipe makes a big batch too! When short-lived, seasonal ingredients that you really enjoy become available, do you feel compelled to eat them with abandon to get your fill? With many fruits and vegetables,…
Apples, pecans, and blue cheese are the base of this versatile salad, and the speedy maple-Dijon-cider vinaigrette makes it a keeper. As I was walking my boys home from school one day last spring, a friend of mine drove by and yelled a funny thing out her car window. “I love your maple Dijon vinaigrette…
Serve these deliciously crunchy spears as a satisfying side dish or appetizer – they can be finger food. For a delicious, gluten-free adaptation, substitute crushed Rice Chex for the panko. (Trust me, it works!) Many years ago, I read Barbara Kingsolver’s book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. The story chronicles her own family after they vowed…
Sunflower Raisin Brown Bread with Steel Cut Oats is a spin-off of my healthy version of Irish soda bread. I love it for all its texture and natural sweetness and especially for its health value. There isn’t a speck of refined flour, and steel cut oats are thrown in for added goodness and nuttiness. This bread…
Wholesome and delicious, this quick and easy salmon can even be prepped ahead, making it equally ideal for busy weeknights and weekend entertaining. A version of this recipe was the first seafood dish I ever served to company when I was newly married 18 or so years ago! I have given this recipe away…
Lightly sweet and quick to whip, the addition of Greek yogurt creates a tender crumb with a dose of filling protein too. My husband adores cornbread, so I have made it scores of different ways over the years. Since his birthday is today, and because we like to start birthdays in our family with birthday…
It is hard to believe a humble oatmeal dish took my husband, Jack, and me on a trip to Miami. When Smart Balance asked me to participate in their national recipe contest, I almost didn’t do it. Would asking for votes, repeatedly over a month, be an annoyance to people? I certainly didn’t want to be…
White chocolate and a graham cracker crust take the classic pecan pie to new heights in this crowd-pleasing dessert that assembles in a mere minutes. While my husband, Jack, does not often cook, there are two or three dishes he prepares quite well. Baking, however, is unexplored territory. So, when he bought the ingredients…