Spring Recipes
Bourbon & Coca Cola Steaks
Typically, we keep steak preparation simple in our house. A sprinkle of spice rub is often as fancy as it gets. This clever steak marinade, compliments of Michaela Martin Kenkel (who has a delightful blog called An Affair from the Heart), earned points for originality. Until seeing her recipe, I thought of bourbon and Coke as…
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler (gluten-free with an almond-oat topping)
Sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb are a match made in heaven in this easy-to-make dessert that is destined to become a seasonal favorite! In an effort to make my tried-and-true recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp into an equally loved gluten-free dessert for company a couple of years ago, I realized that I had essentially turned…
Rustic Polenta Cake with Rhubarb
Rhubarb always reminds me of my grandmother. Late every spring, she froze rhubarb to enjoy throughout the year. To my grandmother, the word rhubarb did not just refer to the celery-like stalk, it was the actual recipe. Her rhubarb was just like applesauce, only red and with a perfect balance of sweet and tart. Though…
Rhubarb Pineapple Jam
Over the last couple weeks, I’ve noticed rhubarb reappearing at our local farmers markets. I have held out buying any as the two rhubarb plants in our backyard garden have been growing quickly. I marvel at how briskly rhubarb grows ever spring, from those first early leaves that poke out of the ground when it…
Strawberry Salad with Creamy Poppy Seed Yogurt Dressing
For many years, my father had a hush-hush arrangement with a stand holder at Lancaster Central Market. I only learned about it last year when he delivered a coveted box of the first homegrown strawberries after I had come home empty handed only hours before. After shopping at Market for sixty-plus years, my father…
Deviled Egg Spread
This easy, make-ahead recipe is everything we love about the classic deviled egg, but in the form of a light meal! Deviled eggs are favorite picnic and cookout fare — and they’re also an ideal way to use all those colored Easter eggs! My sister-in-law and my mom make the best deviled eggs, but this…
Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs
My grandmother’s recipe for the classic treat, this time-tested recipe rivals a Reese’s peanut butter cup. The recipe can be prepared in stages and makes enough to share! When I think of my grandmother, many things come to mind. She was full of life, funny and frugal, yet so very generous. This was a…
April Fool’s Meatloaf Cake
A family favorite meatloaf recipe masquerades as a cake in this tricky dinner that delights kids and adults alike! My dad’s favorite April Fool’s joke wouldn’t play very well this year. When I was a girl, he’d celebrate this mischievous holiday by waking me up with the proclamation that a foot of snow had…
Throw Back Thursday — Strawberries & Cream Baked Oatmeal…and Happy Spring!
Recently, I began to dig into the archives of this blog for a special “Throw Back Thursday” meal each week on The Fountain Avenue Kitchen Facebook page. Sometimes, I am so focused on sharing new recipes in this space that I neglect the old favorites. Occasionally, it is one of my kids who asks for…
Brown Soda Bread with Steel Cut Oats
Hearty, wholesome bread has never been so easy, thanks to this yeast-free, no-knead recipe. The finished loaf slices beautifully and tastes great! When I experiment with recipes, I am never 100% sure how they will turn out. Sometimes, a new recipe takes repeated tries, especially in the baking department. I aim to limit white flour…
O’Brien Irish Stew
This classic Irish stew was passed down from the decades old recipe box of an Irish friend. The tried-and-true recipe offers oven and slow cooker options, and the flavor improves over time, making it a great make-ahead meal. Most Americans think of stew as having a thick gravy base. But traditional Irish stew is…
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.…
