Winter Recipes

No-Bake Healthy-ish Buckeye Bars

Easy-to-make, four-ingredient Buckeye Bars taste a lot like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and can easily be made gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and vegan.     My grandmother’s recipe for chocolate peanut butter eggs, which she frequently made as buckeye bars or balls, has garnered friends from near and far.  Sometimes, however, we want something quick,…

Beef Tenderloin with Mushroomย Sauce or Simple Au Jus

Golden on the outside and pink in the middle, a perfectly cooked beef tenderloin will be the centerpiece of any special dinner. The recipe offers a less expensive alternative, as well as tips on how much meat to purchase per person.    My husband and I had been friends for many years before we began dating, so I…

Favorite Flourless Chocolate Cake

Decadent and delicious, this flourless cake will be a special addition to any holiday table and is also a good option for those who need a gluten-free dessert.   When it comes to chocolate cake, I’ve always preferred light and fluffy over rich and dense.  When my husband and I married, I wanted a chocolate…

Shortcut Beef Vegetable Soup

Everything for this hearty soup can be kept in your pantry or freezer for a speedy, well-rounded meal whenever needed.   Over the past few weeks, Iโ€™ve spent hours rolling dough for homemade dog biscuits, decorating gingerbread houses, and figuring out how to make homemade lotion. These activities are all lots of fun, but none will…

Birdseed Ornaments

Itโ€™s hard to come up with the perfect gift for parents, teachers, neighbors, aunt and uncles, and family friends.  Birdseed ornaments are fun to make and economical, too — and your feathered friends will thank you! 🐦   At first glance, a recipe featuring birdseed might suggest that Iโ€™m dishing up unappetizing diet fare as punishment…

Sparkling Cranberries

Two ingredients come together with ease for a stunning holiday dessert decoration or cheese plate garnish. The leftover syrup is delicious in cocktails, mocktails, and lemonade!   What holiday spread wouldn’t be perked up by something colorful and sparkly? These sweet-tart jewels are simple to make and can be used to decorate cakes and pies,…

A-Plus Swiss Steak

A saucy, slow cooker favorite that’s delicious over pasta, polenta, potatoes, or with a crusty roll for mopping up every last drop. And don’t miss the quick and easy way to transform leftovers into a new meal!   Ratios, conversions, measuring, multiplying: thereโ€™s a lot of math in cooking. Every so often, I even use…

Slow Cooker Corned Beef & Cabbage Soup

All the flavor of the classic Irish dish in soul-warming soup form. Easy, satisfying, and leftovers are a treat!   I was jinxed! The very same day a friend asked me if I had ever made something that flat-out flopped, it happened. Usually, my kitchen disasters hinge on my general clumsiness, like dropped salad bowls…

Crock Pot Chicken & Wild Rice Soup (with freezer bag option)

Crock Pot Chicken & Wild Rice Soup is classic comfort food that’s wholesome and easy to make. Freezer bag option provides added convenience.   We all have days that donโ€™t go as planned. Computers crash, kids get sick, or the car doesn’t start, but we still have to eat. An easy recipe is especially welcome…

Easy Egg Roll Stir Fry

The classic takeout appetizer is reinvented as a complete, one pan meal that comes together quickly with ground beef, pork, or your favorite plant-based alternative. For several years when her children were young, one of my good friends hosted an annual Chinese New Yearโ€™s party. Her youngest child was adopted from China, and the yearly…

Snow Cream

Snow Cream is a thing…and it’s delicious! All the kids in your life (and the kids at heart) will enjoy this sweet treat on a snowy day.   For those who are checking the calendar: No, itโ€™s not April 1st, and yes, โ€œsnow creamโ€ is really a thing! Even if you donโ€™t love the cold,…

Tuscan Lentil Soup

A hint of sausage supplies smoky, savory flavor in this one-pot soup, which is packed with plant-based protein, colorful veggies and satiating appeal. Wholesome comfort food at its best๏ผand a customer favorite at a regional restaurant chain! It never fails. When one of my sons issues a last-minute request for a friend to stay for…

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