Decadence!

garden party tea punch

~ garden party tea punch ~ “UNDER certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea. There are circumstances in which, whether you partake of the tea or not—some people of course never do—the situation is in itself delightful. Those that I have…

reubens

~ reubens ~ This classic sandwich is our “go-to” St. Patrick’s Day meal. Piles of flavorful corned beef, Polish-style sauerkraut, gooey swiss cheese, buttery toasted marble rye and plenty of creamy thousand island dressing for dipping. It has it all! To make them, just line up the slices of bread the way you would for…

berry patch crumble

~ berry patch crumble ~ After a day of quilting I wanted to make a simple, elegant,  summery dessert using LOTS of different fruits. This little crumble recipe came together very nicely, with plenty of juicy syrup to pour over vanilla ice cream or gelato. 5 pink lady apples, cored and cubed 2 cups fresh…

irish potato bake

~ irish potato bake ~ There are little green sprigs of grass sprouting in my yard. It’s a St. Patrick’s miracle! This almost never happens this early in Minnesota. The tender buds on my shrubs, the crocuses in the front bulb garden, Shamrock shakes, Penelope….all of these things are making me want to celebrate this…

peking chicken wraps with plums & scallions

~ peking chicken wraps ~ I was craving Chinese take-out a few nights ago and decided to make something that would satisfy the craving since we weren’t able to go out that evening. These little wraps are spicy, salty and yummy. I love the wonderful fresh, sweet burst of flavor that comes from using sliced…

spinach & carrot ramekins with bechamel

~ spinach & carrot ramekins with bechamel ~ This is a recipe adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, the beautiful Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros. You can make these in seperate little (2 inch) ramekins, or in one big glass casserole pan. This time I made them in a big pan and cut…

bean & bacon soup

~ bean & bacon soup ~ A few days ago it got up to 62 degrees here in Red Wing Minnesota. For March, that’s kind of strange. We’ve had unseasonably warm weather all winter, but the first day like that makes me start dreaming about spring. Planting a little garden, dinner on the deck, road…

basil pesto {summer on toast}

~ basil pesto ~ Feeling in a summery mood, I decided to make a batch of basil pesto for lunch. It’s so great with a fresh, ripe tomatoes, crusty baguette, and your favorite sharp cheese. I like a good Gruyere or Parmigiano Reggiano in this particular scenario. 2 cups fresh basil leaves 1/2 cup fresh…