The slow cooker “bar” recipes are so fun to create and enjoy with friends and family! This baked potato bar was a wonderful addition to our grilled steak dinner a couple nights ago. Guests had a great time topping their potatoes with their favorite accoutrements. I made big “baker” russets and big sweet potatoes. Both…
This is such a fun, easy, fairly inexpensive idea for an intimate autumn gathering. Last night we hosted a little dinner party and this macaroni and cheese bar was the star of the show. The key is to start with an excellent macaroni and cheese recipe and to offer lots of delicious, interesting toppings. Don’t…
It’s that time of year again, Friends! Pumpkin season! I have soooo many new, autumn recipes to share with all of you. This is the first of many, and it’s a beaut. This is absolutely, hands down, the BEST pumpkin bread I’ve ever made. The addition of vanilla pudding makes it super moist with just…
This is such a fun way to serve decadent, warm comfort food at a cool weather gathering in the autumn or winter. Guests can serve themselves and make their mashed potato “parfaits” any way they like. This time my toppings were pretty standard but you can get really creative with the toppings if you like.…
Another lovely, summertime Crock Pot recipe for you to try! This makes a wonderful, dinner when served with mashed potatoes and your favorite steamed veggies. Use the leftovers to make: tacos, chicken salad sandwiches, pot pie, white chicken chili, soup…. The possibilities are endless! The best part about using your slow cooker in the summer…
We recently tried these tasty little nibbles at a favorite local wine bar and they were out of this world. I decided I must recreate them at home, and they turned out fabulous. Serve as a cocktail party appetizer, or as the first course of a more elaborate dinner. I made two or three for…
Ahhhhh, so far our winter vacation has been wonderful. We had an amazing Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Lots of visiting with family and friends, fantastic food, candlelight, fireside cups of cocoa and tea, strolls through the snow, phone calls from people that we love who are in other cities and states, surprise packages in…
Get ready to make yummy noises. This is, hands down, one of my very favorite sandwiches. The flaky, buttery croissant, the slightly spicy cream cheese spread, the maple-glazed turkey, a slight crunch from the spring greens and pecans… all topped off with whole cranberry sauce and a little sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper. I…
The house smells like cooking. Pungent garlic mixed with creamy butter for baked garlic bread, the rich, sweet, seductive scent of chocolate in our fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies that has just emerged from the oven, the green, fruity smell of unfiltered olive oil, boiled whole grain pasta and the sharp scent of fresh…
We’re not venturing out as much as we were even a couple weeks ago. The temperature has dipped below zero a few times, and it would seem that hibernating season has officially begun. I love this time of year because it causes us to focus on home. Our little nest. We’ve been slowly but surely…