Spinach & Feta Orzo with Fresh Dill

With the arrival of autumn my taste buds crave savory comfort foods. I’m always on the lookout for delicious new dishes that fit the season, aren’t so difficult to prepare, (that I spend twice as long making it than our time around the dinner table lasts) and will appeal to my kiddos.

This creamy orzo dish loaded with fresh spinach (rich in iron, vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C and folate, as well as being a good source of manganese, magnesium, and vitamin B2!) boasting of fall flavors like garlic and dill, is just the ticket!

The feta cheese makes it somewhat filling, while the lemon zest keeps it light enough to pair along side a salmon or chicken fillet, or even some pork tenderloin medallions.

This dish comes courtesy of my nephew Dalton, who loves to try new recipes and is happy enough to share those that delight with me, and I in turn, with you.

This recipe serves about 4. I triple it for my brood!

Enjoy!

Spinach & Feta Orzo with Fresh Dill

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

• 2 large garlic cloves, minced

• 8 ounces spinach leaves (about 8 cups), coarsely chopped

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 ¾ cups vegetable stock

• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta

• zest of one lemon

• ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese, plus a bit more for garnish

• 1 cup chopped fresh dill

Directions:

1. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped garlic and scallions (reserving a bit of the green for garnish,) - cook until softened.

2. Stir in chopped spinach and about 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted, (about 5 minutes.)

3. Pour in stock and bring to a simmer.

4. Add orzo, lemon zest, and another 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir together well, then cover and simmer over medium-low heat until orzo is plump and most of the stock is absorbed, (10 to 15 minutes.)

5. The last step is to stir in crumbled feta cheese and the chopped dill, then cover and cook for about another minute or two, so that the cheese begins to melt into the mixture.

6. To serve, dish onto plates, garnish with reserved scallions and another sprinkle of feta cheese.

Garlic and Sumac Roasted Broccoli with Sweet Dates

From the Live Life Deliciously cookbook, by Tara Teaspoon - comes this tasty selection perfect as a Thanksgiving - or weeknight dinner - side; Garlic and Sumac Roasted Broccoli with Sweet Dates.

Kids and adults alike will absolutely gobble this up!

My sis is always the one to bring a big roasting pan of veggies to our holiday gatherings but perhaps I’ll do her proud by tossing this together and serving it up alongside that beautiful bird this year.

Garlic and Sumac Roasted Broccoli with Sweet Dates
4-6 servings
10 Minutes Hands-On / 20 Minutes Total Time

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds broccoli

• 3 tablespoons olive oii

• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 1 teaspoon sumac

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 4-5 dates sliced crosswise on the bias

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven to heat while you prepare the broccoli.

2. Cut broccoli into small florets, slicing large florets in half. (You’ll need 6-7 cups of florets.) In a large bowl, toss broccoli with olive oil, garlic, sumac, salt, and pepper.

3. Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and transfer the broccoli mixture to the baking sheet, using a rubber scraper to get all the goods bits out of the bowl.

4. Return pan to the oven and roast broccoli until tender and a bit charred, about 15 minutes.

5. Add dates and serve broccoli immediately.

For more information on Live Life Deliciously, and buy links to purchase your own, visit my Book Club blog HERE.

Kneaders Bakery & Cafe | October Book Club

Wow! Wow! Wow! Have I chosen the PERFECT book for my October Book Club!

Kneaders Bakery & Cafe: A Celebration of Our Recipes and Memories by Colleen Worthington.

This big, heavy, hard cover volume contains all the recipes you’ll need to see you through the coming months (including the holidays!) and beyond! So many delicious artisan and sweet breads, as well as the soups, sides, and salads you want to go with them! Then they add scrumptious sandwiches, dips, and desserts too. And if that weren’t enough, there’s a whole section on drinks and smoothies!

The recipes are accompanied by the most stunning full-page, color photographs that will make your tastebuds tingle just looking at them.

How does Turkey Curry Chowder sound on a cold winter’s eve? That’s one of the many soup recipes I’m looking forward to trying with and on my big brood! I’m sure it will be a hit, especially paired with the Kaiser Rolls (which we could also use for sandwiches or burger buns.) There are just so many intriguing ideas between the covers of this book!

“The story of Kneaders Bakery & Cafe began with Colleen and Gary Worthington baking traditional European bread in their kitchen. After mastering old-world bread-baking techniques and testing countless recipes, Colleen, Gary, and their growing team of bakers moved onto their signature artisan bread.

But bread is just the beginning. Kneaders is well-known for their mouth-watering soups, sandwiches, and breakfast as well as their delectable pies, cakes, and pastries. For the first time, home cooks have access to popular recipes such as Overnight Chunky Cinnamon French Toast, Artichoke Portobello Soup, and Blueberry Sour Cream Pie. Beautiful and appetizing photos accompany each recipe.

What began in Colleen Worthington’s kitchen a little more than twenty-five years ago has grown into a successful family-owned bakery and cafe business with time-tested, delicious recipes gathered in this one-of-a-kind cookbook.

Kneaders also has 48 restaurant locations.
Find the one closest to you here: KNEADERS LOCATIONS

You’ll want your own copy of Kneaders Bakery & Cafe: A Celebration of Our Recipes and Memories of course and I suggest you waste no time before placing your order!

ORDER: Kneaders Bakery & Cafe

Sweet Treat | Fairy Bread

Fairy Bread, that Down-Under-Come-Northward treat, seems to be all over our social media feeds these days; white bread, slathered with a thick layer of butter, covered in rainbow sprinkles...

But did  you know it's origins are nearly one hundred years old?!

No? Neither did I until my Googling fingers got itchy and I did a little internet sleuthing. From Wikipedia:

"The first known reference to this dish as Fairy Bread was in the Hobart Mercury in April 1929. Referring to a party for child inmates of the Consumptive Sanitorium, the article proclaimed that "The children will start their party with fairy bread and butter and 100s and 1,000s, and cakes, tarts, and home-made cakes..."

The origin of the term is not known, but it may come from the poem 'Fairy Bread' in Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses published in 1885, and had been used for a number of different food items before the current usage.”

Sprinkles have a culinary moniker some of us may remember from our childhood, nonpareils. (Look up that word and it's a little confusing as to why it's used for little candy bits.) I remember my mother’s baking cupboard had a container of shiny round silver candies labeled nonpareils - they were used sparingly and we were always warned not to eat them, because although “edible” they’d probably break a tooth! Rainbow sprinkles are a favorite with children, and a peak at any baking aisle shows they come in all kinds of shapes, flavors, and sizes. ( A lot like the people who enjoy them!)

Other countries have different terms for them. In Australia and New Zealand, where Fairy Bread hails, for  example, they're called "Hundreds & Thousands."  And in Holland, they're "Hagelslag" (hail storm).  In fact, the Dutch have their own version of Fairy Bread that also originated way back in the 1920's. It’s basically the same, a slice of bread — though a denser country bread is typically used — coated with butter, and liberally sprinkled with chocolate hagelslag.

My granddaughters demonstrating that half the fun is making it themselves!

My readings also tell me that hagelslag is a bit different than our American sprinkles. They are larger and the chocolate variety used in this tasty example, according to The Spruce Eats, must contain at least 32 percent cocoa. I don’t think you’ll find the same to be true here.

… and the rest of the fun comes from eating it!

Does any of this sound remotely yummy to you? Well, kids LOVE it! And because I know I'll get a lot of backlash if I were to ever recommend it as a super easy, novel, after-school-treat, I won't do that.

(But you know, what happens in your kitchen with your kiddos is between you and their dentist!)

Come up here, O dusty feet!
Here is fairy bread to eat.
Here in my retiring room,
Children, you may dine
On the golden smell of broom
And the shade of pine;
And when you have eaten well,
Fairy stories hear and tell.

~ RLS

Not That Fancy | September Book Club

Anyone that knows me knows that I’m not that fancy. Really. And apparently neither is one of my biggest inspirations, Ms. Reba McEntire.

Her new book, “Not That Fancy, Simply Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots” tells it like it is.

Plain. Simple. And down to earth. Just like Reba… with some amazing talent, hard work, and tenacity thrown into the mix!

The best things in life are really not that fancy. This photo-driven book featuring all-things-Reba invites you to get back to the basics of life: fun, food, friends, and family. In her first book in over two decades, actress and country music legend Reba McEntire takes you behind the scenes and shares the stories, recipes, and Oklahoma-style truths that guide her life.

“Not That Fancy“ includes:

• Nearly 200 photographs from Reba’s childhood, career, and personal life—many of which are straight from Reba’s phone

• Never-before-told stories from rodeoing with her family to pranks with Brooks & Dunn to falling in love over a plate of tater tots

• Behind-the-scenes anecdotes from her music and acting career, with inspiration on how to follow your passion, trust your gut, and take a chance on yourself

• More than 60 recipes of appetizers, mains, sides, desserts, and cocktails from Reba’s personal kitchen, from friends and family, and from her restaurant, Reba’s Place

• Lighthearted lifestyle tips on how to achieve Reba’s signature hairstyle, plan a down-to-earth date night, throw an effortless dinner party, and more.
  

  WATCH the behind the scenes SNEAK PEAK

This heavy, hard bound volume is as beautiful as Reba herself. It’s going to look gorgeous on your coffee table right next to a little autumn decor, begging to be opened and read.

It’s available on October 10, so pre-order yours now so you have it in hand to lend all the fall inspo you need for recipes, relationships, and realizing your self-worth!

 Pre-Order HERE

Melon Prosciutto Skewers

Summer is a time for backyard parties! You don’t even need to be celebrating anything more specific than the opportunity to gather outside under cloudless skies!

The next time you’re asked to bring something to share, consider these little tastebud tantalizers.

The sweet/salty combination will disappear so quickly, you’d think they were held together by a magic wand instead of a skewer!

Ingredients:

• 10 small wooden skewers

• 20 melon balls (or 20 cubes of melon) (about 1/2 of a cantaloupe)

• 10 fresh basil leaves

• 10 balls or cubes of fresh mozzarella cheese

• 10 strips of prosciutto

• * Balsamic Glaze for drizzling.

Directions:

1. Cut melon in half, discard pulp and seeds, use melon baller to make 20 balls.

2. Cut prosciutto in half length-wise to double the number of strips.

3. Rinse fresh basil springs.

4. Thread onto skewers in order of melon, basil, mozzarella, prosciutto, melon.

5. Drizzle with balsamic glaze.

6. Serve.

* Balsamic reduction/glaze is easily made by combining equal measures of Balsamic Vinegar and Honey. Heat over medium until mixture is reduced by half. Allow to cool then drizzle over skewers. (1/3 cup each is plenty for 10 skewers.)

Now that I’ve laid it all out for you, I’m going to pose a question… How delicious do you think this would be as a salad?

I’d make the melon smaller, by cutting the balls in half (or making smaller cubes), halving the fresh mozzarella, and tearing both the basil leaves and the prosciutto into bite sized pieces then combining. A drizzle of the reduced balsamic glaze just before serving sounds divine to me!

However you made it, I hope you’ll try this spectacular combination, it’s super yummy as well as being light enough for a perfect summer appetizer!

NNNNNanaimo Bars!

In the Pacific Northwest, the delicious Nanaimo Bar (so named for the city in neighboring British Columbia, Canada) is somewhat of a holiday staple.

It is three distinctly different layers of flavors and textures that melt in your mouth and make you think you’ve visited nirvana.

This lovely no-bake treat does require refrigeration lest it lose it’s layers and become a gooey lump (probably be just as delicious!) And although it usually makes its appearance in the winter months, someone had the brilliant idea of bringing it out at a recent garden party and sharing it as a cool but decadent delight in the heat of the summer; a move I wholeheartedly applaud and encourage you to copy!

The addition of sea salt sprinkled on the top layer made these mini morsels next level! Here’s how its done:

Ingredients:

Layer 1:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened

• 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

• ¼ cup white sugar

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs

• 1 cup shredded coconut

• ½ cup finely chopped almonds (Optional)

Layer 2:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened

• 3 tablespoons heavy cream

• 2 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix

• 2 cups powdered sugar

Layer 3:

• 1 cup (about 6 oz or 1/2 bag) semisweet chocolate chips

• 4 tablespoons butter

• Shredded coconut, nuts, and sea salt for garnish

Directions:

Clear enough room in your refrigerator to hold an 8x8” (or similar) baking dish

Layer 1: In the top of a double boiler, melt 1 stick of butter, mixing in cocoa powder and sugar. Beat in the egg. Remove from heat and combine with the crushed Graham crackers, shredded coconut, and nuts. Press the mixture into the bottom of your 8x8 baking dish.

Layer 2: In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, heavy cream, and vanilla pudding mix. Add the powdered sugar, beat until smooth, and spread the mixture over the bottom layer. Place in refrigerator.

Layer 3: Place chocolate chips and butter in a microwavable bowl. Heat 15 seconds at a time, stirring in between and allowing the chocolate to melt slowly. Spread over Layer 2. Sprinkle tops with your choice of crushed nuts, shredded coconut, and for some added zip, a little bit of sea salt. Place back into refrigerator.

When set, cut into bars or squares. Serve chilled. Your guests (or family, or office mates) will love you!

Red, White, and Blueberry Beet Salad

Reprinted from July 2019

Here’s a fun, festive, 4th of July salad for your holiday table. My sister made this one up just for the occasion (and because she knows I LOVE beets, even if she doesn’t!)

It calls for 4 very basic ingredients as well as a basic vinaigrette dressing made with red-wine vinegar. You can whisk one up yourself, or use a bottled one you’ve purchased, whichever get’s the job done to your satisfaction and gets you out of the kitchen and back into the celebration as quickly as possible.

You’ll wow your guests (or your hosts) when you place this on the banquet table!

Red, White, and Blueberry Beet Salad

Ingredients:

• 5-6 large beets, peeled, cooked (you may boil or roast - your choice), cooled, and cubed

• 2 pints of blueberries, washed and drained

• 6-8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

• a bed of baby spinach

For the dressing:

• ½ cup olive oil

• 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon honey or agave syrup

• 2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced

• ¼ teaspoon fine kosher salt, to taste

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Make the vinaigrette dressing:

   1. In a liquid measuring cup or bowl, combine all of the ingredients except oil. Stir well with a small whisk.

   2. Drop a single drop of oil into the mixture and whisk briskly, add another drop and continue to whisk, then add remaining oil in a stream, continuing to whisk until well blended.

   3. Taste, and adjust as necessary.

2. Place cooked cubed beets in large bowl, add blueberries, pour viniagrette over top and mix well.

3. Place baby spinach leaves on serving platter.

4. Layer dressed beets and blueberries over the top of spinach, then sprinkle liberally with crumbled feta cheese.

5. Refrigerate until serving.

Enjoy this salad, bursting with red, white, and blue flavor, as we celebrate our great nation’s birthday! I hope your 4th full of your favorite ingredients, and mixes up to be a happy and safe holiday!

Freedom Fudge

Reprinted from June 2021

Am I the only one that gets a hankering for “out of season” foods? I think not. So when a friend said they were making “Freedom Fudge” to share at an Independence Day gathering, my eyes lit up and my mouth watered.

And besides, as someone who grew up in a coastal town, summer tourism and fudge shops are pretty synonymous. But you don’t see fudge recipes circulating much in the summer time, they usually show up in our feeds around Thanksgiving. I mean to change that with this post!

This quick-fudge recipe, that makes a plate-full of rich little morsels in a jiffy, calls for only 3 ingredients.

It’s so quick and easy, you can make them any day of the year and the recipients will almost certainly erupt in smiles of gratitude.

My friend dressed them up for the 4th of July by drizzling melted white chocolate over the top and adding some red, white, and blue sprinkles. That seems like a lot of work to me, but if you want to, go ahead!

Ingredients:

• 1 12oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Place sweetened condensed milk and butter in saucepan and heat on stovetop on medium heat until butter is melted.

2. Turn off heat and add chocolate chips, stirring until melted and mixed thoroughly.

3. Pour into 8”x8” baking dish lined with waxed paper.

4. Chill in refrigerator 3 hours or over night.

5. Cut into squares and serve.

Double this recipe for a larger crowd and use a 9”x13” pan. Feelin’ nutty? Add half a cup chopped walnuts. Going soft? Toss in a cup of mini-marshmallows. Trying to lighten up? Substitute white chocolate chips….

Keep it simple, or make it a show-stopper, ‘cuz hey, it’s a free (and almost fully open) country!

Freedom Fudge; your fudge, your way. Any time of the year!

Red White & Blue - Berry Bites

Reprinted from July 2020

President’s Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, or Veteran’s Day… there are many designated holidays throughout the year that encourage us to celebrate the American Spirit. One way to do that is to serve up a little red, white, and blue on the buffet table.

I'm not quite sure that Red White & Blue - Berry Bites qualify as a "recipe" as much as it does as a "craft", but since it is definitely edible (very, deliciously edible) I'm filing under both categories.

Ingredients:

• Red ripe strawberries, rinsed, stem on

• White chocolate chips - melted

• Blue sugar crystals

• Waxed or parchment paper

Instructions:

1. Take a sweet, red, beautiful strawberry, holding the stem end in your fingers, dip the tip - up to about 3/4  of the berry into melted white chocolate, then immediately dip it again - leaving a band of white - into blue sugar sprinkles. Place on parchment or waxed paper to "set".  Voila! 

Friend, and Point Hope Director, Jan, made some up with daughter Erin and grandkids; while she thought that perhaps they weren't as picture perfect as the ones from a magazine, there's no doubt a ton of fun and even more love went into their creations.

This is an uncomplicated but showy display of patriotic pride with a berry big blast of flavor! Have fun with it!

Cauliflower 'Faux-tato' Salad

Reposted from June 2019:

My potato salad is famous (or perhaps infamous, not sure which…) and I’ll make it for any occasion; BBQ’s, birthdays, bar mitzvah’s… but (confession session) sometimes I crave a lighter dish.

Enter this delicious “faux-tato” salad made with steamed cauliflower florets - it’s so so tasty, but far lower in carbs. It’s got everything you want for a great picnic salad except all the starch. Go ahead, give it a try!

Ingredients:

• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets

• 1/2 cup bacon bits (about 6 rashers of bacon)

• 1/2 c. sour cream

• 1/4 c. mayonnaise

• 1 tspn stone-ground mustard

• 1 tbsp. dill pickle brine (vinegar or lemon juice work too!)

• Salt and Pepper

• 1 1/2 c.  cheddar cheese, shredded

• 1/4 c. chives, chopped small

Directions:

1. Add cauliflower florets to about 1” of boiling water in large pot or pan. Cover and allow to steam until tender - about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and cool. Set aside.

2. Cook bacon rashers until crispy, turning to crisp each side. Drain on paper towels then break or chop into bits.

3. Mix together, sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, pickle brine (or vinegar or lemon juice) in a large bowl. Add the steamed and cooled cauliflower florets and gently stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper, then fold in bacon, cheddar, and chives. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Of course, like most of my recipes, they’re more suggestion than anything else. If you have a particular way you like to dress your potato salad, give it a try only use the cauliflower florets instead of starchy ‘taters.

I’m always interested in what you think - so tell me if you try this, any adjustments you might make to it, and most importantly, what was the cause of your gathering and celebration?! I’m nosy that way!

20-40-60 Minute Dinners | April Book Club

When daylight starts stretching into the evening hours, it’s time to celebrate! It’s also time to start doing all the things we forgot about during the winter months. Like gardening, Little League and Spring Soccer practices, and all kinds of other fun activities! But then the dinner hour sneaks up on us and all of a sudden we’re cruising through a drive-through groaning inwardly or outwardly…

That’s why I’ve chosen “20-40-60 Minute Dinners; Meals to Match The Time You Have” for my book club this month - to help take the anxiety around “what to fix for dinner?!” down a notch or two!

Arranged by the time it takes to prepare a meal, rather than alphabetically, author Kate Otterstrom, (who also, btw, is the creator of the Dinner in Real Time blog,) has put together a beautiful and oh-so-helpful cookbook full of meals to match the time you have to get them on the table! Kate is the busy mom of four, so you know that she’s got some practice at pulling together tasty and healthful meals in-between demanding schedules!

Anyone who finds themselves getting take-out far more often than they’d like will appreciate the abundance of fabulously simply ideas found between the pages of 20-40-60 Minute Dinners. I’ll be gifting a copy to one of my daughters, herself a mom of two active littles, because I know she’ll love the ideas it holds, and also because the recipes include gluten-free alternatives, which she must adhere to.

I appreciate how there’s nothing fussy about this cookbook, because delicious food that meet our dietary requirements does not have to be fussy! Even for folks like me, who’ve been at this dinner game for too many years to confess, will find some great reminders between its pages. For example, bagels with lox and cream cheese with a green salad? Yes! Perfect. A quick, filling, and fun dinner when you need to throw together something FAST. Kate suggests too, that served make-your-own bar style gets her kids more excited and up for trying new things like a sprinkling of capers. Note taken!

Here’s to a beautiful spring and summer and to getting dinner on the table, deliciously, in the time that you actually have, be it 20, 40, or 60 minutes!

Pick up your copy - and another for a gift - here: 20-40-60 Minute Dinners

Lemon Squares | Cookin' It with Kix

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I think I have a thing for lemon bars. OK, I KNOW I have a thing for lemon bars.  As soon as I've discovered THE BEST recipe around, another comes along, and I love it just as much!  

If you think perhaps you do as well, try this recipe. You won't be disappointed!

Maybe it's the universal appeal of lemony lusciousness. Rarely, and I do mean rarely, does anyone turn away a lemon bar, when offered. Maybe it's the universal "season" of lemons  - yes, I know they ripen in the summer in climes where they are grown, but generally you can find them in abundance on your grocers aisle 12 months out of the year.

An’ maybe it's just cuz lemon bars are sooo darn good!

This recipe comes from Cookin' It with Kix my a book club pick from waaaay back in 2016. Of course, I tried it. Of course I loved them! I found the filling to be a perrrrfect consistency, probably because of the 4 eggs. (Any excuse I have to use more eggs around here!) 

Perfect for an Easter table or any early spring gathering!

Ingredients:

CRUST

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• pinch of salt

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.

FILLING

• 4 eggs

• 2 cups white sugar

• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

• powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Butter a 9x13 inch baking pan

2. To prepare crust: Combine flour, powdered sugar and salt in large bowl. Cut in butter to make a crumbly mixture. Press teh mix into the buttered pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Do not over cook!

3. To prepare filling: Mix eggs, sugar, flour, and lemon joice. Pour over baked crust, bake for another 25 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar when done. Cool.

4. Cut into squares and serve.

Dutch Babies

When my kids or my brother’s kids visit our sister, their auntie, they always ask for Dutch Babies.

She’s been serving them these puffy golden treats for years. As children they were fascinated with the way they puff up so impressively in the oven, and deflate once removed.

They can be topped with all sorts of sweet concoctions, fresh fruits and berries in the summer time, apples and cinnamon in the winter, lemon curd in the spring… jams, jellies, or sometimes just more butter and powdered sugar. (Zack preferred them with chocolate chips, whipped cream, and chocolate syrup!)

She uses a very simple recipe that calls for 1/4 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of flour for every egg, adjusted for pan size, and lots and lots of butter. She advocates for a few more minutes in the oven than many recipes advise because folks in this family don’t appreciate the “custardy” taste or texture that others do. You do you.

She recently cooked up a batch and made them “fun size” in individual muffin tins. This would make a delightful Valentine's Day breakfast served with your sweetie’s favorite fruit toppings, more butter, powdered sugar and/or syrup. (Much as you would a Belgian Waffle.)

The serving pictured here is topped with raspberry jam and whipped cream. Mmmmm.

The quantities below will work for 12 muffin tins or a 9” pie dish.

Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs

• 3/4 cup milk

• 3/4 cup flour

• 1/2 cup (1 cube/ 24 teaspoons) of butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place 2 teaspoons of butter in the bottom of each muffin tin. Place in oven the last few minutes it is preheating until butter is melted and bubbling, but do not let it brown. Remove from oven.

3. In a blender (a smoothie Bullet works well) combine eggs and milk, followed by flour added a 1/4 cup at a time.

4. Pour batter over hot, melted butter, filling each cup about 1/2 full.

5. Place in 400 degree oven and bake 15-20 minutes until puffed and a deep golden color.

6. Remove from oven, top with favorite toppings, and serve.
   

   Notes:

   1. If using a 9x13 pan, use 5 eggs, 1 1/4 cup milk, 1 1/4 cup flour, and a full cube of butter cut into pieces.

   2. Serve alongside bacon, sausage or other protein. They are delicious but won’t take you to lunch time on their own.

   3. Fun fact. Yorkshire Pudding is made with the same batter, but “drippings” are used in place of butter and they are served with gravy, making them savory instead of a sweet side. Try both!

Delicious Gatherings | December Book Club

She’s done it again! Tara Teaspoon, author of “Live Life Deliciously”, has released a beautiful new cookbook, just in time for the holidays, “Delicious Gatherings, Recipes to Celebrate Together,” is available now!

This is another splendid offering from Tara, and just like her previous hard-bound volume, offers a multitude of delicious sides, mains, and deserts (with plenty of appetizers, dips, and breads to round it out) so you never again find yourself saying,“What in the world am I going to make?!” There are full-course menus for memorable gatherings (including breakfasts and brunches) that you are going to thank her for over and over!

After two years of distancing, we’ve all built up an appetite for togetherness and good eats! Tara Teaspoon, (real name, Tara Bench,) helps you sate both hungers with recipes for elevated everyday meals and special holidays, plus helpful tips and how-to’s. They say this cookbook aims to bring “joy, flair, and amazing taste” to all your get-togethers, and I wholeheartedly agree with the statement!

From Sunday suppers and weeknight family meals to elaborate buffets for bigger crowds and holiday celebrations, Tara’s recipes include delicious showstoppers and unique takes on comforting classics. I’m especially intrigued with the Roast Carrots with Lemon Feta Dip (yum!) and the fancy-looking (but relatively easy) Spinach and Artichoke Tarte Soleil featured on the cover.

One of the things that I really appreciate about Tara’s take on things is her encouragement to make each recipe your own, often providing suggestions for substitutions, and always with a “have at it!” attitude!

I hope you find yourself in the company of family and friends this holiday season, and hope you’ll find a seat at the table for Tara Teaspoon’s “Delicious Gatherings.”

Order your copy: DELICIOUS GATHERINGS

Roasted Butternut & Brussels Sprouts

I’ve been seeing so many delicious looking recipes combining roasted butternut squash with Brussels sprouts pop up in my social media feeds. I’ve even shared one to my Facebook page that looked particularly appealing (it included bow-tie pasta), but it wasn’t until my sister showed up to a family dinner with this side dish that I was able to try a fork-full, which of course led to several more fork-fulls!

It’s such a yummy combo and you can add or subtract a variety of things (like the pasta) to tailor it to your taste or the occasion. She opted to skip the pasta, because she knew there would be many other carb-loaded dishes. She also went with toasted pumpkin seeds because although pecans would work beautifully, my daughter (her neice) has a nut allergy and she wanted her to be able to enjoy it as much as anyone.

Here’s her tasty take on this year’s must-do side dish which included dried cranberries (c’raisins), feta cheese crumbles, toasted pumpkin seeds, and a honey-balsamic glaze:

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash peeled, seeded, and trimmed into 1” cubes

• 1-2 lbs Brussels sprouts, cleaned, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise

• olive oil

• kosher salt

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

• 1/2 - 1 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

• 1/2 cup (or more!) feta cheese crumbles

for the glaze:

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

• 3 Tablespoons honey (you may also use maple syrup or brown sugar)

Directions:

1. Toss butternut squash cubes in olive oil and a little kosher salt, then spread out on a baking sheet, being careful not to overcrowd. Roast for 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

2. Do the same with the Brussels sprouts.

3. While sprouts are roasting, prepare glaze by heating balsamic vinegar in small saucepan over medium-hight heat. Add honey, (or sweetener of choice) and heat through. When combination begins to bubble, turn the heat down to simmer until mixture has reduced by about half and has thickened. Take off heat and set aside.

4. When the Brussels sprouts have roasted, remove to large bowl and toss with balsamic glaze.

5. Add dried cranberries and mix well.

6. The roasted butternut cubes will be soft so to prevent them from falling apart, allow to cool slightly, then fold gently into the glazed Brussels sprouts and cranberries.

7. Sprinkle mixture with kosher salt to taste.

8. Top with crumbled feta cheese.

9. Add pumpkin seeds right before serving.

This dish is full of beautiful color, textures, and absolutely packed with flavor! It will be a welcome addition to any holiday table. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Pie

My first-born, Isaiah, missed out on the grand-parent experience, and I’ve always felt somewhat bad about that. My folks passed away at an early age, as did his dad’s father. And though the time they had together was limited, he DID get to know his dad’s mother, and she absolutely adored him!

One of her gifts to him was his love of sweet potato pie. His grandmother had been born and raised in Louisiana and brought this southern treat with her when she and her husband moved out to the west coast in the 1950’s.

When he was young, he was quick to tell me my attempts were good, but not quite like his grandma’s, by now I think I’ve got it nailed. It’s a must-have for every holiday dessert table and it puts in an appearance for birthdays and other celebrations too.

It’s a lot like pumpkin pie, and yet, uniquely it’s own. Give it a try!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs sweet potatoes, baked and mashed

• 1 cups granulated sugar

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1 small can (5 ounces, about 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) evaporated milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 4 eggs, beaten

• 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice

• 1/2 cup of butter (4oz)

• 2 large pie shells, unbaked

Instructions:

1. Mix warm mashed sweet potatoes, sugar, butter, and evaporated milk until well blended.

2. Add vanilla, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice; mix well.

3. Pour into the prepared pie shells.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour, until set.

Share with friends and family!

Korean Soy-Pickled Cabbage

Korean Pickled Cabbage (with soy sauce & vinegar)

Pickled cabbage can add a kick to salads and a tang and crunch to a variety of dishes. It’s a fantastic side with rice to sesame or ginger chicken, or any teriyaki, and loved in our household as a simple and convenient snack.

Even though my friend, and house-helper Kimmy makes several batches weekly (so we always have some on hand in the refrigerator) it never lasts as long as she thinks it will!

There are countless variations on the basic recipe out there, but this is one she (and I) make often, and it’s so simple anyone can do it!

(Feel free to use your favorite cabbage, add a shredded carrot, or a few tablespoons of sugar to the brine for a little sweetness. Omit the pepper flakes if spice isn’t your thing!)

Ingredients:

• 2 small heads of cabbage (any kind you want), shredded

• 2 large white onions, thinly sliced

• 1 whole head of garlic peeled and minced

• 1 tablespoon pepper flakes (for kick)

• 2 cups soy sauce (low sodium)

• 1 cup rice (or white )vinegar

• 4 clean, sterilized quart jars, or equivalent mixture of pints/quarts to equal approximately 1 gallon with clean, tight fitting lids.

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl combine shredded cabbage (slice thinly or use a mandolin), onion, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes.

2. Once well combined, divide among your clean, sterilized storage jars.

3. Bring the soy sauce and vinegar to a boil in a saucepan, stir well, then pour into the jar covering the cabbage mixture making sure the liquid covers all cabbage. Let the jar sit on the counter while cooling to room temperature. You may leave out for a few days, the longer it’s left to “ripen”, the more intense the flavor will become. Refrigerate when ready.

4. Pickled cabbage will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks and flavors will continue to ripen. Be sure to use a clean utensil when removing single servings from a jar so you do not introduce any bacteria into the mixture.

5. Eat with rice as a side dish. 

Enjoy!

Cucumber - Onion Salad

Salad was on the table for every family meal my mother ever made. (Or at least something she'd refer to as salad. )

In the summer months, when the garden was "putting on", it would be thick slabs of beefsteak tomatoes on top of a slice of Wonder Bread slathered with Miracle Whip, with a generous dash of salt and pepper...

Or, on the rare occasion there wasn’t a tomato to be carved up, a bowl of cucumber and onion, marinated in a bit of water and vinegar for only the amount of time it took her to pound, dredge, and fry the round steak and boil the potatoes, would suffice. These too, we’d make an open-faced sandwich with - minus the Miracle Whip, plus a little butter - and call it “salad”!

I'm sharing the recipe with you today not because its new, or novel, or difficult, but for all the other reasons; it's old, it’s nostalgic, and it’s easy. It’s also cool and refreshingly delicious on a hot summer evening - like all the evenings have been as of late. Eat it as it was probably meant to be eaten - as a side salad - or try it with bread and butter like my folks always did. Either way, it’s yummy!

Cucumber - Onion Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced

• 2-3 slices of sweet or red onion

• 1/2 cup white vinegar

• 1 cup cold water

• 1 heaping Tablespoon of sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Peel and slice cucumber, and slice onion - seperating rings. Place in a bowl and add vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper.

2. Mix well.

3. Refridgerate for at least 45 minutes.

4. Serve.

Feel free to adjust the vinegar to water ratio, the sugar, and salt and pepper to taste! Enjoy this nostalgic taste of summer!

Lemon Angel Hair Pasta | Maria Martella (Repost)

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I originally posted this recipe waaaay back in 2017. I had made a request via social media for you all to send me your favorite recipes, and Maria Martella came through for me!

It had been submitted as a good “winter” recipe, but it looks so refreshing and divine, I’m posting it again, in the middle of summer, because, well, lemon, and yum!

It looks like it could also easily be served cold and might just be the perfect thing to take to your next backyard gathering.

LEMON ANGEL HAIR PASTA
Submitted by Maria Martella

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Chicken Stock

• 2 cups Water

• 1/2 lb Angel Hair Pasta

• 1-2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 3 lemons

• 1 Head of Garlic (10-12 cloves)

• 1/2 T crushed hot pepper flakes

• 2T Oregano (or more to taste)

• Shredded Parmesan Cheese generous amount

 Directions:

1. Bring 4 cups of Chicken stock and 2 cups Water to boil in large pot.

2. Add Angel Hair Pasta (or any thin variety), adjusting amounts of liquid as needed. Cook until al dente. Drain pasta; place liquid aside.

3. In the meantime, heat EV Olive Oil in saute' pan.

4. Wash, roll, and juice 3 lemons, and zest the rind lemons, into saute' pan, add crushed hot pepper flakes, minced, grated or whole garlic. and oregano. Saute' for approximately 5 minutes over medium-high heat.

5. Toss lemon/pepper/garlic mixture in with pasta. Use a little of the liquid to loosen pasta if desired.

6. Sprinkle liberally with shredded Parmesan cheese.

7. Serve as a side to chicken, fish, or pork.
    

A note from Maria: This is so quick and easy, you can add, roasted vegetables, chicken or shrimp to make an entire meal. Use vegetable broth for a vegan side. Use mint, parsley, or basil, whatever you have on hand; the secret is in the fresh lemon juice and zest. Its very versatile, warms my soul and brightens it too!