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Breakfast | Brunch
Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars —
Baked Oatmeal Bars | A Quick and Healthy Breakfast — I love the kind of mornings where you can linger over a cup of coffee and allow the day to gently unfold. But realistically, that only seems to happen on the weekends. Instead, my mornings often begin in a crazy...
Fresh Strawberry Butter
Strawberry Season — If you love a hint of sweetness on top of your favorite bagel, biscuit or scone, then this is a recipe you have to try. Simple and delicious, it's made with just 4 ingredients, and the food processor does all the work. I used a combination...
Italian Frittata
Frittata — An Italian Omelet For a Crowd Sunday is Easter, and personally, there is no Easter without Easter brunch. It's a special occasion at my house, a chance to be in the company of my favorite people, and reacquaint them with the flavors of fresh spring...
Irish Cream Scones – Easy Recipe
Irish Cream Scones - Happy St. Patrick's Day! You can take the girl out of Chicago, but you can never take the Chicago out of the girl. I'm fondly thinking of my hometown with St. Patrick's Day just a few days away. Chicago celebrates St. Patrick's Day by turning...
No-Knead Bread – 5 Minute Recipe
No-Knead Bread - Baked in a Dutch Oven - 5 Minute Recipe When was the last time someone served you homemade bread? Yeah, I can't remember either. That's probably because making traditional bread is a multi-step process that requires a lot of time and patience, which...
Healthy & Delicious Whole Grain Banana Muffins
Healthy Banana Muffins — I can't believe it's February! February makes me think spring can't be far, but I'm afraid that might be magical thinking on my part. My sister, who lives near the San Diego coast, complained the traffic was horrendous because of all the...
Sandwiches | Salads | Pizza
Roasted Tomato Bruschetta Salad
Roasted Tomato Bruschetta Salad — Hello Spring! I’m glad you’re here. After months of enduring winter, the warmer temps and sunnier days have it finally receding from my mind. Now a shift is taking place away from the heavy, feel-good foods that help me trudge through...
Asian Chicken Salad With Fresh Mandarin Orange —
Asian Chicken Salad: Perfect For Any Season — I make this salad a lot during the summer, but back then my blog was just an idea and had not yet been born. So why share a salad recipe now, in a season seemingly dominated by the flavors of chocolate, peppermint and...
Couscous with Chicken, Butternut Squash & Spinach
Reflecting the Season For me, salads are the domain of summer - cool and refreshing when the heat is on. But the minute the temps begin to drop into the 50's overnight - it's game on, as my kitchen heats up after a long summer hiatus. The crockpot is dusted off, the...
Entrees | Soups | Side Dishes | Pasta
Eggplant Caponata
Farmers Market Eggplant Caponata — Beautiful, colorful, and abundant is how I describe the summer growing season now in full bloom at the Farmers Market. I like variety in my life, and seldom like to eat the same things in the same way. I guess that's as good...
Chilled Strawberry Gazpacho
Strawberry Gazpacho — A Chilled Summer Soup » When the weather turns warm, I can hardly wait to eat on the deck - breakfast, lunch or dinner - they all work for me. Although it seemed like an eternity, the small trees we planted in our yard have transformed our deck...
Parmesan Artichoke Soup —
Artichoke Soup: It seems the "Heart" continues as my theme for February. Last post I created a recipe for a healthier chocolate mousse, connecting the love of chocolate with Valentine's Day and pairing it with the love and care of our own hearts, in recognition of...
Potato Soup with Smoked Gouda & Bacon
A Journey Without a Map — "It's in the not knowing that everything is still possible." This is what my friends call a "Marilynism"; a personal philosophy and a nugget of wisdom that I seem to dispense when a friend reaches out for support when life feels uncertain,...
Sweet Treats | Desserts | Cookies | Cakes | Pies | Tarts
Strawberry Lemon Bars
Sweet Strawberry Lemon Bars — Oh, those sweet, juicy strawberries that have been so hard to resist this spring, are the inspiration for these strawberry lemon bars. It seems like I have been going "berry crazy", creating and sharing yummy recipes for strawberry butter...
Blood Orange Cake with Honey Syrup
Blood Orange Cake with Honey Syrup I've made this blood orange cake several times over the last few months, but I've haven't gotten around to posting the recipe until now. I wanted to get this recipe out, because I think it would make a perfect pairing for Easter...
Chocolate Mousse: Its Love at First Bite!
A Healthier Chocolate Mousse Recipe — Nothing seems to say, "I love You", like chocolate, right? With Valentine’s Day just a few days away, I thought I'd try my hand at creating a chocolate mousse that would taste indulgent, but not undo my New Years resolution to eat...
Homemade Marshmallows & Hot Spiced Mocha
Homemade Marshmallows — If you've never had homemade marshmallows, you're in for a very special treat! Almost like magic, simple ingredients are transformed into a fluffy gourmet confection. They are a bit messy to make, but well worth the effort, and tastes better...
Fresh Apple Cinnamon Cake
Apples Don't Fall Far From the Tree — An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away. That's a phrase the people spouted in a time before we used words like "health food". Those people weren't lying because apples are now categorized as one of the healthiest foods on...
Pumpkin Butter Cheesecake Tarts
Pumpkin, Cream Cheese, Cinnamon & Pecans. This recipe was inspired by a trip to Traders Joe's at the start of pumpkin season. I get giddy when it first arrives -- all my "pumpkin friends" are back on the shelf, if only for a short visit. One of my favorites is...
Party Foods | Appetizers | Beverages | Spirits
Cheese Plate & Bruschetta Bar Recipes
Say Cheese Plate Please — Pulling together a cheese plate and bruschetta bar is one of my favorite ways to entertain, especially in the summer. A dear friend of mine from Chicago recently dropped in for a visit, and with occasions to see each other so rare,...
Sun-Dried Tomato Bacon Jam
Bacon Lovers Rejoice — It's Bacon Jam! OK, I admit it - I find the flavor bacon absolutely divine! A little bacon, rendered crisp with the fat discarded, seems to possess a magical way to transform the ordinary into something extraordinary. The smokey, salty flavor...
Eggplant Caponata
Farmers Market Eggplant Caponata — Beautiful, colorful, and abundant is how I describe the summer growing season now in full bloom at the Farmers Market. I like variety in my life, and seldom like to eat the same things in the same way. I guess that's as good...
Homemade Marshmallows & Hot Spiced Mocha
Homemade Marshmallows — If you've never had homemade marshmallows, you're in for a very special treat! Almost like magic, simple ingredients are transformed into a fluffy gourmet confection. They are a bit messy to make, but well worth the effort, and tastes better...
Spreads | Toppings | Sauces | Condiments
Sun-Dried Tomato Bacon Jam
Bacon Lovers Rejoice — It's Bacon Jam! OK, I admit it - I find the flavor bacon absolutely divine! A little bacon, rendered crisp with the fat discarded, seems to possess a magical way to transform the ordinary into something extraordinary. The smokey, salty flavor...
Roasted Tomato Butter
Delicious Roasted Tomato Flavor — Savory and sweet are the yin and yang of flavor profiles. One isn’t necessarily better than the other, it's just a matter of personal preference. After writing my first “Gotta Go” Post about the opening of Meshuhggah Bagels in...
Fresh Strawberry Butter
Strawberry Season — If you love a hint of sweetness on top of your favorite bagel, biscuit or scone, then this is a recipe you have to try. Simple and delicious, it's made with just 4 ingredients, and the food processor does all the work. I used a combination...
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