Who doesn’t love a holiday? All the family. All the friends. And the food is good too. This one won’t win any awards for creativity or originality, but it totally scores where it counts – it tastes great, feeds a crowd, and is pretty easy to pull off. And besides, other than my picky nieces, […]
Late summer always means one thing: an abundance of everything you grow in the garden… or so I’ve been told. I wouldn’t know firsthand because I can’t grow dirt. I’ve tried many times over the years, but it’s no use. To give you an example: a friend who is also a Florida Master Gardener took […]
I hate coffee (I know, it’s me and three other people over the age of 12 in the United States). Actually, I don’t have anything against coffee; I just don’t care for it. I also don’t like licorice or bell peppers. I’ve learned to work around all three when I am eating someone else’s cooking. […]
OK, I will be the first one to admit that this recipe is not going to win any awards for originality or creativity, but it’s good. Really good. And simple. AND healthy. How often do you get to say all of that about one dish? I must have some addiction to carotene because I love […]
It pays to plan ahead. I get mocked for it all the time, but I don’t care. Last weekend I spent the afternoon making pesto out of the abundance of basil that is all over the place this time of year. It’s quick, simple, fragrant, and delicious. Just 5 ingredients: basil, garlic, toasted nuts, parmesan […]
I always enjoy salmon, but I can get into kind of a rut with it. I seem to prepare it the same 2 or 3 ways, time after time. Recently I decided to shake it up – just a little bit. Over the years I have come to realize that some of my most creative […]
I don’t understand how Easter is upon us already. I am still working on the To-Do List I made over the Christmas holiday (OK, I haven’t even started it). I use to roll my eyes when my father said, “The older you get, the faster time goes.” I totally get it now. Of course, […]
There are days when I drag myself home and have absolutely no desire to cook at all. Most of those nights, the pizza guy comes to our house. Unfortunately, I’ve noticed lately that my waistband is a little more snug than normal (must have shrunk in the wash). So instead of inviting Carl to come […]
Do you have one of those pieces of kitchen equipment that you only use when you have to? For me, it’s a mandolin. It’s difficult to clean, it’s awkward to use, and every time I touch it, I think I’m going to end up with one less finger by the time I’m finished. Of course, […]
I was supposed to be taking the night off. Don was at work, and I had the house to myself for the evening (which certainly is not a common occurrence). I had considered diving head first into a bag of chips for dinner, but then I got the dreaded phone call: Don needed me to […]
We found ourselves with an unusual set of circumstances – a rare Saturday night with no work and no plans with friends. What better opportunity for a date night? Unfortunately, it was the first of the month – the mortgage was paid, and not much was left over for dinner and a movie. So date […]
Some good friends are getting ready to head north for the summer (that’s the problem with living in Florida: no one else lives here year-round), so we decided to get together for one last dinner party before they head to the Arctic Circle (OK, they’re summering in New Hampshire, but that’s close enough for me). Even […]
I’ve been in a rice rut lately. I’ve got long grain, short grain, white, brown. I’m tired of rice. I love quinoa, but unfortunately quinoa is a little out of the budget for the immediate future. So while I was roaming through the grocery store this week, I noticed pearled barley. I’ve used barley once […]
I always tell people that there are two seasons in Florida: 1) summer; and 2) Oh, My God, It’s Hot! We have definitely transitioned into the second season around here. I mean, when the overnight low only gets to 85 degrees, it’s definitely time to find a way to make dinner without turning on the […]
Asian Marinated Pork Remember Willie Wonka and his Everlasting Gobstoppers? Well, I have the propane tank equivalent. We last traded out the propane tank in September – nearly 11 months ago. Granted, we didn’t use it prodigiously throughout the winter (it was freaking cold this year – even if you did live in Florida), but the thing […]
Noodles and Green Beans with Asian Peanut Sauce When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to eat was pasta and peanut butter. I don’t even know where I got the idea. Mom didn’t make it, my brothers didn’t eat it, but I absolutely loved it. In fact, I think my brothers’ collective […]
Dry rubs and grill seasonings are a handy thing, aren’t they? But I just can’t bring myself to buy the premixed things off of the grocery store shelves. Why? Because A) you don’t know what they’ll taste like until you get them home and open them up; B) they’re mostly salt; and C) they end […]
The blueberries are starting to roll in from the Florida fields, and I once again have the opportunity to cook with fresh berries. (Yea!) For some reason, it seems like I eat healthier when I can incorporate fresh berries into my diet: berries for breakfast, berries for dessert, and berries seem to find their way […]
