Monday, December 24, 2012
This tasty finger food is quick for you to prepare and is a big hit at parties. Make it for your next party.
"I'm afraid of losing my obscurity. Genuineness only thrives in the dark. Like celery." ~Aldous Huxley I was asked to make an appetizer (of my choice) for a Christmas party last weekend. I decided to do something different (for me) and make a cold app, rather than my usual hot one. I planned on making a cheese and cracker platter, but after an overwhelming couple of hours in the grocery store, I ended up with way more than I had planned. I left with a mixture of tasty items-olives, marinated mushrooms, tomatoes, celery and pepperocinis, along with different cheeses and cracker selections. When it came down to it I couldn't fit everything on the platter and left the cheese and crackers aside (for my husband to consume during the week, I …
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Need to bring something to a holiday party? These bites of macaroni and cheese are sure to please.
"Age is something that doesn't matter, unless you are a cheese." ~Luis Bunuel I have two Christmas parties to attend on Saturday and I need to bring something yummy to both. What to make that is not too time-consuming (since one party is in the afternoon and the other is at night) and is sure to please most everyone? I think some single serving mac and cheeses are in order. This recipe is great because you can make the macs ahead of time and store them in the fridge until just before you are ready to head out the door. Pop them in the oven for ten minutes, let 'em cool for another ten and you are ready to roll. You can use any cheeses you like but I suggest the American/Cheddar mix-it's a good one. You should use mini cupcake pans to make …
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Why buy eggnog at the supermarket when you can make it quickly and easily at home? Give this great recipe a try this holiday season.
"Can I refill your eggnog for you? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead?" ~Clark Griswold from "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's time to start thinking about Christmas. Perhaps you've started your shopping or decorating, or are heading to the stores this weekend. Or, if you are like my mother-in-law, maybe you finished all of that around Halloween. (How I wish I had her energy!) Whatever your plans may be, you deserve to treat yourself at the end of the day. This eggnog definitely fits the bill. Eggnog Ingredients: Directions: Enjoy! (Adapted from Epicurean Mom's Egg Nog recipe)
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Craving a bowl of comfort food on these chilly evenings? This lasagna soup recipe is just the ticket.
“Once again, my life has been saved by the miracle of lasagna.” ~'Garfield' (Jim Davis) Ah lasagna. You cheesy, saucy little minx. I do adore you. And now that I have found a recipe combining you with another of my great loves (soup) I may just have died and gone to foodie heaven. The component that truly makes this soup sing is the cheesy mixture. Ricotta, Parmesan and Mozzarella...oh my! The original recipe calls for the pasta to be cooked in the soup but I cooked the pasta seperately. If you are planning on having leftovers you don't want the pasta to get mushy. Ground beef can also be substituted for the Italian sausage and if you don't like tomato chunks use crushed tomatoes. Buon appetito! Lasagna Soup Ingredients For Soup: For …
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Chicken and vegetables simmer together to create this wonderfully satisfying dish .
"You don't want to make a steady diet of just lettuce. You don't want to make a steady diet of fried chicken." ~Paula Deen Chicken Cacciatore is one of those dishes that is just perfect for a slow cooker. Chicken and vegetables stewing together all day-the smell is heavenly and the taste is spectacular. So when I saw that the supermarket had chicken thighs on sale I just knew I had to make it. I dug out my old recipe, purchased my ingredients and pulled the slow cooker from the pantry. Then I ran late every morning, all week long. Rats! I did end up making the Chicken Cacciatore for dinner one night by modifying the recipe, but hopefully next time I'm going to make it I will get out of bed when the alarm goes off. The first time. Here are …
Sunday, October 28, 2012
These peanut butter cup bars are a dream come true. I dare anyone to eat just one!
"Anything is good if it's made of chocolate." ~Jo Brand Last weekend I got together with some of my favorite girls for a little chat, a lot of chow and a ton of laughs. We try to meet up every couple of months on a Saturday afternoon for a few hours and reconnect over good food and a tasty cocktail. Val brought a dessert that was absolutely delicious...peanut butter cup bars. They were sweet and light and almost too good to be true. Almost. Since they were very real and I really enjoyed the one I had. Ok, the two I had. Oh alright what is this, the Spanish Inquisition? I had three. Sheesh! Val sent us the recipe, which she found on browneyedbaker.com. It is a must try. Val's Amazing Peanut Butter Cup Bars Ingredients: Directions: …
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Short on time and in need of a great appetizer? Try making these sweet and sour meatballs-they're sure to please.
"Miracles are like meatballs, because nobody can exactly agree on what they are made of, where they come from, or how often they should appear." ~Lemony Snicket I have been bringing sweet and sour meatballs to parties for years now and they have always been well received. My original version was made right in the microwave and then there was a slow cooker alteration, but I've finally settled on this stovetop version as my favorite. The combination of sweet pineapple and brown sugar mixed with tangy soy sauce and vinegar is just delightful. And come on, how many of us can resist a good meatball? If you are really short on time, go ahead and buy a bag of frozen meatballs. To be honest, I have used them many times and have never had a …
Sunday, October 7, 2012
French Onion Soup is delicious and easy when you make it in the slow cooker.
“You will find this to be a more oniony soup than the usual kind but, as the cross old lady said when a stranger told her that her slip was showing, "I like it that way.” ~Margaret Yardley Potter I think of French Onion Soup as the Rocky Balboa of soups. It is an enduring favorite, it has bite and it may be basic, but it definitely has depth. You can envision it going a few rounds with Apollo Creed's Beef Stew. But seriously, French Onion Soup is that perennial favorite that we love to order in restaurants as an appetizer but seldom actually try to make at home. In all the years that I have been cooking the first time I tried to make it was last weekend, when I decided to try my hand at a slow cooker version. I have just one thing to say. …
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Here is a recipe for a tasty stir fry that not only tastes good but leaves you with only one pan to wash. Bonus!
"The quickest way to know a woman is to go shopping with her." ~Marcelene Cox I can often be found browsing the aisles of the T.J. Maxx in town. This is mostly because I like to support businesses in town. And other towns too, I suppose, since I do frequent quite a few T.J. Maxx stores in the area. OK, if I'm being honest that may not be my number one reason - I mean, they have such great stuff! My favorite section is Housewares (which then also leads me to frequent their sister store, Homegoods, but that's another story) and during one of my wanderings through the store I found a wok-pan for a really good price. My husband and I have used it many times for different stir fry dishes but this one is my go-to stir fry recipe. I even picked …
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Apple Crisp is a Fall staple. Welcome the arrival of the season with this perennial favorite dessert.
"By all these lovely tokens September days are here, with Summer's best of weather and Autumn's best of cheer." ~Helen Hunt Jackson When September mornings begin getting cooler and sweaters make their reappearance, I immediately begin craving apples. Those crisp days trigger memories of fun family apple picking days and the subsequent making of pies, crisp and applesauce. I cannot effectively articulate how I much I love this season. I grew up in New England and lived here until I was thirty. It was on my thirtieth birthday that I decided I needed a change of scenery. So with a friend I moved to Florida, where I resided for three years before moving back. Now don't get me wrong, I am not knocking Florida. In fact my parents live half the …
david mokal
4:16 pm on Sunday, September 23, 2012
OH BOY! I havent had one of those in ages. Thx for the recipe Im gonna try it. more ›