recipe roundup

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

Breakfast for a crowd has never been easier thanks to this incredibly easy to assemble, ham and cheese make-ahead breakfast casserole that some may call a soufflé or a strata, but we just call delicious.

Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole Recipe

My family isn’t steeped too deeply in legendary traditions. As kids, we didn’t go to the same summer vacation spot year after year nor did we play the perennial party games at the annual family reunion.

But we did always gather together on Thanksgiving and Christmas. And that’s why it’s my favorite time of the year. Memories of grandmas and grandpa, all the aunts and uncles and cousins too, together to eat, share, arm wrestle—and beat—my boy cousins and watch TBS’s 24 hour A Christmas Story marathon.

Each and every Christmas morning of of my 29 ‘plus’ years, I’ve had this ham and egg casserole we assemble the night before and then bake on Christmas morn in all of its gooey, cheesy, ground ham glory.

And this Christmas breakfast casserole is special, because this overnight breakfast casserole never makes another appearance at any other time of the year than on Christmas morning. We simply don’t ever want it to lose its special shining sparkle.continue to the recipe… about Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

5-Ingredient Stovetop Creamed Spinach

5 simple ingredients and time to reduce cream is all you need to cook restaurant-style creamed spinach on the stovetop.

Easy Creamed Spinach Recipe

It happens every time we go out to eat. I studiously examine the menu, taking into account the balance of all of the offerings before I can possibly fathom what choice I might make for my meal. Debating. Then deciding. Then debating again. Then re-reading the entire menu once more.

And by the time the waiter rolls around and lets us in on the secret that he’ll be our waiter for the night, I’ve more than likely changed my mind again. Hey, I can bash on the server introduction because I used to have the same exact set-up when I was a server, but frankly now that I’m a customer it really doesn’t matter to me about the formal intro.

So whether you’re Melissa or James as my server for the night, put aside the formalities because there’s really only one thing I care about hearing from you at this particular moment in time and it’s this: Your recommendation on what’s best on the menu. THAT I must know as my entire dining experience is hanging in the balance.

So I ask, the server lets me know, and then I go with what I thought I originally wanted anyway. And then he walks away and I come into yet another state of flux, treating each meal as a death row inmate’s last stand, as if this is the last meal I will ever eat.

It. is. so. annoying.

If only each meal could be a buffet of flavors like the glorious Thanksgiving dinner. A bite of this, a taste of that. That’s why I’m a big, big fan of Thanksgiving. It’s the variety, the different dishes that mingle together on my plate.

Today I’m sharing with you some of my favorite side dishes, the dishes that add a little extra oompah to the table, starting with stovetop creamed spinach. Why the stovetop? On this one day of the year when my oven’s dance card is more jam packed than any of the “celebrity” couples on Dancing With the Stars, I realize there is a serious need for order of the oven if this dinner is ever to get to the table.

This easy creamed spinach recipe tastes similar to one I had last weekend in Scottsdale, AZ when we had dinner at a steakhouse with the family — creamy but not cloying, fresh instead of stringy. It’s a steakhouse so that means you gotta have steak, right? Nope. That means you’ve gotta have creamed spinach. Yet another reason to love side dishes.

continue to the recipe… about 5-Ingredient Stovetop Creamed Spinach

Market Street Clam Chowder Recipe

A favorite of locals and tourists alike, this creamy clam chowder recipe comes from one of Salt Lake City’s longest running restaurants, Market Street Grill, and is easy to make at home.

This recipe is a favorite I published in the early days of FoodieCrush. This past weekend I ran into a friend at the grocery store who said she’d been searching for the famous clam chowder recipe from Salt Lake City’s Market Street Grill, which reminded me to re-share this easy clam chowder recipe with some updated photos for you. So, without further adieu, here is a re-post of the best clam chowder recipe, in my opinion, EVER.

“Hey, Chowda-head!”

It was a greeting that one of my fellow waiters at my post-college/pre-real-life-seafood-restaurant-job has been teased about for lo’ these many years. And he has NEVER been happy about hearing it again, and again, and again.

See, that job at Salt Lake City’s Market Street Grill was all about presentation and customer service. That meant every dish, every cup and even every spoon was served by the waiter from a tray.

So when you had a 6-top—that’s waiter-speak for a table of six—who all ordered the house specialty, famous clam chowder, we would load up a HUGE tray, hoist it high over our heads with the straightest arm we could possible muster, and charge forth through the sea of waiting to be seated customers to serve our eagerly awaiting diners bowls of creamy, white chowder in heavy china bowls with plated liners.

One especially busy night—it must have been a big rush before a Utah Jazz basketball game—my friend had a big table and of course they all ordered chowder. He loaded up the tray, even stacking the bowls two high! It was a feat to behold for mere waiter mortals.

Breathless from running between tables and the kitchen, we watched him navigate his way through the crowded waiting area, arm hoisted high with nary a wobbly arm in sight. And then, he hit the double french door frame. Literally. Hit it, clipped the china bowls still hovering overhead. And then like a dominoe-ing Humpty Dumpty, all the bowls came tumbling down.

Clam Chowder, all over his head, his shirt, everywhere. And ever since then, he has fondly been called Chowda-head.

Here is the very recipe, delicious in every respect, the best clam chowder recipe outside of New England. Yep, I’m staking my claim.

continue to the recipe… about Market Street Clam Chowder Recipe

Zesty Bread and Butter Pickles

This recipe makes a BIG batch of homemade bread and butter pickles. These can be made as refrigerator pickles, or they can be canned for later!

Creating This Homemade Pickle Recipe

Growing up, we were a house of dill. Everything I ate had to have a dill pickle on it. My lunchtime tuna sandwich wasn’t complete without long slices of kosher dills (plus one or two on the side.) My after school snack of Triscuits, liverwurst, mustard and dill hamburger chips was my favorite treat as I watched Gilligan mess up the rescue attempts of Ginger and MaryAnn every. single. episode. And I will never, ever be able to eat a cheeseburger without some sort of cucumber stick topping (can I get extra pickles please?) thanks to the memories of stacking my mom’s homemade dills high on just-off-the-grill summer cheeseburgers.

I haven’t changed much. You’ve heard of Wisconsin Cheeseheads? I know you’ve heard of Deadheads. Well call me a Picklehead, perhaps in need of a hat or maybe some pickle earrings…

continue to the recipe… about Zesty Bread and Butter Pickles

Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Sage

This creamy pumpkin soup is made with just 7 ingredients! I like to stir in a little mascarpone cheese to bump up the creaminess factor and always add a sprinkle of crispy sage leaves on top.

I won’t waste a lot of time explaining why we had this creamy pumpkin soup, not that the big birthday wasn’t speeeecial, but because for me, the night got hijacked by the soup. Sorry babe, maybe next year.

This soup isn’t about pumpkin puree, or extra veggies to make it sweeter, or crunchy bits to make it more manly. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

It’s just that this pumpkin soup recipe is so killer. And so simple. Like, 7 ingredients simple. Plus a slurp of cheese. Done and done.

A few weeks ago, some friends helped us celebrate my man’s belated birthday dinner at Park City’s Canyons Resort and their award-winning restaurant, The Farm. The menu meets and delivers on the hyper hot trend of farm to table, with all ingredients sourced within 50 miles for max freshness and keeping it local, local, local. And man, this place does deliver.

While the littles were mesmerized by the pea soup amuse bouche, I was totally transfixed by this pumpkin soup that was served with homemade marshmallows. I HAD to have the recipe.

I had barely mentioned this fact to our patiently attentive server and next thing I knew, Chef Steve Musolf swooped in, deftly dodging the growing number of empty wine bottles and generously obliged, delivering a fresh copy of the recipe to the table.

Go ahead. Put it on your Thanksgiving table. And then maybe on your leftover turkey. And afterward over pumpkin pie. It’s really that good.continue to the recipe… about Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Sage

20 Chili Recipes to Cozy Up to This Fall

From crockpot to stove-top, there’s no better time to hunker down and cozy up to a bowl of homemade chili than right now.

Picture this: outside the wind is blustery, trees are rustling, and the scent of burning leaves and wood hover in the air. Inside, the football game’s on and a pot of chili is simmering away in the kitchen. Nothing conjures up fall like all of these things—particularly the aroma of home-cooked chili.

Whether you make it meaty and beefy or opt for a vegetarian version, chili really is one of the most flexible dishes you can prepare no matter what your cooking skill level. Throw it together to stew all day in the crockpot or make it quickly on the fly, you can always count on chili to bring on all the comfort food feels.

We can’t think of anything cozier than curling up under a blanket on the couch with a hearty bowl of any flavor, and that’s why we’re bringing you 20 chili recipes to make while you hibernate and warm up this fall and winter.

Grab your spoon and belly up to one of these pots of stick-to-your-ribs deliciousness. And remember to never forget the fixin’s.continue to the recipe… about 20 Chili Recipes to Cozy Up to This Fall

55 Healthy Zucchini Recipes to Make Now

This round up of 55 favorite zucchini recipes will keep you healthy and happy through the rest of summer’s bountiful harvest and all through the year.

During these final dog days of summer, there’s not much better than healthful eats packed with summer produce, unless of course you’re the lucky one who gets to lounge on a floatie all day at the pool with a summer sipper in hand. But even then, a girl’s gotta eat!

Late summer’s bounty of fresh summer veggies and fruits are one of the bright spots during these last steamy days—and sheesh, they’ve been STEAMY!

If you’ve been all Mary, Mary Quite Contrary and have a garden that continues to grow, you’re likely up to your ears in zucchini and sneaking it into meals in every which way you can. It’s wiggled its way into soups and galettes, bowls of zoodles and loaves of zucchini bread handed off to friends and neighbors.

From appetizers and mains, to sides and salads, there are thousands of ways to enjoy this versatile green veggie beyond my favorite 5-minute super simple zucchini sauté. We’ve narrowed down our list to these favorite 55 recipes shown off in all their glory below.

Let’s get squashed, shall we?

continue to the recipe… about 55 Healthy Zucchini Recipes to Make Now

Friday Faves are for Sweet Licks

Like sand through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.

Wait. Strike that.

Like frosting that’s licked off the spatula, so are the days of our lives.

Now, THAT’s more like it.

This week started off sweet, hit a melancholy stride midway through, and finished off with a brighter outlook to new beginnings.

continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves are for Sweet Licks

70 Cinco de Mayo Mexican Recipes

Arrrriiiibbaa! And welcome to this 70 recipe Cinco de Mayo round-up.

And that my friends is as far as 6 years of Spanish classes has gotten me. Besides my two most used Mexican speaking phrases, “Una cerveza por favor” soon to be followed by, “Dondé es el baño?”

Bi-lingual I am not.

A happy eater of Mexican food I am.

I was trolling through some recipes on this dear 2-year-old bloggity blog and suddenly realized I have quite a stash of Mexican flavored dishes that I have shared with mi amigas y amigos.

So let’s keep this short and sweet on the yakkity yak end of things and get straight to the meat, beans and cheese of the matter. And please, let us not forget the tortillas.

First off, we have a re-share of 10 of my favorite Mexican recipes ala FoodieCrush, quickly followed by a round-up of 60 favorite, spiced-up tastes from around the foodblogosphere.

I started off thinking there would just be about 10, 15, maybe 20 recipes but I couldn’t stop. I mean look at these talented recipe makers, how could I put a limit on deliciuos?

If you have a great recipe you’d like to share, post the link in the comments below. I’m always looking for new blogs and recipes to share so links are always welcome.

Feliz comiendo a todos mi amigos. And Happy Cinco de Mayo. continue to the recipe… about 70 Cinco de Mayo Mexican Recipes

Roasted Artichokes with Chorizo Dressing and an Artichoke Recipe Round-Up

I look forward to this time of year, all year long. That may not make sense when you read it but try saying it out loud. Loud and proud. There you go. See, it works.

With the neighbors firing up their lawn mowers for the first spring shave (as we currently sit in the midst of a snow storm) and the grasses green and the trees bloom (where’s my hay fever meds?) I find myself craving the same foods I do every spring: Fresh, clean and flavorful. Gotcha! You thought I was going to say chocolate and cheese. No, that’s every day, not just a particular season.

Flavor. That’s what makes these roasted Artichokes with Chorizo Dressing leap straight to the top of the want list.

I have a lot of artichoke recipes in my go-to recipe drawer, er, filed in my head: pasta, pizzas, with eggs and chicken. So far only Chicken Tzatziki Pizza with Artichokes, Spinach and Artichoke Grilled Cheese (come back tomorrow for another grilled cheese recipe to celebrate Grilled Cheese Month) and my second post ever, Spring Artichokes have made it to the blog.

Which leaves plenty of room to develop and share a lot more with you lucky devils.

Some of my favorite recipes are from canned artichokes—my faves are from Trader Joe’s—packed in water. Which is awesome because then I can cure the crave any time of year. But when fresh artichokes are in season? Forget about it. I’m going fresh.

While I usually hold out for the Ocean Mist brand at Costco because they are big, have tightly bunched leaves and I’ve found have the most meat on the leaf, my local store isn’t carrying them yet. So I went mini. I found these baby artichokes at Whole Foods, and bingo, they’re from Ocean Mist, so the first time I bought them I knew they’d be good. I was right.

This recipe is one I’ve kept in my piles, and I mean piles (just ask my husband who I believe is currently devising a strategic plan to rid the house of all “reference material”) of recipes pulled from magazines over the past 10 years. And even more when it comes to Thanksgiving, but that’s another season entirely so it’ll have to wait.

continue to the recipe… about Roasted Artichokes with Chorizo Dressing and an Artichoke Recipe Round-Up

Stuffed Jalapeños with Gorgonzola and Bacon plus 10 Jalapeño Popper Recipes

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen these Jalapeno Hotties before.

It was another game day, I think you’ve heard of it, a little thing called the Superbowl, you remember…where Beyonce outperformed every other two-legged being on the planet? We had a couple of friends over, made some grub and ate and drank our fill.

While the centerpiece of that dinner was my dad’s classic Daddy’s Hamburgers, these Stuffed Jalapenos with Gorgonzola and Bacon have been weighing heavy on my mind. My friend Angie showed up with a gorgeous baking sheet full of them, and you can rest assured, there was not a single one left within a half hour of them exiting the oven.

Ever since then, this recipe has been tugging at my stomach strings. It’s one of those you keep telling yourself, “No, no, no. You don’t need to make those. Eat kale instead. Have an apple. Juice a beet.”

What do I say to that? Take one guess. Or should I say, take one look.

With another big playoff game putting an end to the build up of March Madness (BTW, why do they confuse us by pushing the orange ball finale into April?) I laugh in the face of the notion of eating anything too calorie conscious while cheering on cute college boys in shorts.

We all have our vices. I have several. Cheese and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills are at the top of my list and are not mutually exclusive.

Those RHOBH can get preeeeety cheesy. And I LOVE them for it.continue to the recipe… about Stuffed Jalapeños with Gorgonzola and Bacon plus 10 Jalapeño Popper Recipes

Roasted Kale and Fennel Salad with Avocado Caesar Dressing Plus 20 More Kale Recipes to Love

I succombed to peer pressure. I jumped on the bandwagon. I’m intoxicated with the sweet promise of a new fangled and healthy twist on one of my favorite meals.

My lunch crunch salad.

I have a version of a salad nearly every day for lunch and it’s often a dish I’m requested to bring to pot luck dinners. It usually includes some sort of protein (rotisserie chicken, tuna, leftover salmon or chickpeas), fresh veggies (roasted tomatoes or beets, avocados, maybe peas) and just a sprinkling of firm cheese (feta or blue are my faves.)

But it wasn’t until recently that I veered from my trusty spring mix or crunchy hearts of romaine to jump into the land of kale as my main salad base. I’ve added it to several of my favorite dishes like my Kale and Cabbage Coleslaw and White Bean and Pumpkin Pork Chili but for some reason it didn’t make it into my usual lunch crunch rotation.

Until I roasted the kale leaves for the salad.

continue to the recipe… about Roasted Kale and Fennel Salad with Avocado Caesar Dressing Plus 20 More Kale Recipes to Love

Stout Chocolate Brownies Plus 20 More Great Stout Recipes

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

As you’ll find out when you ask me over for dinner sometime—which I’m hoping you certainly would consider because on a good night I can be a pretty darn entertaining dinner guest and just might clear the dishes from the table if I’m feeling generous—and you ask me to bring a little something sweet to our potluck dinner—say for instance an Irish celebration that is happening this coming weekend—my dessert of choice usually veers from the frilly and delicate sweet treat variety to something a bit more sturdy and craveable. Macarons? Not. so. much. It will be a long, long time before I try my hand at making a macaron. I’m afraid I don’t have the patience or the skill to pull them off.

Basically, macarons scare me.

No, I’m definitely more of a hearty dessert type of gal, baking up something a bit more forgiving and a tad more freeform. Chocolate Stout Brownies in all of their fudgey glory are right up my dessert alley.

So are you staring at your computer right now thinking to yourself, “What the, whhhhaaat? Why would someone waste a perfectly good beer to ruin brownies, or any other recipe by dumping it into a recipe?”

Oh honey. Hold your horses and let the heads of your brews settle down. I have a selection of 20 great recipe reasons to add beer to your favorite recipes. But first we need to get to the bottom of these brownies.

Whenever I make chocolate brownies I find myself adding that little something extra to deepen the flavor and enhance the taste of the brownies. Most of my brownie making escapades involves the addition of instant espresso powder and kosher salt to add to the chocolateness. This time it’s the stout that does the trick. You won’t taste the beer taste at all, it’s merely a richness that enhances my love of chocolateness.

continue to the recipe… about Stout Chocolate Brownies Plus 20 More Great Stout Recipes

Meyer Lemon Fettuccine and 10 Favorite Lemon Recipes

The sunny skies of California made me want to do it.

Before I moved to the big lights and bigger stars land of L.A., I was a Utah girl, born and bred. So when the opportunity to leave my home state appeared, sure, I had a couple of romantic thoughts about what it would be like to live in the golden state, where dreams are big and sometimes come true.

There I was, the classic wanna be L.A. cliché.

Let’s see if the sugarplums of your California dreaming jive with mine. continue to the recipe… about Meyer Lemon Fettuccine and 10 Favorite Lemon Recipes

10 Cranberry Recipes plus a Turkey Cranberry and Grilled Brie Cheese Sandwich

This year’s Thanksgiving dinner table conversation could turn from a mild meet-up to a combative melee depending on one’s beliefs. Why? Here’s one reason why.

Thanks for the stimulating conversation but I’ll be staying far from the fracas.

Thanksgiving brings out opinions aplenty in areas other than current events or whether the Redskins or Cowboys will take the turkey honors. Some of the strongest are tied to food and the stalwart stands we each take when it comes to defending our turkey day dinners.continue to the recipe… about 10 Cranberry Recipes plus a Turkey Cranberry and Grilled Brie Cheese Sandwich

Spooky Fried Mozzarella Eyeballs Plus 5 Scary Recipes

Last Halloween I was beyond impressed with the number of creative and scary recipes I saw bounding about the blogosphere. How do people come up with this stuff?

I don’t remember this sort of thing happening when I was a kid. Or is it just because back then all that mattered to me was where Malibu Barbie, Francie, PJ and Skipper were going to head off to in the camper trailer and would they ever find Ken? Poor PJ, she never quite made the cut and always had to sit in the back.

This year I was inspired to throw my hat into the Halloween themed ring of fire and so I did what I always do when I need a creative consultation: I went to my partner in crime, G-Dawg—aka my husband who I think puts MacGyver to shame—and set him to task in scheming how we were going to create eyeballs out of cheeseballs.

After watching an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives a while back where I learned the secret to the perfect deep fried anything and everything I knew I wanted to create a recipe for deep fried mozzarella eyeballs. The secret dredge worked perfectly to form golden orbs of melty, bloodshot eyeballs.continue to the recipe… about Spooky Fried Mozzarella Eyeballs Plus 5 Scary Recipes

Pumpkin and Fried Sage Flatbread plus 5 Savory Pumpkin Recipes

Sometimes you just don’t have time to create a complicated meal. And sometimes you have the time and just don’t want to.

Today was one of those days.

Last week Smudge and I picked up a few sugar pumpkins at the farmer’s market, both for decoration and to cook with. She isn’t so sure she’s ready to relinquish her babies—Bob, Harry and Babycakes—to me and my menu making plans just. quite. yet.

So I had to be stealthy and cagey to sacrifice the pumpkins to the oven gods to create a roasted, creamy, orange base for the simplest pizza I’ve ever made.continue to the recipe… about Pumpkin and Fried Sage Flatbread plus 5 Savory Pumpkin Recipes

BLT Grilled Cheese plus 10 More BLT Inspired Recipes

No it’s not over yet. You may have thought after last week’s post of Pasta with Marinated Tomatoes Plus 55 Fresh and Tasty Tomato Recipes, you may have thought I had exhausted the coffers.

Au contraire, mon frere. Tomatoes are still taking over my life. And I’m darn happy to say so.

Smudge isn’t much a fan of the fresh ‘mater. I cannot fathom why, because home grown are sweeter than any cookie or donut she slyly suggests I buy for her on each and every grocery store outing.continue to the recipe… about BLT Grilled Cheese plus 10 More BLT Inspired Recipes

Mango Gazpacho with Quick Pickled Shrimp Plus 5 Fruity Recipes

He’s on a diet and in his book that means one thing. Soup for dinner. But every night?

Soup is my man’s default meal when he wants to drop a few lbs. and with his band’s final reunion gig just around the corner, he’s definitely made the commitment to come out strong and looking gooood. He’s even switched from his beloved Sierra Nevadas to light beer. HORRORS!

Thus his creativity in the kitchen has taken a nose dive. And since I’m not a big fan of soup in a can I had to take things into my own hands.

A week or so ago Smudge requested that I get her some mangoes. Wow, okay, that’s pretty adventuresome for her since mangoes are a fruit we don’t generally keep in our regular arsenal. I was impressed at the request and shot down to Costco to pick a jumbo size pack.

Why. Did. I. Do. That?

Long story short, it wasn’t fresh mango she wanted. Oh no, she wanted DRIED mango. Ah-ha! Fine then.

So what do I do with all of these mangoes? When life gives you mangoes, make mango gazpacho.continue to the recipe… about Mango Gazpacho with Quick Pickled Shrimp Plus 5 Fruity Recipes

10 Great Corn Recipes plus Grilled Corn and Pasilla Pepper Salad

Corn. It’s the new black.

It’s on every corner (ehem, gas station farmer’s market) it comes with color blocking in its DNA (alternating white and yellow kernals) and it looks good on just about everyone.

It used to be that one had to wait anxiously for harvest season to roll around before noshing on the sweetest corn in town. Now that new corn genes have been developed, its a rare day in the sun when cooks have to make do with sub par kernals of sunshine. Have you had enough with the trite phrases already?

In preparing to make this recipe, I did the usual routine of filling my pasta stock pot with water and dumped my farmer’s market cobs into the pool, husks and all, with the intention of soaking them for 30 minutes to add a little extra moisture for roasting.

Five hours later I realized I had become completely distracted—I’m not going to admit or lay blame to anything that may or may not have been being surfed on the internet— and quickly pulled my soggy cobs to safety.continue to the recipe… about 10 Great Corn Recipes plus Grilled Corn and Pasilla Pepper Salad

7 Great Zucchini Pastas Plus Zucchini and Chicken Sausage Penne Pasta Recipe

We all know the drill, the harvest mantra: “What am I going to do with all this zucchini?”

Well, here’s what you do with it. You cook with it, you bake with it, you think about tanning it for the newest trend in vegan alternative leather.

Hey, we may have something there.

I have to share this photo of what happened in my garden 3 years ago. It was stunning.

We had just moved into our latest house and it was my first time gardening in the plot the previous owner had prepared for his veggies. I’d heard from the neighbors that he was quite the gardener—resulting in us removing about 40 trees and countless shrubs. But the guy knew how to cae for his soil, and the spot he tilled for his veggies, was bar-none, top notch soil.

I was by no means prepared for the bounty of this harvest.continue to the recipe… about 7 Great Zucchini Pastas Plus Zucchini and Chicken Sausage Penne Pasta Recipe

Greek Lemon Pasta Salad Plus 5 Great Sides

Ah, Friday. Thank you for finally showing up on my doorstep.

It’s been a week of surprises and quick moves that have called for backbone, agility and patience. Some of the news has been trying for my family and some has given me drive and inspiration. For myself, things are a-changing and I’m totally ready for it. My dance card is filling up. But more on that soon enough.

Lately I’ve had a hankering for pasta. What’s my deal with carbo loading? I’ve been dreaming of salty plus crunchy the little pasta bowl in my head. Feta = salt. Kalamata olives = salt. I think I have it covered.continue to the recipe… about Greek Lemon Pasta Salad Plus 5 Great Sides

Meyer Lemon Tart and a Recipe Round-up

When life gives you lemons, make…something sweet.

I’ve always been a big fan of lemons and their pucker power: Lemon meringue was my favorite flavor of pie and Lemonheads were my favorite candy and also one of my favorite bands (hello Evan Dando was HOT!)

Did you catch Johnny Depp in the video trying to upstage Evan? Hot begets hot. But Evan ain’t got nothin’ on my love of Meyer lemons.

Growing up in the mountains with nary a citrus tree in sight, I didn’t discover Meyer lemons until after a trip to Scottsdale, AZ where our friends had a Meyer lemon tree dripping with hundreds of the yellow citrus orbs.

With just one squeeze of its mellow-yellow, sweet lemon juice my tastebuds were doing backflips and I was smitten and itching to cook with them.

continue to the recipe… about Meyer Lemon Tart and a Recipe Round-up

10 Top Tomatillo Recipes and Roasted Tomatillo and Green Olive Salsa

I don’t know why but within one day I’ve become surrounded by the soon-to-be-wedded.

I spent part of last week watching a wedding photography seminar as I worked along on my computer. The week before I was at a wedding fashion shoot. And I’ve been working with my bridal editor at my day job on our upcoming editorial calendar. Did this cloak of weddingness suddenly spread to those around me?

I had to wonder because…

This past weekend we had a great friend from our old hood in Venice visiting us. And he brought his girlfriend. To pop the big question.

A semi-confirmed bachelor, our friend finally realized it was okay to let go of the trepidation of vacating his non-committed life. On Sunday, at 11,000 feet on a nearby mountain top he took to bended knee and proposed as I snapped away.

He’s finally getting married? How can this be? He’s spent his life looking out for number one, while always on the lookout for number two, three or four. None of whom could measure up to the perfect partner mystery ideal.

But he changed. Once he opened up enough to let her in she far exceeded his expectations.continue to the recipe… about 10 Top Tomatillo Recipes and Roasted Tomatillo and Green Olive Salsa

A Tale of Two Egg Salad Sandwiches

Once upon a time, as in yesterday, there was a family divided.

They made their choices, they took sides. Neither would budge to accommodate the other.

It was a battle of the egg salads. One recipe made with the traditional deli-style mayonnaise. One recipe made with sweetened up, home school Miracle Whip.

My allegiance to Miracle Whip had remained steady throughout my youth, including my favorite after school snacks of cheddar cheese topped Triscuits with a schmear of Miracle Whip. My favorite sandwich was egg salad–and Miracle Whip was my flavor enhancer of choice.

And then it happened. On a trip to New York City I discovered the purity of mayonnaise. A corner deli egg salad sandwich made me a convert. I had switched sides. I was now a mayo lover.

continue to the recipe… about A Tale of Two Egg Salad Sandwiches

Girl Scout Thin Mint Mini Pies Plus Girl Scout Cookie Recipes

I was never a Girl Scout.

I guess I either didn’t make the cut, or I just had my fill with being a Brownie, the lower tier in the scouting world. Brownies were to Girl Scouts like Skipper was to Malibu Barbie. Just. Not. Quite. As. Cool.

Thus, I never had the “opportunity” to hit the street, begging door to door, asking kind hearted souls to take pity on a skinny-legged 7 year old sporting a skewed emblem-bellished sash trying to make her troops sales goals.

This was back in the day before kids were discouraged to talk to strangers and parents took the sign-up sheet to the office to guilt their co-workers into supporting their kid. *Full Disclosure: I did just this same thing just this week with the cookie tub fundraiser for my daughter’s school. Um, thank you co-workers.

But different from the wrapping paper drives and the soccer team camp fundraisers, Girl Scouts is celebrating its 100th year of teaching our young ladies skills and grace that actually do lead them into young adulthood armed with some semblance of a higher moral ground and conscience for others and the environment. Oh, and I think you’d all agree they ROCK the cookie world.

I’m sure part of the allure of the Girl Scout cookie is its rarity, only available to satiated our yearlong cookie obsession during the seasone when we’re all looking for a little break from our post-holiday diets and need some serious cookie hoovering time.

My favorite cookie? The Thin Mint. Straight from the freezer. Or just from the sleeve. Or in any form that presents itself. So what am I supposed to do with these 4 packages of Thin Mints begging to be consumed?

And that’s what inspired me and Smudge to create a quick and easy homage to the Girl Scouts in the form of her favorite dessert…say it with me…Pie!continue to the recipe… about Girl Scout Thin Mint Mini Pies Plus Girl Scout Cookie Recipes

Grandma’s Scrambled Egg Recipe and 6 Ideas for Brinner

I have a love/hate relationship with Daylight Savings Time.

I love it for giving me more time to do “fun stuff”—verses “boring stuff”—with Smudge, like flying kites or taking the dogs for walks. I hate it for making me get up earlier than my body wants to and making me eat my breakfast at work because I’m running late.

But one thing that comes of missing my breakfast routine is that since I still have the craving, why not switch it up and serve up a little breakfast for dinner? Or as I recently learned via some of my Twitter friends, brinner anyone? And that’s a meal that always throws me back to my youth.

When my dad would get a March hair and decide to take over the dinner cooking duties, he had four recipes he rotated in and out: Pheasant, nachos, daddy’s hamburgers and my Grandma’s Scrambled Eggs.

continue to the recipe… about Grandma’s Scrambled Egg Recipe and 6 Ideas for Brinner

The Simplest Alaskan King Crab Legs and a Valentine’s Dinner Round-Up

Hearts, sprinkles, love letters and romantic gestures from someone you’ve admired from afar. Or, maybe not. Valentine’s Day is one of the most anticipated holidays of the year. And the most dreaded.

But fear not the pudgy cherub with his pointy bow that may or may not be misdirected, it matters not whether you have a love in your life, you still need to feed your face.

A favorite of mine and my honey bunny poochie coo (er, husband) for V-day is keepin’ it simple with a bottle of wine and crackin’ crab in front of the Tivo and catching up on last week’s Parenthood.

Some people think crab is something you only get when you go out for that special meal, but honestly, we’re total opposites in that theory. Why spend all your dough on the restaurant mark-up when instead you can grab yourself a couple of extra legs to heat up toot sweet?

continue to the recipe… about The Simplest Alaskan King Crab Legs and a Valentine’s Dinner Round-Up

Pork Belly Sliders and Recipes for Superbowl Bites

I have a long tradition with the Superbowl, and most of them I even remember past the 3rd quarter.

Now let me just say, in my defense, those memories usually depended upon which team I picked to win. And sometimes I wasn’t such a good picker.

Back in the day when my friends and I still thought we could hang like we did in college, if your chosen team was scored upon in any which way, it was a side game bet for our fellow party goers to see just how easily us losers could traverse crawling OUT the living room window, dropping DOWN to the driveway and partaking of a penalty shot. Oh. How. Dumb. In. Our. Youth. Yet another reason I’m thankful my twenties are in my rear view mirror.

This year, given my beloved 49ers are out of the running, it REALLY, really, really is all about the food: making, eating and grazing again.

G-dawg was fiddling around with a recipe for Pork Belly—which turned out deliciously—to top Ramen—that failed miserably—so we had a bunch of the bacon-ey slabs of love left over.

Always a fan of pork in any form—especially when it’s salty, peppery and crusty—he pulled together a quick and delicious version of a Banh Mi sandwich but in a manageable mini variety.

He’s a good cook that boy.

continue to the recipe…

Red Velvet Cupcakes Plus 10 Red Velvet Recipes With a Twist

And another one bites the dust. As in years. As in last week was my birthday.

It was a whirlwind week, filled with workin’ the day job, my once-a-week teaching gig and hitting SLC’s Grand America hotel for my second foray attending the Altitude Design Summit, or more fondly know as “Alt”. I met some incredible bloggers, soaked in generously-shared knowledge, worked my Twitter and Instagram accounts to the bone and gawked admirably at the uber-fashionable fashionistas attending. Stay tuned for some Alt highlights and what I learned in my next post.

And then Saturday arrived, my BIG day. It was my birthday.

This wasn’t an ordinary birthday, it was one of those “milestones” that we all dread, and no I’m not talking the big 30. Sneaking into the crevices of my well-worn brain was a phrase I’d heard the day before from Alt’s keynote speaker Gretchen Rubin, author of the NY Times Bestseller The Happiness Project, “The days are long, the years are short.” Yep, that’s pretty much life in a nutshell.

Birthdays are a good life-check. As in, it’s time to live your life. And so that’s what I’m going to do. Live my life, la vida loca. Bring it old man time, I’ll show you!

My Smudge and my man hatched a plan to surprise me on my bday morning, and that they did.

continue to the recipe… about Red Velvet Cupcakes Plus 10 Red Velvet Recipes With a Twist

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole Recipe

5-Ingredient Stovetop Creamed Spinach

Easy Creamed Spinach Recipe

Market Street Clam Chowder Recipe

Zesty Bread and Butter Pickles

Creating This Homemade Pickle Recipe

Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Sage

20 Chili Recipes to Cozy Up to This Fall

55 Healthy Zucchini Recipes to Make Now

Friday Faves are for Sweet Licks

70 Cinco de Mayo Mexican Recipes

Roasted Artichokes with Chorizo Dressing and an Artichoke Recipe Round-Up

Stuffed Jalapeños with Gorgonzola and Bacon plus 10 Jalapeño Popper Recipes

Roasted Kale and Fennel Salad with Avocado Caesar Dressing Plus 20 More Kale Recipes to Love

Stout Chocolate Brownies Plus 20 More Great Stout Recipes

Meyer Lemon Fettuccine and 10 Favorite Lemon Recipes

10 Cranberry Recipes plus a Turkey Cranberry and Grilled Brie Cheese Sandwich

Spooky Fried Mozzarella Eyeballs Plus 5 Scary Recipes

Pumpkin and Fried Sage Flatbread plus 5 Savory Pumpkin Recipes

BLT Grilled Cheese plus 10 More BLT Inspired Recipes

Mango Gazpacho with Quick Pickled Shrimp Plus 5 Fruity Recipes

10 Great Corn Recipes plus Grilled Corn and Pasilla Pepper Salad

7 Great Zucchini Pastas Plus Zucchini and Chicken Sausage Penne Pasta Recipe

Greek Lemon Pasta Salad Plus 5 Great Sides

Meyer Lemon Tart and a Recipe Round-up

10 Top Tomatillo Recipes and Roasted Tomatillo and Green Olive Salsa

A Tale of Two Egg Salad Sandwiches

Grandma’s Scrambled Egg Recipe and 6 Ideas for Brinner

The Simplest Alaskan King Crab Legs and a Valentine’s Dinner Round-Up

Pork Belly Sliders and Recipes for Superbowl Bites

Red Velvet Cupcakes Plus 10 Red Velvet Recipes With a Twist

How to Make the Best Potato Salad

How to Make Classic Macaroni Salad

How to Make the Best Grilled Salmon

The Best Greek Chicken Marinade

recipe roundup

Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole Recipe

Easy Creamed Spinach Recipe

Creating This Homemade Pickle Recipe

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