) The small catering business that I ran up until the beginning of this year seems like a million years ago now. All of those early mornings and long days and nights toiling away in the kitchen to get ready for some breakfast or lunch or dinner the next day were a lot of hard work. I prided myself on making anything that I could from scratch. I made my own bread, dressings, ...
Lunch
Italian Pressed Sandwiches
Italian Pressed Sandwiches are an easy way to make your lunch ahead of time. Whip up these savory sandwiches today and pack them in your lunchbox tomorrow! They make great party sandwiches and potluck finger foods too! We have been preparing for moving day for a month now. For weeks we have been packing boxes, peeling bad wall paper, fixing pipes, replacing old electrical ...
Spicy Shrimp Gazpacho
The thing is… I never liked tomatoes as a kid. Or cucumbers. Or bell peppers. I also didn’t like spicy things. Something about the self-inflicted pain of hot peppers put me off. I must have been in my teens before I tried actual HOT wings and well into my twenties before I gave all of my most hated vegetables another try. So, up until rather recently, gazpacho never sounded ...
Strawberry Salad with Creamy Poppy seed Dressing
Strawberry Salad with Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing is a simple and elegant salad that makes a delicious lunch or side dish. The dressing is sweet with a little tart finish and pairs well with the sweet strawberries. As we box up all of our belongings and throw our lives into a little more disarray, the world outside marches into my favorite time of year. The landscape is ...
Baked Italian Sandwich
The amount of meals that we now eat somewhere other than our own house has at least doubled in the last month or so. Not only are we eating lunch like most people who work outside of the home (at our desk or otherwise) but the beautiful weather has made for a few very good excuses to soak up some sunshine while holding lunch in our lap. You won’t hear many complaints from me ...
Buffalo Salad with Shoestring Fried Onions
I have to ease into the healthy eating of January. Even though the guilt and the elastic in my waistband is reminding me of all of the pie that I had for Christmas, I can't just dive headfirst into a menu of green smoothies and power bars. After all it is the middle of Winter.It's cold. It's dreary and all my stubborn body seems to want to crave is comfort food. Why, oh, why ...
Raspberry Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Raspberry Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette is a civilized salad with all of the healthy things your Mom would love for you to eat; fruits, nuts and greens. I realize that it has been many many months since I have posted any new recipes on this site. What can I say? Life is crazy! I have been cooking and writing though. You can find my recipes every week at ...
Summer Dill Potato Salad
Summer Dill Potato Salad was inspired by a BLT with lots of bacon and tomatoes and peas instead of lettuce for little pops of sweetness. My husband and I have reached a new chapter in child rearing. We realized it while on vacation this past week. It came as an unexpected surprise and it made us maybe just a touch sad. We are no longer cool. It was bound to happen. I ...
Chinese Beef Lettuce Cups
My guilty pleasure is Asian cuisine. More specifically, Chinese takeout. Back when we lived in Atlanta, I kept the local Chinese restaurant very busy, especially after the twins were born. I ordered so often that the delivery guy began to comment on how big the kids were getting and would notice when I didn't call in an order for a while. They even recognized my voice when I ...
Spicy Southwest Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing
Spicy Southwest Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing is a quick and easy dinner salad to whip up from the contents of your kitchen.Make it a healthy lunch or dinner! Happy New Year!! 2013 has arrived despite all of the Mayan prophecies and many people are making all of the usual promises to themselves. I don't know why we feel compelled to make all of these changes on the ...
Turkey Avocado Wrap with Spicy Mayo
Put your turkey sandwich in a wrap with some avocado and spicy mayo and never look back! This Turkey Avocado Wrap with Spicy Mayo is a quick and easy after Thanksgiving lunch. The turkey sandwich is the iconic Day-after-Thanksgiving food for most Americans and our household is no exception. Members of our family have been known to nearly chase you around the house with a ...
Parmesan Popcorn
It's been forever since I have posted recipes but in that time I have successfully gotten my two five year olds started in kindergarten. My pocketbook took a final huge sigh of relief as they climbed on the bus and headed toward a free education (goodbye daycare!) Since then, lots of people have asked me if I cried their first day or if I am sad to see them growing up. I have ...
Country Garden Update and Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken Salad
So 3 weeks of rain was followed by 5 days of searing heat, then... more rain. All of this wishy washy weather has been reeking havoc upon our allergies but the garden doesn't seem to mind much. Especially the broccoli and lettuce. We have been eating off of those plants for the last week or so. Especially the lettuce. I have certainly been adding more fiber in my diet. The ...
Rosemary Garlic Foccacia Bread
Life without bread would be dismal. Even those who are allergic to gluten find ways to have bread. And ask anydieter and you will find that they crave bread. Bread is just so delicious, so satisfying. Adding garlic, herbs, and olive oil to bread sends it into another realm entirely. When the heat hits those aromatics your entire house fills with the intoxicating smells of yeast ...
Tuna Tuesday: Moving Day
Let me just tell you all that I am wicked awesome with a tape gun. I can tape up a box in a matter of seconds. I know how to pick the right size box for the stuff I am packing. I can optimize space in a cube of cardboard and I can successfully wrap fine china in a protective layer of bubble wrap while resisting the urge to pop the tiny pockets of air. In short people, I have ...