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 ...
Recipes
Southwest Rice Bowls
Some would say that lunch is my life. Ok, maybe no one would say that, but sometimes I certainly think it. For the last year and a half I have been catering lunch to the fine folks of my small town and this has really forced me to explore the possibilities of the midday meal (it has also made me develop an unhealthy obsession with take-out containers that only someone who ...
Creamy Lentil Soup
I am a lentil-lover. It’s a hard confession to make, especially here in the South where lentils aren’t exactly one of the most popular legumes consumed. Creamy Lentil Soup isn’t a common dish on the Southern table. Some folks have no idea what a lentil is or maybe they have only read about them in the Bible or seen them in passing in the grocery store. Well, I am here to tell ...
Mini Chicken Gyros
My first encounter with Greek food was in Chicago during a trip that seems like forever ago now. My friend, Renee, had been living there for a few years and I flew my pregnant self to Chicago for a “last-hoorah” kind of girls’ weekend. We went all over the place, but my favorite place was this little Greek restaurant around the corner from her apartment. We dodged angry drivers ...
Maple Bacon Whiskey Wings
Fall is here and there are so many things to be thankful for; cooler weather, comfort food and football season are just a few. Although I look forward to the crisp fall air and the stews and braises of the season, I can’t say that I am a big football fanatic. It’s a shame really, being that I was raised in a football loving family. My family has season tickets to the ...
Spring Frittata
Spring Frittata is a great breakfast or brunch dish that beautifully showcases Spring's fresh produce in an easy one-pan meal. We are loving Summer break. Mornings are quieter, easier. I haven’t yelled at anybody before 7 AM all week! There is no race to find shoes, pack lunches, or get home before bedtime. There are no set times for breakfast, lunch or dinner. While, my ...
Spring Potato Salad with Homemade Mayo
Spring Potato Salad with Homemade Mayo is a return to simple cooking with a concentration on quality ingredients. The veggies are fresh and the mayonnaise is too. You'll fall in love with the fresh, clean, elegant flavor of this spring salad. “Simplicity” is the best advice I can give to those wanting to know how to create delicious food. Very often as humans we tend ...
Roasted Veggie and Lentil Salad
Full of savory roasted veggies and hearty lentils, this Roasted Veggie and Lentil Salad makes an easy packed lunch or side dish for roasted chicken. Dieting makes me angry. The moment you tell me I can’t have something then that is all my mind can think about. Every “diet” I have ever tried, read, or thought about really hard has taken something that I love to eat away. And ...
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 ...
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup is a crowd pleaser and even the pickiest eaters cannot resist the comforting aroma and satisfying taste of a good nourishing soup. This soup has a little extra creaminess added to make it extra delicious. I think this year could be the year. We have been waiting for it for nearly 7 years now. It's so exciting! It opens up so many doors for ...
Breakfast Muffins
We have been having quite a few adventures over here in the middle of the country. School has started back, my catering side business has been picking up and my husband has taken up the accordion. Yep...the accordion. I'll just tell you right now it's hilarious. So, what's the first song he decided to learn on the weird mutt of an instrument? Moves Like Jagger. "An ...
Lemon Dill Shrimp Salad
Light and refreshing, Lemon Dill Shrimp Salad is a divine summer lunch or light dinner. Use up any leftover shrimp from the night before in this simple salad. I feel like we are on the cusp of something here and the excitement (and certain amount of fear) that new opportunities bring is not exactly a situation that I am used to. The last time I felt that we were on the cusp ...
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 ...
Shrimp Tacos with Jalapeno Slaw
Right now, in my mind, I am on vacation. I am not actually on vacation, I am somewhere towards the beginning of what will eventually turn into the busiest, most stressful, and exhausting month of my life. The month of May has now been dubbed Hell Month. Do you ever have one of those months? Where you just stare at your calendar in disbelief and wonder how all of this got ...
Yogurt Marinated Chicken
Yogurt Marinated Chicken thighs are an easy Spring meal and perfect for rainy days. The yogurt marinade gives the chicken a tangy moist flavor and browns up beautifully in the oven. The first day of Spring has already passed but I can't say that Mother Nature got the memo. It has been cold and wet and windy for what seems like forever. I'm sure that the rest of the country ...