Mocktails have become popular go-to drinks year-round, but they peak in popularity in the warmer months. High temps and longer sunny days increase the need for refreshing, flavorful drinks to quench one’s palette, and the bonus is, that they keep you just as hydrated as water. This is my dragon fruit-mint mocktail and it’s just […]

Vanilla extract is an essential ingredient in baking. This is the perfect DIY project which only requires two simple ingredients, vanilla beans and liquor. And the best part is, if you start now, it will be ready for the holiday baking season come November. Selecting which vanilla bean to use is the first step in […]

I gotta say, I’m a sucker for fresh strawberry cupcakes. The fresh strawberry buttercream frosting on top is just a bonus. These light, flavorful strawberry cupcakes represent summer in all its glory. You can’t make them in winter, you need beautiful, juicy, summer berries to make them as fantastic as they are intended to be. […]

Vietnamese summer rolls, (also known as fresh spring rolls or summer rolls) are a healthy, often low-fat meal or snack I’m a huge fan of. Gourmet magazine’s description – “a salad packed into an edible container” –says it all. Once you’ve gathered all your ingredients, done your prep work, and mastered the basics, you can […]

I talk about shortcuts in home cooking all the time, I’m the first to admit, that we all need them. And while such shortcuts would not be permitted in a professional kitchen, in your kitchen, it’s a different story. This malted chocolate peanut butter no-churn ice cream is one of those shortcuts, and if you […]

I adore frisée. I love the taste, but truthfully, it’s the name that gets me. This is my frisée and poached egg salad, lightly dressed with a homemade mustard vinaigrette and it’s a staple in my home. This classic French country salad is one I could live on, especially in the summer. What most people […]

I have been eating this type of cake for years without knowing exactly what it is. My go-to favorite cake has always been a lighter, less sweet version of the popular July 4th favorite, strawberry shortcake. But only recently did I learn of this lovely cake’s true origin. This strawberry shortcake is similar to a […]

This raspberry-lime vodka cooler was my first COVID holiday cocktail creation. I developed this lovely drink on Memorial Day when my family and I were stuck inside social distancing with blazing hot temperatures outside. With its fruity, tart notes and effervescent bubbles, it was the perfect warm-weather cocktail for sipping on. This simple new favorite […]

Warmer months often cause me to seek simpler meals. Not just time spent in preparation, but dishes that have fewer ingredients. This oven-roasted cod with lemon and green olives is just that; light, flavorful, and almost effortless. Cod has a lovely mild flavor and while I often like stronger-tasting fish, like salmon, cod has a […]

This is a lovely rhubarb-almond snacking cake and it’s the perfect brunch cake for warmer months. This recipe is not mine, it is from Bon Appetite, but I have lightly adapted it. The original recipe can be seen here. With rhubarb season in full swing, below are a few rhubarb basics you should know about. Rhubarb […]

This is my copycat Chick-fil-A sandwich recipe that my boys begged me to develop. They are new to the whole Chick-fil-A following, but they fell fast and hard for this American favorite and to be honest, I totally understand why. Chick-fil-A’s history goes way back to the 1940’s, when it’s founder S. Truett Cathy first […]

I, like so many others, have been muted on social media for the past week in response to the murder of George Floyd. It has been an incredibly sad and scary time in our country.  I decided to mute myself because I stand in soldiery against racism and also because I felt others had more […]

This coconut ice cream is for all my coconut-loving friends out there. It’s also dedicated to my older son, who starts his sophomore year of high school (via distant learning) today, during a Pandemic and in a state burning from wildfires. He is a huge coconut lover like I am, so I thought what could […]

Winner, winner chicken dinner, you know the phase, this is the dish; caramelized onion roast chicken. This takes a simple, inexpensive chicken meal to a whole new playing field. One dish, one hour, one pan, seriously, what’s not to love? Similar to a sheet pan dinner, skillet dinners are just as fast and simple. And although […]

Everyone needs another pasta recipe. And a quick meal is even better, which works here if you take shortcuts like buying tomato sauce instead of making your own. The truth is, I was never really a huge fan of this well-known Italian-American favorite. To me, stuffed shells often seem bland and textureless. But this classic baked […]