I called this an appetizer in the post title today but honestly, I could eat these delicious little delights for breakfast, lunch and dinner! We had a fun and memorable dinner with our dear friends, Joel and Karen, a few months ago. Having lived in Japan for a number of years, the meal was quite authentically Asian in every aspect; from the greeting at the door (in kimonos!) to the ikebana ...
Arugula Salad with Grilled Peaches, Applewood Bacon, Blue Cheese and Toasted Macadamia
If you were a super-sleuth and happened to be looking through my index of recipes you might just be thinking that I'm a ............conundrum or an enigma or perhaps an incongruity, maybe even an anomaly........ What do all these funny words have to do with me and my recipe index?? Well, if you look closely you will discover that, while I LOVE a good dessert (nineteen since starting this blog ...
Austrian Raspberry Blueberry Shortbread
This Austrian Raspberry Blueberry Shortbread employs an easy but unique technique to ensure a melt-in-your-mouth delicious dessert!
If you've been reading my blog for a while now you might just be realizing that I'm quite smitten with shortbread. Just last week I blogged about Salted Toffee Shortbread Cookies and then there was the Lemon Grass Lemon Tart with Coconut Shortbread ...Read More →
Ribbons of Zucchini Mediterranean Salad
I love new takes on ordinary, everyday things. It keeps life from becoming too boring, too mundane, too menial, too....... well, just too "every dayish". I enjoy a new hair style, a new lipstick, a new look in my home or a new route to ride my "black steed" (aka my bicycle). And I LOVE new takes and twists on everyday foods, like this Ribbons of Zucchini Mediterranean Salad - I think ...
Blueberry/Key Lime Sorbet and a Few Tips on Saving Money at the Grocery Store!
If you've been reading my blog you know that I love a good bargain. When I see a sale on great produce, meat, canned goods or whatever, I usually snatch up a bunch of it. Then I either base my cooking that week around the surplus, or stash my "cache" in the freezer or pantry for a "rainy day". This is one way that I keep my grocery budget in check. Some of my friends have asked if I spend an ...
Our Favorite Summer Meal – Mediterranean BLT’s
I called these delicious BLT's "our favorite summer meal" in the post title but let me clarify this just a bit - it is our favorite summer meal THIS week. With all the fabulous and fresh summer flavors, I just know something else will grab my attention in the not too distant future and it will become the new favorite. I guess you could to call me fickle when it comes to food, sorry about ...
The Best Chicken Salad – Ever!
Searching for the best chicken salad? Search no longer! This past weekend we had a wonderful opportunity to celebrate a milestone in our family. Our son, Nick, recently received a graduate degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Tech University. We are so proud of him and his sweet wife, Lindsay; it's been a challenging, arduous and ...
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Salted Toffee Shortbread Cookies
If I was trying to impress you, I might tell you.........well, I just might tell you how I worked for weeks developing these delicious cookies: testing, tweaking, experimenting and doing trial runs until I reached a phenomenal final result. Or how a carefully selected panel of taste-testers judiciously sampled each variation, meticulously critiquing them before this presentation to ...
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Peanut Butter and Jelly Tart (or Bars)
If you're guessing that this is just a kid's dessert, guess again!!! Last month I had the opportunity to visit my sweet sister, Annie. Earlier on the day I arrived, she'd stopped at a wonderful little bakery and purchased some treats. Almost as soon as I walked in the door, she said "you have to try a bite of this!!!" She held out a somewhat uninteresting looking little cookie bar. Before I ...
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Grilled Chicken Kabobs
I already know what you're going to say - and totally I agree; this Grilled Chicken Kabobs recipe is kind of really weird! It's true, yet it's one of the most delicious concoctions we've ever tried! I was quite skeptical when I first heard about this crazy way of making grilled chicken but my chief culinary consultant and photographer (aka husband) agreed - the finished product is quite ...
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Corn and Basil Cakes
If you look up "summer" in a dictionary, you might just see a picture of these Corn and Basil Cakes! They have to be one of my favorite summer treats! With fresh sweet corn more and more abundant at local grocers and soon overflowing at the farmer's markets, this is a very timely recipe. While it's fabulous roasted, grilled or steamed, this combination of basil, corn, eggs, milk ...
Pan Seared Scallops with Summer Fruit Salsa and Chile-Honey-Lime Vinaigrette
For the past week we've been having unseasonably hot weather here in the Carolinas with temperatures soaring into the mid to upper nineties - WHEW!! I'm just not ready for this type of extreme heat! One thing I do love about summer though, is the abundance of delicious fresh fruits that are available. Mangos, blueberries and avocados are plentiful and cheap right now so they've been popping ...
