A thoroughly authentic sweet German mustard recipe, this Bavarian sweet mustard is the kind served at the Munich Oktoberfest! Delicious and easy to make! My mom is from Bavaria from a small town south of Munich on the Austrian border, and though I grew up in … Continue reading →
Caramel Pear Butter
If you're an apple butter fan you've got to try this with pears. Â A fuss-free recipe utilizing the slow cooker, simply dump in the ingredients and let the slow cooker work its magic. Â The result is a wonderfully deep, caramelized flavor that comes from slow cooking the pears … Continue reading →
Kitchen Basics: How To Roast Red Peppers
Instead of paying a premium for store-bought, learn how to roast red peppers yourself! It's easy and there are SO many delicious ways to use your roasted peppers! Jarred roasted red peppers are one of those things I often don't have on hand when I need them.  Can you … Continue reading →
How To Make Fruit Leather
Making a wholesome, no added sugar treat for yourself and your family couldn't be easier! Too many food items you find in the store are full of ingredients that belong in a toxic waste depository rather than in a food item that's consumed by kids or grownups.  Fruit … Continue reading →
Plum Butter
This Plum Butter recipe is made in the slow cooker for an incredibly deep, rich, caramelized flavor. It's easy to make and if canned properly will keep for up to a year. It's delicious on bread, muffins, scones, waffles, pancakes, added to cakes and pastries, and even … Continue reading →
How To Can Peaches (Without Sugar, With Syrup or Honey)
Learn how to can peaches with syrup, honey or without any sugar at all and then sit back and enjoy your labor of love all year long! Canning is such a great way of preserving food to enjoy over the long haul. Â Buy your produce locally when it's in season, can it and … Continue reading →
Pickled Turnips
Pickling is a method of preservation that dates back to Neolithic times around 7000 BC. Â During this anaerobic fermentation process strange and wonderful things happen that transform the original product into something quite different. Â And very healthy with all those … Continue reading →
Burmese Yellow Split Pea Fritters (Baya Kyaw)
If yellow split peas aren't something you use very often, get ready for a fabulous way to put them to use! Crispy, spicy and flavorful, these Burmese yellow split pea fritters can be served as appetizers or the main course with your favorite dipping sauce. Â They can also … Continue reading →
How To Can Cherries, Dehydrate Them & Use The Pits
It's cherry season! Â And that means bounteous harvests of gorgeous, plump, juicy globes of sweetness. We picked up two bulk loads of Washington cherries, a combination of Rainier and Bing, 80 pounds total! I've been preparing them several ways: Â Canning, dehydrating, … Continue reading →
Gluten Free Crepes
I think I could eat crepes all day if I let myself. Â (It's a good thing I don't.) Â But it sure would be easy to. Â Have you ever had crepes filled with Nutella and and spread with some whipped cream? Â Or simply filled with strawberry jam and sprinkled with powdered sugar? … Continue reading →
Sicilian-Style Grilled Tuna Steaks
A mouthwatering Sicilian-style grilled tuna steaks recipe! Grilled to perfection and topped with the flavors of sun-kissed Sicily. It's easy and delicious! A special thank you to Lindsay for sponsoring this post From my early childhood trips to Italy's beaches to … Continue reading →
Käsespätzle (German Cheese Spaetzle)
One of the most beloved of all Swabian dishes, Kasespatzle (German Cheese Spaetzle) is everything great comfort food should be! Chewy homemade Spätzle baked with gooey Swiss cheese and topped with caramelized onions, it's on my most favorite dishes! What is … Continue reading →
Roasted Sweet Potato Fettuccine Alfredo
Even though the holidays are long over, our consumption of sweet potatoes doesn't have to be - nor should it be! Find out more about the U.S.history of sweet potato consumption and why you should be eating them throughout the year in my post on Curried Sweet Potato Soup … Continue reading →
Valencian Paella Recipe
Thank you to Culinary Collective for sponsoring this post It's no wonder paella is the national dish of Spain because this delicious and drop-dead gorgeous dish is simply phenomenal! This Valencian paella recipe is a one-pot rice dish that's easy to make and perfect for … Continue reading →
Curried Roasted Sweet Potato Soup with Tarragon
I love creamy soups.  Their creamy texture and vibrant flavors all spell "comfort" to me. This deliciously rich and seductively silky soup showcases the sweet potato.  An ancient tuber, sweet potatoes have been radiocarbon-dated in the Cook Islands to 1000 AD and are thought … Continue reading →
French Beef Stew with Old-Fashioned Vegetables
The French really know how to make great stews. Â Here is one of them and it uses a method similar to that of German Sauerbraten and corned beef to achieve both an exquisitely tangy flavor and a lusciously tender beef. Many of you have already been introduced to my French … Continue reading →
How To Make a Bouquet Garni
If you like French food and you want to cook like the French, you have to become acquainted with the Bouquet Garni. Â An indispensable part of French cuisine, the bouquet garni is quick and simple to put together and will do wonders for your food. Plus, I've got some great … Continue reading →
How To Make Homemade Canned Boston Baked Beans or Pork and Beans
Here's the thing, if I'm going to make the effort to can I like to make a huge batch to make my efforts worth it, because it doesn't take any longer to do so. Â But it does save me the time of making a second batch later. Â But, you need a really large stock pot. The best … Continue reading →
French Entertaining Part II: Nouvelle Cuisine (+ Alexian/Le Creuset Giveaway!)
I've teamed up with Alexian to bring you this post. Welcome back to Part II of French Entertaining! In our last post French guest cook Sandrine Vannson enlightened us on French entertaining "country style" with Duck Rillette and Pheasant & Rosemary … Continue reading →
Fettuccine Alfredo
Creamy, buttery, and irresistibly delicious, this Fettuccine Alfredo recipe is the ultimate comfort food!  Quick and easy to prepare, it's equally perfect for a busy weeknight or for a romantic night in! Thank you to Bon Appetit for sponsoring this post! The best … Continue reading →
Chicken Barley Soup
Incredibly flavorful and packed with nutrients, this wonderful Chicken Barley Soup recipe is sure to become a family favorite! Make double batch while you're at it because it's great for leftovers or freezing! The weather here is crazy today!  A total downpour of … Continue reading →
Salmon Risotto with Preserved Lemon
This dish is perfect for a family meal, a couple's night at home, or a dinner party. Risotto uses a special rice, most commonly arborio, and it cooks up into a deliciously creamy texture with the the perfect touch of chewiness. Risotto has a bit of an upscale image … Continue reading →
French Entertaining “Country Style” + Alexian/Le Creuset Giveaway!
I've teamed up with Alexian to bring you this delicious post! I recently had the opportunity to try some amazing products from ALEXIAN.  Let me tell you a little about them.  Alexian is America's premier producer of the finest pâtés and mousses all made with the finest, … Continue reading →
Lemon Lime Zucchini Cake with Lemon Lime Cream Cheese Frosting
Our garden yielded a ton of squash this Summer. Â A ton. Â And we've just harvested what is hopefully the last bunch. Â Fingers crossed. That said, this overabundance of squash enabled/forced me to get creative in finding news ways of using it. Â So as I dragged in the … Continue reading →
Pressure Canner Chili Con Carne
I've been canning for several years, but only using the water-bath method. Â So that means I've mostly been making jams, relishes, chutneys, pickles, salsas and other high-acidic foods that are safe for water-bath canning. Â For most other things you have to have a pressure … Continue reading →
Chinese Chicken Fried Quinoa
I love cooking with a variety of grains and quinoa is one that I particularly enjoy experimenting with. Â Not because it's my favorite tasting grain, but because it's the healthiest grain on the planet, the only grain that is a complete protein. Â I like to use quinoa in … Continue reading →
White Bean & Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Dip
I looooove a good dip.  Growing up I always had my staple favorites:  French onion, sour cream & onion, a variety of cheese dips, and bean dip.  In recent years I've really enjoyed experimenting with a variety of flavors and mediums.  Here is one we really enjoyed and … Continue reading →
Blueberry Lemon Apricot Jam
What says comfort like a slice of freshly baked bread slathered with butter and homemade jam? I've been experimenting with a few jams this Summer and this one has become a family favorite.  The combination of blueberries-nectarines-lemons works beautifully and I'm sure … Continue reading →
10-Minute Margherita Flatbread Pizzas
Thank you to La Brea Bakery for sponsoring this post! Pizza is pure bliss, don't you think? Â There's just something about that crispy-chewy bread crust topped with sauce, oozing cheese and any variety of toppings that speaks universal comfort. I enjoy all kinds of … Continue reading →
Creamy Rice Pudding with Yogurt (Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Vegan)
Thank you to Silk for sponsoring this post! Aren't those rice puddings pretty? Â This recipe for Creamy Rice Pudding is super easy and adds an element of fun and variety by stirring in your yogurt of choice. Â The yogurt not only makes the rice pudding even creamier, it … Continue reading →
Peter Piper’s Pickled Peppers
 Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, Where's the peck of pickled peppers that Peter Piper picked?  (*scratching my head*)  Have you ever stopped to really think … Continue reading →
Pulled Pork Burritos with Creamy Tomatillo Sauce
Few things can top meat that's been cooked for hours in the slow-cooker until fork-tender and saturated with flavor. This pulled pork is a prime example. And I can't even begin to describe how delectable it is once it's packed into a burrito shell with rice and black beans … Continue reading →
French Connection Sandwich (Two Ways)
Partnering with Castello for a Summer of Blue Cheese has a way of reconnecting me to my original home of Europe. Â Every time I sample some European cheese my mind is taken back to the lands and regions I spent my childhood through young … Continue reading →
Homemade Lemon Lime Marmalade
Lemon lime marmalade is fabulous but it's difficult to find in stores. Â And when you do it's generally a little pricey. Â So why not make your own? Â It's not only cheaper, it's tastes a lot better too! The question on your lips may be, "And why would I even want to make … Continue reading →
German Tomato Salad (Tomatensalat)
This is a fresh and vibrantly flavorful Summer tomato salad that is typical of the ones I know and love from Germany. Â Simple, quick and as easy as 1, 2, 3, all you have to do is cut up the tomatoes, onions, and herbs, prepare the vinaigrette, and pour the vinaigrette over … Continue reading →
Chicken Meatballs
Italian Chicken Meatballs This Italian Chicken Meatballs recipe features deliciously seasoned ground chicken enveloped a simple but dazzlingly vibrant and flavorful tomato sauce! If you prefer, you can use ground beef instead. Â I'll make it both ways depending on … Continue reading →
Greek Lemon Chicken
Capers are one of those ingredients you come across occasionally but may have never cooked with or even tried. Â But they're an integral part of Mediterranean cuisine. Â Their use dates way back to ancient Greece. Â They come from a perennial plant that bears edible flower buds … Continue reading →
Grilling Steak & Snake River Farms Beef Review
I received some steak from Snake River Farms for review. Â All opinions are entirely my own. In preparation for Father's Day, Snake River Farms and Double R Ranch are offering some special Father's Day Gifts packages containing premium steaks (see special offer at the … Continue reading →
How To Make Candied Ginger
Make your own homemade candied ginger! The flavor is WAY better than store-bought, much fresher and more vibrant. It will bring your baked goods to life, plus they're fabulous just to snack on!  PLUS there's the additional bonus of an amazing ginger simple syrup you'll … Continue reading →
Broccoli and Pasta Salad with Olives, Parmesan & Toasted Walnuts
There simply is no excuse for buying those pre-packaged boxed pasta salad mixes. Â Not when you can whip up something this delicious and wholesome in minutes! I love the combination of chewy-crunchy, especially in a flavorful and wholesome pasta salad. Â This salad comes … Continue reading →