Cinnamon meringue is piped into a tart-shaped pavlova shell, baked and filled with a dark chocolate mousse and then topped with cinnamon whipped cream. An elegant Valentine’s Day dessert or special treat. Pin It Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. I’m not planning anything. My husband and I have been together for nine years. We’ve laughed, cried, yelled, and made up more times than I care to remember. We have held hands, worried and stood silently in hospitals together. Dreams have... more

How to take a few things from around the kitchen and turn them into a ginger-infused coconut oil sugar scrub for body and face. Pin It Today’s post is not about food that you eat. It is, however, about things you normally find in your kitchen like oils and ginger and sugar and kosher salt. While you could technically eat what we are going to make today, I’m suggesting that you feed it to your skin instead. My mom is a lotion fanatic. She has a giant bottle that she is constantly using... more

One of the things we strive for when planning our menus is making everything fit together into one nice, neat little package. We look to use ingredients in different ways throughout the week so that we’re benefiting from the ability of do-aheads and being able to buy in bulk. We also benefit from a well-stocked pantry. “It looks like somebody’s got a case of the Mondays.” Hey, Monday. Thanks for showing your face. I could have used an extra 6 hours of weekend. Let’s... more

These tiny buffalo chicken dip bites have just the right amount cream cheese, blue cheese, chicken and hot sauce all in a little phyllo pocket and ready to pop in your mouth, fuss free, on Super Bowl Sunday. My mind has felt a bit cluttered lately. I suppose it is because there are plenty of things I should be doing and many more that I have yet to do. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but my mind seems to be focused on the other things that I rather *want* to do instead. Confession: I have... more

This month in the Eat Well, Spend Less series we’re going to take a look at a few things you can do to organize your kitchen to save you time and money. The ins, the outs, the ups, the downs and my own present failure. Plus more from everyone else on their food resolutions for 2012. My dream is to have a pantry like this someday. Via Escapade I have made quite the mess in the kitchen. We’re not talking an “I’ve been baking all day and have yet to clean it up” type of... more

A look at the weekly menu in the middle of January that includes plenty of coffee, hiding in the house, and a Keurig Brewer and Millstone Coffee giveaway to keep you warm this winter. It’s Tuesday. My computer is acting slow. Last night I asked my husband to make dinner. I offered some slightly pathetic options, and he turned them into a meal. It is one of the reasons I married him. Suddenly microwave rice and chicken and fresh green beans became Singapore-style rice with cilantro and lime,... more

How to make your own pompelmocello (or grapefruit limoncello) using seasonal grapefruits and Everclear. Start now, drink later. I’ve left you waiting unintentionally. My intentions were to come back and tell you a story or two, share a recipe and even a fun something I have been sitting on (tomorrow). Good intentions don’t get you very far, though. Forgiveness will. So, here I am asking you for a bit of forgiveness in my absence, as it’s now time to celebrate. The book is tucked... more