A recipe to change Brussels into breakfast: Brussels sprouts with bacon, chopped as a hash and topped with eggs. Pin It 2012: The Year of the Egg. I like the idea of a one-skillet meal, but we don’t often have leftover potatoes. In a year, I’m going to guess that we average a good 20 pounds of potatoes for the six of us, which isn’t really much at all. That breaks down into something like one large batch of potato leek soup, colcannon twice, and some baked variety two to three... more

Mini berry hand pies are popped right on a stick for a fun baby shower treat and the secrets of kettle corn that rivals what you find at the fair. Pin It “What are little girls made of? Sugar and spice And everything nice, That’s what little girls are made of.” Sugar and plenty of spice, in my case. My husband says it’s my own spice that causes our girls to be so spicy, but regardless, every time I hear that song I wonder if the person writing it did not have much behind-closed-doors... more

A recipe on how to make easy creamy-style biscuits and sausage gravy for a quick and easy breakfast or breakfast for dinner. Pin It Let me begin by telling you that there is nothing remotely light about this recipe. This is stick-to-your-ribs food. It’s the type of meal you eat when the last possible day in February starts with an ice and snow storm. It is destined for lazy Saturdays when you actually feel like cooking just a bit or evening meals when you’re short on time but ravenous... more

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

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

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

A well-balanced butternut squash soup featuring chowder-like consistency with potatoes, parsnips, fresh sage and jalapeño, all topped with bacon crumbles. A perfect cold weather soup. Our house is rather small. A modest ranch-style home with three small bedrooms, each housing two people. In the hallway you will find a linen closet barely a foot wide and deep, and just to the right of it is the one and only bathroom for the family. It’s the size of a proper linen closet itself, and with two... more