Let’s talk tacos, the slow cooker kind — the kind that makes your kitchen smell like you’ve been cooking all day (because, well, you sort of have). These shredded beef tacos are rich, deeply spiced and wildly tender, thanks to a hands-off braise that does all the heavy lifting. The beef practically begs to be tucked into warm tortillas with sautéed vegetables and black beans plus your favorite taco toppings. It’s weeknight-friendly, weekend-worthy. Around here, it’s slow cooker meal prep that's earned a permanent spot in the recipe rotation. Memorable Homestyle Whole Food, Simply Prepared. Little Effort, Big Reward. A Long-Time Family Favorite & Year-Round Kitchen Staple. Budget Friendly. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. A New Addition to Slow Cooker & Oven Slow-Cooking Recipes for either a traditional slow cooker or the oven (my favorite). Great for Meal Prep. Potluck & Party & Kid Friendly. Low Carb. Low Fat. High Protein. What're you waiting for?! So Good...

A simple rustic cake dolloped with gently cooked fresh blueberries that turn thick and jammy in the oven. It's everything you want in a summer sweet — tender, buttery, studded with an entire pound of berries. It’s the kind of cake that disappears quickly every time, easy to make, even easier to love. But here's the thing ... what to call it? There are so-so many old-fashioned blueberry cakes, many with funny names. What should I call mine? Spoiler Alert: I'm going with the not-so-clever but unfussy "Blueberry Cake" for a cake that just might knock your blueberry bucket over socks off. Approachable, Memorable Homestyle Baking, Little Effort, Big Reward. Real Food, Fresh & Seasonal. Beautiful Color! No Mixer Required, On the Table in An Hour. Extra Welcome When "Supper's a Little Skimpy". A Summer Classic. Budget Friendly. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Easy DIY. Rave Reviews. What're you waiting for?! So Good!!

So simple! Just smoked salmon on a bed of barely tangy pickled cucumbers that not only "looks" cool, you'll barely break a sweat assembling the handful of ingredients onto plates. Stay cool, people, stay cool! Memorable Homestyle Whole Food, Little Effort, Big Reward. Beautiful Color! Mere Minutes to the Table. Another Quick Supper , a Kitchen Parade Specialty. Not just easy, Summer Easy . Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Perfect When Cooking for One or Two . Low Carb. Low Fat. High Protein. Weight Watchers Friendly. Naturally Gluten Free. What're you waiting for?! So Good!!

A no-cook strawberry ice cream with big-big strawberry flavor and pretty-pretty pink color . Make it with ripe strawberries from the supermarket or if you're lucky, precious homegrown strawberries. (Frozen strawberries too!) It's thickened with cream cheese in a blender, that means no cooking and no eggs! Easy, Memorable Homemade Ice Cream, Just Strawberries + Five Pantry Ingredients. Little Effort, Big Reward, "Plain" But Perfect. Beautiful Color! A Summer Classic, Mere Minutes to the Table. Extra Welcome When "Supper's a Little Skimpy". Budget Friendly. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Perfect When Cooking for One or Two . Easy DIY. Vegetarian. Egg-Free. Naturally Gluten Free. What're you waiting for?! So Good!!

Simple whole-grain muffins studded with soft, sour pockets of a late-spring treat, rhubarb, some times called "pie plant" because yeah, rhubarb pie . My Rhubarb Muffins are barely sweet and oh-so-tender and definitely – definitely! – not cupcakes. (And oh! That crisp thin layer of cinnamon and sugar on top ... ) For all who prefer a less-sweet, less-rich but ever-so-satisfying morning-bread treat, this is your recipe! Memorable Homemade Muffins, A Summer Classic. No Mixer Required. Fun Picnic Food. Weekday Easy, Weekend Special. Low Fat. Weight Watchers Friendly. Vegetarian. What're you waiting for?! So Good!!

Summer's almost (almost!) here! And this week's "Seasonal Seven" recipe collection will keep us all in main dish salads all summer long. I hope you'll find one or two destined as "keepers" in your own recipe repertoire, most of these go way way back in my own recipe box.

Bakers? You definitely want these irresistible bite-sized delights in your arsenal of dainty desserts: easy to make and even easier to love, they’re a true crowd-pleaser! They are my version of my Canadian family's miniature shortbread tartlets, easier to make than you might think and so handy to keep on hand to fill on a whim with another family recipe, the Brown Sugar Lemon Curd (sometimes called "lemon cheese"). Another "Dainty" from My Canadian Heritage. A Long, Long Long-Time Family Favorite. A Meal Prep Favorite, Keep (& Even Improve) for Weeks & Even Months. Just Five Ingredients & Thirty Minutes Hands-On Time. A New Addition to The Homemade Pantry , a Kitchen Parade Specialty. Budget Friendly. Perfect When Cooking for One or Two & Also Potluck & Party Friendly. What're you waiting for?! So Good!!

A special Mother's Day issue, no recipes, no food and no dishes (cuz someone else organized the cookin' today, right?) but instead a reprise of a photo essay I call "Wear the Hat, Dammit" ... life lessons from the Kentucky Derby and my mom. I'll be back next week with the usual spring recipe ideas so if that's what you're after, Happy Mother's Day and just go on back to what you were doin', okay? But for anyone who's curious ...

Reviews & a Recipe for Trader Joe's Canned Lentils & Bruschetta Sauce. Salad kits are quick and convenient and often very good. This lentil salad? It's even quicker, even more convenient and wow, tastes great. It uses two Trader Joe's products, a shelf-stable can of lentils (I know, I know, but trust me on this, okay?) and a refrigerated container of a tomato-basil-garlic mixture called Bruschetta Sauce. Just stir them together (yeah, that's almost the whole "recipe") and gobble up as a quick pulse salad, a base for fish or eggs, a healthy lunch. Ridiculously Easy Homestyle Whole Food, No Measuring, No Chopping. Little Effort, Big Reward. Mere Minutes to the Table. An Easy, Healthy Side Dish. Not just easy, Summer Easy . Budget Friendly. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real . Naturally Gluten Free. What're you waiting for?! So Good!!

Grab a pencil because this week's "Seasonal Seven" recipe collection is all about making life just a little bit easier, dinner-wise, that is, during an oh-so-busy season. I hope you'll find one or two destined as "keepers" in your own recipe repertoire.