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Mini Shortbread Tarts (Nana's Tarts)

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!!

Seasonal Sundays: Wear the Hat, Dammit

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 ...

Trader Joe's Lentil-Bruschetta One-Minute Salad

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!!

Seasonal Sundays: Suppers That (Almost) Cook Themselves

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.

Seasonal Sundays: Easter Gatherings

Settle in with a chocolate bunny (or two) to skim through this week's "Seasonal Seven" recipe collection which is all about Easter for those who celebrate next Sunday on April 20th. But it's also a great collection of recipes (plus four bonus menus) for spring gatherings, spring potlucks, spring parties, all things spring. I tend to pull out certain recipes just once a year for Easter, lots of new ideas this week!

Easy Pesto Pasta Salad

This recipe is so fun, an unfussy, flavor-packed side dish that just might earn a permanent spot in your warm-weather rotation. Just toss hot orzo with store-bought pesto, a few mini tomatoes plus some add-ins — fresh mozzarella? chickpeas? fresh asparagus is my favorite! The first night, serve it warm (so good!) topped with grilled chicken or a piece of fish. After that, it's just as happy on a picnic blanket as a desktop lunch. Sometimes, good food really is as easy as tossing a few great things together. Memorable Homestyle Whole Food. Little Effort, Big Reward, Just Six Ingredients. Real Food, Fast & Flexible. Mere Minutes to the Table. An Easy, Healthy Side Dish. Fun Picnic Food. No Mayo! A Summer Classic. Not just easy, Summer Easy . Budget Friendly. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Great for Meal Prep. Potluck & Party Friendly. Vegetarian. So Good!!

Seasonal Sundays: Sweet & Savory Strawberries

Grab a colander, all, it's time to rinse some berries for this week's "Seasonal Seven" recipe collection featuring spring strawberries. I hope you'll find one or two destined as "keepers" in your own recipe repertoire.

Lemon Cream Pie

Stunned Silence: that's the reaction this homemade lemon pie gets at the table for its irresistible balance of tart and tangy, sweet and creamy , the kind of pie that disappears fast, often "just one more sliver, please" at a time. It's just simple ingredients working together in a dessert to crave again and again. One slice may not be enough ... Memorable Homestyle Pie, Little Effort, Big Reward. No Tempering Eggs! Beautiful Color! Budget Friendly. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Potluck & Party Friendly. Vegetarian. So Good!!

Seasonal Sundays: Spring Asparagus!

Get off that sofa, people! It's Happy Dance time, welcoming the vegetable harbinger of spring, fat and skinny and trim spears of crisp, healthy asparagus. Both grocery stores I hit this week had pretty-pretty asparagus on sale and the home-grown wonders can't be far behind. So this week's "Seasonal Seven" recipe collection is for the asparagus lovers among us, arming us all with recipes to carry well into summer.

Southern Cornbread

Simple & Sugar-Free Southern-style buttermilk cornbread with a coveted chewy crust and zero added sugar. Make a large batch, make a small batch, either way, this savory cornbread mixes up and bakes in a hot-hot-hot skillet quick-quick-quick, mere minutes. Plus a bonus: Six Tips for Perfect Cornbread, my latest "Kitchen Lesson" column – a series of occasional recipes with extra insider tips and ideas gained from long experience in a home kitchen. Homemade Cornbread, Made from Scratch. Real Food, Fast & Flexible. A Southern Classic. Great Choice for Impromptu Homestyle Hot Bread for Dinner. Bake In the Oven or Over a Campfire.