Posts

Cranberry Champagne Cocktail

My go-to festive holiday cocktail, a simple three-ingredient combination of cranberry juice, orange liqueur and champagne that works especially well for brunches when low-alcohol (or no alchohol) are extra appreciated. Just Three Ingredients. Homestyle Holiday Cocktails, Fresh & Festive, Mostly Make-Ahead. An Approachable Winter Classic & Easily Adaptable to Other Seasons and Occasions. Perfect When Cooking for One or Two . Scales from Small Carafes to Large Pitchers. Easy DIY. Naturally Gluten Free. So Good!!

Butter Tart Bars

My mother's recipe for the classic Canadian dessert, Butter Tarts, here in easy-to-make bars. Rich, easy, delicious and perfect for dainty trays. COMPLIMENTS! "... they were wonderful!" ~ Beverly "Your mom's recipe looks a lot like one my gran made often for Christmas care packages." ~ Jacqueline When my mother was young, every little café in Canada served butter tarts, buttery pastry filled with a caramel syrup and, some say "Yes!", some say "No way!" raisins. Last summer, I pulled into Sprague, the Minnesota-Manitoba border stop that from the road appears more like a dusty gas station than a small town. The Grey Goose still pulls through Sprague twice a week, not twice a day as it did during the years when Mom pinned a note to my coat to put me on the bus at one end and Nana fetched me at the other. I knew to sit at the front far from the smelly restroom and smokers. I knew to beg my dad for a quarter for

Turkey Wild Rice Casserole

Would you like to know my number one reason to cook a turkey and a turkey breast ? To make sure there's enough turkey! For midnight sandwiches, sure, but then for this, the best turkey casserole ever. It's packed with vegetables and also calls for wild rice, either the natural wild rice from my home state of Minnesota where it's still harvested by Native Americans or cultivated wild rice which is easier to find and less expensive. I l-o-n-g for this casserole, it's such belly-warming comfort food. Real Food, Fresh & Comforting. One-Pot Meal or Put Aside Half for the Freezer. Great for Meal Prep. How to Feed a Crowd. Potluck & Party Friendly. Low Fat. High Protein. Weight Watchers Friendly.

White Chicken Chili

Imagine a chilly late-fall or winter night, what better way to warm up from the inside out with a big bowl of homemade White Chicken Chili, especially with a recipe extra-easy thanks to rotisserie chicken? White Chicken Chili is packed with so much goodness: tender pulled chicken, rich poblano, mild green chilis, sweet corn and creamy white beans. Approachable, Homestyle Whole Food, Made from Scratch. A Long-Time Family Favorite, Hearty & Filling. Great for Meal Prep. Low Fat. High Protein. Weight Watchers Friendly.

Acorn Squash with Quinoa & Cherries

The Recipe: Acorn squash stuffed with protein-rich nutty-tasting quinoa [pronounced KEEN-wah], slightly sweet with dried cherries or cranberries, maple syrup and fall spices. A great choice for Meatless Monday during the fall. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real . The Conversation: What, exactly, is "tepid water"? And what in heavens does it have in common with quinoa?! COMPLIMENTS! "... to die for ... my family's first experience with quinoa, and they raved ..." ~ Anonymous True Story. Late on a Friday, shoppers trolled the aisles in a nearby grocery whose shelves are lined with hard-to-find international ingredients as coveted by gourmet cooks as appreciated by immigrants longing for familiar tastes of home. One shopper studied his list, peered at labels, checked the list again. An observant grocery manager asked to help, thought for a moment but shook his head. “Naw, we don’t carry that.” Then his face brightened. “Whole Foods!” he said, n

Balkan Summer Sausage Stew

A hearty summer sausage stew, a great way to use up the summer sausage that so often shows up in gift baskets. The stew is packed with late-summer and early-fall vegetables so even though the sausage itself is calorie-dense, a serving adds up to about 200 calories. So good, this! I especially love it with a dollop of sour cream on top with some good bread for dunking into the juices. Real Food, Fresh & Comforting. Another Quick Supper , a Kitchen Parade Specialty. Hearty & Filling. Budget Friendly.

Apple Cider Indian Pudding

Work with me for just a minute, will you, please? I want you to imagine the best dessert you've probably never tasted, the best dessert you've maybe never even heard of. It's Indian pudding, an old-fashioned home-style dessert dating back to New England in the 1600s long before the American Revolution. I wish I could tell you it's a real looker, but sorry, it's not. In fact, it may be the plainest-looking dessert you've come across in a long while. So close your eyes, please, and conjure something just warm from the oven, soft and sweet, scented with apple cider, spiced with cinnamon, studded with tiny plump currants, slightly textured with cornmeal. Drizzle a little cream over top and ... prepare to swoon. An Old-Time Dessert Dating Back to the American Colonies. A Homestyle Autumn Dessert Made from Scratch, Seasonal & Inventive. A Creative Choice for Thanksgiving & Fall Gatherings. Extra Welcome When "Supper's a Little Skimpy". Budget

Pepper Steak & Mushroom-Red Wine Sauce

Want to put a special dinner on the table, pronto? If you're lucky enough to score a whole pile of mushrooms, this is your recipe! First, cook the mushrooms with red wine and rosemary until caramelized, yes, the sauce is amazing! Then cook the pepper steaks, either my recipe for sirloin steaks or your choice of steaks, grilled, pan-cooked, etc. Recipes below! Weight Watchers friendly, low-carb, high-protein and totally delicious. The Chinese calendar calls 2006 the Year of the Dog. Australia marks 2006 as the Year of the Sea Turtle. A technology magazine dubs 2006 the Year of LCD TV and musicians the Year of Mozart. With rhetorical inelegance, the U.S. Senate calls it the Year of Study Abroad, the UN the International Year of Deserts, the European Union the Year of Worker Mobility. Me, I’ll remember 2006 as the Year I Learned to Cook Meat in a Skillet. You long-time cooks who’ve been dishing up fast skillet suppers for years, now that you’ve stopped chuckling, won’t yo