basil cardamom apple brown betty

December 15, 2012

I am once again partnering with Cooking Light and The Chew, working with recipes from the show. This time I chose a dessert from Mario Batali, and I was asked to recreate the recipe and make it my own. Make it my own is exactly what I did. Using my favorite herb and spice (basil [...]

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roasted artichoke lemon hummus

December 14, 2012

Artichokes were one of those foods that felt like a special occasion when I was a kid. Not for their rarity – more like a breakfast for dinner kind of feeling, or a snow day feeling. My mom would steam them and serve them whole, we would pick off the leaves and dip them in [...]

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birthday cake truffles

December 13, 2012

I cannot even tell you about most of the hijinks and shenanigans my best friend Alix and I had from first through oh, twelfth grade. Yep, all the way through. We were permanently separated from being in the same homeroom class after third grade. Darn that Mrs. Hall. Some things I can tell you about: [...]

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holiday parties and pre functions

December 12, 2012

During the holidays our schedules can get crowded – multiple events on the same day, friends and family in town while those multiple events are going on, and the want to do all of the things. That is where the pre-party comes in. Back in college we would “pre funk” – get together before the [...]

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sparkly apricot rosemary jewels

December 11, 2012

A high school friend recently wrote about Finding Focus at 100mph, referring to his motorcycle. I kinda sorta relate to that, as I love to drive fast and have lately thought of racing (cars!) classes. While driving fast laps around a racetrack, I believe I could easily find that flow, that peace, that calm. Back in [...]

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basil quinoa ‘meat’ball marinara sandwiches

December 10, 2012

Another new week is here, and we are celebrating quinoa this Meatless Monday. I made a new ‘meat’ ball from quinoa, TVP and huge handfuls of basil. These are light and soft with a crunch on the baked exterior, and they hold together well with minimal effort. The garlic and basil flavors are bold in [...]

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sweet and salty reindeer antlers

December 9, 2012

I guess it all began at a very early age, really – the gifting of food. My Uncle Dudley bringing us fruit baskets and gift towers of cheeses and candies. My mom sending me with a pan of brownies when I was invited to a friend’s house. Making assorted cookies for our mail lady. She [...]

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mandarin orange fudge slices

December 7, 2012

This time of year, in addition to the normal fun holiday buzz, there is the extra excitement of celebrating with friends. Everyone seems to be focused on the festivity of the holiday season, and the giddy smiles and happy laughs happen even more right now. One of those giddy happy feeling friends is Lora – her friendship [...]

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apricot havarti puffs

December 6, 2012

Sweet and savory, sweet and salty, sweet and spicy. Sweet. Pillowy doughy… sweet. It really is the most wonderful time of the year. Those two up there were my taste testers. The rest magically stayed intact. You need a couple taste testers, right? You need to eat melty cheese every day now and then. You [...]

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