My readers know what a huge Ina Garten fan I am. I’ve made well over 100 of her recipes and blogged about my experiences in the kitchen using her as my inspiration. So as a fan girl, I follow her on social media. As I was scrolling, I came across a video of Ina making […]
My husband and I recently met up with some good friends for a week of fun in the Rocky Mountains. One of the couples traveled there from their home in Tucson, Arizona. Lucky for them, they have a lemon tree that just finished producing the most deliciously tart yellow fruit. As usual, they harvested a […]
The Masters family values tradition. Rituals, traditions and special celebrations that families repeat are like a fingerprint…setting your unique family apart from all others. It’s what makes “your family”, “your” family. The Christmas season is full of rituals in our home, which of course revolve around delicious food and memorable meals. In our home, Christmas […]
I recently attended an annual holiday party where each guest brought an appetizer for sharing. The hostess reached out to me prior to the party and asked if I would please bring my Baba Ganoush. This classic Middle Eastern eggplant dip is one of her and her husband’s favorites. They, like me, had enjoyed this […]
Autumn is in full swing in my part of the world. Leaves have already shown their brilliant colors and are now disappearing from the giant oak and maple trees. We’re experiencing blustery days with temperatures in the 40s and 50s. The smell of wood burning fires fill the air. There’s not a more perfect time […]
If you like Italian food and have not eaten gnocchi, well then you are missing out! First things first. It’s time to learn how to pronounce this delectable dish. For you Non-Italians, try saying “Know Key”…with the emphasis on the first syllable. Click here for your mini tutorial! Come to think of it you might […]
It’s summertime here in Mid Missouri and for gardeners like me that means you are harvesting loads of fresh zucchini. I have always loved zucchini. I like it grilled, sauteed, in ratatouille and soups. Once your zucchini has gotten too big, the best thing to do is to grate it. Once grated you can use […]
When I’m not cooking or gardening, I’m enjoying all of the new shows on the Magnolia Network about cooking and gardening! One of my new favorites is the show, Zoe Bakes. Zoe Francois is a professional baker who is sharing all of her pro tips with average home bakers like myself. It’s a rare time […]
Nothing says summer to this Midwesterner like freshly picked tomatoes. In addition to cooking, you can find me tending my raised bed garden most days. It’s the first day of August and that means my hard work and labor over the past 3 months are now paying off. My garden is bursting with fresh produce. […]
One of my favorite summer salads is Tabouleh. It’s a Mediterranean dish made with bulgar wheat, plenty of herbs and fresh veggies. This refreshing salad makes a great side dish for grilled protein. You will find that it holds well and is perfect to take to a potluck picnic party. Sometimes I’ll save the leftovers […]
Ciao friends! I wanted to share with you a favorite pasta recipe today…it comes from Ina Garten’s cookbook, Cooking for Jeffrey. She calls it Rigatoni with Sausage and Fennel. Of course with most recipes I tweak them to my personal tastes. In this case I chose to add sliced button mushrooms, doubled the amount of […]
Who doesn’t like the ease of using a slow cooker? Just sear some meat, add vegetables, spices and a bit of chicken stock…come back 8 hours later and you’ve got amazing tender and juicy pork. This is how I like to make Mexican Pork Carnitas. This pork is great served in tacos, burritos, on a […]