From the category archives:

Starters and Drinks

Hospitality Reminder: Get Your Beverage Box Ready!

Christmas is coming…. the goose is getting fat…. I love that song, even if it really has nothing to do with my real life. We sang it every year in the Christmas pageant at Rosedell Elementary. And that has nothing to do with this hospitality reminder. What I really meant to say is Christmas is coming [...]

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Salted Caramel Affogatos: A Recipe for Coffee Floats

With the approach of Winter, longer nights, and cooler temps, my mind turns to warm and elegant desserts. What sounds more elegant than serving Salted Caramel Affogatos? Affogato is just a fancy word for coffee float. A traditionally Italian version would, of course, feature gelato, but regular ice cream can work just as well. The [...]

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Mom’s Relish Tray

Holiday appetizers can get so complicated. We fool ourselves into thinking that we need to make a big froofroo spread before the bigger froofroo spread we call Thanksgiving dinner. Times have changed. The appetizers, hors d’oeuvres, amuse-bouches, snack, whatever you want to call them, were always a pretty simple affair when I was growing up. [...]

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Malted Hot Cocoa Mix

You’ve heard the saying before: necessity is the mother of invention. It is so true. And necessity spurned this hot cocoa recipe. Not only were we out of traditional cocoa mix, but I also did not have enough powdered milk to follow this Alton Brown recipe exactly. So, I improvised. That’s code for: I used [...]

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California Girl’s Iced Sweet Tea

Tea is a regular pantry staple at our house. We aren’t big tea drinkers, but it’s a beverage that is extremely affordable, especially when you browse the clearance racks. For some reason, teas are always being marked down, despite the fact that they have several months, even years before their “best by” dates. When we [...]

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The Ice-Blended Mocha & Tips for an At-Home Date Night

Hubs and I have been married for 16 years. We met in 1992. I was a sophomore in college and thin and could eat anything. He was older, athletic, and very conscious about what he ate. I corrupted him. I’m not sure what did it first…. the bacon and avocado thrown onto a turkey sandwich, [...]

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Lemonade like Chick-Fil-A Makes

Lemonade is a huge favorite at our house. In fact, the other night, hubs requested a date night stop at Chick-fil-A for lemonade instead of the Peet’s coffee that he would normally indulge in. Thankfully, my dad has a Meyer lemon tree growing in his backyard so during lemon season, we get to drink lemonade [...]

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Get Your Game Day Food On!

I’m over at Good Life Eats today sharing tips for a make ahead Super Bowl party. (I’m also divulging a really great recipe for Artichoke Dip with a Kick.) You won’t want to miss it. Head on over and share your favorite football food ideas. Plus, there’s a great round-up of Super Bowl food over [...]

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Mushrooms Stuffed with Mustard Greens & Bacon

Let’s get a few things straight. I did not grow up eating “greens.” My parents are from the Mid-West. Iceberg lettuce was as green as it got. Due to the aforementioned heritage, I never ate “greens” on New Year’s. Luck or no luck, that particular dish never crossed my path. I never planned on writing [...]

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3 Quick Dips for New Year’s Eve

Today I’m going to be bustling in my kitchen, creating a mocktail party for hubs and our six kids. I imagine that finger foods and appetizers are on a lot of people’s menus today. Looking for something quick, delicious, and budget friendly? Try these on for size. No msg, completely from scratch, and so yummy! [...]

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