Decadence!

riviera maya guacamole

May 17, 2012
By
riviera maya guacamole

~ riviera maya guacamole ~ This is a recipe for guacamole that was inspired by the simple, wonderful guac we had while visiting Mexico’s Riviera Maya. I think the key to a good guacamole recipe is to keep it short and sweet. 2 ripe avocados, peeled and mashed 1 diced, ripe Roma tomato 2 Tablespoons grated onion 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce Mash the avocados with a fork, place in a little mixing bowl along with the other ingredients. Mix. Serve with your favorite corn chips, quesadillas or on tacos or burritos. Enjoy! ~Melissa

Read more »

the best garlic bread on the planet

May 16, 2012
By
the best garlic bread on the planet

~ garlic bread ~ The first time I had this amazing garlic bread I was still living in my little apartment in White Bear Lake. My friend Amy and I would make weekly “craft” dates when we’d get together, create, and cook. One of those days she came armed with the ingredients for this. It’s unlike any other garlic bread I’ve ever had. It’s creamy and garlicy and wonderful…and definitely not diet food. I once watched Jeff and his friend demolish an entire loaf in one sitting, but I don’t recommend it.  One piece is usually my limit. one long loaf of French or Italian bread (not a skinny baguette) 1 cup real mayonnaise 2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 1/3 cup black olives, chopped...

Read more »

trattoria meatballs

May 16, 2012
By
trattoria meatballs

~ trattoria meatballs ~ So a couple days ago I was making spaghetti and talking to our cat (yes, I did just say that… and sometimes she talks back too. She says “mama” when she’s hungry for a treat. Which is about 2,000 times a day. We have created a little furry striped monster.) Anyhoo, I was talking to the cat. I asked her if I should just chop up some meat for the spaghetti sauce or…if I should go through the sort of drawn out production that is making meatballs from scratch. She just blinked at me in that slow, bored way that cats do, which is their way of saying you could put an armadillo in the damn spaghetti sauce for all they care. I turned the...

Read more »

herb garden salad dressing

May 14, 2012
By
herb garden salad dressing

What a lovely weekend. A little day trip to Pepin, long walks, and  lots of time spent in the fresh air, working on yard projects and getting our herbs and flowers planted. I hope you had a beautiful Mother’s Day. Here’s a special salad dressing recipe using lots of fresh herbs from your garden… I made up a jar for our dinner last night. ~ herb garden salad dressing ~ 3/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup sour cream or greek yogurt juice of one lemon 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley 1/4 cup chopped, fresh oregano 2 Tablespoons chopped, fresh chives 1 clove garlic salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Place all in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth and...

Read more »

luau meatballs

May 9, 2012
By
luau meatballs

~ luau meatballs ~ My friend Lisa over at Lisa’s Dinnertime Dish made a “retro” meal a few days ago, Chowmein Casserole. It looked and sounded so yummy, it got me thinking about some of my favorite retro meals…the ones that sort of take me back in time to when I was a kid. Among these are: my grandma Darling’s potato chip chicken , her chicken cacciatore, and her Swiss steak…homemade French dressing, my Papa’s potato salad, my mom’s spaghetti sauce, chicken and dumplings and porcupine meatballs…and this recipe for Hawaiian Meatballs. I actually can’t remember the first time I ate this or where I was…but it does take me back to my childhood. The little meatballs are pork, they’re fried, and using brown rice in this recipe would...

Read more »

carrot cheddar curry tea sandwiches

May 8, 2012
By
carrot cheddar curry tea sandwiches

~ carrot cheddar curry tea sandwiches ~ Today I made some of our favorite tea sandwiches for teatime. Carrot cheddar curry. We made these little sammies at both of the tearooms where I was employed, and everyone loved them! The mincemeat is my addition, and I think it makes these sandwiches even more wonderful. If you don’t have mincemeat, leave it out…or substitute a little chopped green apple and  some raisins or sultanas. These little treats are creamy-crunchy, sweet and tangy, with just a hint of curry. They are wonderful with any black tea, but particularly good with a cup of Darjeeling. 10-12 slices of white or wheat sandwich bread 2 large carrots, peeled and grated 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese 1 heaping Tablespoon mincemeat pie filling 2...

Read more »

country pineapple bake

May 6, 2012
By
country pineapple bake

~ country pineapple bake ~ I’m still catching up on trying to post all of my Easter recipes from this year. This pineapple bake is truly amazing with brown sugar-glazed ham, cheesy fan potatoes, and four seasons fruit salad. 1/2 cup butter, softened 2 cups brown sugar 8 eggs 2 (20 ounce) cans crushed pineapple, drained very well 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 10 slices day-old white bread, cubed maraschino cherries and pineapple chunks for garnish In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in pineapple and lemon juice. Fold in the bread cubes. Pour into a buttered 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees F for 35-40 minutes...

Read more »

strawberries & cream brownies

May 5, 2012
By
strawberries & cream brownies

~ strawberries & cream brownies ~ Have you ever had one of those days when you felt like you were walking within a dream? Today was that sort of day for me. I feel excited and blessed and happy and a little nervous about this new adventure I’m on. But it’s that good kind of nervous when you just know the adrenaline that is making your heart skip a beat is trying to be your friend. To calm my jitters I baked. A sure fire way to relieve stress, in my opinion. And chocolate anything is a girl’s best friend, right? So, I made my favorite recipe for brownies. Super yummy and chocolaty. The chocolate scented ribbons streaming from the oven actually whispered to me…”you can do this….” I’m...

Read more »

vermont sharp cheddar fan potatoes with fresh herbs

May 2, 2012
By
vermont sharp cheddar fan potatoes with fresh herbs

~ fan potatoes ~ Fan potatoes, or Hasselback potatoes are made by cutting slits across the potatoes every 1/6 inch, roasting them in the oven, basting them with butter, and sprinkling them with a cheesy seasoned breadcrumb mixture close to the end of their cooking time. While the potatoes roast the little slices will fan out dramatically, thus the name “fan potatoes.” These little gems are cheesy, buttery, toasty and completely delicious. Some people like to peel their fan potatoes, but we prefer to leave the skins on, as it adds to the wonderful flavor.  We love them with our spiral cut, honey baked ham on Easter, and with grilled ribeyes. 6 large baking potatoes, unpeeled (red or russet) 1/4 to 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted 1 teaspoon Lawry’s...

Read more »

frozen cappuccino

April 30, 2012
By
frozen cappuccino

~ frozen cappuccino ~ These little iced cappuccinos are easy to make and every bit as good as the more expensive coffee shop variety. Serve these up in clear depression glass teacups (like the one pictured above) or your favorite floral cups for a fun and fancy garden party treat! one serving: 2 heaping teaspoons instant coffee powder (or 2 level teaspoons instant espresso) 2 heaping teaspoons sugar 1/2 cup whole milk handful of ice cubes generous squirt of chocolate syrup (like Hershey’s) whipped cream cinnamon Combine everything except the whipped cream and cinnamon in the bowl of a blender. Zip until smooth. Pour into pretty teacups. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Variations: add a drop of pure orange extract to the mixture and a...

Read more »