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Orange Slice Candy PumpkinOne more Halloween idea. This makes cute treats for the trick or treaters. This cute little guy is made from Candy Orange slices.
Dutch Oven Roast Garlic ChickenDutch oven meals are great for keeping the kitchen warm during the winter months. This is an easy and delicious roast chicken recipe that turned out wonderful!
Photo: Veggies and BabyHere is Ezra with last week's harvest from our CSA (Community Shared Agriculture). Eggplant, cucumbers, peppers, summer squash, and yard long beans. Yum.
Travel: Fancy Cappuccino Art (Osaka, Japan)Here is a fancy little cappuccino with a bear's face! My brother ordered it at a famous department store in Osaka, Japan. It was expensive but well worth the art and of course, it tasted great!
Photo: StrawberriesThese strawberries were huge! The colors were so gorgeous and my son loves to eat them.
Alice in Wonderland CakeMy husband told me as I walked in the door that he wanted something sweet to eat today. So he baked an "Alice in Wonderland Cake". I got a real kick out of his sense of humor when I looked at the cake. Enjoy!
Preserving Fresh VegetablesIf you keep highly perishable vegetables in your refrigerator and they go bad, here is a tip. I keep greens for several days, I use a few leaves per day. When I get them home, I put them under the water to clean them, then shake off the water.
Seasoning MeatIf you like to bake things that have seasoning but don't like to stop half way and turn them over, this tip will help. I season the pan then lay the meat or veggies on it, then season the top.
Painters Tape to Keep Flour Out of SeamsWhen making homemade noodles, pie crust, or anything else you have to roll out on your table, place painters tape over the crack in the table to keep the flour from being pushed down between the leaves.
Have Emergency Food Box On HandEvery year we have no idea what the weather will bring in the winter months. I have a special box just for this occasion. I buy soups, canned meats with pastas and other non perishable items to go in it.
Photo: For Your Sweet ToothIf you like colors and candy, this should make you feel just dandy.You can pick your own treat.
Photo: Making Christmas CookiesI came home after a long tiring day to find my 3 year old grandson decorating the last of the cookies he and his Pappy had made. It was so funny to see him standing on my old milking stool at the counter decorating the last of his cookie stash.
Garden: LemonsHere is just one of many buckets and buckets and buckets of beautiful and delicious lemons from my trees. I juice them and freeze them in ice trays then transfer the cubes to Ziploc bags.
Meatloaf ParmesanI was experimenting with ways to make meatloaf and my family loved this one and asks for it every week.
Canning Jar Covers from Fabric ScrapsSave scraps from sewing projects and make some fabric canning jar covers. These jars of honey will be added to 5 gift baskets.
Love Note from the LoafI've always loved bread, and now I guess it's safe to say that bread loves me right back!
Nearly Sugar Free PieThis can be made in a few minutes and in the fridge before dinner. Here are three pictures for a step by step recipe.
Get Your Money's Worth When Buying Nuts and ProduceI keep a bowl of cracked pecans and a dish of candies beside the door of where I use my laptop so it's easy to grab a snack-on-the-go.
Our New Years Day DinnerMy husband and I decided to make a turkey dinner for New Years Day. This is not unusual for the day. At Christmas, our grown-up daughter had her own plans which is OK with us. We decided turkey for New Year's, ham for Christmas.
Fun Food With HotdogsHere are two fun ways to serve hot dogs to kids. Barbells/Weights: Slice hot dog and place one slice at either end of a round toothpick.
Cooking Two Things At Once In The MicrowaveI needed to cook some fish and spuds in the microwave. I was running out of time before guests arrived, so I thought of a way to cook them both.
Over Easy Eggs without FlippingIf you like over easy eggs, but hate to flip them, here's a nice thing I learned while cooking for a living. Have a nice flat pan or a skillet that allows for a flat center. Get a squirt bottle with some water, and a good lid that covers the pan or at least the eggs.
Have an Artichoke PartyAt our house we have what we call artichoke parties. We sit all around the kitchen table and just eat steamed artichokes. It makes for wonderful family bonding time and we love our veggies. A little butter and garlic salt added we have a very fun evening with lots of giggles and stories.
Use Magnets To Keep Recipes Out Of The WayThis isn't a recipe, but it's a great idea for when you use one. I find that hauling out my cook books, which are all loose leaf and in binders, isn't practical in a small kitchen.
Pack Baked Goods in Layers of BaggiesI have found that when taking a bag of these to people I owe a little kindness too or to those not feeling well, the one on the bottom tends to meld with the inside of the lid.
Let's Share Our Pretty Party Platter IdeasWith the holidays coming up, I (and most likely you) am looking for new ideas to dress up the food I serve or take to parties. I would love to see your ideas. I will start with this deviled egg dish I did today for a friend's party. Show me yours!
Lunch for the Weight ConsciousI am trying to be a lot more "weight conscious" so have decided that it really isn't necessary to eat meat with every meal every day - so because it's summer and I don't have a garden - I like to make a meal of fresh fruits I prepare myself with little effort that I love!
Artichoke Birthday CakeI never make birthday cakes for my sons. I observe very well what their favorite food is pre birthday, and I turn the concept into a birthday cake.
Hoagie Sampler (Photo)Looks good enough to eat! This is a hoagie sampler I made for a customer.
Julienne Chicken Tip for SaladsI was in the grocery store the other day at the deli counter getting some lunch meat for my husband. A man in front of me ordered chicken lunch meat cut about 1/4 inch thick. What in the world I thought? . . .
Caterpillar Sandwiches RecipeThese squiggly little sandwiches are almost too cute to eat, but budding entomologists gobble them up with enthusiasm! This is a great recipe for kids of all ages to help prepare. They take about 20 minutes to assemble and minutes to devour.
Evan's Animal Birthday CakeI didn't want to do a commercial cartoon party theme for my son's second birthday, so since he loves animals, I chose that as the theme. This is the birthday cake that our friend Erin made for my son. It was adorable! She used frosting to decorate animal crackers with details (stripes on the tigers, etc.), and pretzel rods with green frosting on top as palm trees. It was a great party, and everyone loved the cake.
Need a Recipe for Spotted Dick?When I visited London a few years ago (earned a trip there), I was taken to dinner to a fantastic seafood restaurant that had a fantastically delicious dessert called Spotted Dick. It was like a super-rich super-flavorful Bread Pudding.
Recipe for Chili - Cook While You WorkThe only ingredient not pictured is green onion. The medium hot salsa gave it a nice flavor. I like dumping the ingredients in the crock pot before heading to work, setting the heat to low, adding chopped Kielbasa and onion when I get home, giving it another hour or so to heat, then enjoying my "home made" chili with crackers and a beer.
Dutch Oven Roast Garlic ChickenDutch oven meals are great for keeping the kitchen warm during the winter months. This is an easy and delicious roast chicken recipe that turned out wonderful!
Healthy Menu Choices by CuisineDon't let restaurant meals throw a curveball into your diet and exercise plan. With a little advance planning, ordering a healthy meal is do-able, whether the cuisine is Chinese, Indian, Italian or American. Here's a rundown of what to choose and what to avoid.
Orange Slice Candy PumpkinOne more Halloween idea. This makes cute treats for the trick or treaters. This cute little guy is made from Candy Orange slices.
Homemade Pie Crust Protector RingAn inexpensive (and easy) way to protect your pie crust from burning is this: Lay a large sheet of aluminum foil over the pie plate you plan to use.
Heart Shaped Cheese PiecesAren't these little hearts cute? Guess you could use all kinds of shapes as long as you had the little cookie cutters. I asked the deli man to slice my cheese about 1/8" or so. I cut the shapes out out the cheese and placed it on the crackers.
Basic Red Tomato SauceThis is a great mild red sauce that the kids can help make. This year I made a double batch using fresh tomatoes from the garden, rather than the canned tomatoes, and processed it in pint jars using the hot water bath canning method.
